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newsstreak Celebrating Diversity Diversity Diversity Diversityin HCPS

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Harrisonburg High School • 1001 Garbers Church Road • Harrisonburg, VA 22801 • 540.433.2651

Volume XIC • Issue 7• March 23, 2012

High ESL population promotes diversity Vanessa Ehrenpreis editor-in-chief

erely walking through the halls of HHS would be enough to tip a person off—the ‘Burg’s ethnic composition does not quite match the characteristic rolling hills of farmland visible outside the window. Despite the city’s rural location, the Harrisonburg City School system appears to be similar to an urban division in regards to diversity. There are 47 languages represented in HCPS, not to mention the 50 native countries represented. Superintendent Scott Kizner grew up in a community of similar diversity to Harrisonburg in New York. At the time, he did not realize that there was anything “different” or “special” about being exposed to a variety of cultures, but since his tenure as Superintendent in multiple systems across the east coast, Kizner firmly believes in

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Keeping it in the family-- siblings rocking the field, courts, and track. Students take on scientific research. Preparing for AP Exams Coverage of the Spring Arts Festival What’s new next year? Classes, schedule, etc.

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the importance of a global experience. “I want children to have an opportunity to learn with people from other countries and diverse backgrounds. There’s learning that students may or may not be aware of when they’re interacting with people from other countries,” Kizner said. “They’re not going to remember their SOL scores five years from now, but they’ll probably remember and appreciate being on the soccer team or in a classroom with kids from all over the world.”

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People think that all ESL students are Spanish speakers from Mexico, which is completely false.

-HHS ESL Coordinator Laura FeichtingerMcGrath

Native Countries Represented at HCPS

50%

Dominican Republic 2% El Salvador 2%

20%

this issue

Other 10%

Puerto Rico 7%

10%

Iraq 8%

US 65%

8 10 11 04 6 20 200 200 20 20

Conflict in the

Middle East Teachers take a stand against state legislation

Taking a look at conflict in the Middle East

HCPS has the highest Limited English Proficient (LEP) and English as a Second Langugage (ESL) student populations in the Commonwealth of Virginia. There are over 47 foreign languages represented in HCPS. Farsi, Lao, Pashtu, Hindi, and Amharic are a few of the langugages represented. 64% of students were born in the USA, meaning that 36% of the student population is foreign born. There are over 50 countries represented in the HCPS foreign born population

Students who immigrate to the USA could experience culture shock, or a variety of other social difficulties. All information from HCPS

FEATURE

NEWS

Fast facts about Harrisonburg City Public Schools’ diversity.

Students who are recent immigrants, receive great support from HCPS’ English as a Second Language program (ESL).

Honduras 2% Mexico 4%

30%

Inside

See DIVERSE on A2

Percentage of LEP students

40%

YAM! Art students collaborate to paint a mural outside of the JROTC room as part of a Youth Art Month celebration. Photo by William Imeson.

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Although HCPS’s statistics are often touted as a selling point, HHS English as a Second Language (ESL) Coordinator Laura Feichtinger-McGrath is wary of their overall indication of diversity. “People think that all [ESL] students are Spanish speakers from Mexico, which is completely false. But we’re not very diverse within our diversity, if that makes sense. There are only one or two speakers in the entire HCPS system that speak some of the languages listed. It’s used like a token diversity,” Feichtinger-McGrath said. Despite Feichtinger-McGrath’s leery views of HCPS’s true diversity, she made one thing clear: it is an incredibly important element of the community. “Diversity is a huge part of what we have here. It’s something to celebrate beyond cheesy holidays and ethnic food,” Feichtinger-McGrath

A 21st Century Melting Pot

SPORTS

THE

experience

Alumni Zach McDonnell showed his smarts by competing in the popular TV gameshow ‘Jeopardy!’ Spring sports mean new coaches, athletes, and BIG shoes to fill

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March 23, 2012

The

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NEWS- Isabelle Burden - A2

Forensics team wins regional championship Austin Coffey

staff reporter

weeping the competition in the Valley District and placing first at the Regional competitions, HHS’s Forensics Team is moving on to the State competitions with a hopeful spirit. Competing against schools around the region in the Region III competition, Senior Ama Ansah and Freshman Mia Karr placed first, Seniors Lindsey Carpenter and Allison Mackenzie placed second, Sophomore Tyler Edwards placed third, and Freshman Daelynn McCleave placed fourth. All of these students contributed to the big win at regionals and are looking forward to moving to states. “It was a pleasant surprise. I was thinking best case scenario was second,” said HHS forensics coach Bradley Walton. Though the forensics team did place first overall in the region, they did not win it by much. EC Glass High School also had 28 points when finishing their performance; however, because HHS had two first place slots to EC Glass’ one, HHS took the win. wNow moving on to states, Walton is not sure what to expect especially after the two wins that HHS has pulled of recently. “The best we have ever done was fourth place. Salem High School is almost a powerhouse team, so the best I could possibly hope for is second. However, to do that, everyone on the team would have to do extremely well,” Walton said. n

Region champs! Forensics team happily poses with their trophy. Senior Ama Ansah and Freshman Mia Karr placed first, Seniors Lindsey Carpenter and Allison Mackenzie placed second, Sophomore Tyler Edwards placed third, and Freshman Daelynn McCleave placed fourth. From right to left: Top: Allison Mckenzie, Jon Marks, Daelynn McCleave, Anna Dick, Mia Karr, Tyler Edwards, Merrill Harmison, Deb Halpern, Ellen Upton Bottom: Ama Ansah, Bradley and Cara Walton, and Lindsey Carpenter. Photo courtesy of Bradely Walton.

Seniors showcase creative work at Spring Arts Festival Conner Whitehouse

staff reporter

group of seniors and Phil Saunders, the assistant director of musical and the one act, are creating an alternative to the spring play. In addition to the official spring play, a new venue of talent is starting in the form of a student produced one act competition. “We wanted to create a opportunity for artistic students in all disciplines of the arts to showcase their talents,” senior Emmett Copeland said. The group hopes to host an evening consisting of four ten-minute student produced plays as well as music acts, dancing, and a graphic art display. The seniors directing plays will be Dorrall Price, Emmett Copeland, Ama Ansah, and Dylan Norquest. The directors are searching for a balance between comical skits and serious drama. “I want to do a more serious play because

Big Brothers/ Big Sisters sponsors Bowl for Kids Sake Sydney Little feature editor

n March 17 from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., Big Brothers Big Sisters is hosting its annual fundraiser, Bowl for Kids’ Sake at Valley Lanes. “We do not know the exact year that our local agency started the Bowl for Kids' Sake fundraiser, but we know that it has been happening for at least the last 20 years,” Communications Specialist Cara Hopson said. It is sponsored by many businesses, organizations and individuals who help out the event by printing flyers, providing prizes, and feeding the volunteers. Members of the community create teams no bigger than five people who have to raise at least $40 to participate. Teams that raise more than the required amount will be awarded prizes. This year Big Brothers Big Sisters hopes This year BBBS aims to register about 800 participants and raise $85,000 for the program. “Bowlers will receive an hour of bowling time, a T-Shirt, and chances to win hundreds of door prizes, given away each hour,” Hopson said. The event will usually raise $30,000 - $75,000 and is used to pay salaries and overhead costs at Big Brothers Big Sisters. “Every dollar raised stays with our local agency and supports the over 900 children who will be matched with a caring adult in professionally-supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg Rockingham County in 2012,” Hopson said. It also helps determine which programs will continue and which new programs will be started. n

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I feel like the people who are interested We wanted to crewould be good ate an opportunity at that style, for artistic students I’m leaving the comedy to in all disciplines of Emmett,” Nor- the arts to showquest said. case their talents The ver- Senior, and satility of the Spring Arts festival attracts people Festival creator, from all over Emmett Copeland the school, bringing art, short films, and music students into the well-known Harrisonburg arts program. “This gives us a chance to let the seniors who have put in serious time over their four years a chance to create their own plays and showcase what they’ve learned under Swartz

or the other fine art teachers,” Saunders said. “I’m trying to do most of the planning and organizing for the festival, as much as I can take it off Swartz’s hand, the better.” Saunders wants to step up and take more of the responsibility. “It’s been great working with Swartz, but I really want to take the burden off his shoulders for Spring Arts,” Saunders said. The plays range from serious topics , including Price’s show depicting a school shooting and prevention methods, to an intense discussion about a possible abortion between a boyfriend and girlfriend put on by Norquest. These acts will be broken up by singing and dancing to keep the mood light. “We want people to know we’re serious, but still have a great time,” Copeland said. The productions and art displays will be shown on Friday, April the 13th in the auditorium. There will be no admission cost, but a suggested donation will be held to offset production costs.

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News Briefs Blue Streak Boutique is opening very soon! get the hottest prom dresses around, for FREE! Final payments for all AP exams were due March 15th, if you missed the deadline, get your money into Ms. Atkins ASAP. March is Youth Art Month! A month to support the arts and show all of our artistic talents. Dual Enrollment Kinesiology is a new class being offered here at HHS! Space is limited so act fast and talk to Ms. Wheeler or Mr. Rath today! Mu Alpha Theta candidates need to paid in full by March 19th. Reserve your performance spot today for Soup Night. contact Senior Gwen Elwood.

Sports Briefs Boys Soccer will play Spotswood at home today, come out and support your streaks! Girls Soccer will play Spotswood at Spotswood today, come out and support your streaks! Boys Tennis will play Eastern Mennonite High School at EMHS on March 26th Girls Tennis will play Eastern Mennonite High School at home on March 26th Girls Softball will play Fort Defiance at home on March 27th. Boys Baseball will play Fort Defiance at Fort on March, 27th. Outdoor track will host the Co-Ed Classic on March 31st at home. Come out and support your streaks!

Local teen artists celebrate Youth Art Month Rafael Snell- Feikema style editor

nation's economy," the founding organization for art month, The Council for Art Education, stated as part of their statement on Youth or one month -- at Art Month’s creation.. least one month -The various arts education this nation wants teachers at HHS agree with the to say that art is council’s stance. important. This month is “Some people are able to be exknown as Youth Art Month tremely articulate when they speak -- and it is all of March. or write -- but that’s not for everyYouth Art Month was designed one. Some people “talk” through to show the importance of a propart and that’s how they contribute. er arts education. The month also That’s why we need to teach visual lists among its aims increased arts,” Art teacher Jauan Brooks awareness about the value of art in said. our culture. It intends to help not Art students see this, too. Art is only individuals but also our corimportant to them, and not only porate and organizational structo allow them to “speak” -- but to tures to realize that art plays a part ensure that those few who can be not only in our society’s economy, artistic do. but perhaps also its emotional “[Art education] is something you need to have because it gives students a taste -- to see if they want to pursue art. There’s plenty of good artists who don’t even know that they have talent,” senior Bryan Chicas said. But why, one might ask, is art important in our culture and our society? The staff has a variety of answers. “What would your day be like without art? Think about the dishes Practically DaVinci. Art students practice drawing facial structures dur- you eat on, cars, ing class. Photo by Ana Hunter-Nickels toothbrushes, your

health. " We l l developed programs of making and studying art serve many functions. They help students better articulate their perceptions and shape coherent responses to their experiences. When children learn to appreciate form and color... when they learn the importance of fashioning their own images of the world around them, they achieve greater discipline and self confidence. Further, the arts have extrinsic public value as they are increasingly important to this

From DIVERSE on A1 er-McGrath said. HCPS also has the largest Limited English Proficient (LEP) student population based on percentage in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Contrary to popular belief many students who are labeled ‘LEP’ may actually be completely fluent in English. Regardless, this high percentage of English language learners presents some challenges that the school system must work to overcome. “[HCPS’s diversity] creates unique challenges, and we have to recognize and appreciate that,” Kizner said. “Kids come to our system

YOU!

with little knowledge about speaking or reading English, and it’s our job to help them be successful.” Feichtinger-McGrath and Kizner agreed that ESL students often are not challenged enough in their academic settings due to detrimental misconceptions. Language learners are often considered culturally or academically handicapped simply because they cannot communicate. “We need to make sure we’re not lowering our expectations for ESL students just because they’re ESL. Not being able to read and not being able to be successful aren’t the same thing. We need to not think of these students as just a number. I’d rather them take risks, and stretch

sheets -- somebody designed those things and there was a reason you selected them,” said Brooks. “Art is the foundation of movies, art, music -- basically any entertainment.” Library assistant Bradley Walton has a similar answer. “Take this school. [Visitors] say its a lovely school, a beautiful school... if the person who designed it didn’t have an art background, [he or she] wouldn’t know how to please the eye like that with space. Would anyone even go to a school with absolutely zero aesthetics?” Walton said. In our economy, too, is art an important field, proving itself to not only, as Walton stresses, be a field of entertainment, but also a field of social health and importance. “Go shopping. If you walk through Target versus Walmart, there’s a difference there. People pay more at target because [Target] cares about aesthetics. Target looks like its been designed well -that’s why they can sell products at a higher price and people still buy them,” Walton said. Aside from society, art can have a personal meaning to some, and for health, some, like Chicas, argue. “When you make art, it’s yours. It’s what you made, not what someone else wanted. You don’t “learn” art. Art is a liberation of the ideas you have inside and the worries, too. You find art when you get the chance to experiment. It’s different,” Chicas said. n

their knowledge than get a 500 on an SOL,” Kizner said. Feichtinger-McGrath applauded the teachers at HHS for “intentionally reflecting” on their student body, and the ways they can approach teaching to appeal to the vast majority of their students. Kizner joined in this commendation, stating that HCPS’s “understanding” of its student body is what sets it apart. “I think what separates Harrisonburg from anywhere else in Virginia is the understanding from the staff. They all ask ‘What can we do to make sure children with different ethnic, economic, and cultural backgrounds are taught with equity and excellence?’” Kizner said. n

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March 23, 2012

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NEWS -Kavya Beheraj - A3

BLACK FRIDAY

In protest of the tenure legislation being debated in Richmond, teachers decked out in black on Friday, February 17. If the bill had passed, teachers could be fired for any reason at the end of a three-year term. The bill was shelved on March 8.

Q&A with VEA President Virginia Healy 1. Explain the legislation.

Currently after three years, new teachers can earn continuing contract, which makes it more difficult for them to be fired. The new legislation would give all teachers a three year contract and at the end of the contract, any teacher could be fired and have no due process.

2. Why is it so controversial?

This bill takes away job security for teachers and takes away their rights to appeal being fired. It adds another reason for people to not want to go into education for a career.

3. What is the current tenure situation like for teachers?

New teachers can earn continuing contract after three years. Teachers with teaching experience who move to a new district have one year of probation before they earn continuing contract. If a teacher has continuing contract, there is a process that school districts must go through to fire the teacher.

4. What would the ideal tenure situation be?

If a new teacher is not performing well and the school district has worked with this teacher to help him/her improve, then that teacher should not be granted a continuing contract. An experienced teacher who is not performing well should be given a chance to improve. If that does not happen, then there should be a fair process for that teacher to be released from his/her job.

5. What is the VEA?

The Virginia Education Association is a professional organization for all school employees. Members pay dues to be a part of the organization. The VEA works to protect the rights of school staff and lobbies for support of public education.

Teachers fighting for tenure Ben Marks

here is a legal battle raging in Richmond. As part of Governor Bob McDonnell’s sweeping education reform proposals, Republican lawmakers are proposing to replace teacher’s continuing contracts, which are usually renewed at the end of very year, with three-year contracts. Before a teacher reaches tenure, they can be fired for practically any reason. However, once they have been a teacher for three years, they enter into a continuing contract with the government. Under the continuing contract, a teacher has the right to hear complaints and have a chance to improve before being fired. However, under the new three-year contracts, teachers would no longer have tenure. Instead, teachers could be fired for almost any reason upon the expiration of their three year contracts. Combined with the teachers’ already low salary, removing job security through

Time before a teacher earns tenure

I am the President of the Harrisonburg Education Association. When staff members have concerns, I address the concerns to Dr. Kizner and the School Board. I keep members apprised of School Board decisions. There are building reps at each school who work to address issues at their school also.

Number of states (plus D.C.)

7. How would you describe the teachers’ opinions about the tenure legislation?

Interview by Paulina Rendon

tenure can be a huge blow. “With the removal of tenure, you’re going to see a much higher turnover rate of teachers,” said history teacher Mark Tueting “Without the job security offered [by tenure], the teaching profession will be much less attractive.” Removing tenure for teachers is a relatively new concept. Though states throughout America are removing or reforming tenure, such actions are a product of the last 10 years. “Forty years ago, you didn’t see [tenure reform] because the majority of private sector workers were in unions with some kind of tenure of their own,” Tueting said. “However, with the decline of manufacturing and decrease of union membership, you see [teaching] as one of the few professions which still have tenure, which can cause some resentment.” One of the main arguments against tenure reform is that it will decrease the quality of teachers and open up education to risks of bad management. For example, if a school without tenure

got a bad administrator, it would be much easier for the administrator to damage the curriculum without teachers being able to speak up. “Good teachers ultimately want to do what’s best for their students,” Tueting said. “Tenure reform removes their ability to speak up against bad policies.” As Tueting puts it, if teachers don’t have the security offered by tenure, they will be less likely to speak up against inappropriate decisions made by an administrator. The administrator would not have to give a reason for firing the teacher, allowing poor administrators and superintendents to simply remove teachers who disagreed with their policies. “Ultimately, removing tenure both decreases the incoming flow of teachers and increases teacher turnover.” Tueting said. “When teachers already make far less than those of comparable education in the private sector, removing tenure is a sure way to seriously damage the quality of public education.” n

A national look at teacher tenure

6. What is your role in VEA? What do you do?

Teachers feel under attack. The media is constantly putting down public education and the continuing contract issue is another way to reduce our rights.

staff reporter

How are tenure decisions made?

Number of states (plus D.C.)

No policy 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years 5 years Infographic by Kavya Beheraj. Source: NCTQ, 2008

2 Require some evidence of teacher effectiveness

Virtually automatic

STEM program coming next year for freshmen Kavya Beheraj

news editor

here comes a time in every welladjusted algebra classroom when a student, after absorbing the lesson and taking notes, will raise his or her hand and ask, “When will I ever use logarithms outside of class?” In the soon-to-be STEM Academy of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, there will always be an answer. Next year, 24 incoming freshmen will make up the Academy’s very first class. They will take honors physics and Algebra 2 as a combination double-block, along with introduction to engineering and English. The Governor’s school-like academy will meet for half a day; a “school within a school,” said physics teacher and STEM director Andy Jackson. He plans to integrate the students’ reading and writing with STEM subjects. “In physics, [they will] learn that sound intensity is measured in decibels, and decibels is a logarithmic scale,” Jackson said. “All of a sudden you’re applying the math immediately to a physical situation that is

hopefully tied into a problem to solve.” For example, the students could pose a simple question: “Is the cafeteria too loud?” Jackson’s goal is to have them tackle the issue through applied science and math. “What is the sound intensity in the cafeteria? Is it 80 decibels, 85 decibels? How does that compare to what people say is a comfortable sound level? Is there anything we can change to the physical setup of the cafeteria to reduce those sound levels? Are there acoustic tiles that can be put in?” Jackson said. “[We hope to do] that type of thing, keying on integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics together.” That, said Jackson, is the basic difference between STEM classes and similarly difficult Advanced Placement classes. By the time the students are in their senior year, the Academy will culminate in a senior project and possibly mentorships with people in STEM fields. “[The curriculum is] more product goaloriented and problem-based, with heavy integration of engineering, application of the chemistry, and application of the physics,” Jackson said. The freshmen level classes will be taught

by Jackson, math teacher Geoffray Estes, technology teacher Seth Stratford, and English teacher Sheila Antonnicola. These four teachers will be working very closely with the 24 students, reinforcing the material through projects that cover multiple subjects. Having only 24 students makes it easier to have “circular conversations,” Jackson said. “If we’re hitting a topic in physics that makes a good research project, then instead of doing the research and the writing in your physics class, that shifts over to English class,” Jackson said. “Mrs. Antonnicola talks to you about how to use the different technology tools that are available for keeping your notes as you research and citations in a paper, that kind of thing.” Currently, the eighth graders are finishing up a project with JMU Professor David Slykhuis and NASA called the TBook. After learning about NASA’s upcoming 2014 MMS (Magnetospheric Multiscale) satellite mission, the students explored the engineering of the satellite and the science behind what the satellite will be measuring. If these students enter STEM in their freshman year, Jackson will use their previous experiences to build on learning new, and

more difficult, subjects. “Magnetism plays a big role in the MMS mission, but it’s not something we do a lot of in physics,” Jackson said. “But [in STEM, we’ve] got the flexibility. So if we’re going to study the mission and figure out how it works, we’re going to have to learn more about magnetism. Let the projects that come to us also lead what we then need to learn.” Despite being more challenging than normal classes, Jackson does not doubt that the lessons taught in STEM will come in handy for the students’ futures. For example, English will help them master essential technical reading and writing skills. However, graduates of the STEM Academy do not necessarily have to enter STEM fields. “The great thing about [STEM] is that the same skills that you develop in that Academy will serve you very well to study law or what-have-you,” Jackson said. “We want to make sure that these students are strongly prepared for success, therefore if they want to go into a STEM career, they’ll know they’ll have a job waiting for them and they’ll know that they’ll be well-prepared to tackle it.” n

March 23, 2012

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The Harrisonburg High School Newsstreak The Policy The Newsstreak is published by the students of Harrisonburg High School every month. Reproduction of any material from the newspaper is prohibited without the written permission from the editorial board. Advertising rates are available upon request. It is the policy of the Harrisonburg City Public School Board to comply with all applicable state and federal laws regarding non-discrimination in employment and educational programs and services. The Harrisonburg High School City Public Schools will not discriminate illegally on the basis of sex, race, religion, national origin, disability or age as to employment or educational programs and activities. Editorials appearing without a byline represent the majority opinion of the staff, but not necessarily the opinion of the adviser, school administration, or the school system. Signed editorials are accepted from people on the staff, but are subject to editing according to published guidelines and policies. Editorials may be edited for special reasons. Letters to the editor are encouraged and must be signed and a telephone number must be given. Names may be withheld if the editorial staff feels there is a just cause. The Newsstreak reserves the right to edit and may refuse to publish ads or letters deemed inappropriate, libelous, or obscene. Please drop your letter by room 444 or give them to any staff member. Letters may also be sent to the high school.

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Elimination of teacher tenure stopped in Senate The

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eachers are a huge source of influence over the lives of young people. It is for this reason that their performance is so closely monitored. A bill that was recently delayed after attempts to pass through the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates sought to reform the capability of public school teachers to obtain tenure. The bill would have made it possible for teachers and administrators to be fired without reason or due process at the end of three -year contract cycles. Currently, teacher contracts are renewed continuously after a three year probationary period. Proponents of the bill, mostly

Republican, argue that it will hold teachers accountable for underperformance. State Senator Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) claimed during debate on the Senate floor that bad teachers, or “lemons”, as he referred to the them, are currently nearly impossible for administrators to fire. One critical flaw of the proposed legislation is that it would vest school principals absurd power over teachers. Unlike in states with similar bills, like Michigan, the proposed version in Virginia would not allow teachers to be fired exclusively for poor performance. Michigan’s law lays out clear guidelines for the circumstances under which a teacher may be fired- three years of an “ineffective” rating. If the current version of the law were to pass, Virginia principals could arbitrarily fire

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teachers for any reason, such as speaking out against the principal or school policies, or plain personal distaste. This system would make education much more similar to the private sector, with limited job security. However, since public unions are illegal in Virginia, and therefore there is no teacher’s union, teachers would be left with even less protection than private sector employees under McDonnell’s law. It would also target poor areas of the state the hardest, which have trouble attracting teachers because of the lower salaries that they pay. Loss of job security would only worsen the problem. More problems arise from determining teacher performance. Teacher evaluations are partially determined by administration observations, but next year, 40 per-

cent of a teacher’s evaluation will be based on student growth, some of which could be determined by performance on standardized tests. The problems with this have been represented in the recent mass cheating scandals among teachers in Atlanta and Chicago, who cheated under pressure from school administrations to improve standardized test scores. If employment were to become linked more closely to performance in Virginia, it would only be a matter of time before teachers started cheating. The bill was voted down and sent back to committee for next year after some Republicans crossed party lines to stop it. McDonnell pledges to keep pushing for “tenure reform” despite the bipartisan rejection of the bill by both the House and Senate. n

Don’t believe everything you see on TV

t turns out 87 percent of people are more likely to believe that what you say is the truth if you quantify your statement. Of course, that certainly doesn’t make you right, and I made that statistic up anyway. In modern society, people are obsessed with the latest thing. Not only are they obsessed with a new passing fancy every few minutes, they want to quantify everything about it. A new video game is great because it’s company spent $260 million creating it, Obama is lame because he has a 53% approval rating, that song isn’t sufficiently “hipster” because it’s in the Top 40... etc. Living in a society that runs on numbers is a mixed blessing.

Politics. Simplified.

Benjamin Marks

Obviously, one should be able to quantify things such as speed limits, calories, hard drive capacity, or annual salary. However, the issue arises when the populace simply begins to accept numbers as fact. Advertising companies say their product is three times as good! Three times as good as... what

exactly? Well, they don’t mention that part. Three times as good as the watered down, economy version of the predecessor. And sometimes the advertisements actually do pull numbers out of thin air. When one begins to accept numbers as making one group’s stance inherently more accurate than another, he or she falls victim to one of the oldest tricks in the book. Honestly, it isn’t that hard to twist a question, ensuring more votes one way or another. For example, take the issue over abortion as an example. One group of people who are “pro-life,” and another group who are “prochoice.” However, neither group is pro-death or anti-choice. Thus, a poll question asking “Do you Art by Nishat Jamil

The editors and staff Editors-in-Chief: Print - Christy Stearn, Vanessa Ehrenpreis Online - Jack Burden, William Imeson Managing Editors: Mark Duda, Maggie Siciliano Section Editors: News - Kavya Beheraj Opinion - Mia Karr Style - Katrina Sokolyuk Feature - Paulina Rendon Sports - Jake Durden Fun Director & Advertising Manager : Celia Ehrenpreis and Austin Coffey Photographers: Paulina Rendon, Jasmine Rose, Ana Hunter Nickels, Gypsy Torgerson Page Designers: Christy Stearn, Shannon Richard, Vanessa Ehrenpreis, Paulina Rendon, Jake Durden, Mia Karr, Kavya Beheraj, Katrina Sokolyuk, Mark Duda, Celia Ehrenpreis, Chris Sokolyuk, Sydney Little, Sydney Knupp, Rafael Snell-Feikema, Kevin Franco, Isabelle Burden Staff Reporters: Kavya Beheraj, Michael Johnson, Christy Stearn, Mark Duda, Maggie Siciliano, Ben DiNapoli, Anastasiya Kalyuk, Peter Byrd, William Imeson, Mia Karr, Mitch Depoy, Jake Durden, Andy Shisler, Paulina Rendon, Katrina Sokolyuk, Emily Jamieson, Chris Sokolyuk, Conner Whitehouse, Matt Bosch, Ben Marks, Shannon Kizner, Alexis Dickerson, Anthony Duong, John Earle, Emmett Copeland, Kevin Franco, Max Johnson, Rafael Snell-Feikema, Ann Bauhan, Isabelle Burden, Julexus Cappell, Nicholas Fernandez, Bryndal Fulginiti, Victoria Giron, Eduardo Hernandez, Ana Hunter-Nickels, Nicolas Lee, Jessica Nguyen, Shannon Richard, Jasmin Rose, Gypsy Torgerson, Irina Tsiberman, Ariel Vogel, Hope Carr

OPINION- Shannon Richard- A5

believe in the sanctity of unborn life” will receive predominately affirmative results, while a question such as “Do women have the right to choose what they do with their body?” also receive general acceptance. Though abortion is a strongly controversial issue, one could paint the issue as being much less controversial by quantifying it with results from poll questions similar to the ones above. So, be careful when looking at the latest poll results on television. As desperate as the current world is to quantify everything, it is ridiculously easy for one’s focus to sway from the issues to the horse race. Getting caught up in numbers doesn’t make one smart, it makes him or her lose track of what actually matters. n

this

BELIEVE

Family always has your back Ana Hunter-Nickels staff reporter

Teachers often rock outside of school The Beat Sam Martin

hen in school, if somebody is talking about “being in the band” they usually are either referring to their school’s band program, or the band they formed with their friends that isn’t really serious. But on almost every encounter, they are a student. Almost. Jay Blair, HHS’ AP U.S. history teacher, leads a double life. By day he is a jolly, nonchalant, teacher and father of two, but by night he

is a full blown, golden-god, rockstar. As the frontman and pianist of his current band “Tuesday’s with Murphy,” Blair says it’s difficult to run a serious band while being a teacher, and that being in a band is a serious time commitment. He’s also not the only staff in the band. Counselor, Todd Hedinger, plays lead guitar and shares vocal duties. However some teachers enjoy music as just a past time. Math teacher, Geoffery Estes is an avid self-taught bassist. Playing with punk groups while he was in high school, the instrument just stuck with him throughout his life as a hobby. Although he doesn’t play out anymore, he still plays at home during his free time, and helps teach his son, Christopher Estes,

how to play bass as well. Not all teachers have rock star fantasies. Some are content with being part of a group. Cara Walton, a history teacher and forensics coach at HHS, is a board member and active singer in the Shenandoah Valley Choral Society (SVCS) and has been singing since elementary school. Although she initially entered college as a vocal performance major, she decided it was not something she wanted to do all the time, and decided to go into education. Although many students perceive their teachers as boring people with meaningless information, teachers actually do have other lives, and just as you occasionally sing in the shower dreaming of being a rockstar, so do they. n

Listeners appreciate Adele’s defiant attitude, soulful voice Sam Martin

staff reporter

ost modern pop sounds terrible. Most pop sounds terrible. Adele is pop. Adele’s recent record “21”, which swept up six Grammy awards, doesn’t sound terrible. In fact “21” sounds amazing. Adele is the best thing to happen to non-alternative music since Amy Winehouse released “Back to Black”. Her defiant attitude toward image. Her soulful voice that seems to deliver rich melody as easily as breathing. Her ability to deliver emotional music in a genre dominated by dance hits. Her feats are remarkable, especially consid-

ering the bias and stereotype factors against her. I remember when she released her first album “19” (Highly recommended for newer bandwagon fans) in 2008 thinking, “This girl is going to change the face of music for the better.” In a musical era dominated by barbie doll pop stars that lost the meaning of being a songwriter (a wag of the finger to Katy Perry, looks will only make me worship you but so much) Adele defies the mold by not conforming to producers. When she was told to lose weight to fit market standards, she responded by saying “I would rather have a burger with my friends, than fit your ideals.” That’s rockstar. On top of that she made an

album that, in the modern climate at least, should have done poorly. Instead of doing poorly, both of her records have been critically and commercially acclaimed. I think the main reason I adore Adele is that she is a beacon of hope for what music can be. If the music industry and general public can change tides by accepting and embracing an album like that, imagine what else they are capable of. Maybe from the success of Adele, labels will be interested in finding more raw, soulful talent like her (Ex. Cream -> Jimi Hendrix , Nirvana -> Pearl Jam). I’m always a fan of artists who change the direction of music. Ingenuity is what the music world needs, and Adele is fresh and full of it. n

believe in my family. Even when sometimes they say or do things that hurts and it hurts more than anything. Then again, I could not think of living without them. I think you should always stand behind your family. I am not saying that you should not stand up for what you believe in, but help them when they need it. They bring you your happiest times and your saddest moments, and if you are lucky, they are there for you through it. Once I remember I had a horrible day at school. I came home and was in my bed reading trying to lose myself in a different world. Then my sister, Heather, walked in. “Ana get up! Lets do something fun.” I just did not feel it so I said, “no thanks,” and kept on with my book. She asked what was wrong and we started talking. The next thing I knew, I was getting dragged off my bed on the the floor. I started crying, “Ana are you okay?” I love joking with my family, but I could not hold it in any longer. I started laughing, but now that I was on the floor I did not want to get up. So she kept pulling, we went out of my room, and down the hall. Past the living room and dining room to the downstairs steps. That is then I knew I had had enough, so I got up laughing and the rest of my day was much better. I think family is one the most important things in my life. Without them, I have no idea where I would be. They can keep me up until eleven at night talking about girl-scout cookies, but I love then no less. There is this string that pulls us together. I can not imagine that string broken because I know they always have my back. This is what I believe in, my family.

March 23, 2012

The

newsstreak

That Awkward uh... Moment When....

um...

OPINION -Mia Karr- A6

What’s

HOT

Failing to do simple math does not make you stupid Nahla Aboutabl online news editor

Jabbin’ with Jamieson

EmilyJamieson

Learn to laugh at yourself a little

y life is one big awkward moment, especially at work. I trip all the time, and let me tell you, those elderly folk do not remember much, but once you make a fool of yourself, they never forget it. You see, I am not usually a klutz, but when I started working at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (also warmly known as VMRC) I suddenly turned into klutzilla. The sea green carpet in the dining hall just covers all the bumps and uneven floor. I would like to add that I am not the only person who trips over those darn floors. But once you lose the fight with gravity and you so happen to have a tray in your hand, it gets pretty awkward. Tripping in general is pretty awkward. Your face gets all distorted with surprise and fear that you are about to bust your butt, your hands fly through the air trying to latch on to something to stop the fall. It does not help that we have to wear chunky black non skid shoes, which is pretty ironic because they do not actually aid me in not falling. You would think that in a huge dining hall like the Hartman dining hall not many people would see you make an idiot of yourself. Especially since it is a dining hall full of elderly people who usually can not hear or see anything five feet in front of them. That is until you take a tumble in front of them. That is when everything gets real, and awkward. The residents glance up from their soft food; the men usually laugh a belly laugh and the women just stare with judging eyes or awkwardly smile and not so quietly “whisper” how “in my day, if you did that at a job, you would get a scolding! I was much more graceful than that,” or my favorite “The girls here should take a lesson or two about walking and serving at the same time,” The thing about awkward moments like these are: you have to laugh at yourself. I usually just chuckle, wink at the old men who laughed with (but really at) me and smile sweetly at the women who are talking trash about me. If you do not make a big deal about an awkward moment, then it will not stay being an awkward moment. Point blank. n

am not stupid. I’m not a genius either though, and sometimes, just sometimes, I can not solve a simple math problem. I don’t know why, but I have these moments when my brain freezes and I forget what two plus two is. Has it happened to you? Does a teacher ever try to help you with a hard physics problem and then asks you to do a simple calculation and your brain stops working? It happens to me all the time, and it’s really awkward. At those moments I just stare out into the distance and pretend like I know what my teacher is talking about. I’m sure I look stupid, but I’d rather leave the teacher, or whoever is asking me to do the mental math, think that I didn’t hear the question than give a wrong answer.

YOUR OPINION How often do you use a calcualtor for simple math? Every day Once a Once a Never week month

41 11 21 19 100 people polled in all grades by Victoria Giron

Like the other day, this really smart kid was helping me solve a vector problem and then he asks “So you’ll need to know what 90 plus 12 is....” and that is when I forgot everything about math. I don’t know if it was obvious that my brain froze over or not, but about a long thirty seconds later I said, “Well, yeah. 102. Duh.” I am not sure why my brain freezes, but it sure is embarrassing. So, if I have ever done that in front of you, please understand

that I am not actually stupid. Apparently though, brain freezes are not a rare phenomenon and many people have their moments. Solving a simple math problem isn’t hard, but when pressured to spew out the right answer, you blank out. I know it’s inconvenient, but that’s when you just take a deep breath, relax, and solve the problem. It sounds hard, but believe me, it works. Sometimes. Other times, you’ll just have to admit you’re being stupid, so get out your TI-84 and move on with your life. n

Moments aren’t awkward, you are

hat awkward moment Having someone post the same when you realize you Youtube video as you is not awkhave been misusward, that is just how the Internet ing and overusing works. Someone you do not like the phrase “that awkward mo“liking” your status is not an awkment,” instead using it to prefward moment, that is just how Faace stupid moments and first cebook works, (Also if you dislike world problem moments. them, why are you friends?) RealThat has never happened to izing all of your tweets are about me, of course. It seems to be a Ryan Gosling’s smile is not awkdisease affecting half the female ward, you are only human. My Dumb Thoughts facebook population. And high I think folks often confuse awkAma Ansah school girls are the worst ofward moments with awkward peofenders. ple. Awkward people make normal It should not be that hard to discern what is an moments awkward. They get mad when the teacher “awkward moment.” They are, as the name implies, doesn’t call on them first, they glare at you when you moments that make one feel awkward. They include, take the last slice of pizza, and they take to Facebook but are not limited to: and Twitter to make passive aggressive posts about -singing in the car, then looking over and seeing “that awkward moment when the teacher calls on someone watch you sing. the fatty fat cakes who always takes the last slice of -making a joke about divorced women in front of a pizza.” divorced woman Personally, I take awkward moments in stride. -when you are clearly done with a conversation, yet Yeah, it may be really uncomfortable when your the other person just stands there nodding and wait- teacher implies that you and your best friend are a ing for you to say something else. gay couple when you are clearly not, but it is some-being on an escalator and your skirt doing a Marilyn thing to laugh over later. n Monroe

What qualifies as an awkward moment according to Ama Ansah? Singing in the car and then looking over and seeing someone watching you sing Making a joke about divorced women in front of a divorced woman. Being on an escalator and your skirt doing a Marilyn Monroe When you are clearly done with a conversation, yet the other person just stands there nodding and waiting for you to say something else.

Being forgotten is awkward, but not always bad

really had no idea who he not sure if you should was. The man in the ressmile or wave or sometaurant talking to me had thing. a very familiar face and I I do not want to give could feel his name struggling people the impression around in the back of my brain, that I have forgotten but I could not remember where them, because nobody I knew him from. So, although I enjoys that. However, am sure he could not tell the difthere is also the possiference, it was one of the more bility of that very awkThe Mia Perspective uncomfortable conversations I ward moment when you Mia Karr smile at somebody and have experienced. If we could all just remember everybody we ever met, life they stare at you like you are crazy. would be considerably lacking in awkward moThat is not the only reason someone will ments. look at you like you are crazy when you try to Despite the aforementioned incident, I actu- smile at them. Some people apparently do not ally have an above-average memory for people, appreciate being smiled at. Or they have a viso often when I see somebody I vaguely knew sion problem and do not seem to see you even some time in the fuzzy past, I assume they though they are staring right at you. Having will have absolutely no memory of me. Then your friendly smile ignored is awkward- but I do that awkward thing where I kind of avoid of course that is not the problem of the smiler. them, to avoid that awkward moment where Maybe I read too much into things. you make eye contact with someone and are Or maybe all the awkwardness is just be-

cause I have the sneaking suspicion that I am a little, well, forgettable. It is awkward to have to introduce yourself to the camp counselor you had last year. It is awkward when your elementary school music teacher greets your friend enthusiastically and does not realize that you were also in her classes for six years. You know what, I am okay with being a little bit forgettable- the way I see it, it is a lot easier to be remembered for a bad impression than a good one. I generally do not make people mad or cause any problems for them. If I was a “problem child” in elementary school, I bet that teacher would have remembered me. Still, it is awkward. Do you call the person out? Do you say you have met them before? I usually do not. I hate to make people mad, probably a little too much. To be honest, they probably would not be mad, but they would feel, well, awkward. So I just keep the awkward moment to myself and say my name for the fourth time. I may be forgettable, but at least I am awfully self-sacrificing. n

Got an opinion? Write a letter to the editor or go to www.newsstreak.com

Hunger Games Movie The much anticipated movie adaptation of the bestselling book premieres this weekend

Spring Arts Festival Students will show off their talents in seniordirected plays and other performances

March Madness Did you fill out your bracket? Soon we’ll know the 2012 college basketball champion!

New Coaches As spring sports seasons begin, there are new people to coach the Streaks to a win

New Restaurants The Corner and Corgan’s Publick House have both opened recently

Spring Break Spring break is only one week away!

What’s

NOT

Ultrasound Law The controversial law passed in Virgina requires women to have an ultrasound before getting an abortion

Journalists Killed Two journalists covering the conflict in Syria died recently

New Smartfilter Well-meaning students are now blocked from some sights used for educational purposes, such as g-mail.

Ohio Shootings A school shooting killed four students andinjured nine

Joseph Kony Social media has fueled outrage about this Ugandan man stealing children

March 23, 2012

guys

The newsstreak

STYLE- Chris Sokolyuk - A7

Dolls

Dressing well important to students Paulina Rendon staff photographer

Best Dressed Senior Bryan Chicas

uring the last year of school, seniors win ‘senior superlatives,’ which are categories that students feel best define them. Some categories include: best friends, funniest male/female, most attractive male/female, and best dressed. The winners are voted on by their fellow students. This year’s best dressed male superlative went to senior Bryan Chicas. “Before I lost my title to Bryan Chicas for best dressed, I was campaigning hard,” senior Leo Lopez said. “I tried to dress well, but I lost to Bryan, but it’s okay I respect him.” Chicas did not anticipate winning the title. He believed other guys dressed as well as he did, and didn’t think he looked better. “I wasn’t necessarily waiting to be seen as the best-dressed guy in our school,” Chicas said. “It’s cool to be recognized. There’s a couple of guys who dress really well at our school, so winning [was kind of a surprise].” While he didn’t expect to win, Chi-

cas admits he enjoys looking good. He doesn’t think he really looks better than other guys in the school, especially since he doesn’t think he goes out of his way to dress the way he does; getting ready only takes him five minutes in the morning. “Everyone has a different taste of what they like to wear. I don’t consider myself to dress better than other people, and what I put on looks good, I guess,” Chicas said. Lopez also likes dressing well and looking nice. “I enjoy looking good, and wearing nice clothes and being stylish,” Lopez said. “It takes me ten minutes, maybe [to pick out clothes]. My entire routine takes thirty minutes total.” Both Chicas and Lopez describe their style of dress to be practically the same. They both enjoy wearing Sperry’s [shoes] and have a ‘preppy’ style. “You could consider my style preppy, because I wear [some clothes] that have a preppy look,” Chicas said. “I don’t wear sweatpants, because I’ve always been taught that you have to look good to come to school. She thinks it’s disrespectful to teachers [to not look

good]. But I wear stuff that’s comfortable, but still looks good. There’s a line between comfortable and [looking messy] and I’m in that little margin where [my clothes are] comfortable and appealing.” Lopez learned the same lesson as he was growing up. He likes to look good because he believes in having a good image for himself. “My clothes are stylishly comfortable. I dress up – well not dress up, but look good pretty much all the time. Getting compliments is always nice. It’s a self-image thing, and I enjoy it. It gives you some confidence,” Lopez said. Junior Garrett Thompson also believes in dressing well on a daily basis. “Guys should be well dressed all the time, because you see guys who go to school in pajamas and sweats, and then girls look nice. [By comparison] guys look embarrassing,” Thompson said. “My dad always says that whenever you go somewhere, there are people who you only get to see once, so it’s important to give a good first impression.” n

Sophomore Garrett Thompson

How long does it take you to get ready for school each morning? GIRL: Junior, Lidija Barisic

BOY: Sophmore ,Towan Cappell 6:10 Look at alarm clock, hoping there is more time. 6:11 Go back to sleep for about 10 minutes. 6:20 Go to the bathroom 6:21 Brush teeth 6:25 Wash face 6:27 Picks out an outfit 6:30 Take vitamins. 6:31 Get dressed. 6:35 Look in the mirror

to reassure perfection 6:41 Look in backpack, checking if everything is in there. 6:42 Look for homework. 6:46 See how the weather is outside. 6:47 Look in mirror AGAIN. 7:00 Head to school. 7:26 Arrive at school.

6:30 Wake up. 7:21 Get breakfast. 6:34 Walk to the bath- 7:25-7:30 Chill until room and brush my class starts. teeth. 6:39 - 6:55 Begin the tedious process of putting my make up on. 7:00 Get dressed. 7:05 Crawl back onto my bed and just lay there. “Surprisingly I do not 7:15 Leave from home. waste a lot of time getting ready for school,” junior 7:20 Arrive at school. Lidija Barisic said.

Making sense of scents

Boys’ Faves Armani Dolce Gabbana Lacoste Joop Gucci Creed Hugo Boss Eternity Armani Code Bulgari 212 Calvin Klein Abercrombie Fierce Ed Hardy

Anthony Duong

staff reporter

ragrances have been worn by people since early civilization. Today, fragrances can be found all around, from scented candles, to all your favorite bath and body products. Men and women wear cologne or perfume to make themselves smell excellent. Numerous factors influence what goes into their selection of a particular perfume to use. “I wear cologne to smell good, It feels good to know you’re smelling great!,” Sophmore Ryan Nixon said. The name of a perfume is an important feature to any specific fragrance. A name in itself is sufficient currently to make a particular perfume a huge seller.. It could also help if the perfume was manufactured by a particular company that is well renowned. A fragrance endorsed by a popular celebrity also creates an important influence on a would-be buyer particularly if he or she is a massive fan.

Consumers have to consider whether or not a perfume is really worth the extra cost if it is marketed by a celebrity. If the perfume has a distinct scent and you don’t uncover other folks that are of comparable smell then it could be worth every single penny. “I wear my cologne because I like to have a clear mind for the whole day. Can’t have that when you are smelling bad,” Freshman Pishdar Abdul said. Other folks wear a certain cologne or perfume because of the self-image that it enables them to project. The way you smell also plays an important function in attracting other folks of the opposite sex. Perfumes have been employed like pheromones to attract, enjoy and romance members of the opposite sex. A specific perfume can also make us really feel good and much more confident about ourselves. Soothing scents help clear our minds and thoughts. Scents and fragrances typically bring back old memories.

Infographic by Sydney Knupp

Girls’ Faves Chanel Dolce Gabbana Victoria Secret Juicy couture Ed Hardy Estee Lauder Versace Gucci Burberry Chanel CocoMademoiselle Lancome Ange DKNY Be Delicious

The cost of looking good MEN

WOMEN

Axe primes Just Clean shampoo- $6.49 Rogaine Men’s Extra Strength- $49.99 Gillette fusion razor- $10.49 Vaseline Men’s Body & Face Lotion- $6.99 L.A. looks styling gel mega mega hold- $3.99 Dove Men Care Extra Fresh Body and Face Wash - $5.49 Gillette foamy shaving cream regular- $2.59 PS After shave lotion -$42.99 Degree Clean Reaction Deodorant- $3.69 Burt’s Bees Honey Lip Balm- $2.99

Covergirl- blush, pretty peach 150- $3.74 Covergirl volume blasting mascara black- $6.59 Covergirl exact eyelights eye shadow vibrant brows$6.37 Covergirl lipstick rose quartz 415-$4.49 Almay oil free eye makeup remover liquid- $4.49 Herbal Essences body envy shampoo white nectarine and pink coral flower- $4.29 Herbal Essences hello hydration conditioner orchid and coconut milk- $4.29 Herbal essences set me up gel- $4.39 Venus simply desposable razors- $7.89

TOTAL: $135.7

TOTAL: $34.16

Infographic by Isabelle Burden

The newsstreak

March 23, 2012

STYLE- Rafael Snell-Feikema - A8

Scenic Shenandoah day trips

Spring break is just around the corner! Check out these quick and easy trips to help spice up your break.

Reddish Knob: good in sun or snow Emily Jamieson staff reporter

Mountainous. The view atop Reddish Knob never fails to impress. Photo by Emily Jamieson.

ith the windows cracked and letting in the snowy air, my boyfriend and I swiveled around the mountain bends on the way to Reddish Knob. Once we reached the top, I was in awe by the sights that were all around me. Not only was I amused by the nature sights but I was also amused by the graffiti at the plateau of Reddish Knob. It was quite a sight seeing these different worlds in one; the beauty of the blue mountains and the roughness of the spray paint. Reddish Knob is one of the highest peaks in Virginia. A thin but paved road leads to its summit, along with a hiking trail for those so inclined. From above one can see the vast expanse of George Washington National Forest, stretching outward west and east. The way up was easy once we figured out how to get there.

I have tried to get to Reddish Knob a few times before and have gotten lost. But it’s pretty straight forward once you get halfway there. You basically just follow a paved road all the way up to the top of Reddish Knob and then you are there. We walked a bit around on the trails admiring our surroundings and enjoying the snow falling in between the trees. We did not walk too long due to how breezy it was up on the mountain and stopped when the snow got heavier. Here is a tip: although it was very pretty to see the mountains up there while it snowed, it was also freezing and super windy. My toes took ten minutes to thaw once we decided we would drive back down. Also, the roads get slick and are kind of sketchy to drive around on when they are wet. I liked that it was easy to get up there, and it was pretty. I think I would go there again when it is warm and when I can enjoy the hiking part a bit more. Although it was quite an adventure in the snow, I think it would be an even better adventure in the spring or summer. n

Route 11 chip factory offers a unique culinary experience Vanessa Ehrenpreis editor-in-chief

oute 11 Potato Chips are ubiquitous throughout the Shenandoah Valley, and state of Virginia, but the factory is a well kept secret located in Mount Jackson, VA (a mere 30 or so miles from Harrisonburg, directly up Interstate-81). Route 11 Potato Chips boasts that it’s “traditional” methods yields a high-quality, delicious product. I am not one to disagree. I have frequently partaken in a bag of Route 11 potato chips, and always enjoyed them. After the half-an-hour drive, I was famished and ready to devour some unique chip flavors. Route 11’s mantra of simple, wholesome potato chip production is evident at the factory. The actual building that

houses the entire operation is much smaller than I expected. Inside the building, glass windows line all the walls, giving you a glimpse into the production process. I will admit that watching the chips being made was not exactly the most exciting thing I have ever seen, but it was interesting to see every step in the chip making process. First the potato are peeled, then they are transferred to a giant slicing apparatus which looked like it could have been in a “Saw” movie. The chips are then fried, spiced, and bagged. Simple enough. Of course, the highlight of the trip was eating! My friends and I decided to get one bag of every flavor they carry (Simple, Salt & Vinegar, Dill Pickle, Chesapeake Crab, Barbeque, Sweet Potato, Spicy Mamma Zumma, and Sour Cream and Chive), and have a chip tasting picnic in the factory store. Every flavor had its own unique flare, while simultaneously retaining that classic potato chip flavor. When put to a vote, the Chesapeake Crab and Sweet Potato varieties came out on top. Route 11 chips is definitely an unexpected day trip, but I had a blast just hanging out with friends while munching on some Grade-A potato chips. n

Crabtree Falls a great hiking destination Jake Durden

sports editor

nly an hour’s drive away from Harrisonburg, the breathtaking scenery of Crabtree Falls is well worth the trip. With a total drop of over 1200 feet, Crabtree Falls is the highest (vertically) cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River. Located in Nelson County only a handful of miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway, visitors are able to take a few steps from their vehicles and see the beauty at the base of the falls, or embark on a 1.7 mile hike to the peak, where a 250 ft sheer drop can be observed. I decided to embark on the hike to the summit of the falls, and hit the trails around noon on a day in early March when one of the year’s only snows blanketed the mountain. This made areas of the switchback trail more slippery and perilous than hikers will have to endure once the weather warms up. Switchbacks wind to and from views of the falls, with several platforms for scenic vistas of the surrounding mountains. The steepest sections of the trek were on cement stairs in areas where a dirt trail would have caused too much erosion. The hike is manageable for anyone who is in average physical condition, and at a balanced pace with pauses to ob-

serve scenery, took me approximately an hour to complete. A primary concern for those taking the trail are the potentially slippery rocks that must be crossed in order to continue at certain points on the switchbacks. The trail winds to and fro from the falls, with several observation points at major cascades. For more seasoned hikers, an extension of the hike is available from the top of the falls, with another 2 mile trek to Crabtree Meadows, which I did not have time to complete. There are several other neat places

Christy Stearn

editor-in-chief

ocated in Natural Bridge, VA, Virginia Safari Park, the state’s only “drive-thru zoo,” is home to over a thousand animals from six different continents. The 180-acre park advertises both a safari drivethru and a walk-thru petting zoo. While driving along three miles of open-acreage in the Shenandoah Valley, visitors can feed gazelles, bison, ostriches, and over thirty other species with buckets of grain available at the facility’s entrance ($3.00 per bucket or $10.00 for four buckets, and $0.50 per serving of giraffe grain). The park recently added a 60-minute guided Safari Wagon Tour to its services. Knowledgeable staff lectures about the animals, and visitors can interact with the park’s “friendly” mammals and reptiles. A ten-acre petting zoo accompanies the safari park. In 2005, the venue expanded the Safari Village to include a giraffe feeding area, Tiger Territory, Lorikeet Landing, and a Kangaroo Walk-About. Virginia’s Safari Park’s staff “encourages humananimal interaction and is dedicated to helping guests appreciate the species in the beautiful, natural setting of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Shenandoah Valley.” n

William Imeson

Thar she blows! The beautiful scenery at of Crabtree Falls. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Mt. Jackson

Harrisonburg Dayton

Interstate-81

QUICK GUIDE (for each destination) Crabtree Falls: 54 miles, 1hour 5 min. Route 11 Potato Chips: 23.6 miles, 27 min. Reddish Knob: 25.7 miles, 56 min. Natural Bridge & Safari Park: 72 miles, 1 hour 14 min. Rockingham Heritage Museum in Dayton: 7.1 miles, 16 min. all information from Google Maps

GAS PRICES (to get to each destination) Crabtree Falls

Natural Bridge

Safari park cool getaway

Dayton’s Heritage Museum destination for civil war buffs

Oh the places you’ll go!

Reddish Knob

to visit when in the neighborhood, including the fish hatchery at Montebello, where rainbow trout are available for your viewing pleasure. A highly recommended stop on the way home is Gerty’s, a small, locally owned restaurant/store with homemade barbecue and fries that will make your tongue slap your brain out. Gerty’s is located in Montebello, only a few miles from I-81 on the route to Crabtree Falls. A piping hot sandwich and fries will satisfy all post-hike hunger. n

Crunch n’ munch! Seniors Ryan Waligora, Connor Hegg, and Claire Glick enjoy their bags of Route 11 potato chips. The group decided that the flavor ‘Chesapeake Crab’ was their favorite. Photos by Vanessa Ehrenpreis.

image from Google Maps

Location

Price

Natural Bridge Safari

$12.96

Reddish Knob

$4.48

Route 11 Chips

$4.97

Crabtree falls

$10.63

Heritage Museum

$1.50

online editor-in-chief

long route 42 are many sights, such as cows, farms, and factories, but there is a small slice of heaven tucked away in the town of Dayton. For civil war buffs, the Rockingham Historical Society’s Heritage Museum serves as one of the Valley’s best outlets for our nation’s history. Upon first glance, the Heritage Museum blends right in with the surrounding buildings and houses of downtown Dayton. However, step inside and you will immediately be greeted by friendly secretaries and a welcome gift shop stuffed chock full of neat civil war and Shenandoah Valley memorabilia. Among the many attractions at the Heritage Museum is the famous Civil War Map. This electronic board maps out the path of Stonewall Jackson’s 1862 valley campaign and highlights the historic sites, complete with an informative video to go along with it. The 20’ x 13’ display contains the portion of the Shenandoah Valley that stretches throughout Rockingham County. The basement of the Heritage Museum stretches on into another building and is packed to the brim with display cases and exhibits. From genealogy to interesting history, you can find almost anything about the Civil War era valley here. n No frills. The Harrisonburg Rockingham Heritage Museum rests in Downtown Dayton.

March 23, 2012

The

newsstreak

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BEST BURGER March 23, 2012

The

in the

newsstreak

‘BURG

1.Taverna Burger is labor of love

Celia Ehrenpreis

advertising manager

p until recently, I have always thought of Dave’s Taverna as an excellent pizza joint, but not much else. I have never strayed away from my usual personal pizza with mushrooms, pesto and garlic. My friends and family constantly pestered me, saying, “Try the Taverna Burger, it is a notch above other burgers!” I kept up a steady flow of excuses, never actually trying the burger until about a week ago. I was pleasantly surprised by my meal, which seemed to be disguised as normal everyday burger. The Taverna burger is composed of regular ingredients such as shredded lettuce, tomato, and red onion. There is also an option to add a slice of American cheese for a dollar more. The most unique feature of the burger is the homemade bun,which is toasty brown and delicious. The final layer is the condiments- mayo and ketchup. It made me hungry just looking at

it. The meal was accompanied by a large portion of fries. Dusted with salt, pepper and garlic seasoning, they made for the perfect side to the burger. If one is not in the mood for fries, they could be substituted for a side salad or even onion rings. Eating the Taverna Burger was a labor of love, the one-third pound ground beef patty was bigger then I thought. Once I had finished, I understood what all the hubbub was about. The Taverna burger was a scrumptious choice. It has been added to my limited list of meal options when I go to Dave’s. It was also more reasonably priced then other burgers I have had in town, at $7.25. If you are hankering for an even bigger meal than the Taverna Burger, there is also the Jumbo Burger for meat lovers. It has all the same fixings as the Taverna Burger, except with a two-third pound beef patty instead of the one-third pounder that comes with the Taverna Burger.

2.Bloomin’ Burger satisfies customers

William Imeson

online editor-in-chief

n the search for the premier hamburger of the Harrisonburg/ Rockingham County area, there is one clear victor. Located on University Boulevard, Outback Steakhouse provides a wide variety of sizzling steaks and scrumptious beef. As I walked into Outback, the first thing to catch my eye was the comfortable and stylish waiting area, where I spent about five minutes waiting for a table to open up. After downing a glass of chilled lemon water, I was taken to my table and ordered a Bloomin’ Burger. This is not your ordinary hamburger. Nay, this behemoth comes fully loaded with a large patty, lettuce, tomato, Bloomin’ Onion petals, and bloom sauce. For only $8.99, this burger comes with a side serving of delectable fries as well. I should warn you, if you are not the biggest fan of onions then you will probably not agree with this choice of food. From the first bite, your mouth gets an overload of onion that does not stop until the burger is gone. This is far from their finest food, but the satisfying meal covers all aspects of a good burger. Let’s start with the bun. It can be hit or miss when it comes to sesame seeds, and the Bloomin’

Burger does not come up short. The ratio of seed to bun surface area is not too big, not too low. And the bun itself is sturdy enough to hold up to even the mightiest of grips. The next thing you will encounter is the spicy bloom sauce. The sauce adds just the right amount of zing while allowing the burger to remain intact. Everyone knows that a soggy burger is an unhappy burger. If you happen to be in the mood, you can also order ketchup and mustard to come along with it. The lettuce and tomato holds up magnificently and provides a fresh bit of vegetation to an otherwise meaty meal. Lastly, let’s talk patty. This is the make or break factor of a burger. The Bloomin’ patty is about 6 inches in diameter and about an inch in width. I ordered mine medium rare and it was cooked to perfection. The juices flowed with just the right viscosity and the patty was sturdy enough to hold up for the course of the meal. Everything from the coloration to the smell of the patty was spot on. The Bloomin’ Burger is a very satisfying pick for a hungry customer. n

Clementine’s bacon-guacamole is tasty alternative to traditional burgers

Ariel Vogel

staff reporter

magine the typical American burger: greasy, spurting ketchup out the sides, and a slice of lettuce and tomato to make it appear on the healthy side. Now add bacon--not a huge difference, as many chains and restaurants are adding bacon to the burger to appeal to the regular Fat Joe. Then smear guacamole on it. This is Clementine’s Bacon-Guacamole burger, at it’s finest. It may sound extremely weird or extremely delicious, depending on what kind of person you are. To me, it sounded iffy, but the waitress recommended it so I went with it. I’m not a huge fan of guacamole--I like my food to be distinguishable from baby crap--but I went into the experience with an open mind. The burger was $8.95. It was kind of an expensive burger, but as I was at a nice restaurant as opposed to a fast food place, I thought the price was pretty good. When the massive sandwich arrived, I removed the offensive rings of onions before placing the top back on. Then, I took my first bite. It was possibly the messiest burger I have ever

eaten. I had guacamole on my cheek, ketchup on my mouth, and grease dripping off my chin. It was actually really fun to eat! It was really big, though, and I only ate two-thirds of it. I’ll give it 3.5 stars! It tasted pretty good. Like I mentioned before, I don’t really like guacamole, and that hasn’t changed. The bacon was really unnecessary to the overall taste. It only added a little extra flavor, and just made it even greasier. I, personally, think that anything other than a cheeseburger with tomato, lettuce, mayo, and ketchup is over the top. Cheeseburgers, from Clementine’s to McDonald’s, are delicious and need nothing else to make them better, and oftentimes the attempts to spice it up fall flat. Maybe the tomato, lettuce, and guacamole added a tad of nutritional value, but I have no idea. I am assuming, judging by the amount of grease bursting out, that if you are on a diet, this is not the food to go for. If you like green mush combined with bacon, though, and feel like pigging out with quality, Cle- m e n t i n e’s Cafe is the place to go!n

FlipN Burg-R executes poorly, disappoints

Conner Whitehouse

STYLE- Katrina Sokolyuk - A10

staff reporter

new burger joint is in town, and they wanted to make a statement by opening two different locations bordering the campus of James Madison University. When first looking at the Port Republic road, Flip’N Burg-R, it appears to be a really generic burger joint, and that’s basically what it is. Flip’N Burg-R’s claims to fame include over 400,000 different varieties of milkshakes by combining your own flavors, an affordable $4.75 meal that includes two sides and a drink, and the fact that you can get chicken nuggets and corn dogs as a side. The bullet-proof business model of cheap meal options is executed pretty poorly at this point. The store is still new, so I will not give it that bad of a review yet, but they need to get their service in gear. Also, the store has been nearly empty every night

I have been there at prime dinner time hours. As for the list of burgers that provide the restaurant’s namesake, they’re as mediocre as burgers come. If you do not take advantage of the meal deals, the burgers cost $3.50 and are about the same size as a McDouble with slightly better additions like bacon, mushrooms, or fried onion pieces. One can get the Western burger, the Chedda burger, the Mushroom burger, or you can also make your own with the given toppings. All in all, the burgers are decent when you get past the smashed soggy bread and greasiness. The sides are interesting, and it’s very cheap to eat there. Your money would probably be better spent at McDonalds, Burger King, or any another generic American burger place that offers similar prices for better food.

4. Few local vegetarian options are delicious Ama Ansah

Taverna online editor Dave’s Dave’s Taverna has a specialty veg-

inding a good veggie burger--or any vegetarian option for that matter--can be difficult. Luckily, downtown Harrisonburg offers more options for local vegetarians than just the salad bar. Clementine’s For those who tire of the typical veggie patty, Clementine’s offers the falafel burger. Falafel, small fried patties or balls made of ground chickpeas, is both vegetarian and vegan friendly. The burger its self is three pieces of falafel, marinaded tomatoes, lettuce, and a light dressing. All burgers and sandwiches are served with house chips. The falafel at Clementine’s is wonderfully smooth and flavorful, not grainy or hard as it is at other restaurants. It tasted authentic. I have no ideas what the tomatoes are marinaded in but they had a very rich flavor that complimented the falafel well. This was especially impressive considering that it is not tomato season. I can only imagine that this dish would be even better in summer. The bun was nothing spectacular, but the rest of the burger made up for that. I would strongly recommend giving falafel burger a try, especially nonvegetarians who are put off by the thought of textured proteins and bean mash.

gie burger, charbroiled with assorted vegetables, beans, onions, and grains served on Dave’s house bun (the same kind that comes complimentary with pastas and salads.) It is served with a side of fries. I was not able to eat this burger on site, so I ordered it to go. The burger was alright, but somehow I was left feeling like I was missing something. The patty was decent, the being charbroiled part certainly made a difference. I liked the chopped onions and grains on top--they added a nice zesty flavor-yet I felt that something was missing. Not to say that this burger was bland, but I felt like there should have been something added to kick the flavor up a notch. Maybe a nice tzatiki sauce or even some sort of mayonnaise spread on the bun. Still, it was a decent burger.

The Artful Dodger At the Artful Dodger, any burger can be ordered as a veggie burger. I ordered the Mediterranean, a bocca burger with feta cheese, chopped olives, lettuce, tomato, balsamic dressing, and onion. All burgers are served with corn chips. I really enjoyed this one. The olives and feta went very nicely with the veggie burger. Adding feta cheese to a burger never would have occurred to me, but it works. n

March 23, 2012

The

newsstreak

FEATURE - Mark Duda - B1

Conflict

in the Middle East

Israel

Political strife and upheaval in the middle east has increased over the past few decades. A significant number of students at HHS fled from their homeland, and are now immigrants or even refugees. Some of their stories are recounted here.

Syria

dan r o J

Iraq

Iran

Egypt Saudi Arabia Oman

Yemen

Arabian Sea

Haji’s family flees Iraq after facing persecution, torture

Kavya Beheraj

tan. His family members all believed that he had died. When Haji was born in 1994, a civil war was occurring between Iraq and Kurdistan. “The Kurdish government had a list like a draft, almost - for people who needed to leave the country because it was unsafe for them. In ’97, our name was on the draft,” Haji said. They did not leave immediately, however, choosing instead to stay in Kurdistan for another year. In 1998, they came to the United States. “We didn’t [escape], we were forced to come here. Whoever served the country got their name on the list, so they could go find a better life, and my dad’s name was in it,” Haji said. “We were completely protected and everything was paid for. They had an apartment ready for us in Maryland. We lived in Maryland for six months and then we came [to Harrisonburg]. Today, Haji’s father gives speeches about his experiences during the al-Anfal campaign, and his story was even published in a book about the genocide. “My dad has been in Memphis, he’s been in Texas, and he’s been in Atlanta [to give speeches],” Haji said. “He was involved in the trial for Saddam [Hussein] back in 2006. He testified against [Hussein].” n

news editor

uring the final stages of the IranIraq War in the late 1980s, Saddam Hussein launched a devastating genocidal attack against the Kurdish people living in northern Iraq. Called the al-Anfal campaign, Hussein massacred thousands of civilians in an effort to crush the Kurdish insurgency that threatened his regime. Senior Suma Haji’s father, Yunis Haji, is a survivor of that campaign. “Throughout the ’80s, [there] was a war [between] Saddam Hussein and the Kurds. He was trying to get rid of the Kurds to take over all of Iraq,” Haji said. In 1988, Haji’s father was a 19-year-old peshmerga, an armed Kurdish fighter. The term literally means “those who face death.” He and several other peshmergas were told to take refuge in the mountains because of their injuries, but the Iraqi he stayed with later betrayed him and sent him to jail. After refusing to serve in the Iraqi army, Haji’s father was tortured along with a few other prisoners. The jailers tied their hands, covered their eyes, loaded them into a truck, and told them that they were being taken to Baghdad’s Iraqi Revolutionary Court. However,

A GUIDE TO FOREIGN POLICY TERMINOLOGY A citizen is a native or naturalized member of a nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection. An alien is a resident born in or belonging to another country who has not acquired citizenship by naturalization. An emigrant is a person who leaves their own country to settle permanently in another. An immigrant is a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country. Citizenship can be described as the state of being vested with the rights, privileges, and duties of a citizen. Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth. A green card is a permit allowing a foreign national to live and work permanently in the U.S. A lawful permanent resident is a foreign national who has been granted the right to reside permanently in the United States. A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave his or her country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster. Persecution is the act of subjecting an individual to hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of their race, political, or religious beliefs. A diaspora is any group that has been dispersed outside its traditional homeland. Infographic by Christy Stearn

From left to right: Haji’s mother, Jamila; Haji; brother, Salar; father, Yunis; a family friend. Photo courtesy of the Haji family. Haji’s father soon realized that they were not heading to Baghdad, but driving on a dirt road to be buried alive. After managing to loosen his hands and blindfold, he offered to do the same for his fellow prisoners, but they refused, believing that they were still traveling to Baghdad. The guards found that he had freed himself and forced him to

fall into a ditch by the side of the road. Haji’s father took advantage of the dust kicked up by his fall and ran. “He was the only one who survived. Everyone else was buried alive and died,” Haji said. Haji’s father stayed in Iran for five years in anonymity before returning to Kurdis-

Qadir’s family adapts to culture shift Rafael Snell-Feikema

style editor

ere in the United States, people move from state to state and place to place frequently. Those who have been in this situation will tell you that it can be difficult. Imagine, however, leaving your entire country and traveling halfway around the globe. Sometimes, it’s necessary. Sophomore Ruayda Qadir is herself an emigrant from her long departed home, and as of yet unrecognized, country of Kurdistan. In the northern-most part of Iraq, Kurdistan has faced religious persecution for years, especially under Saddam Hussein. These ethnic battles are the result of old imperialist boundaries -- formed after World War I as a British territory, Iraq’s boundaries pay no attention to the cultural groups within. Both of Qadir’s parents moved, as a couple, when Qadir was three years old. Her father was in the army, and received an invitation from President Clinton to emigrate from Iraq and subsequently immigrate into the United States. Had Qadir’s parents not

done so, they would have faced the persecution of Saddam’s regime and his Al-Anfal ethnic cleansing campaign, which lead to the deaths of up to 200,000 civilians. Qadir tells of how her parents had to adapt: learning a new language and adapting to the culture, while still keeping those of their homeland. Qadir’s parents, upon coming to the United States, knew no English. “We still have [Kurdish culture] in us, but our house is now full of two cultures and two places. Kurdistan is sometimes similar to the United States, but it has its differences too: religion, clothing, food... those all changed for them,” Qadir said. Not only did they have to adapt informally to the new culture and language, but the United States also requires new residents to legally adapt through the long process of citizenship. Qadir’s parents are now citizens, as is she, but she says that it was a long process. Qadir says she one day plans to return to her home country, though she hasn’t yet had the chance. “Your family is there. You share culture and language... it’s where you belong,” Qadir said. n

Hadid plans to educate Palestinians Christy Stearn editor-in chief Practicum student Dania Hadid is a Palestinian refugee who lived in Lebanon prior to beginning her internship in the United States. Her family, along with thousands of others, were forced out of their country. “My parents were born in Lebanon because we were kicked out of our country [Palestine] in 1948 when it was occupied by the Israelis,” Hadid said. “It was basically a diaspora of Palestinians. Many Palestinians left the country and spread all over the world because we don’t have a homeland anymore, (although we believe we will go back eventually),” Hadid said. “My grandfather, for

example, had a gun to his head. It was either get killed or leave.” Refugees living in the camps are forced to endure detestable living conditions. Palestinian refugees are denied the right to work, denied the right to property, and denied the right to vote, disallowing Palestinians any representation in Lebanon. Hadid, who works for the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA), is an educational specialist and a part-time instructor at a university in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut. The exchange student program, which is funded and organized by the Department of State, includes about 64 people from varied developing countries in Asia and Africa. In Harrisonburg, VA, there are 16

people from eight different countries whom are student affiliates at James Madison Univesity’s International Leaders of Education Program (ILEP). “To be admitted into the program, I had to apply for grants and scholarships, take exams, and write essays. If the applicant meets all the requirements, he or she is offered an internship in the United States,” Hadid said. The program, which placed Hadid at HHS, spans for one semester from Jan. 3 unto May 18. When Hadid arrives back in Lebanon, she plans to continue working in the education sector and offer Palestinians specifically better schooling services because many cannot afford it. n

Steps to obtain naturalized citizenship

1 2 3 4 5

Must be admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident (LPR) - The applicant must possess a green card.

Continuous residence in the US for at least five years immediately preceding the applicant’s filing for naturalization - Applicants must uphold their status as a legal permanent resident but not necessarily be physically inside the borders of the country. Actual physical residence - The applicant must live within the state in which the petition is filed during the three months immediately before filing for U.S. citizenship.

Physical presence within the US - Applicants must reside within the nation for a total of at least one half of the period of required continuous residence. (Two-and-ahalf years for most applicants, and one-and-a-half years for spouses of US citizens.) Possess the ability to read, write, and speak ordinary English - Applicants must be able to speak English unless they are physically unable to do so due to a disability. Exception: Those over 50 years old and have lived in the country for a total of at least 20 years after admission as a permanent resident and those who are over 55 and have been legal permanent residents for at least 15 years are exempt.

6 7

Good moral character and an affinity for the principles of the US Constitution - Good moral character is reflected in the applicant’s behavior prior to applying for U.S. citizenship, and is demonstrated by paying taxes and having a clean criminal record, for example. Applicants should be at least 18 years of age - Applicants must be 18 years old at the time of filing. An applicant under the age of 18 may still qualify for naturalization if one of his or her parents is a citizen or becomes a citizen of the U.S. Infographic by Christy Stearn

Seeing DOUBLE

March 23, 2012

The

newsstreak

FEATURE - Sydney Little and Celia Ehrenpreis- B2

Double M power Bailey Bonding Celia Ehrenpreis

advertising manager

ith most twins, at first glance people believe that they are seeing double. This is not the case with Morgan and Megan Miller. These two sophomores are fraternal twins and they look nothing alike. Morgan has brown hair and brown eyes and wears glasses, while Megan has blond hair, blue eyes and perfect 20/20 vision. “My brother and I are nothing alike. Our personalities are so different, I’m more out-going and social, while Morgan likes to keep more to himself. It was great growing up with Morgan there was always someone to spend time with. The only downside of being a twin was having to share a birthday,” Megan Miller said. Morgan and Megan spend a lot of time together at home and on the weekends because their two older brothers have moved out of the D’awww. Sophomore twins house. Megan and Morgan give each “I do enjoy spending time with Megan, especially when other a hug. Photo by Celia it’s just the two of us. She’s more social then I am, so one of Ehrenpreis the advantages to being twins is meeting more people through her,” Morgan Miller said. n

Hernandez brothers are identical Mitch DePoy

sports editor

he blank look that crosses chemistry teacher, Kasey Hovermale’s face as one twin walks back into her classroom says enough. “I have to remember that you are wearing a shirt with a Rhino on it,” Hoovermale says. “Sometimes we do switch places with each other,” Hernendez said. “I was confused for a second and I thought that they were doing one of their little pranks again,” Hovermale said. How would you tell these two apart if you were in this situation? The only way that the boys are told apart is that Seve has a set of scars on his forehead around his hairline. Gregorio Sosa-Hernandez and his identical twin brother Seve are one of the few sets of twins at HHS. They both stand at about 5’9”, with jet

black hair and the same facial expressions. “A lot of people still get us mixed up, but we are used to it,” Hernandez said. Both of the boys are 19. The bragging right of most sets of twins seems to be who was born first. This title goes to Gregorio as he says with a smile, “I was born just a tad bit before my brother, my mother had a c-section.” Hernandez said. In the Sosa-Hernandez family their is only one other set of twins. “Our aunts were twins, but one of them passed away,” Herandez said. The twins are wrestlers, as both have had very successful seasons in the past. This season was the first in many that the twins didn’t wrestle together because of a knee injury for Gregorio. “I don’t really dislike anything about having a twin,” Gregorio said. I get “Seve, hey Seve, Seve!” a lot. “It gets really annoying when that happens, and you would think that they would get the point that I’m the other twin after I don’t respond,” Herandez said with a smile. n

IDENTICAL

- Identical twins, and triplets, come from the splitting of only one fertilized egg. - Identical twins have identical DNA. - Identical twins are usually the same gender, except in extremely rare cases. - Identical twins have the same brainwave pattern. - Identical twins have different finger prints. - Identical twins have an 25% chance of being called a mirror twins. If one twin has a birth mark on their right arm the other twin will have it on the left.

Mia Karr

page editor

ccording to senior Taylor Bailey, w h e n people find out who his twin is, they do not usually believe him because the two are so different. Taylor and his sister, Denean Bailey may have been born a minute apart (she’s the oldest), but over time, their interests have grown to differ. Even so, they have both enjoyed several aspects of being a twin. “You always have someone your age to hang out with,” Taylor Bailey said. “You’re never lonely or bored.” Both twins say they are closer to Sibling Love! Senior twins Denean and Taylor each other than to Bailey enjoy time together even though they are their older sister, so different. Photo by Ben DiNapoli. Doronda. “I always had Aside from physical traits, Denean somebody to play with. Someone right beside me,” De- thinks that she and her brother are both nean Bailey said. However, having a funny, while Taylor doesn’t think they twin does have its drawbacks- both De- really share anything personality-wise. A lot will change next year, after the nean and Taylor immediately pointed twins graduate and go their separate to the problem of a shared birthday. “He always ruined it,” Denean said. ways. “I’ll have to get used to not seeing my Taylor recalls that his parents have always had to buy double the diapers, twin every day, but I don’t think its goclothes, and anything else needed to ing to be that hard,” Taylor Bailey said. raise one child. The Bailey family is no Denean has a different opinion. “There will be an absence. I’ll be kind stranger to these problems- both of the twins’ grandmothers were twins, as well of sad,” she said. “[The best part of being a twin] is having somebody to share as a great grandmother. Even though Taylor and Denean are your life with since birth.” Although different genders, they still get asked if Denean also considers this the worst they are identical, or if they look alike. part of being a twin. n

FRATERNAL

-Fraternal twins are most common in Africa. As high as 1 in 20 kids are twins. -Female fraternal twins have a 1 in 17 chance of having twins. -Fraternal twins come from the fertilization of two different eggs. -Fraternal twins can have different fathers. - Once the mother has a set of fraternal twins, they are twice as likely to have another set in a later pregnancy - The older the mother is, the greater chance she has of having fraternal twins

TWIN QUIZ We tested the twins’ knowledge of each other with some basic questions. Each twin was asked about their sibling’s favorites, and other various questions.

THE QUESTIONS:

1. What is your twin’s favorite color? 2. What is your twin’s favorite food? 3. What is your twin’s favorite animal? 4. Who is your twin’s favorite band/singer? 5. What is your twin’s favorite movie? 6. What is your twin’s favorite season? 7. What is your twin’s favorite ice cream flavor? 8. Who is your twin’s favorite celebrity? 9. What is your twin’s shoe size? 10. What movie character would your twin describe himself or herself as?

Megan & Morgan Miller

Bilal & Jawad Ahmed Jawad’s answers for Bilal: 1. Blue 2. pizza 3. cheetah 4. Linkin Park

5. Avatar 6. summer 7. Vanilla 8. Megan Fox 9. 8 10. Goofy

Bilal’s Answers for Jawad: 1. Green 2. Pasta 3. Giraffe 4. Coldplay

5. The Time Machine 6. Spring 7. Vanilla 8. Doesn’t have one 9. 10 10. Borat

Ahmed brothers enjoy having fun as twins Chris Sokolyuk page editor

magine having someone in the world that looks like you, smells like you, and has the same attractive or unattractive features as you. Juniors Jawad and Bilal Ahmed are living this dream. No matter where these 5’8” brothers go, they are side by side. Even though they were born five minutes apart, their personalities could not be more different. “Jawad plays football and is more athletic, but I have the brains,” Bilal said. Apparently being a twin

is not always a great thing. Still they manage to have fun with their gift. These twins switch classes and have played tricks on their teachers and loved ones. “I hate when people can’t tell us apart, or when they joke and call me Bilal and call him Jawad, or when people say, ‘man you too look a lot alike today’.” Even though they are closer than most siblings, they still need time to be by themselves. “I like to keep my distance from him from time to time so I can be myself instead of being that one person that lives in the shadow of his brother,” Jawad said. n

Twwinning Famous twins of our generation

Taylor & Denean Bailey

Megan’s answers for Morgan: 1. Blue 2. Spaghetti 3. Dogs 4.“Disturbed” 5. Fight Club 6. Winter 7. Oreo 8. Donald Trump 9. 10 ½ 10. Shaggy from Scooby Doo

Morgan’s Answers 1. Blue 2. Spaghetti 3. Apes 4. Frank Sinatra 5. Monty Python and the Holy Grail 6. Summer 7.Vanilla 8. Einstein 9. 10 ½ 10. Sherlock Holmes

Denean’s answers for Taylor: 1. UNC baby blue 2. Chicken 3. sea turtle 4. Drake 5. I don’t know 6. Spring 7. chocolate 8. Drake 9. 11 10. The student, class president type.

Morgan’s Answers for Megan: 1. Yellow 2. Spaghetti 3. Horses 4. Taylor Swift 5. The Notebook 6. Summer 7. Chocolate 8. Justin Bieber 9. 7 ½ 10. Micky Mouse

Megan’s Answers 1. Pink 2. Cupcakes 3. Dogs 4. Taylor Swift 5. The Notebook 6. Summer 7. Cotton Candy flavored ice cream 8. Taylor Swift 9. 8 10. Bubbles from the Powerpuff girls

Taylor’s Answers for Denean: 1. Purple 2. Chinese food 3. Dog 4. Chris Brown 5. Precious 6. Summer 7. Strawberry 8. Chris Brown 9. 8 10. Nunu from ATL

Taylor’s Answers 1. red 2. chinese 3. sea turtle 4. Drake 5. Coach Carter 6. Spring 7. strawberry 8. Kevin Hart 9. 11 1/2 10. Will Smith

Denean’s Answers 1. Lime green and purple 2. Chicken Nuggets 3. Monkey 4. Chris Brown 5. How High 6. Spring 7. I don’t like ice cream 8. Chris Brown 9. 7 10. Day-Day from Friday

On November 25, 1981, fraternal twins Jenna and Barbara Bush were born to President George W. Bush and his wife Laura Bush.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were born on June 13, 1986. They got their big break on the hit show Full House, and continued on to be child stars and Holywood socialites.

Dylan Sprouse and Cole Sprouse were born in Arezzo, Italy, in 1992 to American parents. They starred in, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and Suite Life on Deck, both on Disney Channel.

James and Oliver Phelps were born on February 25, 1986 in England. They are best known for their roles in the Harry Potter series as Fred and George Weasley.

September March 23, 2012 23, 2011

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g ... n i pr e to s A uid g

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FEATURE FEATURE-- Paulina Rendon - B3

Exercise and a healthy diet key for successful weight loss

Athletes maintain healthful diets for optimal performance Sydney Little

“

-P.E. Teacher TJ Butler

must work out many times daily, working out two muscle groups a day, three to four times a week, so you are not in the weight room a long time and add cardio two to three times a week. You will burn more calories a day then you bring in therefore losing weight in a safe manner,” Butler said. However as many of us have experienced, it isn’t always the easiest thing to stay on task especially when trying to lose weight. n

500 calories: -Two slices of toasted bread, 1 oz. each. One slice= 2 pts=200 calories. Two tablespoons of peanut butter = 4pts= 200 calories. -One-half cup of juice = 1 pt = 50 calories -Three egg whites = 1pt = 50 calories. 450 calories: -Two slices of bread = 4pts = 200 calories -Two slices of lean roast beef = 3pts = 150 calories. -One cup of skim milk = 1pt = 50 calories -Four tablespoons of fat-free mayonnaise =1pt=50 calories. -Drink two glasses of water before lunch

250 calories: -Two cups of greens = 0 calories - Two tablespoons of reduced-calories Italian dressing = 1pt = 100 calories - One slice of turkey = 2pts = 100 calories -One-half cup of low-fat cottage cheese = 1pt = 50 calories -Drink two glasses of water before dinner Infographic by Katrina Sokolyuk

Unsafe dieting can lead to serious eating disorders Eating disorder fast facts Over 1/2 of teenage girls and nearly 1/3 of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives

feature editor

very day half of America’s women go on a diet. The media has created this image that supports the idea that to be happy and prosperous people must be thin. This causes millions of people to start dieting, which leads to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Losing weight can benefit the body in many ways, but only if you do it for the right reason. For example many athletes diet to improve their physical abilities. The only problem with this, is that it can also cause muscle breakdown and growth problems if used incorrectly. The diet for athletes should be made up of about 65% carbohydrates, 10-15% fat, and 10% protein. It is recommended that a high-carbohydrates diet not be used everyday, but just a few days before a competition. If eaten continuously it can condition the body to not use the fatty acids from fat for fuel and only use carbohydrates. “Before soccer games I’ll eat a lot of pasta, but other than that I don’t really stay on a strict diet. Our team also isn’t allowed to drink soda during the season,” sophomore Mallori Mendez said. Sugar should not be eaten prior to a competition because it can result in dehydration, fatigue, and nausea, which may affect an athletes performance. Proteins will supply energy for the body, but they will not build muscle, only training can change that. Several vitamins and minerals are needed to make the energy from fuel sources. There is no proof that taking extra vitamins will enhance performance, but most vitamins needed will come from eating an array of foods. Sodium, potassium, calcium, and iron are a few of the most important minerals. If these aren’t maintained at healthy levels they can cause cramps, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. Pre - game meals should be eaten around three to four hours before the event starts and should be 500 - 1,000 calories. It should be high in starches, which can be broken down easier and will provide constant energy. Athletes should avoid eating foods high in fat and sugar, and caffeine. They also should not eat carbohydrates one to two hours before an event. The post - game meal should be eaten within 30 minutes of finishing and should contain a variety of foods. n

“

Breakfast

eeing that the rate of overweight and obese Americans is continuing to rise, and America is now in the top ten fattest countries in the world, there are a ton of different weight loss options running throughout the market. While companies like Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, and Jenny Craig provide a strategically planned eating schedule, workout methods such as P90X, Insanity, and Turbo Fire give a centered work out with the intentions of replacing fat with muscle. However, many Americans who do try these methods of weight loss are quickly discovering one of two things. Their pockets are getting thin or commitment to workout sessions are getting more difficult. “The best method to lose weight

Weight Watchers Recommended Daily Values

The number one thing is to watch your diet. You can workout very hard daily, but then put the wrong foods into your body ruining what you just did.

Lunch

staff reporter

is to take some time, do a little homework and figure out how many calories you need per day,” said Physical Education teacher Thomas Butler. When looking at weight loss as a whole, being consistent with your exercise time and monitoring your diet meaning moving away from processed foods and creating a more natural diet are the key aspects to losing the most weight in the shortest amount of time. “The number one thing is to watch your diet. You can workout very hard daily, but then put the wrong foods into your body ruining what you just did,” Butler said. Attaining the method of weight loss is only half the battle, as the biggest aspect of it all is self-discipline. Being persistent in your workout and making an effort in changing your eating habits is how you will lose some serious pounds. “Once you figure out how many calories you need per day, you

Dinner

Austin Coffey

95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25. Almost 50% of people with eating disorders meet the criteria for depression. Only 1 in 10 men and women with eating disorders receive treatment. Only 35% of people that receive treatment for eating disorders get treatment at a specialized facility for eating disorders. Up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder) in the U.S. infographic by Paulina Rendon

Anastasiya Kalyuk

staff reporter

ating disorders are illnesses that negatively effect eating habits. For example, someone with an eating disorder could eat very large amounts of food or barely eat at all. An eating disorder can be described as an out of control problem with body image. These disorders are most commonly found in teen years and young adult years, but could also develop during childhood or later in life. Anorexia, Bulimia and BingeEating disorders can affect both men and women. “Eating disorders are really people specific. It always depends on the child, and the factors that led up to it that turned it into an eating disorder. A small habit could easily turn into an eating disorder,” HHS school nurse Angela Knupp said. These illnesses often coexist with things like depression, substance abuse or anxiety disorder. People who suffer with anorexia are 18 times more likely to die earlier compared to people of the same age without anorexia, according to NIMH.com. Symptoms of anorexia are characterized by extreme thinness, unwillingness to main-

tain a normal healthy weight, intense fear of gaining weight, dysfunctional body image, denial of low body weight and perception of the body’s weight and shape. Also, lack of menstruation is common in females. Bulimia is characterized by eating a large amount of food and having the urge to throw it back up so as not to gain any of the weight from eating, it could be followed by taking laxatives, fasting, excessive exercising or a combination of these behaviors. The difference between anorexia and bulimia is that people who suffer with bulimia maintain a normal weight or are a little above normal weight. But like anorexia, they often fear gaining weight and desperately want to lose it. Binge-eating disorder is losing control of your eating habits, as a result, they are severely overweight or obese. People with binge eating disorder are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. These disorders are treated with good nutrition, reducing excessive exercise and stopping the little-eating to eating-a-lot behavior. This help could come from places of treatment, also family and close friends could help monitor eating habits to help stay on track. n

Halpern enjoys running, hiking to stay in shape Paulina Rendon

feature editor

eing an athlete takes a lot of determination and hard work. Whether the sport relies on a team or an individual, it is important to keep in shape with practice and training in order to get better. “Saying I’m a beginner at tennis is putting it kindly,” sophomore Deb Halpern said. “But [working out] puts me in the right mindset to do my best.” Halpern plays tennis for the HHS girls tennis team. Before joining the team, she would work out at the gym and go on hikes and runs with her friends and family. She continues to enjoy working out, although she does not go to the gym very often. Halpern tries to run four to five times every week. “[Exercising] makes me feel good. [It helps] you sleep better, think better. At least for me, my mindset improves so much.” Halpern said. Different forms of exercising works for different people. For example, aerobic,

strength, and flexibility exercises target different body parts and make them stronger. Combining all the methods can improve someone’s body as a whole, or targeting one specific area can be helpful depending on why an athlete - or anyone - could be training for. Soccer players generally try to do exercises that focus on their legs and feet, while baseball players prefer conditioning their upper body. “[I like exercising] because it’s not a question of being good at it or not,” Halpern said. “Our bodies are built to move, so it’s not something that you have to learn. Sure, it’s something you have to learn to be good at, but anyone can go on a walk or hike or swim for a while.” In addition to exercise, some people chose to diet in order to reach their target weight and stay in shape. Strict diets are not essential to losing weight, as long as the person trying to be healthy is still conscientious of their health. “I try to eat well, but I wouldn’t call it a diet,” Halpern said. “I just do my best to eat the right stuff. Exercising is not always easy. It requires

Daily food group servings

motivation and determination to get started, and focus in order to achieve the desired results. Whether the goal be becoming a serious athlete or just wanting to lose weight, the hardest step is sometimes getting started. “Sometimes it's tough to find the time to be active, so it can be really hard to balance it with everything else. [But once you start] your mindset changes and makes it easier.” Halpern said. n

Exercise Tips - For sustaining weight loss, at least 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be required - Children and teenagers should be physically active for 60 minutes every day, or most days of the week. - About 60 minutes a day can help prevent weight gain - Balance food and physical activity

How much should you be eating?

Grains

Meat and Beans

Milk

- Eat at least 3 oz of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta every day 1 oz is about: 1 slice of bread 1 cup of breakfast cereal 1/2 cup of cooked rice, cereal, or pasta

- Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry - Bake the meat, broil it, or grill it - Vary the choices - choose more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds

- Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, and other milk products - If you can’t consume milk, choose lactose-free products or other calcium sources like fortified food and beverages - Get 3 cups a day

Vegetables

Fruits

More health tips!

- Eat a variety of fruit - Choose fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit. - Go easy on fruit juices, they are packed with sugar-- and not the good kind!

- Be aware of limits on fats, sugars, and salt (sodium) - Most of fat sources should be from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils - Check the Nutrition Facts label to keep saturated fats, trans fats, and sodium low. - Avoid heavily processed foods, the more natural the better - Take vitamins to supplement whatever a healthy diet can’t provide.

Make half the serving whole grains

Vary the vegetables

- Eat more dark-green vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and other leafy greens - Eat more orange vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes - Eat more dry beans and peas like pinto beans, kidney beans, and lentils

Meat and beans provide protein

Focus on eating more fruits

Dairy products provide calcium

Infographics by Paulina Rendon.

March 23, 2012

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March 23, 2012

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SPORTS- Jake Durden - B6

New sports, New faces

JUMP! Senior Vanessa Ehrenpreis demonstrates the proper technique to a succesfull triple jump. Photo illustration by Ben DiNapoli.

Streaks’ Indoor track region-III results Event

Athlete(s)

Time

Place

Girls 55m

Akia Morris

7.45

5th

Girls 500m

Vanessa Ehrenpreis

1:22.23

2nd

Girls 4x200m

Akia Morris, Vanessa Eh- 1:49.12 renpreis, Taelor Adams, Joanna Hernandez

2nd

Girls 4x400m

Joanna Hernandez, Taelor 4:16.69 Adams, Tori Armentrout, Vanessa Ehrenpreis

1st

Boys 500m

Nevin Heckman

1:07.66

1st

Boys 4x800m

Nevin Heckman, Gabriel 839.90 Morey, Leo Lopez, William Imeson

3rd

Boys High Jump

Weylin Holmes

3rd

6’ 02.00”

Indoor team getting back to track Jake Durden

sports editor

pring is back and so is outdoor track. The runnin’ Blue Streaks have had several championship seasons under coach Dave Loughran, and this year, they expect to be in the hunt for another district title. After a successful indoor season, where the Lady Streaks garnered the district title, and the boys finished in second to Fort Defiance, the team members are reloading in order to have just as much impact during the outdoor season. The Blue Streaks boasted indoor regional winners in Nevin Heckman (500m) and the girls 4x400m team, as well as several other athletes who placed and continued to the state meet (see infographic). One of the keys to the boys achieving their revenge on the district level is the return of injured hurdler Wayson Lee. Lee, a senior, has been hampered by a pulled left hamstring for the second half of the indoor season and reinjured it at the beginning of the spring. If he can remain healthy, Lee can bring in

several points for the Streaks at meets this spring. Another x-factor is the new members on board for the spring season. Basketball player Noah Royer is joining the team, his first running experience in high school. Both the boys and girls team won the outdoor district title last spring. Loughran hopes to repeat as the district champs and place top five in the region meet. He has very high goals for this season, and hopes to achieve those goals with some returning senior runners who had a successful performance at the district meet last year. Returning male stars include William Imeson, who placed third in the 1600m and fourth in the 3200m at districts, Nevin Heckman, district champion in the 500m, and Wayson Lee who placed third in the 55m and fourth in the 500m at districts. Vanessa Ehrenpreis returns for the Lady Streaks; she was district champion in the 300m, 500m, and long jump, as well as the second place finisher in the 55m dash. n

SOAR! Senior Taelor Adams attempts to perfect her high jump technique. Photo illustration by Ben DiNapoli

Baseball team optimistic under new leadership of Mace Peter Byrd

sports reporter

HS’s baseball team has new gear and a new attitude about the upcoming season. After a 1-17 performance last year, the Streaks are revitalized under new skipper Mark Mace, and look to contend for a district title and regional berth. “Change has already been made. I can’t change the past. Most of last year’s team is gone. I am very excited about the personnel we have and I am looking forward to the season,” Mace said. Coach Mace brings plenty of managerial experience and postseason success with him. He isn’t your average Joe when it comes to coaching, This is his 22nd year. He has established himself as a seasoned pro by earning five Coach of the Year awards and has more than his fair share of district champion-

ship banners hanging in the rafters as well as numerous state tournament appearances at Monticello High and Parry McCluer High. In addition to his high school success, Mace took what he described as “not a college program” in Eastern Mennonite University and made them competitive in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Last year’s squad was slow out of the gates and limped to the finish line. With only two returning starters from that team, the Streaks may seem inexperienced at first glance. However, the roster is filled with six seniors and six juniors who exemplify leadership both on and off the field. Phenom freshman catcher, Chris Whitelow, and sophomore sensation Matt Shifflett, a shortstop/pitcher are the only players representing their graduating classes on this year’s 14-man roster. Mace is bringing a simple philosophy with him this year. “Our focus is on accountability,

honor, and determination.” Determination might prove to be the most important of those pillars. An off-season program consisting of weightlifting and hitting in a batting cage twice per week should pay off for the Streaks. The Streaks schedule this year is no cake walk. They face a tough schedule filled with perennial region contenders Alleghany, Liberty-Bedford, and Freedom (a AAA school). The thought is that the Streaks will be more prepared for postseason play having gone through a battle-tested regular season schedule. Brady Cockerham, a senior, and Shifflett will be the two primary pitchers hoping to lead the Streaks to a successfull season. Coming out of the bullpen will be juniors Argentis Acosta and Antonio DelValle and seniors Mitch Depoy and Jake Durden. Durden and Depoy will be competing for playing time at 1st base after Bryce Baughman’s junior cam-

“

paign came to an end before it began due to a season-ending surgery to fix a torn labrum in his shoulder. Senior Dhanluis Mejia and junior Shaddai DelValle will push each other to start at second base. Shifflett appears to be the primary shortstop. Antonio DelValle looks to have the edge at third base. The outfield will be manned by seniors Nathan Mendoza and Michael Luis, as well as junior Max Johnson. Junior Francisco Santana will also compete for playing time in the outfield. Mace passionately reiterated that he was “very excited” for the upcoming season and has high expectations for this promising team. In team sports, unity is an essential, without it you can’t accomplish a lot. If an athlete truly shares the special bond with another athlete, effort is subconsciously put

Change has already been made. I can’t change the past. Most of last year’s team is gone.

-Baseball Coach Mark Mace

forth to succeed. Mace believes the athletes he was provided with this season have this bond between each other, and that it will pay dividends. “These kids are special. I think the team unity this year, which last year’s team lacked, will pay off. I have team players rather than a group of individuals and I think people will see an outcome that pays dividends.” n

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March 23, 2012

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SPORTS - Mitch DePoy - B7

Lady Streaks hope to continue post-season tradition Sydney Knupp

sports writer

nly one game away from a state playoff bid, the Harrisonburg girls soccer team came up short against the Vikings of Northside in a 2-1 loss. Now, after losing eight starters to graduation, 10 seniors total, the Lady Streaks are looking to quickly rebuild and return to the postseason for the seventh year in a row. The Streaks return second team all-district keeper Claire Glick. Glick, a senior, feels good about the season. “I am really excited,” Glick said. Besides Glick, Kiah Silver is the only other senior for the Streaks . The Lady Streaks went from having a

This Or That with Varsity Girls Soccer

senior-laden team with only two freshman, Sydney Knupp, and Sara Shenk Moreno to adding multiple freshmen. Freshmen Hannah Durden, Tori Armentrout, Kara Simmons, and Maddy Dod are four dynamos who led the junior varsity team to an undefeated 12-0 record last season. “I am excited for the upcoming season this year, I can’t wait to step on the field,” Armentrout said. Spotswood should be the biggest rival for the girls this year. Durden, Armentrout, and Glick all agreed with this. “Our biggest competition is probably Spotswood, but all the district teams are improving so you never know what’s going to happen,” Glick said. In order to integrate the young players into the team, the Streaks provided the op-

portunity for open gyms starting in the winter months and continuing up until the first week of try outs.The Streaks worked on their first touch and on getting control of the ball. Other than the inexperienced line-up, the Streaks don’t change much with their overall game plan. They return an entire coaching staff, including all assistant and head coaches. Head coach for the Lady Streaks, Amy Cerelli, has garnered seven district championships and one regional championship during her tenure. As a result of the Streaks young starters, many players have had to make sacrifices in order to better the team. Durden and Armentrout have had to switch roles this season. Durden is forced to step up in in the midfield, and Armentrout is dropping back to defense. With left-

Lidija Barisic, junior

Sarah Bell, junior

Defense or offense? Blue or white jerseys? Away or home games? Gatorade or water? Nike or puma? Hair up or down? World cup or scrimmaging?

footed Armentrout on the outside back, right midfielders and forwards will have a tough time beating this speedy freshman down the field. ”I was a little nervous at first switching from midfield to defense, but the more I play it, the more I enjoy it,” Durden said. Every Lady Streak is being forced to step up this season and play to the best of her ability. After one alumni scrimmage early in the season, team chemistry seems to be the area that critically needs development. That chemistry must come fast as the Streaks play district rival Spotswood in only the fifth game of the season. Generally the pieces tend to fall in to place later in the season, but with the young crop of talent, the pieces must fit together quickly.

Kiah Silver, senior

Simara Allen, sophomore

Defense or offense? Blue or white jerseys? Away or home games? Gatorade or water? Nike or puma? Hair up or down? World cup or scrimmaging?

Streaks stepping up to fill big shoes of last year’s seniors Max Johnson

Look Out Below! Sophomore midfielder Ali Imran hurdles the slide tackle of goalkeeper Mohammad Barraghi. Photo by Paulina Rendon.

sports writer

n the last few years, Harrisonburg boys soccer has done the same thing time and again: win games. The Streaks have won three consecutive district tournament titles and have two regular season championships to accompany them. But this year will be much different for the Streaks, especially since they are losing a trio of four-year starters: Luis Hernandez, Mark Mullenex, and Adrian Zamora (who played professionally in Mexico as a rising senior). “I think we are losing a lot of talent, but we also have a lot of people whocan fill those big shoes,” said senior Evan Shank. This season, the Streaks will need somebody to step up to the challenge. Several notable seniors are expected to fill the shoes of their graduated teammates: senior forward, Peter Byrd, senior center back, Jose Rodriguez, senior defender, Shank, and finally sophomore mid-fielder, Henry Gotay, who also plays on the Virginia State team as a sophomore. Byrd and Shank have been four year starters and hope to take the leadership role this season. HHS is also returning seven starters and is hoping to have a deep postseason run, which eluded the very talented Streaks team last season in the 2-1 loss to E.C Glass in the opening round of the regional tournament.

Junior forward Seth Kardos started on the JV team since he was in eighth grade and did not play his sophomore year to run track. Although he missed a year, Kardos has impressed coaches and has a great skillset. Kardos hopes to return and make a big impact on the team. “It feels great to be back on the field, especially since I didn’t play last year,” Kardos said. The Streaks are looking forward to a very successful year, and think that they have the perfect talent to hard-work ratio, which hopefully leads to a state championship. However, the Streaks are staying humble and sticking to hard work. “We wanted to be successful last season, but last year, we just didn’t put in the hard work that we have this year, we want it bad. We have a lot of seniors that still have that feeling from last year. We want to send them out right,” Gotay said. Another contribution to the likely success of the Streaks this season is the loss of competition in the district. Turner Ashby, usually in the running for the district title,lost many seniors, most notably Iago Cardoso. On the other hand, Spotswood’s superstar Adam Hissong returns to lead the Trailblazers this season. Both of these players were in the running for district player of the year, which was won by Blue Streak Luis Hernandez. “This is going to be a good year, I can feel it,” Kardos said. n

Experience should help Lady Streaks softball squad Mitch DePoy

sports writer

oftball is back. “This year I’m hungry for a winning season,” said returning starter Kerri Hofacker. This seems to be the mentality all around the camp as the girls are ready to go This year the Streaks are bringing back much of last years team. “We are returning a lot of starters,” Hofacker said. Senior pitchers Mikayla Wolter and Brooke Clem are both back and again expected to be the one-two on the mound this year. Senior Taelor Adams will be patrolling center field as one of the seniors with four years of varsity experience. “This year I expect us to play hard and give the best teams in our district (Broadway and Turner Ashby) a run and even beat them,” Adams said. This is one task that seems to be a hard one. Last season both Broadway and T.A made deep play-off runs and also return many girls just like Harrisonburg. What makes this season different from last? Adams says the idea is simple. “This season we are a lot more focused in practice and are playing really hard,” Adams said. During the off-season, the team also put in extra time with the new VHSL stating that you can work year round with your team. “We took advantage of the new rule and we hit at James Madison every Sunday,” Hofacker said. Along with extra time in the cage, the team also managed to travel down to Radford University to participate in their camp as well. Although not far into the season the Streaks are not sure who is going to step up. “We have had only had two scrimmages so far, so it is tough to tell so far,” Adams said. The Streaks look to be fine as most of these girls have been playing softball together for many years. Most of the seniors on the team also have four years of varsity experience under their belt and are read to let loose. “This season should be a good one, we are all hoping for the best and are going to come out and give it our best,” Hofacker said. n

Juke! Senior defender Joche Rodriguez attempts to dribble past senior forward Chino Solis. Photo by Paulina Rendon.

Logan taking over as head boys tennis coach for Streaks pectations from this year’s tennis Anthony Duong team. Working hard and reaching sports writer their goal is the main focus for this

Perfect! Senior Ford Hatfield places a forehand shot. Photo by Paulina Rendon.

hen the ball comes across the court, the only thing on the player’s mind is getting it back across the net. Physical ability is a factor when playing tennis. Players have to run from side to side trying to hit the ball and hopefully making the other opponent miss in the process. Last year, HHS’s tennis team was successful, winning enough games to qualify for regionals. Unfortunately, Harrisonburg lost in regionals and their season was cut short. With a new coach coming into town, there is a new perspective for the sport of tennis at HHS. With many returning tennis players, there should be big ex-

season and it is more important than ever with the new coach. “We’re working our hardest and we are going to win,” said Danny Logan. Before Logan began his coaching career, he was a former tennis star at Harrisonburg. During his high school career, he was a three sport athlete, playing football, basketball, and tennis. Logan lead Harrisonburg to two consecutive state tennis championships, beginning a dynasty that reached eight consecutive state championships. As an individual, Logan won the Group AA State Singles Championship. ‘With the talent we have, it should be a good season,” Logan said. n

March 23, 2012

The

newsstreak

Dominican athletes will be important to Streaks baseball Max Johnson sports reporter

he Streaks baseball team has four players who were not even in the United States five years ago. Antonio DelValle, Shaddai DelValle, Dhanluis Mejia and Michael Luis have overcome major obstacles just to live here. Although the situation was tough, that did not stop them from excelling in the sport that they love most: baseball. All three of these students are great athletes. Michael Luis moved here from the Dominican Republic only five years ago. He knew no English and was put into ESL classes to try and raise his vocabulary to a level where he could at least communicate efficiently. Today, he speaks fluid English, plays varsity basketball and baseball and is friends with many English speaking Americans at HHS.

“It was really hard to move into a new country and learn a new language that fast. I eventually just got the hang of it though,” Luis said. All of the people from different countries will be playing a huge part of the team this season. Coach Mark Mace thinks that the adversity that the athletes have endured throughout their lives will help them on the field as well. “Other schools in our district do not have the heart that we do. They have not been through the adversity our players have. Having kids who have been through a lot is going to make us stronger as a whole,” Mace said. Both of the DelValle’s brothers and Luis are very good English speakers and are important parts to the varsity baseball team. More importantly, they are proof that no matter what kind of situation you are put in the middle of, you can end up successful. Antonio DelValle is one of the

“

I love baseball. It is the best thing in the entire world. No matter how bad something is, baseball always makes it better.

“

-Dhanluis Mejia

purist and consistent hitters on the team. Antonio won player of the year in his 2010-2011 JV season, hit .459 (much higher than the team’s overall average) and advanced to the varsity team for the district tournament. His brother Shaddai DelValle is much smaller, but holds just as much power as any clean-up hitter. Shaddai finished his 20112012 season batting a .330 average with a slugging percentage of .458. He hit the team’s only grand-slam

and finished the season with 16 runs batted in. “It is really hard to come into a country you know nothing about, learn a language, keep your grades up, and work hard on your game, but it is all worth it as long as I get to play the sport that I love: baseball,” Antonio DelValle said. Mejia, born in the Dominican Republic, moved to Virginia in the seventh grade. Struggling to learn English, Mejia eventually found his way and now speaks fluent English and takes regular level classes, maintaining good grades. Dan Luis is still close to many relatives in the Dominican Republic and actually missed spring tryouts and the first three practices of the season due to family related issues. “I love baseball,” Mejia said. “It is the best thing in the entire world. No matter how bad something is, baseball always makes it better.” n

Famous Dominican professional baseball athletes in United States

Manny Ramirez was born

in Santo Domingo on May 30, 1972. Ramirez bats and throws right, stands at 6 feet and weight 225 pounds. Playing at outfield, Ramirez has attended 11 consecutive All-Star games out of 12. He is also one of 25 players to have hit over 500 home runs. As a nine-time Silver Slugger, Ramirez’s 21 grand slams and 28 post-season home runs rank third and first all-time in the major leagues, respectively.

Alex Rodriguez, of Domini-

can descent, was born on July 27, 1975 in New York City. Rodriguez bats and throws right. Since being drafted to the major leagues in 1993, Rodriguez has set multiple records. He is the youngest player to hit over 500 home runs, as well as the youngest player to hit over 600 home runs. He also holds the record for most home runs hit by a player of Hispanic descent, currently sitting at 629, becoming the all-time leader.

Infographic by Ana Hunter-Nickels and Ben DiNapoli. Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The Deal with Durden Jake Durden

Playoff system needs major remodeling

espite my pride in my team and my knowledge that we could compete with anyone in the state of Virginia in high school basketball, there is no way on earth that any boys basketball team should receive a regional playoff berth with a 4-17 record. Strength of schedule, RPI, margin of victory or defeat, none of these statistics can compensate for a record well under .500. This is not the team’s fault nor the school’s, but rather is the re-

sult of a malfunctioning distribution and classification of schools that has made for a downtrodden playoff system. The best teams deserve to play, but the question remains to me whether or not a district tournament is necessary, or if the playoffs should take the top two finishers in each district and advance them to regional play. The major shift that I am calling for is a reclassification of the VHSL state groups to accommodate a higher level of postseason competition and remove the teams that have not earned a trip to the playoffs. The current VHSL classification system sorts high schools into three main groups based on the population of a school: A, AA, and AAA. Within the ‘A’ classifications, schools are divided up further into divisions: A splits into Division I and II, AA into Division III and IV, and AAA into Division V and VI. In most sports, the winners of each division compete for the overall ‘A’ state championship. In basketball,

David Ortiz was born on November 18, 1975 in Santo Domingo. Ortiz plays with the Boston Red Sox at first base. He is the designated hitter, batting with his left hand and throwing with his right. Ortiz towers at a height of 6’ 4” and weighs in at 230 pounds. Ortiz is a seven-time AllStar and holds the single season record for home runs in a regular season with 54. Ortiz is also a 7-time All-Star player, and recently received the Roberto Clemente Award in 2011.

Jose Reyes was born in Villa Gonzalez on June 6, 1983. Reyes signed on to the Mets when he was 19. Standing at 6 feet and weighing 160 pounds, Reyes bats with both his right and left but throws with his right. A four-time All-Star, Reyes lead the league in triples in 2005, 2006 and 2008, as well as the National League in stolen bases from 2005-2007. He was also the 2011 NL batting champion and holds the Mets all-time records for runs scored, triples and stolen bases.

there are two state championships within the ‘A’, one for each division; this system allows teams with pitiful records into the playoffs. The question is, where is the root of the problem. The source of this malfunctioning system is in the lowest level of classification itself: the district. Within districts there may be four to eleven teams according to the VHSL. However, within these teams there may exist a conflict between the division classifications of certain teams. Our own Valley District is a perfect example of this. Harrisonburg, Turner Ashby, and Broadway are all Division IV teams, whereas Fort Defiance, Spotswood, R.E. Lee, and Waynesboro are Division III. What does this mean? When playoffs arrive, the teams from opposite divisions go to opposite sides of the bracket, and that within a district, instead of two teams winning bids, two teams from each division win bids, resulting in four teams from a single district advancing to the

playoffs. This is primarily a problem in basketball. When there are three or four teams competing for two spots, the talent pool can be a little shallow, and mediocre squads advance to the dance. In order to resolve this issue, we need to resolve the system from the bottom on up. The division system must be ended, or teams in a district must all belong to the same division. Districts must be composed of six or more teams, and that district receives two bids to the playoffs for its top two teams. The top two could be selected via in-conference record, power rankings, or a district tournament. The state must be broken up into either 4A or 5A which, along with abolishing divisions, will make the competition more fierce and provide for a better playoff atmosphere. The number one concern of the VHSL should be the integrity of the game, much as it is for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The teams that are mediocre will have to sit at home and watch the big boys play. n

Longboarding continues to grow in popularity Ben DiNapoli sports page editor

the

ongboarding presents an interesting mix of sports all combined into one. It is not quite skateboarding, since a normal skateboard averages 30 to 33 inches in length and a longboard is anywhere from 40” and up. Longboarding also resembles snowboarding by the way one has to turn: on the edges of your toes and heels. So what is longboarding? Longboarding originated in Hawaii. Surfers used longboards or skateboards as a cross trainer when the waves died down. Surfers would mimic surfing moves by leaning backwards in slides and touching their hands to the ground as they made turns. Longboards evolved much like skateboards did, moving from wood to fiberglass boards, and metal wheels to plastic to smooth urethane wheels. Then, longboards started getting longer and skateboards stayed shorter, and the two sports took their separate paths with separate skill sets. Sophomore Levi Morrison has mastered the techniques required. “I started longboarding when I was about 10,” Morrison said. “A lot of my friends were longboarding, so they got me into it. I also chose longboarding as to skateboarding be-

x treme corner

cause skateboarding is for panmets are usually the best choice sies.” to protect your head. As of right now, Levi owns “I always wear a helmet two longboards, with top of when I ride,” Morrison said. the line components. There is more to longboard“I ride Dregs and Oranging than just carving turns, utan wheels, and Paris trucks,” however. Although not as easy Morrison said. as skateboarding, tricks are still Usually, one of the most difpossible. ficult parts of longboarding is “I can do reverts, where you finding places to actually longspin the board 180 degrees in board. Luckily, Harrisonburg a slide; pendulums, which is offers prime locations. Being Sophomore Levi Morrison doing a full 360 slide; standies, in the Valley, the hills are steep and a few others,” Morrison but not mountainous (at least in said. the city), so worrying about how to stop does As the sport progresses, competitions have not always have to be put at the top of your list started popping up all over the map in the last of priorities. couple of years. Downhill longboarding com“I mostly ride hills in Harrisonburg, or JMU petitions consist of interstate speeds, sharp since there aren’t as many cars,” Morrison said. turns and lots of body armour. Lots. Falling is With school, finding time to do things you a common occurrence while racing, so many enjoy can be challenging. Morrison tries to get riders invest in full face helmets and a full body out every weekend, if possible. suit, of which the combined price is upwards Even if finding places to longboard is easy, of $400. Races take place all over the country, finding ways to avoid crashing is not. mainly in bigger states such as California and “I have crashed over thirty times,” Morrison Texas. Although there is not a sanctioned orsaid. “The worst is when I was going down Nel- ganization that runs longboarding races, local son Drive, probably one of the steepest neigh- skateshops as well as longboarding clubs head borhood hills in Harrisonburg. I hit a rock and the races just ate it. I went flying.” With longboarding being primarily a spring With the possibility of crashing, it is always and summer sport due to the warmer weather, important to ride with a friend, or at least you are sure to see more longboards cruisaround a location where people will be avail- ing the streets as the months go on. Not only able to help you in case you get hurt. are longboards beneficial for a fast method of “I usually ride with [classmate] Josh Friar,” transportation, they can be used for going fast Morrison said. and making long, sweeping turns in a difficult Equally as important, protection is key. Al- sport that requires an extreme amount of skill. though knee and elbow pads are options, hel- n

SPORTS - Ben DiNapoli - B8

Peter’s Principles Peter Byrd

Say ‘no’ to homeschooled athletes joining public school teams

he Tebow-Bill, or House Bill 947, would allow home-schooled students to play sports at public high schools. The bill passed the Virginia House of Representatives with a 59-39 vote. House Bill 947, authored by Rob Bell, is awaiting passage in the Senate. Twenty-eight states allow home-schooled students to participate in public school sports. Opponents of the bill include the Virginia High School League (VHSL) and the Virginia Education Association. Adversaries argue that homeschooled students can follow any curriculum they want in order to be academically eligible. In addition, it would encourage home-schooled students to move into a school zone where they want to play sports. This would lead to the recruitment of home-schooled students’ services on the athletic field. This inevitable free agency system is not what high school sports need. Plus, there would be no keeping track of how many classes a home-schooled student is passing. How would school officials know if a student is passing five classes, the minimum number of classes required by the VHSL? How would administrators know if a home-schooled student is maintaining a 2.0 GPA, the minimum GPA required by HHS for a student to participate in athletics. Furthermore, who is to say that home-schooled students wouldn’t have significantly easier curriculum than students at the high school. Advocates for the bill argue that home-schooled students should have equal opportunity to compete with peers, develop potential, and have an equal chance to earn a scholarship to an institution of higher learning. Supporters of the legislation reference professional quarterback Tim Tebow. It pains me to argue against my favorite football player but yes, Tim Tebow was home-schooled and played football at a nearby high school. Tebow moved into an apartment in a separate school zone because his local public high school had a run-oriented offense and he wanted to be on a pass-oriented team which would utilize a quarterback’s throwing abilities. He won a state championship after transferring to Nease High School to play football. Two national championships at the University of Florida, one Heisman trophy, and a successful season as starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos later, Tebow is a global icon and role model for young athletes everywhere. I am not displeased with his family’s decision to home-school him because it is ultimately the family’s choice of how to educate their children. However, I am disgruntled that there were laws that allowed him to participate in sports at a nearby public school, even though he was not a student at the institution. A common argument among supporters of the bills is that home-schooled students and their parents pay taxes on the school so they should be able to access it in terms of sports. This argument is weak. I pay taxes for the city jail and its not like I’m using the “Big House”. HHS athletic director Darrell Wilson agrees. “Just because people pay taxes on something does not mean they are automatically entitled to whatever it is. When home-schooled students optout of a public education, then I believe they also forfeit the right to play sports at a public school,” Wilson said. Ultimately, I think that if students are “too good” for public schools then they are also “too good” for the athletics which the school offers. The old adage of student-athlete applies here. If the home-schooler is not willing to be a student at the public high school, then they should not be an athlete at the school either. n

December 16, 2011 March 23, 2012

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March 23, 2012

WHAT IS

JEOPARDY?

The experience - A10

The newsstreak

McDonnell competes in Jeopardy college tournament luck of the draw,” Zach McChristy Stearn Donnell said. editor-in-chief Jeopardy! funded Zach Mc-

Top: Zach McDonnell poses for a photograph with Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. Top-middle: Zach McDonnell toured the Financial District with his family. Bottom-middle: Zach McDonnell, sister Taylor McDonnell, and mother Karen McDonnell pose for a souvenir picture. Bottom: While in California, the McDonnells were able to see the ‘Hollywood’ sign.

fter watching Jeopardy! for over eight years, recent HHS graduate and College of William and Mary freshman Zach McDonnell made his debut on the game show. In January, the show began filming its 24th College Championship with 15 of the nation’s brightest collge students. The students contended for a $100,000 grand prize and a guaranteed spot in the Tournament of Champions. McDonnell, the only contestant from Virginia, was one of over 12,000 students who competed for a slot in the elite tournament. To make it onto the show, McDonnell had to take an online test in January 2011 that was over forty questions long. The exam tested his knowledge on an array of topics. “The online test was really, really hard. The questions were difficult, and I only had eight seconds to answer each one,” McDonnell said. “When you’re taking it, it doesn’t tell you if you’re wrong or right, so I thought I was doing really badly.” After taking the online test, McDonnell was invited to Washington, D.C. for a live audition in May 2011. The audition consisted of a written test, an interview, and a mock round. “I thought the written test was much easier than the test I took online, but I didn’t think I would make it onto the show because I didn’t do that well during the mock round, and I didn’t think I was as interesting as the others. One of the guys there went to school with Taylor Swift,” McDonnell said. Seven months following his audition, McDonnell was notified that he would be competing in Jeopardy!’s College Championship. In December 2011, only a month prior to filming, contestant producer Maggie Speak left McDonnell a voicemail inviting him onto the game show. “I was at work, and there’s bad reception there. I noticed I had a voicemail, so I went outside to listen to it,” McDonnell said. “[When I found out that I was going to be on the show,]I just stood there, jaw dropped. I literally could not believe it.” McDonnell relayed the good news to his mother the next day. “My brother texted my mom and told her that they needed to Skype because he had big news to tell her. She screamed and screamed and screamed,” Zach’s sister, senior Taylor McDonnell, said. Zach McDonnell’s family was really supportive, but were anxious to see how he would do. “I was excited, but nervous for him. Jeopardy! is not an easy game show, so I worried he would embarrass himself,” Taylor McDonnell said. Zach McDonnell spent the month before the tournament studying material he was not familiar with that has been on Jeopardy! before, including the Bible, opera and classical music, and Shakespeare. “Studying didn’t really help me. There was one classical music question that I knew because I prepared, but other than that, I think it’s just the

Donnell’s trip to Los Angeles, paying for his airline ticket, his hotel room, and awarded him $675 for food and other expenses. His mother, Karen McDonnell, and his sister also went to California to watch Zach compete. The family had a relative living close by, so before the show, the group went sight-seeing. “We stayed in the Hilton in Universal City, which was near a lot of sites. We got to see the Walk of Fame, and we went to the Financial District, Beverly Hills, and Venice Beach. My favorite part of the trip was going to Venice Beach; that’s where parts of Friends with Benefits, Valentine’s Day, and White Boys Can’t Jump were filmed. Also, the video for “Sexy and I Know It” was shot there, too,” Zach McDonnell said. Once Zach McDonnell arrived at set, he became aware of his nerves. “I was definitely nervous. Everyone was incredibly nervous. Before we began, I was like, ‘Oh my God,’” he said. “I really had no idea how I was going to do. I wanted to win, but my greatest fear was that I wouldn’t know any of the questions.” Right before filming, contestants had the opportunity to perfect their skills in a rehearsal. During the practice round, competitors learned to use the buzzer and gradually became more comfortable on set. The competition spanned two days. On the first day of the tournament (Jan. 5), quarter finals were filmed, and on the second day (Jan. 7), semifinals and the championship round were shot. Prior to Final Jeopardy, Zach McDonnell won almost $6,000. He answered the last question remaining on the board, worth $2,000, incorrectly, lowering his total from $7,800 to $5,800. In Final Jeopardy, he bet his entire total, and answered the question right, allowing him to end the game with $11,600. “We were thrilled for Zach, and really proud of him. Watching the show was definitely nerve-racking,” Karen McDonnell said. Because he was not wellversed in any of the categories, Zach McDonnell had a difficult time answering the questions. Math and information technology were two of his weakest areas. “I started to get so frustrated that I didn’t know any of the categories that I lost my cool with the buzzer. I just kept telling myself, ‘Oh, I need to do better,” Zach McDonnell said. “By my standards, I didn’t do very well. I answered two questions wrong and twelve right. The guy I competed against did extremely well; he answered 30 questions right and only got a couple wrong. The girl I competed against did about as well as me. She answered twelve right and got one wrong, but she ended up winning the whole thing.” Although Zach McDonnell felt as though he could have done better, he accredited the trip as a great experience. “It was really fun, I only wish I could’ve done better. I have never been west of Ohio, so when I went to California, I fell in love. It was one of my greatest memories, for sure,” Zach McDonnell said. n