The Viking Edition 2

the

viking

Loudoun Valley High School News Magazine 340 N. Maple Ave. Purcellville, VA 20132

to the future and beyond

grin and bear it Cheerleaders explain their worst injuries and what it takes to be a competitive cheerleader. issue 2, December 2011

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AoS is the first magnet school in Loudoun County and paves the way for future education.

10

their neck of the woods

Hunters dedicate time and money to their interest.

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540-338-9110

SERVICE

HAMILTON L.L.C.

CENTER

Foreign & Domestic Auto Service 39258 East Colonial Highway | Bus. Rt. 7 | Hamilton, VA 20158

staff

at a glance

cover:Junior Jeffrey Zhang studies a jar of bugs for a biology project at AoS. photo/Rachel Boisjolie

inside

editors in chief Rachel Boisjolie Tatum Davenport Torri Hart copy editor Melissa Fairfax photo editor Charles Lyons ad manager Madison CoppaLuckman staff writers Gaelyn Foster Leigh George Courtney Morgan Mairin Rivett Meagan Solano Sheridan Suminski Jo Trombadore Connor Wood staff photographers Paige Armstrong Tierra Dongieux Liam Klavon adviser Paige Cox

photo/Gaelyn Foster Junior Maddie Brouse, a forward on Valley’s club field hockey team, relaxes on the sidelines after an exhausting game against Briar Woods.

8 Field Hockey

“It’s no little girl’s sport.”

-Abbie Maher, junior

contact paige.cox@lcps.org 340 N. Maple Ave Purcellville, VA 20132 540-751-2400

4 Life in 6 the Jungle No Pain 8 No Games To the Future 10and Beyond Their Neck 12of the Woods Rebellious 14 by Nature Limiting 16 Languages 20 Student Art Grin and Bear It

check out The Viking online at www.thevikingnews.com

4

grin & bear it

Cheerleaders explain all about their worst injuries and what it takes to be a competitive cheerleader.

The night began like any other with the heightened tension and excitement of a Woodgrove game.

However, the freshmen cheerleading squad’s practice did not go as smoothly as it usually does.

Before the game, the squad was stunting and practicing their lifts. Freshman Alexie Badura is a back spot; her job is to keep the flyer balanced by holding on to her ankles and supporting some of her weight.

During their warm-up, Badura’s flyer went up and came down too suddenly, causing the bases and Badura to lose grip of the flyer’s foot and let her fall.

The flyer landed on Badura’s face, striking under her eye.

“I was lying on the ground and started crying and I never cry,” Badura said. “The flyer was freaking out and wouldn’t stop saying ‘I’m sorry.’”

Stunned by Badura’s reaction, the team ran to get Athletic Trainer Andy Gordon, who told Badura that she would need to go to the emergency room.

“At first it seemed like a really bad headache,” Badura said. “My eye

started swelling shut. I couldn’t feel time,” Raffa said. the side of my face.”

This year while practicing, Raffa At the hospital, Badura had a fell back and broke her fall with her CAT scan and arm. Last year X-rays taken of while stunting, her face and head.

Unlike other sports Raffa fell and Doctors concluded fractured her when you mess up, forearm bone and that Badura’s orbital bone, bone. Gordon forget something, wrist which is the bone advised Raffa to or get hurt you can’t go to urgent care under the eye, was broken; she get X-rays show it you just have and had a concussion taken of her arm; and would need to to grin and bear it.” then Raffa had see both a plastic orthopedic -Senior Faith Dean. an surgeon and an appointment and eye surgeon. The was told she broke plastic surgeon told Badura she had her growth plate in her elbow and an nerve damage and a deviated septum additional break in her forearm. and would need to return in six weeks “I’ll never forget when it in order to decide if she needed happened last year: her bone was surgery or not. sticking out of her arm. Most of the Sophomore Brittney Raffa had girls want to comfort whoever gets a similar experience when she broke injured, but they all just ran away,” her arm. It has happened to Raffa Coach Jenna Stickman said. “It’s twice. scary when they get hurt. Once “Next year my mom might not let something like this happens, they go me [cheer]. I want to do cheer again, back and start at the beginning and but I’m scared it will happen for a third have to progress their way up again.”

“

The degree of difficulty of cheer stunts has slowly increased over the years; today cheerleading is considered one of the most dangerous school activities. The cheer coaches take extra safety courses so that the proper techniques are taught. Virginia High School League rules what the squads can and cannot do to ensure that the teams are safe and can work up to as high as they can go.

“We take extra time to go through a progression to make sure they master the small stuff before they do the big stuff,” Stickman said.

According to one CNN report, cheerleading accounts for 65 percent of all catastrophic injuries in girls’ high school athletics. The most common cheerleading-related injuries are sprained ankles, wrists, broken arms and fingers, and concussions.

“It’s a dangerous sport now and it takes a long time to get good at it,” freshman Katie Mendenhall said.

“People need to know it’s hard.” article/Tatum Davenport photo/Tierra Dongieux, Meagan Solano

flying high Stunting is part of what makes cheerleading so athletic. At least one cheerleader is lifted or tossed into the air by three or more cheerleaders. The weight of the flyer is in the hands of the back spot and the bases.

“It’s just as mental as it is physical. If you

don’t have the confidence to do something then your physical ability alone is not enough. We’re strong in all aspects.”

- Senior Megan Skillman

Cheer Facts

- About 98% of all female cheerleaders were former gymnasts.

- 97% of all cheerleaders are female. However, almost 50% of collegiate cheerleaders are male.

-The cheerleading capital of the U.S. is Texas.

Flyer

-A flyer is the person that is held in the air during a stunt.

- She controls her own weight and stays tight to keep her center of balance.

- In the 1960s, NFL teams began to form cheer squads.

- Pom-poms are actually pronounced pom-pons.

- Pom-pons were

invented in the 1930s.

- Former Presidents Back Spot - A back spot stands behind the flyer. She holds the flyer’s ankles to alleviate the weight of the flyer for the bases.

- She is generally the tallest member of the team.

Base - A base stays on the ground during stunts to provide the primary support for the flyer.

- Bases are strong and focused. She is underneath, pushes up the flyers feet, and catches the flyers.

George W. Bush, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Dwight Eisenhower were cheerleaders in college.

http://www.totalinjury.com/personal-injurya-z/sports-injury/cheerleading-injuries.aspx http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0214222/ CHEER.html http://cheerleading.about.com/od/ cheerleadingfunstuff/l/blfunfacts.htm

6

Life in the

JUNGLE The jungle is the one place in high school where everyone can come together in support of their school without feeling left out.

The jungles of Guatemala are inhabited by the deadly jaguar. The Amazon rainforest contains the bonecrushing anaconda. The jungle at Loudoun Valley, however, is home to the fiercest species of all: the viking.

At every Valley game, the student cheer section is dominated by what is popularly known as “The Jungle.” This consists of a large group of rowdy Valley students adorned in camo, orange hats, and in some cases, body paint.

According to senior Chloe Spillane, the jungle is “where classy meets crazy.” Senior Nick Kamienski described it as a “flawless victory, and then some.” Senior Payton Boyer said that it is “the most spirited, loyal group of kids in Western Loudoun County.”

Despite these various interpretations, it is clear from their enthusiasm that there is more to the jungle than a hat and some beads.

Because it is the coming-together of various cliques and social circles, the jungle unites the student body as a whole, working together to support their team.

“The jungle isn’t exclusive at all,” senior Kelsea Kitto said. “In fact, [it] encourages all the students to join in and cheer on whichever sport is in season…the more the better!”

With such an accepting atmosphere, it is easy to see why the jungle became a lasting tradition at Loudoun Valley. However, despite this welcoming environment, it is crucial that one accurately prepares for the jungle experience. Without the proper equipment and behavior, its entire

ecosystem could be dismantled.

In order to fully participate in the jungle, one must display the proper attire: a bright orange hunting cap, black Under Armour, and anything camo. And while beads and body paint are acceptable among the more spirited students, overalls remain a senior privilege.

“The standard jungle-wear is definitely camo!” Kitto said. “Most people incorporate the camo in their outfit and then wear black or neon orange to pull it all together.”

Not only does the use of camo tie into the theme of a jungle with its pattern of greenery and thick vegetation, but it also displays support for the large hunting community in Loudoun County. In doing so, the jungle demonstrates its pride in Valley’s West Virginian roots.

While apparel is visually essential to the jungle, even more important is etiquette. When one enters, he or she must be familiar with the proper jungle protocol.

The first and most terrible mistake made by many jungle rookies is sitting where they do not belong. “[Freshmen should not] sit up front,” freshman Erin Kaseman said.

“That’s only seniors.” Classmate Maya Ebrihemnijad agreed, saying, “You have to know someone to sit up front.”

It is a known fact that many freshmen first entering the jungle feel a certain amount of pressure to do and say the right thing amongst the upperclassmen. Thus, when it comes to proper jungle etiquette, they have much more to worry about than mere

Valley’s student section, “The Jungle,” cheers on its football team at the rival Woodgrove game.

seating arrangements.

“Don’t dress skanky…that’s number one. Don’t be annoying. Don’t throw things. Don’t be immature,” freshman Ashley Moore said.

With so many apprehensions, it is only expected that jungle beginners feel a flush of anxiety when first entering the student cheering section at a game. But they shouldn’t worry.

“Anyone from Valley is welcome in the jungle!” senior Malia Pownall said.

Lastly, and most importantly, one must display the appropriate jungle attitude. While the jungle may also serve as a social mixing bowl, its main objective is the support of its team.

“Of course there is socializing within the jungle, but it is one hundred percent about supporting the athletes,” Kitto said. “The jungle is there to show off our Valley pride and just to be demonstrative of how much we love our school.”

This honorable support of team and school is displayed at every game by the jungle and all of its loyal members. Without such a gathering of animated individuals, Valley would lack the spirit that separates it from all of the other schools in Loudoun County. Thus, as long as someone is willing to dress the part, sit in the appropriate area, and cheer the Vikings on to the last seconds of the game, then he or she will be accepted. In the words of Guns N’ Roses, “Welcome to the Jungle.” article/Jo Trombadore photo/Paige Armstrong

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no pain

no games Loudoun County, one of the wealthiest counties in the nation, is one of the few school systems in northern Virginia that does not offer field hockey as a school-sponsored sport. It is true that high school girls in Loudoun who want to play on a field hockey team are limited to a recreational club team. However, many schools in Loudoun County wonder how long enthusiastic field hockey players have to wait before field hockey becomes a schoolsponsored sport.

Field hockey is a sport that is growing in popularity at the high school and collegiate level. A majority of the counties surrounding Loudoun, including Fairfax, Prince William, and Fauquier, all have school-sponsored field hockey teams. In fact, many colleges, such as the University of Virginia, have a school-sponsored field hockey team as well as a club team. These colleges also offer scholarships to talented players. Many other universities, including James Madison, Old Dominion, Boston College, Penn State, Duke, and Yale have successful Division I field hockey teams.

Field hockey was more recently ranked as the third most popular sport in the world and the second most popular sport in the country.

This interest in the sport has become apparent in Loudoun County. High schools such as Briar Woods, Potomac, Tuscarora, Woodgrove, and Valley have acquired successful recreational field hockey teams with enthusiastic players and increasing interests. Susan Magurn, a history teacher at Valley and sponsor of

the school’s club field hockey team, believes that field hockey is growing in interest.

“Field hockey is absolutely growing as a school [sponsored] sport,” Magurn said. “More clubs are forming every year, and more and more girls come to the field hockey interest meetings every year.”

Valley’s club team includes freshmen through seniors, as well as a few girls from middle school.

The girls practice twice a week with Woodgrove’s club team and are committed to a game every weekend.

Though not every practice is sunny and not every game is a victory, the love of the sport keeps their heads held high.

“I like field hockey because it is a great sport that I really enjoy playing,” said senior Jenny Ryan, a midfielder and the field hockey team captain. “Field hockey consumes most of my weekends, whether I am playing or reffing the games. I have been playing for nine years and have always enjoyed the thrill of going and scoring a goal.”

The Vikings on Valley’s field hockey team have an overwhelming sense of pride in their sport. In their opinion, it takes just as much skill and perseverance to play field hockey as it does to play any other sport. The girls work hard to stay in shape and to improve how they handle their unwieldy field hockey sticks. They are guided by a special field hockey trainer at every practice, where they run, scrimmage, and do drills with the stick to improve their skills. These regular practices and drills demand full commitment from all of the field

Field hockey players show pride in their sport despite lack of school sponsorship.

hockey players. Junior Abbie Maher, the goalie, has very strong opinions about what it takes to be a field hockey player.

“It’s no little girl’s sport. Not to be scary, but I’ve seen field hockey injuries,” Maher said. “They range from hurt fingers, to bruises on your body, to broken noses, to hurt ribs.

It’s an amazing sport and lots of precautions are taken to ensure the players’ safety, but just like everyone else, we have our injuries. We should be taken seriously.”

Though being a self-sponsored club team is not always easy, the girls can see the interest in their sport growing amongst their peers.

They have also noticed subtle improvements in their conditions and more recognition as a team. Junior Maddie Brouse, a forward on the field hockey team, is aware of the improvements.

“We are getting better fields, our teams are getting bigger, and we’re obviously more recognized than we were before,” Brouse said.

With increased popularity and pressure from anxious field hockey players, Loudoun County is one step closer to adding field hockey as a school-sponsored sport. For now, Valley’s own club team will pursue their goals and wait patiently for the day that field hockey becomes a part of their school.

“I would be honored if Valley took field hockey on as a sport,” Maher said. “It would make me jump up and down.” article and photo/Gaelyn Foster

Junior Kelly Ashley dives to steal the ball from Briar Woods as her teammates wait to take action.

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and

to the future AoS is the first magnet school in Loudoun County and paves the way for future education.

Frank Song sings for whoever will listen. He plays the piano, the violin, the guitar, and several traditional Chinese instruments. He plays and sings at retirement homes.

However, senior Frank Song also participates in the future of knowledge and education.

He sets four alarms in the morning so he can turn off the first three at 6:02, 6:30, and 6:45. He finally drags himself out of bed at 7:00, arriving at school at 7:45 for his zero period class, AP U.S. History. At 8:30, he leaves that class and heads to the mixing bowl, where he has free time to talk to his friends or play the guitar with a sociable smile and exuberant personality. When the bell rings, he gathers his backpack and homework and tells his friends he’ll talk to them later. He spends 45 minutes on a bus playing cards or talking with 11 other people on the way to Dominion High School. Finally, at 9:45, he arrives at the school of the future: the Academy

You know you go to

AoS when...

of Science (AoS).

2005, his vision became reality and In 1998, the Loudoun County the first class of students entered the Board of Education decided to fund an academy. “academy” or magnet school. At the “I thought that it would be a time, they weren’t sure whether or not way to learn science and math in a that magnet school different setting would be for science, and better my fine arts, or English. understanding of While waiting it,” senior Ryan to decide which Walton said. “I was academy they’d very excited and make, the Board ready to come.” built Dominion High Walton School in Sterling and Song are and designed it to among the third house an extra 200 graduating class -Emily Jackson, on the from this academy. students.

Howard Hughes With each year, learning at AoS. Medical Institute AoS gains more (HHMI) proposed recognition and funding that academy as a math and more esteem. science magnet school. After being HHMI funded the school with a called from his teaching job in New grant that still pays for the masses York, Director of AoS George Wolfe of technological equipment AoS laid out his vision for the school in has. Among their devices are a three hours. Seven years later, in spectrometer, a nanospinning fiber

“For every question, the answer will be another question.”

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...you buy clear nail polish for the sole purpose of doing a thin film experiment.

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...your math exam is nine pages long but only has five problems on it.

machine, an HPLC machine, and an electron scanning microscope. While they do not pay the school every year, HHMI also funds 50 percent of an excursion Song and other interested juniors and seniors make to Singapore each year.

“You get a partner in America from AoS and 2 partners from Singapore and do a year-long research project,” Song said. “In the summer you go to Singapore and compile all your data and do all the analysis together and present in an international science fair there.”

The students participating in the Singapore collaboration are not the only ones to do science research projects; in fact, all juniors and seniors must complete one. Each student pays the first $100, but any other money needed to fund the projects comes out of the HHMI grant. As a result, the projects explore scientific and mathematic subjects which could one day benefit the world.

5

...pi-day is your most anticipated holiday.

beyond Junior Sara Vitkus teamed up with a partner at AoS to work on a project involving gold nano particles, which could be used to replace chemotherapy in detecting cancer and tumors. Junior Alec Miller is experimenting on Garden Cress, a special plant, in order to take heavy metal out of water sources.

Along with its funding and prestige, AoS also mimics a private school atmosphere with its class sizes. Since only 68 students make the cut each year during the application process, class sizes remain around 16 people. The classes at AoS can be more interactive than most and intensify hands-on learning, while still maintaining a relaxed atmosphere.

“You end with a school that’s really competitive but at the same time is really relaxed—they expect you to do what you need to do,” junior Jeffrey Zhang said.

Just like private schools,

4

...you dress up as an element for spirit week.

the academy provides students opportunities and advantages that public schools cannot. Every year, sophomores travel to the Bahamas for one week and immerse themselves in hands-on marine biology, while snorkeling and playing Ultimate Frisbee.

“It was amazing, it was warm and the water was clear and I learned so much; so much stuff that I never thought that I would learn in a million years,” sophomore Emily Jackson said, excited and smiling as explaining the trip she returned from about two months ago. “We go and we learn it for a week and it’s the only thing we do. Now we’re all best friends.”

As for the advantages, freshman Arslan Azize says AoS “gives me a chance at a better college, which gives me a chance at a better job, and a better life. It teaches us responsibility and teaching skills besides just academics.”

With the equipment that AoS

3

...you make raps about polyatomic ions and share them with other AoS-ers.

has, the trips that AoS can provide, and the learning style of a private school, AoS truly is the school of the future. The Board of Education is considering creating more academies like it for the other areas of education, so that more students in Loudoun County can explore the advantages of training students in leadership-based education.

With the other AoS students, Song leaves AoS on A days at 3:00pm, and heads back to his home school. When he comes back to Valley, he meets up with his Valley friends again and prepares himself for the next day of History and English.

One day, however, even History and English may have their own magnet school. One day the future won’t be so far away. article/Rachel Boisjolie photos/Rachel Boisjolie,Melissa Fairfax

2

...instead of wearing a sweatshirt when you get cold during class, you wear a lab coat.

photos left to right: junior Alec Miller, junior Cara Broshkevitch, junior Jeffrey Zhang, senior Erin Fischer, junior Vaibhav Tadepalli, senior Ian Miller, senior Frank Song.

In addition to funding AoS, HHMI gives... $1 million dollars to all Loudoun County Public Schools per year

$7,000 to two

seniors from every high school in the county per year in a science scholarship

1

...you type better on your calculator than on your phone.

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Theirof theNeck

Woods

Hunters dedicate time and money to their interest.

For most students, wearing Hunters must know where deer camo is just a fun way to show school tend to be and stake out a spot to spirit at a sports game. For other hide. They must have patience and students, camo means much more. remain hidden, because if the deer It means remaining hidden, being are aware of their presence, they stealthy, and hopefully getting the kill. may flee before the hunter can get Western Loudoun County is an accurate shot. Hunters must also known for being predominantly rural. know when the right moment to shoot Deer overpopulate the area, therefore is, and when it is safe to shoot. making hunting a huge sport. Though “You can’t just assume,” Torian most people hunt deer, some hunt said. “You have to be sure it’ll be a geese, turkey, elk, rabbits, and other safe shot.” small game. Prime time for hunting Since hunting takes patience, it is dawn and dusk, because deer are also takes time. Hunters tend to hunt most likely to be often and for hours on out. end in order to achieve However, a successful kill. hunting isn’t just “I hunt pretty grabbing a gun and much every Saturday running into the and at least once woods. Hunters during the week, must make sure usually at dawn and they obtain the dusk, but sometimes all appropriate hunting day,” said junior Cody license, depending Carlyle, who has been on the type of game Carlyle displays his accomplishments. hunting for nine years. they hunt and the type of weapon they “A guy that works for my dad took me use, such as a rifle, muzzleloader, one time and [I’ve] been hooked ever or bow. Not only that, but there are since.” different seasons in which hunters As with any hobby or sport, are allowed to hunt certain game with people usually begin hunting because certain weapons. There are separate someone they know hunts. Some seasons for hunting does, bucks, and are introduced to hunting as a family other game; there are also different tradition. seasons for the aforementioned “I got into [hunting] because of weapons. Despite all of these details, my dad. My dad has been doing it or perhaps because of them, hunters since he was 16, and his dad too, dedicate endless amounts of time and and so on,” Torian said. “I do it for fun money to hunting. because it gives me something to do, “I consider [hunting] a sport but also because my dad does it so I because I do it a lot and invest a lot kind of inherited it.” in it,” senior Mike Torian said. “It’s a Some go on hunting trips with good sport to get into. It just requires their family, such as sophomore Luke a lot of patience, so it’s not something Miller, who has been hunting with his you can just do. It requires a lot of dad since he was 6. thought.”

“I got into it because my dad took

me a lot when we lived in Wyoming,” Miller said. “I usually hunt on my farm [but] sometimes we go back to Wyoming to hunt.”

Most people hunt because they enjoy the game, or for their personal consumption. Some hunt for antlers or for a trophy to mount on their wall.

Some hunt solely to cut down on the overpopulation of deer. However, others have fun while also helping a good cause. Many hunters in the area participate in a charity program called Hunters for the Hungry, which accepts excess game and prepares it to give to those in need.

“Hunters for the Hungry is a program where hunters kill deer they don’t need or don’t want. They take it to their local butcher and drop it off. The hungry put their name on a list and the Hunter[s] for the Hungry people then call them and the hungry come and pick it up,” Carlyle said. “It got started by a hunter who wanted to somehow donate deer to people with less money. I got started giving my excess meat to them about three years ago when I first heard of them, and I really like the program because it’s quick, easy, no-hassle, and you’re helping out the needy.”

While those against hunting may view it as cruel or inhumane, hunters view things differently. Animal rights activists may view it as a life lost, but hunters view it as an opportunity for saving lives—human lives.

“If there are no hunters, then there’s going to be a lot more deer and more car accidents due to the overpopulation of deer,” Carlyle said. “[Also,] it feeds families in need.” article/Melissa Fairfax photos/Courtesty of Cody Carlyle, Mike Torian

Torian shows his family’s love for hunting by lfiting up his kill.

14

Rebellious Nature by

Skipping

Ever since attending high school became compulsory, not attending it became undeniably fashionable. Truancy has always been an example of youthful defiance.

“Rules are made to be broken,” senior Zach Carlson said. “If you don’t break rules, you are denying yourself a natural inclination to rebel.”

Cutting class has evolved as the quintessential expression of the rebellious high school student’s disaffection, boredom, and alienation.

“My grandfather’s told me stories about how he and his friends used to cut class in the ‘50s and meet up with girls, go get a burger, and listen to records,” junior Jake Smith said. “At the time, I’m sure his parents didn’t approve, but his episodes of skipping school are some of his more exciting and adventurous memories from his youth.”

It seems the majority of Valley students have an aversion to skipping and its consequences, but what keeps most potential skippers from taking flight is fear. Freshman Rachel Rood elaborated, explaining that it was too difficult to evade the school's preventative technology.

"I'm afraid to skip; they have cameras everywhere," Rood said.

Senior Abby McIntyre added to the common feeling of student fear of consequence.

"I've never [skipped], I'm too scared. I don't want to get in trouble...it's embarrassing,” McIntyre said.

Skippers, however, claim they find just as much—or more— educational opportunities outside of the classroom than in it.

“Skipping is good for the mind. It helps you think instead of just sitting in a class,” senior Marcus Solomon said. “It’s a really good time to get all your thoughts out, being able to walk around.”

Amanda Pheng also contributed to skipping’s beneficent properties.

“It’s good for your well-being,” Pheng said. “Sometimes you just have to get out. You have to escape.”

Carlson elaborated on this escapist philosophy, declaring, “If I wasn’t able to do it, I’d go crazy.”

Thus, this untraditional tradition of disaffected youth carries on. article/Connor Wood

Graffiti

Bathroom graffiti has quickly evolved from the crude phrases that exist in the boys’ bathrooms to the often inspirational pieces found in the girls’ bathrooms.

Scribbled in Sharpie, the girls’ murals frequently depict picturesque drawings with empowering quotes and sayings.

“When you go into the bathroom and you think of graffiti, you think of “bad” stuff, but when you go in [the bathrooms at Valley] it’s, like, a picture of a world and ‘let’s be friends’ and flowers and it’s supposed to be motivational stuff but it’s kind of off. It’s just people trying to be inspirational,” senior Ciara Bucci said. “It’s a big hit or miss, and most of it is definitely a miss.”

Freshman Alexa Gracias has a different opinion on the bathroom graffiti.

“It's kind of weird, but sometimes they're good drawings,” Gracias said.

However, the content of the shabby, dull surfaces of the boys’ bathrooms are a different story. Gone are the idyllic grasslands and rosy messages, replaced entirely by crude humor and vulgarities conveyed through words and pictures.

“People just do that stuff to feel like rebels when all it does is destroy valuable property and hassle the janitors, who really don’t deserve to deal with punk kids’ outcries for attention,” sophomore Austin Merritt said.

Questions of ‘why?’ and ‘how?’ inevitably come up in any discussion of bathroom graffiti.

“People draw it because the bathroom is boring and bland and they want to make their mark, carve out a place for themselves. It's the only place they feel secure and safe enough in school to express their emotions,” Gracias said.

“Who brings a Sharpie into the bathroom with them, anyway?” Bucci said. “I think it’s people trying to craft an image. It’s not really ‘badass,’ it’s people trying to be that way. You’re trying so hard to do this thing, but you’re trying so hard that you end up not succeeding.”

Despite the fact that students realize it’s wrong, most find the pictures interesting since there are often new additions with each visit to the restroom.

“While I'm using the bathroom, I can now look at the graffiti, because it gets kind of boring in there,” Gracias said. “It's entertaining.” article/Charles Lyons

Three of the most common forms of expressing rebellion in high schools are: skipping, graffiti, and texting.

Texting

While the reasons for doing it vary, one of the most common high school misbehaviors is texting in class. With the recent changes in the school cell phone policy, students are texting more and more often.

“Before last year, students were not allowed to text or use their cell phones when school was in session at all. Then, at the beginning of last year, Ms. Ross opened it up for kids to be allowed to use them in between classes and in the hallway and at lunch,” study hall supervisor Scott Steele said. “If they abuse that privilege, I feel like they're taking advantage of something Ms. Ross is already trying to be nice about.”

The thirst for constant social interaction—the continuation of a conversation that occurred previously at one’s locker, or even the establishment of new conversation altogether—often fuels students’ desire to text during class.

“There are probably different reasons for different kids. Some of them exclusively want to socialize while they're at school and say, 'Oh, well I'm just going to do my work when I get home.' If it's a class, like ours, where there are assigned seats, they probably just want to talk to each other,” Steele said.

“Who knows, they might just have problems, drama going on in their lives.

Teenagers—they always have problems.”

Using valuable class time to communicate with friends could also be a result of students falling back on what’s easiest, focusing on enhancing one’s social life rather than academic well-being. “[Texting in class] is just easier than doing class work. It’s the easier thing to do. That mentality is so engrained into our American culture: to seek easier lifestyles, easier whatever-you-can-get-your-hands-on. If it’s easier it’s automatically better; that’s something that’s drilled into our heads from a very young age,” senior Hannah Desherow said. “If kids knew how important their education was, they wouldn't be texting in class. I don't think they realize just how crucial it really is.”

However, many adolescents recognize that texting in class is wrong but continue to do it anyway, at least occasionally. “[Those who text in class] don't want to pay attention or engage in the learning that’s taking place. It’s pure laziness, but yes, I've done it before,” freshman Emily Anderson said. “Hasn't everyone? I do it sometimes, even though I know it's the unmotivated, lazy thing to do.”

Steele points out that students’ parents will often text them asking when to pick them up after school or to ask which friend’s house they’re going to that evening, which is a slightly more understandable reason for texting. However, what is at first glance a slight instance of misconduct can be extremely detrimental in the long run. article/Charles Lyons photosTatum Davenport, Tierra Dongieux, Charles Lyons.

16

imiting anguages

L

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There is a Chinese saying, “kongxue lai feng wei bi wu yin”—if the wind comes from an empty cave, it’s not without a reason. This year, Valley discontinued Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language choice, and students raised questions about the sudden alteration. However, just as this Chinese proverb says, everything has a cause, and this change did not come without reasons.

According to Michael Krepich, Latin teacher and head of the language department, the most significant reason behind canceling Mandarin Chinese was its lack of popularity among students.

While Chinese proved to be a fun and interesting class for enrolled students, the class sizes decreased to insufficient numbers, making it difficult to fund the course with the budget cuts in the school system. Krepich agrees that budget cuts are taking a toll on classes with small numbers of students.

“The budget cut in the last year has eliminated classes across the county and this class simply didn’t have enough students to be viable,” Krepich said.

Students who took Mandarin Chinese generally liked the course.

Senior Mark Peterson is no exception.

Peterson took Chinese for three years in the eighth, ninth, and tenth grades, and loved it. Though it was a challenge to learn, Peterson enjoyed the material and liked the way his teacher, Tom Weng, taught.

“I loved that class. I really liked the people in my class, and the course itself was interesting,” Peterson said.

“I liked the pace, in that you had a lot of time to practice before quizzes and tests, and that we did speaking as well as writing, which was really cool to learn.”

However, Peterson was not surprised when Mandarin Chinese

was discontinued. His class size in Chinese was never above 20, and the class always consisted of the same students every year.

“I suppose I could go on a rant about budgets and poor planning, but at the end of the day, I just don’t think there was the interest for the class there,” Peterson said.

However, there is an alternative.

The simplest and most contemporary way to allow Valley students to complete Mandarin Chinese is through interactive video cameras.

These video cameras, hooked up in room 312, stream a Mandarin Chinese class from Heritage High School live, allowing students at Valley to receive the lesson and actively participate in class. According to Krepich, the interactive video hookup counts towards an advanced diploma, and students taking these interactive courses have just as many opportunities to succeed as those enrolled in a traditional classroom setting.

Stephanie Silvis, an assistant principal at Valley, is responsible for handling the interactive video courses.

According to Silvis, the visual from the class at Heritage appears on the Promethean board at Valley, and the visual of the Valley students appears on screens at Heritage. This allows Weng, and other students at Heritage to include people at different schools in class activities. In fact, the set-up of the live streaming through the Promethean board resembles a TV set, and the students are able to adjust things such as volume with remote controls. Class work, assignments, and tests are sent to Valley students electronically.

Though nothing can equal a standard classroom setting, Silvis views these new courses positively.

“In person certainly is better, but it’s better than not having the class,”

The elimination of Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language choice opens the door to a unique teaching style.

Silvis said. “It’s a wonderful system for us to offer classes we wouldn’t ordinarily, so it works out great.”

The two students enrolled in Mandarin Chinese are also satisfied with their opportunities in the class.

Senior Jared Mingo, currently in his third year of Chinese, does not notice any difference in learning through an interactive video camera.

“It’s not any different,” Mingo said. “Not different in the least bit.”

Sawasdee Charoenchang, a foreign exchange student from Thailand enrolled in Mandarin Chinese III, also sees the bright side.

He enjoys the new style of teaching.

“I like it, because I can control

everything with the remote,” Charoenchang said. “It’s like when I study on my TV at home with my friend.”

Though students and teachers took well to the innovative way of teaching, the cancellation of Mandarin Chinese is still a loss to the school.

Many Vikings, including Krepich, look forward to the day that Chinese will once again be available.

“We are always sad to see changes in foreign language programs,” Krepich said. “And hopefully when students enroll for the class in sufficient numbers, it can be brought back.” article/Gaelyn Foster graphic/Paige Armstrong

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