the
viking Loudoun Valley High School / Purcellville, VA / Issue I / September 2014
FAREWELL TO SUMMER Students recount their travels, trials and experiences as summer slips away.
Junior Victoria Freiberg practices agility drills during volleyball practice after school. (photo / Lizzie Sikora) Cover / Tori Rudd rests on a rock at the Maryland Heights peak overlooking Harpers Ferry. (photo / courtesy of Emily Anderson)
THE
VIKING Newsmagazine Staff 2014-2015
Editor-in-Chief Brianna Jennings
Senior Managing Editor Emma Rodriguez
Managing Editors Multimedia Editor Advertising Leila Francis Sacha Gragg Manager Henry Webster Jennifer Colantonio
Design Editor Lizzie Sikora
Online Editors Claire Deaver McKenna Holtz
Writers, Photographers, Business and Promotional Staff Emily Baer, Carina Bucci, Christopher Cerne, Cassandra Good, Alexandra Krens, Benjamin Manning, Gonzo Ocampo, Dalton Smolens, Helen Sternberg, Tyler Valentine, Sean Webster, Rachel Weinstein
Letter
from the
Editor
Dear Vikings, The Viking is a completely student-run and student-funded newsmagazine, meaning that our staff is responsible for everything you see printed, unless otherwise credited. Our adviser, Ms. Cox, guides us through the process, but
Adviser Paige Cox thevikingnews.com | Twitter: @lvhsviking | Instagram: lvhsviking ultimately everything is produced and crafted by our student staff. If there is something you want us to cover, let us know! Our goal is to serve the community around us, knowing what you all are interested in reading will help us reach this goal. We are serious about our work and hope to bring national, global and local issues to light. However, we are also concerned about giving you, the student body, entertaining content each issue.
We do not tamper with interviews; the words you give us during an interview are what you will see printed unless you tell us otherwise. Our interviews are backed up via audio files, and we promise to never intentionally place your quotes out of context. If you find that we printed something incorrectly or feel that we misrepresented you in any way, let us know. We look forward to putting out seven issues this school year,
weather permitting. Be sure to check out our online newspaper, twitter and Instagram for current, updated news coverage with articles, photos and videos. If you want an advertisment please contact our advertising manager Jennifer Colantonio at jnnfrcolantonio@gmail.com. We hope you enjoy this issue of The Viking! Thanks! Brianna Jennings Editor-in-Chief
CONTENTS
Tapping into his beloved bluegrass roots, special education teacher Scott Wallace dons a top hat and fiddle for the March 7 talent show. photo / Elizabeth Sikora
September 2014
4 Operation Reservation
Junior Victoria Freiberg fills her summer with service as she completes her yearly journey to Eagle Butte, South Dakota where she reaches out to local youth through Bible Camp.
5
Down by the River Students find enjoyment and relaxation on the waters of the Shenandoah River through tubing and other activities.
Pride Parade 6 ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
8 Community Cause
Local students and community members join together for different charity walks and runs, creating a sense of unity while contributing to worthy causes.
10 Fear-Less
Junior Katie Weems organized a mentoring program to help freshmen eliminate their fears of high school. Upperclassmen will mentor the freshmen every week in order to help them.
11 Female Footballer
Hannah Allison shares her journey from playing football as child to now joining the high school football team.
to Fork 12 Farm The New Binge
14 Editorial: Questioning the System Students struggle to find answers when national news coverage brings reminders of events close to home.
On the first day of school, seniors Kristen Cobb and Victoria Botello walk the red carpet into their final year of high school classes. (photo / Lizzie Sikora)
Left / Junior Victoria Freiberg poses with a costumed camper following an activity. Right / V. Freiberg, sophomore Morgan Freiberg and graduate Charles Freiberg pause for a team picture by their Super Soldier castle, ready for the next activity.
OPERATION RESERVATION Junior Victoria Freiberg fills her summer with service as she completes her yearly journey to Eagle Butte, South Dakota where she reaches out to local youth through Bible Camp. By Emily Baer and Leila Francis While many students take carefree vacations during the summer, junior Victoria Freiberg witnesses the struggles of the Sioux Indians. As she flies west, the heat increases and the living conditions decrease, exposing a secluded world seldom experienced by outsiders. This is where Freiberg journeys each summer. Freiberg has been working at Windswept Academy for the past four summers. She runs a Vacation Bible School (VBS) for approximately 80 Sioux children there, encompassing youth of all ages from preschool to high school. “We start off with a rally where you sing songs with them,” Freiberg said. “Lots of them will sit on your lap. We do puppet shows, devotionals, teach bible stories, [play] games and feed them all of the time.” The school began five years ago and teaches the children lessons that are both academic and Biblical, using the various activities to support the lessons. “They enjoy the songs and crafts the most because it goes with their culture,” Freiberg said. Windswept Academy is located on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in Eagle
Butte, South Dakota. In some places you can drive for miles with only nature and wildlife as company, a feat that would be considerably more difficult to accomplish here. In addition to the changes in scenery, reservations often have a vastly different social and economic climate. There are very few economic opportunities for the Native American people on the reservation, which leads to drastic cultural differences. “The children drop out of school by the time they’re in high school or middle school and almost everybody is involved with drugs and alcohol abuse,” Freiberg said. According to the Cheyenne River Outreach programs, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Native Americans aged 15-34. Youth gang violence and rape is also very common on the reservation; one out of three American Indian women will be raped in her lifetime. These issues are nationwide among Native American reservations, and programs such as the one in which Freiberg participates seek to offer opportunities and activities that could help improve the lives of the youth and hopefully prevent these negative social trends in future
generations. The harsh weather in South Dakota also proves a struggle for the inhabitants of the reservation. Temperatures range from extreme heat and drought to bitter, frigid winters, and many homes are inadequately prepared for such dramatic weather. “A lot of the houses won’t even have windows, just sheets,” Freiberg said. While Freiberg’s organization cannot address all the issues facing the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation and though the work seems daunting and discouraging at times, they work hard to be a positive influence in children’s lives. “There’s a cycle out there. They can’t really get off the reservation so the kids grow up and become like their parents. We haven’t seen a breakthrough in the cycle,” Freiberg said. “Sometimes it feels like you haven’t made a difference but you know that you’ve impacted them in some way.” photos / courtesy of the Freiberg family layout / Leila Francis
Students spend their summer tubing on the Shenandoah River. About 20-30 percent of rafters on the Shenandoah are students.
Down River by the
By Emma Rodriguez and Brianna Jennings
The Shenandoah River has become a summertime retreat for students who want to enjoy their break outdoors. Many teenagers spend their time on the Shenandoah tubing.
The summer months offer a period of relaxation for teens whose lives are otherwise filled to the brim with tests and extracurriculars, and many students choose to experience these months on the waters of the Shenandoah. Whether enjoying concerts at Watermelon Park or tubing at Harpers’ Ferry, students get active in the outdoors looking for adventure. “I love being outdoors, and the Shenandoah offers so many fun things to do,” senior Jess Kamienski said. “Enjoying nature with friends and family is such a memorable experience.” Many students use the river as an escape from daily life. “I like to get together with friends and bring our own floaties to tube down the river on,” Kamienski said. “We even bought inflatable sharks and alligators once.” About 20-30 percent of rafters on the Shenandoah are students, according to RiverRafters of Harper’s Ferry, and they do everything from floating leisurely down the river to white water rafting. “Harpers’ Ferry is fun because there is so much you can do there,” senior Tori Rudd said. “This summer I hiked with my friend all the way to the top of the Maryland Heights trail. The hike was really long and hard but it was worth it because the view at the top was amazing. Looking at the river and you could see for miles. They have tubing there on the river and it looks like it would be really fun because the river is so beautiful.” Students’ activity also benefits the river, as many students choose to help the environment there. “The students are aware of their environment. We have an array, from wanting to clean up the river, explore and study our wildlife , photography to volunteers at our annual Bluegrass festivals,” Dianne Brumback of Watermelon Park said. “I’m most impressed by the attitude of these students on wanting to clean up litter from the river.” Regardless of the activity, students continue to spend their summers on the Shenandoah. Photos / Brianna Jennings, courtesy of Tori Rudd Layout / Emma Rodriguez
Pride Parade Student organization Prism attends the Capital Pride parade that supports the group’s cause. BY EMMA RODRIGUEZ On the left a marching band plays while on the right an allwomen drum ensemble beats out powerful rhythms. The air is thick with heat and celebration, charged with freedom. People are crowded together, dancing and cheering, their necks strung with the beads that are being tossed from the floats; across the way a Guatemalan family holding flags converses with a group of Muslim women whose hijabs are rainbows. This is Capital Pride 2014, the annual LGBTQ pride parade held in Washington, D.C. Prism, the Valley student organization dedicated to providing a safe environment for LGBTQ students, attended the pride for the first time in June, 2014, hoping to make connections in the LGBTQ community and have a good time. “I would recommend it to literally everyone,” sophomore Jenn Leonard said. “I had so much fun. We actually made friends there.” Started in 1975, the Capital Pride is one of the five largest prides in the country, with 120 marching contingents ranging from local LBGTQ groups waving banners to animal shelters marching with dogs. Prides, held in nearly all large cities around the world, are one of the few LGBTQ events that teenagers can attend. “Most LGBTQ events are 18+/21+ and at night because most people view queerness as dirty,” sophomore Elizabeth Pekin said. “Pride is one of the few LGBTQ events that is public, not obscured.”
Marchers celebrate in the street during the Capital Pride parade in Washington DC in June.
Another pleasant surprise was the number of groups that showcased sexualities or gender orientations typically ignored. “A lot of groups that usually get erased or ignored, like asexuals, had their own sections of the parade to showcase their pride, which was awesome,” senior and Prism co-president Lily Hamilton said. “My favorite experience at Pride would have to have been seeing so many different types of people from all walks of life uniting and coming out to show their pride and support.” The friendly attitude showed Prism members exactly the environment they hoped to recreate. Marchers, including those with ties to religious communities, demonstrate that people of any demographic can support LGBTQ rights. “It changed my perspective by showing me how much some Christians support, and are part of, the LGBTQ community,” Pekin said. photo / Emma Rodriguez layout / McKenna Holts
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge The Ice Bucket Challenge Challenge took the country by storm and Valley was no exception. BY BRIANNA JENNINGS As of Friday, August 29, The ALS Association received $100.9 million in donations compared to $2.8 million during the same time frame last year (July 29 to August 29). The exponential increase in donations is thanks to all the people nationwide participating in the ALS Ice-Bucket Challenge. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Eventually, people with ALS lose the ability to initiate and control muscle movement, which often leads to total paralysis and death within two to five years of diagnosis. At this time, no cure has been found. The Ice-Bucket Challenge rampantly took over social media in early August. An individual participating in the challenge explains
Junior Haley Burnell participates in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge at her home.
the reasoning for dumping a bin of ice water over their head and then nominates others to follow them in spreading the awareness. Dumping the water on themselves supposedly exempts a person from donating. However, many choose to do both: partake in the internet trend and donate money to ALS research. With participants ranging from celebrities to the majority of Loudoun Valley student body, a person cannot turn on the television or look at Twitter or Instagram without seeing some different creative twist to dumping water on someone's head. photo / courtesy of Haley Burnell layout / McKenna Holtz
Community Cause Local students and community members join together for different charity walks and runs, creating a sense of unity while contributing to worthy causes. By Brianna Jennings Holding hands with someone you just met as you cry for those you’ve lost, running beside a stranger for a young girl whose life was cut too short or getting blasted with paint when you reach the finish line of the race course. Charity walks and runs offer an outlet for serving while engaging in activities with friends, family and complete strangers. While students frequently pad their resumés with irrelevant volunteering, teens now have an experience where they can connect with their community. Relay for Life rose as a popular charity walk/run that brings together the larger Loudon County community. Founded by the American Cancer Society, Relay for Life raises money and awareness to find a cure for cancer. Held once a year in late May to early June, the main event in Loudon County takes place at Heritage High School in Leesburg. Teams from all over the county
spend almost 18 hours running or walking laps around the track. However, Relay for Life proves to mean more to people than staying up all night and walking. “The best part of Relay for Life is all of the energy and excitement,” senior Sydney Pitvorec said. “There are games, music and activities always set up. It’s always such a good time.” However, Relay for Life activities don’t just take place at the main event. Fundraising, team planning, tee-shirt making and other preparatory activities culminate throughout the year. “It’s a very social event in general because it’s all about celebrating your efforts with your team from throughout the year of fundraising for the organization,” Pitvorec said. “The event is kind of to celebrate all you’ve done, but our team always especially bonds during the luminary service, honoring those who have passed. It gets very
emotional for people.” The main reason students and community members participate in Relay is the final event that brings together the community through many different activities. “There’s not just one reason I Relay,” senior Emily Rivers said. “It’s your friend reaching over and grabbing your hand during the guest speaker’s heart-wrenching presentation and watching over 100 lighted balloons float up in the night sky. It’s watching the boys compete in a modeling competition and stuffing my face with pizza at midnight. It’s the peacefulness that falls over you when you watch the sun rise over the mountains early in the morning with all the people you spent this life-changing night with.” National events are not the only walk events; local events have taken on this model with great success. Sadie’s Race and Megan’s
Upcoming Events The Color Run Washington, D.C. 9/28/14, 11/1/14 Richmond, VA 9/13/14 Baltimore, MD 11/15/14
Sadie’s Race
Purcellville, VA approximately 5/16/15 (TBD)
Megan’s Walk
Loudoun County High School approximately 5/16/15 (TBD)
Relay for Life
Heritage High School TBD
Zombie Mud Run Far left / Junior Meegan Hall and sophomore Julia Acampora throw a frisbee while participating in Relay for Life. Top Right / Bags with the names of lost friends or family members sit around the track as part of a luminary ceremony. Bottom Left / Senior Andrew McAlister prepares to catch a frisbee as part of the Relay for Life festivities. Bottom Right / Senior Alex Jacobson takes part in friendly games held in the middle of the track at Relay for Life.
Walk lure more Loudoun County residents out to join the community in supporting charities that hit home hard. On August 9, 2011, five-year-old Sadie Grace Ablard passed away after sustaining a head injury while roller skating. While alive, Sadie learned of SmileTrain, an organization that helped children with cleft palates. She fundraised the Christmas preceding her death. Sadie’s Race, a 5K run held on the Saturday closest to May 12, her birthday, continues Sadie’s hope of helping the SmileTrain organization and shows Sadie’s love of running. “Our community helps with the goal by supporting the race in Purcellville,” Sadie’s mother and the race organizer Sara Ablard-Parella said. A single smile surgery costs $250. Ablard-Parella wanted to raise $468,000, a smile for every day Sadie lived. “So far through the race, golf tournament and generous donations, we
have raised approximately $150,000,” said Ablard-Parella. “People have been very generous, supportive and kind. The community supports Sadie’s Smile Foundation by coming out and running the race and businesses donate items and funds to the organization.” Another local event, Megan’s Walk, takes place at Loudoun County High School, where Megan attended until age 15. Before the debilitating disease Cystic Fibrosis (CF) ended her life in 2007, Megan could always be seen at the front of the Great Strides fundraising walk. The walk, now called Megan’s Walk, raises money for CF research, and the hope is that one day instead of CF meaning “Cystic Fibrosis” it will be “Cure Found.” Contrary to Sadie’s Race and Megan’s Walk, held in Purcellville and Leesburg, another national organized run, the Color Run, has yet to make it closer to Loudoun
Richmond, VA 10/11/14
than Washington, D.C. or Richmond yet holds a more lighthearted cause for the race. The Color Run promotes healthiness and happiness by bringing people to participate in the “Happiest 5k on the Planet.” Now the single largest event series in the United States, it is an untimed race where thousands of participants get covered from head to toe in different colors at each kilometer. Whether it’s a local child who brought a particular awareness to a cause or a national organization, teens love participating in the walks and runs in order to better everyone involved, including them. “It’s happiness and friendship and laughter in its purest form, and why would I not want to be a part of something like that?” Rivers said. photos / courtesy of Jenna Lowrance layout / Brianna Jennings
Junior Katie Weems speaks to the incoming freshman class at their orientation about her mentoring program.
When I was a freshman... Seniors recall their earliest days of high school.
Fear-Less
Junior Katie Weems organized a mentoring program to help freshmen adapt to high school. By McKenna Holtz Getting lost in a maze of halls, not knowing which club to join, not having any friends in classes or at lunch, not knowing what teachers want and not wanting confrontation with upperclassmen are all fears during freshman year. Junior Katie Weems, however, created a plan to help eliminate some of the fear for freshmen. Weems worked with director of counseling Lee Anne Johnson to invent a program where upperclassmen can act as a mentor to freshmen. She realized that upperclassmen faced the same struggles once, and thought that they would be the best people to help the incoming freshman through the experience. “There really is no better person to give advice to freshmen than students who recently went through it, but also have had so many other experiences and lessons to share,” Weems said. In the program, upperclassmen will be paired with one or more freshmen and will meet with them on certain mornings to help them. The groups were put together based on common interests. As the program organizer, Weems will hand out discussion questions for the pairs and the participants can build conversations off of them. “Obviously, I want everyone to learn something, but more than that, I care about the lessons, and I care about building relationships,” Weems said. Weems came up with the idea to earn her Gold Award for Girl Scouts. She discovered the program from another school’s yearbook and decided that with a few modifications it could work well for this school. To earn the Gold Award, the highest Girl Scout award, the scout must plan and implement an individual “Take Action”
project that provides a sustainable, lasting benefit to the larger community. While this is why Weems started the program, she did it because she wanted to make a difference in the school. “I think that Valley has such a strong sense of family and this will only help to promote and improve that,” Weems said. “I think that we all have lessons to learn from each other. I know that I would rather talk about peer pressure, or whatever, with my friends than be told about it by a teacher or a parent.” For some freshmen, it is intimidating to enter high school not knowing any of the older kids, but with this program they can gain an instant friend. Not only that, but this program also provides upperclassmen the opportunity to get to know the incoming freshmen, something many people typically don’t do. “I’m hoping the mentoring program will help make the transition from Blue Ridge to Valley easier,” freshman Ava Palese said. For some, it’s the little things like someone showing them to their class or talking about their teachers with them that can help put them at ease. The fears of entering high school are something that will never go away, but through the mentoring program, steps can be taken to lessen the worries. “I believe in this idea and the lasting, positive impact that it could have,” Weems said. “I hope that the students will love it and continue to do it forever. I want to come back in 20 years and see mentoring.” photos / courtesy of Megan Gannaway layout / McKenna Holtz, Lizzie Sikora
“My biggest fear as a freshman was that I would get bullied by the upperclassmen. They looked so intimidating and I actually used to think getting shoved into a locker was a thing.”
- Emily Anderson
“Going into high school I was scared of Freshman Friday because everybody hyped it up and I thought the seniors were going to be bigger than me, but they weren’t.”
- Neil Leming
At freshman orientation, two incoming students open their first high school lockers.
Female Footballer Hannah Allison shares her journey from playing football as child to now joining the high school football team. By Brianna Jennings Football takes a mental and physical toll on its players. But what if you were a girl playing football with 40 boys? Hannah Allison joined the freshman football team this school year as an offensive tackle and guard. She began her journey as a cheerleader at age five, and after four years, she decided that she wasn’t meant for cheering on the sidelines. “I couldn’t watch the game and I just wasn’t enjoying it,” Allison said. “I also have two older brothers, Zach and Sam, who both played and they always seemed like they were having a lot of fun and I always enjoyed the sport.” In 2009, she surprised the league by joining the Upper Loudoun Youth Football League (ULYFL). Joining the high school team just seemed like the next step. “The boys by now are used to me playing with them because most of them played with or against me in Upper Loudoun,” Allison said. “At first it was weird and they went easy on me. But now they definitely don’t. I’m just like any other teammate.” Top left / Freshman Hannah Allison poses after football practice. Allison is the only female football player at the school. Bottom Right / Allison takes a water break during practice.
Allison’s parents talked to the coaches years before Hannah was due to tryout. The family has a long legacy of football at the school. “I was excited because I knew she was interested in playing football after talking to her mom and her two seasons ago, and last season her mom came up to me and said she was still very interested in coming out,” freshman football coach Kenyamo McFarlane said. “When she showed up I was really excited for the chance to work with her. I’ve worked with her brothers before, so the family lineage was strong, and just having her around is great.” For football players, mental toughness is just as important as the physicality. While Allison may be smaller than other linemen, mentally she’s just as strong as any other player on or off the field. Thanks to a supportive family and experienced siblings, she has help when the mental aspect of football weighs too heavy. “The males in my family provide postgame critiques, where they tell me what I did wrong and what to do next time,”
Allison said. Allison intends to continue with her football future. She hopes to find a career in the field such as a football commentator or coaching, no matter what level. “I guess you could say that playing football gave me confidence to do whatever I wanted to,” Allison said. “It taught me that if you want to do something, nothing should stand in your way, and you shouldn’t stop until you are doing it. It is honestly one of the best decisions I have ever made.” photo / Sacha Gragg layout / Brianna Jennings
Adding to the Numbers According to the National Federation of State High School Associations,
1,804
girls played football in 2012.
35.8 %
increase from just five years earlier.
Farm To Fork
Local farms and restaurants collaborate to provide fresh and healthy meal options to Loudoun County residents. BY LEILA FRANCIS
Plump tomatoes, crisp lettuce and grass-fed beef are just a few of the locally-sourced foods found in farmer’s markets throughout the county. Now, they appear on the plates of restaurant tables throughout Loudoun County. Founded by Miriam Nasuti in 2011, the Farm-to-Fork movement has blossomed into a collaboration of 22 restaurants and 14 farms throughout the county, also including eight local vineyards. The restaurants participating each have a Farm-to-Fork menu that uses 70 percent foods grown and raised on Loudoun County farms. A wide range of restaurants sport these menus—the 22 restaurants include Thai, Indian, Italian and French food, as well as wings, pizza, burgers and more. Whether seeking a quick café-style lunch or a lavish, romantic dinner, Farm-to-Fork provides seemingly endless options. Some of the restaurants include Fire Works American Pizzeria & Bar, Tuscarora Mill and The Wine Kitchen in Leesburg, and WK Hearth, Market Burger Fries & Shakes and Magnolias at the Mill in Purcellville, just to name a few. The Farm-to-Fork program follows a nationwide “locavore” movement in which people seek not only to support their local
The New Binge:
BY CLAIRE DEAVER You finally get home after a long day at school, exhausted and overwhelmed by the amount of homework that awaits you. You sit down to pull out your notebook when something tells you otherwise—your laptop. Episode 7 ended with a cliffhanger; how could you possibly focus on homework when you don’t know what happens next? A difficult choice faces you, but I think we all know the ending of this story for every Netflix fanatic. With homework, sports, family and friends, it can be hard for the average high school student to catch their favorite TV shows. Products like HBO and OnDemand are making it easier for viewers to fit TV or movies into their personal schedule. One company in particular has recently become very popular: Netflix. Although Netflix can be a great source of entertainment, it is also a perfect tool for procrastination. The instant streaming feature makes bingeing on TV shows easier than ever. Teens glue their eyes
farms and business, but to promote healthier, more educated eating decisions. With the source of food becoming a larger concern for many Americans, Farm-to-Fork creates an ideal solution to consumer awareness within our own community, a leader in the locavore movement located in and benefiting Loudoun County. The Farm-to-Fork program’s success has also encouraged the team to begin another Farm-to-Fork program in Frederick County, hopefully signifying a new, healthier pattern of eating that benefits businesses and customers alike. With the program providing such a large and varied range of delicious and local food, Farm-to-Fork has enjoyed a great start and is rapidly growing. Restaurants, farms and local residents all are excited to see what the future holds for the locavore movement and this outstanding and innovative program. photo / Henry Webster layout / Henry Webster
to the screen, episode after episode, hypnotized by the program. When greater tasks weigh on your shoulders, Netflix is a dangerous alternative. With the next episode just one click away, it is difficult to ignore the screen and focus on something guaranteed to be filled with boredom. The Netflix addiction has spread throughout the student body, often in extreme ways. “I have definitely been addicted to Netflix,” senior Kristen Denale said. “I once faked being sick for a week just so that I could lie in bed all day and watch Scrubs.” This recent cultural phenomenon adds to the growing group of distractions, joining Twitter and Instagram yet, another potentially negative influence on this generation. Netflix also creates some original show series that they offer as part of their package. Orange is the New Black is a comedy-drama following a woman in federal prison for a crime committed over 10 years ago that is becoming popular. “It’s a really funny show and it’s interesting because it shows how bad life can be for prisoners,” sophomore Becca Jennings said. Another well-liked original Netflix series is House of Cards. Set in present-day Washington, D.C., a middle-aged man runs for Secretary of State and loses, sparking a quest for revenge and a rise to power in the White House. “I enjoy the show because it is interesting and very suspenseful,” senior Nick Steen said. “I would recommend it to an older-aged audience who would understand how government works.” layout / Henry Webster
Discounted after-school specials Monday-Friday
The 10th Annual Turkey Trot 5K & Fun Run Sunday, November 9th, 2014 at 8am At the Loudoun Valley Community Center All proceeds support the LVCC Advisory Board’s programming, including scholarships to Loudoun Valley students! Register at http://imathlete.com/events/pvillettrot Look for more information on the 2014 race at http://pvilleturkeytrot.shutterfly.com! Volunteers Needed! Contact center for details at 540-338-4122.
EDITORIAL
.. . Questioning the System Students struggle to find answers when national news coverage brings reminders of events close to home.
T
his summer was punctuated by a series of tragic deaths at the hands of law enforcement. You hear cases of this kind just about every six months, like clockwork. Having had a similar tragedy happen in our own community, these occurrences catch our attention more than they may have previously. On August 9, unarmed 18 year-old Michael Brown was shot six times and killed in Ferguson, Missouri after a confrontation with a police officer in which witnesses testified that Brown attempted to flee, throwing his hands up in surrender from the altercation, but was pursued by the officer exiting his vehicle. The actions of officer Darren Wilson from St. Louis County Police pose serious questions. Could this have been handled or approached differently? Will this be the last incident that we see with the same ramifications: an unarmed person's death? Earlier this summer, on July 17, in Staten Island, New York, Eric Garner broke up a fight then resisted arrest, resulting in him being wrestled to the ground and choked to death by the arresting police officers, an action that courts ruled to be homicide. When viewing a case such as Garner’s or Brown’s, people take sides—the police’s or the victim’s. There are those who sympathize with the victim, criticizing police actions and demanding justice, while others agree with
the measures taken by law enforcement and insist that the victim was at fault. When we are separate and removed from a case such as these nationally publicized events, we are able to quickly sort out the information available, factor in our own beliefs and biases and form a decisive opinion. On May 24, Christian Sierra, a member of our school, was shot and killed by a local police officer. While circumstances were different, this tragic happening shared details with cases like Brown’s. As a teen, it’s hard to process something that happened to our classmate that has happened to people who are now nationally known. As we find ourselves in the very middle of an event, in our own town, the last place someone would expect something to happen, the lines become much more blurred. We don’t have the luxury of media sources that serve us a side to take on a silver platter, nationwide news coverage that demands attention and acknowledgement, nor distance with the victim that allows us to deliver a verdict with relative ease. Faced with case after case of events that share too many similarities, it is nearly impossible to make rhyme or reason out of any of it. We know one thing for certain: this shouldn’t happen. Michael Brown should not have died, Eric Garner should not have died, Christian Sierra should not have died. As we try to process these deaths, every factor
is called into question—militarization of the police force, police training and reasonable fear on the side of the law force, emotional health, drug history and every particle of the past on the side of the victim. There is no perfect victim—a victim without any extenuating circumstances or anything that people can question when viewing their death—because there are no perfect people. When police brutality occurs, it often creates an unbreakable barrier of distrust between citizen and police force. When faced with it in our own backyard, the distrust is muddled by confusion and bewilderment. How can we begin to process the events of the summer? We know police are supposed to protect their community, and we have trusted them to do so, but what happens when they don’t? We read about it on the news constantly and now realize that we are not excluded from these problems. What answers could we possibly have for these questions after following the events of the summer and one so close to home? Even as teenagers, we realize the similarities between national news cases and the one that took place in our own town. While we may not have the answers, asking these questions is important and encourages a dialogue with the potential to bring us together rather than tear us apart. Layout / Leila Francis
inside look
Top / After defeating Sherando High School during their scrimmage on August 20, the team walks off the field with a sense of a accomplishment. Bottom left / Junior and defensive back Joseph LaFonte tries to break a tackle after intercepting the ball. photos / courtesy of Ainsley Sierzega layout / Elizabeth Sikora