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Loudoun Valley High School / Purcellville, VA /Feb.-March 2019 / Vol. 57/ Issue 5
SERIOUSLY? It’s time to talk about the elephant in the bathroom...
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CONTENTS BUZZ
4 6
FEATURED
7 8
Viking Highlights
A look at basketball and swim team competitions with Woodgrove
A Certain Flare Valley offers an array of art electives for those seeking to nourish their creativity
Safer ≠ Safe Virginia is taking steps in addressing the vaping epidemic
Corps Beliefs Mr. Skavarch goes in-depth about what he did before Valley
ENTERTAINMENT
10 OPINION
12 13 14
Review Roundup With a stream of constant releases in movies, TV and gaming, here’s what is and isn’t worth your time and money
The Final Exam Cumulative assessments are beginning to go extinct creating astronger education system for the future
Is Sharing Always Caring? The importance of crediting meme creators
Seriously? Editorial: Our thoughts on the school bathroom closures
Maddy Jenkins performs at the girls basketball game against Heritage. photo/ Casey Marrin
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BUZZ
VI K I NG H IGHLIGHT S
Swimming & Basketball
BY RILEY GREEN
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1. Junior Christina Thorton swims the 100-yard butterfly. Thorton said her “feel good moment” is a rush of excitement when she beats her time or wins a race. 2. Junior guard Avery Nance makes a move on his defender. 3. Senior Robbie Adams scans the court, searching for an open man. 4. Junior Megan Stevenson moves the ball upcourt in the girls 56-38 win over Woodgrove. 5. Senior Sean Conway makes state times competing in the 100yard butterfly. He will continue his swimming career at UVA for the next four years, his plan ever since he was a tween attending their swim camps.
6. Junior foward Clyde Folker puts a shot up in the 59-49 loss against Woodgrove. 7. Junior Stella Hill swims the 100yard breast stroke. Hill’s parents influenced her decsion to swim, and she said she hasn’t stopped swimming since. She loves being on a team and competing with fellow dedicated swimmers. 8. Senior Kaden Middleton competes in the 100-yard breaststroke. She said it’s her favorite event to swim. 9. Senior Robby Adams pushes the ball down the court, looking to make something happen on offense. 10. Grace Wagers chases the basketball in the varsity girls basketball game Feb. 7.
layout/ Brianna Henriquez photos/ Gillian Krug and Caleigh Marsh
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A Certain Flair Valley offers an array of art electives to nourish the creative spirit BY ABBY KEANE AND SAHANA ARUMANI
Computer Graphics and Design
Junior Ethan Kavanagh Drawing and Painting/ Computer Graphics and Design
“We are basically working on designs between lines and shapes. We just drew a couple designs, picked the best ones and then worked with Adobe Illustrator,” Kincaid said. Art by Madison Stiles (‘18)
What art are you taking right now? “This year I took a semester of drawing and painting and currently am in computer graphics and design.”
Art 1&2
“Art 1 is kind of a foundation. We have kids that have been in art all the way through eighth grade, and they take private lessons, and then we also have kids that haven’t seen the inside of an art room since fifth grade,” art teacher Matt Herbert said. “In Art 2, we did an exploration in dry mediums, so pencil, charcoal, pen and ink, free ink, and someone wanted to finger paint with their fingers.” Art by Ethan Kavanagh
What were some big projects you worked on first and second quarters? “We basically just did still life. Then we did an acrylic piece on landscapes.”
What are some frustrations you had wile working on them? “The key is trying to keep everything consistent. If I run out of something like a classroom material, I have to basically rummage around all over the place to find something that will be a good substitute.”
Where do you find your inspiration? “I actually use my artwork as an homage to certain movies I like.”
Art 3 Sculpture
“I had one student who is working on a sculpture project, so she built her model in a 3D program by herself and then she went to Mr. (Adam) Wilburn and had it 3D printed, so she had a small 3D model to make her big model,” Herbert said. Picture by Courtney Kincaid
layout / Sahana Arumani and Kerry Webster
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“I think one of the great things that has happened over the past couple of years is that we’ve stopped being very ‘you must do it this way,’ and we’ve kinda tried to be more open and let you guys choose your own adventure,” Herbert said. Art by senior Christopher Frank
FEATURED
Safer ≠ Safe
VIRGINIA PASSED A BILL TO RAISE THE LEGAL SMOKING AGE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 27 YEARS
BY CASEY MARRIN AND CALEIGH MARSH
For almost 30 years,
stop, the effects will be permanent. Regular exposure to nicotine will change the legal smoking age in Virginia has brain cells to slow down the release of remained at 18 years old. That is until Feb. natural “feel-good” chemicals, causing 13, when Virginia governor Ralph Northam depression and anxiety when nicotine levels passed a bill to raise the age to 21. lower. Vaping is addictive and has many longThe whole body is at risk of suffering term effects. Teenagers are exposed to the the effects of nicotine because when the harmful effects even earlier since many body inhales nicotine instead of oxygen, 18-year-old students are able to sell nicotine other organs have to work harder to receive products to underage students at school. If their normal levels of oxygen. This brings the age were changed on other long-term to 21, younger effects that include It has on the school students will have increased risk of also. bathrooms are a harder time stroke and brain accessing cigarettes crowded, people leave damage, multiple and vape products. types of cancer and Northam believes class all the time, and heart-related issues. witnessing the symptoms this is the reason As talk of the new the new law will of withdrawal in the seat nicotine law circulate be effective in around the school, next to you in class.” controlling the many underage Mackenzie Mahon number of teens students are talking vaping. about what they are “You have 18-year-olds who attend high going to do with less access to nicotine school. And then they’re a conduit or products. supplier for minors that are interested in While students use of a variety of these vaping products and other cigarette vapes, many are not old enough to legally products,” Northam told the Richmond purchase nicotine products. Student users Times-Dispatch. “I think to raise the age have varying opinions about the possible from 18 to 21 will at least help with that new law. issue.” Senior Mackenzie Mahon said she has A popular alternative to smoking, seen different nicotine products affect the vaping is most addictive in the form of student body. tobacco combustion, which is caused by the “I feel like it’s definitely a problem,” vaporization electronic smoking devices. Mahon said. “It’s more prevalent Addiction is caused when a body in the underclassmen versus the becomes dependent on a substance and upperclassmen.” cravings for that substance begin. The Mahon said she notices the body releases neurotransmitters when the negative effects of vaping here. addictive substance is used, giving the user “It’s not only the health effects but a feeling of pleasure. the effects it has on the school,” she said. If exposure to nicotine ends before “It’s also bathrooms are crowded, people severe damages occur, most of the effects leave class all the time, and witnessing the will fade over time. But if usage does not
“
symptoms of withdrawal in the seat next to you in class.” This is a common annoyance among the students at Loudoun Valley. Freshman Sasha Biesecker is among those who have noted that while it is good that Virginia is making efforts to combat underage smoking, raising the age will do little to solve the problem. Teenagers have access through parents, siblings and older friends that are willing to buy these products, and addicted teens can go to extreme measures to obtain their much-wanted nicotine products. Biesecker wonders whether or not this new law will actually make a change within the community. “I think that that’s not going to really change much because people will find new ways to get it,” Biesecker said. “They’re addicted, so they will always find a way.”
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Corps Beliefs Physics teacher Michael Skvarch served in the Peace Corps before coming to Valley BY BRIANNA HENRIQUEZ
E
Every student and faculty member knows Michael Skvarch as one of the physics teachers, but what they may not know is that he spent two years teaching in Mozambique. Skvarch decided to join the Peace Corps after college to not only help others, but to let the experience positively change him as a person. Skvarch took this adventure on a personal level, but he has continuously implemented it into his teaching career. Skvarch attended college for five years, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and math and a Bachelor of Science in physics. He studied abroad during his junior year of college in Barcelona, Spain, and his love for languages gave him countless opportunities to jump into any international trip he could find to further his education. “I was really interested in teaching as a career,” Skvarch said. “It had a mix of everything. I wanted to learn a new language, I wanted to go abroad, and I wanted to teach. The Peace Corps had all of that in a nice, neat little package.” According to the Peace Corps, more than 235,000 people have served in 141 different 8
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The process to apply and get into the Peace countries. A lot of the countries that lack in Corps took Skvarch six months because after educational structure for their students have 42% filling out a lengthy application, he had to go of the Peace Corps volunteers assisting them each through an interview process as well as multiple year. One of the frequently assisted continents is medical examinations. After this first round of Africa, which in some parts has been struggling to have a solid educational system. applications, Skvarch had to go through a second round which figured out his “I was Don’t go in thinking you’re placement. chosen to do He said there is a plethora Peace Corps in going to be helping the Mozambique, of life lessons one can learn world, it will be that way, in from the Peace Corps, Africa. That’s where they sent a way, but those are little drops but especially noted the importance of what he learned me and it was in an ocean.” Michael Skvarch about human connection. wonderful,” Though as a teacher Skvarch is Skvarch said. One of the most useful skills Skvarch obtained very persistent in pushing his students to their full potential, he has realized that human connection is being bilingual. Because they were colonized by takes a priority over giving a larger work load. Portugal in the early 16th century, the community “Human connection is one of the biggest in Mozambique speaks Portuguese. Skvarch was lessons I learned in Peace Corps—the need for it, able to utilize his Spanish to figure out how to the want for it—the necessity for speaking with speak Portuguese while he was there for two years. Skvarch said his fluency in Spanish helped people,” he said, “just even saying hello and making eye contact.” him get into the Peace Corps and facilitated his He emphasizes the effect of even the little acquisition of Portuguese. things. “That’s actually my best language I speak right “The smallest of ways can go very far in now,” he said. “After spending two years there, I converted a lot of my Spanish to Portuguese.” creating a good atmosphere, both for an
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“
DOMINION TEA Skvarch works at Dominion Tea on Saturdays as part hobby and part relaxation from school. “It actually turned into a really good mental health five hours. I go, and I make 50 bucks on Staturdays, and I drink a ton of tea. I get to learn a lot about it because [Hillary Coley, owner of Dominion Tea] is very knowledgeable, so I’m learning all about the different teas and tasting profiles,” Skvarch said. “It’s like a big little lesson, and since it’s a job, I can’t think about teaching.”
individual and for the community that person’s trying to be a part of,” he said. Skvarch also learned that everyone’s struggles are legitimate and though this lesson took longer for him to learn, it was inevitable he would implement it into his teaching. He noticed that no one has infinite time to perfect everything they are striving to accomplish. “I employ that a lot in my teaching behind the scenes by recognizing that when I worked hard for something I needed to spend some time on me,” Skvarch said. “You can dump infinite energy into your work if you allow yourself and [learning to relax] is kind of a professional thing that you get with time.” Returning to the U.S. after the Peace Corps was harder for Skvarch than his initial adjustment to Mozambique. He realized different cultures prioritize differently by making connections to those around them one of their first concerns. “Transitioning back here to United States was much harder because I was realizing the lessons that I learned and how intense our culture is,” he said. “We have a very high-anxiety culture, and our priorities are in different locations. So I see people focusing less on human connection and more on stuff, and that was hard for me coming back because I didn’t realize it.”
Going anywhere in the world for one’s education and personal growth requires a lot of research and motivation. Skvarch has gone abroad to not only help people, but to allow them to change him. Along with that, being open minded is a good portion of the challenge, and Skvarch believes that’s the only way it will be a worthwhile experience. His advice is to go abroad first before considering the Peace Corps. “Do a study abroad program, do a couple weeks abroad or do an abroad experience that doesn’t have you only hang out with Americans,” Skvarch said. “You have to do something that’s going to put you in contact with local culture. If you like that, it’s a good choice.” Skvarch reflects on although this experience seems glorified, it’s more raw than that. He learned that a mentality of openness is the only way to have a multifaceted view of the Peace Corps mission and the culture of Mozambique. “Don’t go in thinking you’re going to be helping the world. It will be that way, in a way, but those are little drops in an ocean,” Skvarch said. “But you and your lake will be forever changed because they have way more to teach you then you have to teach them.”
BROOKLYN INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL Before teaching at Loudoun Valley, Skvarch worked at an international high school where his love for languages became an important part of his career. “I taught at a school called Brooklyn International High School. It is a public international high school, and there’s actually a couple here in Virginia, in which all the students are immigrants. To go to the school, you have to enter ninth grade with less than four years in the country,” Skvarch said. “My classes were very varied in the English language ability, and I had probably 15 different languages spoken in my class.” photos/ Michael Skvarch layout/ Brianna Henriquez
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ENTERTAINMENT
REVIEW ROUNDUP
With a stream of constant releases in movies, TV and gaming, here is what is and isn’t worth your time and money
Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened By Ben Keane
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The documentary is unbiased, allowing interviews and facts to do all of its storytelling. It doesn’t take a definitive stance against McFarland for much of its run time, and some of the interviewees defend his actions by saying he
McFarland is a terrible person without saying it outright, although most viewers could have picked up on that within the first five minutes. Perhaps the most interesting part about “Fyre” is how it is
made a mistake and regrets it. The narrative switches after the festival ends, and McFarland continues to try to scam people out of money. It’s a great way for the documentary to show us that
almost entirely told by wealthy millennials. The people who paid thousands of dollars to go to the festival seem to think that people feel bad for them in interviews, and it makes the doc feel like a
IMDB.com
T
he Fyre Festival of January 2017 became a hot topic after Hulu and Netflix both released exclusive documentaries about fraudulent entrepreneur Billy McFarland’s failed music extravaganza. Netflix’s “Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened” unsurprisingly gained more popularity than Hulu’s documentary. But does it hold up to the high praise it has received? Netflix’s documentary contains interviews from seemingly everyone involved with the Fyre Festival aside from Billy McFarland. These interviews are by far the highlight of the documentary, with McFarland’s business partner Andy King standing out as the most memorable interviewee. Everyone interviewed adds a different point of view to the story, but the documentary could have benefited from more input from the natives of the festival ground, Great Exuma. Hundreds of workers on the island who did seemingly everything to build the festival grounds have still yet to be compensated for their work. To the story’s detriment, it’s an element of the story that the documentary really glosses over.
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mockumentary at times. While this may sound like a knock on “Fyre,” it’s actually one of the best aspects. The documentary is able to show that the victims are the workers who weren’t paid, not the wealthy young people who made a terrible purchase without doing any further research on the Fyre Festival to see that it was a disaster. The biggest problem with the documentary, though, is that almost no blame at all is given to the “influencers” who popularized the festival in the first place for money such as Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner. While they aren’t the enemy of McFarland’s extent, they watched as people were lied to for their own financial gain. “Fyre” is well told with interviews that make the documentary interesting and highlight the crimes of Billy McFarland. There are some huge pieces it leaves out, but with a runtime of only an hour and a half, it is most definitely worth a watch for anyone interested.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Honeymoon It was a wild offseason for “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” After FOX announced that season five would be the show’s last, a movement from fans led NBC to buy the rights from and revive the series for a sixth season. Season five ended with main characters Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago finally getting married and a cliffhanger of whether or not Captain Holt would get promoted to NYPD commissioner, so there was much excitement over the season opener, “Honeymoon.” The episode starts with Holt revealing he did not get the job as commissioner, leading him to stay home from work all together. Meanwhile, Jake and Amy go to Mexico for their honeymoon, where they bump into none other than Holt himself, trying to escape the reality that his lifelong dream can no longer happen. Something important to note about “Brooklyn NineNine” is that episodes not spent with the entire cast are bad. Something that seasons three, four and five all did for their opener is isolate Jake in a new environment without the ensemble cast. Those were bad choices.
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo was developed by Fusajiro Yamauchi and is credited with some of the best video games to date. The Nintendo Switch is an extension of Nintendo’s storied success and is a modern take on a timeless classic. The Switch was released in March of 2017 but only recently became a fad. At first, few would invest in the $300 hybrid console, as it didn’t seem to bring anything new to the table and had few mainstream games. Consumers wondered why they’d pay so much for another console that doesn’t offer much in terms of online social capabilities when they already had one. There is not a definitive answer other than the fanfare. Like the hype surrounding Airpods, excitement over the Nintendo Switch s unexplained yet understandable, as both are pinnacles of modern technology. In simple terms, the Nintendo Switch is an upgraded Playstation Portable. The PSP was released in December
By Ben Keane let-down of a season opener leaves room for concern. It “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” thrives because of the chemistry was disappointing to say the least. between those at Brooklyn’s 99th precinct. This episode The writers chose to sideline the 99 and focus the puts Amy, Jake and Captain Holt in a situation where episode on Amy, Jake and Captain Holt, which hurts they do no police work and instead, we watch as Jake the story. While it’s possible the show is overstaying and Amy have to convince Holt to continue to be the its welcome, let’s hope that once it moves back into Captain at the 99th. the precinct and reunites the cast, it will return to the The first episode of season six opens up the even entertaining, silly comedy fans know it to be. larger question of whether the show should have just ended at season five. Season six could, by all means, revolutionize television and be considered the best in sitcom history. However, five seasons is generally a great stopping point for shows, especially sitcoms. “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “The Office” are two exceptions to this rule, but “The Office” should have ended with the NBC.com departure of Michael Scott and although “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” still has standout episodes, it surely could have ended after its immaculate fifth season. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s” first five seasons were great with very few episodes that weren’t wildly entertaining. This
By Logan Stup of 2004. It has very similar features to the Switch, including a front display screen with buttons on the side. However, the PSP was before its time and only sold 76 million units by 2012. In contrast, the Switch has already sold 20 million units in its third year of existence. There are two ways to utilize the switch: handheld play, like the PSP, or with the console on the provided dock, which will project the picture on any HDMI compatible TV. This provides a diverse array of playstyles, some of which can be seen in the hallways of Valley. However, one of the main contributing factors of the Switch’s success was the release of Super Smash Bros Ultimate, a classic game with a modern feel. With this big name title in Nintendo’s repertoire, the Switch gained more traction. Furthermore, Zelda and Mario also got remodels with Zelda Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Bros Odyssey.
Super Mario Oddyssey One of the most anticipated titles for the newly released Nintendo Switch was Super Mario Odyssey. The anticipation not only stemmed from the promise of a sandbox-style 360-degree Mario game, but also new mechanics. The first new mechanic of Super Mario Odyssey was the introduction of a customisable Mario. Through simply grinding the story mode and exploring, coins present themselves and are used to buy cosmetic items that have no effect on the game. On top of that, there are seemingly endless wacky combinations of outfits, from cowboy hats to sombreros to mushroom-style boxer shorts. Another new mechanic is the addition of different modes of transportation, such as a sphinx-looking character called a Jaxi. These additional mobile characters offer a new layer of ease when it comes to replayability. Players can easily traverse the at-times lengthy worlds, which minimizes down periods.
By Logan Stup The additional new hat mechanic allows a great layer to the game. Mario’s hat allows him to possess different antagonistic creatures to help solve puzzles. This layer of the story refreshing. Finally, another new mechanic is the incorporation of classic 2D Mario gameplay as a transition to areas that don’t have a clear entrance. These 2D moments are sparse but add even more variety. The story lacks overall originality but is never not fun. In the beginning of the story, Mario’s original hat is destroyed. However, he gets a new one shortly after that houses a soul and allows Mario to possess creatures. This hat leads Mario to his airship, the Odyssey, as they embark on the timeless journey to rescue Peach from Bowser. Overall this game is outstanding. The story’s lack of ingenuity is the only blemish in this otherwise spotless game. The new mechanics and sandbox style allow for seamless play and hours of fun. This addition to the
All three of these wildly popular and well-made games propelled the Switch into mainstream and are allowing it to compete with Sony and Microsoft. According to IGN, the Nintendo Switch overtook the Playstation 4 as the best selling console of 2018.
Wikimedia.org
franchise is classic yet refreshing. The moments of 2D gaming offer a blast from the past. There is something for everyone in this game.
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Wikimedia.org
layout/ Ben Keane and Logan Stup photos/ Creative Commons
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OPINION
The Final Exams The extinction of cumulative assessments creates a better education system BY COLIN BUNN Cumulative assessments come in many forms. From AP Tests, midterms and finals, they permeate the student consciousness. Students deal with these tests all the time, but they shouldn’t have to. The end-of-year test is going extinct. We have finally figured out that pandering to the test is not a good idea. It took us long enough. Linda Serra Hagedorn, a professor at Iowa State University and president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, understands that massive tests aren’t the best way for students to grasp information. “With final exams, it’s study, study, study. Take the exam — and now it’s gone,” Hagedorn said. She instead recommends learning more slowly. By learning little bits at a time, people tend not to be overwhelmed, allowing them to learn more. It’s almost like it makes perfect sense. By teaching to the exam, the curriculum beomes less flexible. It doesn’t allow for personalized teaching. It only gives a shallow glance at thousands of small topics that are out of students’ head after the next quiz, test or exam. What’s worse is what cumulative assessments do to students emotionally. High schoolers aren’t great at dealing with stress. In fact, we’re flat-out awful at it. So putting more stress on us is a really bad idea because a lot of us simply don’t know how to cope. According to a USA Today article, high schoolers default to unhealthy activities in times of stress. Video games, spending hours online, skipping meals, getting little to no sleep and using drugs are all common things to fall back on. With cumulative assessments and the courses they are linked to being the number-one stressor for high schoolers, they should be the first to go if we’re attempting to stop cutting down on stress. The education system is progressing toward more projectbased learning and a more open style. In this unbarred arrangement, why would we hold on to such an old and restrictive style? It’s time to admit we have a problem. Teachers don’t need to be constrained by a ridged test syllabus. Students don’t need the added stress. In all their forms, cumulative assessments can disappear. We don’t want them and don’t need them.
Almost 40 percent of high school students enroll in AP courses.
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photo / Jared Sandersz layout/ Colin Bunn
BY KERRY WEBSTER
W
e’re all guilty of mindless meme-sharing. When browsing social media and exploring posts, we often view exclusively the post without considering the user or comedian behind it. Popular Instagram meme accounts like @F***Jerry, @TheFatJewish enable this kind of casual sharing. They post Tweets to their millions of followers with the original creator’s name conveniently cropped out. Accounts like these have essentially been around since Instagram’s creation, with their lack of credits going largely unnoticed, or just not a concern of viewers. It’s pretty intuitive that these accounts don’t create their own memes. Their followers credit them, however, just for being master curators of internet posts. Behavior like this is why it’s so important that we as social media users pay attention to the #F***F***Jerry movement on Twitter. @F***Jerry’s media company, Jerry Media, was featured in FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened for being involved in the marketing for the fraudulent festival. This prompted comedians and funny internet people alike to recount their experiences of having their posts stolen without their permission, wiped of credits and posted on @F***Jerry. Well-known standup comedian John Mulaney appealed to his followers in an Instagram post.
“It’s not the most pressing issue of the day, but yeah, unfollow this garbage account,” Mulaney said. “They have stolen jokes from me and many other comedians and profit off it.” Surprisingly, because of this movement, @F***Jerry lost over 200,000 followers. This has prompted the account to begin asking consent from the creator to post their memes and crediting them. However, our work here is not done. Accounts like these are in abundance and are still largely not held accountable for their actions. Most of us are completely unaffected by this behavior. We scroll through these pages, see funny posts and get our laughs. Everything on the internet is fair game right? While this is true in a legal sense, you have to imagine how it must feel to have your intellectual property stolen from you and shown to millions without your consent. Bigger creators at least have a platform to speak against this, but many users with a smaller following will never be heard. So, let the success of the #F***F***Jerry movement be a lesson to us all. We need to continue to listen when creators call out the behaviors of these sketchy accounts and amplify their voices because someday, it could be your viral post that’s stripped of your name.
layout/ Kerry Webster photos/ Creative Commons infographic info/ influencermarketinghub.com FEBRUARY/MARCH FEBRUARY 2019
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OUR
EDITORIAL
Seriously? It’s time to talk about the elephant in the bathroom...
A student hurries to the bathroom. They reach a closed door and push it. The door doesn’t budge; it’s been locked. Does this situation sound familiar? The school administration says that this is because of safety that the bathrooms are closed. If there are not enough teachers or administrators available to monitor a bathroom, that bathroom gets closed. Rumors have been floating around the halls about why the bathrooms are closed. The answer is short and simple: vaping. It is the sole reason that our restrooms are locked. It is estimated by the administration that 10% of students are causing this problem. To that 10%, we would like to say one thing: Your life is your life and it is up to you how to live it. However, please don’t vape in the bathrooms. Once your actions begin affecting everyone else, it’s time to stop. In order for this situation to be fixed, the students have to take some responsibility. This has gone on far too long for students not to make an effort to help fix our school. This does not mean the administration doesn’t also have a responsibility, which they fully acknowledge. Assistant Principal Bill Gulgert is open to suggestions from students on how to solve the issue. “We would love students to give us ideas and input,” Gulgert said. We cannot expect the school to completely solve the problem of vaping. A country filled with health experts has yet to solve it. Yet, there 14
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are steps that can be taken to at least give us our bathrooms back. One solution is new nicotine detectors. There are a variety of these devices. Some work like metal detectors and can be placed at doors and go off if they detect nicotine. Another is called Fly Sense and is already being employed in some schools. This small box can detect gas, moisture, and nicotine associated with vaping. When the numbers spike, it indicates that an e-cigarette is being used. What’s better is that the information can be sent to a cell phone for an instant alert. There are other solutions as well, but the point is there are answers to this problem. There’s no excuse not to act especially since now lawmakers are pushing for reform. A new law has been passed in the state of Virginia to raise the age of nicotine products from 18 to 21. Similar laws have taken place in states like California and Hawaii. The journal Tobacco Control released a report showing that the number of kids using nicotine products seven months after the bill was past dropped 55%. The bathroom situation has gotten ridiculous over the past months. Even though we hate being locked out of the bathroom, we have brought this on ourselves. As a community, everyone has a role to play in getting our bathrooms back.
Fly Sense: $6,965 for all bathrooms plus cloudbased monitoring for 1 year Cost of buying the school laptops: $373,023
Using the Bathrooms: Priceless
photo/ Casey Marrin layout/ Colin Bunn and Kerry Webster
Above/ Senior Andrea McMann cuts out paper for Night of the Arts buttons that will be given out before the big night. photo/ Gillian Krug Cover/Caution tape closes of the girl’s bathroom. photo/ Casey Marrin
THE
VIKING Newsmagazine Staff 2018-2019
Editors-in-Chief Brianna Henriquez Kerry Webster
Online Editors Ben Keane Colin Bunn
Sports Editor Riley Green
Photo Editors Gillian Krug Caleigh Marsh
Ads Managers Grace Jennings Lauren Madey
Writers, Photographers, Business and Promotional Staff Bailey Kuhn, Elle Pickering, Garrett Hennessey, Marissa Del Borrello, Ella Krug, Erika Gessell, Casey Marrin, Allison Dunkleburg, Jared Sanders, Logan Stup, Abby Keane, Katherine Curtis, Kathleen Grupe, Sahana Arumani, Emelyn Schneider, Jennings Felt Adviser Shari Adwers, MJE
Letter from the Editors
Dear Vikings, The Viking is a completely student-run and studentfunded newsmagazine, meaning that our staff is responsible for everything you see printed, unless otherwise credited. All interviews are fairly represented, and audio files are kept for reference.
Throughout the school year, our goal is to serve the student body by covering a variety of topics, ranging from serious political controversies to pop culture events. Finally, The Viking is lucky enough to have a faculty and student body overwhelmingly supportive
of our newsmagazine. Thank you for your readership and your feedback. Thanks, Brianna Henriquez Kerry Webster Editors-in-Chief
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The Society of Loyo Boys is accepting R Scholarship Applic Loyola University M Rugby Football Clu
The Society of Loyola Old Boys is accepting Ruby Scholarship Applications for Loyola University Mar yland Rugby Football Club Please contact: recruitment@slobrugby.com or visit w w w.slobrugby