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FACE OFF. Senior Lawan Rasul (left, Kurdistan) and junior Sadeeq Saffo (Iraq) represent their countries by having the flags painted on their faces.

TRAVELING TENSIONS Lucie Rutherford Editor-in-Chief It was two years ago when junior Sadeeq Saffo first immigrated to the United States.

Saffo came from the Iraqi city of Baghdad, where he lived during the heat of the Iraq War as a young boy.

“Everything was going bad back then…

I actually didn’t go to school for two years because it was too dangerous for me. For our safety, my parents didn’t want me to go to school; there were a lot of bombs and people were dying every day,” Saffo said.

This was in 2003 when Saffo experienced these events. Though tensions have consistently been a part of Iraq since the

PHOTO BY THEO YODER

Violence in Kurdistan and Iraq travel into the lives of students, though they wish for peace in their homelands.

war, violence has sparked up recently with dependence, and violence broke out Oct. the Iraqi-controlled portion of Kurdis16. Senior Lawan Rasul is from tan.

Kurdistan and has followed The territory of Kurdistan is the news of his homeland That’s the thing split between multiple counvery closely. tries, including Syria, Iran, “Right now, the Iraqi about Kurds, I feel Turkey, Armenia, Russia portion of Kurdistan is like we’re very paand the area that has trying to separate and triotic and we take been the scene of recent the Iraqi government pride in what we are violence, Iraq. For many isn’t having any of it. years, Kurdistan has made On that border line is a and who we are. attempts at becoming an specific city, Kirkuk, and independent nation, though there is a huge problem Lawan Rasul has been set back. Within the going on right now where weeks of late September and earIraqi troops have entered the ly October, many threats passed from city, pulled up all Kurdistan flags...

Iraq to Kurdistan to end their push for in- trying to regain control of that city,” Rasul

“

”

said.

Though many miles from the violence, Kurdish and Iraqi students within the walls of HHS are still seeing the effects of the tension. Rasul is one of those students who experienced backlash on Twitter.

“Somebody tweeted out something about ‘It’s not Kurdistan, it’s Iraq,’ and a couple of Kurdish people took it personally because we do have our own culture, we have our own language, we have our own traditions that’s completely separate from their’s and it’s very distinguishable,” Rasul said. “That’s the thing about Kurds, I feel like we’re very patriotic and we take pride

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Torres competes in Super32 tournament Blood drive returns Owen Stewart Sports Editor

Over the weekend of Oct. 28-29, hundreds of wrestlers from around the nation flocked to Greensboro, NC for the Super32 wrestling tournament. Senior Guillermo Torres was the only HHS wrestler to attend the tournament, wrestling in the 106 pound weight class.

Wrestling against some of the top competition in the country requires preparation, and Torres had many different ways of getting ready to wrestle.

“I have a club called Shenandoah Valley Wrestling Club. I go there twice a week, I cut weight a week before, worked out a couple times a day and [ate] healthy to make sure I got the right stuff in me,” Torres said. Torres also made

Theo Yoder Editor-In-Chief

PHOTO BY THEO YODER

TAKE DOWN. Senior Guillermo Torres practices with freshman Nathan Henderson in preparation for the Super32 national wrestling tournament in Greensboro, NC. sure to keep an evenkeeled mentality coming into the tournament, preparing himself for anything

that might happen.

“For a big tournament like that, you have a lot of matches. Coming in, I was

realistic, I knew that I wanted to advance, but I knew that at some point, I would take a loss. I knew I had to

A pint of blood from each student can be the deciding factor on whether a person lives or dies. The SCA sponsored blood drive held

by Virginia Blood Services takes place twice a year. Students ages 16 and older have the opportunity to donate their blood while Student Council Association members organize and facilitate the logistics of the event. Account manager for Virginia Blood Services, Mary Knapp, has been organizing blood drives for high schools around the area for about one year. Her role as account manager includes supporting the

volunteer blood drive coordinators in order to ensure they have the most successful drive possible.

“I really enjoy talking to people and it is so gratifying to be apart of drives like this where people come out and give up their time and literally themselves to help save lives,” Knapp said.

Blood drives held at high schools are considered mobile blood drives. Besides high schools,these mobile drives go anywhere from churches to businesses to Costco and Walmart.

The team will go any place where people are ready to help organize the event. In this case, those people were the SCA members.

See BLOOD page A2

Students, faculty see increase in hallway hostility, cafeteria mess

Sam Heie Feature Editor

Trash cans overflow and tables clutter with abandoned trays as all 1,600 students pour in and out of the cafeteria for their lunch shifts. Messiness tends to be a given for a high school cafeteria, but principal Cynthia Prieto believes the problem is worse than the norm.

“The issue has become so big this year because of

volume. We have so many people in this building and I think the freshman class needs to transition and get with our message. It isn’t only the freshman class, but they’re the younger ones. It’s the responsibility of the older ones to teach them how to be a Blue Streak,” Prieto said.

The issue became especially prevalent after a series of powdered sugar messes in the boys’ bathrooms across from the li-

B1: Students Over Structures story and stats

brary that took janitors two hours to clean.

The issue also involves trays being chronically left on tables and spilling throughout the cafeteria.

“We do have students that when you ask them to pick up their tray, they’ll say ‘It’s not mine,’ and walk away. We also have students that when you ask them to pick up their tray, they’ll say ‘Yes ma’am,’ and pick up four or five trays…

I think it’s a choice,” Prieto said.

An increase in cafeteria messiness has also been grouped with what Prieto perceives as an increase in student cussing. Teachers are asked to walk around the halls for the first 20 minutes of their planning block which has lead to more confrontation.

“If a teacher sees a student without a pass, they are supposed to ask, ‘Where are you supposed to be?’ So when you don’t

See TORRES page A2

B2: Learn the lyrics of our Soundcloud rappers

PHOTO BY SAM HEIE

CRAZY CONCOCTIONS. Many trays like this one are found by janitors, cafeteria workers after lunches.

B8: Swimming brings in many freshmen

The Newsstreak

November 30, 2017

News-A2

VA Blood Services give back in return for blood who have given blood many times before and some, for the first time. Junior Abdullah Afridi donated his blood for the first time during this blood drive.

“Before I was nervous but now I’m doing good. I thought it would hurt when they stuck the needle in my arm but it didn’t hurt at all,” Afridi said.

Afridi decided this year was the year to give blood because it was the first year he met the age requirement of 16 years old.

“I want to help people who don’t have good blood and who need blood transfusions,” Afridi said.

In contrast to Afridi, senior Ayianna Jackson has donated her blood for a total of four times in the last three years. She decided to

BLOOD from A1 “That’s one thing that we are so impressed with about this particular high school. It is very engaged by the students,” Knapp said.

Virginia Blood Services has a high school scholarship program where if a school commits to doing two blood drives per year, that school receives points for donating blood. These points can later be turned into scholarship dollars given to the students. After an application is filled out, the selected students will receive that scholarship money. However, the student must have donated blood or volunteered to help at one of the drives.

Each year, students come to the blood drive

give her blood when her father died of cancer.

“He is no longer able to give his blood and because of that, I have seen people and know people who do need it,” Jackson said. “It makes me proud of myself because I have seen people that give blood once and they don’t like it and never give blood again. I don’t plan on stopping.”

The next SCA sponsored blood drive will be held in April of 2018. This will make it the second blood drive of the school year and another chance for students to donate blood for hospitals and collect scholarship points for the school.

PHOTOS BY THEO YODER

DRAWING AND DONATING. Senior Blain Boggs watches as one of the Virginia Blood Services workers sticks his arm with the needle.

Rasul, Sadeeq, Sindi reflect on reactions to Iraq, Kurdistan conflict After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Kurds in Iraq have seeked independence.

1920

Events leading up to conflict

1991

1988 After the Gulf War, coalition forces create a safe haven for Kurds

Civil war involving forces of the Kurdish Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.

2005

1994-97 After Saddam Hussein, a new Iraqi constitution designated Kurdistan as a federal region

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein launches a poison gas attack on a Kurdish town.

2017

Iraqi Kurds vote for independence but the government attempts to annul the decision.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28147263

TENSION from A1 family. It really hurt me and in what we are and who we are, so we basically don’t stand up to that, so we decided to talk back.”

Despite the short-lived tensions that went on through social media, the hostility between those students has not gone much further. Being so far away from the violence, Saffo is worried about his country as well as Kurdistan, though has talked things out with his fellow Kurdish friends.

“We don’t worry about that. When we talk we say, ‘It’s government and it’s between them,’ we’re still friends,” Saffo said.

The big question for many may be why there is so much violence over Kurdistan’s independence, and according to both Rasul and Saffo, that reason is oil.

“There is a huge oil reserve in Kurdistan which I think is probably one of the main keys as to why it has become such a big issue.

They don’t want to get rid of all that money that is possibly there,” Rasul said.

Junior Sama Sindi is also from Kurdistan and has paid close attention to what has been going on.

Both Sindi and her family took the news very close to heart.

“I am just really, really Kurdish, and my family is there, my dad, friends and

my mom and everyone because we’ve all been born for [the day that Kurdistan becomes independent] and when we saw it crushed like that in the news, we were up all night and we couldn’t focus on anything else,” Sindi said.

Even though he is on the other side of the debate, Saffo also knows people still in Iraq that are in the face of danger, and has had similar reactions towards the news.

“When I see the news I get upset, but now it’s getting better so I don’t worry about it. Even when I see the pictures [of the violence],” Saffo said.

Though she has seen some tensions through the halls of HHS, Sindi acknowledges that they are not as high as areas closer to the Middle East.

“I think it hasn’t been that bad [at HHS] because it’s not as strong here, but I do feel like sometimes there are dirty looks and things like that,” Sindi said.

According to Sindi, it is not just the recent news that has brought out tensions among students, but it is something that has gone on for a long time due to the history of the two cultures.

“It’s always been like this, from when we were born it’s always been like us

against them, wanting our independence and them being against us,” Sindi said. “There’s always that hatred between us but we try not to let it show.”

Despite the events that have been shown on the news, Saffo understands why the Kurdish students and Kurdish people in that area want to become their own country. “[The Kurds] actually built the cities and they make it good for when people visit… They want to be an independent country because they don’t want to be called Iraqis,” Saffo said.

Though he wishes for a different outcome, Rasul has little hopes of Kurdistan becoming an independent nation in the near future.

“Kurdistan has its own government that is separate from Iraq, Syria and [all of those countries], but it’s just like, how are the neighboring nations going to say yes to this? It’s not going to happen,” Rasul said. “The big problem is, let’s say the Iraqi portion does separate, the other territories in Kurdistan are also going to want to be their own separate countries and then they’re going to have to do the same issue with their respective countries, and it’s going to be hectic.”

Throughout his culture’s history, Rasul has noted the many instances where

they have been put down, and he is hopeful that becoming independent will change that.

“Kurds, we honestly feel like we’ve been prosecuted for so long. We’ve been a country, then we got dismantled, then we became a country again and then we got dismantled again, and I just feel like it’s time, like what’s the reason not to have our own country?

I just can’t personally process that but that might just be the bias,” Rasul said.

When it comes to resolving the tensions in their countries, the Iraqi and Kurdish students interviewed all have a view in common despite how they wish to see the outcome: whatever happens, they wish to see peace come with it.

“I want to see them be one hand, like one country; that they don’t fight each other. That makes me happy,” Saffo said.

“I honestly just don’t want war because my family is there and it’s my country, I don’t want anything to happen there, but I do want Kurdistan to gain its independence. That’s what I’m living for right now,” Sindi said. “I just want peace.”

Teachers, admin, janitors, students notice recent problem in behavior MESSES from A1 pened,” Fury said.

know that student and they say, ‘Screw you,’ how is that teacher supposed to respond?”

Prieto said.

This breed of hostility has rubbed off into the classrooms as well. “[It has caused] frustration and exhaustion from the faculty. They shouldn’t be spending their time correcting student behavior, they should be spending it teaching, but they can’t. People who work in this building are so passionate and so committed to students.

They shouldn’t have to fight all day where they could be just giving you good educational experience,” Prieto said.

Roxi Fury is one of the nine janitors who has felt and experienced this growth in griminess and cussing. Her shift begins with cleaning up after the final lunch shift.

“I’ve seen it happen right in front of me as if they don’t care.

They throw food or leave trays and walk off like nothing hap-

This is Fury’s sixth year working as a janitor at HHS. She believes that over her years working, the cafeteria has gotten progressively worse.

“It’s worse than past years.

A lot of it is apples and people busting them in the bathrooms against the walls. The other big problems are powdered sugar and syrup,” Fury said.

Fury believes she has the diagnosis for the root of the problem. “[I think] it’s just them being teenagers. They’re showing off to their friends and they think they can just get away with anything.

It’s about ego. There needs to be consequences for their actions.

They need to be made to pick it up and clean it up,” Fury said.

With all of these problems rearing their heads this year, there has also been talk of solutions.

Sophomore Tucker McGrath is in a select group known as the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee. Each high school grade has representatives that meet

with the superintendent, Dr. Scott Kizner, each month to discuss issues within the school.

“We talked a little bit about the overpopulation issue and how that linked into the issues we have with cussing and [messiness in] the cafeteria… I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people talk about how disgusting the cafeteria is by third or fourth lunch. People want it to stop,” McGrath said.

The committee also put on discussion of the issues of cussing in school.

“With cussing, it’s just gotten out of control. Kids don’t really care if there are adults around anymore and just use the F bomb in every sentence. Teachers and other students don’t want to hear it,” McGrath said.

For both issues, the committee generated one solution.

“We briefly discussed a social movement and people kind of making it cool to clean up [and not cuss]. Posters were tried last year, [but this year] Prieto wants to have a meeting at each lunch

PHOTO BY SAM HEIE

KEEPING IT TIDY. A student throws away their tray and trash after their lunch block. with people to find out who really cares,” McGrath said.

McGrath experiences the cafeteria filth everyday and even sees it in the making.

“I’ve seen people drop things and just not pick them up, I’ve seen people create really disgusting concoctions out of all of their

food and then pour it on the tables or just leave it,” McGrath said. “It’s really unfair to the janitors that come in afterwards and have to clean up all of the unnecessary messes that the students make.”

Senior finds good experience through tough tournament TORRES from A1 take it one match at a time, because if you look forward then you don’t really focus on the match at hand and that’s where you mess up,” Torres said.

Torres’ weight class consisted of 145 wrestlers, including around 70 state champions and 18 nationally ranked wrestlers. He went 1-2 in the tournament and noted that he wasn’t very happy with his performance.

“I actually wrestled pretty bad, worse than I have in a while. It was my first time going negative since my freshman year in a tournament,” Torres said. Torres was defeated in his first match, and because of the format, every match from there on out was to keep himself in tournament.

“You were guaranteed at least two matches, it was double elimination,” Torres said. “There was a 132 man bracket and you

advance with each win. I ended up having a bye my first round, I guess that’s just how the draw was. I lost in the second round to a Florida kid. If you lose [once], you have to keep winning, so those are called the ‘Blood Rounds’ because you’re wrestling to survive.”

Of the matches he wrestled, Torres listed his first opponent as the toughest he faced in the tournament. “[The toughest was]

Definitely the Florida kid, he beat me 9-0. I don’t think it should have been that bad. He scored his points on counters that I did stupid stuff on, but he was big. People here say I’m a big 106 pounder, but he was huge. He was really slick with his counters, and he was just a pretty good wrestler overall,” Torres said.

Reflecting on the tournament, Torres wants to improve on all parts of his wrestling prior to the

upcoming high school season.

“I’ve got to improve on a lot. I didn’t wrestle how I want to wrestle at all,” Torres said.

Despite not being happy with his performance, Torres believes the tournament will be beneficial for him in terms of getting ready for his senior season.

“This tournament makes the state tournament look like a joke.

These guys are two-time,

even three-time state champs that have been doing it forever. Just getting [to face] that top competition before going into the regular season is great just because I’m not gonna wrestle someone as good as them,” Torres said. “Now I have the confidence knowing that I can do better against these other opponents.”

The Newsstreak

November 30, 2017

News-A3

Football hosts, wins first playoff game

Owen Marshall Sports Editor The last time the Streaks have hosted a football playoff game was in 2011, being led by Virginia Tech commit, Michael Holmes.

For the first time in six years HHS had a playoff game on their home field. To defensive coordinator, Marc Healy, a home game means they can keep everything the same going into the regional quarterfinals.

“It means we don’t have to travel, we can keep the pregame routine the same and we

can treat a big playoff like any other game. I think that is important for our psyche to not make the game bigger than it needs to be,” Healy said.

The coaches stuck to the same practice plan that they had used the whole year. The only thing that had changed was one day the team had to change the location of practice due to rain.

“We have done exactly the same stuff we’ve done all year. The only thing different is that the fields were in bad shape Wednesday [leading up to the

game], so we went to James Madison University’s field to practice,” Healy said.

Healy wants the players to treat the game like any other game that they have had throughout the season. “[We want them to have] the same mindset that we’ve had for the other ten games. We want them just to go out, execute, do the fundamentals, stop them from scoring and score. It’s just another game, we just happen to be in the playoffs,” Healy said.

Hosting the game brings a

home team advantage for the Streaks.

Albemarle High School, the Streaks opponent, plays on a artificial turf field which Healy believes will be a difficult transition for the Patriots.

“The field has a little bit of a crown, so it’s a little elevated in the middle, so throwing the ball to the sidelines [is more difficult]. If you don’t play on grass, like [we] do, then that might bring a challenge. I am hoping to have a crowd too, that could be an impacting factor,” Healy said.

PHOTO BY NOAH SIDERHURST

GAME TIME. Senior wide receiver Steven Gilbert rushes the ball down the field.

Miller boosts attitudes each Newsstreakers attend morning with fist bumps Ashley Iscoa Staff Reporter Starting off with a rough morning may put you in a bad mood and impact the rest of your day. However, strolling into school through the doors by the parking lot may turn your unsettled morning around.

For the second year in a row, assistant principal Eric Miller has implemented the action of greeting students by giving fist-bumps, blasting music and gesturing with a warming smile in the mornings. This routine started back in his days at Skyline Middle School where he first did this. ¨When I was at Skyline Middle School, Mr. Glick and I both greeted kids as they came,¨ Miller said.

¨There was a video on Facebook that I saw of this principal who’d stand out on the sidewalk and he’d play music, dance and sing along to the music while greeting the kids and I thought it was pretty awesome.¨ Not only does Miller stand outside and greet the students as they come into the school, but he also plays music. Miller picks themes to apply to a certain day or the message being told that day through announcements or during class. ¨[Some of the themes are] Taylor Swift Tuesdays, Throwback Thursdays and Football Fridays [if it’s a home game],¨ Miller said. ¨For instance, I played ‘Respect’ by Aretha Franklin

PHOTO BY ASHLEY ISCOA

GOOD MORNING. Freshman Stanley Inouye is greeted with a fist bump by assistant principal Eric Miller when arriving to school. Most days Miller stands by the doors at the drop off lane to welcome students.

because of the message Ms. Prieto was giving on the announcements [about being respectful].¨ There will be people who aren’t having a good morning so Miller doesn’t take it hard to the heart when students refuse his warm gestures. Although he hasn’t had many students refuse his fist-bumps, he thinks maybe the student isn’t having a good day so he leaves it at that and is willing to try again the next day.

Freshman Stanley Inouye is one of many students who gets dropped off in the morning and has noticed what Miller has been doing. ¨It’s nice [Miller makes an effort] because he tries to start off your morning on a good note. It may not always work but it’s the thought that counts,¨ Inouye said.

Miller plans on continuing to do this for the long run. Even though he can’t change everyone’s morning by doing this, he enjoys doing this for the thrill of it.

He likes impacting people with positivity, especially if it’s someone who might not be having a good morning that day. ¨I think I enjoy the reactions I get out from some kids. I like when I see [a student] walking up and starts to change their walk because they like the song or they smile because they think it’s a funny part of the song or it brings back a certain memory,¨ Miller said. ¨I think that’s the best because you know you have just changed somebody’s morning by smiling, saying something, greeting them, complimenting them for what they’re wearing. Then I know that it might’ve given them a wake up call to start their day great.¨

Governor’s School application process begins for sophomores Mia Constantin Page Editor Governor’s School applications are nerve wracking. Students like sophomore Raghav Kharel who want to get in, know that it is a hard process.

“I’m excited for Gov School but I’m also really nervous for the application process,” Raghav Kharel said. “There are no guarantees that I will get in.”

This is the general consensus with appliers in HHS. After all, there are only five spots this year.

Last year not many people applied to gov school and the deadline had to be extended, which is not the case this year. Part of the reason many students are interested in Gov School is because seniors currently enrolled are raising awareness about their experiences there. Senior

Jack O’Brien has inspired a group of sophomores to apply to Gov School.

A main reason that sophomores, including sophomore Tucker McGrath, are drawn to Gov School is because of its different take on classroom learning.

“I’m considering doing Gov School because of the project based learning and the researchy feel,” Tucker McGrath said “[Gov School] seems interesting and offers a drastic difference to normal school.”

Others are applying to Gov School such as sophomore Iris Cessna.

“I’ve always liked environmental science,” Iris Cessna said “And I’ve always been really fascinated with all things nature.”

By consensus Gov School is seen as a freer environment for learning and developing. According to gov school students

its perks include project based learning, all AP classes (except for your extra research honors class), less homework, less testing, more field trips and more researching. These reasons are popularly cited as the reasons why sophomores want get into Gov School.

Although many students haven’t decided about whether they should do Gov School, there are also many who really want to be part of the gov school community. To apply for Gov School there are a series of essays which you have to complete, including the standard name, date, parent signature and medical form. You can find these applications in the counseling office.

Applications are due in January. Giving applicants two months to finish their applications and turn them in.

Dallas convention

Sam Heie Feature Editor While the rest of Harrisonburg slept, 13 students gathered at 4:00 a.m. in the brisk cold at HHS awaiting for their escort to Dulles airport in Washington D.C. These 13 students were members of the Newsstreak as well as the yearbook. The advisors of the Newsstreak, Valerie Kibler, and broadcasting, Emily Hussack, would accompany them on their cross country journey from Washington D.C. to Dallas, Texas, where they would participate in the 2017 JEA/ NSPA Fall Journalism Convention from Nov. 16-19.

Junior Noah Siderhurst, a feature editor for the Newsstreak, was among the journalist early birds traveling to Dallas.

“Essentially, [the conventions] are meetings of high school journalists as well as professionals and advisors to learn from each other and create a sort of community. There are sessions and lessons on pretty much everything to do with journalism. You can sit in on and take notes in the session which can really help your staff back home,” Siderhurst said.

The group arrived in Dallas on Wednesday, Nov. 15. They spent the first day touring the JFK Museum and exploring Dallas. That night, they met up with their sister school, Whitney High School from Rocklin, California, at the Dallas Grilled Cheese Company.

There, they greeted each other and paired up with a member of the opposing staff. The students discussed their roles on their respective staffs and gave advice to each other about different aspects of their programs.

Ella Ho Ching is the social media editor for the Whitney High School journalism class.

“We paired up and just discussed how I can improve my teaching methods and other things. [Junior] Nyah [Phengsitthy] was sitting near me and since we both are social media editors, we talked a lot about issues we both have,” Ching said.

This is Ching’s first year in the role of social media editor and the first time Whitney High School has had anyone in this position which has presented Ching with challenges.

“Teaching the younger students has been a difficulty for me. Last year was my first year in the advanced journalism class and it was pretty easy for me to grasp the idea of posting on social media but for some of our new kids, they don’t know how to write a caption or anything. It’s just been hard for them to grasp the concepts and I’m not sure if I’m teaching it in a way that they can’t understand or if it’s on them,”

Ching said.

Ching and Phengsitthy discussed possible solution to their shared struggles and Ching believes that the discussion had a big impact on her.

“Me and Nyah [Phengsitthy] do a lot of things differently but we definitely learned from each other and I can take some of her tips back to my staff now,” Ching said.

After the meal came to a wrap, the students traveled back to their accommodations at the Hyatt Regency where the conference was being held.

The same night, there was a keynote speech from Erin Trieb, a high profile journalist whose work has been featured in PBS, CNN, The New York Times and many more news media corporations.

The next day, Nov. 16, was comprised of a full day session that each student attended. The sessions were chosen based on interests and roles in the staff.

Junior Owen Marshall is a Sports Editor for the Newsstreak and was assigned his session accordingly.

“My day long session was on sports journalism. We reviewed past stories and analyzed their best and worst parts and looked at how we could apply that to our own newspaper. Outside of the day session, I took classes mostly on sportscasting,” Marshall said.

After the day long session, the next two days, Nov. 17-18, were spent in hour long classes that the students picked for themselves.

“Outside of sports, I took a few sessions on sports photography and photography in general which was surprisingly interesting. I wouldn’t say I want to make photography my main focus, but it definitely made me more interested in it,” Marshall said.

Sessions spanned from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Nov. 17 and 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Nov. 18. Outside of the classes, the students VIP toured the Dallas Cowboys stadium and attended the conference dance.

“My favorite part of the conference would have to be the dance. There was just so many people crammed in there and the environment was really hype.

It was nothing like any dance I’ve ever been to at HHS,” Marshall said.

After the team had finished its Nov. 18 sessions, everyone but Valerie Kibler headed to the airport for their overnight flight home.

“This conference has definitely had a big impact on me as a journalist,” Marshall said. “I’ve learned so much from both my peers and professionals.

On top of that, I was in a great group and we had some of the best fun I’ve had at any other conference.”

PHOTO BY LUCIE RUTHERFORD

DAYS IN DALLAS. Student media staffers read about the death of president John F. Kennedy at the memorial plaza, which commemorates JFK’s death.

The Newsstreak

November 30, 2017

HOT Or NOT

BY ELLIE HAMMOND AND JESUS CORTES

Church Shooter: Man kills 26 people inside a Texas Baptist church.

Drones Are Incredible: Cops use drone to locate missing elderly woman lost in a North Carolina cornfield.

Aw, Nuts!

Nutella announces adjustments are being made to the famous hazelnut spread.

ASTRO-nomical: The Houston Astros won the MLB world series.

Back on the Field: Ezekiel Elliott, a running back for the Dallas Cowboys, appeals his suspension for the fourth time and is eligible to play week 8 after committing domestic violence.

Hair Scrunchies: Hair scrunchies have recently made a comeback.

Flight Delays: Tornado and severe weather destroys airport in North Carolina The iPhone what? iPhone X was released Friday, Nov. 3.

The phone features face-recognition.

Pre-Release Problems: A young girl who posts videos, or vlogs, on Youtube, was filming her dad who works for Apple using his iPhone X. Due to the phone not being released to the public, he was fired.

Go Streaks!

Varsity volleyball made it to the regional playoffs for the first time in at least 6 years .

Terrorism exists: Six foreigners and two Americans were killed in New York City by a man who was associated with ISIS. HHS Football: Varsity football made it to the regional playoffs by defeating the Spotswood Trailblazers with a final score of 24-21.

They hosted and won the first game.

Knock Knock!

There is controversy over new delivery which involves “Amazon Key” which allows the deliverer to unlock and open your door.

Rescued from the water: 2 women from Hawaii were rescued after being lost at sea for days.

Suicidal: In a suicide attempt, a 12 year old boy jumped off an overpass, and killed a 22 year old woman in a car while the boy sustained life threatening injuries.

Power to the people Puerto Rico has gotten help with the loss of power from the secretary of Interior, Ryan Zinke.

Possession of Stranger Things: Stranger Things actor Charlie Heaton was stopped at LAX airport for alleged cocaine possession.

A Broader Audiene: Disney Channel produced their first show with an LGBT storyline.

Collision Catastrophe: A massive fire in Ontario, Canada occurred after a huge 14-car collision on the highway.

The Power of Friends: Selena Gomez’s best friend saved her life by undergoing a kidney transplant.

Tragedy in Tanzania: At least six children were killed from a hand grenade explosion in northwest Tanzania.

Finally Legal.

Students were able to vote in the most recent Virginia election.

Cat Killer: Women arrested in Waynesboro for a cat-killing attempt.

GOOOAALLL! Manchester City is still undefeated in every cup, being the only soccer team in history to have this good of a start.

Op/Ed-A4

What Will Trump’s Big Scandal Be? Sam Heie Feature Editor What will Trump’s Watergate be? Among the countless accusations, what is finally going to get Trump out of the White House? On Oct. 30th, George Papadopoulos, a former policy adviser to Trump, and Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign manager, turned themselves in after an arrest warrant was released. The arrest warrant included 12 potential federal charges of conspiracy against the United States: conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading statements under the Foreign Agent Registration Act, false statements and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

12 counts. Manafort pleaded not guilty, but

Papadopoulos pleaded guilty and is currently working on a plea deal.

The suspicion of conspiracy against the United States and unregistered agent of a foreign principal raised the most eyebrows. These charges added new validity to the accusations that have been liberally hurled at the Trump administration.

Now these charges are obviously not directed at Trump, but they are uncomfortably close for him. The Trump administration dismissed the charges with the cliche ‘lying media’ reasoning. As the accusations penetrate deeper into the administration, it is only a matter of time before Trump himself is taken down from his podium. But when?

Well the first charges brought against Trump started even before his official presiden-

cy. A total of 18 wom- based on rhetoric and en filed sexual assault conspiracy. When Trump and sexual harassment fired James Comey and charges in a rapid-fire Comey testified in a Senseries. The names and ate intelligence hearing, charges emerged at the this threw more fuel onto the alsame time ready raging as the infafire. mous audio These acrecording of cusations deTrump admitveloped even ting to sexfurther when ual harassit was found ment which Heie-er that millions he dubbed Power (yes, millions) “locker room of advertisetalk.” None of the cases ended in a ments and anti Hillary guilty verdict, but it was Clinton Facebook pages and continues to be a were run from Russia ithotspot for political de- self. Facebook, the very bate. platform that ran these The second round of ads, admits that more allegations came after than 126 million Amerithe election when the cans may have seen the FBI opened an investiga- advertisement more tion into the possibility than ten times. of Russian collusion with With the head of the the American election. Russian investigation, What began as spec- Robert Mueller, filing ulation turned into an charges against Trump everyday news headline admins, we are now up on CNN. The accusa- to date. Papadopoulos’ tions tended to be admission of the charges

puts a new pressure onto the Trump administration and the possibility of an incriminating plea deal.

So what’s next? Well, no one can predict the future but I would say there is a high probability of either Trump resigning or being impeached within the next six months. The fact that two high ranking officials in the administration are on the steps of the courts means there is more to come. Papadopoulos’ plea deal may include the promise of incriminating Trump which only escalates this probability. This won’t be a speedy trial, so the estimation of six months takes into the consideration of possible idling.

It is bound to happen.

There’s no possibility of collusion without cooperation from the top levels of the Trump administration. He’s going out, slowly, but surely.

English is too confusing Mario Kart gives skills for its own good Hannah Miller Op/Ed Editor

to have the same words for completely unrelated things? Weird slang words Cough, rough, though like “dank,” “skirt,” “gucci,” and through. All four end “thicc” and “lit” have dein the letters “-ough”, veloped, and yet we can’t and yet not a single one just make a different word rhymes. The plural of goose for purchasing an item inis geese, and yet we don’t stead of mixing up buy with call a bunch of by or bye. (Here’s moose meese. a not-so-crazy Why not? Beidea: why don’t cause the Enwe just say purglish language chasing?) sucks.

English is just The syntax of a muddled mess English is about of misleading Hannah’s as complicated messages.

We Rambles as it gets. We say things like put our adjec“rule of thumb” tives before our or “apple of my nouns, we have multiple eye” that make zero sense, ways to use the future and provide confusion tense and our spelling is when interpreted literally. just straight up offensive.

As if having the suckiThere are over 85 words est language in existence that break the “I before E, isn’t enough, America can’t except after C” rule (ac- bother to be considerate of cording to Wiktionary), so others who, understandtry not to use the words al- ably, don’t understand Enbeit, beige, foreign or heist glish. In international airin your essays. ports, announcements are Phonetically, we’ve de- made in the local language, cided to throw all common and possibly several others. sense out the window. Ev- Most of the time though, erybody learns that the you’re going to hear En“ch” combination makes glish. Now let’s say a flight the ch sound, unless you comes into the US; coming can hear the echo of a into one of our airports, chorus of chemists sing- auditory announcements ing for the royal monarch. are almost exclusively in We have pseudonyms and English. pterodactyls, xylophones, I’ve had my fair share of knickers and knives and problems with the English knowledge and knocks. language and it’s my native Don’t even get me tongue, I can only imagine started on homophones. how much other people Why oh why do we have must think it sucks.

Emma Lankford Staff Reporter

the other players showed little to no improvement. This shows that Mario Kart requires its playWhen many people think ers to respond rapidly to visual of Mario Kart, they do not look cues and choose subsequent much deeper than hurling turtle actions accordingly. It also inshells at their opponents. How- creases your awareness, a skill ever, when examined further, it necessary for driving in real life. can be concluded that playing Research has also shown that Mario Kart can assist in prepar- playing Mario Kart is an exceling its users for life. By playing lent stress reliever. When you Mario Kart, motor skills are de- are in the middle of your race, veloped, ultimately resulting in while tensions are rising with better driving. Also, Mario Kart each lap, you may not realize can reduce stress and improve that your mood is rising as well. its players’ moods.

A study, published A study from the in “Computers in HuUniversity of New man Behavior”, has York Shanghai and been done that bethe University of gins by forcing particHong Kong compared ipants to take math the driving skills of tests until they fail, participants with exand then take a mood perience playing vidquestionnaire to conEmma’s eo games like Mario firm their stress levDelimmas Kart to those that els. After becoming lacked this practice. sufficiently stressed, The researchers created a sim- the participants played two ulation, requiring participants rounds of Mario Kart. After they to drive down a lane, remaining were finished, the participants as close as possible to the cen- completed the same questionter. As an added challenge, the naire to assess their mood. In all drivers had to account for winds 48 participants, an increase of that could potentially offset the happiness was recorded. direction of the virtual car. After Overall, it is apparent to me the trial, it was shown that the that playing Mario Kart has unparticipants with action video believable benefits. Being able game experience had a consis- to have an enjoyable experitently better reactions. ence, while also preparing for reThe researchers conducted a al-world events such as driving, similar study, however this study is an opportunity that is hard to tracked the improvement of two beat. So, next time you feel regroups. One of the groups played gret for sending a blue turtle Mario Kart, while the other shell toward your friend in first played non-action game. After place, just remember: they’ll be just five hours, the group prac- better off because of it. ticing with Mario Kart showed significant improvement, while

Minimum wage is way for upper class to feel good Noah Siderhurst Feature Editor When middle class liberals think about wealth inequality, they tend to get caught up in feel-good policies that have little effect. The biggest of these, I feel, is the idea of a minimum wage. This conclusion lies in simple macroeconomic theory (I know the terms simple and macroeconomic theory don’t often go together, but please bear with me).

Through history, people have felt sorry for those worse off than themselves. This feeling has translated into many policies aimed at closing the gap between wealthy and poor, one such being minimum wage. However, the only real purpose this wage serves is to ease middle class liberals’ (and maybe some conservatives’) conscience. It has little positive effect on the lives of the poor.

Let’s consider what happens when a minimum wage is set in

place. more people want jobs than At an effective minimum can get them. In a normal marwage, more workers will want ket, people with the most need to work than employers will be will work for the least, practiable to employ. If the minimum cally guaranteeing them a job, wage is $10 per hour, you are though not necessarily a good much more likely to one. Even though seek out a job than you may end up with if it is $7.25 an hour. a low paying job, At the same time, isn’t that better than employers will hire none at all? fewer workers at In addition, simthe higher wage. ply having a highInstead, they may er minimum wage Sagacious simply require curdoes not translate Siderhurst rent employees to into a higher stando more, invest in dard of living. Inflajob-killing labor replacements tion would actually reduce the like self-checkout lines and buying power of the minimum Sheetz-style ordering kiosks wage to before it was raised. and pass on the higher labor You would make more, but your costs in the form of higher pric- money would be worth less. es, which causes inflation (none There are other ways of imof these effects are desirable). proving poor people’s lives that A higher supply of people would not interfere with the who want to work with a low- market’s efficiency in allocater demand of employers who ing resources. These include want to hire, lead to a surplus investment in education, which of labor. would mean higher wages in Because of this surplus, higher skilled jobs for many

poor people (this would also leave more low skilled jobs available for teenagers like myself). Other policies, which many liberals also support, include universal health care and free preschool. All of these reduce financial burden on the poor without the same ill effects as a minimum wage.

So, based on this analysis, the only real reason for anyone to support a minimum wage is simply because it makes us think we are good and on the side of the poor. In other words, a minimum wage makes us feel compassionate when in fact we are simply out of touch.

Speaking as a liberal myself, there are much better ways we can spend our time to improve the lives of the poor without fighting the free market system that has allowed America to stand out for centuries.

The Newsstreak

November 30, 2017

Reviews-A5

FLAVORS OF THANKSGIVING Showalter’s Orchard a fun, delicious place to visit

Holly Bill Opinion Editor

Before making a visit to Showalter’s Orchard, I presumed that the apples we ate at school came from some large, corporate factory that serves thousands of processed lunches to public schools around the country. However, I was surprised to learn that the apples we eat every day come from only 30 minutes away at a local orchard.

Harrisonburg City Public Schools are partnered with Showalter’s Orchard to provide delicious apples to its students. However, selling apples to local schools is just one of the things Showalter’s Orchard does to give back to the community.

Showalter’s Orchard is an over 100-year-old 40acre orchard located in Timberville, Virginia. On Oct. 28, I drove out to the orchard and picked a half peck (an eighth of a bushel) of Fuji Apples. Instead of measuring the pricing by the weight of your apples, the pricing is determined

by volume. You choose your bag, measured in bushels, ahead of time and pick the amount of apples that fills your bag.

The day I went to the orchard was Fuji Apple day, so the Fuji Apples were the type of apples that everyone picked. I talked to Sarah Showalter, co-owner of the orchard, about how they determine which day is which apple.

“It has to do with what is ripe when. My husband uses a refractometer that measures the amount of sugar in the apples. He knows what varieties need to have what sugar content. Whatever is ripe, that is what people are picking,” Showalter said.

Showalter married into the orchard business. Her father-in-law bought the orchard in 1965. At first, the orchard sold apples solely to companies and not to the general public, but when her father-in-law bought the orchard, he started to open it up to the public so they could come and buy fresh apples. However, it wasn’t until recently

PHOTO BY HOLLY BILL

APPLES TO APPLES. (TOP) One of the many apples hanging on a tree at Showalter’s Orchard. (BOTTOM) Apples at Showalter’s Orchard waiting to be distributed. that you could come and pick your own apples.

“We try to be aware of things that are changing and things people want to

do, like pick their own fruit.

We had not done that until about 10 years ago. We kept getting calls from people saying, ‘Can we come

pick our own?’ Finally, a rock hit us on the head and we were like, ‘Why would we not let them [pick their own apples]?’” Showalter said.

Apple-picking is not the only thing Showalter’s Orchard has to offer. The orchard also has peaches available for picking, pumpkins, a greenhouse full of flowers and vegetables and a gift shop packed with various foods, drinks, clothing and knickknacks. According to their website, Showalter’s Orchard is also widely known for being “the Shenandoah Valley’s original hard cidery”.

When I first walked up the hill to the orchard, I instantly got the feeling of warmth and welcoming.

Everyone was smiling and laughing and all of the employees looked very happy to be there. According to Showalter, that is also what sets the orchard apart from the other orchards in the valley.

“We’re small. I feel like when you come here, it’s like welcoming you to our home. We always want to

be super hospitable, just like you would treat a guest, so we treat our customers that way, too,” Showalter said.

My brother and I are huge fruit people. We will consume an entire bag of grapes in one afternoon, we rarely go days without consuming applesauce and we eat strawberries and blueberries almost every morning before school.

However, we’re not big fans of plain apples. My mom rarely buys them at the grocery store; we just don’t like them very much. When I bit into my first apple from Showalter’s Orchard when I got home that afternoon, I wasn’t expecting such a sweet, fresh apple. I am not exaggerating when I say that the Fuji Apples I picked from Showalter’s Orchard were the best, most crisp apples I have ever had. Before apple-picking closes for this year, I strongly recommend to make the short drive to Showalter’s Orchard. You will be amazed.

Thanksgiving brings different traditions

Stuffing makes or breaks turkey

Forrest Matter Opinion Editor

Andrea Holguin Staff Reporter

Every year, Thanksgiving brings food, football, potatoes and pumpkins abound. People stuff themselves with cornbread, turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing before going back for desserts and more. Many of our students gather with their families for good food and fun.

Junior Farah Ragab celebrates with a bang.

She has family all over the US, and Thanksgiving is one of the holidays which she shares with many of them.

“It’s [about] seeing my family, whom I haven’t seen for a whole year, in one place for four days. We hang out, watch movies. One time we were in Egypt one year, and it was three in the morning, and we started running to the beach. We built sandcastles and stuff,” Ragab said. “[We eat] turkey, mashed potatoes, po-

tatoes, basically everything.”

Freshman Jakob Lambert celebrates at his uncle’s house with much of his family. Together they enjoy the usual Thanksgiving dishes, and football.

“After we eat, we normally watch a football game, [it] doesn’t really matter [which]. My granddad is a huge Texas A&M fan, so when he’s down we always watch that,” Lambert said.

Junior Kobe Johnson celebrates with both sides of his family. On one day he goes to his mother’s side and the next they go to his father’s. Kobe believes that the most important part of Thanksgiving dinner is having a day spent with family in fellowship.

“We have turkey, stuffing, chicken, pretty much all the generic Thanksgiving foods. My favorite food is stuffing.

It’s delicious and I like the seasoning my grandparents make it with.”

Johnson said.

CARTOON BY JOSIE KOOGLER

Ingredients: 5 cups sweet potatoes mashed 1 cup white sugar ½ cup melted butter 2 eggs beaten 1 tsp vanilla

37

13

Cranberry Sauce

FINISHED PRODUCT. This is how the Sweet Potato pecan casserole looks when it is done.

Turkey

39

Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole

Topping: Mashed Potatoes

Pumpkin pie

Thanksgiving Food Favorites

With the traditional Thanksgiving meal comes the delicious food. I personally believe that stuffing is one of the best foods to have on Thanksgiving. It keeps your turkey warm, moist and flavorful on the inside. All while the outside of your turkey is crispy and soft.

While your turkey is cooking in the oven, it tends to become dry and loses flavor quickly. If your turkey is dry, cold and bland inside, then your main meal for Thanksgiving is ruined. No one would ever want to eat something that is dry and cold with no flavor, and especially not on Thanksgiving. If you cook your turkey with stuffing, then you will get an amazing result. The turkey becomes a moist and flavorful meal that everyone will enjoy. It can also keep the inside of your turkey hot while you are finishing the rest of your dinner.

Stuffing can also be quick and easy to make

from a box or homemade.

When the holidays roll around, without a doubt, your parents or even you can get stressed. It can either be about what to get your family or loved ones for Christmas or how you’re going to handle making a huge dinner and trying to make it look and taste perfect. You can make stuffing from a box, which takes only 30 seconds of your time, or you can make it at home which only takes 20 minutes. The crucial aspect of the meal is quick and easy, then you are done.

You can focus on what is next, which saves you from being even more stress.

You can never go wrong with stuffing. You can put whatever vegetables in to make it look and taste healthier. Stuffing goes with everything and you can make it anytime of the year. You can make it on Thanksgiving or even in the middle of July. Stuffing is the dream food for a huge dinner or just by yourself because it’s quick and easy to make and filled with flavor.

2

POLL BY JESSICA LAWSON, INFOGRAPHIC BY MIA CONSTANTIN

THE INGREDIENTS. These are all of the ingredients used.

1 cup brown sugar ⅓ cup flour ⅓ cup melted butter ½ cup pecan pieces

Instructions: Peal and chop sweet potatoes into chunks. Put in large pan, cover with water, cook on high heat until easily pierced by a fork. Mash.

In a big bowl, add sweet potatoes, white sugar, ½ cup melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well.

Put potato mixture in 9 by 12 pan.

In a separate bowl, put the topping ingredients together. Mix well.

Spread topping over potato mixture.

Bake 350 degrees for ½ hour or until top is brown and bubbly.

Enjoy!

The Newsstreak

November 30, 2017 The Harrisonburg High School Newsstreak The Policy The Newsstreak is published by the students of Harrisonburg High School every month. Reproduction of any material from the newspaper is prohibited without the written permission from the editorial board. Advertising rates are available upon request.

It is the policy of the Harrisonburg City Public School Board to comply with all applicable state and federal laws regarding non-discrimination in employment and educational programs and services.

The Harrisonburg High School City Public Schools will not discriminate illegally on the basis of sex, race, religion, national origin, disability or age as to employment or educational programs and activities.

Editorials appearing without a byline represent the majority opinion of the staff, but not necessarily the opinion of the adviser, school administration, or the school system.

Signed editorials are accepted from people on the staff, but are subject to editing according to published guidelines and policies. Editorials may be edited for special reasons.

Letters to the editor are encouraged and must be signed and a telephone number must be given.

Names may be withheld if the editorial board feels there is a just cause.

The Newsstreak reserves the right to edit and may refuse to publish ads or letters deemed inappropriate, libelous, or obscene. Please drop your letter by room 444 or give them to any staff member.

Letters may also be sent to the high school.

The Editors and Staff Editor-in-Chiefs: Lucie Rutherford, Theo Yoder, Olivia Comer, Garrett Cash Advertising Managers: Madison Varner, Audrey Knupp, Photographers: Sam Heie, Theo Yoder, Olivia Comer Page Editors: Theo Yoder, Lucie Rutherford, Sarah Earle, Forest Matter, Garrett Cash, Samantha Little, Audrey Knupp, Nyah Phengsitthy, Sam Heie, Noah Siderhurst, Hannah Miller, Owen Stewart, Owen Marshall, Jackson Hook, Sweta Kunver, David Beck, Holly Bill Staff Reporters: Carlos Arevalo, Jenifer Bautista-Lopez, Simon Beach, Martin Beck, Madely Blas, John Breeden, Ryan Caricofe, Garrett Cash, Olivia Comer, Mia Constantin, Marvin Copeland, Jesus Cortes, Sarah Earle, Karleigh Gentry, Caleb Goss, Ariyah Green, Ellie Hammond, Sam Heie, Andrea Holgui, Jackson Hook, Ashley Iscoa, Lare Jalal, Adriana Jimenez, Shyann Keier-Litwin, Audrey Knupp, Josie Koogler, Emma Lankford, Jessica Lawson, Samantha Little, Somaia Mallek, Owen Marshall, Forrest Matter, Nicole Mayorga, Hannah Miller, Ni’Kiah MoatsBryce Mullins, Nyah Phengsitthy, Ethan Power, Betsy Quimby, Edwin Rios, Emmanuel Franco, Lucie Rutherford, Sophie Sallah, Noah Siderhurst, Jalyn Sneary, Owen Stewart, Dany T Medhin, Sid Tandel, Oziel Valdez, Madison Varner, Na’Diha Whitelow, Theo Yoder 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 and 2015 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. hhsmedia.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 DO NOT want my son/daughter (place student’s name here) to have his or her name or image published on the new online version of the newspaper, www. hhsmedia.com.

Op/Ed-A6

Harrisonburg has much to be thankful for NEWSSTREAK STAFF EDITORIAL Look around. Look behind, in front of and beside you. Odds are you have people around you, and it’s even more likely that they’re from “The Friendly City,” and they’re having a positive impact on your life.

Coming into Harrisonburg, you see a sign that welcomes you to “The Friendly City,” and it undoubtedly holds true to that title. Its people are welcoming, its school is kind and it’s by far the most accepting city around. You can’t walk around the city or high school without hearing at least two different languages, and just about everyone here believes that’s a beautiful thing.

Harrisonburg sits right in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.

People come from all around the world to see this area. From almost anywhere in the city, you can walk outside and see the Blue Ridge Mountains rolling in the distance, beckoning you closer.

This friendly city also has a friendly school. The administration supported a student-led walkout against racism and sexism by giving them police to ensure that they could cross roads and get to Court Square safely. The administration gave permission and their support to this group of students in order to help spread kindness.

From Billy Jack’s to Benny’s to Black Sheep Coffee, Harrisonburg has a thriving downtown. There’s good pizza, burgers and coffee,

Second breakfast causes unnecessary overcrowding Karleigh Gentry Staff Reporter

Obviously everything has a cost, so if we cut one of the breakfasts out of our day, the It’s no surprise that our school could save more school needs to solve the money. As a result, the overcrowding issue; how- school could have more ever, I believe money for buying that the presfood for fourth ence of seclunch, so everyond breakfast one can have acdoesn’t help cess to at least the problem. one meal a day.

Without secWhile talking ond breakfast, to the cafeteria the crowd workers that supKarleigh’s downstairs beply our breakCalling tween first and fast and lunch, I second perilearned that over od would de1,000 students crease, which would allow eat first breakfast. Furtherstudents passing through more, the workers also the cafeteria to get to class said that more students faster. A step in the right eat second breakfast than direction of the overcrowd- first, which means there ing issue would be to stop are over 1,000 people in offering second breakfast. the cafeteria between Most of my classes are first and second period. In upstairs, but I do have one addition, since there are class located downstairs, 1,800 students here, some and one class located out- students eat both first and side. The second breakfast second breakfast, which is crowd makes it even harder hurting their parents’ bank for me to get to my classes accounts. on time, especially my outFreshman Makayla side class, which I have sec- Runion is one of the stuond period. dents who sometimes gets Second breakfast is not second breakfast, which necessary. Most middle means she is stuck in the schools and high schools crowded cafeteria between only have one breakfast, first and second period. and their students are fine.

“Too many people go Although most people will to hang out, they’re not disagree, second breakfast actually getting food, and serves no purpose at HHS. they’re getting in the way If someone is really hun- of other people that are gry they could always eat actually trying to get food,” first breakfast, or wait until Runion said. lunch.

Second breakfast proAlthough people may vides a hangout for stusay that breakfast is con- dents who do not want sidered the most important to go to class. If second meal of the day, I feel that breakfast was taken away students will use that as an at HHS, the students would excuse in order to get what be forced to actually attend they want. On the other classes on time. If students hand, if they feel that they still decide to be tardy, it need to eat breakfast in the would be easier for teachmorning, then they could ers to see them, since there just wake up earlier, or get wouldn’t be as big of crowd to school earlier. downstairs. In addition, Skipping breakfast and students couldn’t use the waiting until lunch is not a excuse of getting breakfast big deal. A person could go as a reason for being in the for more than three weeks hallway, or being tardy to without food. This shows their second period class. that you’ll be okay if you One way to help the skip breakfast. Further- overcrowding issue at our more, countries outside school is to take away secof the United States do ond breakfast. Students not have as much access would not have an excuse to food, so you should be for tardiness, the crowding thankful for what you have downstairs would decrease here at HHS, and not com- and students wouldn’t be plain about only having the eating the unnecessary two opportunity for one break- breakfasts. fast a day instead of two.

and there’s even a farmer’s mar- me-up, go to Benny’s, grab a giant ket during Saturdays and Tuesdays slice of pizza and sit outside. Soak that features local produce and in the mountains and the whole crafts. If you’re looking for anything of downtown, breathe deeply and to do, there’s always something make light conversation with the downtown. From trivia nights on people around you who are some Wednesdays at Pale Fire Brewing of the kindest souls you’ll ever (minors allowed), to musicians at meet. Take a breath. Look around.

Clementine Cafe, to events held on Look behind, in front of and beside Court Square, you can always find you. There is so much to be gratesomething to do. ful for in “The Friendly City.”

What are we getting at? What does all of this mean? It means there’s plenty to be grateful for in this friendly city.

The unsigned staff editorial appears in each issue and reflects the maWhen you’ve jority opinion of the Newsstreak Staff Editorial Board. The Editorial had a long day Board is comprised of all editors-in-chief, page editors, advertising managers, photographers and selected freshman journalism students. and you’re feelIn no way does our opinion reflect that of the school system or the ading down and ministration. need a pick-

WHAT IS THE STAFF EDITORIAL?

New high school proposition secures growing student population ly face but with at least 385 more people in a school that is still only meant for 1,550. Knowing what it’s like to be in This school is overcrowded. We are that situation, we need to look towards reminded of it when walking up the what is best for them and those who main staircase, during second breakfast follow.

One proposed option is and by the five outside trailer the construction of an anclassrooms sitting in the front nex or a separate addition, and back of the school. The which would add space for number of students in the 800 more students, accordclassrooms and in the halls ing to WMRA. This means each year is only going to inthat, with an addition of crease, but there is a solution 800 to the 1,550 high school that can help with this, and capacity, the new capacity that is building another high Samantha’s with the annex or addition school in the city.

Anthem would total 2,350. HowevIn a high school that was er, according to HCPS school built to fit 1,350 students, our enrollment projections, population of roughly 1,800 grades 9-12 are expected to see a tostudents and about 185 employees, or tal student increase of 325 in just five a total of about 2,000, exceeds its core years.

Given a current high school popcapacity of 1,550 by about 450 people. ulation of around 2,000, that number in To help ease this situation, certain meafive years would be around 2,325.

This sures, such as an added fourth lunch block or recently-built outdoor class- means that if the decision was made rooms, have been taken into effect, to build an annex or addition, the total but there will come a time where even high school population would almost these additions won’t be able to keep already be at capacity from the start. up. Any additional lunch blocks will be- This only solves the problem on a shortgin to be too early or too late in the day, term scale. Similar issues would begin and trailers will have to be built in any to arise from the slowly increasing overopen space as needed, possibly filling crowding, and once again there would up parking lots and other areas around be talk about how to overcome them. It may even come to a point where a new the school.

From a current high school student’s high school will need to be built after perspective, the decision between sid- the money has already been spent on ing with an annex and new high school the once-decided-on annex to accomshouldn’t be based on reasoning that modate Harrisonburg’s growing popuhas to do with how any of the out- lation. The decision can’t be made only comes of either choice would affect focusing on the very near future.

Instead of allowing it to get to that them and their high school experience point, deciding on a second high school directly. Because the completion of the now, instead of after-the-fact, is the construction for either an annex or new best option.

The proposed plan features high school would be after our time in a high school of similar size to HHS, grade school, the focus needs to be on providing space for an additional 1,300 the future of Harrisonburg students people.

Using the numbers from the and their schooling experience. For exfive-year ninth through twelfth grade ample, according to ForHHS2, a group student population projection, the estiof community members supporting mated 2,325 students would be able to the construction of a new high school, sit comfortably in one of two schools, when the school district’s current sixth graders enter high school, they will be whose combined total capacity would one of 2,000 students to be attending amount to about 2,850. This long-term Harrisonburg High School. Adding at option does look into the far future and least 185 to that number due to facul- securely prepares us for even more stuty and staff, not taking into account the dent increases in the years to come.

Samantha Little Feature Editor

fact that new teachers, counselors, assistant principals and other staff would need to be hired to accommodate for the increased numbers, they will be experiencing the same issues we current-

Should an annex or new high school be constructed to solve the overcrowding?

Annex

59%

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New School

Listening to music while studying helps with concentration Sid Tandel Staff Reporter As a child growing up in a household with three boys, music has been a big way to cancel out the turbulence of my house. My mom would always pester me for listening to music while studying or working on homework.

Trying to convince her that music helps me study, she replied with, “Music is an entertainment device and shouldn’t be used while studying.”

For a long time, many teachers and parents have thought of listening to music while working, or while doing anything of great importance, to be a distraction. However, I still believe

that the type of music that music while studying or doyou listen to impacts your ing homework. attention greatly. Listen“I like to listen to some ing to death metal is not hard core rap music like going to help the Wiggles, you do anything [the music] rebut rock your ally helps me head violently focus when I am back and forth. attempting to Music without study and learn lyrics, classical the curriculum music or even my classes offer.” music that you Gladd said.

Sid’s Candids just enjoy has While many proved to help students find me study and remusic essential tain the curriculum I went to their homework process, over while studying. Music freshman Thomas Shulgan while studying or working is doesn’t. a great idea that helps you “I personally don’t like to concentrate, and improve listen to music while doing memorization. homework because I find Junior Nick Gladd per- that the words in the song sonally enjoys listening to confuse me with what I’m

PHOTO BY SID TANDEL

HARD AT WORK. Freshman Aidan Perkins focuses on classwork while listening to music. doing.” Shulgan said.

I personally enjoy listening to music because it

helps me concentrate and improve my memorization.

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November 30, 2017

Op/Ed-A7

Cinderella with a twist

Musical hopes to bring different crowd

Students get ready for their auditions by preparing songs

Sarah Earle News Editor

Simon Beach Staff Reporter The time for auditions for the musical is right around the corner, and the excitement is even more built up this year because it’s Cinderella. Sophomore Kate Cummings explains why this year will be so much different.

“I think that this year’s musical will be pretty different especially in terms of the ensemble. From what I’ve seen, this show has a lot of great dance numbers, more than last year’s. Also, the plot is so well known, so the experience will probably be more different for the audience,” Cummings said.

Sophomore Isaac Sawin is also excited for the show and just hopes to get in.

“I think [Cinderella] will be fun because it’s such a classic and I just want to get some role in the show.

No big dreams,” Sawin said.

Sawin didn’t try out for the musical last year because he didn’t feel like it, and wasn’t the most confident as a freshman. Cummings and Sawin are both doing very similar things in order to prepare for the upcoming auditions.

“I’m going to most of the workshops that are offered here, the singing and the dancing. On my own time I’m constantly practicing my monologue and the song in preparation, too,” Cummings said.

“I’m planning to go to the after school rehearsals to get a better hold on the songs. I also found a monologue from ‘The Catcher and the Rye’ that I’m going to use for the audition and I’ve been going over pieces at home. I’m hoping all of it works out,” Sawin said.

If you were to audition for the musical, the directors give you a choice of two songs to sing and you pick one. For the men, the songs are “Ten Minutes Ago” sung by the lead, Christopher. The other song is “Boys and Girls Like You and Me” sung by the King. Sawin is singing “Ten Minutes Ago” because it feels better in his voice. Out of the two ladies songs, “In My Own Little Corner” and “Impossible,” Cummings chose Cinderella’s song “In My… Corner.”

“I’m going to be singing ‘In My Own Little Corner.’ I really want to show a sweeter side of my voice because I’m an alto in choir so I usually sing a lot more in my chest voice, so I wanted to show a sweeter side of it,” Cummings said.

Cummings is also more confident this year as a sophomore.

“Yeah, I think I’m definitely a lot more confident this year, last year was a big question mark. I didn’t really have any idea how auditions worked or anything like that. Now knowing and having already gone through it, I definitely am more confident,” Cummings said.

Cummings had a mix of emotions in the minutes leading up to her audition.

“There were definitely a lot of nerves, a lot of excitement, just overall I just had a lot of energy beforehand,” Cummings said.

Cummings is either wants to go along with the majority of the girls auditioning and hope for Cinderella, or a lead role with lots of dancing.

After the audition was over, her emotions had changed a little bit.

“I’m just relieved that it’s over, the nerves are pretty much gone now, now it’s just the waiting for callbacks to be posted. Overall I feel pretty content about it all,” Cummings said.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA COMER

SKIP. Freshman Sydney Shaver participates in Cinderella dance call backs. The actors were given a small span of time to learn the choreography.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA COMER

JUMP. Junior Gregorio Castillo Jr. puts a personal twist on the Choreography, students were encouraged to show their skills for eight counts.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA COMER

POINTE. Dance instructor and choreographer Amber Corriston demonstrates a dance for students auditioning. Some of the girls brought their pointe shoes to the audition as requested by the directors.

Cinderella makes its way back to the stage of HHS after 15 years, but this time with a twist. The classic fairytale composes an innocent girl who labors for her stepmother and stepsisters until the opportunity arrives to attend a ball, with the help of magic, where meeting Prince Charming eventually results in living happily ever after. The diverse population of our community triggered a vision to take this traditional musical to a more relevant interpretation. Director and theatre teacher Stanley Swartz is using the film Cinderella (1997) as an inspiration in this more cultural edition of the musical.

“Over any given four years we try and cover a variety of styles and time periods so that the students are educated at the same time that they’re performing,” Swartz said. “It’s been fifteen years since we did [Cinderella] last. We were also looking for something that we would be able to emphasize diversity in and this particular version of Cinderella is based on the 1997 musical with Brandy, Whitney Houston, Whoopi Goldberg and a bunch of other multinational, diverse cast. We thought that would be a good mix for what we have here.”

Compared to other interpretations of Cinderella, Swartz chose the version he thought most people would be able to relate with. The cast of the movie incorporates various ethnicities, including a black queen, white king and Filipino prince, which Swartz is hoping to do as well.

“There’s always a complicated decision process.

This particular version of Cinderella, a lot of kids at the high school were familiar with because they had seen it growing up. Because this particular movie version is cast so culturally diversely, we thought it would help people feel more comfortable in coming,” Swartz said. “Musicals are actually an American invention and not every country in the world has embraced them like America has, so some

kids coming here have never ever seen a musical [and] don’t even know what a musical is.”

With multiple meetings taking place prior to auditions, Swartz has already begun his preparations for the musical.

“We have had multiple meetings already for multiple different aspects [of the musical]. Getting all of the legal requirements takes time. We’ve already had meetings on the set and getting that process started, several meetings on costumes, two meetings on publicity and poster design, planning out what the rehearsal schedule will be and kids and teachers getting ready with workshops and things for the auditions,” Swartz said. “We’re being more aggressive getting the posters and things done in multiple languages to keep more kids coming, too.”

Although this spin-off alters the traditional Cinderella that most have typically seen, the music remains identical to other Cinderella musicals. Swartz’s hope is for everyone, no matter the culture, to be able to recall the story.

“If there were any changes from the traditional Cinderella musical in this movie version, then we’ll have it on the stage.

It [includes] all of the songs that were in that movie version. The version we’re doing is still a Rodgers and Hammerstein. Most of the music is the same as any other Cinderella version, it’s just mostly the words in between the script that have some changes to it,” Swartz said. “I expect to have a very positive reaction. The Cinderella story itself is found in every culture around the world. Each culture has its own Cinderella type story with the poor girl who meets the prince and lives happily ever after type of thing. Even with the students who aren’t familiar with musicals, hopefully they’ll recognize the story. We know from past shows like Cinderella, [that they] always bring in a huge bunch of kids from the community to see the show and we think that helps build our program for the future.”

Male, female musical dance callbacks by the numbers Each Triangle represents one person

Inouye adapts her character for comedy one act

Madison Varner Ad Sales Manager

Junior Julia Inouye is no stranger to the stage, performing in musicals and one acts throughout middle school and continuing all the way up into her junior year. This years one act was different for Inouye because it was a comedy rather than a drama but Inouye was confident that she could find success with her character.

“This is the first year that

I’ve been in a comedy rather than a drama so it’s been fun to be able to be not so serious,” Inouye said.

The plot was based on two sets of twins that cause chaos and confusion within a town. “It’s basically about two sets of twins who get separated when they are babies. The one set of twins goes to the town of the other set and causes a lot of confusion because everyone gets them all mixed up,” Inouye said.

Inouye’s character was something she had to work

on and change to appeal to the audience.

“I play the character of Luciana, and she is the sister of the wife of one of the twins and it was difficult for me to find who I wanted my character to be. I changed her a lot and comedy lends itself to change. You have to figure out what works with audiences and how to make things funny. I had to play a lot with my character to figure out what worked,” Inouye said.

Coming off of success from last years first place victory at VTA, that success was not

reached this year. Inouye still found the experience enjoyable and a learning experience.

“We didn’t win anything but two cast members got acting awards, Mariel Joven and Kate Cummings. VTA is kind of strange because the judging can be finicky but we were proud of what we did and it was a lot of fun,” Inouye said.

With one act coming to an end and musical right around the corner, Inouye is confident she can use acting skills from one act to be successful in this years musical.

“The one act definitely helps me prepare for the musical and being in one act especially for multiple years, it helps you get more acting experience.

You get to experience playing different characters and gaining more skills in acting,” Inouye said.

Inouye enjoys both experiences and doesn’t have a preference between the two.

“The one act definitely helps me prepare for the musical and being in one act especially for multiple years, it helps you get more

acting experience. You get to experience playing different characters and gaining more skills in acting,” Inouye said.

Inouye and her brother, freshman Stanley Inouye have not been able to perform with each other since middle school.

“It was really fun to be able to perform with my brother again because I haven’t for three years. I was really excited to perform with him,” Inouye said.

November 30, 2017

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November 30, 2017

Feature-A10

MUSIC MAKERS

Every year, students from HHS audition for different musical groups

Kirilyuk joins Virginia Music Educators Association

Olivia Comer Editor-In-Chief

Senior Katrina Kirilyuk has been involved with music for most of her life. This year in particular she has amped her musical talents by being inducted into the Virginia Music Educators Association, which she had to travel to Farmville to audition for.

“It was scary. First of all, it was really cold, and so I was just shivering the whole time, and then everyone is really good,” Kirilyuk said. “And so then I came in and the classroom was so small, so it just felt like the judges were [really] close and we had a live pianist this time. Things just weren’t going well in the audition room so I was kind of like, ‘Well you know, experience I guess,’” Kirilyuk said.

In both instrumental and vocal auditions, there are two different audition room setups, one where students perform directly in front of judges and one that gives the illusion of being alone in the practice room with a blind screen. According to Kirilyuk, both rooms are nerve-racking, but she does have a preference.

“Especially for district choir, the directors really influence you, because in district choir they’re super sweet. [They say], ‘How are you today’ and you’re kind of like, ‘Okay this is relaxing.’ Then I came into VMEA and they were just like, ‘Okay do you want to sing this one or this one?’ Then I messed up on my sight reading and I said,

‘Can I do it again?’ and they did not even look at me,” Kirilyuk said. “It kind of influences you because I got really scared, but then if you don’t see them at all you just don’t know who’s behind the screen. So I guess [I prefer] blind because it does not reflect on your audition.”

Kirilyuk prefers blind auditions because they come with less nerves and stress. She prefers playing the violin to singing for the same reason.

“I guess when I play I can just concentrate on putting pressure on my bow so it wouldn’t bounce or anything, even if I’m scared. If I’m singing you will hear that I am scared in my voice because I will be shaking,” Kirilyuk said. “When I’m playing I usually just look at my violin so I don’t even have to look at people, when I’m singing I have to actually look at people and look out so then I can see the audience, so that kind of makes me more nervous.”

Most aspiring violinists start at around the age of five because it is easier to pick up at that time, but Kirilyuk started at age eight. With the help of her mother, a former violinist and music professors at EMU and JMU, she has been able to improve her skills. Even though the help of family and mentors has furthered Kirilyuk’s playing ability, her motivation to practice tends to fluctuate.

“I wish I was [obsessed with practicing the violin] because if I had started practice more early on, maybe I would go into a music major in college. It goes on and off, like

Hart auditions for All Virginia Jazz Ensemble Q&A with junior Philip Hart

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATRINA KIRILYUK

STRINGS & BOWS. Senior Katrina Kirilyuk started playing the violin when she was eight years old. On top of playing an instrument, Kirilyuk sings for district choir. sometimes there are some months where I’m practicing every day, especially in the summer because I have so much time,” Kirilyuk said. “Sometimes I would practice for like five hours a day and then sometimes I would go for one hour a week... I wish I had more motivation.”

School concerts are not the only place Kirilyuk can be found with a violin. At church, the Kirilyuks get together on occasion for a family ensemble performance.

“I used to go to the Russian church, now I go to a different church. I do think that a lot of Russian families try to get their kids involved in music. I don’t know why, they just do. I know a lot of Russians who teach, especially violin and piano, those major instruments, but we do still play at church.

We have a family ensemble with my uncle, my aunt, my brother and my mom and me and sometimes my other brother, but he’s not as good,” Kirilyuk said.

Liu finds life revolving around music

Martin Beck Staff Reporter

PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILIP HART

TENOR SAXOPHONE. Junior Philip Hart plays in a jazz combo with sophomore Leif McCoy, Kate Cummings and juniors Sam Schaeffer and Jaden Graham

Q. What instrument do you play?

A. “Tenor saxophone.”

Q. What is All State Jazz Ensemble?

A. “All state jazz is you have two jazz bands and you audition to get onto it. I applied on the tenor saxophone, [and] I got first chair in the band, which is below the ensemble. It’s basically high schoolers auditioning to basically [perform] jazz.”

Q. Is there a special process to be able to audition?

A. “You just have to follow audition requirements.”

Q. What made you want to audition?

A. “Well I’ve been interested in jazz since eighth grade, and so I thought I could make it this year, so I tried out.”

Q. How many pieces do you audition with?

A. “They give you one prepared piece and then you have to improvise.”

Q. Who do you audition in front of?

A. “We had it at school, so our jazz director.”

INFOGRAPHIC BY EMMANUEL RODRIGUEZ FRANCO

It’s a blustery afternoon on the campus of Eastern Mennonite University. The stone pathways that cut across the grounds are deserted, the students having retreated to their dorms to escape the cold.

Junior Irene Liu pulls into the parking lot of EMU’s premiere concert hall, Lehman Auditorium. She grabs a violin case from her trunk and disappears into the auditorium. Students continue to arrive, some in minivans, some in old station wagons, with instruments in tow. Inside, they gather on the stage for warm-ups. The violin section plays a sustained tuning note in unison, a concert G, and as Liu and her fellow musicians fiddle with the pegs atop their instruments, the sound reaches a harmony. The whole process lasts only a few seconds, from sour note to a sweet one. Its speed suggests an intimate familiarity with their instruments, a certainty of craft that only time could bring.

In fact, Liu has been fiddling with pegs since she was a little girl.

On her fourth birthday, her mother gave her a wooden contraption fitted with four strings. When Liu attended her first music lesson, she learned the true name of her contraption, the violin, and how to make it sing by stroking it with a horsehair bow.

She learned beginner melodies like “Hot Cross Buns” with ease and soon advanced to playing the works of Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Vivaldi for local orchestras.

“Because I started so early, I can’t imagine a time when I didn’t have some sort of music in my life,” Liu said. “I can’t go anywhere without humming or tapping or singing something.”

Once the musicians finish tuning, Dr. YiPing Chen mounts the stage. Chen is a professor of music at James Madison University and the conductor of this ensemble, the Shenandoah Valley Youth Symphony.

The purpose of this rehearsal, Chen explains, is to polish the pieces on the docket for their forthcoming holiday concert, to take place on November 19. With only a couple weeks until show time, the Symphony is working in overdrive, playing one festive tune after another, rapid-fire, for

PHOTO BY BOB ADAMEK

PLAY. EAT. SLEEP. Besides playing the violin, Liu also plays the oboe and sings in choir. Liu’s violin experience began when she was younger, making it an instrument she is strongly familiar with. the better part of two hours. But two hours of intense rehearsal, while taxing, represents just a small portion of the elbow grease these musicians devote to their performances. Liu and the company have been practicing their concert pieces independently, too, from the relative comfort of their bedrooms, so that when rehearsals come around, their grasp on the music has tightened.

“I’m only with [the Symphony] for a few hours every Sunday,” Liu said. “So there’s very little opportunity to practice and interact.”

In addition to her involvement with the Youth Symphony, Liu plays for the marching and concert bands at HHS under the direction of Daniel Upton. The school music program does not offer opportunities for students to play string instruments, giving Liu a chance to showcase her musical chops on the clarinet and oboe.

“I’ve gone to events like Junior Regional Orchestra and Senior Regional Orchestra, which are all audition-based,” Liu said.

She plans to continue music throughout her high school career and into college.

“I’m probably going to minor in something related to [music],” Liu said. “In college, you can audition for ensembles even if you’re not pursuing a music major, so I’ll probably do that.”

Burzumato brings percussion skills to future auditions

Nyah Phengsitthy Social Media Coordinator

Playing since he was in middle school, senior Nick Burzumato finds himself strongly familiar with percussion.

With his particular music talent, Burzumato plans to audition for All State Band, something he has done his sophomore and junior year.

“To audition for states, you first have to qualify in a lower honor band, either All District Band or Senior Regional Orchestra. Then in February, you go to JMU for your audition. You have to wait around all day because the process is really slow, but eventually you get to go. There are four rooms you have to go to through percussion, [which are] prepared piece, snare, timpani and mallets. All auditions are blind, so the judges can’t see you play,” Burzumato said.

If his audition gets accepted, Burzumato will be able to attend the event. The location for All State Band changes every year. In the past, the event has been set at places such as Richmond or George Mason University.

“I would get to perform high class repertoire with a world class director surrounded by other kids at an equal

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICK BURZUMATO

HANDS ON. After placing 30 out of the 76 auditions last year, senior Nick Burzumato plans on making it in the top 20 ranking for All State Band.

or higher level of skill, which is pretty cool,” Burzumato said.

Burzumato has auditioned in the past, but did not make it through. As of last year, he placed 30 out of 76 auditions, and the band only accepts the top 20 people.

Taking his percussion skills to the next level, Burzumato hopes to make it into All State Band this year. While that is a big goal for him, he also auditioned to other bands.

“Earlier this year, I sent in an audition tape to Music for All Band, which is the National Honor Band. Not much of a chance I’ll make it in, but it was still an experience. Besides all state, I’m auditioning for colleges early next year so that’s something I’ve spent a lot of time preparing for,” Burzumato said.

Burzumato must qualify for a lower honor band before being able to audition for All State Band, which is something he plans to work for. While he didn’t make it in the top 20 last year, Burzumato hopes to change that in February.

“I’m pretty confident going in this year. My weakness in the past has been on mallets, and this year I feel much more proficient,” Burzumato said.

November 30, 2017

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November 30, 2017

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Every Person Has A Story

Student mourns loved one after drug-related death The individual interviewed for this article requested to remain anonymous. Pseudonyms have been used where appropriate.

Martin Beck Staff Reporter Although her friends don’t know it, Senior Lauren Shank is mourning a death. One year ago this November, Jake Fielder, her longtime boyfriend, accidentally took a lethal combination of prescription painkillers he had ordered on the internet for recreational use. Shank has kept his passing a secret from everyone but her family, fearing the judgment and stigmatization she might cause Fielder, who used drugs on a regular basis.

“People stereotype drug users quite a bit,” Shank said. “They’re either crim-

inals or deadbeats who spend all day on the sofa, or they’re mentally ill. I love my friends at school, love them to death, but even they have those biases. They would have dismissed [Jake] before they got to know him. So I never told them about [Jake] and probably never will.”

Shank and Fielder often took prescription drugs together, either at parties or, when one of their houses was vacant of family, just the two of them. Thanks to websites hosted on the “dark web,” a section of the internet only available to users with specialized software, Fielder could order pharmaceuticals not prescribed by a doctor and

have them delivered to his “We used to pop a Dehouse via the U.S. Postal merol, put on some music Service. and just lie there next to Initially experimenting each other,” Shank said. with Xanax and Oxycontin, “He had this record player which were cheap and easy – I think it was his dad’s – to obtain, that must they soon The future was have been a d v a n c e d very real to us. [Jake] 40 years to harder old, mayconstantly talked be older, I drugs. An about the places he don’t know. opioid painwanted to take me killer called There was D e m e r o l once we had the time this one jazz piqued their and gas money to do record that i n t e r e s t it. had gotten in particstuck inside Anonymous (12) ular; used of it. So, we medically kind of had to alleviate extreme pain, no choice but to listen to the drug is coveted in rec- jazz while we got high. It’s reational settings for the funny, the things you reonrush of relaxation and member.” euphoria it produces.

Fielder died of respi-

“

”

ratory depression – slow, ineffective breathing – one evening last November, alone in his bedroom. He suffered from major depressive disorder and had attempted suicide before his involvement with Shank, but Shank rejects the notion that his death was intentional. The absence of a suicide note corroborates, or at least lends credibility to, the incident being an accidental overdose.

“The future was very real to us. [Jake] constantly talked about the places he wanted to take me once we had the time and gas money to do it. It’s not like I don’t wonder whether he killed himself, because I do, I wonder that every… day,

going over it in my head again and again and again and again. But he was happy. And so was I. I have to remind myself of that.”

This month, Shank visited Fielder’s grave for the first time since his funeral.

She brought a basket of flowers with her, real flowers, not the plastic replicas sometimes found in graveyards.

“The people that come with fake bouquets kill me,” Shank said. “How are you going to accept death if you’re bringing something that will never die? I like to think my flowers will end up in the same place he’s gone to.”

Miller finds success, enjoyment in running career Lare Jalal Staff Reporter Junior Hannah Miller first joined cross country at Skyline Middle School in the beginning of fifth grade. Because she was originally supposed to attend Thomas Harrison and didn’t know anyone at her new school, her dad thought it was a good idea to try it out since he knew the kids on the team and thought they would make good friends.

She stuck with it, and has since then been a top runner on both the middle school and now high school varsity team. She has attended the state meet for cross country and indoor track all of her years in high school so far and attended the state meet for outdoor track her sophomore year.

She trains an hour and a half every week day with the rest of the cross country team and runs and hour on her own time during the weekends. Her total practice time per week typically amounts to about eight or nine hours.

“I did a lot of training over the summer to try and reach my goals, so after-school practices were light work in comparison. This year I really enjoyed Coach Denlinger’s new track workouts,” Miller said.

Knowing she wants to do well in her races, Miller makes sure to prepare properly before each meet.

“You have to make sure you get enough sleep; It’s not going to help you if you stay up really late working on homework. You also have to make sure that you have enough water in your body so you don’t get dehydrated, that you have enough food and that you’re eating the right kind of food,” Miller said.

Miller recently broke the school’s 5K cross country record with a time of 19:27 at the Albemarle Invitational at Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The previous record of 19:37 was set by Jessica Propst in 2005.

“This is the record I’m most proud of,” Miller said. “It was very exciting to finally reach a point I had been working towards for three years.”

Outside of cross country, Miller has also broken two records for outdoor track: the one-mile record with a time of 5:21 and the twomile record with a time of 11:57.

Despite the fact that Miller feels as though much of her success is due to the help of others, she enjoys the individual aspect of the sport.

“I love running because it’s an individual sport, so you are left with your thoughts. You can’t really place what you’re thinking.

Because you’re in the moment, a lot of thoughts just come and go,” Miller said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HANNAH MILLER

SOUND OF THE GUN. Junior Hannah Miller (left) strides at the beginning of the state cross country meet at Great Meadows in the The Plains, Virginia on November 10. Miller placed 24th overall. “It wasn’t how I wanted to end my season, but it was still a great experience to get to run against a new set of girls on this course again,” Miller said.

Berkeley has less traditional marriage, takes up sword fighting hobby Jackson Hook Sports Editor Just over two years ago on Nov. 10, physics teacher Seth Berkeley decided with his then fiancé that they would get married. The two went to the courthouse in downtown Harrisonburg and had the ceremony by themselves without letting any friends or family know.

“My wife and I have known each other for eight years. I did the stupid thing where I didn’t really think that she cared for me for a long time, and then decided that thinking that when she told me otherwise was a dumb thing to think,” Berkeley said. “So we started dating and then we got to talking about it and we thought, ‘Why are we doing this dating thing? We’ve known each other for eight years and we’ve done all of this dating stuff.’ We just didn’t do it formally. One day we were talking about it and we came to the conclusion that we were going to get married and why wait?”

Family members were a bit surprised after hearing the news that Berkeley had just been married and took a little offense in not being a part of the ceremony.

“On a Tuesday afternoon after school, we went to the courthouse downtown, just the two of us, got our marriage license, had the ceremony. We didn’t tell anybody, including our families, which it turns out caused a little strain among family members that they didn’t know about it. We are still planning on having a ceremony at this point, but it’s not actually our top priority,” Berkeley said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SETH BERKELEY

JUST MARRIED. Physics teacher Seth Berkeley and his wife kiss outside the Harrisonburg courthouse after marrying.

Berkeley’s parents took the news a bit lighter than expected knowing the private nature of their son.

“My parents both laughed. I have always been a fairly private person so they weren’t terribly surprised and were happy for us. Her parents took a little more getting used to the idea that they hadn’t been told, but we’re in a better place than we were in that short time after we told them,” Berkeley said.

Berkeley married on a Tuesday night, which is a school night for high school teachers. Students did not take long to find out his secret from the night before.

“I was in my second block and I had put on my wedding ring, but still hadn’t told anybody and one of my students was like, ‘Mr. Berkeley, did you get married?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, yesterday after school,’ and it spread from there,” Berkeley said.

Berkeley is someone who believes that you should do whatever it is that you enjoy or want to do despite what other people think. In addition to getting married in a less traditional way, Berkeley has taken up the hobby of medieval sword fighting with his wife since this past summer.

“It’s one of those things where I know that if some-

one is watching me, I know I look incredibly dumb doing it, but I’m having a whole heck of a lot of fun doing it so I don’t care at all,” Berkeley said.

Through his love of Star Wars, Berkeley found a sword fighting class that is located in Luray, VA. “[I got involved] kind of indirectly. Both my wife and I are huge Star Wars fans and over the summer there was a sale on lightsabers by a company that we had been following so we got those,” Berkeley said. “We were talking about it saying, ‘It would be cool if we actually knew how to use these’, so I started searching online for lightsaber stuff and came across this thing called HEMA, Historical European Martial Arts, and realized that there is a group in Luray that meets every week to learn how to sword fight.

I called them up and said, ‘What do I have to do to start doing this?’ and [they told me to] basically show up and pay for the class. I’ve been doing it ever since the summer.”

Every year when a new class of students comes into physics, Berkeley tells them about his background. Part of his background is being a self-proclaimed nerd who is proud of who he is.

“I have always been of the opinion that you should do the things that you enjoy, and the things I enjoy happen to be reading and video games and stuff like that which are traditionally nerdy things,” Berkeley said. “I have a degree in chemistry and I teach physics. Yeah, I’m a nerd and I am okay with that.

Be who you are and embrace who you are.”

Tejada-Molina manages football team, equipment Audrey Knupp Feature Editor On Friday nights under the lights, it’s not just the players and the coaches who are on the sidelines.

Sophomore Jason Tejeda-Molina will be there, even though he isn’t on the team wearing a jersey. ¨As a manager I get all of the equipment for the players, check their travel kits and whatever the players need I go get for them,¨ Tejeda-Molina said.

For him, football season is fun even though he is not on the field playing with his brother, senior defensive linemen Jorge Tejeda-Molina. ¨I like getting their equipment, as well as packing up their kits for home or away games,¨ Tejeda-Molina said. ¨I have to give credit to the past managers because they help me a lot, I am a newbie manager so I am constantly learning from them.¨ One of his game day operations includes getting the boys’ jerseys and putting them on a rack. He likes to travel to the games with the team on the buses, this way he gets to meet new people from other schools.

He also helps out by matching their socks

and organizing their pants. ¨In addition to getting things for the players, I also run errands for the coaches. They will ask me to go get something from the cage or to go get a certain player. I am always ready to help in any way I can,” Tejeda-Molina said.

The football team has helmets, pads, jerseys, pants and socks that need to be ready before each game on Friday nights. ¨I have to be very organized with all of their uniforms and equipment, the players help out with sizes and numbers because it is a lot,¨ Tejeda-Molina said. ¨As the season has come along I have learned most of the numbers, but to avoid [confusion] I normally just ask to be sure.¨ When he isn’t in the cage cleaning and organizing equipment, TejadaMolina he likes to go out onto the practice fields to help out there. ¨Since I have been a team manager, I have created some special team bonds within the players and coaches that I wouldn’t have if I didn’t chose to become a manager,¨ Tejeda-Molina said.

The Newsstreak

November 30, 2017

S T U D E N T S

OVER

STRUCTURES

Feature-B1 Feature-B1

Overpopulation at HHS has resulted in discussion of a new high school. This has incited a debate over whether or not this is the correct solution. From this debate, a group of local companies have created a Political Action Committee (PAC), called Students Over Structures, opposing the new high school and the property tax raise that would result. The group sent pamphlets to Harrisonburg residents and put up signs on select properties protesting the new school.

Potential new high school stirs debate, students speak out

Noah Siderhurst Feature Editor It was a clear and blustery evening on Court Square as senior Jack O’Brien stepped up to the podium flanked by fellow senior Martin Beck. He was introduced to applause and took the mic.

O’Brien began by introducing himself, then turned to the issue at hand.

“As my four years [at HHS] have unfolded, I’ve seen the school undergo changes,” O’Brien said. “The administration and faculty work unbelievably​ hard to provide their students with the best learning environment possible. The one consistent problem? Overcrowding.”

The crowd of around 40 people remained silent as they listened to O’Brien’s speech about an issue recently wrought with controversy.

“You’ve read the news stories, seen the signs, heard the rumors. I stand here, as a student of Harrisonburg High School, to tell you that it is not​ over-exaggerated.

The problem is real, and I live it every day along with over seventeen hundred​other students. The problem is solvable though, and the solution is simple. Build. Another.

High School,” O’Brien said.

To O’Brien it’s simple, but for others - in specific the new political action committee Students Over Structures - it’s a major issue. The group has launched a campaign of flyers and signs across town with the use of over $17,000 from local companies (who stand to lose from a property tax hike). Their signs say: “Tell City Council & School Board, Students Over Structures, No $100 Million Dollar High School.”

With this in mind, O’Brien finished his speech.

“Rather than Students Over Structures, let’s get students inside of structures,” O’Brien said.

The city leadership has heard the pleas of O’Brien and others. In May, the school-board-appointed High School Space Study Committee recommended that the school board approve the construction of a new high school. In early June, the board voted unanimously to build.

However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still hurdles for those in favor of a new school. The city council will also have to approve construction before it begins.

And then there’s the issue of a price tag.

A major argument used by Students Over Structures, as announced on their signs, is the $100 million cost of a new cut-

PHOTO BY NOAH SIDERHURST

PETITION, RELIGION, ASSEMBLY, PRESS, SPEECH. Senior Jack O’Brien signs a petition to assist in the campaign of candidate for the Virginia House of Delegate, Brent Finnegan. “I wouldn’t say I’m against Students Over Structures. I would say I’m for funding education from the state level, making it a priority at the state level,” Finnegan said. ting edge high school.

Students Over Structures supporter Bruce Forbes - whose company, Forbes Development LLC, gave $5,000 to Students Over Structures - believes that city property owners can’t afford “trying to build a Taj Mahal” of a second high school, a move that would inevitably drive property taxes up. For Forbes, a local business owner, that means a tax increase of many thousands of dollars.

Forbes also feels that the school board’s analysis is flawed and that other options, such as busing students to county schools or building an annex are better alternatives. He also questions whether HHS population projections are accurate. “[The school board] doesn’t look at the long run,” Forbes said. “We know this city cannot afford it.”

However, O’Brien thinks that the potential price shouldn’t scare

Do you think a new high school should be built?

Yes: 95%

No: 5% POLL OF RANDOM SIXTY PEOPLE

POLL BY NOAH SIDERHURST AND SAM HEIE

those afraid of higher taxes.

“I think the price and the niceness of the new school can be debated and worked out to something reasonable, but I just think we shouldn’t spare money in terms of getting a building itself. I think we don’t need the best building in the world, we don’t need another Bluestone, but we need a new building,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien’s sense of urgency is compounded by the fact that the school just keeps on growing. Projections from two separate analysis firms hired by the school board show the HHS population at somewhere between 2,100 and 2,200 students by the time 2020-21 school year rolls around. That’s at least 750 students over the school’s effective capacity of 1,350.

“It is a little crazy that it’s taken us this long [to decide to build a new school] because at this point it will take at least three to four years just to make the school,” O’Brien said.

Senior Martin Beck, who also spoke at that Court Square rally and attends as many meetings as he can, agrees with O’Brien’s prognosis.

“I remember there was one guy two city council meetings ago who was an HHS student ten years ago. He said that at that point, HHS was at capacity, and they were talking about a new high school, and everyone was really for it. But it never happened. Now we’re here ten years later, and nothing’s happened,” Beck said. “I shudder to think of what this high school will look like in four or five years.”

Despite this, Beck is still somewhat optimistic, especially after recent victories in the school board and mounting support for the cause of a new high school. A loose local organization known as For HHS2 has also sprung up in favor of (you guessed it) building an HHS2.

“I would hope to see an approval of the new high school before I graduate. I don’t know if that’s wishful thinking or not. In local politics things move absurdly slow,” Beck said.

A t many of the city council meetings Beck attends, the crossfire between those in favor of a new high school and those opposed gets tense.

“It gets heated from time to time because these people are very, very concerned about the future of their construction projects and their

land holdings,” Beck said.

Forbes agrees that the whole controversy may have become more divisive than necessary.

“It has become more political than the

Top Students Over Structures Contributers:

7,500

dollars from Living Green LLC. 5,000

dollars from Living Green LLC. and Forbes Development LLC. 250

J-M Apartments LLC.

situation calls for,” Forbes said.

Even though Beck and O’Brien believe the only option looking forward is a new high school, that doesn’t mean they can’t see the potential downsides.

“There was one woman who spoke and voiced her concern that she was on a fixed income and she lives in a house with a fixed mortgage. The erection of this new school would put her at a financial disadvantage. I can see that side of it,” Beck said.

It would also hurt local businesses, such as those who donate to Students Over Structures.

Besides monetary concerns, there are many other inevitable growing pains that come along with a new school.

“I could see a sort of lack of high school identity or fracturing of Harrisonburg identity. Now we’re in a centralized location, one football team. We share an identity.

With a second school there might be a rivalry that would start,” Beck said.

No matter the end result, Beck thinks it will be hard to come to a solution.

“It’s going to be tough. When you go to a city council meeting, the first thing you notice is there are a whole bunch of differing ideologies on the council,” Beck said.

“It’s going to be tough to come to a reconciliation, especially because public opinion is also so split.”

Check out the full story on hhsmedia.com: https://goo.gl/jCW6oA

The Newsstreak

November 30, 2017

Feature-B2

McCutcheon uses military experience in JROTC Oziel Valdez Staff Reporter Every year, Nov. 11 is the day that United States citizens praise the people who have served in the armed forces; a day more formally known as Veterans Day. JROTC leader Colonel Roy McCutcheon is one of those veterans. McCutcheon served from May of 1979 to the first of April, 2001 when he retired. “[Being in the armed forces] is fulfilling. It’s not easy, but if it is something worth doing, it’s not going to be easy. I learned a lot, I got to work with many different people… I found that it’s a hard job, but I enjoyed it. I was responsible for other people, that’s what officers do,” McCutcheon said.

McCutcheon’s past generations have also included armed forces experience. His father was in service for twenty years, encouraging McCutcheon to join West Point in New York. He didn’t get into West Point, however he attended Blue Ridge Community College for a quarter and joined the ROTC program with an ROTC

“I think I’ve made a bigger difference in some of these kids’ lives here than I did to any of the soldiers.”

-Roy McCutcheon scholarship.

“Most people don’t join the service to fight, most people join the service because they want to serve the public. The reason is to defend the country and to defend the people for their freedoms and their rights. That becomes more precious to you when you see the world around you and you see how the world is. It’s not so much about what’s in front of you, it’s more about the people behind you that you’re supporting. That’s really what it’s about,” McCutcheon said.

McCutcheon first started his teaching career at Harrisonburg

High School as an assistant teacher aid to a disabled teacher. He worked in that position for six years, and then transitioned to be a JROTC teacher in 2007 and has been teaching ever since.

“I applied for the [JROTC] job, and [with] what I do with the kids here, I feel like I can make a difference. More of a difference here than I did in the 22 years I was in the service. I started working here in 2001, so I’m working on my 17th year at the high school.

I think I’ve made a bigger difference in some of these kids’ lives here than I did to any of the soldiers,” McCutcheon said. “We have a saying in ROTC; ‘Love the kids like how you love your soldiers.’ If we treat them that way and treat them like people, then everything will be okay, and that is what we try to do. I try not to treat them like kids. I try to treat them like young adults, and they make bad decisions sometimes. They’re just trying to grow up.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOANNA MACLENNAN

MILITARY TO EDUCATION. Colonel Roy McCutcheon at the FIshburne Raider Meet on Oct. 28.

MacLennan turns to teaching after military service Nyah Phengsitthy Social Media Coordinator

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOANNA MACLENNAN

RAINING ON YOUR PARADE. Above: MacLennan gets rained on during Easter 2009. Below: MacLennan at her Private First Class promotion ceremony when she was stationed in Iraq during 2009.

When a full ride scholarship to attend the University of Mizzou was taken away from her, the thought of joining the military occurred to social studies teacher Joanna MacLennan back in 2008. MacLennan decided to sign up to be in the Army National Guard to help pay for college. With family members in different branches of the military, joining what would soon teach her new life skills was not foreign to her. While he wasn’t the one to recruit MacLennan, the uncle and godfather of the social studies teacher contributed to her guaranteed deployment. From 2008 to 2009, MacLennan’s first deployment was in northern Iraq as a 74 Delta CBRN [chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear] specialist.

“I helped train my fellow soldiers on what to do in case of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack, how to prepare for it, how to protect yourself during it and how to clean up after those types of attacks.

Needless to say, I wasn’t really needed [because] there wasn’t a really high threat level to those things,” MacLennan said.

While she wasn’t specifically in a combat unit, MacLennan did go through the required rifle training, making her familiar with knowing how to shoot an M16. Even as a CBRN specialist, walking around with a weapon was normal to her. The bases that MacLennan worked on as a support element were big, and the surrounding soldiers were never in immediate danger.

After serving in Iraq, MacLennan’s next deployment was in northern Afghanistan. There, she worked as secretary to her command

team, making her the Orderly Room Sergeant. With that position, MacLennan worked with organizing files such as physical training records, awards and financial and promotional paperwork. With holding this position, MacLennan What was your first enjoyed the complexity that went into it. deployment like?

“I’m an organized person and being able to keep “My first deployment I was really track of those things and scared because I had no idea what improve on the efficiencies I was getting into and I was just get[was important] because ting into the idea of being in a combat the thing people always zone. It was the uncertainty and the said [was that] ‘the orderunknown that scares you the most, ly room loses paperwork,’ but once I got there, and I met the so one of my goals was not people that I served with, I became to do that and help my fellow soldiers with whatever very comfortable.” issues they were having,” What was one of your MacLennan said.

During all of this, Mascariest moments? cLennan was receiving her education through online “It was on my day off, we got one day college. After teaching difoff a week, and I was in my room when ferent soldiers how to work the building next to my barracks had in certain situations, she incoming fire, but it didn’t explode. fell in love with the teachIf it would have exploded, my building and decided to finish ing would have also tumbled, and I that at JMU when she was medically discharged. would have been buried under rubble According to MacLenbecause it was a cement building. It’s nan, she will always be moments like that that were scary.” proud and honored to say that she is a veteran. Be“I think the biggest difference I ing deployed two times see in female and male veterans is has shown and taught her another that most people can assume that way of life, making it prominent that whether female or male, if you con- a male was veteran, whereas most tributed and were part of the army, females, they assume we’re a loved it’s something you should take pride one of a veteran,” MacLennan said. in. When it comes down to the dif- “I feel like that’s the biggest issue beferent genders of veterans, MacLen- cause I’m very verbal about being a nan does believe there is a little split veteran because I’m very proud of it.

If I don’t say it, then who’s going to between that shouldn’t be there. think I am?”

Question and answer

Day parade JROTC Raiders Students march in Veterans Jalyn Sneary Staff Reporter Q and A Sophomore raider commander Francheska Fontanez

What do raiders do?

“The word [raider] does not define anything. [Basically] what you’re going to be doing all the time is basic exercising. But it’s ten times more complex. We always compete, and depending on the raider meet, we do certain things. But there will always be a [physical training] test, a minute of pushups, a minute of curl ups and also a mile run. Then you always run a 5K, you always have an obstacle

What do the raiders mean to you? “[To me it means] ‘let’s try to kill you, not as soon as possible, but by the end of the year,’ but also ‘let’s grow as family’.”

What are your duties as a raider commander?

“When we had Raider season, I had to plan out practices for everyday with [Sergeant Major], I had to make the teams, or kick people off the team whether they’re my friend or not, which is the hardest part but that’s my job. If that’s my job, then believe that I will do it.”

PHOTOS BY JALYN SNEARY

THROUGH THE COLD. JROTC members march on Sunday, Nov. 12. The forecast for the day had a high of 48 degrees.

Junior Bryan Montero has been a part of JROTC for three years, but had only marched in the Veterans Day Parade once before marching in the one held on Sunday, Nov. 12. “My freshman year I was really shy and scared, and I did [the parade] the first time and it was not that bad,” Montero said.

Initially he was too scared to be in the parade but after he did it he enjoyed it. It is now something Montero not only does, but he looks forward to as well.

“I am [excited] because I get to meet everyone; it’s just a fun time,” Montero said.

The Veterans Day Parade was downtown on Sunday, Nov. 12 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Before it happened, Montero was already anticipating the cold weather. However, he was excited anyways.

“I just know that it is going to be cold, [but it will be fun] for us all to get together and have a good time,” Montero said.

With over 100 people in band and 176 people in JROTC, there were many people marching in the parade.

Sergeant Major Wilder makes the attendance for the parade three grades unless you have a good excuse to be absent.

“We tell [everyone] that

they should be there, if not you get three zeros. [He does this] to try and get you to go,” Montero said.

Some people get a free pass from going to the parade if they are truly busy.

“It depends for what excuse. If it is something major then yeah you will be excused,” Montero said.

The Veterans Day Parade is something JROTC and the HHS band do annually. They march downtown in honor of veterans.

“We all get together, the whole battalion, and just march around a little bit,” Montero said.

Sophomore Rachel Everard has been a member of band for five years, and has marched in the Veterans Day Parade twice.

She enjoys marching in it because it honors veterans.

“It was nice to see all of the veterans and it was nice to honor them and show them that we appreciate what they have done,” Everard said.

In band Everard plays the clarinet. For band members it is also a requirement to attend the Veterans Day Parade. If you have a conflict then you can fill out a conflict form and not have to go.

Everard loves the excitement of the parade.

“It was kind of exciting because there was a lot of people there cheering us on,” Everard said.

The Newsstreak

November 30, 2017

Feature-B3

SOUNDCLOUD

Royer remixes popular songs by writing own lyrics Owen Marshall Sports Editor Many up and coming musical artists use Soundcloud, a public music forum, to put their early works out to the rest of the world. Senior Corbin Royer has taken advantage of this platform and released two remixes.

“When I was in English class my teacher told me I was really good at poetry. I told myself to give it a shot and showed my friends my lyrics. They said, ‘It’s not that bad, you should drop it,’ and I decided to,” Royer said.

Royer dropped his first song in the middle of his junior year.

His remix of “Look At Me” by XXXTentacion now has 395 plays.

Royer got a mix of reactions from people around the school, but most people told him he should work on his flow.

“They said, ‘It’s not that bad, you just need to get your flow up.’ I know that and I’m working on it,” Royer said.

Most new artists have inspirations that they would like to model their work off of; for Royer these are Playboi Carti, Montana of 300, Lucky and Unotheactivist.

Montana of 300, a drill rapper, has been the most impactful on Royer because of the way he structures his lyrics with punchlines.

“My biggest inspiration is probably Montana of 300, he puts together these words that I have never heard rappers say before. The way he says it, I just want to be like that,” Royer said.

When thinking about dropping a new song, Royer first finds an instrumental to go off of, then starts writing down the lyrics as they come to him.

“I like to listen to other music to get my flow, then I write down my lyrics. I listen to a beat first... then I write down my lyrics. I read over [my lyrics] a bunch to get them where I want them, if I don’t like it I take it out,” Royer said.

Recently, Royer dropped his second remix of “Megaman” by Tay-K because he wanted to take his work to the next level.

“I have been listening to a lot of music lately, and I saw a bunch of my friends are starting to drop music. [At first] I said, ‘You know what, I’ll drop something just for fun,’ and then my second song I said, ‘I want to take this seriously,’” Royer said.

Royer believes he has improved since his first song because he put more time and effort into his newest track.

“I actually put time into this one. I dropped the Look At Me Remix during my junior year, so I took all the time in between to get my lyrics down. When I heard Megaman I knew I wanted to remix it because nobody had really heard it yet and everyone was remixing The Race,” Royer said.

Royer says he plans to keep releasing music though he isn’t totally sure of what will come next.

“That wasn’t it, there is more coming,” Royer said.

You don’t care for me Well Alright cool I got a future with some great people And those great people Are not you ...

No one likes to deal with thirst Dealing with you would be worse English lesson I’ll spell it out Lord give me help While I’m in the drought The first gon’ be last And the last gon’ be first I cannot be hurt By your word

PHOTO BY OWEN MARSHALL

L Y R I C S

Stratford finds inspiration in religion Sweta Kunver Staff Reporter As the art of rapping becomes more prevalent at our school, so do the beliefs of the rappers. Senior Joshua Stratford, also known as J-Slikk, is one of the many rappers that has explored incorporating his beliefs into his music. Stratford was inspired by an artist by the name of Lecrae because of what the artist rapped about. “[One of the] reasons I started listening to Lecrae is because of his content. [Being religious] does affect my content. I’m not talking [about] drugs in my songs [or anything like that].

I want to make a lot of purposeful music, [stuff] that has meaning to it,” Stratford said.

Stratford is a Christian rapper. His content does not contain anything related to being the life of the party, and if it were, neither drugs nor alcohol would be incorporated. In fact, it’s more so relatable in terms of struggles with oneself or insecurities.

“I don’t know if I can give one adjective to describe my music. I’d say, thought out.

In some of my music, it’s a little emotional,” Stratford said.

Stratford has started to think about being a musician as a long-term goal in his life. Music is something he wants to

use to inspire others. It’s not to say that he doesn’t focus on other things though.

“I want to make a career out of it.

I want to get as much recognition as I can, make a living off of it,” Stratford said.

J-Slikk is not a very common name, as is true with a lot of other rapper’s names, but this one is special in its own way. Rapper names are what create personality for the artist and their music.

Although he is a small artist in the community, Stratford knows a few things about the music

industry.

“I would say that you can [always] ask someone else that is doing music for a living. A lot of not-so extremely large artists, like artists on the rise which are a lot communicative with their fan-base will give you advice.

[Some advice] that I would give, master your craft. Find what’s best about you with rapping and master that as good as you can,” Stratford said.

PHOTO BY SAM HEIE

Smith uses Soundcloud to gain needed skills to pursue career in music Sophie Sallah Staff Reporter Sophomore Jovon Smith is good-naturedly called “Lil Yachty” by friends and anyone who recognizes him around school. The nickname is both because of his hair (similar to Lil Yachty) and because of his music, which he routinely posts on Soundcloud.

By definition, Soundcloud is “an online audio distribution platform which enables its users to upload, record, promote

and share their originally-created sounds.” Smith uses Soundcloud in a variety of ways to experience rising artists’ music and to create his own. Smith listens to Soundcloud rap and he writes, produces and raps his own music.

After listening to other people’s work, Smith decided that he wanted to do it himself.

“I don’t know [who inspired me]. I was just tired of everybody else putting out their music so I decided if they could do it, I

could. I wanted to actually do something,” Smith said.

Smith works on his music and learns new skills now in hopes of going into a career focused on music in the future, his dream job

being music engineering.

His account has accumulated a base of followers and others who listen to his music regularly. His most-listened to song, “BarsNoSoap Part 2” has

Smith’s work can be found on his Soundcloud:

$BayBee DroSe$

gotten over 400 plays so far.

Smith has collaborated with others, including sophomore Ty McDaniel, in their collective track “Huncho Mob’s Finest,” which features a cover of four blurry headshots of the artists with a background of flames.

When Smith collaborates with others, he said they mostly rap about “regular stuff.”

Soundcloud has allowed Smith to meet people that he would not have

otherwise, letting him expand and learn new things about his music.

“I met this rapper named Yung Tina [through Soundcloud] because everybody was like, ‘You should rap with him,’” Smith said.

Smith is currently working on new music to improve his library and hopefully attract new listeners.

He promotes his music on his Snapchat, which allows him to reach an audience who would be curious to hear his music.

November 30, 2017

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November 30, 2017

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The Newsstreak

November 30, 2017

Feature-B6

Every Person Has A Story

The masterminds behind our school’s kitchen Green works alongside mother

“I see these kids grow up.”

Joyce Green continues to enjoy interacting with the students

Caleb Goss Staff Reporter

PHOTO BY SWETA KUNVER

GRILLIIN’ AND CHEESIN’. Heidi Green prepares grilled cheese sandwiches that will be handed out later that day.

Jenifer Bautista-Lopez Staff Reporter When you think of someone who works in a school, you probably think of a teacher, but, as it turns out, there are a lot more people that work in schools. They are just more behind the scenes, like cafeteria workers. For instance, Heidi Green is one of the lunch ladies who works at HHS. Harrisonburg High School cafeteria worker Heidi Green started her career in 2008, but started working at HHS in 2011. Green is originally from Harrisonburg, VA and graduated from Eastern Mennonite High School in 2000. Besides working at HHS, Green has also worked at Thomas Harrison Middle School and Stone Spring Elementary School. “[I have worked at] Thomas Harrison and Stone Spring. HHS has been my favorite because I get more interaction with the kids.”

On regular days, lunch ladies get to school around 5:30 a.m. and start preparing breakfast. When Green arrives at HHS she opens up the registers and makes first and second breakfast. Then she prepares the main entree on the grill lines and puts to-

gether after school snacks. Green’s main job is working at the register as the cashier, so she doesn’t find serving many students very difficult, but it can be when the item they are serving is popular amongst students.

“No, I don’t serve them, I [just have] them coming through the register. It can be difficult when we have busy days like potato bar or spicy chicken, [or something] that you guys really like, then it’s kind of crazy, but overall it’s not bad.”

Green loves working at HHS and interacting with the students. Green became a lunch lady so that she could help feed kids.

She does not have any children of her own, so she believes this is the next best thing.

“Yes, I love [being a lunch lady]. [My favorite part] is interacting with the kids and seeing all of the kid’s smiling faces.”

Not many people know that Joyce Green, another lunch lady, is Heidi’s mother. They have both been working at HHS together for the past few years.

“It’s awesome, we don’t work together, [yet we work together], but I’m back here and she’s out front. So we don’t really see each other, but it’s awesome.”

Making meals, serving food and making sure you bring your lunch money in on time are all just the day-to-day tasks of being a lunch lady. This has been the life of Joyce Green for the past 24 years.

Growing up, being a cook wasn’t on Green’s mind. Instead, Green looked forward to the days when she would be a mom. Now Green has two daughters, one of which works here at Harrisonburg High School.

“We’re very close and friendly with each other,” Green said.

Over the past couple of years, Harrisonburg High School has grown in numbers. Now at about 1,800 students, Green finds it harder to produce enough food for the students.

“It’s very hard because we don’t have an exact number of how much to make, therefore we have to guess. We have to make meals between breaks, so we’re constantly making food,” Green said.

For Green and her fellow lunch ladies, the work never stops. Because of the increase in population, it takes ten times the effort.

“It takes all our effort; everything we have to make the meals, to make them on time, to make them hot, make

PHOTO BY CALEB GOSS

PB&Js? NO PROBLEM. Joyce Green prepares peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches for the students.

them appealing. From the time we walk in, to the time we walk out, we are working,” Green said.

Being a lunch lady and a mom is just two of several pieces that make up Green. In her free time, she enjoys scouring through old boxes of a yard sale.

“I like to crochet, play with my dog [and] I’m a yard sale junkie, in fact a sign on my car says, ‘I brake for yard sales,’” Green said.

Proud of being a lunch lady, Green enjoys opening up and being a listening ear to her students.

“I see these kids grow up [and] I get to talk with them.

If they have problems I try to help them,” Green said Looking back on all Green has accomplished, she is most proud of her love for her job and hopes to continue working for Harrisonburg High School.

What is something that students do not know about you?

Carmen Cuvas

I’m funny.

Do you have any jokes?

No, I don’t have any of those.

Magaly Ayala

I am from El Salvador and I have this great opportunity to be a part of this high school.

Amie Mccrary

Debbie Bridges

I was an extra in a movie one time years ago, Evan Almighty.

I retired after 32 years of service. I love visiting each school and helping and the high school children are awesome.

Cafeteria marks retirement job for Carpenter 18-year manager Newcomb continues love of job

Carlos Arevalo Licona Staff Reporter

Marty Carpenter lived in Northern Virginia when her husband died. She found her potential in being a lunch lady when she moved to Harrisonburg.

“I moved here because the rest of my family lived here, I chose this school because it was the only high school in Harrisonburg,” Carpenter said. “But, I like being a lunch lady and I don’t regret choosing this school.”

Carpenter chose her job as the final position in her career.

“This is kind of my retirement job. I just wanted something to do, so I chose this job to work for until I retire,” Carpenter said.

“I was looking for something that didn’t have long hours, and I like the fact that I have summer off and get Christmas and snow days and I didn’t have to worry about stuff like that.”

Serving lunch to high school students has not always been part of Carpenter’s occupational life.

“About twenty years ago I worked as an orthodontist, I worked on people’s teeth, and another twenty years I worked for the telephone company, back in my day when there were telephone companies. I [also] raised children” Carpenter said.

Through the years following her previous jobs, Carpenter has come to love what she does.

“I love being a lunch lady...

We have a good time together

John Breeden Staff Reporter

PHOTO BY LUCIE RUTHERFORD

JUST KEEP PEELING. Marty Carpenter peels vegetables to prepare for the students. and like to be able to provide food for the kids and I enjoy high school students,” Carpenter said.

Though she enjoys her job, being a lunch lady was not was not one of Carpenter’s intentions when she was younger.

“My dream job before becoming a lunch lady was becoming a doctor because in college I really loved science and math, but I got married and things just didn’t happen, so I never became a doctor,” Carpenter said.

Despite all that she loves about working in the cafeteria, something that bugs Carpenter is that students have transformed over the years, so their manners are not the same as previous years.

“I’ve noticed a change

through the years, I think that I’d like to see better manners from students,” Carpenter said.

Another downside to the job is the early hours.

“One thing that sucks about being a lunch lady is that we arrive to work when it’s still dark, but other than that there really isn’t a bad thing about being a lunch lady because you have all these other lunch ladies who you’ll make friends with and have a good time with,” Carpenter said.

“A lot of people think that it’s boring being a lunch lady but it really isn’t, you get to interact with other lunch ladies and also make food for the kids and much more.”

with her co-workers. They enjoy working together in a very happy environment.

“Relationships [with my 18 years ago, cafeteria co-workers] are great, a lot of manager Patricia Newcomb us have been together for a came to work for the first time long time, and we spend a lot of at HHS, serving lunch to the time with each other. It’s like our students. She came to Har- second family,” Newcomb said. risonburg from Connecticut.

Newcomb grew up in Con“I actually live in Augusta necticut, in a small, agriculturCounty, I lived in Connecticut al town. Some of her favorite prior to that,” Newcomb said. hobbies include swimming and N ewco m b horseback riding. works with all the Newcomb’s mom We spend a lot other lunch ladies was diagnosed with of time with each to prepare food, cancer, and has other. It’s like our since been able to clean tables, and wash trays. With second family. battle it. Her mom’s over 1800 students cancer battle has Patricia enrolled, it’s a busy shown her strength Newcomb day for the lunch and never give up ladies. First breakattitude, which has fast is served at the inspired her daughter. “[My beginning of the day, followed biggest inspiration is] my mom. by second breakfast after first She fought cancer for ten years, block, then the four lunch pe- and she was only 37 when she riods after 3rd block. Not only got it. She’s 69 now, so that’s that, but who’s going to clean awesome,” Newcomb said. and wash about 1000 trays Newcomb loves her job and when the day is over? Despite will continue to serve the stuthe busy work days, Newcomb dents food to give them the enjoys her job in the cafeteria. energy they need to excel in “I like preparing food for classes and exams. Feeding the kids,” Newcomb said. over 1800 students one at a While working at HHS for time, Newcomb and the lunch 18 long years, Newcomb has ladies are truly some of the made great relationships hardest-workers in the school.

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The Newsstreak

November 30, 2017

Sports-B7

Komara, Cooper take charge in senior season Betsy Quimby Staff Reporter Sports, competitions and any other kinds of teams need a leader. Yes, coaches, mentors and other adults are to help, but sometimes peer leadership is just necessary. On the girls basketball team at HHS, the seniors’ job is to encourage everyone to do their best and try their hardest.

Constance Komara is one of the seniors leading the team this season. Since she is older and has more experience than many of the other players, she must help lead and coach them both on and off the court.

“I’m a leader to [the other players] by just showing up to practice every day, doing my best and [having the other players] just follow behind me,” Komara said.

For many, being a leader and role model can be pretty stressful. There is one thing in particular that senior Madeline Cooper doesn't like about being a role model to the freshmen

and sophomores on the team.

“If I fail, I feel like I am putting everyone else down, and I don’t want to make any mistakes,” Cooper said.

Cooper and Komara both agree that having to lead your peers can be hard, but can be very rewarding in the end.

“I love [being a leader to my teammates]. I push everyone, and that’s the best thing, to just see people grow as an athlete,” Komara said.

According to Cooper and Komara, being a leader and having lots of responsibilities has helped these girls on the team, in school and elsewhere in life. Komara has used these skills while applying for colleges, and Cooper has started to work hard to complete her schoolwork. “[Basketball has taught me] how to be on top of my homework… I think I’ve really matured being on a sports team because you have to deal with people, your coaches, and you have to really be an adult… and

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID GAMBOA

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK. Senior Maddie Cooper passes the ball in a varsity match-up versus the Warriors of Sherando. you have to be a role model to the people on the team and everyone else, too. You

can’t have any off days, you can’t miss a day, you can’t slack. You’ve got people

looking up to you, freshmen, sophomores looking up to a senior. You’ve got

to do your best every day,” Komara said.

2016-2017 Team Stats Senior Clark returns as two-sport athlete Owen Stewart Sports Editor

Girls

Guys

Record: 8-13

Record: 14-11

District Record: 5-6 District Record: 9-4 Top Scorer: Kajaun Top Scorer: Constance Komara Madden-McAfee

Graduated: 2

Graduated: 6

After playing both varsity football and basketball during his sophomore season, Stedman Clark decided to take a break from basketball during his junior year, mainly to put more of his effort into his other sport, where he is a two-way starter at tight end and linebacker. “[I was] focusing on football and basically doing whatever I had to do to prepare myself for this year,” Clark said.

Despite taking last season off, Clark has decided to return to the basketball team for his senior season, listing the fact that it is his final chance to play high school basketball as one of his main reasons for coming back. “[It’s my] last year of high school. I have to end it with a bang and ball out in every sport,” Clark said.

Basketball tryouts took place the week of Nov. 6-10, and be-

Brandon hopes for extended playoff run in sophomore season Edwin Rios Staff Reporter Sophomore Jakaya Brandon recently played for the varsity volleyball team.

Last year, Brandon played three varsity sports which were volleyball, basketball and softball. She also played for two AAU travel basketball teams which were the Harrisonburg Hornets and Virginia Bells who are in Charlottesville.

Brandon hopes to bring her experience from playing sports into her life after high school in order to receive a scholarship.

“I’m looking forward to playing on a D1 college team. I honestly don’t know where to go to college. Hopefully I get scholarships for academics or athletics,” Brandon said.

According to Brandon, this year will not be much different than previous years since only one veteran member has left the team between last year’s and this year’s season.

“This year is not going to change a lot since we just lost one senior from last year. Our seniors right now help us push ourselves to accomplish better

things,” Brandon said.

Before the start of the season, the varsity team has been working on their offense-style of play. They have been training full-court layups and running through plays. Individually, Brandon has been working on her shooting and ball handling.

“This year, we are going to be pretty good since we worked [during the] off-season and it helped us improve a lot. Individually, I’m going to give it 100 percent and I hope the work I’ve done this past summer works out,” Brandon said.

With a new season comes new goals, and Brandon is looking to improve from the team’s previous season.

“My hopes for this upcoming year [are] starting with a winning season and getting pretty far in playoffs. My goals this [year are] to get better as a team and get our fans proud of us once again,” Brandon said.

According to Brandon, hard work pays off, and because of it, she hopes to play one of the guard positions in the upcoming season.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID GAMBOA

DRIBBLE. Sophomore Jakaya Brandon brings the ball up court in the varsity match up against the Warriors of Sherando.

cause the football team was still participating in the playoffs, Clark was unable to attend tryouts. While he believes it may take him a little while to get back in a groove, he believes he can return to form in time for the season to assist the team in whichever way he can.

“Not being able to get into the gym and shake the rust off [might hurt a bit], but that’s mainly for the offensive side of the ball. Defense, that’s my bread and butter. All you need to have is will, heart and effort,” Clark said. “They were a great team last year. I’m just going to try to help the team by doing whatever they need me to do.”

In coming back to the team, Clark will rejoin fellow seniors Collin Morris and Steven Gilbert, whom he has played with since back in middle school. Clark believes the chemistry the group has together could play a role in the team’s success this season.

“Collin, Steven and [I], that’s a scary sight. We’ve been playing

together since the sixth-grade.

I see us balling out this year,” Clark said.

The year off from the game has brought some changes to Clark’s game. Even though he hasn’t been on the court in game format, he believes he has improved his skills nonetheless through practice and weightlifting in the offseason.

“I’m just more confident in my play with offense, and I’ve gotten bigger and stronger which will help me out in the paint,” Clark said.

In both last season and Clark’s previous season with the team, they failed to advance past the conference tournament, and Clark listed making a deeper run in the playoffs as his biggest goal.

The season got under way Nov. 17 with a home scrimmage against Brookville, and the first competitive contest takes place Dec. 1, on the road against former district rival Robert E. Lee.

Velker gets involved in first year at HHS Dany T-Medhin Staff Reporter Basketball has always been a huge part of junior Christian Velker’s life. He recently moved here from Tennessee where he was home schooled, though he still found a way to play basketball on a team.

“I’ve played basketball my entire life. I played for the local high school, Stone Memorial. They were pretty good. Last year we went to regionals, and we had nine sophomores and two seniors. So that was kind of a building year,” Velker said.

According to Velker, transitioning from home-school to public has not changed his view on basketball.

“It’s no different from who you are or what you’ve been through. It’s just, you get on the court and you play,” Velker said.

When it comes to role models, Velker’s is his old basketball coach.

“My role model… I think to be honest it’s my old high school coach, Coach Capps.

He was always pushing me to be a better person and be a better basketball player.

Every day of my life since he was coaching me, he emphasized competitiveness a lot.

He made his players want to win and that’s a good coach quality,” Velker said.

Basketball Coach Don Burgess believes Velker is someone that can have a positive impact both on and off the court.

“I was excited in regards to Christian.

He’s a good kid who takes being a student-athlete very seriously… He’s a humble, hardworking individual who is very passionate about basketball, but more importantly, he [is] more passionate about making Harrisonburg High School and the community a better place,” Burgess said.

Burgess thinks that Velker’s participation reveals a great deal about his character.

“For [Christian] to come into Harrisonburg High school and then immediately to be involved with Unified Basketball, that’s huge. That speaks volumes [in] regards to the type of person that he is,” Burgess said. “To be a new transfer and then get involved with a club and organization such as Unified Basketball and be hands-on just from the get-go. We have students that have been going to school here for four years that have not volunteered to help out and here he was a new student. So that just speaks volumes about him as a person.”

PHOTO BY DANY T-MEDHIN

LAYUP. Junior Christian Velker warms up in the varsity basketball tryouts. Velker is looking forward to pursuing his first season as a Blue Streak.

In regards to basketball tryouts, students willing to try-out have had opportunities to prepare, such as open gyms.

“Yes, open gyms have helped out a lot,” Velker said. “For tryouts, I need to give whatever coach Burgess wants me to give and whatever that is, I’ll bring it to the table.”

Varsity Schedule

12/1 Boys @ R.E. Lee 12/4 Girls @ Liberty Bedford 12/5 Boys @ Charlottesville 12/5 Girls @ Charlottesville 12/6 Boys @ Albemarle 12/12 Boys @ Broadway 12/12 Girls @ Broadway 12/14 Girls @ Stuart Hall 12/15 Boys @ Turner Ashby

The Newsstreak

November 30, 2017

Sports-B8

Freshmen begin first varsity swim season Nicole Mayorga Staff Writer Swim season has arrived, though now with more freshman than usual.

According to freshman Stella Alexiou, Miriam Velker

and Ryan Secrist, most join as eighth graders and try out again the next year.

Alexiou is excited to be joining the swim team and seeing her friends and interacting with them.

“I’m really excited to be on the team. Most of

my friends are on it, so I’m excited to go through practices with them and go to the socials and just to be around people,” Alexiou said.

With the season coming up, Alexiou has goals and improvements she would

like to focus on so she can fair better at meets.

“I’m trying to work on my breaststroke and my diving, but I’m hoping to improve my butterfly stroke, backstroke and freestyle throughout the practices,” Alexiou said.

Like Alexiou, Secrist has multiple years of past swimming experience, despite being in his first year of high school. He also has done summer leagues in the past and has decided to continue to swim for the Blue Streaks.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTA COLE

FEEL THE BURN. Freshmen Isabel Campillo (left) and Holly Bill (middle) as well as sophomore Carly Corso (right) follow the senior swim captains in a round of conditioning involving push-ups, sit-ups and planks.

“I have been swimming for the past seven years now, it’s just a sport that I have always loved and I really [began] to take it seriously for the past few years, I’m really excited to get started again,” Secrist said.

Secrist was a part of the team last season, but wasn’t always present to participate in activities, which he hopes to change this season.

“I couldn’t make it to the other practices so that’s kind of a bummer, but [I] can’t wait for this season,” Secrist said.

Freshman Miriam Velker is excited to be on this year’s swim team and has prior experience in the sport. She wants to improve her swimming skills by working on technique as well as staying in shape for other sports.

“I’m looking forward to the season, I do it because of cross training and for other sports, so I’m excited to work on different muscles and strokes too,” Velker said.

Despite having problems with her shins and struggling with a few of the techniques that are required, Velker is determined to work through her injury and continue to swim. “[The most challenging part] for me is kicking a lot because I’m terrible at kicking and I have shin splints and to recover from that, kicks are really good,” Velker said.

McGehee joins swim team to maintain conditioning Samantha Little Feature Editor Senior Liam McGehee has been playing soccer since he was four years old and has spent his spring season on the high school soccer team since his eighth grade year. This winter season he’s trying something new and is taking to the water with the swim and dive team. His main goal in doing this is to prepare himself for his spring soccer season by having the opportunity to get in shape and increase his endurance prior to the season. “[I got the idea because] I don’t like track; Running is extremely hard. Swimming is hard too apparently, as I just found out [at practice], but I felt like it would get me in really good shape.

I know people who have done it before and they’ve told me that it gets you in good shape,” McGehee said.

In previous years, McGehee has prepared for soccer by running with his teammates or on his own two or three times a week in the winter preseason. However, he feels that being on

the swim team will be more beneficial. “[Swimming will] definitely [be] better because it’ll be an everyday thing, five times a week for a longer time. It’s pretty hard stuff, so that’ll definitely be better than just running a few times a week,” McGehee said.

With swim coach Richard Morrell also being the JV soccer coach, McGehee has already had experience working with him during his ninth grade and part of his tenth grade soccer seasons. McGehee appreciates this preexisting relationship as he starts with the swim team.

“It’s nice to be comfortable with him. I can just go up and say ‘hey coach’ and ask him anything without being nervous because I’m already comfortable with him,” McGehee said.

While he is joining the high school team for the first time, he did swim with the Westover Waves, a summer league swim team, at a younger age. Though he isn’t as proficient in all of the technique and form, he hopes to improve and attend certain meets throughout the season.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTA COLE

STAYING CONDITIONED. Senior Liam Mcgehee swims freestyle at his first week of swim practice at Westover Pool.

McGehee joined the swim team in his final year of high school to stay conditioned for his main sport of soccer which he plays in the spring. He hopes to correlate the intense workouts to being in better shape and performing well in swim meets and future soccer matches. “[I look forward to] being able to do the whole workout without taking breaks that other people

don’t take, getting into actual swimming shape and hopefully actually doing well in the meets,” McGe-

hee said. “I definitely want to go to some meets, but I don’t know how many meets I want to go to and

how serious I’ll be about it. It just depends on how I progress throughout the season.”

Relay team training for consecutive state appearances Ryan Caricofe Staff Writer

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTA COLE

JUMPING JACKS. Senior Urie Conis (left) leads a workout during a practice at Westover Pool. Conis is a member of the relay team that went to the state swim meet last season.

On Feb. 17th, 2017, the HHS swimming relay team went to Richmond, Virginia to participate in the state swimming competition.

Seniors Christian Rodriguez and Urie Conis, junior Kyle Brown and Andrew Rath, who has since graduated, all swam together in the men’s 200 meter freestyle relay.

“There are two ways to make it to states: either by time, or by making it into the top ten. We [qualified it by] time,” Rodriguez said.

When qualifying by time, a swim team can qualify at any competition, as long as they pass the state requirement. The swim team made the cut for states at a home swim meet when they passed the qualifying time by .073 seconds.

“It was rough, but we made it halfway through the season,” Conis said.

Others, like Brown, be-

lieved the race to obtain a spot for states was not as hard as he would have thought.

“It was not easy, but definitely not as hard as we thought, we were focused on our times and we spent all year working on that,” Brown said.

The team faced 24 other teams in the SwimRVA pool in Richmond. Rodriguez noticed that the teams were more competitive than in previous meets.

“Everyone there thought they were the best in their stroke. They were all very cocky,” Rodriguez said.

There were many people at the meet and Conis was overwhelmed by the crowd.

“The area was very crowded and was very confusing to move around and find a spot,” Conis said.

The relay race was the only event any of the four swimmers were participating in, giving them much time to rest. Brown used that time to mentally pre-

pare for the team event.

“The hardest part was getting in a good mindset.

You are surrounded by so many good teams and you need to stay in the mindset that you belong here, that you are one of the best in the state,” said Brown.

The relay team finished 19th out of the 24 teams, beating their own personal records. Brown was proud of the performance despite the place.

“We all swam hard and beat all of our personal records, and I’m hopefully to make it to states again next year,” Brown said.

This upcoming season the relay team has three returning members ready to shorten their times for the even lower cut off time that comes with moving to a new region.

“With being in 5A, we won’t be able to go to conferences and we’ll go straight to regionals, which is going to be a harder without the warm up of conferences,” Rodriguez said.

November 30, 2017

2017-2018

HHS

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The Newsstreak

November 30, 2017

Sports-B10

Indoor Track

Relay team hopes to repeat state success Owen Marshall Sports Editor

ing season, but Berhe and Hussein are questionable about their return, with Berhe citing his job as his main reason.

“There is too much stuff I have to deal with. I have to work, and do a lot of other stuff,” Berhe said.

Like Berhe, Hussein also had to work during the summer, which kept him from being able to get back in running shape.

“Over the summer I got a job and didn't have a chance to run cross country, that brought me down a little. I am slower now because I haven't been running or staying in shape. This year I want to focus on school,” Hussein said.

Berhe is doing everything he can to make room for indoor in his schedule.

“I love running. I’m trying to figure everything out, and if it works I will [come back],” Berhe said.

Amongst the 4x800 team and the indoor track team as

a whole, Berhe believes that there is a good atmosphere across the board.

“We have a really great relationship. They always come to me and talk to me. Just running with them might not happen,” Berhe said.

Hussein agrees, comparing the relationship to a family.

“I would see them everyday and see them more than my siblings. Everyone cared about each other and looked out for each other,” Hussein said.

Berhe believes that if the whole team returns, there is a good chance that they could make another state run.

“I think we could make it to states either [for] indoor or outdoor, especially if we have everyone,” Berhe said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF YUSUF ABOUTABL

PHOTO COURTESY OF ABBY LACHANCE

PUMP THOSE ARMS. Senior Isaiah King runs at the 4A West Regional Meet at Liberty University during his junior year indoor track season. King is one of three returners from the boys’ 4x800 meter relay team that qualified for the state meet last year, joining fellow seniors Ashton Landes and Walter Hussein.

HUG IT OUT. Seniors Ashton Landes and Walter Hussein hug after completing the mens 4x800 relay at the Bulldog Invitational in 2017.

The state indoor track meet is the hoped for destination by all the runners, and the men's 4x800 consisting of Isaiah King, Ashton Landes, Mo Berhe, and Walter Hussein qualified in the 2016-2017 season. Hussein believes that making the run to states was a time he’ll remember for a long while.

“It was a heck of an experience. We worked hard, I honestly thought we weren't going to make it. I had faith in my teammates. I wasn't just running for myself, I had other people counting on me, so I had to do it for them,” Hussein said.

All of the runners are eligible to return in the upcom-

2016-17 Indoor Track Top Returning Times BOYS 55 m: Owen Stewart- 7.20 55 m Hurdles: Jaylin Smith- 10.17 300 m: Jacob Seefried- 39.13 500 m: Micah Yutzy- 1:13.72 1000 m: Isaiah King- 2:40.91 1600 m: Isaiah King- 4:53.60 3200 m: Jacob Blagg- 11:26.13

GIRLS 55 m: Sydney Harper- 7.86 300 m: Sydney Harper- 48.08 500 m: Carissa Roberts- 1:29.19 1000 m: Abby Campillo- 3:19.29 1600 m: Hannah Miller- 5:24.93 3200 m: Hannah Miller- 12:07.65 INFOGRAPH BY ETHAN POWER

MacAdam prepares for soccer with track

Owen Marshall Sports Editor

Ryan Caricofe Staff Reporter

PHOTO COURTESY OF ABBY LACHANCE

FINISH STRONG. Senior Alanna MacAdam (left) finishes the 55 meter dash during the 2017 Bulldog Invitational at Liberty University. MacAdam, who runs in the 55 meter, the 4x200 meter relay and the 300 meter, also participates in soccer during the spring, and uses indoor track to prepare for it.

Outdoor sports are a few months away, but some athletes at HHS are taking advantage of the opportunity posed by indoor track to prepare for the spring. Athletes like senior Alanna MacAdam and junior Fernando Posada both utilize indoor track to hone their skills and their bodies for both of their upcoming seasons.

“There is a lot of running in soccer and running indoor gives me a reason to stay in shape,” MacAdam said. MacAdam, who runs the 55 meter, the 4x200 meter relay and the 300 meter, is hoping this year to make it to regionals for in-

door track and improve on past times, as well as getting herself known for when she leaves high school. She hopes to go uninjured for her outdoor soccer season and connect with her teammates as a unit.

Posada also says indoor track helps him stay in shape, as well as helps him improve for his upcoming outdoor season. Posada hopes to break his mile record and qualify for indoor regionals, and hopes to improve on his indoor performance in outdoor.

There are many differences between indoor track and its outdoor counterpart, noted Posada, who runs the mile and the 800 meter for outdoor and the mile and the 1000 meter for the indoor.

“In indoor track, you run on a 200 meter track, while in outdoor you run on a 400 meter track,” Posada said. Indoor and outdoor track also both have different events. MacAdam also noted some differences between indoor track and other outdoor sports.

“Indoor and outdoor are complete opposites. In indoor we practice running in the halls in blocks, and obviously we don’t run inside for soccer,” said MacAdam. She also noted that for indoor track, the team never runs at home, and the meets are all day long.

The indoor season began Nov. 20 with the first practice, and the regular season runs from December to late February.

The Newsstreak

November 30 2017

Sports-B11

Wallace helps lead cheerleading team

Sarah Earle Page Editor

Ever since eighth grade, senior KiYosia Wallace has done cheerleading. From competition cheer to sideline cheer, Wallace has shown dedication to her squad. With this year being her final year on the team, Wallace believes the season has been a success so far. “[Being a senior on the squad has] been the same [as previous years] because you don’t realize it’s your senior year until we have senior night,” Wallace said.

“On senior night it kind of hits you, and you’re like, ‘Hold up. This is my last year.’ So it’s kind of sad, but exciting because you’re about to start your life, being independent, but then you’re going to miss all of the fun things you’ve done [at HHS]. Cheer is one of the things I’ve done here that I’m really going to miss.”

Going along with her role as a senior, Wallace has implemented leadership on the squad. As a captain this year, her natural leadership abilities have made the job easier. Being able to relate with and understand the underclassmen girls on the team is how Wallace finds the ability to lead.

PHOTO BY ASHLEY ISCOA

POMS UP. The cheerleading team performs their cheers under the Friday night lights of an HHS football game.

“Leadership just comes naturally [for me] honestly.

I push and support everybody. This year we did little sister, big sister. I had two little sisters who I would teach over the summer.

Previous years I’ve been

a captain for basketball, football and competition [cheer], so I’ve always taken a leadership role with cheerleading, which I really love because I get the chance to push people beyond their boundaries,” Wallace said. “You have

your shy people who don’t talk and I’m one of those people who is like, ‘Hey, you’re going to talk today.’ I kind of bring out the best in people I would say. I don’t try to do it purposefully, but it’s just my personality; it pushes for no one to be

left out at all.”

Even though the role is innate to Wallace, she finds times where she needs to think about the right way to handle situations in order to be a good role model.

Teaching the girls the basic routines, as well as giving

said.

Lachance has noticed in years past there has been a trend for senior gymnasts while they reach their mid-season. She will try to take care of her body throughout the season to prevent any injuries that might cause her to miss any competitions.

“This season, I will take it easy. Many Seniors in the past are known for getting hurt in the middle of the season and it would just be devastating for me,” Lachance said.

Being a senior brings on the responsibility of leading a team much like a coach would. Lachance has taken on this role of being a leader and hopes to bring a more fun atmosphere back to the team’s practices.

“As a senior leader, I will make warm ups and conditioning more fun and I will arrange for more team bonding activities,” Lachance said.

Lachance has taken most of her inspiration from watching the Summer Olympics gymnastics

events. She also takes inspiration from her teammates as well as her coach, Michael King, who has been coaching for the streaks her entire athletic career.

“Whenever I watch the Summer Olympics, it inspires me to keep going.

It’s a whole lot harder than what it looks like. Coach King and my teammates definitely encourage me each practice and meet to give it my all,” Lachance said.

As her final season slowly approaches a start,

them advice for balancing academics and cheer, is how Wallace ensures the squad will accomplish goals in the future.

“We basically push them and show them [our] routine because the better they know things, the more they’ll be able to show other freshmen who will come in next year,” Wallace said.

“We teach them everything we’ve been taught [and] we give them a run-down [of routines and drills] because sometimes it’s strict.”

So far, Wallace is impressed with the cheer team’s accomplishments.

Even though they aimed for a smaller team, Wallace believes the turnout this year stands out from previous seasons. With it being her final season on the squad, Wallace is bittersweet about leaving her cheer family.

“I think the biggest difficulty has been realizing that you’re about to leave because you want to stay.

Realizing it’s your last home game or the last game in general really hits you,” Wallace said. “You want to stay here with the people you’ve known or been surrounded and supported by, but it’s time for you to take that step and be independent and do your own thing.”

Lachance enters final year on gymnastics team

Jackson Hook Sports Editor

Senior Abby Lachance has done gymnastics ever since she was three years old. She joined Skyline Gymnastics through her close family friends and has participated with the group for her entire life.

This year marks Lachance’s fourth season with the blue streaks and she is looking forward to starting.

“The past four years have been great. Whenever the winter season comes

around, I can’t wait to get back into the gym and start practicing with my teammates,” Lachance said.

With each season comes new goals and aspirations.

Lachance has been through the postseason experience before and hopes that she can make it as a team as well as individually.

“I hope this year we will be able to make it further than conference based on the division change. Our team is a family and I love how everyone supports one another,” Lachance

RUNWAY, TAKEOFF, LANDING. Senior Abby Lachance performs her routines during a gymnastics event hosted at HHS.

10

PHOTO COURTESY OF ABBY LACHANCE

Top gymnastics scores from 2016-17 season

8.6

8.25

7.5

Scores

Lachance hopes that she can have a strong showing in Valley District meets and have a postseason run with her team. While she will not be continuing her athletic career into college, she still believes she will continue to do gymnastics whether it is just a craft or a club sport.

“I’m not advanced enough to compete at the college level, but I may continue if there is a club team offered. Otherwise, it’ll just become a hobby,” Lachance said.

7.7

7.7

Margaret Sarco

Jadah Kilby-Woodward

7.2

5 2.5 0

Abby Lachance 2018 Graduate

Kathryn Mestre 2017 Graduate

2020 Graduate

2017 Graduate

Alyce Kilby-Woodward 2020 Graduate

INFOGRAPHIC BY OWEN STEWART

Large number of freshmen join competition cheer team Audrey Knupp Feature Editor The competition cheer team has a total of thirteen members this season, with three of them being in ninth grade. One of the freshman, Chloe Nichols, is a flyer for the team.

“I have been cheering since my sixth grade year at

Luray Middle School,” Nichols said.

Nichols has previous experiences in both dance and gymnastics. According to Nichols, these skills are needed to be successful in a cheer setting. So far this year, she has cheered for both the sideline and competition teams.

“Competition cheer is

more intense and faster than sideline cheer. Sideline is a bit more laid-back.

For competition, we don’t really use pom poms, we dance a lot, it’s fast paced and hard work is required.

I don’t think people realize how much work goes into one routine,” Nichols said.

For the team this year, practice for sideline is

around two hours, and then they go to competition practice right after.

Their practices include stretching as a team, warming up for individual stunts then dancing the routines to make them better.

Nichols knew that she wanted to join the team and meet new people in high school.

“I thought that if I join the competition cheer team it would be a good experience to become a part of a family with new girls,” Nichols said. “I have met new people along the way, so I am glad I tried out and made the team.”

Nichols has fond memories from being a part of the team her freshman year.

“I really enjoyed when we were at our home competition and we won third place. I am a flyer, so I like when the team does basket throws,” Nichols said.

The competition cheer team made it to the regionals, however their performance did not place.

November 30, 2017

The Newsstreak

Humans of HHS-B12

HUMANS OF In keeping with our motto “Every person has a story,” the Newsstreak interviews students every month in the style of Humans of New York creator, Brandon Stanton. The idea is to tell the story of as many of our students as possible. Check out a similar project at www.hhsmedia.com.

HHS

Senior Danializ Chabrier “My favorite slang word is dude. I use it 24/7. I don’t know, I use it for everything. ‘You look cute, dude.’

‘You smell, dude.’ Stuff like that.”

Junior Alex Hulleman “Y’all is my favorite slang word. “ Why do you prefer y’all as opposed to you all?

“Because it’s like condensed, you know. You get to say more and it gets your point across better.”

Junior Bismah Khan Sophomore Tucker McGrath “I guess low-key. [I use it when] I don’t feel really strongly about something but I’m 50% there.”

What is your favorite slang word?

“Probably hella. Like ‘I’m hella tired’ [as in] ‘I am really tired.’”

Freshman Evgeny Maslennikov “Man, dank is not just a word, it’s an art, a good sense of humor. It’s a combination of offensive and satirical humor. It’s some good stuff. You can use the word dank in a sentence, ‘I have a bunch of nice dank content on my Instagram.’ I actually do though.”

Junior Jessica Mintzer What is your favorite slang word?

“I usually say ‘lit’ a lot. It just kind of comes out because you know if you’re doing something you’d be like, ‘That seems lit.’ That’s just what I say the most.”

Sophomore Destiny Armstrong “Bet [is my favorite slang word]. So it means, ‘Alright I’ll do it’ or you’re betting on something.”

Sophomore Adriana Jimenez and Ana Velez Adriana Jimenez What is your favorite slang word?

“Shmoney. ‘Let me get that shmoney’ or like, ‘Let me get bank.’ [It came from] Cardi B she uses it. It’s like a form to be super happy or something.”

Ana Velez What is your favorite slang word?

“I don’t know that’s a hard one. If I’m hanging out with my friends or my brother, every five seconds, ‘It’s lit, it’s lit.’ It’s Just the first thing that pops in my head.”

Senior Akacia Williams

Senior Khadijah Sayyid

What is your favorite slang word?

“Mood, that’s mine. Say somebody is really tired, they would just be like ‘Ah mood.’ Or if you see someone sleeping really [well], you’d be like ‘Ah mood.’ Or if you see somebody grubbing really good: mood.”

What is your favorite slang word?

“Word, when they say word. To me, I mean, I don’t know. Or facts, they use facts or true, like there’s a truth.”

Photos by Olivia Comer, Lucie Rutherford & Jesus Cortez