Uncaged January - March 2023

Hey Free Birds!

It feels like it was just yesterday we were beginning the new school year, yet semester two is already here! After the crazy few years we’ve had, with online schools and masks, it’s nice to finally be back to normal. The staff at Uncaged has been hard at work to bring you the first magazine of the school year!

To the Freshmen, we hope you’re enjoying your first year of high school! Sophomores, hopefully your second year of high school hasn’t been too bad! As you get ready for junior year, make sure to remember to take the time to relax and have fun. For Juniors, this year might be tough, but hang in there, because soon you’ll be in your last year of high school! Finally, for the Seniors, it feels like time has flown by so fast! Enjoy the last bit of high school, and remember, you’re almost ready to start the next chapter of your life!

We hope you enjoy the first magazine of the school year. Check out our website, uncagedfhs.org, for the latest stories and broadcast archives!

Adviser

Dana Baker

STAFF the from the editors

Editor-in-Chief

Pratha Ravani

Managing Editor

Michael Baker III

Online Editor

Addy Welz

Photo Editor

Jackie Buktaw

Design Editor

Hazel Nguyen

News Editor

Jackie Buktaw

Features Editor

Pratha Ravani

Culture Editor

Hazel Nguyen

Opinions Editor

Pratha Ravani

Sports Editors

Jackie Buktaw

Staff Writers

Amelia Lee

Amogha Chetla

Charlie Laiacona

Gunnar Baker

Hannah Joo

Hannah Laywell

Henry Kim

Hope Nguyen

Jackson Franzen

Keira McDowell

Mahi Parikh

Rachael Phillips

Megan Inscoe

Nashawn Stewart

Olivia Johnson

Sadie Porter

Sophia Azam

Sunny Panthangi

Zayna Jamil

Uncaged is the newsmagazine of Freedom High School. The attitudes, opinions, views, and ideas expressed in Uncaged do not necessarily reflect those of this staff, the faculty adviser, Freedom High School, or the Loudoun County Public School system. Uncaged follows the county and state guidelines established for student high school publications, and disclaims any liability with respect thereto the use or reliance on any such information contained in this publication. The Uncaged staff welcomes contributions and encourages the expression of students, faculty, staff, and members of the Freedom High School community.

Cover Pratha Ravani Backpage drawing

“

The

caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.

Students disconnect from technology

[Story by Charlie Laiacona and Hazel Nguyen]

As Freedom becomes more centered around technology, teachers and students often rely on their cell phones for technologically-involved classroom activities, such as scanning QR codes found in the announcements, advisory slides, and posters. However, for the students who don’t have access to a cell phone at school, these activities become more difficult, and they find workarounds that help them access links they need.

“I usually ask if a friend can send me the QR code or once they scan the QR code themselves, they can actually send me the link to whatever form or document I want to access at that given time,” said junior Andrew Huynh.

During classes, QR codes are sometimes used to join review games, but Huynh says his teachers always put a link below the image. This makes it easier to type into the search bar on a laptop.

Teachers like to use technology in order to enhance their lessons, but agree that sometimes cell phones can be a distraction.

“When phones and other distractions in class are not being used for class purposes, then that is a level of distraction that we did not have to deal with before [using technology]. So, it really matters how you choose to use phones in your class and what your class policies and class culture are so that you can make the most of it and minimize the distractions and problems with it,” said Jonathan Mason, a DE Physics teacher at Freedom.

Without a cell phone, communication can become a challenge, but there’s always another option.

“I mainly use Instagram, Google Chats, and Discord when I need to talk to my friends, since I can access those on my computer,” Huynh continues.

Students who do not have phones resort to other social media apps to communicate with friends, which is a convenient option because it is avail-

able on various devices.

On the flip side, while a majority of students possess cell phones, some may not have social media - another key channel of conversation for many of them.

“I missed the Matilda crew interest meeting because I don’t have Instagram,” shares Lily Jacoby, a freshman.

Clubs use social media apps, such as Instagram, to post upcoming meetings. Clubs generally use Schoology and Remind, school-supported apps that students can access without social media. When clubs use external means of communications (e.g. Instagram), it can be a more convenient option, since not all students check school-supported apps after school.

“Personally, I don’t use social media because I’m generally an anxious person, and feel that I wouldn’t want any extra anxiety as a result of social me-

dia,” said Surabhi Komanduri, a junior at Freedom High School.

While others use social media to receive club updates and to communicate with friends, other unrelated school posts of friends, celebrities, and other events may be sensitive information to some students. High school students are already stressed with school, extracurricular activities, and other factors in their lives, so they may gear away from social media to avoid additional stressors.

Social media and the use of phones in classrooms show the various ways students can receive information and communicate with one another. As Freedom students continue to navigate the many facets of technology, it is important that students are aware of both the social media upsides of increasing socialization and the downsides of its effect on mental health.

Without a phone, students may not be able to participate in certain activities.

Photos by Hazel Nguyen

photo.jpg

Class Rankings Are Changing

[Story by Hannah Laywell, Hazel Nguyen and Jackie Buktaw]

Starting with the Class of 2026, Loudoun County Public Schools has decided to remove the class ranking system. Instead, they are replacing it with a Latin Honor System. In the Latin Honor System, there are three levels of honors; Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Cum Laude. The top 5% will receive Summa Cum Laude, those in the top 10% will receive Magna Cum Laude, and those in the top 20% will receive Cum Laude.

The Latin Honors System and the class ranking system both have several differences. For example, a major one is the number of students. The class ranking system only recognizes a few students, such as valedictorians and top-performing percentiles. In comparison, the Latin Honors System recognizes the accomplishments of more

students. Instead of recognizing only a handful of students, the Latin Honors System recognizes all students who exceed the high academic standards.

Jeff Morse, the Dulles District School Board Representative, voted against making the change of class rankings at a School Board meeting. He worried students would no longer take their work seriously and fall behind in the low category. He also said that the Latin Honors System would likely reduce a small amount of stress for students competing to be at the top of the class.

“[Class rankings are] not a true picture of a student’s overall high school experience and affects some students’ mindset and performance,” said Celia Benz, a counselor at Freedom High School.

Benz also agrees that rankings worry students. Although the ranking system is changing to be less definitive, it

still assigns students to a category that will define their performance in high school.

“I’m so grateful that they are changing the ranking system because it is toxic to my mental health, but I’d rather have them get rid of it entirely, since it makes me feel like I’m comparing how smart I am to my peers constantly.” said Vicky Sim, a junior at Freedom High School.

Whether getting rid of class rankings is beneficial or detrimental for high school students is a topic with varying opinions. Regardless, the new class ranking system is attempting to acknowledge the accomplishments of the higher ranked students while reducing the categorial pressure that lower ranked students feel. However, whether this attempt will successfully accomplish this goal is ultimately up to how it will affect student mental health.

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Seniors Battle Senioritis

[Story by Henry Kim]

Amysterious disease similar to the flu seems to go around and strike seniors in high schools all across the nation at around the time that college applications are submitted or when college admission results are being released. The disease results in a dropoff of production of work, motivation to work, etc. It is a phenomenon called “Senioritis”.

Some claim it’s real and some claim it is a myth.

“I think it [senioritis] is real but I don’t think it’s as bad as people say it is,” Reid Dunn, a senior at Freedom High School, said.

“I think it is real because of a common burnout seniors experience,” Vincent Hang, a senior at John Champe High School, said.

Both Reid and Vincent believe that Senioritis is real but is over exaggerated. This may be because of the placebo effect students may feel when hearing about Senioritis. Many seniors can begin to use it as an excuse as to why their grades are dropping causing

the whole phenomenon of senioritis to be stronger.

It is speculated that this feeling may come around because after four straight years of high school work and being so close to the end of the journey students begin to slow down as they feel that they have done enough. This is an understandable effect as many colleges don’t account for senior year grades as long as you are passing your classes. Resulting in senior year grades are not as important to seniors.

Faten Al Sibai, a senior, feels quite affected by senioritis.

“I have been very unmotivated after submitting my applications,” Al Sibai said. “I haven’t been as productive as I usually am.”

However, she has been able to keep up the work production enough to keep her grades up to par. She says she was able to keep this up by motivating herself with, “the quality of life I want when I am older.”

However, some colleges do check grades and some students may need to combat Senioritis depending on where they want to attend college.

One way Reid advises to combat senioritis is to, “have something that actually motivates you other than just college.”

Vincent advocates to keep reminding yourself why you are pushing yourself in the first place and to not give up all that hard work you put in the past four years.

Believing that college applications and the feeling of being done with school the root of Senioritis, Reid advises people to find motivation outside of college. This can include maintaining that GPA that you may have worked hard for or a higher class ranking or perhaps to satisfy yourself/ parents.

It seems that Senioritis has been dubbed as a phenomenon that occurs to many senior students, however, not all. Although, it may seem as a mysterious occurrence, it has a reasonable explanation behind it. It is simply college applications and the lesser importance of senior grades compared to other years.

Students Study in Various Ways

[Story by Amelia Lee]

As the 2022 to 2023 school year continues, many Freedom High School students have developed study habits with the hope of performing well on assignments. The methods and frequency of studying used across the FHS student body vary according to their preferences and schedule.

Some FHS students find active studying methods more beneficial for them than passive studying methods. Active studying is when students challenge themselves to retain information by recalling information instead of rereading their notes. Active studying techniques include flashcards, practice quizzing and creating connections with their topic and outside knowledge.

“I don’t like rewriting my notes because I don’t really absorb the content that way. I need practice or be able to talk it out because I don’t understand it if I’m just being talked at without any practice or worksheets,” said sophomore, Tara Bhogaraju.

Other students find passive studying techniques better for them. Passive studying techniques are less laborious for students, as students do not need to create flashcards or practice quizzes. Similar to active learning, students retain information through repetition, but they review their written information instead of recalling it.

“I study for tests by looking over notes during study hall,” said sophomore, Ava Christopher.

Some FHS students take additional classes in place of their study hall. These classes include SCA, PEER and Sources of Strength. Students selected for these classes do not have a free block to complete their assignments or study for their tests. Specifically for SCA, in the beginning of the year their job is to plan homecoming for the FHS community. This is very time consuming and strenuous. They plan for the spirit week, organize the pep rally,

decorate the building and plan the dance. This does not leave any time for students to complete their work during study hall, so students need to complete their school work after their extracurriculars.

“Having SCA as a study hall definitely was hard in the beginning of the year because there’s a lot of planning for homecoming and not a lot of time to study during SCA,” Bhogaraju said.

FHS students also study with each other outside of study hall and school. Some students believe that studying with a peer is beneficial due to the relaxed atmosphere it creates. Through collaboration, they can develop fun methods to memorize and retain information successfully. Using active study techniques with peers, such as reteaching or quizzing the other, may be beneficial for some students too.

“Studying with a friend usually helps me because having silly conversations helps me remember the information we talked about better. I also like to pretend that I am teaching the material to another student,” said sophomore Palak Sanghavi.

Numerous FHS students take one or more dual-enrollment or AP courses. These courses are college level classes and require a lot of time dedicated to the class. Many of the AP classes come with a textbook that students are required to or recommended to read in addition to the class notes. Students must have a great understanding of the unit and readings in order to be successful on tests. Due to the high volume of information given in a unit, students must dedicate a lot of time to these classes.

“I have to devote a lot of time to studying for those classes, especially

AP World. It helped teach me how to study effectively and manage my time better though,” Sanghavi said.

FHS students are committed to various sports and clubs which take away from time available to study. Students on FHS sports teams have practices every school day, and sometimes weekends. Practices average approximately two hours a day. If a student is committed to outside sports teams too, then they may be practicing around four hours a day. Thus, they have a limited amount of time that they can dedicate to studying and schoolwork. However, students are able to adapt and create a schedule to follow that will allow them to balance their schoolwork and activities.

“Freedom soccer is usually before school, so I’ll do my high school [soccer] before school, then school,” Christopher said. “[After school] I have my club [soccer], so I do my studying late at night”.

FHS students vary when it comes to preferences for when and how they study. Some have access to a study hall, others benefit from studying after school. Those who have developed study habits hope to gain good grades on their tests and assignments.

Photo by Amelia Lee Sophomore Becca Laub studies for her history test.

Artists Separating their Reputation and Art

[Story by Mahi Parikh]

Navigating around controversy is a part of each celebrity’s daily life, and the public’s reaction to the drama can either make or break their career. Artists such as Rex Orange County and Kanye West have had recent, career-threatening scandals. Drama such as this leads to a bigger conversation that people have been debating for years, whether an artist should be separated from their art or not.

Many people think that they should be allowed to enjoy their art without

liking the artist. Many people disagree, though, and believe that once an artist does something wrong, people should stop supporting them by not supporting their work anymore.

“You shouldn’t listen to that artist because if you’re listening to their music, you’re streaming it, and then they’re getting money,” said sophomore Alison Mun.

When an artist does something wrong, such as making offensive and hurtful comments, many people believe that they shouldn’t be able to continue to have a platform to share their art to the world. By people taking

CANC ELED

a stand and deciding to not stream their music anymore, there’s a chance that their music won’t do as well, and they will start becoming a less prominent and influential figure. This can go for any celebrity whose work relies on the public.

Mun believes that enjoying a celebrity’s work is equal to supporting them as a person and the actions that they have done.

“It just shows that [they] don’t really care that much about what [the celebrity] did…that was hurtful,” said Mun.

Most people will agree with these statements when they are just presented with one side, but this debate gets difficult when people start talking about the other side of this conversation.

“Listening to their music is not validating their actions because their music and what they do are two separate things. Their music [is] about their talent. What they do and the drama they end up in, that’s just being a human being,” said senior Diya Parikh.

Parikh believes that someone listening to an artist’s music is simply just listening to music they enjoy and nothing more. It isn’t condoning their actions or supporting them as a person. Many people believe that they shouldn’t be shamed for listening to music that they enjoy, and people continuing to listen to their music isn’t affecting the celebrity as much as they think. At the end of the day, the majority of these artists who have global attention have already gained the streams and views that have made them enough money to last a lifetime.

People who don’t agree with separating an artist from their art believe that a celebrity’s work is a certain portrayal of who they are, others believe

the opposite.

“I don’t understand how [what they do] really affects their music, because their music is a different representation versus who they actually are as a person,” said sophomore Akshadha Venkat.

While Venkat agrees that an artist and their art should be left separate, she believes that bias often affects this conversation. She’s experienced the public taking certain situations too far, and others not far enough due to the idolization of celebrities.

After Ariana Grande’s 2015 scandal involving donuts, the public reacted in harsh ways, attempting to cancel her over something that Venkat believed to be seemingly harmless.

“I feel that the public overreacted a little bit [and] it was a little bit too extreme,” Venkat said.

On the other hand, when someone

idolizes a celebrity they will support all of their actions without taking the time to think for themselves.

“But if someone else does the same thing, they’ll be like, no that’s bad,” says Venkat when explaining how people react when an artist that they don’t idolize does something wrong.

According to Venkat, when a celebrity has people that idolize them, they will never have to worry about taking accountability for their actions, because they know they will always have people that will support them no matter what. This level of idolization often leads to blind and immoral support.

“The conversation about separating an artist from their art is a reasonable conversation to have because artists are just like us, they have feelings and their own personal problems too, [and] we don’t always know the full story,” said Parikh.

Choosing Comfort over Fashion

As the school year goes on and students become more and more stressed with their work it isn’t surprising that comfortable clothing is a popular choice among students. Dressing comfortably used to mean a sweat outfit however at Freedom, many students choose to wear the most comfortable clothing they can.

Many students are happy about cold weather because they can bring out their winter wardrobe. A student’s preferred style varies a lot and often takes influences from music or from another time such as the 90s. A popular style that’s currently in trend is

baggy sweatshirts and pants, usually a size or two larger than what a person regularly wears. Typically a neutral or darker color, this style of clothing has become popular simply because of how functional and comfortable it is to wear. Baggy outfits popularity come in part from how low maintenance they usually are and how easy they are to match. Baggy sweats offer the same comfort that wearing pajamas has without the just woke up look.

Pajama pants, specifically plaid ones, have become popular in recent years. This is in part because people became more comfortable wearing loungewear in public ever since COVID began. They keep you warm without causing you to overheat and you don’t even need to iron them, you can simply wake up and go to school in them. Before COVID, wearing pajama pants would’ve probably been less

acceptable in school unless there was an event such as a spirit day.

“I really like wearing my pajama pants to school. It’s almost like wearing a blanket, they’re just so comfortable,” said Izzy Wondwossen, a senior at Freedom.

For awhile crocs at Freedom High have been popular, however, the pandemic made them a trend, and are often worn along with pajama pants. Crocs, along with pajama pants became popular during COVID. Despite many admitting that they’re less than pleasant looks wise, they’re comfort outweighs their looks. A unique quality that makes crocs so popular is because they can be personalized with charms that a person chooses. Students also prefer to wear crocs because of their practicality too. In addition to being comfortable, they are easy to put on and won’t come off, making them

[Story by Nashawn Stewart]

Photos by Nashawn Stewart Style these days seem more focused on comfort over look.

Students tend to wear shoes that they like, rather than ones that look nice.

good for walking the halls during the morning rush, and during class changes.

“Crocs grew on me as they were getting popular, and after I got my first pair I understood the hype,” said Alex Morgan, a senior and Freedom.

Next up in comfy fashion are sweaters, particularly baggy knit sweaters. While sweaters are already a staple in fashion, recently oversized knit sweaters have become popular as a way to stay warm without having to carry a large coat around all day. In addition to being less expensive on average than a coat, they also have more unique options than what you would get when buying a coat. In addition to simple one color sweaters, sweaters that have designs are also in trend.

“I prefer wearing a heavy sweater because they’re not as baggy as a coat and you have more options,” said Adhithya Shankar.

Freedom’s fashion trends have changed drastically in only a matter of a year. Almost overnight fashion that would otherwise be unacceptable for school has simply become the norm. Dressing in loungewear both at school and in public has become less a taboo and more of a movement.

Students prefer to wear sweatpants over anything.

Clothing

Common clothes that students wear include sweatshirts.

style has vastly changed since COVID-19 hit.

TikTok Still Causes Problems for Teenagers

[Story by Amogha Chetla]

TikTok has captivated teenagers across the whole country, and even the world. The Chinese social media app had exploded in popularity just before the COVID-19 pandemic shifted lives everywhere. In fact, the app gained a lot of its following during the pandemic.

“During COVID when people didn’t have anything to do, TikTok was like a big thing. It became more popular, because it was a source of entertainment,” said sophomore Shivani Sukumar.

Similar to other social media apps, it has also caused mental health issues for young adults and teens. The short video clips advertised on TikTok are shown to promote self-esteem problems whether intentionally or not. Sophomore Sanjana Chodavarapu uses TikTok and other social media apps.

“TikTok is Toxic. I would choose toxic, because I think it’s the root of all a lot of beauty standards and the insecurities for so many teens,” Chodavarpu said.

It’s not easy to distinguish harmful content from helpful content when knowing so little about online dangers. Many students like to believe that social media can help a variety of different people with different backgrounds, while this is true at times, there are also times that the wrong people are given platforms to boost their harmful views onto believing teenagers.

“You can find your confidence by posting and people commenting on the post and telling you that you look good. And then on the other hand, if you post something and then people tear you down, then they can lower your self esteem,” said Sukumar about the nuances of posting on TikTok or elsewhere.

Not too long ago, Instagram employed a new feature on their app

which allows users to hide the amount of likes they receive on a certain post. It may seem like a small thing, but to numerous teenagers out there, this can change their whole experience on the app.

“I think when I was younger, I downloaded social media and with the mindset to be like everyone else,” Chodavarpu said. “And I re-downloaded it with a different mindset. Just to share my life, make new friends. It doesn’t affect me as much anymore. But I really think that when it comes to downloading social media, you have to do it with the right mindset.”

Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat- all

of these platforms have one thing in common, they all store user’s personal data. There were conversations about banning TikTok relating to data being stolen from users. India has already taken measures to ban TikTok since 2020. Microsoft was one of the companies which was very close to purchasing the US part of TikTok before being rejected by the social media app.

Past its controversial data usage, TikTok and social media, in general, are still used to promote small businesses, spread kindness, show activism in pressing issues of the world, and just do the simple act of making people happy.

Reading Habits Changing in High School

[Story by Hannah Joo]

Setting extra time aside from a busy high school schedule and life to read can become difficult to do as the years progress. As school work and extracurricular activities start to take over the majority of high schoolers’ lives, many lose the motivation to read a book in any of their spare time. Most people find themselves reaching for their phone, rather than a book to keep them entertained in any extra time they may have.

When finding slight amounts of time that students use to try reading, the fiction genre seems to have the most interest amongst students ever since they were young.

“My favorite genre was non-fiction when I was younger, but growing up I found fiction to be much more en-

joyable than non-fiction,” said junior Gwyneth Vu, “We often had to read books in English class and I would find myself choosing a fiction book every single time. I actually am not a big fan of reading, but if I had to choose I would definitely choose a fiction book.”

Although Vu never truly enjoyed reading as much as others, she found many fiction books to attract her interest whenever she had the chance to read.

Students with deeper interest and understanding with fiction novels, claim they received greater impact with the books they have read.

“My favorite book that I have ever read would be Cinder by Marissa Meyer,” said junior Juila Buktaw, “I am not a big reader, but this book did not leave me bored and kept me wanting to flip the page. It was actually one of the fastest books I have read and the plot was interesting. Unlike some other books I read, it’s very intriguing. It had a lot of action, which I am a fan of, so that also kept me attracted.” She found this book to grab her attention more than any other book she had read before. The characters, plot, and storyline intrigued and motivated her to truly enjoy reading the book. Julia, also not a fan of reading, pushes herself to try and read a book from time to time.

Freshman Jainil Modi sets aside time to read while balancing school and other extracurricular activities.

“I try my best to

find at least 15-30 minutes to read, but due to my school work load, I find it very hard to set time aside to read,” Modi said, ¨I find my reading time decreases every school year because I get busier each year. I really want to use some of my spare time to read, but after long hours of doing school work, I find myself reaching for my phone rather than a book. In the future, I hope that I can find time for a reading schedule again, so I can get back into the habit of reading.”

As students grow older, the nature of reading starts to change as reading becomes more work assigned. Genuinely enjoying a book can slowly fade due to a busy schedule, but individuals like these few students show their efforts in bringing back the fun of reading.

Photo by Hannah Joo Junior Tanya Inaganti reads her favorite book during English class.

Freedom Decides the Hardest Year of High School

[Story by Olivia Johnson]

Once students enter high school, they are introduced to a new environment, and these are their last years of education leading up to college. Even though each year has its ups and downs, there is still a huge debate between people as to which year of high school is the hardest.

“Junior year has definitely been the hardest so far because I am taking four AP classes and it’s really hard,” said junior Lexie Pollard.

When students become upperclassmen, they have to not only juggle taking harder AP and DE classes, but they also have to worry about tests like the SOL and the SAT. On top of that, upperclassmen have to begin figuring out where they want to apply to college and what they want to major in.

Although this is true, teachers and students may argue that senior year is the most stressful year for students because this is the year that they actually begin the college application

process and later on in the year, they get to see whether or not they were accepted into their desired colleges.

“I think once you get into 12th grade, the concept of preparing for college becomes much more real as [students are] actually applying for college,” said English teacher Christina Farello.

The debate of which year of high school really is the most challenging, a majority will either choose between junior or senior year being the most difficult. Regardless of their choice, every single year of high school has its own hardships.

“When you’re a freshman you’re in a new place and you’re trying to learn your surroundings,” said Economics and Global Studies teacher Rosie Sutton. “In 10th grade you’re trying to figure out what classes you want to take as electives and in 11th grade, you’re trying to juggle all of the new things that are happening. [Finally] in12th grade, you’re trying to make sure that you have everything ready to

go for graduation.”

In order for students to be successful, they must create ways that will help them achieve their goals that are best suited for them.

Sutton highly recommends that students buy a planner because it helps to balance out schedules and also to balance the amount of time that each activity should have so that students do not begin to fall behind or to feel overwhelmed.

Despite the challenges that students could potentially face during their high school years, there are many valuable life lessons that they can learn along the way.

“Failure is an essential part of learning, and when we’re too hard on ourselves about being perfect all the time or being afraid to fail, we don’t end up taking risks that end up helping us learn,” Farello said. “Embrace failure.”

As students take harder classes, their classwork starts to pile up.

Photos by Olivia Johnson Juniors in high school not only have to worry about classes and grades, but also need to take standardized tests like the SAT.

Classes Cut Content

[Story by Addy Welz]

At Freedom High school both teachers and students have opinions on the material that is being covered within the classroom. These opinions can lead to information being skipped and left out of classes.

While students only have to sit through each class once, teachers have to teach the same lesson multiple times a day, and sometimes two days in a row.

Although teachers enjoy what they teach, teaching the same thing multiple times in a row can become repetitive and unenjoyable.

“There are definitely some mediums and topics that I like less than others. For instance, I would say printmaking and ceramics are my least favorite projects. Mainly because I personally find them more difficult,” Colleen Hilliker, a Freedom high school art teacher, stated.

Teachers may also skip material because there isn’t enough time to go over everything before the end of the year.

“I feel like teachers alter their plans somewhat often because the activities and lesson plans take longer than predicted,” said Gracie Ty, a junior at Freedom.

Although it is understandable that teachers don’t always want to go over the same thing that they do not like multiple times, this can cause issues for students.

One issue that arises for students is when something is skipped in class and shows up on the test.

“A lot of the information skipped ends up on the tests and it makes me feel cheated because we could have taken time in class for it,” said a junior at Freedom who has chosen to remain anonymous.

Students find this frustrating because they can never fully understand

what they need to know for a test to be successful.

“I feel like I would do better on tests if my teachers would at least tell us when they skip something to make sure we understand it and not just skip it without saying anything” the anonymous junior stated.

Another issue that can arise for students is when they have knowl-

edge gaps moving into the next year. Although, sometimes it can be confusing for students to know where these knowledge gaps are coming from.

“I don’t know if there’s any gaps of information that students should have known from previous years,” Ty said.

When information is skipped within the classroom, there are many different difficulties that come with it.

School Lunches Differing Across the Country

[Story by Hope Nguyen]

School lunches have been stereotyped in the media for being disgusting, unhealthy, and overall have a terrible reputation.

According to a 2019 study by FoodRevolution, school lunches across the country are often high in unhealthy fats and sugars, low in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

In 2009, an investigation by USA Today exposed the low quality of lunch in U.S schools, being even lower than fast food restaurant standards.

While there have been improvements with Congress and the National School Lunch Program along with individual states and schools taking action of their own, school lunches are still not up to par to international standards when compared to countries in Europe and East Asia.

“I feel the lunch served at school could be better,” said junior Febronia Farowez. “As I feel it’s starting to be given less attention as I start noticing many repeats and issues with the food.”

“Sometimes it’s fine,” said junior Sania Hasan. “But one time I found this [food] that was lumpy. And I don’t like the boiled vegetables. I feel like it’s a waste of food because everyone just throws it away. They should have a donation box [for uneaten foods].”

Although Freedom High School has high reviews online, being rated 3.8/5 on GreatSchools and 3.7/5 on Niche, the school lunches are still not favored by many students.

Some students complain that even if the food tasted good, it was still not very nutritional, consisting of mostly grains and protein. The healthier meals also did not look appetizing.

“They’re not very good,” said junior Zulema Hilario.“I’ve eaten a pizza with

mozzarella sticks, these gyoza dumplings, and this bread that had spinach in them. They were questionable.”

The cafeteria manager of Freedom had a different opinion compared to the previous three students.

“I think it’s good lunch because we serve all the nutrition [needed] towards foods and all the different foods and vegetables, and we have different choices so students can choose,” said Khushboo Nooniwal.

Nooniwal still had ideas for how to improve the school lunch service however.

“We can provide all different types of foods even though they are [from] very different countries,” said Nooniwal. “Foods like Indian, Mexican, American… all different country foods so [the students] more interested to buy different food.”

Photo provided by Michael Baker III School lunch from a school in Prince William County, Virginia.

Photo provided by Hannah Laywell

School lunch from John Champe High School.

From the students, there were also complaints about the appearance of the food itself.

“The salad is not even a salad. It’s just big chunks of lettuce put into a box. They should make the healthy choices actually appealing. The healthy foods are less appealing than the unhealthy food,” Hasan said.

Others lamented about the variety of food that was given.

“[They should have] more fresh options other than steamed vegetables because I know a lot of people don’t like the taste. And [more] cut up food like apples,” Hilario said.

Farowez offered advice to Freedom on how to encourage students to make more healthful choices.

“Promoting less sweets and more fruits and vegetables, especially fruits since they’re usually sweeter, and requiring them to take a fruit or vegetable to go with their plate when they’re about to punch their lunch number in,” Farowez said.

In 2010, former first lady Michelle Obama established the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which sought to make healthier school lunches for kids. The result was that many were still unsatisfied, calling the new school lunches “gross” and “yucky.”

“I think America serves better

because when we were little, in my school they used to serve a lot of junk food,” said Nooniwal. “I like the chicken curry and rice. It’s really delicious and it’s a new item we decided on this

year.”

On the other hand, some students believe that changing the dietary guidelines might make school lunch worse than it already is.

“If they try to make it healthy it probably won’t be healthy and it won’t taste good either,” Hasan said. “I don’t know what they’d serve besides salad.”

Farowez and Hilario saw no problems with the guidelines but rather the meals themselves.

“I think they’re [the guidelines] pretty okay now, It’s mostly the food that’s the problem,” Hilario said.

“I feel that the dietary guidelines for school lunches can stay relatively the same, so long as they encourage healthier choices,” Farowez said.

There were many suggestions for how to make school lunches more appetizing and thus more likely to be eaten.

“They need to have different and bigger variety, and different foods from different cultures. Things that aren’t so basic,” Hasan said.

Most of the school lunches served across America are typically eurocentric in nature, which may be alienating to foreign students or children of immigrants who are used to food that is

Photo by Megan Inscoe School lunch from Independence High School.

Photo provided by Jackie Buktaw School lunch from Freedom High School.

typical to their culture. Including more foreign food could make them feel more comfortable and included.

“They could add different country foods and more diverse foods so different student countries can buy it,” said Nooniwal. “I think they’re trying to do it next year.”

“I’ve seen on social media school lunches in other countries compared to America, and America definitely has one of the worst school lunches,” Hilario said. “And the fact you have to pay for it and it’s not free in most places makes it worse.”

Accessibility is an important factor to consider when discussing school lunches, as of 2022, food insecurity affects 1 in 10 people in the US.

This is especially the case for low income families. School lunches are often one of the only meals these children will have access to during the day, making it imperative they are able to eat healthy, nutritious meals

“[They should] make lunch accessible for everyone, no more paying for school lunches, but don’t degrade the quality of the food. We’re already okay with allergy restrictions but make it accessible and not terrible,” Hilario said.

In the end, all three students were in agreement that American school lunches need reform.

“I feel American lunches could be reformed to have food that at least tastes better or is cooked better, as many schools have the meat under-

cooked a bit or don’t provide as much as they’re supposed to,” Farowez said.

School lunches are important for a number of reasons. They provide children with the nutrients needed to grow and develop properly. They’re also especially important for students who don’t have access to healthy food at home. For these children, the meals

they eat at the cafeteria might be their only chance to get the nourishment they need.

The lunches served at schools can offer opportunities for students to learn about healthy eating habits that will follow them for the rest of their life, thus it is important that the meals served are top quality.

Photo provided by Pratha Ravani School lunch from Montgomery County, Maryland.

Photo by Olivia Johnson School lunch from the Lightridge High School.

Photo by Julia Buktaw School lunch from the Academies of Loudoun.

Let’s Talk About Sleep

[Story by Keira McDowell]

It is no secret that sleep is important. It is a critical factor that helps benefit people and how they function throughout the day. According to the CDC, 73% of high schoolers do not regularly get the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night. This lack of sleep takes a toll on students throughout the day.

“It’s so hard to wake up and get out of bed in the morning.” said sophomore Atmika Gorti.

Getting a sufficient amount of sleep is important for students as it keeps them focused and awake in class which can lead to better academic performance. Being well rested helps students learn, as well as better retain and recall information they are introduced to in classes. When students do not get a sufficient amount of sleep, they won’t be able to learn and function as well.

“I feel like It is harder to focus and it takes more time to process and comprehend things [when I’m tired]” said freshman Keira Lee.

On top of struggling to stay focused in normal classes, students found that when they aren’t interested in the subject itself, it makes it harder to give the class their full attention, especially when they are tired.

“When classes aren’t as interesting and I’m tired, it makes it even harder to pay attention,” Gorti said.

Along with affecting how well students are able to participate and interact in class, being tired adds additional stressor on students as with

being tired comes a loss of motivation. Instead of being productive, many students will be too tired to get started on school work, which can result in work building up and the need to stay up later to complete the procrastinated school work.

“I feel like I want to lay in bed on my phone all day. I have no motivation to do anything,” Lee said.

Some students also found that being tired affects their motivation to do extracurricular activities they normally enjoy as they’d rather catch up on sleep.

“Sometimes I’ll want to stay after for a club or something, but then I’ll just be too tired and decide to go home and take a nap instead,” said junior Anjana Kumar.

Students stay up for many factors such as spending time working on schoolwork, extracurriculars, or time

spent watching tv or other things they enjoy which loses them hours of sleep.

“I have so much work to do. Even when I’m trying to get things done, there’s just so much to do,” Kumar said.

With these day to day problems that affect students, many turn to relying on other things to keep them awake such as caffeine, energy drinks and other sugary items.

“Sugar is something that helps me stay awake during the day. So I am always eating sugary things like candy or chocolate food in general,” Gorti said.

Overall, a lack of sleep negatively impacts students and how well students function and feel throughout the day, especially when it comes to participating in classes and completing schoolwork.

Society Uses the Arts to Gain Freedom

[Story by Zayna Jamil]

Throughout history and modern day, humans around the world search for ways to be understood, valued and heard. They express their personal experiences through media that is consumed by society regularly. The Arts, human practices that involve the creation of painting, music, cinematography and literature, have shaped societal perspectives and have been used as forms of liberation by communities who endeavor for their voices to have an impact.

The Arts affect three main components: psychology, politics and education. As humans use the Arts to portray their views and advocate for themselves, their interpretations of society and social concepts are incorporated into their work of art through emotion, opinion and pedagogy.

Art in psychology has influenced mindsets through its ways of connecting emotional responses to form shared experiences within various groups.

“The Arts can be incredibly collaborative and healing. There are opportunities to create shared experiences through expression” said Faiza Cotton, a Human Development professor at Clemson University.

Through collaborative effort, the Arts has an effect on how humans express their feelings with each other. While art tries to illustrate its meaning through unspoken communication, many people find the Arts as a way to bond or relate to those around them, eventually leading to forms of self-advocacy, whether that may be emotionally or otherwise.

“The Arts allow us to share that lived experience with a broader audience and advocate for ourselves, to advo-

cate for our communities,” Cotton said.

Art in politics can shift public opinion and is used by marginalized communities to find opportunities of freedom and liberation in their position.

“A lot of music could be protest music that might get enough people to research a certain issue and could eventually lead to political changes,” said Justin Schenck, FHS social sciences teacher.

Art throughout history and today has shaped the way society views a cer-

tain social issue. The creation of protest music and other works of art that have contributed to opposing an unjust ideology or doctrine are becoming increasingly famous as more people are inclined to be educated or involved when watching, seeing or hearing these forms of art. These productions are a way for underrepresented people in society to use their voices.

“A lot of classic rock music are protest songs against the Vietnam war. These were backed

by mainstream

Photo by Zayna Jamil Students made a timeline about the Israel and Palestine conflict for a history class.

media and led to political changes,” Schenck said.

Art in education gives students the ability to advocate for themselves and the motivation to apply their learning into their everyday lives.

“Students have thoughtful insight and they can even teach you something if you take the time to listen,” said Guadalupe Yarbrough, FHS English teacher.

In many ways, the Arts can be a

subjective creation that students build upon to help their school community understand their individual perspectives. Whether it may be through school assignments, projects or extracurricular activities, various versions of the Arts are incorporated into students’ everyday lives. With the art students produce, they voice their experiences which lead to social change within the education system.

The creation of the Arts has its own meaning to every person who consumes it. The Arts has become a source of inspiration to many struggling people in the world who wish to revolutionize their thoughts through media.

For many people in society, freedom is a critical aspect of liberation, and with the Arts, justice can play a vital role in binding the human spirit across the globe.

Photo by Zayna Jamil Spanish classes at Freedom display student artwork.

Photo by Zayna Jamil History classes hang posters of political cartoon and art.

Electives Collaborating with Each Other

[Story by Jackson Franzen, Hazel Nguyen and Pratha Ravani]

At Freedom, there are a variety of electives offered that students can choose from. However, something many students don’t know about is how electives tend to work together in different projects.

Whether it’s art classes, the music electives, or theater, these electives love to collaborate in order to create something special.

“[Art has] created floral decorations for a choir concert,” said Senior Maddie Bui. “[We’ve also] collaborated with the National English honor society to create holiday cards, and I’ve personally helped teachers with small art requests such as creating the art for the orchestra program.”

While students may not directly

collaborate through their electives most of the time, other clubs related to their electives allow them to collaborate. For example, National Art Honor Society gives many opportunities for art students to get volunteer hours through different events, which are usually collaborated with another elective.

“In art classes, we usually don’t get to interact with other classes as much,” Bui said. “NAHS (National Art Honor Society) definitely provides a much more collaborative platform for us to connect with other subjects or just the school in general outside of the fine arts department.”

According to Bui, NAHS reaches out to other departments to see if they are willing to collaborate or need any art pieces for upcoming events. They then give these opportunities to members of the society, allowing

them to work with others, including electives like theater.

“NAHS has lots of students that help with scenic painting. For the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, we had several orchestra students and band students help with the background music that the theater students did dances to. We often collaborate depending on the specific needs of a show,” said Rachel Wickham, a Freedom theater teacher.

Collaboration is a small part of how electives interact, but according to students, it’s the most rewarding part.

“I really do love collaborating and working with other classes to make our school a vibrant place,” Bui said. “I would love even more opportunities to connect our subjects and make our community a more collaborative and diverse group of talented people.”

Art classes help theater by painting backgrounds.

Photos by Jackson Franzen

Macey Barker works on a clay project during art class.

How Teachers Impact Student Performance

[Story by Sophia Azam]

Many aspects can correlate with why a student does well in a class or does poorly. Teachers can significantly impact students and how well they do in a class. Students admit that teachers who can cater to their needs and different learning styles help them grasp the subject better.

Most students believe a teacher’s teaching style can affect their performance in a class.

“They can because if they are good, then you will learn more and possibly get good grades, but if they are not, you might end up hating the class,” said freshman Rebecca Weathington.

Students think that if a teacher is good at teaching, then they will result in learning more, and their grades will increase. The different opinions on what makes a good teacher at teaching can vary.

“A good teacher can make you excited and ready to learn,” said freshman Sarah Karimi.

Students agree that a good teacher can make going to class exciting if they care about their students’ learning and make the class enjoyable.

Students also believe teachers can affect their learning abilities through their class actions negatively and positively. Teachers can negatively affect students’ learning abilities in many ways.

“Different students learn in different ways, and a student’s perception of a teacher changes in different enviornments,” said Brandon Shen, a junior at Freedom.

Students agree that when teachers do not interact with students, it

negatively affects them because they struggle to understand the topic.

“Not really interacting with the students because last year I had a teacher who did not really have enthusiasm, and she was just there to teach. She did not make sure that the students were understanding the concept,” said freshman Avanthika Arul.

Students want teachers to take their time to explain specific topics so they can grasp the concept better.

Teachers can also affect a student’s learning ability positively.

“From my perspective, it is essential for a teacher to have the goal of changing the world by leaving a positive influence on their students,” Shen said.

Students believe they learn best when teachers make the class more interactive and enjoyable.

“Also, by making you more willing to participate in things if they provide a safe space,” Karimi said.

Teachers also agree that they can impact students’ learning abilities and performance in a class in many ways.

“I do think teachers can affect a student’s learning abilities and performance in a class, but performance can be measured in many ways, and not just by a grade. Each student learns in a different way, and when student learning styles are paired with the teaching styles of a teacher, a relationship is formed. Some relationships are built sooner than others, especially when many commonalities exist between the learning and teaching styles. Other relationships take longer to form. When teachers can find a way for a student to be motivated to try their best and care about their learning, students are successful because ultimately, in my opinion, effort creates achievement,” said 9th-grade math teacher Christine Koeneke.

Teachers agree that trying hard to understand their students’ learning styles positively affects them and helps them improve in class.

Students also acknowledge that

teachers can affect how their grades are in a class. If a teacher is not explaining the topic well enough, it will cause them to be confused and struggle with their grades.

“Yes, because if the teacher does not care about you teaching you, you might get bad grades, but if a teacher focuses more on your learning, you overall should get better grades,” Weathington said.

Students concur that teachers significantly impact how they do academically and can affect their grades and learning abilities.

Teachers think that both students and teachers influence grades.

“Grades are a 50/50 thing between a student and a teacher. While we do our best to give engaging lessons that make the subject enjoyable yet challenging. We also try to adapt how we teach to fit the many diverse needs of the students that enter our classrooms. The student’s role in all of this is to attempt to meet us halfway, participate in the lessons, be open to things not always coming easy to you, and be ok asking for help. When we work together towards the common goal of learning, then yes, teachers can affect a student’s grade. Just the same way that students can affect how we teach, nothing in education is linear; each moving part is dependent on each other to move forward. I hopefully teach you something, and you, in turn, make me a better teacher,” said ASL teacher Tiffany Martin.

Students believe that teachers can impact their learning abilities and performance in a class. While teachers think students must be willing to put in the work to achieve success.

EXTRACURRICULARS MANAGING SCHEDULES AND

[Story by Rachael Phillips]

Freedom High School was founded in 2005 and since then it has operated with a bell schedule of 9:15 a.m. to 4:03 p.m. Starting this school year, Loudoun County implemented a new schedule that has all 17 high schools going from 9:30 am to 4:18 pm.

While only 15 minutes may not seem like a lot, to students, particularly students involved in sports, this has been a big change. Students have expressed their opinions on the sudden adjustments.

“Managing volleyball has had a considerable effect on my academics,” said Mahima Atmavilas, sophomore and volleyball manager. “With low energy levels due to late nights and tiring days, it’s quite hard to manage my rigorous workload.”

Due to school starting later, some students may consider this a delay in

getting home, especially considering that practices start and end later now. This is a challenge for students to be able to spend time at home relaxing and getting their work done. Student athletes complain about how as soon as they leave practice they are rushing around and don’t have time to do as many things. This leads to stress, just as some of Freedom’s very own students have said, and less time for family and friends.

Although this time change doesn’t only affect students while they are in their sports season, it still impacts them even when they are not in season.

“The time I spend at home has slightly changed,” said Caitlin Wagner, junior and a member of the FHS softball team. “I get home later, meaning it can be stressful to do things in the evening, making it hard to relax with my family.”

It is not even spring season yet, but athletes and students are talking about a reduced amount of time they can spend at home due to the change in schedule.

Students have shared what they have done to manage their work during the past season and what they will have to do to manage the upcoming season.

“I tried to do homework on the bus, had to rely on energy supplements to get through my long days, and tried to get as much work done in school,” Atmavilas said.

Certain students have to rely on energy boosts in order to stay up later, which is not always the healthiest or best option if taken too often.

“I will have to stay up a little later some days to get certain work done,” said a sophomore who wished to stay anonymous for personal reasons.

Students believe having to stay up later causes them to result in taking these energy boosts and supplements.

Students have suggested solutions to this such as having school start earlier. While this may seem to make the problem worse, students believe that getting home earlier will allow them to be able to do homework and relax without as much stress.

“If our school could start at anytime I would choose 8:45 a.m. I believe this would give students more time in their day to get practice and school work done,”Wagner said.

The start time of 8:45 a.m. has been thrown out by students and athletes, so maybe it’s time Loudoun County hears them out and finds a way to accommodate everyone.

Students drink energy drinks, like Celsius, in order to stay awake and get energy.

Photos by Rachael Phillips

Parents wait to pick up students at night during after school practices.

VHSL Women’s Wrestling is Changing Forever

[Story by Gunnar Baker]

Girls wrestling has been put on emerging sports status by the Virginia High School League for the 2022-2023 season. The sport has three years to meet sanction standards.

To become fully sanctioned, more than 50% of schools must have at least one female wrestler on the team. According to VHSL numbers, Virginia had approximately 271 boys wrestling teams during the 2021-2022 season, with 131 having at least one girl on the team. Virginia needs at least 136 schools with females on the roster before the sport will be sanctioned.

“It means that there is more representation for women in the wrestling

community,” said junior Kiernan Horn.

When a sport becomes sanctioned, it means VHSL will fund tournaments instead of paying for them privately and state titles will become official.

“Sanctioning womens’ wrestling would create more opportunities for girls wrestling to expand beyond a few tournaments a season, which is what we were limited to previously,” said sophomore Eleanor Dean. “Having even Emerging sports status allows for unlimited girls tournaments. It’s stepping stones to allow for full girls wrestling teams with their own varsity line-ups to compete.”

The change will offer options to female athletes.

“I think it is great for the betterment of the sport,” said Greg Nor-

thart, head wrestling coach. “It allows females to compete against other females while keeping the option to compete amongst the boys.”

“As of right now there are no official girls’ teams besides the girls team that competes at nationals,” Dean said. “Plenty of schools have a good amount of girls on their team but aren’t allowed to be an official team until girls wrestling is sanctioned. Girls tournaments are open to all girls in the state no matter the district and we do travel outside of the district to compete.”

Currently, Freedom’s wrestling team has three returning girls and 2 new girls on the team. Since division 6A does not have a lot of female wrestlers, girls will wrestle boys. Northart feels there is no difference in coaching male

Photo by Gunnar Baker

Eleanor Dean shaking hands before starting a match at the Freedom VS Champe duels.

vs female wrestlers.

“They will both compete under the same formats as far as duals or individual tournaments and will wrestle under the same style,” Northart said. “We train them as wrestlers, not boys or girls. Wrestling has specific techniques for certain positions, so we train them on how to perform those techniques regardless of what team they are on, all wrestlers are still a part of our Wrestling program and females are still allowed to wrestle against boys should they choose to do so.”

Once all-girl teams are formed, they will have different weight classes to compete in compared to the men’s weight classes. The all-girls team weight classes will be 100, 106, 112, 118, 127, 136, 146, 156, 170, 185, and 225. Other rule differences are uniform specifications and the female state tournament is open instead of a qualifier tournament.

“The goal for the wrestling program is to have a full girls’ team/line-up, which means every weight class is filled by at least one person,” Northart said. “Coaches and practices will all stay the same though no matter the separate teams. The girls will practice alongside

the boys and have the same opportunities as they do now to compete on the “boys” varsity team. There will be no coach specifically for girls wrestling since the girls and boys will have the same practices. The coaches we have now are very supportive of girls wres-

tling and make sure we have all the opportunities out there.”

The VHSL is holding an official girls state championship meet on Feb.24-25 at the end of the season.

In the 2024-25 season, a proposal seeks to establish girls regional and state tournaments which match the dates of boys regional and state championships.

Photo by Gunnar Baker Alaina Matyas getting ready for her match during a JV meet.

Photo by Greg Northart Eleanor Dean biting her second place medal from the Beast of the East tournament.

Photo by Gunnar Baker Caroline Brown ready to start her match during a wrestling meet with other VA schools.

When Words Fail, Music Speaks

[Story by Sunny Panthangi]

The Spirit of Freedom Marching Band has had a wonderful season and ended it in the band winning multiple trophies at their last competition, the Kecoughtan Warrior Classic. This year’s Marching Band theme revolved around South Beach NightClubs and the type of music you would listen to including EDM and Pop. Club Freedom managed to secure 6 trophies including “2022 Grand Champion.”

The band won top of their class, best percussion, best color guard, best music, best visual, and best overall. Although the seasons over, the Spirit of Freedom has other plans for the winter and spring.

The Freedom Indoor Drumline begins in winter and leads into spring. Indoor drumline is Percussion based music and it combines music, emotion and art. This year, the Freedom Drumline acquired many teachers and techs

to help improve and grow our drumline as a whole. It is, after all, a huge group effort and requires much focus, time, energy and commitment.

Former FHS student Alex Zhang is now a new bass tech for Indoor drumline. Zhang has about 10 years total when it comes to teaching/playing bass. Techs pay very close attention to the way students play and even to the way they carry the drum. Every small detail affects the entire show and how it will be executed.

There are many students on the fence about joining Indoor Drumline. Many students that were in both marching band and indoor drumline find that both have similarities and differences.

“I joined Indoor because I found that it helps gain friendship, reliability in others, and confidence in playing in front of audiences. Marching band and indoor are common because they both consist of playing for a large group of people. Although, the amount of work that goes into marching band is mere-

ly half of what goes into indoor.indoor is more competitive and creates closer friendships than what you would make in marching band. My Favorite core part of indoor is Social interactions with new people.” said Sophomore Jonny Yoon who currently plays first bass for battery.

Some students find the social aspect of Indoor Drumline a good reason to join. On the other hand, others find Drumline more appealing in other ways.

Sophomore Melissa Antony plays front Vibraphone. She was also unsure if she wanted to join because she saw Drumline as a huge time commitment. She wanted to know if she was getting anything out of it.

“In the end I joined because I like the music that is composed. I like how it’s all percussion because it shows the amount of effort we put into each note. Being in percussion, you can understand that we are mainly in the background when in Marching Band. Indoor highlights us and shows how

it combines prove commitment.

Former it comes carry There and “I joined audiences. Although, petitive Social Some line

Sophomore Drumline “In amount when Dayton huge Dayton, This world. Alex ask depend “I would are for Last It showed closed.

Photo by Michael Baker

At the Last Freeedom Football game, the Freedom Battery performed during the half time.

When Words Fail, Music Speaks

The Spirit of Freedom Marching Band has had a wonderful season and ended it in the band winning multiple trophies at their last competition, the Kecoughtan Warrior Classic. This year’s Marching Band theme revolved around South Beach NightClubs and the type of music you would listen to including EDM and Pop. Club Freedom managed to se cure 6 trophies including “2022 Grand Champion.”

The band won top of their class, best percussion, best color guard, best music, best visual, and best overall. Although the seasons over, the Spirit of Freedom has other plans for the winter and spring.

The Freedom Indoor Drumline begins in winter and leads into spring. Indoor drumline is Percussion based music and it combines music, emotion and art. This year, the Freedom Drumline acquired many teachers and techs to help im prove and grow our drumline as a whole. It is, after all, a huge group effort and requires much focus, time, energy and commitment.

Former FHS student Alex Zhang is now a new bass tech for Indoor drumline. Zhang has about 10 years total when it comes to teaching/playing bass. Techs pay very close attention to the way students play and even to the way they carry the drum. Every small detail affects the entire show and how it will be executed.

There are Many students on the fence about joining Indoor Drumline. Many students that were in both marching band and indoor drumline find that both have similarities and differences.

“I joined Indoor because he found that it helps gain friendship, reliability in others, and confidence in playing in front of audiences. Marching band and indoor are common because they both consist of playing for a large group of people. Although, the amount of work that goes into marching band is merely half of what goes into indoor.indoor is more com petitive and creates closer friendships than what you would make in marching band. My Favorite core part of indoor is Social interactions with new people.” said Sophomore Jonny Yoon who currently plays first bass for battery.

Some students find the social aspect of Indoor Drumline a good reason to join. Others on the other hand find Drumline more appealing in other ways.

much we can truly do. It’s also very fun! I loved going to Dayton Ohio for a really big competition. It was an incredible experience and gave me a lot more confidence in front of huge crowds.” Antony explains.

Sophomore Melissa Antony plays front Vibraphone. She was also unsure if she wanted to join because she saw Drumline as a huge time commitment. She wanted to know if she was getting anything out of it.

“In the end I joined because I like the music that is composed. I like how it’s all percussion because it shows the amount of effort we put into each note. Being in percussion, you can understand that we are mainly in the background when in Marching Band. Indoor highlights us and shows how much we can truly do. It’s also very fun! I loved going to Dayton Ohio for a really big competition. It was an incredible experience and gave me a lot more confidence in front of huge crowds.” Antony explains.

Dayton, Ohio, the home of the WGI, is where the World championships are held for indoor drumline and indoor guard. This is one of the biggest competitions for indoor and is an opportunity for teams to watch each other from around the world. In April of 2024, the Freedom Indoor Drumline will go to Dayton to verse against other teams around the world.

come and try it out. It’s ok if you don’t like it but you will regret it if you don’t come. There are also a lot of opportunities in indoor and it is never boring. I also take interest in the different themes and designs for the season.” says Antony.

Last year the theme of the Indoor show was Pandora’s Lament and it was about the Greek Myth of Pandora’s Box. It showed how the box follows the human and, when opened, unleashes Demons toward the human until the box is closed. This year’s theme is called Between Then and Now.

Dayton, Ohio, the home of the WGI, is where the World championships are held for indoor drumline and indoor guard. This is one of the biggest competitions for indoor and is an opportunity for teams to watch each other from around the world. In April of 2023, the Freedom Indoor Drumline will go to Dayton to verse against other teams around the world. Alex Zhang tells me that he gets tons of questions from students who would like to join. He says that “students always ask “why the time commitment.” and I never know what to say”. He says that this question has many answers that depend on what motivates you to involve yourself. Students who have done indoor believe the same.

Alex Zhang tells me that he gets tons of questions from students who would like to join. He says that “students always ask “why the time commitment.” and I never know what to say”. He says that this question has many answers that depend on what motivates you to involve yourself. Students who have done indoor believe the same.

“I would encourage people to come and try it out. It’s ok if you don’t like it but you will regret it if you don’t come. There are also a lot of opportunities in indoor and it is never boring. I also take interest in the different themes and designs for the season.” says Antony.

Last year the theme of the Indoor show was Pandora’s Lament and it was about the Greek Myth of Pandora’s Box. It showed how the box follows the human and, when opened, unleashes Demons toward the human until the box is closed. This year’s theme is called Between Then and Now.

“I would encourage people to

“The show is inspired by how everyone’s lives begin and end at a certain point but what makes your life memorable is what happens in between,” Zhang said. “I think that you get to surround yourself with really great and genuine people which makes me a better person. I think too that I became more goal-oriented and often found myself striving for perfection in everything I did.”

“The show is inspired by how everyone’s lives begin and end at a certain point but what makes your life memorable is what happens in between,” Zhang said. “I think that you get to surround yourself with really great and genuine people which makes me a better person. I think too that I became more goal-oriented and often found myself striving for

Photo provided by Caleb Ahn The Freedom Battery at BOA Delaware performing club Freedom.

Photo by Sunny Panthangi At the Marching Band Banquet, the awards won are displayed.

Cell Phones are Useful In Schools

[Opinion by Megan Inscoe]

Many people have mixed feelings about phones being allowed at school. Originally, my feelings about phones were ambiguous, but I realized phones are very useful for school. Now, I believe that phones are not a necessity, but can be beneficial. In school, phones are usually used during emergencies, for educational games, for listening to music, or for a brain break.

One very important reason to bring your phone to school would be when you need to get in touch with others about/during an emergency. If an incident happens at school, whether it be anything from a school wide emergency or a personal emergency, having a phone to contact someone for help is a necessary precaution.

Another reason I believe phones are useful at school is, because we use them for educational games. We use Kahoot, Gimkit, Quizizz, Quizlet, and other educational games in the class-

room. Many students prefer to use their phones instead of their laptops to play educational games, because they give more accurate results and are more accessible than a laptop. This helps the teacher figure out what the students understand and what they might need more help on.

Music is another one of the reasons phones are beneficial during school. Teachers see headphones and assume that the student is not paying attention. While in reality the music can help students pay attention. While that is not the case for everyone, it is for a large majority of students.

It’s also nice during study hall when you can have a short break from doing school work and can relax on your phone for a little. Either if you’re done with all of your work or if you want a short break when doing a lot of work. Going on your phone and chatting with friends or family can make your day better. When your mind is on overdrive with all the information you’re taking in, breaks are needed so you don’t become too overwhelmed

and stressed.

I also wanna talk about how some teachers make us put our phones in a pocket on the wall. I don’t think there is any need for the phone pockets since we can just put our phones in our backpack. Also, many students completely forget about their phones when they are in those pockets so they end up accidentally leaving their phones in that classroom. Since many kids don’t use their phone but the teacher makes them put their phone in a pocket anyway, I think they should only put them in there if a student keeps using their phone when the teacher says to put it away.

Phones can be useful in school for many reasons. Such as reaching someone during an emergency, for playing educational games, listening to music, and having the ability to take breaks. Also, how phone pockets aren’t necessary and can make people lose their phone. Phones may be seen as a distraction but I believe there’s many benefits of bringing your phone to school.

Stress Culture Influencing Freedom Students

[Opinion by Sadie Porter]

Many students are experiencing the effects of stress culture, but don’t understand what it actually is.

“Stress culture” is the stigma around how taking AP and honors classes automatically makes people “smarter,” and how taking academic classes shows that you are lazy and aren’t pushing yourself.

Many teachers have noticed that their students tend to have a hard time focusing and getting their work done when they have a lot on their plate. Taking multiple AP classes can seriously harm students’ mental health by not allowing them to have a break during the school year.

This very academically intense environment causes students to “bite off more than they can chew.”

AP classes require a lot of outside reading and studying. Freedom students often overload themselves with AP classes, causing them to stay up late studying and stressing about quizzes and projects.

A lot of Freedom students are affected by a unique type of peer pressure, that is completely different from what most people categorize as peer pressure. The “peer pressure” students experience at school revolves around academics and how rigorous they are.

A concern that is often brought up

is; Freedom is specifically known for its competitive and stressful environment more than other schools in our area. It is apparent that FHS students work incredibly hard, but they may be overworking themselves which can play a big role in their declining mental health.

Students with friends from other schools in our area, like Fairfax County and Prince William County, have noticed that their peers are not subjected to as much academic pressure as Freedom students are.

Freedom seems to house some of the most talented and intelligent students, which ultimately causes a high stakes and competitive environment for everyone.

In this type of environment, it’s easy to feel inferior to peers who are taking multiple advanced classes. It feels like trying really hard is never good enough. This is a serious issue in Freedom, especially recently.

It’s important to know yourself and

how much you can handle. Students need to realize that everyone is different and one person may take four AP classes, but another may only be able to take one.

To make this stressful environment even worse, dropping a class is frowned upon as well. Some teachers, parents, and even students make dropping a class an issue of “not working hard enough.” Many students feel very torn when they are considering dropping a class because they are struggling.

According to many FHS students, they feel pressured to stay in the class they are struggling in, because they don’t want to be deemed as “lazy” or “stupid,” which is far from the truth.

Some advice for students struggling with the effects of stress culture: taking hard classes does not mean someone is automatically smarter than those who don’t take advanced classes.

Having a good understanding of what you can handle will improve your high school experience immensely. Finding the right class may take a couple tries, and that’s okay if an AP class didn’t work out.

The best thing you can do is to be in tune with yourself, and not let the competitiveness of Freedom get in the way of your livelihood. Schedules should be based around each student, and not influenced by anyone’s schedule.

[Drawing by Maddie Bui, 12]