December Issue

B2: Student musicians: Nouri, Adamek, and “Help Wanted” perform downtown B3: Food trucks spring up B10: Day at livestock sale

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Harrisonburg High School • 1001 Garbers Church Road • Harrisonburg, VA 22801 • 540.433.2651 • Volume XIC • Issue 5• December 19, 2012

Debate competes at JMU tournament Mark Duda Editor-in-chief High school debaters from across the Mid-Atlantic descended on JMU’s GraftonStovall Theatre, eager to participate in the university’s long-anticipated debate tournament on Fri, Dec. 7. HHS’s team was among them.

The tournament was split into the traditional four categories of high school debate: policy, public forum, Lincoln-Douglas, and student congress, each having its own style, structure, and set of rules.

Junior Daniel Roth placed first out of 17 competitors in Lincoln-Douglas, winning his final round through psychological techniques. “I tried to fluster my opponent in the last round by, basically, being [mean] to her during the cross-examination. I heard her talking about how frustrated she was during

See DEBATE on page A2 How much do you share on social media?

Social media is an increasingly large part of our daily lives. How aware are you of what you post online? B1

Academic team finds early-season success

After a disappointing season last year, the team is off to a strong start. A3

PHOTO BY ANA HUNTER-NICKELS

MILES AHEAD Juniors Miles Donahue (left) and Rafael Snell-Feikema (right) compete in policy debate at the tournament held at James Madison University on Fri, Dec. 7 and Sat, Dec 8. They competed in the JV division against what coach Peter Norment called “some of the best debate teams in Virginia.” Junior Daniel Roth won the varsity Lincoln-Douglas division.

Musical cast Shradley-Horst named Virginia art teacher of year Luke Gibson announced, News editor practices start Mia Karr Managing editor On the first day of Thanksgiving break, dozens of students across Harrisonburg were anxiously waiting for 12 p.m., computers sitting fully charged and at the ready. When the moment came, shaking hands navigated their way to drama teacher Stan Swartz’s website. Last year the results were an hour late, but this year that was not to be the case. The punctual posting of the Thoroughly Modern Millie cast list ushered in the beginning of “musical season” for the more than 50 students acting, singing, and dancing in the show, to be performed February 13-17.

Senior Nancy Carrie Logan will play the main role of Millie Dillmount, a young Midwestern girl who goes to New York and finds love and adventure. The other main roles of Jimmy Smith, Miss Dorothy Brown, and Trevor Graydon will be played by junior Abe Nouri, senior Kirsten Ferguson, and senior Sam St. Ours, respectively.

“When I saw the cast list I screamed and started crying,” Logan said. “My sister tackled me. The whole day I was singing and tap dancing around the house.”

Before she could get to this point, Logan and the other prospective cast members had to go through a multistep audition process. At the initial audition, students performed a one-minute monologue and chose a song from the musical from the

See MUSICAL on page A2

Thoroughly Modern Millie Key Roles: Nancy Carrie Logan: Millie Dillmount Abe Nouri: Jimmy Smith Kaelyn Warne: Mrs. Meers Sam St. Ours: Trevor Graydon III Kirsten Ferguson: Miss Dorothy Brown

PHOTO BY ANA HUNTER-NICKELS

AWARDING JOB Art teacher Kelly Shradley-Horst teaches her Art 1 class on Fri., Dec. 7.

The art department has often considered the importance of exposure to the realm of art outside of high school. Commitment to a field and educating others in that field would appear deserving of recognition. Art teacher Kelly Shradley-Horst has received just that, being awarded regional and state secondary art educator of the year. Shradley-Horst was nominated by fellow art teacher Jauan Brooks to be considered in the Blue Ridge region, which began the process that would end in her winning the award for Virginia.

After her initial regional competition nomination, the region itself picked one teacher from each category to advance.

These were from the elementary, middle, secondary and postsecondary groups.

“I had to fill out a packet of informa-

See AWARD on page A2

BRCC Dual Enrollment program expanding Brenna Cowardin Style editor When you’re 16, you can’t drink, vote, or buy lottery tickets, but you can start going to college while still in high school.

Beginning next year, students can graduate HHS with both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree from Blue Ridge Community College through the new Blue Ridge Scholars Program. Courses will be offered at both HHS and BRCC. Principal Tracy Shaver is thrilled about having the opportunity to introduce students to a college campus before leaving the comfort of home.

“We want this to be a real college experience for students,” Shaver said.

The associate’s degree is one in general studies, so it is meant to be transferrable to the college that students choose to attend. However, this depends on the school.

Some colleges accept the degree in its entirety, some accept a few credits, and still

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others accept none of the credits.

“Every school is different. If you go to Harvard, they may not accept any [of your credits], but if you go to Virginia Tech, they may accept all of them,” Shaver said.

Five new dual enrollment coursesspeech, biology, U.S. history, political science, and literature, will be taught next year, adding to the dual enrollment classes already offered. Students will also have the opportunity to choose to participate in elective courses, like engineering or psy-

“I would encourage students who are interested in going to college to take advantage of this opportunity,” Tracy Shaver, principal

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chology at BRCC. By the end of senior year, a student must acquire 14 elective credits.

“First semester of junior year, all of the classes will be taught at the high school,” Shaver said. “Second semester, fourth period classes will be taught at the community college.”

Since it takes about 30 minutes to get to BRCC, the third period class will most likely be a study hall. Students who are taking these classes will not return to school until closer to 3:00 p.m., although Shaver hopes this will not disrupt any after school activities and sports.

Shaver notes the rigorous schedule is a good preparation for higher level education.

“I would encourage students who are interested in going to college to take advantage of this opportunity,” Shaver said. “I think it’s a challenging program, but many of our students are able to meet those challenges.”

See BRCC on page A2

Coming Up Finals, SOL testing begin as first semester comes to an end Winter sports competition continues Actors and actresses prepare for Thoroughly Modern Millie Art department plans second mural in nursery area Yearbook staff partners with African school Alumni make film to honor classmate

December 19, 2012

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Seniors play teacher on takeover day Gina Muan News editor

RED SEA GEAR AVAILABLE Red Sea T-shirts and sweatshirts are available in room 444. T-shirts are $10 and sweatshirts are $20. New this year is the embroidered Red Sea hoodie. Hoodies are $10.

CLASS WARS GOING STRONG Class Wars are in full swing. Students will receive class chips for attending different events. Drop off your chips in your class jar located in room 444.

Updated thermometers on the bulletin board outside room 444 provide students with the totals for each class.

PARENT/STUDENT PORTAL The new grade portal is now up and running. Parents should have received the registration code in the mail. Students use their lunch number for their username and their MAC username as the password to enter their grade portal. Contact guidance to report any issues or if you have any questions.

FINANCIAL AID FAIR The Super Saturday Financial Aid event will be held on Feb. 9, 2013.

Students and parents can attend this event in order to get assistance on filling out the FAFSA forms.

WINTER BREAK The last day of school before break will be Dec. 21. This day will not be an early release day. Students have to return to school on Jan. 7. Winter Break last two weeks.

EXAM WEEK HHS exam week is Jan. 14-17. For more information on the exam day schedule, consult guidance, a teacher, or the student handbook. Exam week marks the end of the first semester.

SAT DATE The next upcoming SAT date will be Jan. 26. For more information on how to register, visit the counseling center, or visit: collegeboard.org. The following SAT date will be March 9.

NEWS- A2

PHOTO BY ANA HUNTER-NICKELS

Turner Takeover. Senior Christina Sellers “took over” for math teacher, Bill Turner.

Sellers taught vectors in an advanced math class by writing example problems up on the board.

Walking through the halls on Friday, Nov. 16, one may have noticed that several students looked remarkably spiffy, spruced up in pencil skirts, pointy stilettos or starchy button-downs. These students were likely taking part in Senior Takeover Day, an annual HHS event where a handful of teachers and administrators entrust their responsibilities to various seniors.

Seniors Emma Peifer and Nancy Carrie Logan took the position of head principal Tracy Shaver and led the pledge along with the morning announcements. Seniors Dylan Liskey and Robby Ross were assistant principals Michael Eye and Eric Sents, respectively. These student administrators could be seen enforcing school rules like the dress code and the tardy policy.

“It was intense,” senior Sarah Kaylor said about tracking people down. “People literally hid in classrooms. We actually used the golf carts to chase people in the parking lots trying to leave school.”

Assuming the role of teacher for the day was, ironically, a learning experience

Guidance starts early on next year’s schedules Kendall Bailey Sports editor The guidance department has decided to prepare for the 2013-2014 school year several months early. Among all of the college applications, adding this project combines the two busiest times of the year for the department into one. There are several reasons for planning ahead, especially since the guidance counselors have upgraded to a new software program.

Co-head counselors Rachel Linden and Lisa Warren think that the new system will have many benefits.

“Basically we want to have a system set in place so next year we’ll have schedules with limited problems, so the beginning of this year doesn’t repeat itself,” Warren said.

Instead of waiting until the last weeks of school to cram over 1,000 students into the guidance office to pick their future

classes, students are being called down within the next several weeks to determine their classes.

“It’s more student friendly; registering early allows us to create the schedules by the end of this year, making it an easier transition for students,” Warren said.

Many students are looking forward to this new strategy as well, since so many had scheduling conflicts in the past.

Senior Giovanna Raso is one of the many students who was affected by the previous scheduling problems.

“Pre-Calculus didn’t fit into my schedule this year, and by the time I found out about it, it was too late to change my schedule because all of the classes were full,” Raso said.

Some of these scheduling conflicts have severe consequences that affect more than just the student’s choice of classes. Many students are unable to take necessary and challenging courses that could help them when it comes to college applications.

Teacher tops in VA AWARD from A1 tion; things I’ve done in the school, awards I’ve won, merits. I also had to get two letters of reference from parents or coworkers or administration,” Shradley-Horst said. These nominations and references were then reviewed by the state committee to decide on an overall winner. Though the award itself was for 2013, Shradley-Horst received it at the VAEA conference in Norfolk at the beginning of November. The regional win wasn’t so much a surprise for Shradley-Horst or Brooks, but they both anticipated that the state award would go to a teacher with more years of experience, compared to Shradley-Horst’s seven years.

“With [the state award] I was surprised, because I considered it as something to be highly competitive. I felt that I was a fairly young teacher that was up for the award and didn’t think that I had a chance,” Shradley-Horst said. “[Mrs. Shradley-Horst] always considers the students’ best interests, whether it’s in concept or a life lesson, incorporating it into her art teaching,” Brooks said.

“Art’s just different from any other class. She deserved it at some point,” senior Cameron Ritcher said. The award was also beneficial for HHS, providing advocacy for the art program at HHS. “There’s no monetary aspect, it’s more of a title and a way to promote our program through grants and extra curricular activities. It’s through the support of the school that we’re able to expand our program, that’s what the nomination means for us,” Shradley-Horst said. Shradley-

for some seniors.

“I had to teach things I’d never learned before,” senior Christina Sellers said. Sellers took over for long time math instructor, Bill Turner. “[In] one lesson for the Advanced Math class, I taught parametric functions and vectors,” Sellers said.

Senior Kaelyn Warne plans to major in Chemistry in college, and aptly decided to instruct Suzanne Smith’s Chemistry class.

“I taught molecular structure, the polarity of molecules, and I demonstrated this fire ramp demo,” Warne said. “[In yearbook] people are usually doing independent work, so I didn’t really have to teach much,” Michelle Loveless said.

However, some students experienced a slightly higher level of exertion.

“My knees actually hurt from standing all day,” Sellers said.

“I think students learned that [teaching] was a lot harder than it looked,” English teacher Mary Strickler said. “They were surprised that kids didn’t always listen.”

Despite differences in rigor for various students, feedback from the ‘takeover’ was generally positive. Given the opportunity to repeat the takeover, Warne said, “I would definitely do it again.”

PHOTO BY ANA HUNTER-NICKELS

LEARNING THE CRAFT Art teacher Kelly Shradley-Horst instructs a student using watercolors in her Art 1 class.

Horst currently teaches Art 1, 2 and 3, Art Club and a new Ceramics class, but she has further ambitions for the department.

“We would like to introduce more classes, there’s a functional art class that we’d like to work on. As of now, we’re also starting a fine arts academy that is going to have a lot of art growth, not just visual arts but music, dance and drama. It is the brainchild of the entire art department,

not just me.”

Both Brooks and Shradley-Horst spend time writing numerous grants for artmaking opportunities not available based on the regular budget. Examples include enameling, glass-blowing, pottery and a mural outside of the art rooms.

“They are extraordinary, these opportunities beyond the classroom,” Shradley-

but we still have two more practices and a ShenVaFl tournament [to get ready],” Ghaemmaghami said prior to the competiton. Adamek expected himself to place at least in the top two.

“Well, I’m hoping for at least second, provided Daniel Roth, another HHS debater will get first,” Adamek said. On the other hand, Ghaemmaghami was not exactly sure what place she would get in the tournament. “I have no clue whatsoever what place I’m going to get,” Ghaemmaghami said.

By getting ready for any debate they wrote their speeches, practiced debating

other debaters on the team, and discussed with their teammates about counters to arguments. They have practice every Monday, where they do practice rounds and talk about the resolution and revise their speeches.

“There’s always a little adrenaline rush when you’re about to give a speech, but if you just take deep breaths and be confident, as cliche as that sounds, they go away,” Adamek said.

“I do get nervous but they pretty much go away once I start debating,” Ghaemmaghami said.

play multiple roles.” While Swartz says the age of auditionees can occasionally play into casting, it is not at the forefront of his mind.

“I cast according to who I think is going to make the show the strongest,” Swartz said.

Freshman Andy King went through the initial audition and dance and singing callbacks before landing the role of Bun Foo. “I’m not one of those people that isn’t nervous before [an audition],” King said. “I was really nervous before the singing audition.”

Now that the auditions are behind them, the cast has begun rehearsing for the show, focusing almost completely on learning the music throughout the early practices.

“I can’t wait for all the songs and costumes,” Logan said. She is especially looking forward to singing “Gimme, Gimme”, a big solo for Millie near the end of act two. “[Being Millie] feels like a dream.”

“It’s my first time doing musical, but I know it’s going to be a blast,” King said.

“I’m excited to be with the cast because they’re a great group of people.”

“JMU highly recommends that [its applicants] have taken math classes at least up to pre-calculus, so I’m really nervous that it will hurt my chances of getting in since I wasn’t able to take that class,” Raso said.

The guidance counselors don’t hold all of the responsibilities. Students must stay aware and have a clear mindset on what classes they plan on pursuing.

“We have a lot of new programs and courses, so it’s important that students be proactive in choosing their courses and being invested in their education,” Warren said.

Debaters compete DEBATE from A1

one of her rounds, so I tried to get in her head,” Roth said.

Policy debate, at its core, is exactly what it sounds like- the debaters are given a topic (set yearly), and must develop arguments both in favor of (in debate-speak, the affirmative, or ‘aff’), or against (negative, or ‘neg’) the argument. This year’s topic: “The United States federal government should substantially increase its transportation infrastructure investment in the United States.”

Senior Samantha Heitsch, along with her partner, senior Madeline Culbreth, placed third in varsity policy debate. The topic may be straightforward, but, according to Heitsch, the arguments are sometimes everything but. “The team we went up against from Baltimore runs ‘off-thewall’ arguments. [In policy debate] you have a political policy, and argue the pros and cons of that policy. They reject that mindset, and say that’s inherently ‘white’.

They reject the white mindset and embrace the black rhetoric, and, so, they basically run a racism [sic] critique of debate,” Heitsch said. “They do what are called performance arguments, so they’ll rap everything that say, because that’s the most personal form of argument. The judges each have personal preferences, though.”

Over the two-day competition, Heitsch and Culbreth competed in eight rounds, each lasting around 1.5 to 2 hours. Even so, Heitsch was pleased with her third place finish.

“I was pleasantly surprised since I didn’t prepare as much as I ought to. We have really good coaches, though, and the team as a whole is pretty strong,” Heitsch said, accrediting some of the team’s success to a teammate. “Aubtin [Heydari] really knows what he’s doing and helped the rest of us out a lot. This is Madeline and I’s third year doing this, so we have some experience under our belt.”

Associates Degree Debaters spend weeks preparing for tournament now available Felicia Tran Staff reporter

The JMU Debate Tournament took place on Dec. 7-8. The debaters spent weeks preparing.

Although it is junior Jack Adamek’s second year taking debate, he felt extremely excited and very prepared for the tournament, despite this being his first appearance at the venue. Freshman Emma Ghaemmaghami’s felt less prepared for the tournament, but equally excited.

“At the moment, I don’t feel prepared

Logan receives lead in Thoroughly Modern Millie MUSICAL from A1

options provided. From there, select students were asked to come to dance callbacks, singing callbacks, or both. Then it was up to Swartz, with assistance from his fellow directors, to cast the show, which has fewer roles than last years’ production of Les Miserables.

“I try to emphasize the strengths of the performers that I have. Sometimes I have to adjust what I want in a specific role,” Swartz said. “[There are] certain people who are very strong and could potentially

BRCC from A1

The program will accept 25 students. To apply, students must pass algebra 2 and get two letters of recommendation from teachers. Finally, students must also pass Virginia placement tests in math and reading. A committee will review all applications.

Shaver doesn’t believe AP courses will lack student interest now that more DE classes will be offered.

“Will it have a tremendous impact on AP courses? No, not necessarily because of the second pathway where students also get the Associate’s Degree through AP classes,” Shaver said. “If you score a three or higher [on the AP test], those classes are recognized at BRCC for credit. However, 25 percent of your course work must be Blue Ridge Community College Dual Enrollment classes.”

BRCC gives students full access to the college campus, so this program can bridge the gap between high school and college life. “Students in the Blue Ridge Scholars program will also have access to all the resources BRCC has to offer. They can utilize [BRCC’s] wellness facility, the library, their computer resources, their counseling services,” Shaver said.

December 19, 2012

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NEWS A3

NEHS chapter opens Ana Hunter-Nickels Staff photographer

PHOTO BY GINA MUAN BUZZER BEATER. Members of the HHS Academic A-Team, senior Christina Sellers and junior Dylan Bontrager discuss possible answers to a directed question. At their home meet, held Nov. 26, HHS won their round against Waynesboro.

Academic Team already topping last year’s record Anna Wyatt Staff reporter There are weekly practices and meets.

Members are expected to meet the minimum grade requirements, much like football or basketball players. But the HHS academic team is no sports team. Though there are few physical aspects of the academic team, aside from strengthening buzzer reflexes and battling the occasional hand cramp, they still take their weekly meets, where they compete against teams from other nearby high schools, very seriously.

“It’s similar to a sports program because the kids are expected to show up to weekly, sometimes biweekly, practices in order

to prepare for upcoming meets,” history teacher and academic team assistant coach Jere Borg said.

Borg is one of three HHS teachers involved with academic team. Each of the teachers specializes in a different subject.

Borg, who specializes in social studies and current events, works together with the team’s head coach, Robert Edmunds, who specializes in math and science, and Verity Caron, who specializes in language arts, to train the students in the different categories.

“You never know what [question] you’re going to get at the meets. That’s why you have to be prepared for anything,” Borg said.

The team attends meets every Monday.

“[The meets] are kind of like Jeopardy, except you compete in teams instead of individually,” Edmunds said. Four people from each school rush to be the first to answer what’s called a pyramid style question. These questions are different from those one might see on a test or quiz at school. They are long, sometimes a paragraph or more, and begin by presenting challenging information before they become progressively easier towards the end of the question. The first team to buzz in and answer correctly gets the points.

“It’s hard to catch how exciting it really can be when it’s a close match and everybody’s contributing,” Edmunds said.

“It’s competitive, very competitive, like Jeopardy, but also a lot of fun,” Borg said.

HHS nominates Eckstein for Jefferson Scholarship Katrina Sokolyuk Style editor Awarded solely on the basis of merit, the prestigious Jefferson Scholarship of the University of Virginia is granted to applicants who have undergone a rigorous application process.

Every year, a total of 31 scholarships are given out to prospective students from around the country. These full scholarships to UVA are extremely competitive and are the school’s primary source for attracting some of the most promising students in the country and the world.

No one can directly apply for the scholarship. Instead, schools are invited to nominate one student based on certain criteria.

This year’s nominee from HHS is senior Mike Eckstein.

“I was really surprised that I got the nomination, honestly,” Eckstein said. “I was going against a tough group of people.”

Nominations are completed by both school officials and students and include a scholastic report, extracurricular activities, recommendation letters and two essays.

Eckstein’s love for UVA and constant hunt for scholarships led him to apply to the university.

“My brother went [to UVA] and it’s a school that I’ve had on my mind for a while now. It’s somewhere that I really want to go,” Eckstein said.

Receiving the nomination for the school is only the first step. Eckstein still has a long way to go if he is to receive the actual scholarship.

“If I am to go on in this, I’m going to have to go through a lot of interviews,”

Eckstein said.

According to the Jefferson Scholars Foundation website, the foundation received nearly 1,300 nominations from high schools participating in regional competitions. Each high school is assigned to 54 regions across the U.S. Nominees must go through multiple interviews and in some cases, fill out several applications. They compete to be the regional nominees for the scholarship.

Of these nominees, 102 finalists are then brought to Charlottesville for the finalist selection weekend in late March. At the conclusion of the four-day event, a new class of 31 new Jefferson Scholars will be selected, representing less than 3% of those originally nominated.

“Some of the past winners are ridiculous,” Eckstein said. “After reading up, I don’t know if I have much of a chance of getting [the scholarship], but it would be awesome if I did.”

Junior Dean Koo transferred here last year from W. T. Woodson High School and to his surprise, HHS didn’t have a National English Honor Society. He decided to discuss this absence with English and Journalism instructor Valerie Kibler. Kibler talked with English department co-chair Cathy Soenksen about starting one up.

“We found information just this week.

We sent in the application, and now it’s underway,” Soenksen said. Kibler and Soenksen expected to start the society next year, but then they realized: Why wait? There is no deadline year by year so they sent in the charter application to be signed by Principal Tracy Shaver.

Kibler and Soenksen have proposed assembling a ‘600 club’ wall for the recipients with perfect English SOL scores and an ‘800 club’ for perfect SAT scores. They want to recognize the students involved who received excellent scores. They would also like members of the NHES to tutor other students. They could help by utilizing labs focused on writing and proofreading skills.

“There are ideas to help with the creative writing book and making requirements about being active enough in English activities such as being on the academic team, debate team, newspaper, and yearbook. The whole point of the NEHS is to somehow be active with a sense of communication that falls under the umbrella of English,” Soenksen said.

The process to get into NEHS involves an application procedure which would be similar to that of NEHS organizations at other schools around the country.

Students with a 3.5 overall GPS and a 3.5 English class GPA are eligible to apply for membership. Application forms and invitations were distributed to all students who had a 3.5 overall GPA. Students will have to go to their guidance counselor to find out their English-specific GPA. Students must be at least sophomores and have attended Harrisonburg High School for at least one semester.

Applications can be picked up in room 444 and must be returned to Kibler in the same room by Dec. 21 along with the $10 membership fee.

A faculty advisory committee will meet to go through the application and members will be notified of their application status in mid-January.

In addition to recognizing achievements of English students and developing a tutoring/mentoring program for students who need additional help, the group hopes to begin a student-centered book club and to work on planning traveling opportunities centered around English studies.

“We probably should have started this group a long time ago. It’s high time we recognize the English achievements of our students at HHS. There are tremendous accomplishments being made every year and these kids deserve to be honored.

They also want to give back. We have terrific models already begun by the other departments, especially math. That department really knows how to honor their high-achieving students,” Kibler said.

Renewed class wars successful Financial aid is available for college Isabelle Burden Staff reporter This year the SCA is trying to bring back an old activity to get students excited for school events: class chips. Receiving these chips is as simple as performing tasks such as coming to school or buying band cookies. Chips go into each class’ bin, and the class with the most chips at the end of the competition wins a huge prize.

Senior Ben DiNapoli, HHS president, reveals how he got the idea.

“My sister started the whole class war thing two years before me and then it kind of died out when William [Imeson] was here, so I thought I would start it again,” DiNapoli said. He thinks the competition is going well.

“It’s been pretty successful. We have not [gotten the whole school into it], but we have definitely tried to get enough people involved so we can have good results,” DiNapoli said.

DiNapoli feels everyone should be participating. Students could help their

class win an incredible prize, which this year will be enjoying a catered meal and a movie in the auditorium.

“It’s going to be a lunch during school, like catered from Outback or something.

Right now we are trying to get businesses that actually cater to large numbers of people. There will be food then a movie in the auditorium,” DiNapoli explained.

Currently, the seniors are in the lead.

“I think seniors are ahead right now because they are seniors! You don’t want any other grade to beat you because you’re at the top of the school and you’re trying to show everyone that you’re better than everyone,” DiNapoli said.

“I think it’s cool to have competition.

A lot of things people do don’t always involve competition, so it’s good to have goals, to have something to work towards at the end of the year. It’s fun to participate in events,” DiNapoli said.

The competition is set to end sometime in the last couple weeks of school.

That’s when the grand winner will be announced. DiNapoli said he would like to be able to give the winning class a big trophy, but he’s not sure about that yet.

Isaac Falk Opinion editor One of the most critical things to consider in selecting the right college, is it’s tuition fees. For some, high tuition fees are enough to deter students from the college of their dreams, but options exist for students to effectively lower their tuition into college.

By filling out a FAFSA form (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), a student may gain funds for college, based on a formula the FAFSA commission uses to allot funds.

“There are different formulas that calculate family need [for college], like on the FAFSA you fill in your tax information, your income levels, investments, things like that,” guidance counselor David Hoover said. FAFSA takes that information and then determines your family’s contribution level and determines your need based status.

In addition, merit based scholarships are designed to give funding to students based on their academic achievements, extra-curricular achievements, and other

criteria. Typically, every college has its own merit-based scholarship opportunities for students interested in the college.

Bridgewater College has been known to offer hefty scholarships for students with a high academic ranking.

“I’ve seen kids go to Bridgewater for free with a 4.0 or higher,” Hoover said.

An example of a merit based scholarship is the ELKS National Foundation Most Valuable Student Program. Senior Laura Baker is applying for the ELKS National Foundation scholarship. Baker’s father and grandfather are both elks, and she was persuaded to apply.

“A lot of it has to do with community service and leadership,” Baker said. The application process consists of filling in general contact information, grades, SAT or ACT scores, activity involvement, and an essay on a predetermined topic. The HHS counselor’s website features some available scholarships.

Taking advantage of the various opportunities available will allow students of various economic standings to enter the halls of academia and see their education come to fruition.

SCA-SPONSORED CLASS COMPETITION POINTS TOTALS

884 FRESHMEN

992

1259

727 SOPHOMORES

TOTALS AS OF DECEMBER 12

354 JUNIORS

SENIORS

FACULTY

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December 19, 2012 August 21, 2012 The Harrisonburg High School Newsstreak

What role should social media play?

The Policy

NEWSSTREAK STAFF EDITORIAL

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.

Social media is ubiquitous.

It has profoundly affected our lives, both personal and professional, since its rise in recent years. But what role, if any, does social media, Facebook and Twitter in particular, play in students’ educational lives? And how aware are students of how their lives on social media extend beyond their personal lives?

As a method of communication, at least in regards to large group discussion and document exchange, social media is very efficient. In fact, many teachers have established social media pages, on Facebook, blogging sites, and education-specific sites, to encourage discussion and communication between their students.

Teachers uploading class documents to social media sites

The editors and staff Editors-in-Chief: Print - Mark Duda, Celia Ehrenpreis Online - Maggie Siciliano, Ben DiNapoli Managing Editor: Mia Karr Advertising Managers : Austin Coffey and Bryndal Fulginiti Photographers: Ana Hunter Nickels, Sukriti Adhikari Staff Reporters: Mark Duda, Maggie Siciliano, Ben DiNapoli, Mia Karr, Katrina Sokolyuk, Anthony Duong, John Earle, Max Johnson, Isabelle Burden, Julexus Cappell, Bryndal Fulginiti, Victoria Giron, Ana Hunter-Nickels, Gypsy Torgerson, Gina Muan, Kerri Hofacker, Kendall Bailey, Josh Byrd, Austin Swift, Valerio Aleman, TJ Kirkland, Jr., Ellie Plass, Felicia Tran, Brenna Cowardin, Luke Gibson, Isaac Falk, Sukriti Adhikari, Chelsea Arnott, Lindsay Plume, Karim Rawls, Josh Storella, Lybeth Vega-Lopez, Anthony Walton, Sydney Knupp, Alexis Dickerson, Nishat Jamil, Paul Hairston, Sam Imeson, Anna Wyatt, Faith Runnells and Mary McMahan.

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 (2012 Gallup Award), National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) All-American, the Virginia High School League, Inc. Trophy Class Award, and the Southern Interscholastic Press Association All Southern Ranking and 2010 Scroggins Award winner. newsstreak.com opt out notice: If you do NOT want to allow your student’s full name or image to appear on the school newspaper site, please send an email to vkibler@harrisonburg. k12.va.us stating: I understand that the school newspaper, newsstreak. com, now has an online version of the publication. I DO NOT want my son/daughter (place student’s name here) to have his or her name or image published on this online venue.

Op/Ed--A5 A5 NEWS

The The

aids students in keeping on top of their work and saves the students the bandwidth needed to download the documents of the teacher’s webpage, as opposed to just viewing it.

This brings up the relationships between teachers and students through social networking.

There’s no official policy on the subject, but mixed feelings exist on both sides.

There are obvious benefits to communication in being in contact with teachers through social media, but how much do students and teachers really want to know what is going on in

the other’s personal lives? How much should they know? This is something that should be left to individual students and teachers to decide, and the current school policy, or lack thereof, is a good one.

The role of social media on education spans beyond the classroom. Parents and teachers alike commonly bring up that college admissions committees like to search for information about

their applicants lives online.

Should students fear that the college of their dreams is looking them up on Facebook? The answer, according to numerous admissions officers across the country, is probably not, but it does still occasionally happen.

This gives students reason, if they didn’t need one already, to closely monitor the information that is displayed on their social media profiles.

WHAT IS THE STAFF EDITORIAL? The unsigned staff editorial appears in each issue and reflects the majority opinion of the Newsstreak Staff Editorial Board.

The Editorial Board is comprised of all editors-in-chief, page editors, advertising managers, photographers and selected freshman journalism students. In no way does our opinion reflect that of the school system or the administration.

THE ACTUAL VOTE The editorial board voted 8-1 to agree that students need to behave responsibly when considering their postings on social media. It’s our opinion that students and teachers can interact professionally when it comes to social media and that interaction should not be prohibited by policy.

ART BY NISHAT JAMIL

Super PACS growing more powerful

IF YOU GIVE A FALK A COLUMN...

Isaac Falk Opinion editor Are super PACs really all that super? In the 2012 election, roughly $6 billion was spent on the election by both parties. What resulted was a minimal change in power, with Barack Obama serving a second term, the Senate still under Democratic control, and the House of Representatives under Republican control. So the question becomes, “What effect, if any, did these super-PACs have on the democratic system?”

Super PACs were birthed from the Supreme Court ruling in the case Citizens United. In this rul-

ing, the Supreme Court came to the decision that an expenditure of money is the same as free speech, and since you cannot limit free speech, corporate expenditures of money in elections is constitutional.

Can we say there was no impact, seeing as Karl Rove’s superPAC and c(4) PAC spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the 2012 election, to little avail? Only a few candidates that Rove gave funding to actually won against Democratic opponents. I would be hesitant to say super-PACs and their money had no influence. Even though Romney lost by a wide margin, roughly 100 electoral votes, it is possible Romney may have lost by a wider margin had he not received as much aid. In future, more closely contested elections, super-PACs may help turn the tide one way or the other.

Campaign funding is a double edged sword. Funding allows candidates to spread their views and attract voters. For candidates with less personal wealth, fund-

raising allows their candidacy to take off. Obama was one of the “poorest” presidents, and the various contributions to his election helped escalate him to the White House.

But at the same time, campaign contributions have a dark side. In some circumstances, a majority of the funds received by a candidate may come from a single contributor, through a superPAC or otherwise. That, of course, is not good. The contributor may have sway over the candidate if the candidate is elected, which has dubious implications in a representative democracy.

Both sides had this kind of funding, which makes it more difficult to analyze the impact of these donors. Both Obama and Romney collected and spent over $1 billion respectively. So, while while campaign spending was at a recorded high this season, one party did not appear to have an advantage over the other.

After the election, much of the super PAC money that was unspent may end up in the super

PAC’s leader’s bank account.

Stephen Colbert did an excellent job demonstrating how the funds that remain in a superPAC’s account can be discretely siphoned into a personal bank account. He, with the aid of his attorney Trevor Potter, demonstrated how he could transfer the funds that remained in his super-PAC, Colbert Super PAC, to his c(4) super PAC, Colbert Super Secret PAC Shh, and transfer that again to an unnamed c(4) PAC and transfer that into his bank account without having to disclose such information. So, essentially Colbert could use his c(4) PACs to transfer the funds acquired by the super PAC to his own personal bank account.

In the end, is too early to make any concrete statements about super-PACs. This was the first election since Citizens United, so we are just beginning to see the effect of these kind of contributions. Ultimately, time will allow us to better assess the impact of these contributions, and decide if they are right for our system.

Spirit of Christmas more important than Santa

THE MIA PERSPECTIVE

Mia Karr Feature editor

I remember that night clearly.

Tears streamed down my face as I looked into my dad’s blue eyes, trying to convince myself that he hadn’t been lying to me for the past eight years.

“Please,” I sobbed, “Tell me the truth.” He sighed deeply, seeming to realize that after all those years of clever evasions, vague answers, and deceptive halftruths, neither of us could pretend anymore. So he opened his mouth and confirmed my worst fears.

And that’s how I found out Santa Claus wasn’t real. My trusting, childhood innocence was gone as quickly as the sugar cookies I always left out for a certain guy in a big red suit. The sugar cookies, it turns out, that my mom and dad had been devouring every Christmas Eve. In a way it was a relief- no more trying to convince myself of what I knew should be impossible and no more cruel teasing by my peers.

However, no one should have to

learn in such a definitive way that magic doesn’t exist.

So this is why I am anti-Santa. Let me clarify; I don’t have a problem with Santa as a cultural icon (I like Santa ornaments and the old Coke commercials and Elf.) What bothers me is parents telling their children that Santa is a flesh and blood human being who delivers presents to all the children of the world. I see this as problematic for two reasons: First, parents get themselves trapped in an intricate web of lies. I was an inquisitive child, and my parents had to be quite quick on their feet. One fib led to the next, and soon my vision of Christmas was supported by an odd framework of explanations in which Santa can climb through

windows, shop in stores for name brand items, and knows not to go to the houses of children who don’t celebrate the holiday. Instead of taking all the effort to lie, why not send kids the message that you should, you know, tell the truth?

Secondly, who needs Santa?

Why do we have to come up with this mythical being to celebrate generosity and the “spirit of Christmas”? Santa doesn’t even represent that so much these days- he’s more of a thinly-veiled marketing hoax to force parents into buying more, more, more.

All those sappy, Hallmarkmovie feelings of warmth and goodness can easily be achieved without this lie. That’s all it is a lie- a lie that broke my heart all those years ago.

Ornament grubbing dog makes lasting memories

MARY’S WORLD

Mary McMahan News editor We all remember the good-ole days in preschool and early elementary school when we would make ornaments out of pretty much anything. I remember making a bell-shaped ornament out of dried up gingerbread. I painted stripes on it with various colors and then tied a bow around the

top so that it could be hung on my Christmas tree at home. We crafted ornaments out of candy canes, tinsel, pipe cleaners, macaroni...all little pieces of treasure that remind us of how easy life used to be.

Flash-forward about 15 years and all of those childhood memories are currently destroyed or nibbled on...all thanks to Abby.

When we first got Abby as a puppy, we never thought she would be the little destructive demon that she is. Normally, when it comes to tree decorating, all of the more eye-catching and prettier ornaments are hung at eye level or higher. All of the child-made or random ornaments that have nothing to deal with Christmas are usually hung at the bottom of the tree or on the back where they’re not as visible.

Well, that plan changed when

we started to notice that there were half-eaten candy canes hanging and dried gingerbread crumbs scattered around the base of the tree. My gingerbread bell ornament never lived to see another Christmas. We realized that when Abby thought no one was looking, she would sneak around to the back of the tree and start feasting on various “delicacies”. All that was noticeable was her golden tail, sticking out from the side of the tree. Once she emerged, guilt was written all over her face, unless she still had an ornament clenched in her jaws.

There was really no use in trying to pry it out of her mouth.

The grip was extremely binding.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, can get her to drop what she has in her mouth. The ornament was gone in seconds...only leaving be-

hind a few crumbs of evidence.

Childhood memories are too precious to lose. Since we were so young at the time, it is s hard for us to remember what life was like then. However, all of those memories tend to be contained in objects that remind of us certain events. Throughout life, we will lose some memories, but there will be a few that we’ll never let go of. I know that every Christmas that I look at out decorated tree, I will be reminded of all of the ornaments that I made when I was four years old and how they were destroyed by my loving dog.

However, I don’t see those memories as being destroyed. I see them as a whole new memories that layer on top of the old ones without obscuring them.

Abby is slowly adding more and more memories to my life, one ornament at a time.

December 19, 2012

The

Newsstreak

OP/ED A6

After school study sessions boost academic performance Sydney Knupp Staff reporter

Read, Write, and True

Are we going to fall off the fiscal cliff?

Joshua Byrd Staff reporter

Having coaches within the school system, and especially within HHS, gives student athletes a sense of stability in their academic life, especially if the students are not receiving support at home. Every student must keep a 2.0 G.P.A, which is a C average, to even participate in any sport, but most athletes are above that mark because of the constant support and hounding by some of their own coaches here at school.

Coach Chris Thurman is a

great example of this. All football players must report to a mandatory study hall immediately after school in the cafeteria commons.

The athletes are expected to get their work done under the watchful eye of not only Coach Thurman, but cheerleading coach Lisa Thurman as well.

“Study hall becomes really helpful when it comes to completing all your homework on time because you have to sit down, focus, and get work done,” Thurman said.

The fact that their coach works at HHS gives the players a sense of accountability, players like

Matthew Shifflett, the starting quarterback for the second half of the season for the Streaks.

“Thurman pushes us to do our best with our academics. Because he works at the high school, it gives all of us football players a sense of responsibility as we strive to be successful,” Shifflett said.

Junior Ryan Nixon agrees with Shifflett saying, “He encourages us to focus on our GPA’s. Thurman says it’s the most important part.”

Former quarterback Jake Durden witnessed first hand the academic progress under Thurman

“As soon as coach Thurman accepted the position at HHS, he began to augment the academic aptitude considered acceptable for athletics, going above and beyond requirements as well as exceeding expectations for scholarly success,” Durden said.

Having someone there to watch over the athletes makes them want to do well. If no one cares about the outcome of grades and overall performance in life, then there is often not a large effort to succeed. Let us say thankyou to all the staff members who make a difference in student athletes lives on a daily basis.

Hopes high for next year’s dual enrollment program

As the fiscal cliff draws nearer every day, Washington D.C. is, at best right now, an absolute mess. There is disagreement on one issue: the top one percent. Republicans have offered a plan that raises revenue by closing loopholes only on the top one percent. President Obama did not accept it because it does not raise the rates on the one percent.

Now here comes the hypocrisy that we have seen in this administration in the past term, and will most likely see in the coming term. The plan that the Republicans are proposing is almost a twin of the plan President Obama proposed the last time these budget talks were in play. So why isn’t the President not accepting a plan that is identical to his old plan?

Is it because he is willing to hold the middle class hostage to try to make sure tax rates get raised on the 1%?

Is he truly willing to play a game of chicken with hard working families who are trying to make a better life for their kids than they had?

These are families trying to make budgets in an already tough economy.

Now, some people say Republicans are to blame if we go over the cliff. Well, Republicans have made a plan that makes the one percent pay more, but does not raise rates on them. The plan Republicans made limits deductions for the top one percent.

The charity deduction is what is known as one of the loopholes. This means when the top 1% file their tax returns, they won’t be allowed to take as many deductions so they will have to pay more than in the past. Republicans have come from no new revenue to willing to raise revenue by cutting loopholes on the 1%. Now it is the President’s turn to come to the middle.

There are people who say the math doesn’t work. Well again, this plan is identical to President Obama’s old plan back over a year ago.

The math worked then when it was the President’s plan, why wouldn’t it work now?

In order to avoid going off the cliff, lawmakers in Washington are going to have to meet in the middle.

Otherwise, it could be devastating for many Americans.

Sukriti Adhikari Staff reporter Technology is not the only thing that is rapidly evolving.

The upcoming juniors will now be able to graduate with both a high school diploma and an associates degree.

The program proposed by principal Tracy Shaver takes the dual enrollment to a whole new level.

Not only does it allow students to take get an idea about college life and classes, but it also gives them

a two-year head start.

“This encourages students who are interested in going to college and have the potential to actually attend college,” Shaver said.

The BRCC dual enrollment programs allows the students two different choices. They can take dual enrollment classes or take 25% of AP classes and 75% of what the program requires.

“If the students score 3 or higher on their AP exams it will be recognized at BRCC,” Shaver said.

Students who are in this pro-

Top Six Albums of 2012

gram are able to use any BRCC resources including the counselors and advisers.

This program allows students to save up to 80% of what they normally would pay the first two years in college.

Although, this program gives students a head start, the program may also not be accepted by all other universities.

“It all depends on the universities,” Shaver said.

In order to get in this program, applicants need to take a placement exam which will help the

SCA working hard to improve school Austin Coffey Advertising manager

1) Lonerism-Tame Impala 2) Shields- Grizzly Bear 3) Port of Morrow- The Shins 4) Bloom- Beach House 5) Moms- Menomena 6) Centipede Hz- Animal Collective *ACCORDING TO ISAAC FALK

Key Club supports worthy efforts Bryndal Fulginiti Staff reporter Wouldn’t it be amazing if every club and every school in the United States could raise money and young people could change the world by raising millions of dollars for charity? The Key Club has been raising money for over 13 years. They have raised a total of almost $200,000.They haven’t kept a single bit of it, all of it has been given to charity.

They do different fundraisers like car washes, bake sales and in-school fundraisers as well as working concession stands at Lego tournaments. They also ask businesses for donations, advertise on the radio, and communicate with the community. Students have even taken their milk jugs to their churches and they have come back full.

“The whole idea of the Key Club is to help others around the world, mainly children,” sponsor Tony Antonnicola said.

It’s getting harder and harder to earn money with the economy

being the way it is right now, but just a couple cents a day could help any charity that you’re reaching out to. It’s not about the amount you’re able to give, it’s the fact that you’re reaching out giving what little you’re able to, to help someone not as lucky as you.

“It’s not a matter of how much you give to the charity, it feels good knowing what it’s going to and who you will be helping,” Antonnicola said.

It’s all about reaching out and making a difference in the world for the Key Club. Sometimes you need to stop and take a step back from reality and see that what you have and the life you live is something to be truly grateful for because someone else is stepping back and wishing they were lucky enough to have half of what you have.

“Helping people is contagious, I think, and if we could get all high schoolers to step out and show their good side think of what the outcome would be,” Antonnicola said.

Top Five Movies of 2012 1) Moonrise Kingdom 2) Argo 3) Cabin in the Woods 4) Skyfall 5)The Dark Knight Rises INFOGRAPHIC BY ISAAC FALK

Good News in the World

Palestine Accepted into UN: For the first time in its history, Palestine was accepted into the United Nations as an observer state. This is the first time Palestine has been officially recognized by the UN. U.S. Supreme Court to Review Same Sex Marriage: The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to try a case regarding the right for same sex couples to marry.

November Jobs Report: In the face of German economic growth and Hurricane Sandy damage, the U.S. economy added 147,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate fell to 7.7%.

After voting for the Student Council Association (SCA) administration at HHS, students across the board have not yet had the chance to respond to the actions of this year’s SCA officers.

This year the SCA has gone to great lengths to improve our school environment by giving students creative ways to interact with one another inside, as well as outside, of school.

“Our major accomplishment so far has been homecoming, the spirit week leading up to the event, and [spirit week’s] integration into the class wars competition. The 2012-2013 spirit week was one of the best organized and most well run spirit weeks we have had in recent memory. Participation in the class wars events was outstanding,” SCA president Ben DiNapoli said.

Currently, the SCA is working on the class wars, which rewards each class of students, as well as the faculty, for participating in certain activities throughout the school year. At the end of the year, chips awarded for participation will be added up to determine which class is the winner, with the prize being an end of meal catered by a local restaurant and a movie.

Most students, are pleased with what the SCA is doing throughout HHS. “I’m fine with everything the SCA is doing so far this school year, but I don’t really follow it.

The only thing I know they are doing is the class wars, and with this I can say I am happy with my vote for Ben DiNapoli,” senior Dryden Labarge said.

Though this group has worked hard with the events this year, there was one in particular that simply didn’t turn out the way some people expected.

“Homecoming was awful. It was not at all worth my money, and I don’t think I will go next year. But it’s a great way to get a lot of students involved throughout the school,” junior Antoine Timbers said.

In both the ups and the downs, DiNapoli has high hopes for the future.

“In the near future, students can expect the usual SCA-run events, in particular iFlurtz, the personality matcher, which will take place after winter break.”

Officers requested that students come to them with ideas for projects or activities they would like to see happen this year.

Bad News in the World

Escalation of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Israel and Palestine exchanged fire for the first time in recent memory, luckily a ceasefire was reached.

Egyptian Unrest: Protestors met in Cairo to protest the newly drafted constitution, arguing that the constitution gave too much power to the president, Mohammed Morsi.

Fiscal Cliff Deal Yet to be Reached: The US government has yet to reach a deal to reduce the deficit. Should they fail to reach a deal, automatic spending cuts will ensue, and likely plunge the economy into a second recession.

BRCC administrators determine what classes they need to take.

Sophomore Emily Chestnut said that she would join this program if she got the opportunity.

“I think this will be a good experience for students as they will be able to take their general classes during high school and they can continue on with what they like to study. It also allows them to save money as their parents don’t want to pay too much for college,” Chestnut said.

HOT HHS ONE ACT PLAY WINS STATES Congradulations to the HHS One Act Team for their victory, and special congrats to those who won top acting awards.

SNOW With winter in full blast, we can look forward to winter flurries and blizzards to blanket the countryside in a white shroud.

ROYAL BABY Prince William and Princess Kate are expecting their first child, and rumors are speculating Kate may be carrying twins.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS ABC’s holiday marathon leading up to Christmas, is an exercise in nostalgia for many of us, as childhood favorites are aired.

WINTER BREAK With semesters nearing their close, a lot of us could use a rest from all the work and stress associated with school.

PEPPERMINT MOCHA As temperatures fall, Starbucks and McDonalds release their seasonal drink, the peppermint mocha, to counter the winter doldrums.

HOLIDAYS Tis the season to celebrate the holidays with our friends, loved ones, and our favorite foods.

NOT SKI SEASON AT MASSANUTTEN DELAYED Due to above average temperatures, slopes at the Massanutten Resort will be opening later than usual.

FLUCTUATING TEMPERATURES C’mon winter, decide whether or not it’s going to be hot or whether it’s going to be cold. Not this schmedium weather.

CHRISTMAS SONGS For some of us, these are nostalgic songs we remember fondly.

For others, they are a constant annoyance we’ve been hearing since July.

WINTER DEATH OF ALBUMS As the birds leave for winter, so do all the good albums. This winter is no exception, with a bleak line-up of albums .

JUSTIN BIEBER’S FRAGRANCE Bieber thinks he can market a fragrance off his name alone. His product, Girlfriend, is a hollow marketing ploy.

INFLUENZA Forced indoors by colder weather, we are constantly in contact with the flu. Even with the flu vaccine, many students and staff members have been absent with the early onset of the bug.

MAKING UP SCHOOL DAY ALREADY Making up school on Martin Luther King Day and now having to go a full day on the Jan. half-day.

What happened to our built-in snow days? Will we get these back if we don’t see snow?

December 19, 2012

The

Newsstreak

STYLE A7

Interact raises funds for school in Cambodia Jewish group big Mark Duda Editor-in-chief Rural Cambodia may be half a world away, but senior Jenny Kniss and the Interact Club wish to address the region’s problems here at HHS. Cambodia has long been a hotspot for human trafficking, particularly sex trafficking among young girls. While a number of factors contribute to the country’s human trafficking situation, one proven solution to reducing the likelihood of young girls ending up as a slaves is education. By providing assistance to education in Cambodia, Kniss hopes to curb the human trafficking.

It all started with a book. “I read Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof, which talks

about sex trafficking in Cambodia, and how keeping girls in schools is important, so they don’t turn to the sex trade. Education can stop [the sex trade], and it talked about [the Rural Schools Project] in the book,” Kniss said.

The Rural Schools Project raises funds to build schools in poor areas of Cambodia, which are then transferred to the power of the Cambodian government, which assigns teachers to the classrooms. The project also seeks to provide amenities like internet and gardens to the schools. Each base school costs about $15,000, which is Kniss’ fundraising goal.

“We started at the end of last year, and so far this year have only raised about $1,000,” Kniss said, although she believes more funds to be headed Interact’s way, through multiple sources.

Interact is a high school version of Rotary Club, so Kniss believes local Rotary chapters to be a possible source of funding. “We’re going to try to get a couple of Rotary Clubs to match [our funds] to a certain amount,” Kniss said.

Besides Rotary chapters, local businesses are another potential source of funds. “We’ve been going out, mostly on an individual basis, to businesses in the area. Some people [in the club] have connections to businesses already,” Kniss said.

“We’ve been asking for, basically, a charitable donation, so it could be tax deductible for them. We tell them a little bit about the Rural Schools Project, and stuff like that.”

In addition, Kniss hopes to set up a “penny wars” fundraiser at the local middle schools.

Artists create portfolios for college app process Mary McMahan News editor Countless college essays and teacher recommendations are currently being sent to colleges and universities all around the nation. However, for students intending to major in art, an extra component is required with their college submission.

College portfolios comprise the best work of the applicant, whether it focuses on photography, computer graphics work, or hand drawn pieces. These pieces can be works that the student has completed throughout his or her high school career, or they can be newly created works of art.

Senior Cameron Ritcher plans on apply-

ing to James Madison University to major in either studio art or art education. He is still in the process of working on his portfolio.

“My portfolio is good so far,” Ritcher said. Art portfolios can take up to months to complete and have to show multiple years of art education within a few pieces.

“I just hope I don’t run out of ideas,” Ritcher said.

Prospective art students aren’t required to participate in portfolio review at JMU. However, the department highly recommends doing so. They believe that a portfolio review shows the applicant’s interest in the art program and will aid their future success in the program.

Completing a portfolio review is a time in which a student shares some of his or her best artwork with the professors in the art college. Their artwork is graded on a scale of one to five. On occasion, the professor will leave a comment that is either positive or negative.

Portfolio reviews, at JMU at least, are also the only way in which a prospective art student can be considered for an art scholarship. The scholarships can range from small amounts of money to full tuition, depending on the applicant.

“I’m not worried about [the portfolio review], but I am going to do it because they give some really good advice on what to do better,” Ritcher said.

in personality Ellie Plass Style editor

Not every youth group is able to go on a skiing trip every year. Not only that, but not every youth group has a member who cross-dresses and dances at said skiing trip. This is what Isaac Falk’s youth group is like.

Falk, a senior, participates in the community’s Jewish youth group. They meet about once a month, and usually more in the winter, since they are planning the annual ski trip. Every year his youth group gets together with other Jewish groups in Virginia and takes the trip.

Falk is the only person in his youth group from HHS. Not only that, but there are only about six or seven people in the youth group in general-- a small amount in relation to the many organizations that they help. Because of their size, they do not have as many funds as other youth groups. The group does a lot of community service, but Falk says people don’t always know who they are when they say “Jewish based youth group”.

“Of course we’re religion-based, but it’s more of a youth group with a Jewish twist,” Falk said.

Even with the small numbers, the Jewish youth group is a helpful thing to our city. They spend their time doing things for the Jewish community, as well as local Jewish organizations. The group also helped out with HARTS, the Harrisonburg and Rockingham Thermal Shelter.

They also spend some of their time educating their members about the Jewish faith.

Young Life brings teens closer Group helps teens decide future Byrd to God through fun activities Joshua Staff reporter Summer camp, fall weekend highlight group’s events Anthony Duong Staff reporter Many students participate in out-ofschool clubs, but Young Life is one of the few organizations where members have the opportunity to relax, spend time with friends, and learn about Christianity.

Young Life is a non-profit Christian youth organization that was started in Colorado in 1941. Young Life operates through many branches that include Wyldlife, Young Life Military, and College Life. Most students who participate in Young Life have also participated in the middle school branch Wyldlife.

Junior Travis Schreiber-May’s experience with Young Life has lifted him through tough situations and has given him opportunities to have fun with his friends.

“I think everyone should participate in Young Life. It’s a great way to make friends

and have fun,” Schreiber-May said.

Young Life also offers students with a yearly summer camp called “The Best Week Of Their Life”.

Fun activities and storytelling through God and making major impacts on students is the the top priority at Young Life. Young Life’s approach to fun with faith continues to propel the group into becoming one of the most popular camps around Harrisonburg. Junior Blake Long has attended the camp multiple times and has found it to be both socially and spiritually enriching every time.

“Many of my memories are from Young Life camp. It’s a fun way to meet new people and learn the importance of God,” Long said.

Young Life continues to maintain a solid reputation with students through Christian faith, student activities and social experiences.

The Office On Children and Youth is a non-religious entity, that helps youth in their everyday lives. One of the projects the OOCY has continuously worked on is a project that assists in repairing and fixing the homes of low-income families in the area. The group does not support any religion or religious agenda and is open to everyone.

“We don’t care about your religion or race or if you’re gay,” senior Justin Bricker said.

The OOCY’s agenda is to help teens as they grow up and keep them out of trouble. The OOCY has shown its teenage members the housing situations of those less fortunate. They help those people, and all the while learn about an honest day’s work.

But that is not all the OOCY provides for its members: the website has links to groups that give help and provide teens with information about pregnancy prevention, suicide prevention, and migrant education.

The website has a link to suicide prevention and that takes you to the Central Shenandoah Valley Youth Suicide Prevention website. The Central Shenandoah Valley Youth Suicide Prevention has over 4,000 people trained to help teens make the choice of life. The website also has links that can help people see the signs of someone who is planning to take their life, and advice for those who are considering it. “[The OOCY] offers better chances for job appearances and gives you a sense of pride after an honest day’s work,” Bricker said. “It also looks good on college applications.”

Bricker learned about the organization through his girlfriend, and was a little skeptical to try it out.

“My girlfriend forced me to go, but after I went, I like it,” Bricker said.

The main purpose of this group as one, is to help teenagers make it through their high school career and life as a whole.

The Office on Children and Youth meets on Tuesday every week from 6-8 p.m at Blue Ridge Hall on the JMU campus.

Christian youth group hosts African exchange students Isabelle Burden Staff reporter When one hears the words “Youth Group”, he or she may automatically think of super jeus- freaks. But that is not always the case. Sophomore Chloe Richard has chosen to make her church’s youth group a large part of her life.

“I go to Trinity Presbyterian Church,” Richard said. “We have nine kids in our youth group. Our two leaders include one college-aged woman and another woman who just got out of college,” Richard ex-

plained. Richard describes her youth group as pretty basic. She does love the people, though.

“We’re really close! We can talk about pretty much anything. We tease each other a lot,” Richard said. Although Richard says that they do not hold big events very often, they have one coming up this December.

“Every December, we travel to D.C. to help out in soup kitchens. It’s a great way to get to know the homeless and we feel good afterwards which is nice,” Richard said.

“The biggest thing that we probably do

is host African kids in the summer. Last summer, my family personally hosted two 14- year- old girls named Rumbi and Thando. They were, like, middle class, but weren’t related,” Richard said.

Rumbi and Thando stayed with the Richard family for two weeks. For one of the weeks Chloe, her sister Shannon, Rumbi, and Thando went with the youth group to a music-focused camp called Montreat.

The next week, the girls just hung out and Shannon and Chloe showed the visitors around Harrisonburg.

“We just swam and played games and

had fun,” Richard said.

“I learned a lot about African culture through that experience. Before Rumbi and Thando visited and showed me that they live basically the same lives we do-except they go to private school-- I had always pictured the poverty side of Africa.

That sounds bad... but that’s all I’ve ever heard about,” Richard said.

Richard is very thankful that her church’s youth group brought her to meet so many new and cultured people, not just Rumbi and Thando, but all the African kids who traveled to Harrisonburg.

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STYLE - A10

It’s Christmas time in the City Stars Wars topper shines Friends help grow collection Austin Coffey Advertising manager

So the Yoda tree topper is only a small addition to their vast collection of Star Wars related items.

“I have always liked Star Wars, and For years, the Walton’s have been all about Star Wars, but when looking at the from childhood, Yoda was my favorite character. We Christmas season, the had an angel top of their tree brings when we first out an entirely new levgot married, el of Star Wars mania. then we had a The Yoda tree topper is Disney castle, exactly what it sounds but a few years like. Instead of a star ago we found or a bow on the top of the Yoda topper their tree, Yoda literally at Target and I guards the tree with his grabbed it right miniature glowing lightaway,” history saber. teacher Cara Library secretary Walton said.

Bradley Walton knew it Sharing their was fate when he first love for Star saw the Yoda tree topWars and sciper. ence fiction in “Cara and I found the general has defiYoda tree topper for $30 nitely played at Target, it struck me as a role in their something that we just PHOTO COURTESY OF BRADLEY WALTON had to have,” Bradley MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU. The relationship together as a couWalton said.

Walton family enjoys their Yoda topper. ple who work at Starting his obsesHHS. sion of Star Wars at the age of five, Bradley “I always liked Star Wars and Science Walton began to collect Star Wars toys.

Fiction and Fantasy in general.

I wasn’t “I fell in love with Star Wars when I was five, and I have yet to fall out of love with it. as heavily into it as I am now until I met I mean, it has aliens, lasers, spaceships ro- Bradley. It’s just something we had in bots, and John Williams Music. How could common that has become a hobby for it not be one of the greatest things ever? both of us. It’s fun to share things that And so did the TV show Lost In Space, but you like in common,” Cara Walton said.

Beyond the decorations or even the let’s not go there,” Bradley Walton said. sentimental attachment to the Yoda tree In 1992, Walton began collecting topper, this item which has become someagain, and has now become someone who what of a Christmas tradition has in a way is known for his obsession of Star Wars.

“I have not even come close to collect- become the holiday joke for the Walton ing all there is to collect, but I have KFC family.

“It also featured in our Christmas card buckets, a six foot naboo fighter, and nearly 800 action figures that are basical- one year with Yoda being unhappy about ly wallpapering the walls,” Bradley Walton being impaled by the tree, so it’s just funny,” Cara Walton said. said.

Junior Larkin O’Hara treasures a collection of ornaments on her tree from all over the world. Each holds a special memory.

EVERY KID’S DREAM. The traditional princess castle ornament was purchased on a family trip to Disney World.

HAND-MADE GIFT. Made by a family friend, this hand blown ornament holds memories of true friendship.

many years now and still saves a spot for it on the tree.

“Now my son hangs it up every year,” Soenksen said.

Diana Flick also has a handmade Christmas ornament that is close to her heart, a little gingerbread man she made as a child.

She doesn’t recall, but Flick suspects that she might have used paper to make it.

“It’s pretty old,” Flick said. She has had that ornament for over 40 years now and keeps it as a way to remember her late parents.

A LONG JOURNEY. This ornament traveled home to its place on the tree with the O’Hara family from China.

TRADITION. Given to the O’Hara family by a friend, this ornament commemorates the Chinese Year of the Dragon.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHRYN SOENKSEN

GIFTS OF GENEROSITY. This pair of little golden shoes was given to the O’Hara family by close friends.

FROSTY THE SNOWMAN. This is one of the O’Hara family’s first ornaments purchased at the Laughing Dog.

Ornaments remind people of past

Nishat Jamil Staff reporter

When thinking of Christmas ornaments, English teacher Cathryn Soenksen has a special one that comes to mind.

It’s an old fashioned clothes pin with a cut out picture from a Christmas card glued on, an ornament she made in kindergarten.

She still remembers the day she made it. It was a holiday project that her teacher had assigned.

Soenksen has had the ornament for

WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND. The Christmas card glued onto Soenksen’s clothes pin ornament is a landscape of a beautiful winter scene. She made it in kindergarten for a holiday assignment. Soenksen’s son still hangs it on the tree.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF LARKIN O’HARA

AN ORNAMENT FOR THE HOLIDAYS. Made in Heidelberg, Germany, Strickler bought this on vacation.

This ornament is a little man that has moveable arms and legs.

PHOTOS COURTESY MARY STRICKLER

SUPPORTING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. This beautiful replica of PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE. A WHAT MOTHERS CHER- HONORING THE FALLEN. Strickthe White House, hangs yearly on Strickler’s tree, along with the rest of the 92-year-old woman gave this to ISH. Strickler’s son, Ty ler remembers those who lost their lives in 9/11.

White House ornaments. She has every White House ornament ever made. 13-year-old Stricker. made this 23 years ago.

Strickler collects vacation ornaments, memories from childhood Bryndal Fulginiti Staff reporter Yearbook sponsor Mary Strickler loves when Christmas is in the air and the time has come for her to decorate her house from top to bottom with the Christmas spirit. Strickler has almost every ornament known to man, and when it comes to her favorites there are two at the top of the list.

“My two favorite ornaments is one that

my mom has from Germany and the other is one that my son Ty made for me when he was three years old,” Strickler said.

Strickler has had her ornament from Germany since she was five. The ornament is a star with little sparkles in it and changes when you move it.

“I’ve always liked it because when you blow on it the star spins. I use to blow on it when I was little. It was always so neat,” Strickler said.

She has also had her other ornament that her son Ty made for her for 23 years

now.

“He made it for me out of the lid to a peanut can with kray paper on it when he was at preschool at JMU,” Strickler said.

All of her ornaments have sentimental meanings behind them. She has all the Elvis Presley ornaments that sing his songs, and a Neil Armstrong ornament that says, “This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” She also has a Darth Vader ornament that breathes like Darth Vader does. They are all collectables and most of them were bought when she was

on vacation.

Every year when Strickler decorates her Christmas tree, there are so many ornaments on it you can’t even see the actual tree. Every time she goes on vacation she gets an ornament as a souvenir. Almost all of her ornaments make a noise, so she always has to play them together.

“I get a new ornament every year. My one from Germany has been passed down through my family. All of my ornaments mean a lot,” Strickler said.

December 19, 2012

The

Newsstreak

FEATURE- B1

The Dark Side of Social Media What you don’t know CAN hurt you

Social media can have legal consequences Celia Ehrenpreis Editor-in-chief

I

t only takes one click. One click to access a person’s full name, a birthday, an email. One click to see the most intimate details of a person’s life. Teens in today’s age of technology are putting less and less thought into their posts, tweets, and messages. As the internet expands, it becomes a more dangerous place. Minors are held responsible for incriminating material they post on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media.

Many students don’t realize that the same laws apply online when dealing with proper conduct; it does not have to be said out loud.

According to research done by Kathryn L. Ossain, of the law firm Miller Canfield, photos and texts posted online have been

the evidence of criminal activity. Posting photos or videos without permission from the subject can result in liability, and in extreme cases, lawsuits. Once something is posted it is incapable of true deletion; it will always be in cyberspace somewhere.

The ramifications of social media are not truly felt until something is posted which cannot be retrieved. In early February congressman Peter Hoekstra tweeted his arrival into Baghdad, Iraq. The trip was supposed to be kept secret. Hoekstra nearly ruined a top secret operation because of this tweet. A more well known scandal took place when it was revealed that republican congressman Anthony Weiner had been sending inappropriate photos to younger women over Twitter.

Junior Deb Halpern is surprised by the numerous issues involving social media

“I feel like [the scandals] could have been avoided, they just seem so unnecessary. My Facebook is private, and I always make sure I know who I’m accepting friend requests from. Although I do post and tweet things I wouldn’t say in person,” Halpern said.

Principal Tracy Shaver thinks it is the school’s duty to intervene on behalf of the school if students are behaving inappropriately online.

“As a school, I believe that it is our job to teach students how to use social media in an appropriate and responsible fashion.

If students are posting/tweeting illegal or harmful material, I think that we have a responsibility to intervene and explain to students why social media is not an an appropriate place for such postings as well as the intended or unintended consequences of such postings,” Shaver said.

Dove, Wells experience Facebook identity theft Brenna Cowardin Style editor

C

ommunicating through Facebook is very different from talking in person. In fact, sometimes people question if they even know who they’re talking to. For a few students, their own identities have been stolen through this social network.

In eighth grade, sophomore Jordan Dove was alerted to a fake Facebook page where someone was pretending to be him, when he was confronted by a friend about the odd posts he was making.

“I didn’t even know [the fake Facebook page] existed until somebody told me about it,” Dove said. “The [fake page] was talking about how I sucked at snowboarding and my friend asked why I’d post something like that. I told him I didn’t.”

When Dove saw the page he just laughed, assuming that it was created by one of his friends messing around, though to this day, he doesn’t know which one.

After a while, the page was deleted and

“I was really scared, actually. I was more scared than anything else,” Senior Sydney Wells Dove hasn’t been bothered ever since.

However, senior Sydney Wells had a very different experience with identity theft through Facebook her sophomore year. She stumbled upon her own profile picture while surfing on the social network, but when she clicked on it, a completely different person’s Facebook page showed up on her screen.

“It was so random. I just saw a [Facebook] page, and I was like, ‘that’s my picture, that’s my face, what is that doing on there?’” Wells said. “I was really scared, actually. I was more scared than anything else.”

When Wells first saw her own picture, she went into shock. She didn’t register what was in front of her. “[When I first saw it] I just

clicked off the screen. I didn’t really think it was real,” Wells said.

Her mother had the same reaction.

When Wells first told her about the picture, she just laughed, but when she saw the page she was shocked and surprised.

Wells didn’t recognize the person’s name or anything on the page‒except for her own picture. She had no idea if the person lived in Virginia, though she even doubted that. Wells has never been able to fathom why someone stole her picture, but she suspects it’s because people have nothing better to do.

The whole ordeal led to her deleting her own Facebook page for about a month.

“It makes me think twice about having [a facebook page],” Wells said.

This type of identity theft is strangely not as uncommon as one would hope. Wells saw the same thing happen to a couple of her friends and knew a girl who had her whole profile copied.

“It’s weird to think that people out there really do that kind of stuff, use you, stuff about you, and pictures,” Wells said.

Twitter accounts tweet about HHS students Mary McMahan News editor

YOUR OPINION

S

tudents are more likely to be on Twitter in class than to be texting.

Twitter has a span of 500 million users, which include students at HHS. The social networking site is a way for students to “tweet” about whatever is on their mind. Tweets can be sent directly to their followers or they can be general statements.

Just recently, hate accounts with usernames @hhs_people and @hhsprobs540 have been tweeting about issues wrong with the school and even hate messages directed at certain students. The owners of these Twitter accounts are unknown students at Harrisonburg. Some students who have been “attacked” by these accounts have tweeted back to the person, telling them that what they have been doing is very wrong and unnecessary.

The @hhs_people account is similar to the @hhsprobs540 account except for

Do your parents have any control over your social media?

YES

NO

07 85

92 people polled in all grades by Valerio Aleman

the fact that it focuses on the negatives of certain students that aren’t necessarily true. This account is currently inactive.

So far, the HHS administration hasn’t interfered with the issue on the social networking site.

“I don’t think the school should get involved, but I think that whoever is posting

the hate messages should stop because it’s hurting a lot of people,” Lindsay Halling said.

The hate tweets stopped about a month ago when some students shared their opinions about it with the owner of the account.

“It’s really horrible that people are bashing others. The school shouldn’t get involved, but it sort of opens peoples’ eyes that not everyone is nice,” senior Heather Graham said.

The HHS Problems account tweets about problems with the school itself and certain groups of people within the school. However, the owner of the account also tweets positives about events, people or aspects of the school that are doing well. For example, the account recently tweeted about the Rachel’s Challenge assembly saying, “Maybe [people] at our school will now realize the effect of what they say and do. Participate in Rachel’s Challenge #startyourownchainreaction.”

The @hhsprobs540 account is still active while the @hhs_people account hasn’t tweeted for about a month.

History of Social Media 1999 Blogger

It’s for old people.

- freshman, Tyreeq Engle

I made a myspace account once, got sick of it and never went back on it again.

- senior, Bryce Baughman

2002 Myspace

2003 Facebook

It’s a great way to interact with friends and long distance family members.

- junior, Zhyar Abdul

I like YouTube because I can search for my favorite songs. - freshman, Abner Johnson

2005 YouTube

2006 Twitter

It’s something to do when I’m bored, usually when I’m in class.

- junior, Aubtin Heydari

I meet new people on Tumblr. I saw other people had fun with it, looking at funny pictures and little gift things, so I tried it. junior, Jason Tran

2007 Tumblr

2011 Instagram

You can keep track of your old friends and see how they’re doing and it’s basically facebook but all pictures so it’s not obnoxious.

- junior, Aurvan Koyee

It’s addicting. People plan weddings they’re not going to have anytime soon, dress the children they don’t have and look at crafts they will never find time to do. - junior, Alvina Klopot

2012 Snapchat It’s a great app! It keeps you busy, but I wish you could reopen the pictures.

- junior, Derrick Crites

2011 Pinterest

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BEN DINAPOLI

YOUR OPINION

Should Facebook or Twitter be under the school’s jurisdiction?

YES

NO

26 66 92 people polled in all grades by Valerio Aleman

Quick Quotes

“They [parents] have to try trust their kids and know what they are doing because they can be influenced by a lot. There aren’t many barriers around it and you can get basically anywhere they want. Parents shouldn’t have to snoop through their kid’s history, but they (the kids) should be able to talk about what they have come across. The thing about parents is that they need to be able to talk to their kids and not freak out. You can’t always be able to find the correct information because not everything is legitimate on the internet,” Sophomore Jessica Nguyen “I think that if it conflicts with our mission, it [social media] is under our jurisdiction. If it’s a disruption to our educational setting, I think we are responsible for that and responsible for addressing it,” Principal Tracy Shaver “Social media is frustrating, but at the same time facilitating. I like to be able to Skype my parents in Florida, but teens wanting to be on it 24/7 is really annoying and often disrespectful. I do think that new technology makes it easier for predators to find innocent victims. I guess there is good and bad in everything, I’m just nervous that the bad will outweight the good in this world of technology,” Math teacher Tricia Cummings “I cant see any reason [social media should be used in school]. It is basically the equivalent to note passing, except for you can pass notes to a student in the next classroom...your cousin on the other side of the country and your ex-girlfriend in France all at the same time,” Librarian Bradley Walton “[Social Media] can lead to depression for kids. Some kids take it really seriously.

At the same time, it’s not all bad because it gets you to be social,“ Senior Zach Baxter

December 19, 2012

The

Newsstreak

FEATURE - B2

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOB ADAMEK

UP AND COMING! “Help Wanted” members (left to right) Sean Newman, Michael Knapp, Abe Nouri, and Ellen Atwood perform at “Teen Band Night”, held downtown on Fri, Nov. 30. Other performers included “The Tapes”, consisting of seniors Sam Martin and Dryden Labarge, and “The Walls of Teal”, with senior Alex Hunter-Nickels and Nouri.

Help Wanted formed by young musicians

Koo plays violin as hobby

Mia Karr Managing editor “Help Wanted” has come a long way since its first performance at a Spotswood Elementary School talent show in 2009. The band, featuring juniors Abe Nouri and Jack Adamek, got its name as a suggestion from Nouri’s sister before that initial performance, and it has stuck throughout the past four years as the group has grown in size, skill, and popularity.

“We’ve definitely gotten a lot better. There are a lot of people who know who we are,” Nouri said.

The band was started

by Adamek’s father, Bob Adamek, a musician and bass teacher, who acts as the group’s coach, although the band has now become self-sufficient. In addition

to Nouri, who does guitar, trombone and vocals, and Adamek, who does drums and vocals, “Help Wanted” features Turner Ashby students Ellen Atwood on the keyboard, saxophone and vocals, and Sean Newman on bass. The group recently added a three-piece horn section, consisting of sophomores Stuart Baker and Evan Dotas, and junior Michael Knapp.

“We like to categorize [our music] as funk, rock, and reggae,” Nouri said.

The band plays mostly covers, but also has a few original songs. Nouri cites musicians Trombone Shorty and Big Sam Williams as major artistic influences. Both Nouri and Adamek currently enjoy playing their own version of “Son of a Preacher Man”.

“Help Wanted” has

played at a variety of venues, such as the THMS community potluck, an HCPS teacher appreciation event, and private parties. The band does typically rake in a profit, but they also play charity events.

Band Nights, which has highlights their music as well as that of two of three other local bands, is held at Court Square Music. The most recent of these was on Nov. 30.

One of the band’s biggest performances was last winter at First Night, Harrisonburg’s annual New Years celebration. “[We were] one of the last bands playing [and there were] close to 200 people,” Nouri said. To prepare for all this performing, the group meets for practice once a week for about three hours at the Adamek household. Capri Suns are the

practice beverage of choice.

“The hardest part is that we’re all so busy it’s hard to find time,” Nouri said. “I’m hoping we’ll keep it going until we graduate. [Our goal is] just to keep it going, keep playing more shows, and writing more songs.”

Although Nouri expects the band members to go different ways after high school, that doesn’t mean they will give up music. Both Nouri and Jack Adamek are heavily involved with the school’s music programs, and want to pursue music after high school.

“I’ll probably play drums my whole life and be in bands,” Jack Adamek said.

For Nouri, being on stage is a unique feeling.

“It’s awesome. I’ve become very comfortable with it,” Nouri said. “It’s like you’re sharing something with someone.”

Nishat Jamil Editorial cartoonist

designate certain evenings to showcase local talent in the form of an ‘open mic.’

During such an event, virtually anyone can choose to perform their ‘talent’ for a sizable crowd. On-stage entertainment ranges from singing to instrumental compositions to stand-up comedy.

“Open mic at the Little Grill is awesome. Everyone is always so responsive,” senior Sam Martin said.

Martin’s first performance was at the Little Grill, when

he was beginning to learn how to play guitar in eighth grade. Since then he has played acoustic guitar and sung at open mics in other downtown restaurants, like Dave’s Taverna and Clementine. The Artful Dodger cafe also features open mics.

Senior Ellie Pruett-Fiederlein often dines downtown. She has attended several open mics at the Little Grill where she knew people who were performing.

While the caliber of talent can depend on the

night, audiences are always supportive.

“It provides a starting ground for people who want to work on music careers,” Pruett-Fiederlein said.

Open mic nights showcase musicians who wouldn’t normally have opportunities to perform.

“People can show off, but in a positive way.

There’s this girl from TA who plays the accordion, and she is so good,” PruettFiederlein said. “[We] call her Accordion Girl.”

“The first time I played a song, I was really nervous,” senior Alex Hunter-Nickels said of his first time playing ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ on his ukulele. “But when I finished, everyone was clapping for me, and I just felt good.”

Hunter-Nickels has participated in many an open mic, and not only with musical instruments.

While listening to another performance he has simultaneously created poetry,

Junior Dean Koo has been practicing the violin ever since the fourth grade. He started to play the violin due to a compromise between him and his parents.

“I actually wanted to play the cello, but my parents said that it would be too heavy for me. So they told me I should play violin instead,” Koo said.

Koo enjoys playing the violin, but only continues to play the instrument out of his parents’ wishes. He would still rather play the cello, believing it would be cool to play such an instrument.

Koo is part of the Tri-M Music Honors society (an organization

for students who excel at music), orchestra, and band. He doesn’t practice much, practicing less frequently after two years of playing, and after joining the school band, since many of the pieces are not suited for the violin.

“I would like it if HHS provided students the opportunity to play [more] string instruments,” Koo said. However, Koo does not wish to pursue becoming a violinist as a career. To him, playing the violin is just a hobby.

When practicing, he mainly plays pieces that are skill-based, demonstrating technique.

He would rather play songs that are more lively and energetic.

“Sleigh ride is my favorite, it’s a Christmas Carol,” Koo said.

Open mic provides opportunity for young performers to experience stage

Gina Muan News editor A restaurant packed with animated people singing along and banging their cups on tables in time to the twang of a ukulele is not a common sighting in cities the size of ours.

Considering the enormous variety of restaurants located downtown, one might find it difficult to decide which one to dine at, or even what night to attend.

Luckily most of the venues

his compositions based on inspiration garnered from the music. Although most open mics feature music, sometimes people read poetry, act out skits, or go on philosophical rants.

“Playing [at the open mics] actually had a huge impact on my life, because my nervousness completely went away. I realized that it didn’t matter if I messed up. No one really cared about that,” Hunter-Nickels said.

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December 19, 2012

The

Newsstreak

FEATURE- B3

KEEP ON (FOOD) TRUCKIN’

Grilling great cheese Faith Runnells Sports editor The Grilled Cheese Mania Truck has been all the rage recently in Harrisonburg. Kathleen Mania is the creator, manager, and worker of this family-andfriend-managed truck. Their recipes have been passed down in their family, perfected by many generations, and now they have finally opened a business with their phenomenal food.

“I love our food truck. We’ve been open for six weeks now and there hasn’t been a day we thought we made a bad choice about opening it,” Mania said.

The truck is located on South High Street, near Mr. J’s and Tangier Island Seafood. It is a bright red truck the size of a small trailer, with two windows for order and pick-up.

“We originally started looking for a building, but we couldn’t find one that met our needs. The features of a truck appealed to me because it was small and so affordable. We thought we could provide more affordable food to our customers too, because our overhead would be so much less with a truck,” Mania said.

One of the favorite dishes on the menu is the Mikey’s Mac and Cheese; it was

some of the best macaroni and cheese I have ever had. The large soft shells are balanced by a delicious, cheesy sauce. All of their dishes are flavored and made to perfection. All of their meals are made with 100% fresh vegetables and are all homemade. Their customer service is also excellent, making sure customers will want to come back.

Most of their food has lots of variety. They have seven sandwiches overall, using all different kinds of cheese and bread, and sometimes meats and veggies.

Sandwich prices range from four to eight dollars. Their side dishes include mac and cheese, chili, and a tomato bisque. Their menu also includes a 32 ounce tea or limeade for $2.50.

Customer Lani Furbank is a regular at the Grilled Cheese Mania truck.

“I love it! They have absolutely delicious food and great attitudes! I always want to come back,” Furbank said.

The Grilled Cheese Mania truck is collecting lots of fans in Harrisonburg. They are a well-known food truck for their excellent food, location, and kind service.

“We have been very successful so far, and I love the new trend of a food truck,” Mania said. “I’m very glad we made the truck.”

PHOTOS BY SYDNEY LITTLE AND CELIA EHRENPREIS

YUM. Sandwiches sit ready to get get grilled at Grilled Cheese Mania.

AT THE READY. Supplies stand by for preparation.

Interview with “La Taqueria” owner, Luis Quintilla Q:How long have you worked here?

A:I have been working here for two years.

Q:Where do you usually sell your food?

A:We sell food across from Taste of Thai Q:What are the laws concerning where you can park?

A:I don’t know a lot of the laws but I do know that if you’re parking by a gas station, you have to be a certain number of feet away from the station.

Q:How do the health codes work?

A:If you violate a health code, you can be shut down until you fix the problem or you are fined.

Q:What do you have to do to get certification?

A:You have to go to the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce to get certification.

Q:What kind of things can you get fined for?

A:You can get fined for cooking food at the wrong temperature, for not washing your hands or the food, and for not disposing of your waste properly.

Q:How does the health inspection work?

A:A guy from the Harrisonburg Health Department comes and inspects for food temperature, the ph balance of the water we use, how we get rid of our waste water, and he looks for anything that might be hazardous to the health of the people.

Q:Do you need a license to sell certain things?

A:You need a license to sell food and alcoholic beverages.

Q:How many times a month or year does the health inspector come?

A:The health inspector will come in after the first three months for your first inspection and then every six months for the rest of the time you’re open.

Q&A BY FELICIA TRAN

La Quieria serves up El Salvadorian cuisine, culture Kendall Bailey Sports editor

Among the numerous Hispanic food restaurants in Harrisonburg, a new type of cuisine is gaining popularity. Several Hispanic food trucks have popped up around town, with each one becoming famous for a certain dish.

La Quieria, the El Salvadorian food truck along South High Street, has rightfully earned a reputation as the seller of

the best pupusas in town. Pupusas are an El Salvadorian version of the Mexican gordita that are made by stuffing cheese or meat inside of a flour tortilla which is then fried to perfection.

Even though the pupusas at La Quieria are exceptional, other items on their menu are as equally delicious. Each dish is served hot and steaming, wrapped in foil so that the food stays warm on car ride home, since the outdoor sitting area has become unoccupied with the onset of recent cold

weather.

Aside from the pupusas, the truck also sells made-from-scratch tacos, burritos, and tortas.

Freshman Paul Weiss has been a fan of the truck’s food for several years.

“My family has spent a lot of time in Mexico, and [La Quieria] is one of the only places in town where the food tastes like actual authentic Mexican food,” Weiss said.

Each item is made carefully but in a timely manner, with marinated meats,

strong spices, freshly made tortillas, and a variety of melted cheeses. For low prices, each customer will walk away from the truck with a huge amount of food that is guaranteed to satisfy any hunger.

If any student is looking to get a dose of Hispanic culture, I would recommend La Quieria as the place to go. The food truck not only offers delicious homemade Hispanic food, but provides a glimpse of the culture that goes along with it.

Tacos El Primo claims best tacos in town Salar Haji Staff reporter

EAT UP. Tacos El Primo specializes in Mexican cuisine, and the blue paint job makes it impossible to miss! The truck is located on Reservoir Street, near Hardee’s. The truck offers fresh food, made on-the-spot for customers. The family (originally from California) opened the truck in 2005.

Tacos El Primo claims to have the best tacos in Harrisonburg. It is a family run taco truck that was introduced to the Valley in 2005, when the owners moved to here from California. “[The reason why we made the taco truck is] because my husband and I missed the authentic tacos that were made everywhere in California. So we decided to make a small restaurant and here we are today.”

Taco trucks are starting to gain popularity and are showing up almost everywhere.

Many find the food offered by these trucks amazing, even restaurant quality.

At the Tacos El Primo truck, they offer fresh foods that are made right in front of the customers. Some of their foods include: spicy pork, fried pork, chicken, and steak tacos. Every taco costs $1. Some of

the sides offered are: chunky guacamole, pineapples, and a variety of sodas that come from Mexico. They also serve quesadillas and burritos.

Repeatedly, their customers have all said that Tacos El Primo is the best food truck in town.

Junior Morgan Neary recently became a new customer to this particular taco truck.

“I live by the truck and my parents go there all the time. My dad is the one that intoduced me to it,” Neary said. “All of the food there is really good, but I go there for the burritos, they’re the best. It’s also good for high school and college students because the prices are a lot cheaper than restaurants.”

Tacos El Primo is located on Reservoir Street, near Hardee’s, and is down the street from McDonalds and Sam’s Hot Dogs. The truck is a big sky blue truck and is parked just off the road.

Where’s that food truck?

Mama’s Caboose

La Quieria

Pupuseria Raquel

Tacos El Primo

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Grilled Cheese Mania INFOGRAPHIC BY ALEXIS DICKERSON

December 19, 2012

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December 19, 2012

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December 19, 2012

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SPORTS B6

Football workouts continue into winter TJ Kirkland Sports reporter

ALL PHOTOS BY SUKRITI ADHIKARI

WORKING HARD. Junior Brennen Kea lifts in the weight room in preparation for his senior season of football next year.

HHS Indoor track team races to finish line Issac Falk News Editor

As temperatures drop and animals lower their metabolism for the winter, some students are just warming up for the winter ahead. The HHS indoor track team began their season on Nov. 11. Coaching the team are David Loughran and Gary Bugg.

For some runners, this is their first time running track at the high school level. For others, this season marks the end of their high school track career.

Freshmen Lexi Eberly and Paul Weiss are running their first season of indoor track this year. Eberly is running to stay in shape for the outdoor track season. “I wanted to stay in shape for outdoor track

in the spring,” Eberly said. Eberly plans on running mid-distance events, like the 400 meter dash or the 800 meter run. Weiss decided to run because of friends who were also in the program. “There’s a lot of other people doing [indoor track] that I know, so I thought it would be fun,” Weiss said.

Weiss plans on running longer distances, particularly the two mile. In addition, he is a prospective hurdler.

The social aspect of indoor track drew both Weiss and Eberly to the indoor track program. “I make a lot of good friends,” Eberly said. Weiss enjoys running with other people more than running by himself. Both Weiss and Eberly have friends on the indoor track team from their cross country team.

Senior Jonas Zimmerman is running

his final indoor track season this year.

Zimmerman began running indoor track as a sophomore because he enjoyed running, particularly with friends.

“It’s a fun activity to do with people,” Zimmerman said. Zimmerman has been training hard up to this point and hopes to run a fast two mile race. “I want to do well in the two mile because, well, it’s kind of my event,” Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman plans on running distance events like the 800m (Half a mile), 1600m (One mile), and the 3200m (Two miles).

Both Zimmerman and Eberly run indoor track not only to have fun running with others, but also to prepare themselves for the outdoor track season in the spring.

“It’s a fun transition between cross-country and outdoor track,” Zimmerman said.

ON YOUR MARK! Sophomores Binium Tseguy and Campbell Rutherford, and freshman Nick Deutsch, run the 200 meter time trial.

Seniors spend winter season hunting together

Sam Imeson Sports reporter The first day of hunting season (this year, Nov. 3) is a day that hunting enthusiasts around Virginia look forward to all year. Most people would not dare sit out in the woods for hours on end just to shoot a deer. Only a select few of people would enjoy the cold hours.

One of these people is junior Kyle Templeton.

“There is no better feeling than to see that buck walk out of the woods and know you’re going to shoot him,” Templeton said.

Although deer are the main focus of the winter hunting season, many people enjoy hunting squirrels, rabbits, bears and also predator hunting. This can include coyotes, fox, bobcat, bear and cougar.

“Predator hunting is really tough, those are some pretty smart animals,” senior Robby Ross said.

Seniors Troupe Armentrout, Sam Strickler, Ross and Templeton hunt together every week.

“We usually just go out for squirrels together, then hunt deer on our own,” Armentrout said.

“The more people that we are with, the

more squirrels we can kill,” Strickler said.

The Saturday before Thanksgiving also marks a special day in the hunting world.

This Saturday is the opening day of duck season.

“Duck hunting is definitely what I enjoy the most,” Templeton said. “My favorite gun to use is a twelve-gauge shotgun with a duck blind camo.”

Some people prefer duck hunting over deer hunting just because they are not out in the woods for as long.

“I just do not have the patience sometimes to sit out in the woods for hours and hours,” Templeton said.

When the football seasons ends, players on the team usually have two weeks to rest and go back to the weight room. At HHS, players will work hard on their grades and in the weight room all the way until the next season. The goal is to increase the player’s strength and endurance while in the weight room. After a unusually short football season, the Blue Streaks are ready to make a comeback on the field. HHS junior lineman Kevin Franco highlights the importance of the weight room with the new conference and division.

“Were moving into a bigger division, so we’re going to have to increase our strength and speed,” Franco said.

Although the football offseason is focused around getting ready for next season, it’s also a time to build chemistry with fellow teammates. The workouts with teammates motivate others to join and get better for next season. With the importance of the new 4A division, coaches know that the weight room is mandatory throughout the offseason.

“Every day we spend in the weight room, we get stronger and stronger. It’ll be important to maintain this work schedule so we are better for next year,” secondary coach Bryant Vennable said.

The feeling going into the off-season for next year’s seniors is to work hard in prepartion for the season. Junior lineman Seth Harper hopes that dedication and determination in the weight room will lift them to a more successful season.

“Weight lifting helps the team build a bond and chemistry that’s only possible through hard treacherous work,” Harper said.

Basketball managers play important role Karim Rawls Staff reporter There are many elements that fuel a basketball team to victory, but the small tasks behind it is what gets them into the game in the first place. Even though they don’t physically play in the games, basketball managers contribute to other aspects of the sport. JV basketball managers Austin Grogg, Jordan Stickley, and varsity manager junior Rebecca Good, go through the tasks behind the court to keep the team up and running.

“I do the laundry, washing, folding and packing bags for the game. It’s just the small things, but it’ll mean more by game time,” Stickley said.

Not every manager decided to take up the job solely based on the fact that they love basketball. HHS freshman Austin Grogg uses the job as a way to have fun.

“Being a basketball manager gives me something to do with my cousin (Jordan Stickley), I like traveling with the team and helping them out,” Grogg said.

Along with being a team leader for the varsity basketball team, senior Brian Rodriguez highlights the work of the basketball managers.

“The basketball managers do their best to help out the team and it pays off when we get the victory,” Rodriguez said.

For junior Rebecca Good, the love for the game of basketball is consuming and she is willing to do the job to be around the game. Good has high expectations for the team and maintains good friendships with all the players.

“I’ve played basketball all my life and couldn’t get away from it, so I came to the conclusion to manage varsity. I have high expectations for the varsity team because they have the physical ability and talent.

If they focus on the game and play hard, they’ll be in great shape,” Good said.

Gymnastics season off to good start Sydney Little Staff reporter During the winter season, HHS offers up the talents of their gymnasts with standout members sophomores Brooke Cobb, Jasmin Rose, Meagan Roberts, Krishna Goradia and junior Chloe Scanlon.

Similar to the members of the Fab 5 from this summers past Olympics, HHS’s top gymnasts lead their team with charisma. One of HHS’s strongest gymnasts, Cobb, can relate to the Fab 5 and sees similarities between them and our gymnasts.

“I would say my favorite Fab 5 member is McKayla Maroney because she is so fierce with everything she does and she's a beast at vault. But I'd say I'm most similar

to Gabby Douglas because she competes on every event and is usually one of the highest scorers. Chloe is most like Aly Raisman, Meagan like Jordyn Weiber, Jasmin like Kyla Ross, and Krishna like Maroney,” Cobb said.

Last season Cobb was a state qualifier, and the only one to compete at states.

“Last year I went to state qualifiers for all of the events, and placed in the top 8 for three events,” Cobb said.

This year, Roberts as well as some of her other teammates want to join Cobb at the state meet.

“I didn’t get very far last year because I wasn't very good, so I used the offseason to improve in all four events. I think I can do well this year if I focus,” Roberts said.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT The gymnastics team practices their routines in the gym, including standout sophomores Brooke Cobb, Jasmin Rose, Meagan Roberts, Krishna Goradia and junior Chloe Scanlon.

December 19, 2012

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SPORTS - B7

Snowboarders preparing to hit slopes Kerri Hofacker Sports Editor When snowboarding season hits, many high school students and teachers run to the slopes at Massanutten Resort to ride down the mountain on the fresh, white powder. There are a few who go to other slopes, like Snowshoe or Liberty, which are a few hours away, but are supposedly worth the drive.

Juniors Aubtin Heydari and Josh Messerly both agree that Snowshoe is the best resort for terrain riding and different stunts, but Massanutten is their ideal choice since it is a closer drive for these avid snowboarders.

“I go to Snowshoe and the Liberty resort a lot. There are different things that I like about each one, Liberty has the best terrain slope, but Snowshoe is my favorite,” Heydari said.

Heydari and Messerly started snow-

boarding because of their families. Messerly started snowboarding with his older brother when he was in the sixth grade.

Heydari became interested in the sport because of his family’s regular trips throughout the season.

“My whole family is into skiing, but I wanted to try snowboarding because I’ve always thought it was cooler,” Heydari said.

History teacher Jay Blair got started with snowboarding when he moved out west, and made the transition from skiing

to snowboarding.

Blair goes to the slopes with fellow history teacher, Mark Healy, who prefers skiing to snowboarding. “[Healy and I] go together because we’re both teachers, so we have similar schedules, and we both like to go a few times a week, so it’s convenient,” Blair said.

“My favorite part about going to the slopes is hanging out with my friends and spending time with them,” Messerly said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AUBTIN HEYDARI

SHREDDING THE SLOPES. Junior Aubtin Heydari rides down the rails at the Massanutten Terrain Park.

Freshman following in family footsteps Karim Rawls Staff reporter Cheerleading isn’t just a sport or hobby for freshman Jasmine McAfee; it is a way of life. Even though this is McAfee’s first year as a winter cheerleader for the high school, she has already fallen in love with the sport. She looks forward to going to school every day just so she can attend practice after school.

One of McAfee’s biggest inspirations for cheerleading is her mother. She wants to follow in her mother’s footsteps, who was a cheerleader in high school.

“It means the world to me for my mom to know I am a cheerleader, and I know I’m making her proud,” McAfee said. McAfee’s mother has supported her choice of sport from day one, since she wanted to start cheerleading at the Peewee football games.

The support has helped McAfee tremendously.

McAfee consistently practices her cheer routine whenever she can. The sport required unlimited amounts of confidence and strength in order to be successful.

“I go to tumbling every Tuesday from 7p.m. to 8 p.m. When I have practice for basketball cheer, we have it from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., and I also go tumbling at Elevations [the new tumbling facility for cheerleaders],” McAfee said.

McAfee practices constantly, with her older sister, senior Justice Royer, and her

PHOTO BY SUKRITI ADHIKARI

FOLLOW THE LEADER. Freshman Jasmine McAfee demonstates the correct moves to the rest of the winter cheerleaders.. mother. She is motivated to continue to improve her complex set of skills. McAfee believes that teamwork is the essential component to having a successful team.

“To be a cheerleader, you have to be a team player, you can’t think about yourself. You also have to understand that everything you do outside of cheer effects

not only the team, but the school,” McAfee said.

With all the family participating in cheerleading at some point in time, McAfee should have it down pat.

“It’s in my blood, since almost all of the women in my family are cheerleaders,” McAfee said.

Spanish Club prepares for upcoming indoor season Salar Haji Staff reporter The Spanish Club has done it again; indoor season has officially begun. Every year during the winter, the Spanish Club sets up an indoor soccer tournament for high school students downtown at the Simms Center.

The indoor games were planned to commence on Dec. 4, but have been delayed several weeks because of floor issues at Simms that rendered the area unplayable. The games will continue all the way through Jan., with the exception of a two-

week rest period during winter break.

The Spanish Club Officers, Phil Yutzy, and Constanza Rojas have set up the tournament accounting for every team that has signed up. There will be three games from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday, with each game lasting under an hour.

Teams signed up ahead of time in order to be listed in one of the two randomly chosen groups. Each group consists of four teams and within each group, every team will play every other team twice. The top two teams with the best statistics from each group will move on to the semifinals.

The winner from each of those matches will then compete in the finals. The winner

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of the tournament will receive a trophy that will be presented during the Spanish Club dance on March 1.

“I can not wait to see what the outcome of the tournament will be. We’ve got a lot of good teams this year,” senior Bianca Solis said.

Junior Santiago Moreira has been a dedicated Spanish Club player in the tournaments for several years.

“I play because it’s a great way to stay in shape and also really good for your ball control. It’s really fast paced, too, so you have to stay on your toes,” Moreira said.

Admission for the games is $1, and free for members of the Boys and Girls Club.

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Jan 12 A Jan 17 A Jan 19 A

WRESTLING Broadway Northern Broadway, Turner Ashby, Fort Defiance Strasburg R.E. Lee Stuarts Draft

GYMNASTICS Jan 7 A Turner Ashby, Orange County Jan 12 A Turner Ashby, Orange County Jan 15 H Turner Ashby Jan 17 H Battlefield Jan 19 A Turner Ashby INDOOR TRACK Jan 8 A Fort Defiance Jan 13 A Spotswood

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December 19, 2012

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Freshman makes varsity basketball

Faith Runnells Staff reporter Kendyl Brooks is the only freshman on the girls’ varsity basketball team. The new coach, intense practices, and just being part of the team has made her first-year experience enjoyable.

“The practices are two and a half hours normally, and they’re at night this year, so we have time to rest after school and before practice,” Brooks said. “There are definitely ups and downs about having the practices at night. We get to rest before practice, but it is hard sometimes to get a ride back to the high school. And since I live so far away from the school, it’s a lot of time in the car,” Brooks said.

Brooks has confidence in the team this year, and enjoys the intensity level of her

new team.

“I think we’ll do pretty good, because I think our team is better and more dedicated than it was last year. And our new coach is more serious about drills, conditioning, and focusing during practice,” Brooks said.

The team is mainly comprised of upperclassmen, with Brooks being one of the exceptions. Brooks says this helps the team, because there are a lot of leaders and it is a good environment to play in.

“Our team is very close,” Brooks said.

“I like being with them, and we push each other to always do our best.”

Sophomore Kara Simmons is also one of the younger ones on the team. She believes it will be a successful season for the team.

“I think it’ll be a good year, as long as we continue to work hard as a team,” Sim-

mons said.

Returning player Keyana Whitley-Duncan is one of the three seniors and captains on the team, along with Kerri Hofacker and Ebonee Strother.

“Last year we went about 8-21, but I’m not for sure,” Whitley-Duncan said. “It wasn’t that good.”

Whitley-Duncan also believes this year will be a good one.

“I think we’ll do better than we did last year, because our team is more used to playing with each other after last year.

We trust each other more now,” WhitleyDuncan said.

Brooks has had an impressive impact on the team so far.

“I’m glad Kendyl was brought up to play varsity,” Simmons said. “This will be a good season.”

Wrestlers dedicated to new season Anthony Duong Sports editor Takedowns and reversals are all part of wrestling, but there is another grueling side that all wrestlers have to endure before they start off the season. In order to lose or gain weight to make a weight class, wrestling coaches push their wrestlers to eat right. Wrestlers often cut weight by toning down their food intake and running, but sometimes it can be hard to maintain such a crushing task. Senior Ahmad Salehi has gone through the cycle all four years of his high-school career, but continues on no matter how difficult it can be.

“When you’re cutting weight, you bare-

ly eat anything. All you have to do is push on because it’ll get you better on the mat,” Salehi said.

Salehi encourages his teammates not to quit on the training regiment and continues to be a team captain every day.

Along with the demanding task of cutting weight, wrestlers also have to face conditioning for their wrestling matches.

Without the right conditioning, wrestlers will have a harder time competing with their opponent as the match progresses.

Wrestling’s conditioning can include runs and exercises around the school, stairs, and on the mat. Junior Trevor Jackson finds that the conditioning in wrestling can be the most important.

“Conditioning can be the key to your

success on the mat, that’s why all of us need to work ourselves during the conditioning and make ourselves better,” Jackson said.

New freshmen and fellow students are always presented with a warm welcome to the wrestling team. New wrestlers are expected to work hard and carry out the season, team unity becomes closer and it paves a way for a more successful season.

Junior Towan Cappell was recruited by a fellow wrestler and is ready to start competing.

“My friends recommended me to do wrestling so I started to go to practice.

Wrestling has been a lot of fun and I’ll think we’ll have a good season,” Cappell said.

SPORTS - B8

Sports Briefs BOYS BASKETBALL TIPS OFF SEASON The boys’ varsity basketball traveled to Charlottesville High School on Nov 27. The boys fell 31-60. Senior Brian Rodriguez led the team with eight points, and senior Issiah Smith added seven points.

LADY STREAKS SWAT THE HORNETS The girls’ varsity basketball team opened up their season at home against Wilson Memorial High School on Dec 5. The ladies won 54-39 with senior Keyana WhitleyDuncan scoring 18 points for the Streaks and junior forward Sara Shenk-Moreno added 14 points and 15 rebounds.

WRESTLING STARTS OFF STRONG The wrestling team traveled to Orange County for their first wrestling meet. Seniors Trent Sosa, Ahmad Salehi, and Kyle Jackson were all undefeated at the match.

YOUNG SWIMMER LEADS STREAKS The swimming team traveled to Charlottesville for a meet on Nov 27 for their first meet. Freshman Abner Johnson placed first in his first varsity swim meet.

BASKETBALL WINS CLOSE GAME Senior Seth Kardos led the boys’ basketball team to a 58-56 victory over Wilson Memorial on Dec 5. Kardos netted 23 points and senior Brian Rodriguez added 13 points for the Streaks.

‘Dynasty’ creates followers New coach stays competitive Josh Byrd Staff reporter

The popular cable show Duck Dynasty has it all: rednecks hunting, enjoying life, exploring Louisiana and all the while learning life lessons that they pass down from generation to generation.

The show is centered around the Robertson family members who have made their money making and selling duck callers. The grandfather, Phil, had an offer to play in the NFL, but passed it up because he wouldn’t be able to duck hunt as much.

Phil married Miss Kay and they had four boys. Only three of them are on the show; Jase, Willie, and Jep, who are all married and have children of their own.

Willie, who has a college degree, is the backbone and brains behind the family business. The other boys work on making the duck calls with the help of their uncle, Si. Family friends, John Godwin and Justin Martin, help with the making of the duck calls and are with the family during some of the adventures.

Varsity boys basketball team preparing for key district games

“Si is my favorite character because he is funny,” junior Matt Shifflett said. Shifflet hasn’t duck hunted before, but plans to in the future partly due to the show.

The show is based around their lives, the biggest part of which is hunting.

Whether it be crawfish, frogs or ducks, the family will pretty much hunt anything that tastes good. When they do hunt, they get down and dirty, literally.

Crawfish hunting is done in the muddy waters of backwoods Louisiana. They can clean up well, though, and have respect enough for their business to get in a helicopter from hunting and change into formal business suits (albeit made of camo fabric).

“I think the show is scripted just not as badly as real housewives,” senior Robby Ross said.

Family ranks higher than hunting to the Robertsons, though. At the end of every show, they are always at family dinner at Phil and Miss Kay’s dining room table.

They discuss their week and eat whatever they have hunted for their meal.

The show is on A&E every Wednesday at 10 p.m.

The boys basketball team started their season on Nov. 27 with a tough loss against powerhouse Charlottesville High School. The Streaks were missing a large part of their success, senior Seth Kardos, who played a minimal amount with a nagging ankle injury that involved surgery.

Although battling an injury, Kardos managed eight points. The Streaks lacked a key component during that game which will help ensure their success for the rest of the season.

“Confidence,” first year head coach, Scott Joyner said. “We need to have confidence, trust each other on the court, and be mentally strong.”

As a team, the Streaks look to be a contender for the district title this year. When they play confidently, the offense is in its prime. Joyner is confident in his team’s guards, their ball movement around the three-point line, and their shooting ability.

team’s impact players during the first couple of games. He said that it was hard to tell how the rest of the season was going to go because a few of the team’s freshmen are playing well too.

“We’re tall, athletic, quick and are good on defense,” Perry said about the team’s strengths. According to Perry, the team could stand to improve in mental and physical toughness, and taking care of the ball.

They have a team, now they just need the fans. Perry explains how the fans can get more involved by saying that they can come out to the games and support his team just like they do for the varsity team.

One of the returning tenth graders is Isaiah Parker, a small forward who says that he’s an offensive and defensive player, with his defense and speed being his strengths, but he believes that he needs to work on his ball handling and court visibil-

Sydney Knupp Staff reporter

With Kardos smooth off the dribble, senior Brian Rodriguez is playing sharp shooter, while senior Noah Royer has quick hands ready for a steal. Another guard is sophomore Damian Sampson, new to the team this year.

The offensive plan is pushing the ball whenever the opportunity shows itself, but only when the opportunity is there. On the opposite end of the floor, the defensive strategy is a matchup zone, pressuring the opposing team’s offensive advances.

The captains for the team are seniors Noah Royer, Max Johnson, and Seth Kardos. They are working on building chemistry this year, a key factor to any successful team.

“We are slowly becoming closer as a team. We get along fine off the floor, we just need to work on communicating,” Joyner said.

With a loaded roster of 14, half of whom are seniors, the Streaks hope to head toward a winning season.

Teams like Spotswood and R.E. Lee will be tough opponents this year.

Underclassmen filling important shoes for young team Austin Swift Staff reporter

The month of November brings the transition from football season to basketball season, and Coach Durmount Perry and his JV boys team are ready for a great season. The team consists of nine sophomores and six freshmen.

Coach Perry mentioned Alijah Brooks and Mykul Henderson as some of his

ity. His ultimate goal is to play varsity the next few years and then move on to play basketball in college.

Elijah Whitelow, a freshman and center, is a new member to the team who would also like to play varsity and also through college.

“I’m an offensive and defensive player when I play, my strengths are playing post on defense, but I think my rebounding needs improvement,” Whitelow said.

December 19, 2012

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December 19, 2012

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THE EXPERIENCE- B10

PHOTOS BY CELIA EHRENPREIS

Valley Auction brings taste of country inside city limits Celia Ehrenpreis Editor-in-chief “I wish I had changed my shoes,” I think to myself gloomily, as I walk up the rickety steps to the Shenandoah Valley Livestock Auction building. My flimsy little flats will be no match for the hordes of cowboy boots entering the building. My shoes are not the only thing out of place, I feel as if I am intruding on a whole new way of life that I have never seen first hand, as I step inside the auction room. Rows upon rows of empty seats sit stacked looking down into the small ring, which is covered in sawdust and currently devoid of any livestock.

The inevitable smell of manure meets my nose, and I realize I’m not in the city

any longer.

The majority of the auction’s inhabitants are 60-year-old men, wearing their John Deere hats and waiting for the proceedings to begin.

I make a quick exit, grabbing the first doorknob that presents itself to me. The smell of poop grows tenfold. I am standing on a wooden walkway overlooking hundreds of cows, sheep, goats, and pigs.

The structure is large, similar to a huge barn. Farmers are doing a number of things from numbering their prized pigs, to corralling goats into a new holding area.

Overalls and work boots seem to be the unspoken dress code. Again, I wish I had thought to at least put on a little camo.

I walk around, taking in all the cooped up animals waiting to be auctioned off.

I know it’s because I am a city girl, but I can’t help feeling a little sorry for the beasts. A clanging bell interrupts my reverie as a woman’s voice rings out over a loud speaker. ”The auction is about to begin, find your seats! Goats are up first!”

I leave the behind the scenes area for the real show: the ring. More people have funneled in since I last entered. The auctioneer sits above the ring overlooking the empty pen. The bell rings again, and three baby goats are plopped into the center of the ring, clinging to each other and bleating their indignation.

Suddenly the auctioneer is off, he’s talking so fast, and his southern twang is so thick, it’s a wonder to me that anyone can understand his prices. The three nanny goats are sold to a young man, who

didn’t have any competition, for $35.

“That’s it? Each goat only costs $11.60?

I could buy one for Christmas!” I thought to myself. As the auction continues, the goats became larger and so do their price tags. The auctioneer seemed to know what each one was worth and who the prospective buyers were. He looks at each potentional customer, hoping to see them raise their hand slightly.

Some of the animals are more cooperative than others. One goat took refuge in the corner until one of the workers pulled him out by his horns. The males typically sold for more than the females, and a typical trend was the bigger the horns the higher the price.

Shenandoah Valley Livestock Auction is open every Saturday.

MOOOVE OVER. Cows and sheep sit in their stalls during the Shenandoah Valley Livestock Auction that happens every Saturday.

WATCH YOUR STEP. A view of one of the walkways in the Shenendoah Valley Livestock Auction building.

COWS, SHEEP, GOATS, OH MY! A farmer herds his cows into a waiting stall at the beginning of the auction.

EMPTY STALL. This waiting cell is empty of all animals before the auction.

PAY ATTENTION. Auction participants wait while the livestock make their way into the center of the ring.

SO CUTE. These newborn goats are among the numerous animals sold every Saturday at the auction.

MOO. Cows wait for their turn outside in their wooden stalls, while the auction gets started. They are identified by their yellow tags attached to their ears.