Sept. Issue by valerie Kibler

The

newsstreak

where every person has a story

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

Volume XIC • Issue 2• September 23, 2011

Marching band prepares for competitive season Christy Stearn

editor-in-chief

One, two, three, two, two three... The HHS marching Streaks parade on to the field for the halftime show during the home game versus Handley High School. Band members practice every day after school in an effort to improve for Friday night pep band and weekend competitions. Photo by Paulina Rendon.

See BAND on Page A3

newsstreak.com

Native garden serves as an outdoor laboratory

Updated sports scores Feature package stories Advertisement forms Breaking News Video footage Reviews and blogs Poll of the week Picture of the day

[which are a type of sunflower and we could get enough plants that Vanessa Ehrenpreis black eyed susan] into HHS’s na- are native to Rockingham Couneditor-in-chief tive garden. The garden currently ty,” Jackson said. “We’ve already

elianthus decapetalus, and Rudbeckia hirta are not characters from the latest science fiction novel, they are plant species native to Rockingham County. Physics teacher Andy Jackson has incorporated both the species

What’s up with Renaissance? Fall sports team updates Homecoming recap The 7 correlates of highly effective schools International festival The scoop on our clubs and a round-up of our activity schedule Focus on job/career opportunities in a bad economy

T Signals. Drum major senior Gwen Elwood, motions to the marching band before beginning the half-time show on Sept 2. The marching band competed at the Milbrook Invitational last weekend. Photo by Paulina Rendon.

news editor

his year seems to be the year of change. Old policies that had been unchanged for years got a fresh new update, and new policies have tightened many of the loose ends the old policies didn’t cover. One of these updates includes a new tardy policy. According to the old policy, one tardy lead to a warning, with no detentions until up to five tardies. The new policy introduces lunch detentions. “If [students] don’t have an excuse, a reason for being late, then they’ll be assigned a day of lunch detention,” said Principal Tracy Shaver. “After five days of lunch detention, they’ll be assigned not only lunch detention, but after

NEWS this issue

had some interest from professors at JMU [regarding the garden]... It’s a very interesting place.” Jackson “technically” started the garden in the spring of 2008 when he was approached by the Pure Water Forum and Cargill with a small grant to improve HHS’s water quality through gardening. Jackson and former AP Environmental Science teacher Ross Bair began the project by growing a test strip of plants to determine what species could thrive in the type of soils present in the area. The garden has since expanded its scope, and no longer focuses on water quality as its core purpose. Jackson now envisions the area as an “outdoor laboratory.” “We hope the garden can be

See NATIVE on page A3

staff reporter

With a new school year comes new standards. Last year, HHS’s SOL scores dropped in twelve categories, throughout the four main subjects of math, english, science and social studies. The SOL’s, [the Standards of Learning] are mandatory in the state of Virginia from third grade all the way through certain high school classes. These tests are a way for the Virginia Department of Education to outline the goals and objectives of the state’s curriculum. HHS could loose it’s accreditation as a result of it’s lowered scores. “Harrisonburg High School might lose it’s accreditation due to the low scores and on-time graduation rate that is well below state average,” principal Tracy Shaver said. Shaver is coming to HHS with a new approach to many of the old policies. Increasing test scores is one of Shaver’s priorities. “To increase [test] scores, there are a variety of choices,” Shaver said. “I want to create a culture and climate of high expectations and a safe and respectful learning experience.” The test scores are calculated by the state. All the scores of state public schools are available online. HHS’s ESL students and special education students scores are also included in the calculations. “Transfer students scores don’t count against us for their first year here,” Shaver said. Shaver has ideas of how to improve scores from his previous experience at Mananas Park High. “This year a principal has been designated a grade level. Each principal will monitor the students and if their grades start to fall. Then the principal will contact the student and see what is needed to help,” Shaver said. Shaver has done a lot around the school to improve scores. Last seaosn’s football team’s GPA struggles were well documented in the news. The team’s GPA last season was an average 2.3. This year Shaver implemented and enforced the study hall rule for students. Study hall is now from when school lets out to 3:30 p.m. All students are placed in the Commons area and supervised while they do their homework. However, if the students have a GPA of a 3.0 or higher, they are exempt. Walk-throughs are now in full swing. The head of the department will come in, sit down, and listen to a lesson. Then he or she engages in a conversation with select students to ask them about what all they have learned in the day’s class. Shaver hopes these steps will yield a rise in test scores this year. n

New tardy policy aims to decrease student absences Kavya Behraj

Inside

houses 29 native species, with a total of 311 plants. Jackson is the mastermind behind the experimental oasis, and has high hopes for it’s future. “I originally just wanted the plants to be native to Virginia, but Karl Shenk [who researched what species to put in the garden] said It’s hoppin’! A grasshopper remains still, in hopes of appearing invisible. The native garden, located outside of the boy’s team locker room, is full of plant and animal life. Photo by Vanessa Ehrenpreis

Freeze Frame

HHS’s SOL scores drop, accreditation in jeopardy Mitch Depoy

fter a summer filled with camps and workshops, HHS band members are finally ready to flaunt their talent. With the first invitational of the year under their belt, the marching band is eager to showcase their expertise in future competitions this season. The marching band practices Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 2:40 p.m. until 5:30 p.m., and Fridays right after school when HHS hosts a home football game. After their Friday practice, the band enjoys a team meal before suiting up for their game day performance. Practices typically begin with a warm-up preceded by a run-through of the band’s show. Depending on the success of the run-through, the band works to improve specific sections and perfect their technique. The marching band is currently trying to incorporate visual elements including dancing, chanting, and face paint into their routine. Hundreds of hours of repetition help prepare band members for their upcoming competitions. This season, the marching band is participating in four competitions: Millbrook Invitational at Millbrook High School, the Shenandoah Valley Marching Invitational (SVMI) at HHS, Parade of Champions (POC) at James Madison University, and Virginia Band & Orchestra Director’s Assessment (VBODA) at MHS. Invitationals and competitions are scheduled on Saturdays throughout September and October. The marching band usually performs in four or five competitions each year, and, in previous years, has

Coming Up:

Page A3

school detention [as well] for the next few [days].” If the student does not stop being late after that, the student is assigned Saturday school. If Saturday school does not work, an assistant principal will call home to assign in-school suspension. “Hopefully we don’t get to that point,” Shaver said. “I’ve been looking at the number of tardies for students coming in to school. It’s been pretty low, but pretty consistent, every single day.” Shaver accounts the low tardies to the new policy of lunch detention on the first tardy, an immediate punishment. “When they receive that lunch detention, [it is] a deterrent,” Shaver said. “There’s an accountability piece there that deters students from being habitually tardy on a consistent basis. So it seems

to work pretty well.” Shaver agrees that there are certainly some legitimate reasons for being late to school. “Sometimes, the alarm doesn’t go off. I think it’s happened to everybody; it’s even happened to me,” Shaver said. In those instances, a parent can write a note or call into school excusing a child up to five times a semester. After five times, however, a call goes home to let the parent know their five times are up, and with the next tardy, the student serves lunch detention. “So your alarm doesn’t go off one day, you get a flat tire another day, you get stuck behind the train the third day, the light at the top of the hill doesn’t change because of the fog on a fourth day, okay, by the fifth time you’re out of excuses,” Shaver said. n

STYLE

Exchange students from across the world arrive at HHS.

If a student has an unexcused tardy to school- they must serve lunch detention 1st offense- student must sign a warning that confirms their tardiness 2nd- A conference between the student and teacher 3rd- Notify the student’s parents 4th- A meeting with the student’s parents 5th- Student receives an office referral

THE

Going Viral We take a look at the biggest cultural, musical, and technological fads of the year. Prepare to have Justin Bieber stuck in your head.

How the new tardy policy actually works

SPORTS

A9 Competition cheerleading

hopes for a winning season

experience

Senior Madison Wilson competed in the swim portion of the Patriot Halfman triathalon. She toughed over a mile of salty brine in one of “the best” experiences of her life.

B10

September 23, 2011

News Briefs The HHS Stage Streaks are proud to annouce Les Miserables as the 2012 musical! Tryouts will begin in November Club meetings will begin ASAP! Talk to club officers and mentor to find out when and where meetings will be held. Show your school spirit during HHS’s homecoming/ spirit week From Oct. 10-15! Junior and senior girls, participate in the Powderpuff football game on Oct. 12. Practice will begin the week before the game. There will be early release on Oct. 11 HCPS will be closed on Oct. 13 There will be early release on Oct. 25 for the end of the first nine-weeks Buy your 2011-2012 yearbook - you don’t want to miss a minute of the memories. Books on sale in room 466.

Sports Briefs Come out tonight to support your Streaks at the home football game vs. Turner Ashby! Game starts at 7:30 p.m. The competition cheerleading squad will be competing at Turner Ashby on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. Both the boys and girls basketball teams will be holding an open gym on Sept 27 from 3-5:30 p.m. JV and Varsity Volleyball will play Broadway at home on Sept 27 at 6 and 7:15 p.m. respectively. Boys and girls cross-country has a home meet on Sept. 28 at 5:30 p.m. The football team will play R.E. Lee on Sept 29 at home. Game starts at 7:30 p.m.

The

newsstreak

NEWS- Molly Denman - A2

Activity period schedule changes Nahla Aboutabal

staff reporter

t is no secret that there are a lot of changes taking place this year, but one of the most talked about adjustments has to do with the new activity period schedule. Previously, activity periods happened twice a month between third and fourth block and lasted for half an hour. This year, though, activity period will take place before or after school, depending on the club members’ preference. Many club advisers and club presidents fear that this change will harm their clubs attendance and its effectiveness in the community. Principal Tracy Shaver thinks that the activity period schedule is changing for the better. “We’re going to begin the year without having activity periods during the day. My goal is to increase instructional time, but I also want viable activity periods. I believe that if you are involved, you are a better citizen and a better student,” Shaver said. Many students and club advisers fear that if

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activity period is tampered with, saying they will be twice a the clubs will see a dramatic demonth like before,” Shaver crease in attendance. said. If we see num“I think it will be difficult to Shaver is hoping to have activity period before or af- bers decrease compromise and find a ter school. I have activities then, dramatically...we common ground with stuand I’m sure that other club dents to make the school members do too. We might meet can move activa better learning environless, but we’ll definitely do many ity periods back ment. activities and keep the club go- into the school “I’m making some deing,” said Gwen Elwood, the cisions based on seven president of French Club. “It’s day. correlates that are research nothing to be upset about, we and proven to make -Principal based just have to run with it and get schools better. One of Tracy Shaver those correlates is the used to the new administration’s changes.” ‘opportunity to learn and Shaver also recognizes that student time on task’. I’m attendance might see a decrease and says that trying to maximize that indicator and hopehe will strive to keep activity period alive even fully we have positive outcomes in a variety of if it means moving activity period back to dur- ways,” Shaver said. ing the school day. Shaver said he is very open to new ideas and “If we see numbers decrease dramatically suggestions and he would love to talk to stuthen we will try to see if we can move activity dents and get their thoughts on issues like the periods back to the school day. [But] I’m not new activity period schedule. n n

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Drama participants gear up for one act auditions Ben Marks

staff reporter

ith the start of a new year, the drama production is up in full swing. Auditions for the fall one-act play are gearing up, with a host of new actors trying out. “The themes for the one act vary from year to year,” said senior Dylan Norquest. “Last year, we performed a comedy called The Love Knot, but the year before, we had a tragedy called Hollow that Mr. [Bradley]Walton wrote.” This year, Stanley Swartz is considering several different shows. “We have several new actors trying out this year, which makes it hard for me to decide on one specific show,” Swartz said. Swartz is currently considering five different shows, and added he

will likely not decide which show to do until after auditions. Among the shows being considered is Elephant’s Graveyard, a show about a struggling group of Tennessee circus performers. There is no set theme or topic required for One Act, which allows directors to take full creative liberty in performing a masterpiece. “I’m really excited for this year’s One Act,” said junior Nancy Carrie Logan. “You get to travel and participate in different competitions, and the audience doesn’t know what to expect from you.” The One-Act team participates in two competitions. The Virginia High School League one-act competition which takes place in midOctober, where actors go to a local high school and compete. During VHSL tournaments, actors are given a 45-minute limit for their show, which includes tak-

ing the set on and off the stage. Historically, the HHS Stagestreaks have performed quite well in the VHSL tournaments, with a state championship in 2007 and frequent state appearances. Paul Hairston and Emmett Copeland both received acting awards at last year’s performance, ranking them among the top five percent of actors in the state. The students also participate in the One Act theater festival, which is held in the Hyatt Regency hotel in Reston, Virginia on Halloween weekend. Different schools from across the state come to participate in workshops on acting and technical theatre, and view dramas other schools perform. A panel of judges votes on the different dramas, and the best four are given an Encore performance on Sunday morning, before a formal Lunch and an

awards ceremony. Auditions for the One Act take place in the auditorium, where actors get on the stage in front of everyone to perform monologues. “It’s really awkward for the first three or four people to get up in front of all their friends to perform,” Norquest said. “But after the first few have gone through, everyone starts to relax a bit.” In addition to performing a monologue, Swartz often asks students to change slight parts of their performance, to give insight as to how well actors can adapt and present different parts of their personality. Once the cast is chosen, a month of rehearsal beckons before the first performance. “I’m incredibly excited for One Act this year,” Norquest said. “We always have tons of fun running the show.” n

Native garden will open opportunities for earth scientists Jackson admits that class par-

“The Governor’s School did a

yet,” but it has provided a few students with other advantages. “Some students who volunteered in the garden got summer jobs at Nature’s Garden because of it. A few of them are even interested in it as a career field,” Jackson said. Although few HHS students have used the garden as an “outdoor laboratory,” students from across the area who attended the Valley Ridge Governor’s School this summer were able to study the geological formations in the garden’s steep rock wall. Earth science and Horticulture teacher Virginia Greenlaw was a staff member for the camp, and is fascinated by the camper’s findings.

rock wall. They found microfossils that were little teeth called conodonts. The animals that the teeth belonged to were, at the biggest, twomillimeters long,” Greenlaw said, obviously excited by the new scientific findings. This indicates that the rock was buried 12 kilometers below the surface, and got to a really, really hot temperature... It’s so cool to find stuff like that!” Greenlaw hopes to do a similar activity in her earth science class, if time permits. VRGS’s experiments exemplify the interdisciplinary possibilities of the native garden. Greenlaw plans to use the plants for her horticulture class. The class will be assigned a project about plants

NATIVE from Page A1 ticipation in the garden “isn’t there project with the limestone in the used as a lab for all of our science classes... there are so many aspects of it. The horticulture class can test and see the difference between native and store bought species. The geology class can test the soils and examine the fossils we’ve found. The biology class can see what insects come to the plants, and see if there’s an increase in biological life in general,” Jackson said. As plant life expands, so does biological life. Jackson has actually found a mouse carcass that shows evidence of falcon predation-- exemplifying that the garden is not just about plants, and can be used in many scientific fields.

native to Virginia, and will harvest seeds from plants in the garden, to study the characteristics of native species. Greenlaw also hopes to use the garden in her earth science class to continue the study of it’s geological formations. “I love them [the geology and flora of the garden]. I love the plants and the rocks, and want to work with both,” Greenlaw said. Jackson hopes to gradually broaden the garden’s borders. He has roughly formulated ways to develop the garden far beyond it’s current chain-link fence. “There could be several different ways to expand the garden. As of now we’ve only planted the flat part of the garden; we haven’t looked at the steep shale and limestone hill right beside it. There are

certain species of plants that have evolved to live in what’s called a shale barren [the type of ecosystem beside the native garden] and I’m beginning to research what could be planted there,” Jackson said. A simpler form of expansion being considered is planting around the outside of the fence to “soften up the look of the garden.” Jackson is even contemplating a much larger project-- “carefully” planting the large hill behind HHS. Doing so could reduce erosion caused by constant lawn mowing. Although Jackson is planning for the future, he is pleased with the current appearance of the garden. “It’s beautiful, and in full bloom right now... You’ve got to go see it!” n

Band practicing hard for competitions, NYC performance BAND from Page A1 Classic, the Oakton Classic, and the North Stafford Invitational. The Seventh Annual Millbrook PreFestival Showcase was held on Sept. 17, and was the first competition the marching band participated in. Unlike other invitationals, the showcase offered two venues, a morning clinic exhibition and an afternoon contest. At the morning workshop, bands played their pieces for a group of judges who then critiqued their performance. After the band was evaluated and given feedback, they performed again later, this time to be assessed. The band’s next competition, SVMI, will be held tomorrow, Sept 24, and will be co-presented by HHS and Broadway High School. Parents will volunteer at the festi-

val, along with Friday Night band members who will be on hand to assist as available. The following invitational, POC, is scheduled for October 22. Because it is the band’s largest and most significant competition of the season, many members are anxious for the festival. “I’m probably most excited about POC because it’s at JMU, and it’s our biggest performance of the year. We’ll be performing at the new stadium, which is really cool, and it’ll be my senior year, which will make it that much better,” senior drum major Gwen Elwood said. On Oct 29, the VBODA State Assessment will mark the end of the marching band’s season. VBODA, an organization of high school, middle school, and elementary school band and orchestra directors within Virgina, will assign each contestant a rating

of I (Superior); II (Excellent); III (Good); IV (Fair); or V (Poor). The marching band has a track record that includes several prestigious awards and recognitions for both the band and individual sections. Last year, the band placed in the top percentile at every competition, was named 2010 Grand Champion at the Millbrook Invitational, placed second in their class, and fourth out of 21 bands overall at the Monticello Jefferson Classic, was ranked third in their class, and eighth out of 42 bands overall at POC, and was recognized as an honor band at VBODA. Band members additionally earned color guard and general effects awards, and the drum line boasted an almost undefeated season. This year, students and instructors hope to continue the tradition despite the loss of senior members who accounted for a large

percentage of the band. “The band this year has so many freshmen and sophomores, and only eight competitive seniors,” Elwood said. “It’s always really hard to tell if we’ll do well [this season], but I think we will based on our rehearsals. You just never know how you’ll do compared to the competing bands though.” HHS’s marching band has also organized a trip to New York City Nov 8-12. Members plan to stay in the Big Apple for five days to perform in the Veteran’s Day Parade in front of around 2,000 people in Time Square. As the season progresses, the band aspires to reach the high expectations that were set for the year. Band members will continue to strive to maintain accurate and consistent performances, and work together to put on the best show possible. n

HOMECOMING 2011 October 10-15 Join Us at CLUB HHS!

HHS Student Council Association

YOU’RE A PART OF SOMETHING GREAT!

Dance: Saturday, October 15 Time: 8-11:30 Dress: Semi-formal Tickets: $15/person - available in room 444 NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR!!!! Permission slips must be turned in in advance for out-of-school guests

September, 23, 2011

The

newsstreak

NEWS -Kavya Beheraj - A3

Spanish exchange student Llago comes to U.S. Rafael Snell-Feikema staff reporter

change because she was interested in going to Spain, and she generally enjoys other cultures. The exchange was setup in an unofficial manner when Mary Weber, a Spanish teacher at Broadway High School, mentioned that she had a good friend in Spain wanting to enter her daughter into a program with someone in the United States. Kniss and her family were able to house her and accepted. For these two girls, the language barrier has not been too troublesome; Kniss said, “Laura speaks English really well; it’s never a problem.” But Llago has found some difficulty in understanding colloquial

foreign exchange student has the opportunity to learn about other cultures, meet new people, and face the challenge of speaking in an entirely different language. Many students wonder about this experience and the experience of hosting an exchange student. Junior Jenny Kniss has learned about hosting an exchange student first hand by hosting Laura Llago, a student from the town of L’eliana in the Valencia region of Spain. Kniss participated in this ex-

English. “It is hard to understand people when they talk very fast. Sometimes I have trouble expressing myself in English,” Llago said. Cultural differences across countries are evidenced in some ways through differences in schooling. Llago found some specific examples of this in her exchange. “In the schools in Spain, you choose a specific path in the high school, like science or social studies or languages. I like the school better here. There are more options for classes,” Llago said. Laura has also found that cultural differences extend beyond

school hours. “People eat at any time here. In Spain... we have certain times when we eat and go to restaurants. Here, they eat very early. You eat lunch at 1 [p.m.] and supper at 6 [p.m.],” Llago said. “In Spain it would be lunch at 2 [p.m.] and supper at 9 [p.m.].” Cultural exchange is not an entirely new experience for Llago. She has been to the United States before, which lessened any culture shock. But she noted one dramatic difference between here and Spain.

“It is so green here, and there are so many trees and so much open space,” she said. In her similarly sized town in Spain it is much more compressed, concrete dominating the city’s landscape. She says the countryside surrounding L’eliana is filled with things rarely seen here, like vineyards, and a different sort of farm than those around Harrisonburg. Llago is here for one month before she returns to Spain. n

Stetten arrives at HHS as part of ASPECT exchange Katrina Sokolyuk

style editor

erman exchange student Marie Von Stetten has a lot to get used to including a new school, and a new country as well. Von Stetten, who is a junior at HHS this year, hails from Heidelberg, Germany, and is staying in the States for ten months through the ASPECT Foundation’s foreign exchange-student program, which a friend recommended to her. “I thought a long time about [participating in this exchange program],” Von Stetten said. “I thought about it for almost a year and a half, but now I am glad that I decided to do it.” Von Stetten has been learning English since the fifth grade, and decided to take part in an immersion program in order to better her English, see a new country and culture, and to make new friends. “What surprised me the most is how

open people are. Everyone says ‘hello’ to me, and asks me how I am doing. It’s very new to me,” Von Stetten said. Another thing that surprised Von Stetten during her first days was that every classroom had an American flag hanging in it. “At first, I thought that they were up because it was the first day of school. But then they stayed up for the second and third days, and I was like, ‘What?’. It is very strange for me,” Von Stetten said, laughing. One of Von Stetten’s favorite experiences so far was a trip to Chicago with the foundation’s 24 other German students. These students are spread all over the United States in American high schools. Von Stetten, like the other students, is excited to see other large cities

like New York City and Washington DC. “Everything in America is much bigger-the streets, the schools. Everything!” said Von Stetton, who was wowed by the size of HHS compared to her school in Germany. “And in American schools, I really like

that you can choose what classes you want to take. In Germany, we don’t have that. [HHS] is more fun.” Von Stetten is choosing to take Latin, choir, and participate in cross country during her time in Harrisonburg. n

Welcome! German exchange student Marie Von Stetten is welcomed by her host parents, Gloria and Jack Rutt.

Zumba club begins its first year Celia Ehrenpreis advertising manager

D Guten Tag! Stetten with her family in Heidelberg, Germany.

Online report cards newly available Chris Sokolyuk staff reporter

ecently a new system has been implemented that allows parents to check their kids’ grades online. Many students worry about their grades almost as much as their parents. This is the first year that parents can see their child’s grades whenever they want. As parents have an easier time to check on the student, hopefully more students will be driven to achieve higher grades. Parents and teachers have no problems with this new system. Guidance Director Amy Powers, who is in charge of this online report card, said she is very pleased with the idea that students will not only be pushed to succeed by their teachers, but by their parents, too. “Students shouldn’t be upset [because of the system],” Powers said. Some HHS students don’t mind the fact that their parents get to see their grades online, while others are against it. “I think that [the system] is not a good idea. You might get a bad grade on something, so when your parents notice that grade, they will assume that you have

not tried your best and punish you,” junior Alan Pineda said. While some students think that this will just end up with the student getting punished, others think otherwise. “I have no problem with it. I thinks it’s positive because my parents can encourage me to work better and not slack off. If they see that I am doing well, they can be satisfied and [can] always be up to date,” junior Mark Chepelyuk said. Some students do not believe that allowing their parents the opportunity to see their grades will increase their productivity. “It depends, because not all parents know how to use a computer, but the parents who can use computers [might have] their [students’] grades go up. Some students don’t care, though,” Pineda said. This online report card is an easy way for parents to keep their children under surveillance. For example, if the student is not doing their homework or they are just slacking, the parents can go online and check on his/her child’s grades. Parents can receive a parent portal log-in by contacting the HHS guidance department. Student portal log-ins will be available soon. n

o you ever feel like you just need to take a time-out from school and dance? Some students at the high school seemed to feel the same way. With the creation of the Zumba club, students now have that opportunity. Zumba is an aerobic exercise program updated with the Latin style of dance and music, that is a unique mix of cardiovascular and strength work. The president of the club, senior Joanna Hernandez, has enjoyed dancing Zumba for two years. “Leo Lopez, the treasurer, had the idea to create the club. At first I was not sure if it was a good idea, but then it started to grow on me,” Hernandez said. “A lot of people are not exposed to Zumba, but now that it is a club I think people will be

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Now that [Zumba is a club I think people will be interested.

-Zumba Club Pres., Joanna Hernandez

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interested. It’s a great way to stay fit,” Hernandez said. Before the club could start up, they need a certified instructor. The Zumba teacher from the Wellness Center, Kia Johnson, was able to partner with the club. The club will consist of a 45-minute meeting, and is free for everyone. Anyone who is interested in attending the first meeting should wear movable clothing as well as shoes with traction. “We are hoping to hold [the meeting] in the gym, but since the activity period schedule is

not quite figured out, we cannot be sure of the details,” Hernandez said. The county fair experienced a flash mob of Zumba dancers from all over the area, including the officers from our very own Zumba club at HHS. The song that the performers danced to was Carpirinha by Carinho, and Johnson the club instructor, choreographed the dance. Zumba dance has swept the nation, teenagers and adults are starting to dance. If the club takes off, Hernandez says they will make Zumba club t-shirts. “I think it’s pretty cool that people who normally do not exercise can get fit with a whole new type of workout. Zumba offers many new and alternative ways to lose weight. Everyone has a different style of exercise, [so] it is great that people who enjoy dance now have a way to be healthy,” Hernandez said. n

Zumba! Junior Paul Hairston and seniors Taylor Bailey, Joanna Hernandez, Sarina Hartman, and Leo Lopez take publicity photos for the Zumba club. Photo courtesy of Paul Hairston.

SPIRIT WEEK Monday - Tie Dye Day

HHS Student Council Association

YOU’RE A PART OF SOMETHING GREAT!

Wear your favorite Tie Dye items and come by room 444 to enter the daily dress up competition for your grade.

September 23, 2011

The

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September 23, 2011

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.

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 - Emily Jamieson Style - Katrina Sokolyuk Feature - Paulina Rendon Sports - Jake Durden Fun Director & Advertising Manager : Celia Ehrenpreis and Austin Coffey Photographers: Emily Jamieson, Paulina Rendon, Anastasiya Kalyuk, Jack Burden Cartoonist: Kari King Page Designers: Christy Stearn, Emily Jamieson, Vanessa Ehrenpreis, Paulina Rendon, Jake Durden, Mia Karr, Kavya Beheraj, Katrina Sokolyuk, Mark Duda, Celia Ehrenpreis, Chris Sokolyuk, Sydney Little, Sydney Knupp 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, Manny Gomez, 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

Professional Affiliations

The Newsstreak participates as a member of several journalistic evaluation services including the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA-2010 Gold Evaluation and 2005 & 2009 Silver Crown Winner), Quill&Scroll Journalism Honor Society (2010 First Place International Award), National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), the Virginia High School League, Inc. Trophy Class Award, and the Southern Interscholastic Press Association All Southern Ranking and 2010 Scroggins Award winner.

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The

newsstreak

OPINION- Mia Karr- A5

Student body outrage over changes may be misdirected Staff Editorial

hanges. That has been the buzzword at HHS lately and with good reason, as there have been some changes here recently. For one, we have a new principal, Terry Shaver. There are also some new policy changes. Before we get too far into this editorial, we would like to list all the actual changes the new administration has made: - seniors only get out two minutes early for lunch instead of five. - there are no activity periods during school. -stricter tardy and detention policies are now in place Elimination of early release and late arrival, security cameras, and year long classes are all orders from the school board. Preexisting rules are also being enforced more strictly than in the past. For example, teachers are actually checking for passes in the hallway and students are actually expected to follow the dress code. It just so happens that at the same time they decided to make these changes and enforce the rules, we got a new principal. So to the average student, it looks like Shaver is single handedly changing our school. And to upperclassmen, this is overwhelming. On day three of the 2011-2012 school year, the senior class had their yearly meeting. Three PowerPoint slides of new rules led to general unrest and student outbursts directed at Shaver, which at first seemed funny but soon divulged into yelling and, for many students, second hand embarrassment. By the

next day, the administration had changed the presentation to not include the new rules and the assemblies for the other grades went more smoothly. However, student anger was still palpable. The hallways were tense with mumbling about being treated like criminals and sly jabs about Orwellian dystopias. Facebook was blowing up. Students felt like they were being treated like children when they wanted to be treated like adults. Well, now we have some opportunities to show how grown up we really are. The good news is this: both students and administration are beginning to work towards compromise. (So, we’re already better off than Congress!) Shaver has met with class and SCA officers. He will be communicating with the class at large through the students we elected to represent us. Just like in the adult world, if we are truly fired up, we call our Representatives. Another way to make complaints known is to use one of our first amendment rights: petition. For example, if we want our activity periods back--and many of us do-- maybe we should write a

petition and get as many student signatures as we can and give the petition to our officers or present it to the school board. This will legitimize our requests. Besides, this is how you make a change in the adult world and we want to be treated like adults, right? However, what we need to realize is there are some things we simply cannot change. Therefore, when we make demands, they must be reasonable and for the right reasons. Students must also carefully examine their reasons for being upset: are they truly offended by Shaver and the new rules, or are they just jumping on the collective anger bandwagon? Students also need to realize that Shaver and the school board are not doing what they do to make us miserable. They really do want us to do well and have the best opportunities we can, thinking otherwise would be ridiculous. When we are mad about the increased focus on instructional time, we should just remember: we all did not pass our SOLs last year. Teachers can make some adjustments too. Newsstreak staff members have heard a considerable number of teachers mak-

this

and being prepared for college declined, and the make-up of students in honors, dual-enrollment, and Advanced Placement classes did not mirror the diversity that exists at HHS. The journey to high expectations, equity, and sustainable positive results requires schools such as ours to have a common language along with an unwavering vision that all students will be successful learners prepared with the necessary knowledge, skills, dispositions, and experiences to attend college, be successful in the workforce, and be contributing members of society. Over the past several weeks, the faculty as well as class and SCA officers have had an opportunity to share where we are on the “Effective Schools Model” for high performing schools. The “Effective Schools Model” is based on more than 30 years of research and identifies seven correlates that can predict increases in achievement at all levels regardless of a student’s socio-economic background, race, gender, or ethnic identification. The seven correlates include a clear and focused mission, opportunity to learn and student time on task, climate of high expectations, instructional leadership, positive home-school relations, frequent monitoring of student progress, and a safe, orderly, and respectful school environment.

EmilyJamieson

BELIEVE

Anastasiya Kalyuk staff reporter

By working together and focusing on these seven correlates of high performing schools, I have no doubt that HHS will move from being a very good school to a great school. If you have an idea to improve HHS, then I encourage you to share your idea with myself, one of your teachers, and/ or a class or SCA officer. I will be meeting with faculty, staff, and students throughout the year to discuss and consider things that can improve the functioning of each of these correlates and our school as a whole. So far, the Blue Streaks are off to a great start for the 2011-2012 school year. The football team has won the first two games of the season, the Blue Streak Marching Band sounds terrific, students are engaged in meaningful instruction in the classroom, and there is a purposeful atmosphere where students are meeting the challenge of high expectations and performance. It is evident from daily walkthroughs that teachers are engaging students in meaningful and relevant activities, and students are working hard to set the foundation for a wonderful year of academic successes. As we begin another school year, let us work together to provide the very best educational experience so that all students can show their Blue Streak Pride by distinguishing themselves in the classroom, on the field, and in any activity while representing Harrisonburg High School - Go Streaks! n

Enjoy what you have while you have it

Jabbin’ with Jamieson

Silence can speak volumes

Shaver responds to concerns t is with a great deal of pleasure and pride that I have been charged with serving Harrisonburg High School. What makes HHS such a great place to teach and learn are the motivated students, supportive parents, a committed community, and dedicated staff members. Harrisonburg High School is a very good school, as evidenced by the following highlights during the 2010-2011 school year: • The number of qualifying scores (3 or higher) on AP exams exceeded the state and national average • Recipient of the VHSL Wachovia Cup for academic excellence due to the performance of the academic, debate, forensic, newspaper, and yearbook teams • The football team won the district and regional titles as well as competed in the state championship game • Recipient of the Blue Ribbon Award for Music Education • Ryan Waligora and Hao “Howard” Zuo were selected as National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists based upon their performance on the PSAT Along with the success at HHS, there are also a number of challenges for us to focus on and overcome. Last year HHS did not meet state or federal benchmarks due to student performance on SOLs and on-time graduation rates, the percentage of students receiving an advanced studies diploma

ing fun of the new rules and new administration. Others openly lament days gone by. This is not professional or very adult. Teachers should support the school administrators and be a little less negative. We have some suggestions for administration as well. Students respond well to administrators and teachers who make personal connections with pupils of all grades, interests, and socioeconomic divisions. In the past, our school has been very supportive of extra curricular activities and the arts, which is something a lot of students care about. Not all students love learning, so connecting with us through our extra curriculars shows that you see us as more than students. There are many rumors floating around about what rules you are going to create, and what your next move is. Set the record straight. Make a pamphlet or handout outlining your new rules and plans for the year so interested students can get the truth. You do not have to try very hard to prove yourself. If you simply show that you care about us and connect with us, the majority of us will like you. Together, we can all make this the best year in HHS history. But we need all of us to co-operate to make that happen. n

ver since I walked through HHS’s doors, I have been waiting to get out of here -- out of Harrisonburg, out of this school. Maybe even out of this state. Now that I am a senior, I find myself not

wanting to leave. Freshmen, enjoy your high school years. What “they” say is true. High school years are the best of your life, even if it does not seem that way at the time. You will see when you get to be a senior. Sophomores...um, do the same as freshmen. When I was a freshman and sophomore all I did was complain about being in high school. All I wanted to do was be a senior and get out of high school. Now that I am a senior, I wish I had enjoyed those freshman and sophomore years a little more. Juniors, this year is the year that counts the most. Work your hardest and do your best. I did not really

do either one of those, I just slacked off and I regret it a lot. I wish I had worked harder my junior year, but I did not so I have to deal with the consequences. Also, juniors, do not rush to be a senior, it is really not that great because everything that you have been looking forward to, has changed; along with HHS. Now that I am a senior, I wish I could go back and be at least a sophomore again. I find myself thinking, “Oh well when I come back next year I’ll..” and abruptly stop my thought process because I realize I will not be here next year. It is really sad, when you think about it. You spend years and years building friendships with your peers and then all of a sudden college comes around and is going to take more than half of them away. Basically, what I am trying to say is enjoy your high school years while they are still around. Enjoy your friends while they are still in the same city as you. Enjoy going to school. Just enjoy everything while it is in front of you. Trust me, nostalgia is not a fun feeling. n

believe in silence. Silence is the loudest way to communicate how you feel. This could be the cliche of not speaking to someone after an argument to get your point across, even though one of you desperately needs to say I’m sorry. It could be looking at someone in a way where they understand everything you are feeling, whether it is sadness, happiness, love or lust. Saying something too much soon takes away the meaning of your words, for example, saying “I hate you,” is powerful but we say it so much it does not phase us quite as it should. I believe that silence could be the biggest cry for help or even the biggest blessing. When you have nothing to say you have the ability to evaluate everything around you, and pick apart people’s words where they can impact your life. If you talk too much you could forget the point of something important or clever someone said. You could miss the big picture. I believe that thinking, analyzing and wondering are all forms of silence that we all take for granted. Especially when we say or act on something ignorant without understanding it thoroughly. Young people do that most often. They listen to other peoples’ opinions and make them their own. Without guidance and having knowledge on a subject, it is hard to fully believe in what you are saying. If you pick apart information that sounds right to you, you start developing your own opinion. Developing that is difficult without knowing how to put valuable information in one ear and something you do not believe in the other. Just accepting things and passing them along makes you spineless. That is why I believe in taking a moment and hearing out what everyone else has to say. Silence can prove a bigger point than violence, it proves maturity at times, or maybe even childishness. In a room of twenty people who are speaking or yelling at the top of their lungs, who would hear any of them? One silent person can break the mold because when those people finally notice you, they’ll want to know what you have to say. That is why I believe in silence. n

September 23, 2011

The

newsstreak

OPINION -Emily Jamieson - A6

Ansah considers upgrading phone Ama Ansah

online reporter

o, it’s time for me to upgrade my phone. Actually, it’s been time for a while now, but I just can not bring myself to get rid of my old phone. I have become attached to it, which is problematic as it is a piece of crap. Upgrading never occurred to me until my mom’s phone died. When we took it to the store to get it fixed, they told us that her phone and my phone were available for free trade-ups. Mom traded in her phone because the current one was dead, but I would not give mine away. I made excuses. “Well, I have to shop around some.” “I want to see what my options are.” “I need time to think it over.” Really, the truth was I did not want to give up my phone. My phone is one of the old LG Rumor models. I got it the summer before I started high school and it is the only phone I have ever had. While my friends and peers lost, broke, and replaced their phones, I hung on to my basic little model. I did not see any need to upgrade or to be on the cutting edge. I really only needed my phone for making calls and texting. In the past

year or so, everyone has traded in for a smartphone. Sometimes, I have wished my phone could surf the Internet, but that is fifteen dollars extra a month and I am not willing to pay. Besides, I soon realized that people are totally willing to let you use their smart phone as long as you compliment it, act amazed by the graphics, and do not look up weird stuff. I have looked at the Sprint store for phone replacements. I feel guilty for it, like I am cheating on my phone. Everything is touch screen, which has its benefits I suppose. But the keyboards are all different from the one I have now. I know that this is the case with every phone, each key board is different from the next and I would learn to use it eventually. But I do not want to have to get used to it, I like my current phone’s keyboard. Well, the keyboard layout, not the keyboard itself. Some of the keys are not working very well anymore. Actually, that is the case with a lot of the keys on my phone, they

are so worn down from three years of thumbing that they can not function properly. That is why most of my text messages look like the result of multiple shots of vodka. Oddly enough, I am following the Kübler-Ross model almost perfectly. The Kübler-Ross model is more commonly known as the Five Stages Of Grief. I was in the Denial stage for the past year, as my phone’s condition became progressively worse. I experienced Anger when I could not find a phone I liked enough to replace it. As for Bargaining, I considered sending the phone back to the maker and asking them to give it a new set of keys, but they would probably just keep it and send me credit for a new one. Now I’m depressed. I was hoping writing this column would lead to acceptance, but it has not. I suppose that will only come when I actually get a new phone and am forced to accept it. n

Students learn to adjust to new schedule Ben Marks

staff reporter

he change from a mixed schedule of semester and full year classes was first discussed last year. With nearly strong support from the teachers, the policy change began this year. Proponents of the plan argued that it allowed for continuous learning in all subjects. However, the reality is that such a plan is not only impractical for the average student, but rather damages their ability to learn about subjects they find fascinating. True, having full year subjects does prevent the possibility of going a full year without taking a math class. However, who would honestly be hurt by this? As a general rule, the concepts classes are full-year regardless, so those who truly struggle with subjects will still be able to take them year round. On the other end of the extreme, AP students would not struggle even if they did go without a class for a full year. Never mind that most AP classes are full year anyway.

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In other words, the only say nothing of the students students who actually took a who didn’t start taking Spanfull supply of semester classes They are also ish in middle school. Foreign were the middlemen. These the students, who, language students are arguwere the students who, even if now that semester ably the most affected when they did miss a year of math classes have been they miss taking a class for could pick it up again quickly removed, cannot an entire year, but replacwithout too much trouble. double up on the ing that with a system that They are also the students, makes it virtually impossible who, now that semester class- classes they enjoy. to learn in all the classes the es have been removed, cannot -Ben Marks school has to offer makes double up on the classes they little sense. Staff Reporter enjoy. There’s no more takAdditionally, it’s no longer ing multiple tech-ed classes possible to power through a that they may use in a future class that you don’t like. Say, career, or doubling up on English to speed up for example, a student needs to take a history graduation. class, but absolutely hates the subject. They can Furthermore, some classes were structured no longer sign up for a semester class and only in a way that required semester classes. Take subject themselves to a topic they hate for half Spanish, for example. Even if a student took a the year. There is no more “slogging through” 18 Spanish class their eighth grade year of middle weeks of a class to move on to something better school, they would still have to double up at in the next semester. The schedule change polileast once in order to take AP Spanish their cy thus not only prevents students from taking senior year. Now, it’s physically impossible to more of the classes they love, but from putting take AP Spanish without skipping a class, to the classes they hate behind them. n

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Let’s get back to art of old-fashioned letter writing Mia Karr

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staff reporter

E-mail is too slow.” I think I actually uttered those words. It seems crazy to think that something that allows you to communicate in seconds would not be quick enough for me, but recently I have become annoyed that I can not get an instantaneous response to my messages. I think many of us today have come to expect everything to happen at the speed of light. I have

found that writing letters is a way to take a step back from that. I have been writing letters to my grandmother for almost a year now, and I have learned several things. First off, not every piece of information needs to be communicated quickly. Letters are hopeless for urgent requests, but more powerful for personal messages. They take time and effort- a single emoticon does not constitute a response. The person on the receiving end of the letter knows you re-

ally took a break from your hectic schedule to think of them. Secondly, sometimes waiting can be a good thing. It seems more special to receive a note or letter once a week, or even once a month, than a quick message in your inbox every day. When you are waiting for something good, you feel excited, and, yes, impatient. But if patience is a virtue, maybe we do not exercise it often enough. Sometimes I feel like I am on

a one-woman crusade to save the ancient art of letter writing Emails, texting, and other technology-based ways to communicate have speed and accessibility going for them, and that is definitely not a bad thing. I am very grateful we do not live in the age where writing a letter is the only way to communicate with someone far away. However, letters can be very meaningful. Who wouldn’t want to find an envelope with their name on it in the bottom of the mailbox? n

What’s

HOT

HHS football Season Let’s go Streaks! Football season has started, and we’re loving all the wins! Let’s try to keep it that way

Awesome Red Sea this year! The Red Sea has stepped it up; out with the silence and in with the noise!

One Act beginning Calling all thespians, and drama queens! One act audtitions have begun, and we’re pumped to see what you guys can do!

Prom Venue at the country club Prom 2012 is not going to be held in the cafeteria. It will be held at the country club.

Cell phone usage during school Students are now allowed to use their phone between classes and during lunch

259 days until graduation Seniors, start getting ready for the real world! Graduation is just around the corner! Kind of...

What’s

NOT

Five Guy’s burger a cathartic experience for Waligora Ryan Waligora

guest columnist

ou are an intelligent human being. You are in tune with what your stomach wants, and when your soul needs something, you feel the spiritual tug to sate its desire. Your soul needs a real burger. Your stomach wants Five Guys. Everyone is their own culinary critic (or at least everyone with a functioning tongue). We can all say “I like it” or “ew, get this crap the heck away from my face you sadistic jerk”. Food is ethereal for us; it touches something more than just the slimy bumps in our mouths. Food is special, and all of us have the ability to feel a connection to what we eat, whether it’s a good one or a bad one, and then act on this connection, either by breaking it off as fast as possible or savoring it. Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries plays it

cool. They have a retro-diner type layout, with an almost insultingly simple menu (big burger, little burger, hot dog), and classic rock sliding out of the speakers. It’s as if the eatery is wearing a leather jacket and aviator sunglasses while in the privacy of its own home. They don’t want to show off, but they know that if someone pays a visit they’ll be seen as the badasses they really are. Taste the burger, feel the leather. The Five Guys burger is customizable, which means you basically get to pick what flavors of awesomeness you want on it. It’s kind of like walking up to the pearly gates and having St. Peter ask you what type of heaven you want to go to. The patties are never frozen, and they’re sear-sizzled right in front of you after you place your order. There is no way to describe the taste. It’s like tiny hunks of meat marching into your mouth while singing the Battle Hymn of the Republic, and all you can think is glory glory hallelujah!

The fries are the most sophisticated slices of potato that I’ve ever eaten. While the McDonalds fry enjoys watching Jackass and searching for Fritos between the couch cushions, the Five Guys fry wears a monocle and holds the door open for his many lovers. He knows that he is pure Idaho-grown glory. The Five Guys fry also manages to come across as down-to-earth, a kind of everyman fry, that is as accessible and understandable as it is prestigious. Kind of like a pro-wrestler who attended Eton and now has the neighborhood over every Thursday for a barbecue. Five Guys manages to be humble, and thus come across as friendly and likable, while at the same time backing up their title of “Famous Burgers and Fries” with incredibly outstanding and extraordinary comestibles. Teddy Roosevelt said, “speak softly and carry a big stick”, and Five Guys has a heck of a bludgeon.

Have an idea? Let us know! Write a letter to the editor or submit a coverage idea to www.newsstreak.com or come by room 444!

Parent portal Now student’s parents can see what their child’s grades are online. Spells trouble for some of our more mischievious students...

US Postal Service Bankruptcy Really? A major goverment agency is out of money. Now who is going to deliver our mail?!

Crummy Weather Out with summer weather, and in with cold, rainy unpleasant days.

Natural Disasters First a 5.9 magnitude earthquake, and then two major hurricanes. Cool it mother nature.

Rebel take over of Tripoli, Libya On August 23, rebels seized Gaddafi’s compound in Tripoli-- unofficially confirming a successful revolution.

10th year anniversary of 9/11 All across America, people remembered the unfortunate events that occured on Septermber 11, 2001.

September 23, 2011

9-11 remembered The

newsstreak

STYLE -Katrina Sokolyuk- A7

New memorial opens at site of former Twin Towers in New York Molly Denman News Editor

he Memorial that is being built to honor those who have died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is well on its way to being completed. It was dedicated in a ceremony for victims’ families on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011 which fell on the 10-year anniversary of the attacks. The memorial opened to the public on the following day, Monday, Sept. 12, 2011, even though some construction will continue through the opening. The memorial is located on the site of the former World Trade cen-

ter complex. It includes two large waterfalls which were built in place of the fallen Twin Towers. These waterfalls are about an acre in size each. Bronze panels with the names of the victims of the attack line the pools where the falls empty. Oak trees surround each pool, along with a Callery Pear, also known as the Survivor Tree, because it was found amid the rubble weeks after the attacks and was nursed back to health. Building the memorial is a tribute to those who died and also a place where families who lost loved ones can visit to grieve Others will be able to view the site in which the horrible attacks occurred. n

Remembering 9/11/01 President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama along with President and Laura Bush pause at the North Memorial Pool of the National September 11 Memorial in New York, N.Y., on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks against the United States, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011. Photo from whitehouse.gov.

Walton recollects World Trade Center Tragedy

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promptly [turned] on the Kavya Beheraj ” Walton said. “We news editor TV, had TVs on all over the You can’t stop

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It was as if the world had changed. That things were never ever going to go back to normal again. There was [a] sense that this thing that probably [nobody] thought was really going to happen… had happened,” librarian Bradley Walton said. Walton was at school on Sept 11, 2001. He first heard that something had happened through a technology specialist at the old high school. “He told me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center,” Walton said. “I remember thinking, ‘Okay… is that just an incredible accident, or is it a terrorist attack? Did somebody do that intentionally?’” Senior Amy Guevara, who was in second grade at the time, was also in school. “It was roughly in the morning, so it was probably about the first class of the day. I remember it was math, and we were doing something about the calendar, with those little Popsicle sticks,” Guevara said. Walton immediately went next door to his wife Cara Walton’s room to tell her about it. “Her response was, “Oh, crap!” and then [she]

school.” That seemed to be a very common reaction that day, as more and more people heard about the attacks. News channels were some of the only sources of live and up-to-date information, although the information given and known at the time was sparse until much later. “It was very apparent, very quickly that it was not an accident. It was something that was intentional,” Walton said. Guevara clearly remembers the response of people around her immediately following the attacks. “Just actually being in the city when it happened, and seeing the chaos, seeing the fear, especially in the parents’ eyes as they came in the classrooms looking for their kids. [I remember] everything,” Guevara said. “Kids [were] hiding underneath desks, because there was nothing else to do.” Walton recalls hearing about another teacher who had a student walk into her classroom and see the destruction on the TV for the first time. “He didn’t know about it, up to that point. His first information [about the incident] was that visual of the World Trade Center, with

living. The whole thing was to disrupt life, and life has to go on.

-Librarian Bradley Walton

ton said. “‘I mean… we had a terrorist attack today, thousands of people died… and we are going out for yogurt. Is this an okay thing to do?’” Looking back, Walton believes that it was. The point of the terrorist attacks was to scare, to disarm, to manipulate through fear. And to a large extent, it worked. The reverberations from that day spread all over the United States. “You can’t stop living,” Walton said. “The whole purpose of this thing was to disrupt life, and life has to go on. If anything, I think going out for frozen yogurt that night was an act of defiance, and [it showed] some degree of national solidarity.” Walton went to work the next day, as usual. He noticed that there was an undercurrent of feeling, a mood that was felt on the national level, even, that “everything [was] different.” In retrospect, Walton thinks that was not really the case, but that most people were just caught off guard, Walton included. “Did I expect to see a major terrorist attack on US soil in my lifetime?” Walton said. “Yeah, I guess I probably did, but it’s… still a jolt when it happens.” n

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smoke coming out of both towers,” Walton said. “He looked at the TV, and he said, ‘Oh, F---!’” The teacher did not make any attempt to correct the boy or punish him for his language, because in Walton’s opinion, “what else do you say to something like that?” As the day wore on, most people were glued to the TV, although some teachers did attempt to continue teaching. Walton recalls that all the TVs were on in the library at that time. “I saw the second tower fall, as it happened,” Walton said. “I don’t know how to describe watching that. I guess I felt detached from it, to a certain extent. I don’t know how you… how do you process something like that?” That night, Walton and his family went out to eat frozen yogurt at TCBY. “There was this sense of, ‘Should we be doing this? Is this appropriate?’” Wal-

What was your initial reaction upon hearing of Osama Bin Laden’s death? infographic by Conner Whitehouse

“I wondered, ‘is it true?’ I questioned the validity of it. [I am glad that] the families of loved ones got their justice. ” - Officer Sinclair

“Woohoo! That’s what he gets. I was very pleased.” - Mark Teuting

“Excited. I stayed up late watching the news.” -Kris Vass,

“Exciting, but unnerving that there was such celebration.” - Brendan Derstine, student teacher

“Apathy. It didn’t affect me [emotionally] at the time.” - Ben Frederick

Students, faculty remember Sept. 11, 2001 Celia Ehrenpreis advertising manager

n September 11th 2001, the United States of America suffered a great loss. Four commercial jets intentionally crashed into the the World Trade Center in New York City. All passengers on the planes were killed, as well as thousands of innocent workers in the buildings. Five hijackers took control of an American Airlines plane and crashed it into the Pentagon early that same morning. A final flight that was believed to be heading towards the Capital, or the White House, crashed in Shanksville Pennsylvania after the passengers gained control of plane from the terrorists. Amy Powers, head of the guidance department, remembers the tragic day. “We were at the old high school, and all of the counseling staff went into the career center to watch the television and see what was happening. It turns out I didn’t know anyone who was involved. Thank God,” Powers said. Mr. Rath, a physical education teacher was teaching 9th grade health at the time of the crash. “When we heard what was happening in New York, we turned on the television and watched CNN for

the rest of the day. I called up some of my old buddies from the army who I knew lived up there to make sure everyone was okay.” Rath said. Assistant principal Michael Eye

was at Spotswood High School when the tragedy happened. “I immediately felt disbelief and sympathy for the families in New York . The anger did not happen until a few days later.” Eye said. Eye was not the only person who felt angry, immediately after the tragedy the entire nation had banded together against alQaeda the terrorist group that was in charge of the destruction. The leader of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, denied the attack at first but soon admitted to the crime in 2004. Senior Brian Chicas was 45 minutes outside of New York at the time of the tragedy. “We sat in the corner of the room, and listened to the radio to figure out what was going on,” Chicas said. Senior Mikala Wolter was in second grade when the bombing of the towers happened. “My teacher tried to explain what had happened, with small words for us to understand but I did not Catastrophe The Twin Towers were struck understand it. I remember by four hijacked commercial jets on when I got home, my mom n Sept. 11, 2001 as a means of terrorism. crying,” Wolter said. Photo from state.gov.

“I was happy. He painted muslims in a bad light, and he murdered thousands.” - Zack Kraimeche, 12

“I think we should have just captured him. Now, Al Queda will attack us.” - Kyle Knight, 12

“I couldn’t bring myself to celebrate another’s death. It was different for everyone.” - Alex Hunter-Nickels, 11 “I’m glad that someone who had a negative impact on so many people is gone now. However, I know there are still conflicts to be dealt with.” - Caitlin Kelley, 11

September 23, 2011

The

newsstreak

Chris Sokolyuk- A8

Rotzin and McDonnell share their college admission secrets Mark Duda

managing editor

he college application process can certainly feel overwhelming. One decision can radically alter the course of someone’s life, putting immense pressure on the student to pick the right school. Class of 2011 graduate, Zach McDonnell, now a freshman at William & Mary, did not have strict requirements for schools during his search for places to apply. “I was looking at schools where I thought people would be like minded to me. I knew I would fit in better at a place like William & Mary or Oberlin than, say, Kenyon, which was one of the most beautiful campuses I’ve seen, but I ended up not even applying because I didn’t think I would fit in there,” McDonnell said. Location, however, (after academ-

ic quality) was the factor recent grad Bobby Rotzin, now at UVA, looked for. “Location is everything. You must pick a place you’ll be happy living at for four years and the surrounding area is a big part of that. Charlottesville drew me to UVA. I already have tickets to two concerts, Avett Brothers and Passion Pit, that might not go to smaller towns,” Rotzin said. The college application can be thought of as containing two areas, the objective and the subjective. While the objective numbers- GPA, class rank, SATs- are not up to judgement by the admissions committees, the subjective stats, like your essays, are. “There isn’t much that I can tell you about the essay that a billion other people haven’t, but I really wish I had started on them earlier. People would tell me to start my essays in the summer and I wouldn’t listen, but it’s something you should totally do. Remember that they’re not looking for anything in

particular,” McDonnell said. “I did the common app essay on a favorite teacher. I actually never did the optional essay for William & Mary, and I was sort of surprised I got in [because] I didn’t think I showed interest.” Neither, however, hold serious regrets. “I don’t think I should have started any earlier, but I didn’t apply to as many schools as some other people do. Kids now apply to 10 or 12 schools, and I only applied to six,” Rotzin said. “I wrote two big essays for the common app, one about a childhood experience, and the other was non-traditional. I thought that I didn’t think in five paragraph form, so I should try to write an essay that reflected that. Just remember to write realistic essays. They don’t have to be profound or about life changing experiences.” When it came to final decisions, both McDonnell and Rotzin did not have clearcut choices. McDonnell, choosing between W&M and Oberlin, eventually settled on

Resources to help you pick a college With over 375 different colleges and universities throughout the country, finding the right school for you can be intimidating. Fear no more! These three sources will give you all you need to know on every college you’re interested in, from academics to food quality. In no time, you’ll be an expert on any school.

Collegeboard.org- With an easy-to-navigate website, the College Board has everything you need.You can search for any school in the United States. The website offers tips on how to plan for college, how to find a college, when SAT tests need to be taken by, when application are due and most importantly, opportunities for scholarships. Better yet, the College Board offers an extensive overview of every school, easily organized in drop-down tabs.

PRIVATE UNIVERSITY

staff reporter

hen it comes to applying for college, many students stress about if their application will be satisfactory or not. No one would want to get rejected from his or her dream school because there was something wrong with their application. If you are one of those people worrying about college applications, here are 10 easy tips for making the college application process easier.

2 3

Ten easy tips for simplifying the application process: Sydney Little

Fiske Guide to Colleges 2012- If 28 editions of a book doesn’t say success, then I don’t know what else does. In this paperback book, Fiske offers extremely useful tools, such as Fiske Best Buys, which values schools based on their quality of academics in relation to their cost of tuition. Fiske also offers a 30-question test that gives you a top list of schools that, based on the test, are right for you. Collegeprowler.com- This website makes the top three list because of its real student-based ratings. Collegeprowler lets you log on as a student and actually rate the college you’re attending from the local nightlife to campus strictness, even rating the girls! Granted, the student rating system leaves room for flaws, but if you’re looking for a real opinion from a real student, this website is for you.

W&M because he felt the most welcome there. “It was a good distance, close but not too close. Academic quality was obviously the biggest part,” McDonnell said. “Cost wasn’t a huge factor. My mom always told me that cost shouldn’t be the deciding factor, but it was an added plus of staying in-state.” Rotzin, on the other hand, decided between UVA and W&M. “If there is the option to do an overnight stay, do it. When I went to William and Mary I noticed that no one really went out and played pick up games of basketball or anything like that, which pushed me towards UVA. I knew if I went to William and Mary I would get a good education, but I felt that with UVA, if I applied myself, I could have a great social life and a great education,” Rotzin said. Neither one regrets his decision. “Everything is great here so far, it makes [the process] feel worth it,” McDonnell said. n

Infographic by Ben DiNapoli

PUBLIC UNIVERSITY

Average Tuition:

$38,605.80

$18,435.20

Average Enrollment:

6,045 students

23,533 students

Average Class Size:

29 students

152 students

Average Graduation Rate:

93 percent

87 percent

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

As soon as you fill out your Senior Information Sheet, turn it in to your guidance counselor. Figure out what colleges you definitely want to apply to, and find out the deadlines for applications. Determine what application materials you need and make sure you have a list of admission requirements for every school that you are applying to. You should start applying at the beginning of your senior year. Many colleges will encourage you to apply online because it is usually faster and easier for them to take care of. Give any coaches, teachers, etc. who you want recommendation letters from about 3 - 4 weeks to get them done. Turn in your HHS transcript request form and all other necessary paperwork forms with all of your information filled in correctly to your guidance counselor at least 10 school days before the deadline. Send all SAT or ACT scores directly to the college or university you are applying to. Some colleges/universities will not require you to send all scores to them. If you have the opportunity to write a personal statement or essay, make sure to do so. Have others proofread it before you send it in. Check in with the colleges/universities after you send in your applications to make sure that they have received them. When the admission decisions come in, let your guidance counselor know what the results are.

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September 23, 2011

The

2011-12

HHS

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Patrons are members of the Harrisonburg community and others who support the pursuit of excellence in the journalistic publications of Harrisonburg High School. Money generated from the patron program is used to offset costs of attending journalism conferences, to print our paper, and to purchase up-to-date technological equipment for our journalism lab. To become a patron, see any member of the Newsstreak Staff or stop by room 444. You can also visit www.newsstreak.com to download a patron ad contract. Patron level is determined by the following scale: HHS Patrons, $5; Blue Patrons, $10; Bronze Patrons, $15; Silver Patrons, $25; Gold Patrons, $50; and Newsstreak Super Sponsor, $100+.

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The newsstreak

September 23, 2011

Going Viral New fad, ‘planking’, sweeps across country

STYLE- Sydney Knupp, Ben Marks - A10

Internet fads and YouTube sensations take over the cyber world view by view.

Andy Shisler staff reporter

lanking is a new fad, which is becoming increasingly popular among young people. Planking involves lying face down with arms at the side, and not moving, thus resembling a wooden plank. The basic rules are to have your picture taken while planking, and then have the picture uploaded to the Internet. Planking is often done among friends, and while the goal is to get the best plank locations and pictures, it’s more about community than competition. It’s not uncommon for a group of friends to go out together to find cool planking venues. The location of the plank is the most important component. For instance, planking in your living room would not be as significant as planking in the middle of the road, or in a grocery store.

“

Try [planking] at least once. You’ll get a good laugh.

-Senior Gustaf Nelson

“

Internet Slang:

Strange. Senior Jake Durden planks on top of Senior Ben Marks’ car as it drives by. Photo by Paulina Rendon.

Number One: Charlie Bit My Finger! (Again) There’s really no telling what’s going through this kid’s head. What could have possibly made him think that sticking his finger into another person’s mouth is a good idea? This isn’t the first time; as the title clearly states, the little boy happily inserts his digit ohso-casually into his baby brother’s mouth. Apparently, baby Charlie has to teach his brother a lesson (again). Maybe next time, he’ll know to not stick his fingers where they don’t belong.

with planking. “Try it at least once,” said Nelson. “You’ll get a good laugh.” On the other hand, planking is not for everyone. Senior Connor Floros, is one of these people. “I would never consider planking,” Floros said. “Planking is just a desperate cry for attention”. Despite the split views on planking, the fad is showing no signs of slowing down. Planking is popular, not only in the United States, but in other countries as well. England, Australia, as well as parts of China all have tons of dedicated plankers. n

Number Two: “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga Lady Gaga is well known for being eccentric. Her videos alone are more than proof of this, highlighting how Lady Gaga takes ‘creative license’ to a whole new level.

Number Four: “Baby” by Justin Bieber ft Ludacris YouTube is credited with the discovery of Justin Bieber. Since then, an epidemic of ‘Bieber Fever’ has infected the hearts and minds of impressionable young women all over the world.

Yo - Hello/Hi Sup? - What’s up? Props - Recognition Rank - Something that is disgusting Geekin’ - To laugh hard Stuntin’ - Following through Bail- To leave in a hurry Chlillin’ - Spending time with friends Aight- An acknowledgment Anyhoo- Variation of “Anyhow” or “Anyways” Go ham- To put forth effort Schmuck- Silly person School- To beat decisively Scrub-Physically weak Solid-good work Spiffy/Nifty- An expression of ap proval Studmuffin- An extremely attractive person Stylin’- Stylish Fly- Something cool or good Word- An inegamtic term of agreement Wildin’-to go crazy

Number Three: Mishka Says I Love You There’s nothing cooler than a talking dog. The end. So a dog who can vocalize her love for people would automatically become a YouTube hit for all those with a soft spot for dogs

Number Five: “Friday” By Rebecca Black There’s not much else that can be said about the ‘great’ Rebecca Black. She’s been riduculed to Pluto and back for her inability to make a decision.

Number Six: Sassy Gay Friend These short, hilarious skits from The Second City Network show what fates could have happened IF... There was a sassy gay friend at the ready.

Never say never. Pop sensation Justin Beiber perfoms in front of a live audience. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Fans catch Bieber Fever Molly Denman

news editor

he teen pop sensation Justin Bieber exploded onto the music scene after being discovered on YouTube. After Bieber was signed by Usher’s record company, Raymond Braun Media Group, he released his first song One Time which instantly became a hit. Immediately after this song’s debut, millions of teen girls came down with “Bieber Fever.” “I think it is cool that Usher pursued this boy at such a young age and made a career for him,” said attendance secretary Kathy Grogg. Bieber’s talents range farther than just singing. Bieber can sing, dance, and play the drums. Bieber has not only released two albums, he has gone on tour, starred in the 3-D movie Never Say Never, about his life, and has a line of Bieber paraphernalia. Bieber has also paired up with stars such as Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown, and Kanye West.

HMU - Hit Me Up SMH - Shaking My Head TTYL - Talk To You Later BRB - Be Right Back WBU- What About You? HB - Happy Birthday LOL - Laugh Out Loud OMG - Oh My Gosh TBH- To be honest BTW- By the way FTW- For the win ROFL- Rolling on the floor laughing JK- Just kidding IDK- I don’t know GTG- Got to go TTFN- Ta ta for now JW- Just Wondering IMO- In my opinion N00B- One without skill KK- ok

There are thousands of pictures of planks all over the web, ranging from planking on vending machines, to planking on a light pole. Senior Gustaf Nelson is an experienced “planker.” “I plank to get a laugh,” Nelson said. “It’s funny when people try to talk to me while I’m planking, and I don’t say anything back.” Hardcore plankers, such as Nelson, only plank at the most unique locations. “The most interesting place I’ve planked is at Wal-Mart,” Nelson said. “I planked on a stack of boxes in the middle of the store.” Nelson encourages everyone to experiment

Are you following YouTube’s most (and least) popular hits? s the world of technology continues to expand, social media sites such as YouTube are evolving, too. The popularity cycle on YouTube is fascinating primarily because of its spontaneity. Once logged in, users across the globe are united in their hatred of Rebecca Black, a tone-deaf singer who cannot choose where to sit in a car, and the next, there’s an inexplicable rise in the cute and fuzzy category, where the home page is flooded with videos of adorable children or equally endearing baby animals.

Common Slang of the 21st century

“I like Justin Bieber because he sings good and he is really cute! My favorite songs are One Time, Lonely Girl, and Baby,” said nine-year-old Lydia Grogg. Bieber fans range in age from young children to grown adults. There seems to be no age limit to be a fan of this star and although his fans are mostly girls, some guys like him, too. “I wish I could have Justin Bieber’s hair,” senior Evan Shank said. Girls go crazy for Justin Bieber because he is one of few male singers who write songs about love and treating girls nicely instead of rap songs that degrade women. “I like Justin Bieber because he sings like he knows how to treat a girl when most guys do not,” senior Melanie Bridges said. Justin Bieber accomplished his dream of being a star by a lot of hard work and patience. It took him years to get to where he is now. “Justin Bieber is a very good inspiration for anyone who wants to fullfil their dreams,” said freshman Krista Stader. n

Regular Slang:

Infographic by Paulina Rendon

Spotify brings new look to online music Jack Burden

online editor-in-chief

he Internet is home to hundreds, if not thousands, of music sharing and downloading sites. From iTunes to Amazon to MP3 Rocket to Pandora, it’s often hard to decide what the best option is. One new music streaming service is attempting to combine the best every other music site has to offer, and is doing a pretty good job of it. Development began on Spotify in 2006 in Stockholm, Sweden, by a team of computer scientist at Spotify AB. On October 7, 2008, the Spotify application was released to the public. Spotify has developed partnerships with major record labels such as Sony, EMI, Warner Music Group, and Universal, allowing its users to access millions of songs for free. The service receives revenue from several sources: donations, subscriptions to its premium service, and advertisements on the free service. “I think Spotify is a great way to share musical tastes with others, and it provides a safe and convenient way to listen to any song you want, which is great,” senior Zak Kraimeche said. Downloading Spotify is very easy. All one has to

do is go to their website and click “Get invited to Spotify for free” and follow the directions to download the application to his or her computer. However, Spotify Free is an invitation only service, meaning in order to obtain the free version one must be “invited” by someone who has Spotify already. This isn’t as difficult as it looks, though; all you have to do is find a Facebook friend who has the application and ask them to approve you. There are three other types of Spotify, however. Spotify Open has the least amount of features. One can acquire it by invite or for free, but he or she can only listen to 20 hours of music per month. Then comes Spotify Free, described above. Above Spotify Free is Spotify Unlimited, which costs $4.99 a month but does not include “premium features.” One can find these features on Spotify Premium, which has no ads, enhanced music quality, and an offline mode for a users playlists. Spotify Premium comes at a price, though; it costs $9.99 a month. Though Spotify has not yet reached two years of being open to the public, it’s already reached 10 million users. As thousands of websites crave attention online, Spotify stands out with its exclusive and innovative methods. n

Computer gurus. Spotify founders Daniel Ek, and Martin Lorentzon meet the press to promote their new music streaming application.

September, 23, 2011

newsstreak

FEATURE - Mark Duda - A3

Homemade Hollywood The

Students, alumni set out to become the next Steven Spielberg...

Hairston’s, Smith’s YouTube videos boom in popularity Gaelen Smith is a regular producer with Hairston for their “FoobarFilms” Youtube editor-in-chief channel. Hairston and Smith are long-time unior Paul Hairston may face an un- family friends, and began their filming entimely death in future years from an deavor together in fifth grade. “We’d known each other forever... We affliction known as “a-starving-filmgrew up together,” Smith said. “[We started student-living-in-New-York-City-itis.” working together] in 2006. Paul had been “If there were a choice between bare necessities for life and a new [camera] lens, [making movies] for a while. I wanted to I’d probably have to choose the new lens,” get in on it when I saw Bryce [Baughman] Hairston said, chuckling at the concerning in one of his videos. I was thought it was so truth in his statement. “I unhealthily priori- cool.” The FoobarFilms Youtube channel houstize camera equipment before almost everyes Hairston’s “mainstream” work. All short thing else in my life.” action sequences and comedies made with It is clear that film is Hairston’s passion in Smith are posted to the Foobar channel, life. His face lights up at the mere mention of A or B rolls, his hand motions become which is limited to those specific genres. “All our videos our exaggerations of real even more animated if he is asked about his life events. Very rarely do we sit down and latest projects, and heaven forbid anyone brainstorm independently, we just tend to mention Christopher Nolan. Since the age remember things that have happened to us,” of five, Hairston has lived for film. “When I was five my [grandfather] Smith said. Their short film The Jump draws owned a camcorder. Whenever my sister on Hairston’s experience of hitting a squirand I went to visit, he’d tell us to create a rel on his first day with a learner’s permit. “We were joking around and Paul said skit about something [whatever topic he something about how he would probably thought of], and we’d have until the end of hit a human on his first day with his license. the day to do it,” Hairston said. Paul, and his So we made [The Jump] when he got his lisister Anna would commonly perform as their favorite characters “Bennie Blop and cense,” Smith said. Smith also draws on his own personality Fiona.” The tradition was “always the highfor his characters in the films. His “eccentric light of [Hairston’s] year,” and has started a and outgoing” traits are clearly mirrored in hobby that has now transformed into a prothe plots of their movies. fession. “It’s easier to play roles that are similar to Hairston’s film making abilities have dewho you are. I’m definitely not a great acveloped both technologically and materially tor, but I can play myself pretty well,” Smith over the past 11 years. What began as funny skits with friends shot from a super eight said. Smith adcamera in fifth grade has evolved to mits that Haira full-blown film operation. Hairston is more enHuman. That’s ston now has two Youtube channels gaged in their (BannanaBoy33, and FoobarFilms) the word that defilm making. that are regularly updated with his Unlike Hairscribes my films. short comedy films and other longston, Smith’s term projects. - Junior interests have “When I’m not in school, I’d say moved to a difabout 90% of my free time is inferent aspect of volved [with film making]. I do a film; but Smith lot of writing. There’s more writing is maintaining and editing than actual filming,” his involveHairston said. ment with Foobar Films. The time Hairston spends working on “I’ve had an increased interest in the his movies varies greatly. He regularly edits and writes for two to three hours a day, but photography side of film. I’ve been doing on filming days Hairston expects to work some freelance stuff, and pursuing that a bit more,” Smith said, clearly excited about the for eight or more hours. “One day when we were shooting over slight shift in his zeal for film. “Paul and I the summer I got up at eight, wrote for two have always been a team, and that’s not gohours, shot for four hours, and edited for ing to change.” The future of Foobar Films is looking another two hours. It was a long day, but bright; the channel has more subscribthat’s what it takes,” Hairston said while tallying up the extensive amount of time on ers every year. Smith believes they are just starting to gain some momentum. his fingers. “We’re hitting our peak popularity right Hairston divides his time between his now, with a whopping 79 subscribers,” large projects that are made for film festivals, and small videos “to fill in the gaps.” Smith said with a sarcastic chuckle. “We’re An array of actors (both professional and going to keep [making films] until we can’t amateur), and friends are involved in the do any more!” When Hairston is not working in tandem productions, but home-schooled junior

Vanessa Ehrenpreis

“

Paul Hairston

“

Top: Junior Paul Hairston spends the day with some of EMU’s high-tech camera equipment. Right: Home school student Gaelen Smith in a scene from one of his and Hairston’s short films. Photos courtesy of Paul Hairston. with Smith, he uses the BannanaBoy33 channel for his “other random stuff.” Broadcasting shorts and other miscellaneous videos that do not belong on the Foobar channel are posted there. Although Hairston’s work is varied in nature, he tries to retain one key element in everything he films. “Human. That’s the word that describes my films. All of my major films have an aspect of humanity that you can connect to. It could be greed, anger, love... usually it’s all flushed into one plot,” Hairston said. The “human aspect” has translated well to film, winning him numerous accolades. Recently, his short film CelA was a finalist at the Waynesboro Film Festival. He has also received the coveted THMS “Tommy Award” for best movie, a Lighthouse best in show award, and the National Editing award from the Rotary club. Hairston hopes to enter in even more film festivals in the future as his knowledge of film continues to grow. “Film festivals really give reason for doing a project. If I’m trying to get an actor to film something with me it helps if I can say that it will be entered in a festival,” Hairston said. Hairston’s main concern with film making is ensuring that all his movies are as professional as possible. Although Hairston believes a good movie can be made with any type of camera, his Canon Rebel guarantees a certain level of quality. A slew of film editing software also helps him refine his

Broadcast uses green screen for effects Andy Shisler

staff reporter

he green screen is a tool used in the HHS broadcasting class, as well as in professional news studios. The green screen is a sheet of fabric, which is a unique shade of green. The screen itself only cost about $50, but there are several other components required to make good

Rainman. Senior William Imeson uses the green screen for the broadcast’s weather report. Photo by Andy Shisler.

use of the green screen. Chroma key is a software used to take two images, and make a certain color transparent. This allows weather men and women to stand in front of the green screen, without disrupting the projected image. The software cancels out the green color, and replaces it with the image of the weather map. This software is inside a large machine called a “mixer” which allows the user to switch between different cameras with the push of a button. According to HHS senior broadcasting student, Ben Marks, the green screen and chroma key technology are a necessity in the news room. “It allows us to display the weather in a more accurate and professional manner. It’s also useful for creating backdrops when filming commercials,” Marks said. As long as weather anchors don’t wear green, they are able to stand in front of the screen, without having the image projected on themselves. Broadcasting teacher, Seth Stratford finds the green screen to be an invaluable tool, when creating the morning broadcast at HHS. “It enables more features in the broadcast, such as the weather map, as well as other special affects,” Stratford said. The price of the green screen itself is fairly nominal, but it cannot stand on its own. “Lighting is very important when using a green screen, we use a lot of lights to make sure the picture on the screen looks the way it’s supposed to,” Stratford said. Without access to a green screen and chroma key technology, the HHS broadcasting team would be unable to display the weather in the best way possible. The daily weather report would not be the same without this professional equipment. n

Lights, Camera... Junior Max Johnson, the technical director of the broadcast, chooses which camera views to use. Photo by Andy Shisler.

movies. Various jobs provide the funds for Hairston to purchase and borrow camera equipment. An internship at Eastern Mennonite University, and the occasional film narratives and advertisements for EMU and James Madison University has given Hairston the much needed “connections” for film making. “I’m able to borrow some of EMU’s equipment because of my job, so that cuts down a lot on production costs,” Hairston said. Hairston is occasionally eluded by inspiration for his stories, but any form of “good” art gives him a much needed brain-boost. “[My inspiration] definitely comes and goes. There are times when I have no inspiration at all. But I usually get inspired when I see any kind of good art,” Hairston said. “My role model is director Christopher Nolan, I get a lot of inspiration from him.” What the future holds for Hairston is unclear, but one thing is certain: his passion for film will continue. “Telling a story to mass numbers of people is my dream. Whether I do that through big production companies, or whatever else I don’t know. We’ll see what happens after film school,” Hairston said, apprehensive about his tentative life plan. Smith on the other hand, is more sure of where Hairston will end up, and hopes to see himself in the same place. “I don’t want to wake up one day and see him in Hollywood without me there.” n

Knapp pursues degree in cinema studies at VCU

Paulina Rendon

feature editor

n only four years, the cinema program at Virginia Commonwealth University has grown to be one of the more prestigious in the country. VCU, located in Richmond, Virginia, only accepts between 20 and 30 applicants from the hundreds of hopeful students. In other words, it is exclusive. HHS alumnae Emily Knapp was accepted to her first choice college, VCU. During her first year, she has been able to work with professional actors and actresses, write various movie scripts, and was awarded the chance to write a script that was made into a public service announcement. Knapp has been passionate about films ever since she was a little girl. At age eight, she would shoot and edit little movies of her own. “Usually I would have my brothers be the stars or I would do stop animation with Playmobil. It’s just always been something I love to do,” Knapp said. Instead of dreaming of becoming an actor on Broadway or starring in a huge Blockbuster hit, Knapp prefers staying behind the camera. She wants creative control over more than her role, as it would be if she were an actor. Being a director is more appealing, because being a director would allow her to have a say in everything, from dressing the set to the camera angles, to editing the soundtrack. “For me, the most important element of cinema is the storytelling,” Knapp said. “Films like Kill Bill, American Beauty, Crash, and Atonement are the types of things I want to create.” After VCU, Knapp hopes to finish school with enough of an education to get a job in the film industry. While she would prefer to end up in New York or L.A, Richmond is also home to the Virginia Film office, which is her back-up plan. The VCU cinema program can be summed up by: “[This course covers]

preparation for the art and craft of narrative filmmaking, and particularly of independent narrative film, [which] is ideally supported with an undergraduate liberal arts education [that introduces] students to a broad range of knowledge. This educational philosophy is shared with major international undergraduate film programs.” (www. arts.vcu.edu/cinema) During the summers of the sophomore and junior years of college, the students will begin the “summer intensive” program, where they will be expected to stay in school and spend eight weeks filming four or five short films. From there, the professors of the cinema program come together to review each student’s portfolio to decide if they have worked hard enough to continue studying the field. The course also requires students to double major; Knapp chose to do sociology. “The program is only four years old, so we’re still kind of guinea pigs,” Knapp said, “But it’s got the basic structure.” Despite the fact VCU was her first choice, Knapp does admit there are some problems with the course. The cinema program focuses on independent type films instead of box office hits. “I knew this going in, but it still really bums me out to sit and watch a twenty minute long zoom that’s allegedly “brilliant” when I’d rather analyze Oscar-winning movies,” Knapp said. “I’m just trying to learn what I can from the program so that I’m able to apply it to the field I’m truly interested in. However, we get to work with equipment and begin filming from the get-go, which most film programs don’t even come close to, so it’s an amazing opportunity.” Upon graduating, Knapp hopes her experiance at VCU will prepare her to direct a feature film. “Obviously cinema is a career where you have to claw your way up from the bottom, so I may be fetching people coffee for a while,” Knapp said. “I’d love to just hang out on a professional set in any way that I can and soak up all that I see.” n

September 23, 2011

The

newsstreak

Michelle Garber

Joshua Botteicher

Question: What experience have you had? Answer: I worked at Keister, mainly with kindergarten through second, but also with third through fifth. Q: What do you do as an E.S.L. teacher? A: I help kids who speak English and another language develop their English in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Q: What is your favorite genre of music? A: I don’t really have one. I kind of get bored and skip through a lot of songs. I guess I’d say Top 40 and country. Q: What’s your favorite station? A: 93.7. I like listening to the morning show as I’m getting ready for work. Q: What do you do in your free time? A: I really haven’t had free time in the last seven years. I didn't go to college until I was 37, so for the last seven years I've been busy with that, my full-time job at Keister, my family, and church. I don't know the meaning of free time! I do like going to the beach and camping, though. Q: Where do you go camping? A: Natural Chimneys. We'd go there in my parents' camper. Some people would say it didn't even count as camping because it had a gas fireplace and everything! It was nice because Taylor, my son, would bike around on the trails. Q: How long have you been going there? A: We started going when Taylor was eight or nine, so about eight years, but my parents moved to Florida recently and took the camper with them, so we aren't going anymore. Q: What clique would you say you were in in high school? A: I was clique-less, really. I didn’t really fit in with any of the groups, so I kind of mingled with all of them. I wasn’t really “cool”, but I wasn’t unpopular, either. Q: Did you enjoy high school? Why or why not? A: Not really, because of the clique-less-ness, but also because it was hard. I felt the pressure that all high schoolers feel. Q: What’s the hardest thing to adapt to at HHS? A: It’s big. Also having to get to know everyone. I’ve gotten used to all the elementary students being down at my waist, but here most people are taller than me! It’s been fun, though.

Question: What do you teach at Harrisonburg High School? Answer: Technology Education. Q: What is the hardest part about your job? A: Adjusting to a new town after living two hours outside of Pittsburgh, PA, and this being my first year teaching. Q: What’s your favorite music? A: Classic Rock Q: Are you into sports? If so, what teams? A: Yeah, I really like hockey. I like the Pittsburgh Penguins. Q: Any favorite stores? A: Gander Mountain. You guys don’t have it here. Q: Are you married? Engaged? Kids? A: I’m engaged to a woman named Ashley. Q: Were you involved in any clubs or sports in highschool? A: No clubs, but I was on the hockey and basketball teams. Q: Why did you decide to be a teacher? A: I like to work with my hands and I enjoy helping people. Q: What is your favorite restaurant? A: Texas Roadhouse. Q: Are you big on Facebook? A: No, I don’t have one. Q: Did you go to Prom? A: About four or five times, yes. Q: What did you wear? A: Black tux, silver vest.

ESL teacher

Interviewed by: Ariel Vogel

Melissa Thurman English Teacher

Question: Are you married? Answer: Yes, to Chris Thurman, the football coach. Q: Do you have any kids? A: Five kids, one is adopted. Q: Do you have any pets? A: Two dogs, two cats, a fifty-five gallon fish tank, and a rabbit. Q: What are some of your hobbies? A: I love to dance and read. Q: What made you want to teach English? A: Well, I didn’t like English at all in high school , but I loved the English classes in college. That’s when I knew I wanted to teach English. Q: Why are you teaching at a high school, not a college? A: I like this age group better, and it fits with my children’s schedule. Q: Did you go to Prom in high school? A: Yes, all four years. Q: What did you wear? A: In senior year, I wore a White dress because we were required too, and I don`t remember the other years. Q: One last question; what is one exciting thing you did this summer? A: I moved, from Bristol, Virginia.

Interviewed by: Jessica Nguyen

Lora Stader

Technology Specialist Q: What is you job at Harrisonburg High School? A: Technology specialist. Q: What do you in your free time? A: I mainly keep up with my children’s lives. Cory and Christa go to school here. Q: What was the last music you listened too? A: This morning; I listened to the radio mainly. K love is my favorite. Q: What’s the technological device you couldn’t live without? A: My iPad. Q: What’s your favorite app? A: I mainly read books, check email, and Internet search. Q: Are you a sports fan, or do you play any sports? A: Harrisonburg High School football, obviously, the Streaks. I do watch football. Q: What activities were you involved in in high school? A: Drill team (flags) and dance team. Q: What clubs or committees were you on? A: I helped with prom, the art club. Q: Where did you go to college? A: I went to Blue Ridge Community College and got an associate degree in information technology. Q: What did you do before teaching? A: I’m been here [Harrisonburg City Public Schools] eleven years. [Before] I worked in engineering and was a drafter. Q: What is your favorite thing about HHS? A: I’ve just started, but what pops out most is the staff.

Interviewed by: Mia Karr

Technology Education

Interviewed by: Isabelle Burden

Melody Wilson English Teacher

Q: How did you become interested in this career? A: I had an impressive line of counselors, administrators, teachers, and professors, so I have been influenced by educators my entire life. But it was later in my career when I entered the field. My hope was (and still is) to equip and inspire this generation the way my professors motivated me at pivotal junctures in my life. Q: What is your favorite aspect of teaching literature? A: The world opens up to you in unique ways through writing communication. Reading is an amazing gift, a portal to your future. Q: Where did you go to school? A: I graduated from a high school in Teaneck, NJ. My undergraduate degree is from Howard University and I went to the University of Maryland and George Mason University for graduate school. Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A: I wanted to be a star on Broadway (Triple threat, Baby!). Plan B was to be a television news anchor. Q: What else have you done besides teaching? A: I served three years in the military before going back to school. I was later employed as a writer and an editor in the Publications Department of an organization headquarters in Oklahoma. Q: What do you like to do in your free time? A:I like to read, sing, attend live theater, concerts, and sports events. I also like to travel with my husband. Q: Do you have any pets? A: Not presently, but Iby: once had Tsiberman two parakeets and a Interviewed Irina dog growing up.

Seth Berkley Physics Teacher

Q: What are your favorite sports or sport teams? A: When I was in high school, I played soccer and basketball. I am also a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Q: Do you have any pets? A: I just got a dog, its coming home from the vet on August 25, it’s so young it doesn't have a name yet. Q: Do you enjoy traveling? A: I like to travel with my friends, but I don't get to often. Q: Where did you go to college? A: I went to James Madison University for graduate and undergrad. Q: What is your favorite food? A: My mom’s Manicotti. Q: What is your favorite part about teaching? A: Seeing that moment when a student gets something he/she didn’t understand before. Q: What activities did you do in high school? A: Besides the sports above, I was the president of Latin Club and a member of Honor Society. Q: What is your favorite movie? A: The Shawshank Redemption Q: What do you like to do in your free time? A: I read probably more than is good for me, play guitar, video games and sleep. Q: What made you want to teach? A: My mom was a teacher and I used to help in her classroom. She said I shouldn't teach because it’s so stressful, but I did anyways and I actually really like enjoy it. Q: Where do you shop? A: I don't shop much, I still have some clothes from high school. Q: What is your least favorite part of teaching? A: When a student decides to make everyone’s life hard.

Interviewed by: Ann Bauhan

FEATURE - Sydney Little- B2

Henry Garcia Spanish Teacher

Question: What do you teach? Answer: I teach Spanish two for native speakers and Spanish two for normal students. Q: What is the hardest part of your job? A: Starting the first day of school, then it’s not as hard. Q: What do you do on free time? A: When I’m not working I’m with my family. I have one son and one daughter. They are both teenagers Q: What music do you listen to? A:I like to listen to tropical music, like salsa, but I like to listen to classical music when I’m reading. Q: What sports do you like? What teams do you root for? A: I like basketball and I sometimes watch the Lakers and Miami Heat games. Q: Where did you used to teach? A: Before I started to teach Spanish, I had taught classes in this high school and I was in Thomas Harrison Middle school and Skyline Middle School teaching Spanish. Q: What are some of your favorite stores? A: Super Lace, it was a store in my country. I also like Best Buy. Q: What made you want to teach? A: I’ve always felt passionate about teaching, I’ve always liked it. Q: What did you do in high school? A: I was on a basketball team and in Boy Scouts. Q: What do you watch on T.V.? A: I like to watch shows about animals, Earth, and documentaries like Animal Planet and National Geographic. Q: What type of movies do you like? A: I like action movies and movies with happy endings. Q: What is your favorite type of food? A: I like Chinese food and Columbian food. Q: Do you have a hobby or collection? A: Not really, but I like to read. Q: Do you like technology? A: I like technology, but it’s hard to handle. Without technology there is no life. Q: Where are you from? I am from Armenia, Columbia

Interviewed by: Victoria Giron

Lynda Blackwell Mr. Eye’s Secretary

Question: What exactly do you do for Mr. Eye? Answer: Work for Mr. Eye who’s the assistant principal and work on paper work that has to get done, and make sure things are organized and do other duties as needed. Also I help with the Special Education department. Q: What college did you attend? A: Bridgewater College. Q: What is the hardest part of your job? A: Getting EVERYTHING done in the short amount of time you have to work. Q: What did you major in when you were in college? A: Interior Design and then ended up going back to college to get a teaching degree. Q: What do you enjoy most about your job? A: Working with people. Q: What do you enjoy most about HHS? A: The energy everyone has! Q: Would you change anything about your job? A: Finding a way to squeeze everything into the short time you have. Q: Do you ever have to work with any students? A: YES! All the time. Q: How long have you had the job as Mr. Eye’s secretary? A: This is my first year.

Interviewed by: Bryndal Fulginiti

Charles Nesmith Music Teacher

Q: What is the hardest part about your job? A: “I do not have any part, I enjoy teaching” Q: What do you teach? A: “Percussion Ensemble at HHS and Algebra at Skyline” Q: What do you like to do during your free time? A: “I like roller blading, hiking, playing drums, and video games” Q: What music do you like? A: “ I like every kind of music” Q: What sports do you like? A: Roller hockey Q: What did you teach before? Where? A: “ I taught math in Rockingham County for 5 years” Q: Who do you have in your family? A: “ I have two sisters, one brother, step dad, step mom, dad, and mom” Q: What’s your family movie? A: Wolverine Q: What’s your favorite restaurant and food? A: “ I love cheeseburgers, my favorite restaurant is Dave’s Taverna because they sell the best burgers” Q: Do you have facebook? A: Yes, but I do not use it very much. just with old friends from High school. Q: What was the most exciting thing that you experienced during the summer? A: “ We went to NY for the 4th of July and me and my wife were invited on a roof top to see fire works. When they began they were amazing. We could see fire works all around us 360 degrees. Never seen quite anything like it before.”

Interviewed by: Ayushi Patel

September 23, September, 23,2011 2011

The

newsstreak

FEATURE FEATURE-- Paulina Paulina Rendon Rendon -- A3 B3

Homecoming 2012... In the club Previous Homecoming Royalty 2010-2011 King: Michael Holmes Queen: Erika Bravo

Rafael Snell-Feikema

2009-2010 King: Tanner Johnson Queen: Diana Gutierrez 2008-2009 King: Michael Atkinson Queen; Ashley Blatt 2007-2008 King: Nick Melton Queen: Nan Turner 2006-2007 King: Tony Owah Queen: Yassee Pirooz 2005-2006 King: Andy Owah Queen: Jordan Albrite

Infographic by Austin Coffey

Students plan post-homecoming events

go along with her friends, and that she looks forward to the event, although she has some complaints about last year’s. This year she is looking forward to an improvement in music choices. LaFreniere said she is also probably going out to eat afterwards. “[I am going to go to dinner at the] Earth and Tea cafe downtown or the Little Grill, because their food is delicious,” LaFreniere said. There are also student organized postgame celebrations. Groups go out in mass to locally owned and chain restaurants. This year, a large congregation is planning to go to the International House of Pancakes, according to seniors Lashay Henderson and Abe Alvarado. “It is just something I’ve done every year... [it is] tradition,” Alvarado said. People choose to go to restaurants (like IHOP) because they stay open late and offer

staff reporter

tudents eagerly anticipate the homecoming football game and the dance the following night. They celebrate it and in doing so, reflect school spirit. Even though this year’s homecoming, on Oct 15, isn’t for almost another month, some students are scheduling their plans already. While some students just fill the Red Sea at the game, others choose to celebrate before and after, too. Before Friday’s football game, many students hang out with friends, significant others, or both. Some preemptively get ready for the dance. Junior Kerri Hofacker’s pre-game plan is to have her nails and hair done by her friend’s mom, who works at a salon. The dance is the main event. Sophomore Tabitha LaFreniere said she is planning to

a place where friends who split up during the dance can meet and rehash what happened to them that evening. Another plus is that IHOP offers a nice midnight snack. At people’s homes and some businesses, after parties take place, like one Alvarado said he was going to. Hofacker is one student who does things before and after the game and dance. Afterwards, she plans to go camping. “I am going camping after the game with some friends and their dates, and my date too,” Hofacker said. Newly appointed vice-principal Eric Sents and countless others simply go to sleep upon returning home after the long day. “I feel that the best way to celebrate my first HHS homecoming dance would be to go home and go to bed,” Sents said. n

SCA selects ‘Club’ theme for Homecoming Paulina Rendon

style editor

very year, the Student Council Association (SCA) for HHS is put in charge of organizing the several events for the school year. The biggest is homecoming. This year’s homecoming dance will be held Saturday, Oct 15. The SCA has their hands full preparing for both. Their job is to come up with a budget, come up with a theme, and come up with all the decorations in time for the dance. Most importantly, the biggest interest is making sure the rest of the students have a good time. Earlier this month there were posts on Facebook inviting anybody and everybody to make suggestions for what kind of music will be played at the dance. This year’s homecoming will be modeled after a club, although the official name has not been decided yet. “[At first] we thought about doing a jungle theme, there’s been some push for that, but in the last two weeks or so a lot of people took an interest in a club theme, I guess they’ve been watching some Jersey Shore and figured they could headbang,” SCA president, senior William Imeson said. Senior Emmett Copeland, SCA Vice President was the one who originally came up with the jungle theme. “I liked Jungle because then we could pump up the ferocity and the inner animal. I also originally wanted to have plants - bring in big plants like potted trees to boost atmosphere and oxygen levels, I thought that might be a cool idea. Turns out there’s no scientific basis. It wouldn’t have worked without photosynthesis, so that was given up on,” Copeland said. Since the theme is decided, other preparations have begun. The SCA has to search through countless magazines, looking for products and decorations that will fit the theme of the dance, as well as look for a DJ. “We are going to go for quality for the areas that we feel matter, and simplicity in all other areas. So we have looked

into a young DJ from JMU. DJ Fish is the man’s name and we like his recommendations, we like his friends, and we think we’re going to be happy with this guy. We’re hoping he’ll bring a young college edge to the musical scene,” Copeland said. “We’re going to strip down the decorations and hopefully portion off a part of the cafeteria so it feels a little bit less like a cafeteria and a little bit more like a dance hall, floor, club thing. Just with black fabric. We’re going to put some black paper on the windows. Mostly we’re going for like a dark, small feel. And then we’re going to be inserting black lights that will be constant just for the fun of black lights. And hopefully also looking into a really good light show. So the black will kind of act as a can- What to do? The SCA officers scour through magazines vas for the light show.” so they can get the best decorations to fit the approWhile the dance and the football game are the priate theme. Photo by Paulina Rendon. main events, the week leading up to homecoming is equally as important. The week of Oct 10 will only be date and you dress up and you have some snacks. It won’t be four days since there will be no school on that Thursday. kind of the awkward thing where people stand around in a Each day will be a spirit day; tie-dye day, sports day, twin circle and dance. But as more of a thing that you come with day, and red-out day. For red day, everyone will be expected your friends,” Copeland said. to wear their Red Sea T-shirts. In addition, there will be the As for Imeson, his focus is to make the dance memoannual powderpuff football game for the junior and senior rable. girls. “I myself don’t remember spirit week last year. [HomeImeson and Copeland each have different goals for this coming’s theme wasn’t that memorable either]. I don’t think year’s dance. Copeland’s biggest objective is to avoid any Club has ever been done before, and it’s kind of a one-word social awkwardness the dance could have, especially for name, easy to remember,” Imeson said. “So you can look freshmen. He remembers the nervousness associated with back and be like ‘oh yeah, I had club that year.’ Hopefully the homecoming his own freshman year, and hopes to change music will be good this year, with the college DJ. Hopefully that. he’ll be fly to the youth culture.” “It’s kind of what we’re going for, so. I think in the past There are many things to look forward to homecoming it’s been a little awkward with a herd of students in the mid- week; powderpuff, spirit week, the football game, or the dle all surrounded by faculty in an awkwardly large space,” dance itself. As much fun as the week can be, the Imeson Copeland said. “More than anything, I don’t want it to be hopes to impart a little piece of advice. awkward. It doesn’t have to be the coolest thing people have “I hope lots of people come out to the dance, have a good ever done. I [want] people honestly being able to say they time. Stay safe and make Harrisonburg look good,” Imeson had a good time. One thing I’ve been thinking about is, in- said. n stead of building it as a dance that you come here with your

Homecoming on a budget BOYS Food Corsage Tickets Transportation

Total:

GIRLS Dress Shoes Nails Hair Total:

$0 Budget Invite friends over for a home-cooked dinner

Here’s a cheat sheet for finding the best deals for homecoming in Harrisonburg

$50

$100

Unlimited

go out with friends to Clementine’s

go out with friends to L’Italia

take your date out to eat at the Joshua Wilton House

$20

channel your inner Martha Stew- corsage from the HHS Balloon and art and make your own corsage Blossoms store from the dandelions in your yard. $2-5 Or just skip out on the corsage

$25

corsage from Blakemore’s Flowers

$9.95-32.95

$60+ for 2

corsage from the Wishing Well

$19.95-39.95

ask your mom to pay for your Homecoming ticket

buy your own ticket

buy tickets for you and your date

have your parents drive you or carpool with friends

drive you and your date gas: $3.35 per gallon

rent a limo from Agoff Limo and split with your friends* $110.60 per hour

$0 $0

$15

$43.35

$0 $0 borrow a friend from a friend, or have a mom/friend make one for you

$50 Ross

$30

$100* $100 Forever 21

$20

buy tickets for you and your date

$30

horse-drawn carriage for you and your date from Classic Carriage $500 for minimum of 2 hours $100 for each additional hour

$610 Unlimited Reflections

$320

borrow shoes, or wear a pair that you already have

do your own nails, or let your nails go naked

Rack Room Shoes

$15

Asian Nail Manicure

$15

do your own hair, or have a friend do it for you

TJ Maxx

Journeys

Beauty Spa Mani: $15 Pedi: $30

The Studio Spa Mani: $30 Spa Pedi: $60

Style from The Studio

Updo from Tangles Day Spa

$15

$20

$50

$100

$50

$510 infographics by Katrina Sokolyuk

September 23, 2011

Lynnsey Urgo

The

newsstreak

Rebecca Sopher

Spanish teacher

Earth Science teacher

Question: What subject do you teach? Answer: Spanish one and two. Q: What was your favorite subject in high school? A: Surprisingly it wasn’t Spanish but History. Q: What’s the hardest part of your job? A: Making sure I’m teaching the best way that works for my students. Q: Where did you go to school? A: Turner Ashby for high school and James Madison University for college. Q: What made you want to teach? A: [I wanted to teach because of] teachers I had and I like working with high-schoolers. Q: Why do you like teaching high-schoolers? A: [I like teaching them] because they are slightly more disciplined than middle-schoolers but still fun. Q: What clique/group would you say you were in high school? A: I was a cheerleader, but my friends and I called ourselves “normies”. Q: Are you married and if so do you have any children? A: I am married but I don’t have any children. Q: Do you have any pets? A: [I have] a male black lab named Timber Q: What do you do in your free time? A: I spend time with my family or bake. I made cupcakes after the earthquake. Q: What was the last song you downloaded? A: “Lucky” by Jason Mraz featuring Colbie Caillat. Q: What kind of music do you listen to? A: [I like] all kinds. Q: Do you have a Facebook and if so how many friends do you have? A: I do have a Facebook, and I have about 800 friends. Q: What is the last movie you went to or are going to see? A: I’m going to see The Help. Q: What’s your favorite movie? A: Steel Magnolias because it was filmed in my hometown, Natchitoches, Louisiana. Q: If you were in your house and there was a fire, what would you grab? A: I dated my husband in high school so I would grab a box of notes he gave me. Q: What is your favorite sport? A: Football Q: What is your favorite TV show/channel? A: Sports Center Q: What are some of your hobbies? A: Sewing curtains for my home and learning how to knit.

Q: What made you want to teach? A: I had some really great teachers. Q: What do you typically do after school? A: Hang out with friends and family. Q: What is your favorite part of the job? A: Being an Earth Science teacher. Q: What’s your favorite part of Earth Science? A: All four branches of Earth Science. Q: What college did you go to? A: James Madison University Q: Do you think that kids could be more respectful when you teach? A: Yes, I’d like kids to be respectful. Q: Are you sometimes an assistant teacher? A: I have my own separate classes. Q: How long have you been teaching? A: It’s my first year. Q: What’s your favorite color? A: Purple

Interviewed by: Shannon Richard

Brian Nussbaum Math Teacher

Q: What do you teach? A: Geometry, Geometry Honors, and Pre-Calculus Q: What makes a teacher cool? A: A laid back, relaxed, but serious teacher that has a mutual understanding with the students. Q: What do you do in your free time? A: “I have a 3 year and a 5-week-old son, and I play with them all the time. I attend to my vegetable garden. I also loves to cook.” Q: What types of music do you like to listen to? A: In my house there is anywhere from classical music to Pink or Lady GaGa. Q: Where do you like to shop? A: No where. I try to do as little shopping as possible. Q: Where did you go to college? A: I was an undergraduate at Eastern Mennonite University and I got my Masters at James Madison University. Q: What are some hobbies you have? A: Hiking, camping, a lot of stuff outdoors Q: Where did your name come from? A: Nussbaum equals nut tree. My grandfather came from Germany to the United States and never learned English. Q: Did you play any sports when you were younger? A: I played basketball and soccer in high school. EMU goalkeeper, and just played other sports for fun or casual playing. Q: Do you coach any sports? by: my Jasmin Rose A: I coachInterviewed soccer and when boys are older he will teach them how to play soccer as well.

Interviewed by: Nicolas Lee

Bryan Wilson Math Teacher

Q: Have you always wanted to teach? A: No Q: What is the hardest part of your job? A: Time management Q: What made you want to teach? A: Graduated high school and went to Blue Ridge for two years, then I switched to JMU and stayed for a semester learning how to work with computers, which is what I thought I wanted to do with my life. I then switched to Bridgewater and got a math major, because I knew it was what I was supposed to do with my life. Q: How do you think high school has changed from when you were in high school? A: The amount of technology students have access to. It doesn’t make the teacher better or the student, but it helps as long as it’s being used efficiently. Q: What do you do in your free time? A: Mountain biking and hiking Q: Do you have any hobbies? A: Loves to cook with his wife, “Change it up” is a quote he used when describing how he likes to change the recipe when he’s cooking. Q: What is your favorite song or type of music? A: Just anything in general besides rap, favorite is Jazz/ Funk Q: Do you like sports, and if so what’s your favorite? A: Soccer, Argentina Q: If you like sports what’s your favorite team? A: Argentinian Q: Do you have a favorite movie or type of movie? A: Last Samurai with Tom Cruise Q: Do you have any pets? A: No, but me and my wife want a dog Q: What did you do this summer? A: Two beach trips, a lake trip, and a church trip. I also had an anniversary with my wife in D.C. on August 1 Q: Yourself in General? (Personality wise) A: Amrik Wheeler, “Talkative, Tentative and lenient,” Amrik used these three words to describe his teacher He also went on to say that he likes how his teacher lets things go and is strict only when he needs to be. Q: Has math always been your favorite subject?” A: Yes, going through high school I was good at math which made me like the subject even more. College rebuilt the foundation of the math he did in high school. Math that you do in college builds on the things you learned over the years.” Q: Favorite part of teaching? A: All if it, Interaction with students, and creating lessons. I love to see a kid who struggles and finally gets it “The light bulb goes off.” Q: Why did you decide to work at HHS? A: I love HHS, the diversity, student centered, and focused on student learning. It’s my top choice of work place Student supportby: is great andTorgerson so are many of the Interviewed Gypsy students I teach. Q: Least Favorite subject? A: English

ADS - B4

Cassandra Harvey Biology Teacher

Q: Why did you come to HHS and not another school? A: I came here for student teaching, I really like the school and the people at Harrisonburg High School. I’m from West Virgina, so I like being able to ride my bike around. Q: Where did you go to school? A: I went to Stonewall Jackson High School in Quicksburg, Virgina. I also went to James Madison University for college. Q: Have you always wanted to be a teacher? A: No. I actually was attracted to biology as a major in college because I feared public speaking and thought I would like working with animals better than people. I thought I would go on to be a veterinarian. I started thinking seriously about teaching after my junior year of college. I thought with all the problems in the world today, people should start talking about them, becoming involved in communities, and finding what they are passionate about sooner rather than later and schools seemed like a wonderful place to start allowing these conversations to take place between students and parents and community members. Even then I debated for another year or two whether I would be more helpful as a teacher or working with students and school programs in some other role. Q: What is the hardest part of your job. A: Keeping everyone engaged. I know that each student comes with different interests and backgrounds, has different motivations for being there, and carries different expectations for what they hope to get out of my class. In addition, students are very busy in high school. They have friends, families, and activities that require their time and they are going to have good days and bad days. My biggest challenge is convincing students that each day they can start over, that what they are learning is meaningful and will help them accomplish their goals in or out of the classroom, and that the world around them is fascinating and there are always new things to discover. Q: What do you do in your free time? A: When I get home from work I love to walk my dog, Basil, to relax. If I can, I drive up to the George Washington forest to let her run in the woods. My friends and I like to get together to bike, run, cook, garden, dance, and go backpacking. I always wish for more free time to read and learn knew things. Q: What is your favorite sport? and do you still play it? A: I swam competitively for about 12 years. I only swim for fun now, but I still love the sport. It is good for your body, you can do it at any age, and it is the only thing that helps me clear my head and completely lose track of time. I also played lacrosse in high school and really enjoyed the team atmosphere. I love watching soccer and wish I wasn’t so clumsy with my feet and could play it. Q: Do you have hobbies? If so what are they? A: Since I was little, my dad shared with me his hobby of stargazing. I still have my own little telescope and love to go out on clear nights. I play the cello and I am trying to teach myself to play a guitar. I’m not at all artistic, but I also always seem to have some unfinished project going on - a scarf I’m knitting for a friend, flowers I’ve pressed to glue on a canvas, a painting on a scrap piece of wood. Q: How many years did you student teach? A: I had two semesters where I was a practicum student and one semester of student teaching. I completed eight weeks of student teaching at Shelburne Middle School last fall, and eight weeks at Harrisonburg High School with Mr. Bair. Q: How many years did you go to JMU ? A: I attended JMU for four years as an undergraduate biology major. Then I completed two semesters of graduate school, took off two semesters to work in D.C., and returned for my last semester last fall. Q: What is your favorite music? A: I love listening to live acoustic music. I have been lucky that many of my friends and roommates are musicians and that music has always been around. I like music festivals and one of my favorite memories with my family was seeing Judy Collins at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. I also grew up listening to a lot of Latin music and enjoy good rhythms to dance to. Q: Do you have any brothers or sisters? If so, how many? A: I have one older sister. She is three years older than me and was a senior in high school when I started as a freshmen. She was valedictorian of her class, a great gymnast, and a great person to look up to! Q: Where have you been around the world? And for how long were you there and why were you there? A: Growing up, every two or three summers I would travel to visit my grandmother and extended family for about a month at a time in Bogota, Colombia. Later, I traveled with my family on vacation to Costa Rica to see the beautiful national parks and to Paris to see the places my mom loved when she lived there. I have also traveled to Germany, Greece, Panama, and Spain just to go exploring for two to three weeks each. I have gone on camping trips up and down the east coast, but I hope some day to be able to explore more out west within the United States because it is such a large and diverse country.

Interviewed by: Ana Hunter-Nickels

SPIRIT WEEK Tuesday - Sports Jersey Day

HHS Student Council Association

YOU’RE A PART OF SOMETHING GREAT!

Wear your favorite T-shirt or jersey for the team you love and come by room 444 to enter the daily dress up competition for your grade.

September 23, 2011

The

newsstreak

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SPIRIT WEEK Wednesday - Twin Day

HHS Student Council Association

YOU’RE A PART OF SOMETHING GREAT!

Find a friend (or two or three) and dress alike! Come by room 444 to enter the daily dress up competition for your grade.

September 23, 2011

The

newsstreak

SPORTS - Jake Durden - B6

High hopes for HHS football under new Coach Thurman Connor Whitehouse

staff reporter

mong the numerous changes this year at HHS, one that stands out is the change in head football coaches. The reigns were handed down from perenniel power Coach Tim Sarver to Chris Thurman. Many criticized Thurman for being an outside hire, but the new football coach actually attended James Madison University and was familiar with the program before coming to HHS. “I had actually heard of Sarver’s success and I liked the way he ran the program. I

waited for him to step down, so I could have a shot,” Thurman said. Thurman earned his degree in special education from JMU and then began coaching the tackles and tight ends on the college team. After his run with the Dukes concluded, he took a job at Brown University as the tackles and tight ends coach. Thurman then made the move to the ranks of high school coaching. “I got tired of working 90 hours a week and no job security. I was a restricted earnings coach, and they definitely made sure my earnings were restricted.” Thurman worked as the head coach of

Gretna High School where he led them to several successful seasons with an overall record of 47-4. Bristol, VA was Thurman’s next challenge, but he only spent a little time at Virginia High School and took them to a 10-10 record. He then heard of the competitive opening of the HHS head coaching job. An experienced group of captains will be aiding Thurman in his new position; that list includes Salim Charles, Jake Durden, Corey Stader and Kyle Knight. “I always look to the captains for leadership,” Thurman said. Harrisonburg will also being seeing

Fast and Furious The Streaks’ no-huddle offense hustles to the line of scrimmage to prevent the defense from having adequate time to align. Photos by Paulina Rendon.

somet hing

new offensively this year, the standard I formation that we’ve become accustomed to has shifted to more of a spread offense. “I favor whatever formation works, if another Michael Holmes comes up the line, you better believe we’re going to be back in the I, but with the players we have now, I think a spread offense will work,” Thurman said. The players seem to be on board with the new change in coaching, too, the captains and Thurman have been working hard to keep the team in shape. Running has become a bigger part of conditioning, which is an important factor in the spread, speed. “Coach Thurman is an offensive genius, I really think he was the best person for the job,” Stader said. Excitement continues to build as the HHS nation waits to see how the Streaks do this year. With some of our bigger names graduated, the Blue Streaks’ success is in jeopardy. Our new coach is confident in his players and staff though and is looking forward to a good season. “Harrisonburg never rebuilds, we reload, and that is what I plan on doing,” Thurman said. n

Holmes making Charles develops into premier receiver recruit name for himself Max Johnson

staff reporter

alim Charles is no longer a runof-the-mill high school athlete. He is now a Division 1 college recruit. The 6-foot-7-inch senior tight end/ defensive end is getting a variety of interest from high-level programs such as the University of Virginia, James Madison, Liberty, William and Mary, and most impressively Virginia Tech (also attended by former superstar running back Michael Holmes.) After a breakout junior year, Charles began receiving letters from many schools, (especially Liberty). This summer Charles attended the V.T.O. Combine in Richmond, which included the top 100 high school football players in Virginia. “It got me a lot better at tight end,” Charles said. But his expectations are high for this season. Even after a trip all the way to the state championship last season, Charles feels that it is possible for another trip

back. “I definitely want to get to the playoffs, and maybe even states again. This season goes out to Ricky, so we have more motivation this year,” Charles said. Coach Thurman also has huge expectations for Charles. “We need him to do extremely well on both sides of the ball, he is going be a huge part of the team this season,” Thurman said. This may seem like a lot of pressure on a teenager, but Charles says that it is exciting and fun. “You only live once, so I just try to enjoy they whole experience,” Charles said. Charles has an unconventional physique for a football player. His 6 foot 7 inch frame makes it almost impossible for him to be guarded by any one defensive player. In what some critics are calling a “rebuilding season”, Charles will need to put his leadership to the test in order to carry an inexperienced team to prosperity. In only two games, Charles already has seven catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Even if he is double teamed

by defenders, he can still find a way to make big plays . Fellow receiver and another big play maker for the Blue Streaks is Weylin Holmes. After two games Holmes has nine catches for 186 yards and four touchdowns. But a big reason for him performing so well is because of Charles. They are a deadly combination. Senior captain and linebacker Kyle Knight, close friend to Charles, has a lot of good things to say about him. “He has really good hands, and his height makes him hard to guard. We expect him to catch every jump ball,” Knight said. Knight said that he expects Charles to get many more scholarship offers after this season. He also thinks that the Streaks can have another season that carries into December. “We want to prove a lot of people wrong this season,” Knight said. Fellow teammate Zach Baxter also had great stuff to say about him “Three words: tall, enthusiastic, and hard working,” Baxter said. All and all, Charles has gone from an average two sport athlete to a possible FBS and FCS football prospect. n

Pursuit Charles closes in on the pile after the Streaks defense makes a tackle. The Streaks’ defense allowed only one touchdown to the Handley Judges on Sept 2. Photo by Paulina Rendon.

New director, policies for Streaks’ athletics Jake Durden

sports editor

thletic Director Darrell Wilson never expected to end up at his current position. In fact, he never expected to end up working in a high school at all. “I worked in college recreation for several years,” Wilson said. “That is what I earned my degree in. However, I ended up going back to school in order to work be able to work full-time as a teacher.” Wilson did his student-teaching in the spring of 2009 and was a full-time faculty member at HHS during the 2010-2011 school year. After one year on staff, he applied and accepted the position of Athletic Director. Wilson’s tenure as the HHS Athletic Director coincided with a massive face-lifting of HHS student-athlete policies by the HCPS school board. Among the policies being implemented this year is a minimum GPA of 2.0 (C average) in order to participate in school athletics. “Part of my responsibilities and the coaches’ responsibilities is to make sure that the student-athletes are maintaining [a 2.0 GPA],” Wilson said. “I don’t look at the 2.0 GPA as the goal; it’s not the ceiling, it’s the floor. The average GPA for a Harrison-

burg student-athlete across the board is a 3.3.” In order to help accomplish the augmented GPA standards, after school study hall time was lengthened to a full hour of direct oversight for the football team. “Part of the idea for a lengthened study hall came from Coach Thurman,” Wilson said, alluding to the new Blue Streak’s football head coach. “He had a very strong focus on academics and an expectation of a 3.0 GPA average. The thought is that if you have above a 3.0 GPA then you are already doing the things you need to do in order to be successful in the classroom. If you are below the 3.0, you have some work to do. In order to help accomplish that work, we are providing an hour of structured oversight during study hall.” Wilson is also looking outside the HHS student-athletes into the larger, student body to come support their peers at competitions. “Athletic events are one of the things that everyone can rally around. We have such a diverse population as a school and as athletes that if everyone came to support just an individual, the diverse HHS student body would in fact be coming together to support the entire team.” Despite some changes being made, one thing is for certain; Darrell Wilson is expecting to raise the bar and add to the storied tradition of HHS athletics. n

Max Johnson

staff reporter

“

And that was a great catch by Michael Holmes’ little brother.” Those were the words of an anchor on WHSV’s the Endzone. Weylin Holmes is referred to as “Michael Holmes’ little brother” by the newspaper, the local TV station, and many people from other schools. But after the game against Handley, Harrisonburg’s newest play-maker is starting to break away from the name of his older brother and make a name for himself. Holmes pulled in six catches for 121 yards with two touchdowns, and a game sealing interception return to give him three touchdowns on the night. Those are the kind of statistics that open peoples eyes. Holmes believes that that kind of game will make him the “go to guy.” Along with fellow division one recruit Salim Charles, the Streaks receiving corps should be hard to stop. Holmes has always been overlooked. But when your brother is the all time leading rusher at HHS, and plays football at Virginia Tech, that isn’t hard to believe. However, Holmes wants to step out of the shadows and make Weylin Holmes a household name just as his brother did during his time with the Blue Streaks. “I love my brother, but I just feel like it’s my turn to show people what I can do,” Holmes said. Some of Holmes’ teammates have always seen it in him, like junior running back Zach Baxter. Baxter is good friends with Holmes and his older brother. “I knew that Weylin would be a star after our freshman season. We’ve played football together since seventh grade, and it feels good to see that he is actually making a name for himself,” Baxter said. Holmes and Baxter attended several camps this summer at JMU and UVA; Baxter said he has seen lots of improvement from last season. Holmes also cares about his team more than he does himself. “It’s all about Harrisonburg, even if I score 10 touchdowns, all I care about is how the team did as a whole and getting a W,” Holmes said. Holmes has the attitude of a winner. “We have worked so hard this season, and I feel like we have the talent to go far this year.” But Holmes is not alone in this sentiment. The entire HHS football team is confident that they can take it deep into December. With their current level of execution, they plan to be hard to stop. n

Flankers Weylin Holmes and Corey Stader take their pre-snap positions out wide against the Handley Judges. Photo by Paulina Rendon

Sports Department Weekly Picks: VHSL, NCAA, NFL Football Week 5

Jake Durden

Peter Byrd

Max Johnson

Kevin Franco

Sydney Knupp

Manny Gomez

TA @ HHS

HHS

JMU @ W&M

JMU

W&M

LSU @ WVU

LSU

WVU

LSU

Ok St. @ Texas A&M

Ok St.

Texas A&M

Ok St.

Texas A&M

VT @ Marshall

USC @ ASU

ASU

USC

Redskins @ Cowboys

Cowboys

Redskins

Cowboys

Redskins

Texans @ Saints

Saints

Packers @ Bears

Packers

Bears

Packers

Falcons @ Buccaneers

Buccaneers

Falcons

Buccaneers

September 23, 2011

The

Freshman are some of the students who are real important to the Red Sea. Freshmen are like recruits who get to know what it is to be in the Red Sea and pass down the tradition on to the next generation of HHS fanatics. Tradition is important to the Red Sea as well. One of the most important traditions is tailgating. Tailgating is essentially where all of the Red Sea gathers to get pumped before the game. This takes place an hour or so before the start of the game. After tailgating everyone gathers around in a huddle and one brave soul is chosen to do the honor of pumping up the entire Red Sea for a the game. This is usually done by an upperclassman. After an inspiring speech, an energy envelops the crowd that is rarely experienced by students who don’t attend tailgating. A rush to the ticket booth then follows to get into the game. Once inside the stadi-

Staff Reporter

It’s time to pay college athletes

o one likes change. But the time has come for change in college athletics. Student athletes need to be paid. Sure, some college athletes receive partial and full scholarships. And yes, I understand that some people frown upon athletes’ attitudes towards wanting financial compensation because they go to college for free, not a dime paid. Scholarships are not enough for athletes, particularly athletes who plan to play professionally. A majority of Americans are from the school of thought where an education is a student-athletes’ top priority. Many people commend athletes such as quarterbacks Jake Locker and Andrew Luck for bypassing tens of millions of dollars to return to school and obtain a degree. One hit to the back of the knee, one awkward landing, just one small incident is all it takes for the millions of dollars that these athletes would have earned professionally to dry up. Some would argue that injuries are the reason that athletes should obtain a degree because “there is a life after sports”. I believe that injuries are the reasons athletes should forego their final years in college to make the big bucks immediately and return to school and finish their degree at a later date. Shaquille O’Neal returned to LSU in 2000 to finish classes and receive a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies. This year, current NBA players have returned to their college universities to take classes amidst the NBA lockout. This group includes stars Chris Paul (Wake Forest), Kevin Durant (Texas), and Russell Westbrook (UCLA). I believe everyone should strive to get a college degree but the NCAA pushes star athletes toward professional sports rather than graduation. Athletes are unable to work in college meaning that they have no spending money other than the few dollar bills they bring in their wallets to school. Any job that would pay $2,500 or more annually is off limits to student-athletes. Some athletes come from a harsh background where they are counted on to provide for their families. If a family is tight financially and athletes are unable to work, then of course athletes are going to dart for the millions. Moreover, athletes feel more inclined to accept under-the-table money from boosters because of their lack of income. These “impermissible benefits” get the athletes, coaches, and schools in big trouble with the NCAA as evidenced by the recent downfalls of schools such as Ohio State, Miami, and the University of Southern California. Money makes the world go ‘round and athletes are no different than anyone else. If organizations are willing to pay tens of millions of dollars for an athlete’s service, then these young men will not think twice about accepting the biggest paycheck of their lives. Sure, athletes might be overpaid (in some people’s eyes) but I think these people need to get over it because the way the system is set up, the NCAA is pushing athletes’ away from a 4-year degree because of their excessive and harsh rules that they have in place and closer to a life where they can provide for their families and more importantly themselves. I think there needs to be a universal set amount of money that every athlete receives, regardless of conference or team, so that no team or league receives a recruiting advantage over other schools. A set amount of $1,500 per semester for each athlete, chump change in the landscape of the multi-billion dollar industry that is college football, will give these young men money that they can spend on food, clothes, and their family back home. This will consequently encourage students to remain in school and obtain a degree because they are being given an allowance that will help them take care of their families and themselves. n

SPORTS - Mitch DePoy - B7

Red Sea section returns to glory days Manny Gomez

Peter’s Principles Peter Byrd

newsstreak

hen reflecting on the chilly Friday nights of autumns past, several things come to mind; the HHS football team taking the gridiron ready to earn a win, the roaring sound of fight songs played by the HHS marching band pumping up the stands, and the chants that the cheerleaders shout and stunts they perform. But as someone who isn’t involved with any of these groups, you automatically think about the Red Sea. The Red Sea is a way a student can show school spirit and support the HHS football team. Any student at HHS can be a part of the Red Sea, whether a freshman or senior. The Red Sea represents the HHS student body and demonstrates to other schools the spirit of the students here at HHS. “I’m excited to be able to go out there and go crazy for my team”, said freshman Sam Imeson.

um everyone then orga- tive mood because of a joyable experience that nizes in the student sec- win or depressed and has a real lasting impact tion of the stands where mad because of a loss. on the people who parthey await the kickoff The Red Sea is a en- ticipate. Join the fun! n impatiently. When the players finally take the field, the Red Sea comes to life. As the ball is kicked off, the stands erupt with screaming and hollering. Throughout the game, the Red Sea will initiate creative chants that fit a situation in the game following things like first downs, bad calls and big plays. One thing it doesn’t apply to is the sacred touchdown. Whenever the team scores, the Red Sea just loses control and explodes in ferocious cheering. When students get into the later part of the game the Red Sea usually calms down. Depending on how the outcome ends up, the Red Sea Tailgating joy! Senior Connor Whitehouse trots will leave in posi- around with fellow senior Ryan Maphis sporting the HHS flag. Photo by Paulina Rendon

Loughran leading young Streaks cross country team Kevin Franco

Staff Reporter

ave Loughran is in his eighth year of coaching the girls cross country team at HHS and after a disappointing second place finish in the Massanutten District last year, he feels his squad is ready to push for the trophy once again. “I am very proud of what our kids did last year,” Loughran said. “Three of our top five runners graduated last year.” The team’s biggest losses were Tabea Zimmerman and Maria Rose who combined to won seven all-regional medals. The

loss of two such great athletes will definitely leave a hole to be filled in the team, but they plan to replace them with two rising juniors Caitlin Kelley and Erin Goodstein. Kelley was an all-district runner her freshman and sophomore years. The girl’s team has been to four straight state meets. They hope to revamp their chances at winning the district,and regional with these young athletes. One of the athletes Loughran is excited to watch progress is freshman Brenna Cowardin. “She is a definite top five runner. She is all bones and lungs,” Loughran said. Loughran added that they have lots of very good young

athletes, but they need some of them to step up if they want to have a good chance of winning the district title. If the athletes perform as well as their coach believes they can, anything is possible in this 2011 season. The team is lead by senior captain Madison Wilson, she is the “voice” of the team according to Loughran and her teammates. She works hard to keep her team motivated and always encourages them to perform their best. She is accompanied by junior captains Goodstein and Kelley. Goodstein is the “quiet” captain who leads by example. Her exact opposite, Kelley, lets you know what you need to hear to improve. n

This or that with members of boys cross country team Jonas Zimmerman Gatorade or Powerade Skittles or Starburst Chinese or Mexican Food Nike or Adidas Doritos or Lays Favorite Color: Green Quote “I like that it is a challenge”

Jordan Leyman Gatorade or Powerade Skittles or Starburst Chinese or Mexican Food Nike or Adidas Doritos or Lays Favorite color: Red Quote “Running is a lot of fun”

Nevin Heckman Gatorade or Powerade Skittles or Starburst Chinese or Mexican Food Nike or Adidas Doritos or Lays Favorite color: Blue Quote “I love the endurance and the payoff that comes at the end”.

Summer full of bonding leads Streaks to success Mitch DePoy

Sports Editor

ump, set, spike, words that the Harrisonburg Volleyball team are living by this season. This year the Streaks are looking to achieve a winning season. Last season, the Streaks went 8-10 on the season. Although the Streaks lost a few seniors, the team feels like they are a lot better this year. “This year’s team is a lot closer than years before,” said senior caption Sarina Hartman. This bond helps out on the court a lot. “I look forward to the games this season because I think we have a good chance of winning,” Hartman said. “This season all I want is to have a winning season and I believe we are going to get that,” said junior captain Kerri Hofacker. Although the Streaks lost to their inner city rival Eastern Mennonite, the Flames last season made an appearance in the state quarterfinals. “They are a really good team and even though we lost, the sets were really close,” Hartman said. The reason for this close bond is the ladies have been spending a lot of time together. Over the summer the team got together and did activities such as go out to eat together and even have team sleepovers. “As a team, we went to a bunch of JMU

volleyball games and had some team sleepovers,” Hartman said. Also at the JMU camp, the Streaks team found a hidden talent that was the girls main focus of the team. “Each year we pick a new talent that we have on the team,” Hofacker said. Along with a week spent at JMU camp, the girls also hit up the local sand court at JMU. “We would go out there and play around a lot in the summer,” Hofacker said. The local courts also bring a bunch of competition where guys and girls of all ages come out to play. “We saw some pretty tough competition this summer,” Hofacker said. The Streaks have also mixed up the coaching staff a little. The new JV head coach, Jessica Life is working to better the program with the younger girls. On the JV team there are four different eighth graders. With all of these eighth graders the Streaks program is doing what is best in making a program good. Starting young and getting the younger kids interested is the volleyball will bring the pro- Lady Streaks gather up after a point scored. gram back. n Photo by Emily Jamieson.

POWDER PUFF FOOTBALL

Wednesday, October 12

HHS Student Council Association

YOU’RE A PART OF SOMETHING GREAT!

Time: 6:30 p.m. Cost: $3/person Come watch the juniors face off against the seniors!!!!

September 23, 2011

The

newsstreak

SPORTS - Ben DiNapoli - B8

Putter-A-Round offers unique golfing experience Sydney Knupp

traps, rails, and bumpers were also added. Staff reporter In the early 1930’s, mini golf was very popular ccording the U.S. Proamong celebrities. Over 150 mini fessional Mini Golf Asrooftop courses were located in sociation, in the early New York City alone. It did not 1900’s mini golf (also take long for the trend to catch on known as garden golf) was just a and soon Americans were hooked. shortened version of regular golf. It was a cheap family activity for It was played on real grass. all ages, genders, and skill levels. However, later in the 1920’s Now Harrisonburg residents can mini golf was played on cottonseed play a round of mini golf at Putterhulls, which made for a smoother surface. Obstacles such as sand A-Round, an indoor black-light facility located at 103 S. Carlton

14-15 years. Last year Rhonda and Tracey came up with the idea of mini-golf, and the indoor option seemed to be the best. This way, we did not have to depend on the weather or the seasons to be open. With indoor, we are open all year round,” Burnett said. The eighteen hole golf course includes many obstacles such as a lighthouse, a wishing well, a cyclone loop and many other holes that require skill and/or patience to complete. There’s even an opportunity to win a free game if you shoot a hole-inone in the Bull’s Eye on the 18th hole. Putter-ARound offers party rooms and group rates and is also available for fundraising events. Golfers can get a frequent visit card that allows for a free game after tenth tee-off. One round costs $6.50 for anyone 13 and older, $4 for 6-12 year-olds and everyone under 6 gets in free with paid adult admisPutt! The inside of Putter-A-Round offers 18 holes of varying difficulty, featuring obstacles such as loops and windmills. Photo by Sydney Knupp

sion. Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Putter-A-Round stays open late until midnight on Saturday. On Sunday, you can putt anytime between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. In addition to regular golf, Putter-A-Round offers cosmic glow in the dark golf starting at 8 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. All the artwork on the walls and the obstacles are painted with glow in the dark black light paint. Area high school students including Harrisonburg’s own Tim Sombunwanna completed all of the artwork. There are also snacks and drinks available from vending machines. Besides offering a unique golfing experience, Putter- A-Round also gives back to the community with their “Hands for the March of Dimes” campaign, open to all customers who donate $1. All proceeds are donated to the March of Dimes. All those who donate can opt to have their hand painted with black light paint so that they can place an imprint of their hand on the sidewalls. During cosmic mini-golf, all golfers can see their community support. “Hands for the March of Dimes” has become such a popular project that they will soon have to add another wall for imprinting. n

Freshmen tackle tough schedule

You can’t beat high school football

John Earle

Staff reporter

reshman football is a team of eighth and ninth graders who practice for two hours after school, with games on Wednesday nights. Some might think that their practices are easier than those on the varsity team, but the players are held to a regimen just as strict as the varsity players. The team practices every day to prepare themselves for the big season coming up. There are 18 eighth graders on the team, preparing to be the big guys on the varsity squad next year. The eighth

graders were excited for their first game of the season on Sept 14, instead of just doing offense versus defense drills in practice. Jon Boyers, the coach for the freshman football team, has high hopes for his twentieth season coaching football. Out of twenty years of coaching football, Boyers has spent eleven years coaching here at HHS. The team has the same assistant coaches this year, but usually the team gets new assistants every few years. Coach Boyers has had the same assistants for a couple of years mainly because of their success working together. The football team has had a

Street in the Cloverleaf Shopping Center beside Food Lion. Dan and Tracey Burnett, along with Rhonda Steele, opened the indoor 18-hole course as a new entertainment venue in the city. The three owners did not grow up in the area, but after moving here, they wanted to provide a place for the local kids to enjoy themselves and hangout. Dan said his inspiration for the idea was a product of brainstorming for business ideas. ”My wife and I have been thinking about ideas for the last

couple of players go play for the varsity team already. The purpose of freshman football is to help players develop their skill in order to ready themselves for junior varsity, varsity, or even football in college. “You do not have to try out for the team, which is nice. On game days, you get to take your anger out on the other team, but it is still always fun playing for your school,” said freshman Tanner Grogg, a wide receiver and defensive end. The team continues to practice in hopes of having a winning season up ahead. n

Competition cheerleaders prepare for season Anthony Duong

Staff reporter

he members of the HHS cheering squad do much more than yell and wave their pompoms. Every year, during the fall sports season, this spirited group regularly goes above and beyond to support our local athletes. With a successful Friday night cheering at Turner Ashby High School, the crowd and the cheerleading squad helped the football team win a teeth-clenching game. While the cheerleading squad supports athletes at sporting events, the squad still has a goal to achieve: compete at and win the competition cheerleading state title. HHS senior Taelor Adams is ready for the season and says that the Friday night games don’t bother the team. “The football games don’t interfere with our practice because we make it up on Saturday. If anything it is like a practice, but with a crowd in front of you,” Adams said. Every day the cheerleading practices consist of at least two and a half hours of stretches, jumps, stunts, cheers, and tumbling. Although going through the normal routine, tumbling is a important act that en-

tertains all audiences watching. “Tumbling is basically manipulating your body by flipping over and landing. You can call it a kind of gymnastics. Tumbling is really difficult to do and requires a lot of practice if someone is going to do it,” Adams said. Not only is tumbling important for the audience, but it is also a very key component for competition cheer. Tumbling impresses the judges and it is very important to have that. Making an explosive impact on the judges’ mind can also wear you out. “While tumbling, you can have a lot of pressure on your wrists and it makes it exhausting to do sometimes,” Adams said. The cheerleading squad is ready for whatever comes at them and they are not afraid to go head to head with anyone to get to states. Some hard opponents have been in their way, but Adams isn’t worried about them this season. “Teams like William Byrd, Central, and Jefferson High School have all been difficult to beat, but I think we can pass through them if we get a chance,” Adams said. Fellow cheerleader Alexis Dickerson has a message for the upcoming teams. “We’re good, and we aren’t going to be easy to beat.” n

The Deal with Durden Jake Durden

here is nothing like high school football. The competition levels above and below high school pale in comparison due primarily to the special relationships that are formed under the Friday night lights. At younger ages, the game of football simply cannot be executed at the level it was intended to be. The line of scrimmage becomes a mosh pit and a marble-sized ball wobbles through the air. By high school, the human body’s physical maturation allows for the game’s true beauty to shine through the players; fifty-yard spirals are hurled to soft hands sprinting down the sideline on Friday nights just as on Saturdays and Sundays. The levels of football below high school pale in comparison due to the sheer level of execution. The true question is why is high school football more special than the collegiate and professional levels? The answer is that at the high school level, football is not an occupation, it’s a privilege. Sometimes this is forgotten by teenagers who jeopardize their season by coming up short in the classroom or being involved in off the field altercations, but it won’t be but a few weeks into the winter that kid’s thirst to lace up their

cleats and don their helmets once more. Unlike NCAA and NFL football, the kids typically have to wait until August to get back to what they love most. This time away from the game nurtures a deep desire to return to the field, whereas longer campaigns and brief offseasons result in greater complacency for the players. High school football is true desire, desire to participate in something greater than the individual and desire to succeed as a unit. At other levels of football, the coaches aren’t the same people who teach you in the classroom, and the fans don’t pass you in the hallway or sit in the desk beside you. You aren’t able to sit down as a team and eat a home cooked meal from your mom the night before a game. The fans are much more distant to college and pro players. In high school, the same people you see when the bell rings are screaming for you in the fourth quarter. There is nothing else that can make the fans roar quite as stentorian, or bring everyone in a small town to the same patch of grass on a given night. A Friday night. There is nothing else quite like high school football. Period. n

Cyclocross season takes off with Frogs on the Farm race at Chesapeake

s the heat of summer dies down and the fall season draws closer, biking takes a new gear. Now, with growing popu-

larity, cyclocross is the main sport for cyclists in the fall. A mix between mountain biking, cross country running and road biking, cyclocross features races on dirt, grass, gravel, and mud; lots and lots of mud. Most races last around 30 to 45 minutes. Courses are

usually set up at parks and local mountain bike areas, and contain anything from stairs to wooden barriers. When approaching obstacles, most racers jump off their bikes, throw it over their shoulders and run over the obstacle in order to finish the race.

Brake! Senior Breton Nicholas descends a gravel path at Hillendale Park, practicing one of the many technical aspects of cyclocross. Photo by Ben DiNapoli

Senior Breton Nicholas has been preparing for the cross season. “I didn’t even learn how to ride a bike until fourth grade,” Nicholas said, “but I have been riding since. I didn’t think about racing until my freshman year at HHS, and it was only this year that I decided to race cross.” The local scene in biking really got Nicholas started thinking about the cross season. “The community is just so good around Harrisonburg. It has a ton of people involved and has a ton of supportive people who have talked to me about cross,” Nicholas said.

the

Ben DiNapoli Sports reporter

Nicholas has owned a cross bike which he also rides as a road bike. “I built up my own bike a couple of years ago. I bought a pre-market frame that’s flat black and added wheels and components to make it just what I wanted,” Nicholas said. Cross bikes usually feature a higher bottom bracket, or the part where your cranks (what holds your pedals onto the bike) are attached to. This is so you can easily maneuver rocks and barriers without having to worry about hitting the bottom of your bike. One of the ways Nicholas is going to prepare for the season is attending Tuesday

night cross rides at Westover and Hillendale park. As a relaxed group, the training series helps you practice cross-specific bike handling like jumping and running with the bike. With the inaugural Frogs on the Farm race coming up on Oct 2 in Chesapeake, Virginia, Nicholas has less than a month to train before the real racing begins. “I’m really excited. I’m nervous, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. Hopefully it’s a good season of racing,” Nicholas said. n

x treme corner

September 23, 2011

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September 23, 2011

The experience - A10

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Senior MadisonWilson participated in the swimming portion of a triathlon her junior year. Wilson considers the race a huge accomplishment, and aspires to compete again soon. Her experience is recounted here.

Triathlon Christy Stearn

Just keep swimming! The race was marked at two miles, but with currents, it came out about two-and-ahalf. Contests had an hour and a half to complete the swim. Photo courtesy of Madison Wilson.

Left: Tracy Seefried, Rodney Williams, and Madison Wilson participated in the Patriot Half-Ironman Triathlon on September 11, 2010 in Williamsburg, VA. Seefried competed in the running portion of the race, Williams competed in the biking portion, and Wilson competed in the swimming portion. Above: Before beginning her swim, Wilson was “really nervous, but [she] felt prepared.” Photos courtesy of Madison Wilson.

Left: After swimming in water ten degrees under regulation and being kicked in the jaw several times, Wilson finally finished the swim and placed sixth out of 14 competitors. Right: Wilson was the youngest competitor in her wave. The next competitor closest in age was 21. Photos courtesy of Madison Wilson.

editor-in-chief

member of HHS’s girls cross country team and a competitive swimmer since age five, senior Madison Wilson has always been an athlete. Wilson enjoys “staying fit and keeping healthy,” so when trainer Tracy Seefried pursued her as the third member of their half-ironman team, Wilson eagerly agreed. Wilson, Seefried, and Rodney Williams, Seefried’s friend, teamed up to participate in the Patriot Half-Ironman Triathlon. The triathlon, which was held on September 11, 2010 in Williamsburg, VA, commemorated soldiers who lost their lives overseas. The cost to participate in the Patriot Half-Ironman was $165 per contestant, and all proceeds were given to injured soldiers. It was divided into three categories: running, competed by Seefried, biking, competed by Williams, and swimming, competed by Wilson. The run consisted of 13.1 miles and had to be done in four hours, the bike consisted of 58 miles and had to be done in four hours, and the swim consisted of 1.2 miles and had to be completed in an hour and a half. If the athletes did not finish in the time allotted, they would be ejected from the race. (A full ironman is made up of a 26.2 mile run, a 112 mile bike, and a 2.4 mile swim.) Wilson trained extensively for six weeks before the race. Daily workouts that included cardio and strengthening exercises quickly began to consume a large percentage of the athletes’ free time. “I swam every day, going up to four miles without stopping. I also did open water training in lakes to know how to breathe and see,” Wilson said. The night proceeding the triathlon, Wilson and her teammates stayed at a hotel in Williamsburg awaiting the race. “I was really nervous, but we were at our hotel and we went swimming then got in the hot tub to relax our muscles,” Wilson said. “We ate pizza and pasta so we had lots of carbs for the next day, and we went to bed at 8 a.m!” The race grounds opened at 5:30 a.m. Competitors organized their transition spot and had their numbers painted on them. The contestants were separated into waves, different heats assorted by age. The first wave of the race began at 6:45 a.m. The triathlon was comprised of seven waves, and Wilson participated in Wave 7, which started at 7 a.m. Wilson swam about 2.5 miles when taking the current into consideration. Because there were around 60 participants in Wave 7, the water was crowded and filled with swimmers. “There were lots of people; I think I got kicked in the jaw four or five times at least. After a while, I learned to get ahead so I wouldn’t get kicked,” Wilson said. After the swim, the athletes exited the water and ran about 400 meters to the transition area. There, Williams was tagged by his teammate and was permitted to start his portion of the race. After Williams finished, he tagged Seefried who then completed her run. As each person finished their segment of the triathlon, their timing bracelets, which were secured around their ankle, was taken off and fastened on the following participant. The team of Seefried, Williams, and Wilson ultimately did well in the Patriot Half-Ironman Triathlon. Out of 14 relay teams, they placed sixth. Seefried placed sixth, Williams placed eighth, and Wilson placed sixth. Wilson, who was 16 at the time, was the youngest competitor not only in her wave, but in the entire triathlon. The next contestant closest in age was 21. She acknowledges her achievement as a personal victory, and is looking forward to compete in more half-man triathlons in the future. “The most rewarding thing was coming in sixth place for me wave, but it’s not so much about doing well or what time you have, it’s more about having fun and challenging yourself. Iwould love to do it again. I was the youngest competitor there and I want to continue to do these and improve in aspects such as my speed,” Wilson said. “If I had to decribe the [Patriot Half-Ironman Triathlon] in three words, I would say encouraging, accomplishing, and adrenaline-filled.” n

Patriot Half-Ironman Triathlon

Total distance marked: 1.2 miles Ouch! In Wilson’s wave, there were fourteen competitors. Although Wilson managed to finish before her allotted time, she struggled to stay above the water because of the kicking and pushing of the nearby contestants. Photo courtesy of Madison Wilson.