The Western Hemisphere - February 2016 by The Western Hemisphere

The student newspaper of Western Albemarle High School CROZET VA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016

Next Stop, Nobel Prize? By: SPENCER STEVENS

Drake Haydock, displaying his Falcon, Lemon

Photo: Drake Haydock

Falconer Soars into School By: JESSICA KLEES

rake Haydock, a sophomore,transferred here from Albemarle High School right before winter break. Haydock likes his teachers and fellow students, and how the school is smaller. Overall, he has been having a positive experience. However, that is not what this article is about. Drake Haydock owns a hawk. For a long time, he has been interested in having a bird that he can hunt with. Haydock’s interest in these unique animals started at about the age of nine. The thing is, he did not begin with a large, intimidating bird as one might expect - he trained a chicken. He did some research, and learned that most people hunt small animals with birds of prey, as opposed to chickens. Each year, Haydock is able to get a new bird if he wants to - but only one at a time. In the past, Haydock had owned a female hawk named Cora, and then replaced her with a male named James Dean. Neither of them were very good hunters, so Haydock released them back into the wild. He currently has a male hawk named Lemon, who, the falconer is

happy to say, is much better than his past two birds. Do not get confused by the name; falconry applies to multiple types of birds, not just falcons. In order to become a falconer, the first thing to do is acquire a permit. Haydock had to train for three years before he got his. After that, the falconer is legally allowed to trap a wild, juvenile hawk. Then, the bird needs to be trained. According to Haydock, it takes a “maximum of 4 weeks of spending at least 4 hours a day with the hawk.” Once that was finished, he was finally able to bring his hawk into the woods, where it hunts small animals like rabbits and squirrels. At his current level, Haydock is only allowed to own one hawk at a time. But the sophomore hopes that he will advance to a higher stage in falconry soon. Right now, Haydock is an apprentice. The next level is the General’s Licence. With this, Haydock can have three birds, as opposed to now when he can only have one as an apprentice. The falconer is excited, because with this, he will be allowed to hunt with “many species, including falcons and other exotic birds of prey.”

After that, Haydock can then become a Master Falconer, where one is able to have more birds than they could with the General’s License. He explained that someone would also be able to hunt with a larger variety of birds, “including eagles, with proper permits.” For anyone interested in falconry, Haydock recommends doing some research about the sport. He also suggests attending a falconry meet, an event where a large group of falconers from all over the state come together to hunt for a weekend. This occurs multiple times a year, and Haydock has been to every single one since he became interested in the sport. The meets are a great way for anyone to become involved in falconry if they want to. Haydock emphasizes that it is important to spread awareness of falconry. The red tailed hawk population is declining, and he thinks that people should know that so it can be stopped. Haydock clearly has a passion for his birds. “Falconry is increasing in popularity and it’s really an amazing sport,” he said.

he Intel Science Talent Search is America’s most renowned pre-college competition. Students submit original research, which is accepted and evaluated by a jury of professional scientists. This competition acknowledges 300 student semifinalists each year. Among this year’s list of student geniuses you will find a familiar name - Lillian Xu. The Western senior applied to the elite competition with something far from the classic paper mache volcano. The title is “Cytotoxic Concentration of Gingerol is Inversely Related to Cell Division Rate: Ginger as a Chemopreventive Agent for Glioblastoma, Ovarian, Breast, and Colon Cancers.” I know this is a tongue twister, but it’s not as complicated as it sounds. According to Lillian, it’s basically a project based on ginger and how it can kill cancer cells. However, the Intel STS award wasn’t always on Lillian’s mind. In fact, mainly because of all of the work involved, it wasn’t really a goal of hers until last year. She had to submit a 20 page research paper, write seven essays, and include three teacher recommendations in her application. In total, her project took about

Sports:

Feature:

Swim Teams Win States

Elections: Who are You Voting For?

pg. 6

pg. 8

A&E:

Latitudes:

Our Oscar Predictions... Leo?

February 2016 The Western Hemisphere

a week, “mostly because of my procrastination,” she said with a laugh. It was stressful, but she’s glad she made the decision to apply. She actually received the news that she was a semifinalist when she was in school; it was around lunchtime when she saw the Intel announcement. “I wasn’t expecting to win, so when I saw my name on the list I was in complete shock,” said Xu. Aside from the fact she’s a semifinalist, Lillian’s glad she gets to represent the school. Being the only student semifinalist at Western, she feels really great to be representing a school that doesn’t specialize in science. “You don’t have to go to an elite private school to do well. I’m just glad to have gotten so far, and I’m happy to be doing what I love.” Lillian actually knew a lot of the semifinalists, “My favorite part of the whole thing was interacting with friends that also enjoy the same interests as me - it strengthens what I believe in!” She was extremely humble about the whole experience. She said, “ I just enjoy the internal satisfaction, that voice in my head telling me, ‘You did it!”.

pg. 12

Is a Hotdog a Sandwich? pg. 14

News

Winning Like a Machine The Geek Gods Compete at States

By: GABBY ENG

obotics is easily the most underrated club at Western. Most students either don’t know robotics exists, or they simply don’t know what they do. Students don’t know how hard the club’s challenges are and how hard the team works—meeting twice a week after school. Mrs. Bertrand and Mr. Larson supervise this club, and both are very proud of their students’ successful season. “We are the oldest school based team in the area,” Mrs. Bertrand said. There are 30 kids in the club who are divided into three teams. At the beginning of the year all teams are presented with a challenge. The challenge is called First Tech Challenge (FTC). “Each team is told ‘go to town, figure it out, we are not going to tell you how to do this,’” Mrs. Bertrand said. This year, the challenge was to have the student-built robots climb a mountain. The three teams—The Geek Gods, The Loose Screws, and Her Majesty’s Engineers—designed and

built their robots to take to competition. The format of the competition is “two robots against robots.” This means that during the first match, your robot is an ally with someone, but in the next match your ally can become your opponent. There are three stages of the match the autonomous stage, the driver control period, and the end period. The first stage is where the students run a preset program for the robot to perform. The second period is when two students drive the robot and control it. The third is just the end. “It’s very, very, very, very stressful but it’s also very fun. Every time we win a match it’s one of the best feelings there is,” said senior Austin Germani. At the regional competition, the top four seeded teams got to choose allies. Germani’s team was chosen, but they turned it down because of something the FTC calls “Gracious Professionalism.” “We

felt that there was no way in which we could benefit the top four seeded teams in the elimination round, so we declined two alliance offers,” Germani explained. “It’s all about working together and being kind and professional to other teams.” The team won the Rockwell Collins Innovation award for their 3-D printed wheels and creative design. “The most important part of robotics is learning to work together,” said Mrs. Bertrand, “it’s actually more difficult than learning technical skills, and it’s the part that we are constantly focusing on.” The team left at 5:30 am on February 13th to head to states. Unfortunately, due to a lack of preparation time, they didn’t place. They redesigned the entire robot before heading out. “Really my focus is on how far the team has come along with teamwork over the course of the season,” said Mrs. Bertand.

Photo: GABBY ENG A mobile robot built by members of the WAHS Robotics team

Senior’s Prayers are Answered

Tom Lengel Fulfulls Dream of Seeing Pope By: MADELEINE ANDREWS

ver winter break, senior Tom Lengel traveled to Rome with his European-born mother for an unforgettable experience. One of the highlights of their trip was a visit to the Vatican City and experience the Papal Audience. The Papal Audience is usually held in St. Peter’s Square for about 1-2 hours in the morning around ten. The Pope addresses thousands of people in the audience, in several different languages. Lengel has taken Latin all four years at Western, and was glad to be able to use the language skills he has acquired. “We woke up at seven in the morning—it was freezing cold, but we waited in line and had to get through security. He [the Pope] came around ten, and we got to hear him talk. And after that we went into

the actual St. Peter’s Basilica and just had a great time,” said Lengel. Along with exploring Rome, Lengel took a day trip to Assisi, Italy, which he called another highlight of the trip. His travels to Rome and Assisi helped to cultivate in him an appreciation for the Italian culture. He also enjoyed visiting the Vatican City and absorbing the atmosphere of the Catholic Church. Although Lengel is unsure of what he wants to do in the future, he says that traveling is important to him, and he will want to continue to travel in college. With his journey to Rome finished, Lengel will remember this trip for a lifetime and search for new adventures to come.

Tom Lengel takes a selfie with Pope Francis

February 2016, The Western Hemisphere, 2

News

Facilities Expand to Accomodate Growing ESA

By: JACK LESEMANN

Mrs. Grove ponders the day’s lesson

Photo: TIM DESIMONE

Grove Gets into the Western Groove By: PAULINE GILBERT

his year, Western welcomed many new teachers. Mrs. Grove is one of them, arriving from Tandem Friends School to teach in Western’s mathematics department. Mrs. Grove’s unique story begins in South Africa, where she was born. She lived there until 1983, when she came to America for the first time as an exchange student. It was not her first time out of South Africa—in 1980 she went on a trip to Egypt and Israel with her family. However, her trip to America was the first time that she had ever lived so far from home for an extended period of time, and most importantly, lived independently. “People were louder. I remember the stores—especially the grocery stores—were full of things. There was so much choice, for everything. In restaurants, for example, you can’t order something without the waiter asking you so many questions about what you want with it, what kind of dressing…” Her exchange year permitted her not only to enjoy the cultural differences in everyday life, but also to discover this incomparable thing that is an American high school. She was used to a very strict South African high school, and when

she came to an American high school for the first time, she couldn’t believe how different it was. “In South Africa, when a teacher walked in, you had to stand up, and say ‘good morning.’ There was also corporal punishment—they used to hit us. For the girls it was on the hand with a ruler, and the boys on the back. You had to wear school uniforms, and you couldn’t wear any makeup, no jewelry, and no nail polish. But it was also fun; it was kind of like the school in Harry Potter, but without magic. I couldn’t believe all of the differences when I arrived here for the first time. You could wear anything, people argued with teachers, they had attitude… but I feel like here kids were nicer, more accepting of the difference.” After the initial culture shock, she began to fit in, looking and behaving more and more like her peers. “And at the end of the year I also got an attitude. I wasn’t proud of myself but I remember doing it, giving teachers a hard time,” Mrs. Grove added, smiling at her memories. When asked what system she ended up preferring, Mrs. Grove could not make up her mind. “We worked hard in South

Africa and learned a lot. So as a teacher, I wish here was more like there. But as a student, being here was so much fun. So I like both.” “I was too young when I went to college in South Africa, and it took me a while to figure things out. And I love school, I just love to learn things.” Ultimately, everything worked out since Mrs. Grove’s love for studies led her to teaching math, and now here she is at Western. She first teaching job was as a student teacher in New York for six months, before moving to Albemarle in 1992 because her husband was attending the University of Virginia. She first taught at Walton Middle school for six years, and then at Tandem for seventeen. “I just want to say that for me, in the middle of my career, coming to a new place and new big school like this, is rejuvenating. I’ve learned new things that I had stopped learning, so I’m very grateful for that. And as frustrating as it can be sometimes, like ‘oh, they are not doing their work,’ it’s still very fun to do something new and I think that when you are my age, people are so nervous to try something new, but change it’s exciting. It makes me feel not so old.”

ast the west side of the building and across the back staff parking lot, lies a mass of steel and glass which is the site of the new ESA Building. Construction began in September of last year and was aimed to be finished in 120 days, or shortly after the end of the first term of school. “(ESA) plans on occupying and being able to put furniture and have classes in the new Environmental Studies Center by the middle of February” says head of the Academy, Adam Mulcahy. “The new building will be where students take Ecology, Environmental Science, Biology, and Horticulture courses. Next year this will be where our sophomores and juniors have their classes.” This building

Photos: GABBY ENG

has been a long time coming for Mulcahy. “We have been working for almost three years to get the additional space for the ESA,” said Mulcahy. The current classroom is too cramped for the amount of students in ESA. Currently, the four different classes use the same classroom, but now there will be dedicated facilities for each class. The new building will feature a new greenhouse which will create new courses available to the students. The new greenhouse sports automated shading and cooling for the plants, larger space for growing plants for study, and an opportunity for new courses to be conjured up.

TOP: Sun pours into the spacious classroom that connects to the new greenhouse ABOVE: The greenhouse will be a valuable asset for both new and existing classes at the Academy.

February 2016, The Western Hemisphere, 3

News WAHS Mormon Community Shares Their Story By LAUREN KEARNS

“

We do get asked a lot of strange questions,” said junior Grace Rainey. “Like ‘Do you worship seagulls? Do you worship Joseph Smith? Do you worship water? How many moms do you have?’” She laughed before adding, “Just for the record, we’re not polygamists.” If you should ever stop by the school library at 8am on any given morning, Grace and her friends, members of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, are not difficult to find. As any early morning frequenter of the library can attest to, they are not only the group that appears most awake, but the group with the warm, enthusiastic dynamic that always seems to radiate from their table on the right side of the library. And as some know, by the time this group of students arrives to school at 8am, they have already been to church. While for many Western students the thought of waking up so early each morning seems unimaginable, for them it’s just a part of the daily routine. “Every morning we all meet in Crozet at 7am for seminary,” sophomore Rylee Franklin said. “It’s basically a bible study, and it’s just a really cool environment.” “It is early,” admitted junior Stuart Schill, “but being united with other people who have similar beliefs and values just gives me a lot of energy. I feel the strength that comes from all of us gathering together to talk about things, and I appreciate the unity it creates.” More commonly known as Mormons, members of this church are primarily concentrated in Utah but can also be found all over the globe. Virginia holds barely one percent of their total population, but as Stuart pointed out, “It’s kind of cool to live in a place where it’s not as common.” “I actually just moved here from

The Mormon Singing Valentine Group

Utah,” said sophomore Cutter Mendenhall, “and so there the population was mostly Mormon. When I came here, I noticed how much people pay attention to us – they ask me all sorts of questions and really take notice of little things that I do differently.” As Mormonism is not as widely practiced in a state like Virginia, some misconceptions have risen over the years, which Grace brought to light with her examples of all of the different questions they’ve been asked. “A lot of people think that we’re not Christian,” said senior Jared Carter, “which definitely isn’t true.” “And I think another common misconception is that Mormonism is brand new,” Stuart Added. “We do believe that Joseph Smith restored the church, but we would say he brought back the

Photo: LUCY TAYLOR

exact same church that existed when Jesus was on earth. But I guess it’s kind of like any other church organization; other people are Baptist or Methodist or Catholic or Muslim, and we’re Mormon. We as a people are just Christians that have set beliefs that are slightly different from other Christian groups.” “For example,” Rylee said, “we have certain standards we like to upkeep. One thing that a lot of people at Western notice about us is the way we dress modestly; we don’t wear short shorts and dresses.” “And we don’t really do stuff like swear or drink or do drugs,” Grace added. During high school, a time when it’s easy to fall prey to peer pressure, they credit each other with forming a strong support system and helping one another to maintain their priorities.

When asked what their plans for the future were, the entire group responded in almost perfect unison. “Mission”. Jared then clarified by explaining how missionary service is an important tradition in the Church. “I’m in the process of putting in my mission papers right now,” he said. “Girls go for about eighteen months, and for guys it’s two years. You can say whether you want to learn a new language, but you don’t really have a choice in where you go – they can send you anywhere. One of my brothers went to Brazil, and the other one went to an island in the South Pacific. While on mission, you wake up at 6:30 in the morning and go out and proselyte and do service until you go to bed at 10:30 at night. You can’t use the internet or watch TV or listen to the radio.” Rylee, whose older brother is currently serving on his mission, said, “While on your mission you aren’t allowed to talk to family members, but every Monday you get a personal day, so you can write letters and send emails.” “And we do get to Skype with them twice a year – on Mother’s Day and Christmas,” said Stuart. “So when my sister Emily was on her mission in Portugal, I didn’t get to talk to her except for on those two days. It really made family a priority for me, and we had a lot of meaningful conversations [just through the letters and emails].” By spending so much time together both inside and out of school, the group agreed that they have all become very close – a small team they each know they can rely on and go to for anything. Rylee summed up part of what makes this group’s dynamic so special. “We’re all really close, and it’s nice because I don’t have to compromise anything I believe in, in order to be friends with them.”

More Than “The Tech Guy” Hear the story of Mustafa Al Mukhtar By: INDIA MAWN

hile many students may just know him as the “tech guy,” or many students may have never even seen him at all, Mustafa Al Mukhtar has more stories to him than anyone knew. He opened up to us during lunch one day, not only about his past, but also about how racism, religion, art, and war have impacted his life. Being half Arabian and half Turkish, with no family in the United States, Al Mukhtar and his family took

a big step when they moved here. He had just worked with the United Nations for ten years, and was now taking a job in New Jersey. After that, he and his family lived in Baltimore, and it wasn’t until they reached Virginia that they felt they were in a place that could eventually be called “home.” Al Mukhtar explained that Virginia is a safe place to raise a family, especially compared to where he had grown up. Constant war in the

Middle East made it an uneasy place to live, especially when people he knew were being executed for their religion, one that he also practiced. Aside from feeling safe, living in Virginia and working at Western has allowed for other things in Al Mukhtar’s life. As a teenager and a college student, Al Mukhtar was an artist. He placed in competitions for his art, and loved to paint. Getting married and having children didn’t give him time

February 2016, The Western Hemisphere, 4

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST ON OUR WEBSITE to make art, and it wasn’t until he came to Western that he began again. Mustafa Al Mukhtar is much more than just a “tech guy,” he has incredible stories to tell. To hear more, listen to Western’s first ever podcast at www.thewesternhemisphere.org.

News WAHS Alumna Bikes Road to Success

Q&A With Linda

By: AUGUST LAMB

Could you imagine biking close to 4,000 miles across the United States, and building houses for those in need along the way? 20 year old Linda Hexter, a WAHS graduate of 2013, is planning such a journey through Bike & Build, an organization that helps cyclists to raise money and awareness for affordable housing across the country. Hexter’s journey will begin in Portland, Maine, and will end 3,693 miles away in Santa Barbara, California. The entire trip will span two and a half months. Her route schedules her to assist in building 16 houses across the US, in the states of Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and California. On her website, Hexter said she knew that she wanted to do something different after leaving college. “With Thanks-

giving approaching, I knew that I would be asked several times the dreaded question, ‘So what grand plan do you have for after graduation?’ I knew that I didn’t want to go straight into a full time actuarial position. I’m not even old enough to drink. I’ll only be 20 once. Why waste this year in a cubicle? [...] I had three ideas for post-grad: 1) stay in shape 2) travel 3) help somebody somehow. These three keyword phrases led my Google search to Bike & Build within a matter of minutes.” Hexter, who will be graduating from Loyola University in New Orleans this year, is looking forward to exploring new states, and exercising her passions: biking, helping others, and photography, to further her experience with the campaign for affordable housing. “I’m really looking forward to

building 16 houses on this trip. I hold my faith through action, and I thoroughly enjoy handson service projects. I can’t wait to spend days in solidarity with the individuals whose lives we will change. I expect my life to be transformed by these people, and I’m looking forward to discovering exactly how that happens.” - Linda Hexter via www.bikeandbuild.org

How much time will you spend at each building site? Usually we just spend one full day at a build site, with the exception of Columbus, IN, where we will spend 2 days building. Where will you stay while travelling, and while building? We’ll be staying mostly at churches or host houses (parishioners that have volunteered). Sometimes we will be at a campground. Are you at all nervous for your trip? A little bit, yes! I’ve been training a lot (about 55 miles per week, although recently more like 100), but Louisiana is completely and totally flat. I’ll need to get practice on hills by taking spin classes or coming back to the Blue Ridge Mountains to train before the trip. However, my excitement about this upcoming journey far surpasses any nervousness that I have. Are you close to reaching your fundraising goal? I’m almost done, and this article could really help me reach and surpass my goal! If I raise more than the requirement, I can choose an affordable housing organization to directly give the excess funds too, and I get entered in a raffle for awesome bike gear. If people want to donate by mail, they can make checks payable to Bike and Build with my name in the memo and send them to Bike & Build, 6153 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19128.

Grice Honored for Artistic Achievements By: EMMA DUCKWORTH AND ELLIE BOWEN

unior Laura Grice is known across Western for her superior artistic talent, and is now getting well deserved attention from the Virginia Scholastic Arts and Writing. Grice won three awards for her exceptional artwork, making that only the second time a student from Western Albemarle has been selected for three different

categories. “I never expected to win this many awards,” she claimed. Grice received the Gold key award for ceramics, the Silver Key for her drawing, and Honorable Mention for her engraved print. She explained how her admiration for art has always been what has pushed her to pursue her talents. “It’s always been an innate part of

me; I’ve always sort of had a natural talent for it. Of course I’ve grown over the years, but I’ve always been attracted towards it,” she said. Her main inspiration for her artwork is nature, which she implements through her designs and patterns in her pieces. She also gets inspiration from many renowned artists. “I enjoy Gustav Klimt and contemporary art like Mark Rothko and Van Gogh,” Grice explained, “people who are just willing to push their boundries of art.” And with one year left at Western, Laura talks post-graduation, “I think I’m going to go to PVCC and learn a trade, something practical for a day job. And maybe go to school for graphic design at VCU.”

February 2016, The Western Hemisphere, 5

Art by Laura Grice

Sports Coffman Legacy Carries On By: GABBY ENG

The seniors line up for their last home game

Photo: ALEX LEHMBECK

Boys Basketball Advances to States By: BEN MASSELLI

he 2015-16 basketball season has been an overall success as the Warriors were able to clinch a share of the Jefferson District regular season title, tying with Albemarle and Charlottesville. In the postseason, Western claimed second place in the conference tournament behind only Spotswood. The top two seeds advance to regionals. The Warriors had to overcome a number of hardships as a team throughout the season as the veteran roster including seniors Mike Vale, Carrington Murphy, Will Cress, and Nick Yancey steered the ship to a number of key wins in the regular season. Yancey, commenting on the season as a whole said, “As a team we have had a few ups and downs during the season, but we have a lot of depth on our roster that really brings us back into those games.”

Juniors Josh Coffman and Austin Cress provided plenty of energy and height off the bench for the Warriors in tight contests this year. Their presence cannot be overstated on how important they were to the team as a whole. Ryan Ingram also progressed in Coach Maynard’s system, leading the team in scoring in most games. The only losses in the district this season have come at the hands of strong Albemarle and Charlottesville squads, showing progress from a season ago. Heading into the regular season finale against their biggest rival, Albemarle, the team was very content with where they were in the standings to that point as they already locked down the one seed in the conference tournament and were just playing for bragging rights. Senior Will Cress said, “We are really working towards the playoffs so the

lisabeth Coffman is well versed in basketball. She has been playing for as long as she can remember, and her debut on the high school team happened was while she was still in middle school. As an eighth grader, Coffman played starting point guard on the JV and 9th grade teams. Her three older siblings have dominated the courts as well, so she has large shoes to fill, but it came as no surprise that she was picked as one of the two freshmen who would get to play on the varsity squad this year. “When I started [on varsity], I wasn’t expecting it because I had been playing on JV for an entire year. That’s what I was used to, and then BANG - these girls are sprinting up and down the court,” Elisabeth said of her experience so far.

Her team works like a family, they all rely on one another. She loves this because when they win, they win as a team, and that’s a great feeling. It can be also a disadvantage she said, because when one girl is down, the entire team feels it. When asked about playing against older girls, she quoted something her dad always said, “Age doesn’t matter on the court if it’s your best against their best.” Elisabeth looks forward to many more years on the team playing her favorite position, point guard.

game against Albemarle is really just for the fans because they supported us all season. Our eyes are on the postseason.” The Warriors prevailed over Albemarle partly because of heroics by Ryan Ingram. If it had not been for Ingram’s game-high 29 points, the outcome of the contest may have been swayed the other way. With all eyes on the postseason, the Warriors will look to make a deep run into the 2016 playoffs after already securing the Jefferson District Tournament title.

Coffman and teammate Deja Newton-Grant play tight defense Photo: ALEX LEHMBECK

February 2016, The Western Hemisphere, 6

Sports This Week’s Question Corner:

With Stars of Track and Field, Sarah and Davis By: TALLEY JOHNSTON

Sarah Tolman Davis Green Pole Vaulter

What is your favorite color?

Is a hot dog a sandwich?

Yellow and coral

Distance Runner

Lime green, it has something to do with my name

What actor/actress would play you in a movie?

Daisy Ridley

Leonardo Dicaprio

If you could eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?

Chicken

Mango

Courtney Berry If you were stranded on an island and could have one thing, what would it be?

If you had to run from a monster, where would you go?

A private yacht

Courtney Berry’s arms

Wrestling Exceeds Expectations After winning the conference championship, the Warriors send their best to states By: ALEX LEHMBECK

fter the conclusion of the state wrestling tournament, marking the end to the 2015-16 season, it is clear that the Warriors can call this a successful year. Not only has the team impressed statistically, they have shown major improvement throughout the year. Under the leadership of senior captain Russ Hill and junior captain Anthony Ramazani, the Warriors secured their first conference championship in WAHS history. Head coach Adam Mulcahy brought 13 wrestlers to compete, and all 13 won at least one match. 12 of the wrestlers were able to move on to regionals. “Anytime you go that deep and you can place almost your entire lineup you have a shot,“ Mulcahy said. One key factor to the Warriors success is the consistency of their lineup. Although they have not had the most individual champions, they have an all around strong team. Instead of being dependent on one or two wrestlers, the whole lineup had made a difference on the outcome of their tournaments. The team set up the post-

Jack Ehlenberger’s house

season with a strong regular season campaign. “Our whole team is having a positive record and everybody is moving to postseason in good shape,” sophomore Keegan Riley said. Riley credits lots of the recent success to the team’s improvement, especially the underclassmen. Mulcahy added, “We’ve had some young guys who have really progressed and learned a lot. The have been baptized by fire. They’ve been thrown right into it and not backed down or shied away from that kind of challenge.” Mulcahy emphasizes how intimidating wrestling can be, going one on one in a battle of strength with no preparation. The new wrestlers have taken that test in stride. In the state tournament, Nate Riley claimed fourth place in the 182 weight class. Hill placed third in the 145 weight class. As far as improvement, that will simply come over time. The biggest weakness of the team is experience, as the warriors are a very young squad. “Only one senior is moving to regionals,” Mulcahy said. “It shows the future is really

@thewesternhemisphere If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Fly

Why do you run/ vault?

I like the uniqueness behind it, and the way it feels after clearing a bar

I enjoy the sport and I like to be around my friends, not including Jack

Courtney Berry

Ariel, because I like the ocean so I could be in the water

If you could be a Disney princess, who would it be?

Invisibilty, so I could sneak around

February 2016, The Western Hemisphere, 7

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Feature Top 10 Reasons Why You (Seniors) Need to Vote in the Upcoming Primary Election

By: LAUREN KEARNS

1) Because It’s Your Right

6) Because Your Vote Counts

According to an article from Borgen Magazine, “Over half of the world lives in a democracy of some kind, but only 15% of all people live in a full democracy and nearly one third of the world lives under an authoritarian leader.” Consider that. There are so many people on earth who do not get to have any say whatsoever in their government, so it’s a pretty big deal that on March 1st you will get to go to the voting booth to choose the candidate who you think will do the best job of leading our country. Don’t take that for granted.

One common misconception is that you, with a single vote, cannot make a difference. But that’s not true at all. Many recent elections, such as Bush vs. Gore and Kennedy vs. Nixon, have been extremely close, meaning that a small margin of votes made a huge difference. And keep in mind that Virginia is a swing state, meaning that the number of Democratic supporters and Republican supporters are pretty equal. So while other states, such as California and Texas, are routinely blue and red, respectively, states like Virginia can swing either way and have an enormous impact on the turnout of the election. So yes, your vote does count.

2) Because the Issues Do Affect You One reason why there tends to be a lower voter turnout among millennials is because many of us do not believe that the issues being debated have that big of an impact on our lives. This, however, is also a misconception. For starters, one of the major issues in this election is lowering the price of college tuition, something that will inevitably affect many of us. But that’s just the beginning. Further examples of issues that affect students include education policies, women’s rights, the unemployment rate, and access to affordable health care.

3) Because If You Don’t Vote, You’ll Automatically Lose Your Complaining Privileges

7) Because Students Have the Lowest Voter Turnout Adults already seem to have enough reasons to complain about us millennials, so let’s not give them reason to add “low voter turnout” to the list. But it is true. Americans ages 18-24 have by far the lowest voter turnout, and according to research, the problem seems to be getting worse - only about half of the eligible people in our age group voted in the most recent election. So let’s prove that we are in fact an involved generation, and not solely limited to posting politically charged Facebook statuses.

8) Because Many People Fought For Your Right to Vote

If a certain candidate (who you absolutely despise and wish would just drop out already) ends up becoming president, non-voters have absolutely no right to complain for the next four to eight years, because they did nothing to try and prevent it from happening.

4) Because You’re an Adult Now Vote as a way of celebrating the fact you’re now 18 (or almost 18 in the case of the primaries)! You’ve waited for so long, and who you vote for is a decision that you get to make completely independent from your parents and peers - plus it’s one of your first big steps into the adult world.

5) Because This is Your Chance to Learn More about Politics

As anyone who has studied U.S. history knows, the journey toward universal suffrage is an important part of our past. So if you waive your right to vote, then in a way you are choosing not to honor the work of the hundreds of thousands of people who fought for centuries to pass the amendments that brought about the voting rights we recognize today. Specifically, the 26th Amendment, passed in 1971, lowered the voting age from twenty one years of age to eighteen, after many student activists across the country protested that eighteen year olds being drafted into the Vietnam War were “old enough to fight, old enough to vote.”

9) Because Democracies Can’t Function Without Votes Samuel Adams once said, “Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual - or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.” Similarly, Thomas Jefferson said, “Should things go wrong at any time, the people will set them to rights by the peaceable exercise of their elective rights.” America was founded on the basis of democracy, and one of the original reasons why we separated from England way back in 1776 was over the conflict of representation. So why let your Founding Fathers down by not voting?

If none of the other reasons have given you enough motivation to vote in the upcoming primary elections, then just do it for the sake of using this as an opportunity to become educated on politics. There are so many interesting people and ideas out there right now, as well as a million quizzes you can take to find out which candidate you’re most aligned with, so seize the day by watching a debate or visiting a local campaign office or just learning more about the stances of the different political parties. Keep in mind that it’s important that you make your voting Whether you already knew how important voting is, or have decision based off of your own beliefs and values, and the best learned something from this list, be sure to head over to the way to ensure that is by doing your own research. voting booths on Tuesday, March 1st!

10) Because You Just Should!

February 2016, The Western Hemisphere, 8

Fun Facts About the 2016 Candidates By: OLIVIA GALLMEYER

During his surgical career, Ben Carson separated five pairs of conjoined twins. Hillary Clinton won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word album for the audio version of her book It Takes a Village. Jeb Bush taught English in Mexico as part of a student exchange program, where he met his future wife, Columba Bush. Donald Trump claims he has never used an ATM. Ted Cruz has dual citizenship in both the U.S. and Canada. Marco Rubio reportedly hates disco music, and once called the 70’s a “very frightening time.” Bernie Sanders was the star of a playable online video game created for his 2006 senatorial re-election. John Kasich is good friends with U2 lead singer Bono. Allegedly.

What are the Primaries? Basically, the primaries are an opportunity to vote for who you want to be on the official ballot in November’s general election.

Where Should I Vote?

Brownsville Elementary School in Crozet and Meriwether Lewis Elementary School in Ivy are two voting locations for Super Tuesday on March 1st. Check your voter registration card for your designated voting location.

Feature

Who Are You Voting For? Bernie Sanders I really like that he seems really authentic. When you look at a lot of the other candidates it kind of feels like they’re hiding something, like they’re saying stuff just to impress people, which I get a lot from Hillary. [Bernie] looks he just rolled out of bed and put on a suit and started talking to people about how much he wants to fix things, so I kind of like that. It’s like he really cares about everybody, it’s not like he’s focusing on one minority - he has a lot of diversity. I wasn’t really pleased with Hillary, and when I found out this one random guy from Vermont was going to run, I was so pumped because someone else was getting out there. And he’s Jewish, whereas most candidates are Christian. A lot of the Republican candidates don’t really separate church and state anymore, which is kind of irritating. He doesn’t ever really talk about his beliefs - he keeps to politics. Which is really refreshing. - Marta Rampini, founder of “WAHS for Bernie” Facebook Page

Illustrations by Wyeth Ward

Donald Trump

- Illegal immigration. There’s a difference between legal immigration and illegal immigration. If it’s illegal, it’s not right. It’s not American. - Taxes. Hillary Clinton and all of those other people believe in the “Robin Hood approach”, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. So why would people want to work hard to become rich and successful if it’s all going to be taken away? - His network. So if Donald Trump’s a good businessman, then he should make America have a better business economy also. And with the million dollar loan, people thought he said it was a small loan, but he turned it into something more than a million dollars. So that’s profit, and that’s going to help the country. - Luke Scavola

Hillary Clinton

I’m voting for Hillary Clinton because I believe that she is the best equipped person for the job. She has proved over and over again that no one can stand up to the GOP as well as she can. A strong supporter for women’s rights, a fighter for gun control, a helper for veterans, and a lover for children, Secretary Clinton has experience in foreign policy and keeping the country safe. She has a straightforward answer to how she will defeat ISIS and will make sure that we have the strongest military in the world. Also, Hillary Clinton has stated that there needs to be a complete stop to campus sexual assault and assault in general for men and women. I love that Hillary is supporting veterans’ all over the country and those who serve now. Since I am in the process of applying to ROTC, any news on the helping the people who serve means so much to me. We need to give veterans the health care that they deserve. They’ve sacrificed so much to serve our country that we can ensure that the men and women who come home can get the assistance they need. - Yerang Ju, co-president of the WAHS Young Democrats Club

Ben Carson Ben Carson is very smart, and his economic policies are very refined. And he’s African American, so he brings diversity into the party. Unfortunately, he has a pretty poor campaign, and probably will not win. - Connor Jordan-Hyde

February 2016, The Western Hemisphere, 9

Sports

Strzepek’s Scholars Head To States By: LUCIE TAYLOR

he WAHS Scholastic Bowl team is the quietest nationally-ranked sports team at in the school. They have an impressive history of sending Western students to National Scholastic Bowl competitions. They have been to the NAQT High School National Championship three times, placing 21st, 8th, and 4th out of 272 teams. What’s more, the team has competed in the PACE Nationals twice, ranking 2nd and 4th. Many may be wondering what Scholastic Bowl is and the how the team works since they are not widely advertised or covered. It is a varsity sport

and this year the team has 10 members and is coached by Mr. Strzepek of Henley Middle School. “It is a walk-on team, but they do a fair amount of recruitment through Henley to ensure new blood for the team every year,” explains senior Andria Li. The team was VHSL 3A State Champions in 2014 and 2015 and are heading to the West Regional Tournament on Saturday at Brookville High School, which will determine whether or not they continue on to compete in the state tournament at William & Mary once again. The past two years the team has had

impressive seasons finishing undefeated in both regular and post-season VHSL matches while led by quizbowl champion Eric Xu, who is now a part of the Academic Competition Club at UVA. This year, the team is led by captain and senior Sophie Salomon, and three other starters: senior Andria Li, sophomore Caroline Koester, and freshmen Jack Emery. The team won the Conference 29 Championship and won second place at regionals. They’re hoping to carry that momentum into the weekend as they take on states.

Photo: COURTESY OF THE ACE TEAM The Scholastic Bowl team after their conference win, from left to right: Harry Cowen, Gabby Eng, Mr. Strzepek, Caroline Koester, Sophie Salomon, Andrea Li, Jessica Novotmy, Cole Weiss, Russell Hunter, Jack Emery

Swim Teams Kick Into History Boys and Girls Win State Titles

he Western Albemarle Swim and Dive program had a historic night on Friday, leaving the pool with two state trophies in tow. The boys team won their first state title in school history, while the girls captured their sixth in a row. The girls locked up first place by outscoring a talented 3A field, winning by 47 points over Hidden Valley High School, and 94 points over Cave Spring High School. The boys were able to claim a comfortable 75 point victory over Hidden Valley, and 135 point lead on Tabb High School. Highlights for the boys included a new state relay record, a new VHSL 3A individual race record, and a swimmer of the year award. The 200 Freestyle Relay team consisting of (in order) junior AJ Donovan, freshmen August Lamb and Jason Heilman, and senior Aaron James set a new state record with a time of 1:27.32. For James, this was one of many accomplishments, breaking the 3A 50 Freestyle record in a blistering 20.85

By: TIM DESIMONE and BEN MASSELLI

time, as well as being honored as this year’s VHSL 3A male swimmer of the year. James also won the 100 Freestyle with a time of 46.81. While the girls did not set any records, it was far from unexciting. The 200 Freestyle Relay team finished 2nd, with a time of 1:41.95. Senior Colleen Higgins snatched second in the 100 Breaststroke with a time of 1:08.89, while fellow senior Brazil Rule also took a second place spot with a 56.94 time in the 100 fly. Thursday was an exciting night for the Dive team as well. The leading divers were sophomore Wilson Brown for the boys, who finished second with a score of 279.00, and junior Charlotte Norris for the girls, who finished fourth with a score of 302.50. This might just be the start of a special run for the boys as they return with most of the team from this championship squad for next year. If they are lucky, the boys will be able to return to States next February to defend their title. The six year streak the girls hold

Photo: ERIC BENSON

The team cheers on a relay event

is now the longest consecutive state title streak in girls state swimming history, and does not seem to be disappearing anytime soon. The swimmers that started the incredible run have mostly graduated, but

Western continues to dominate with new athletes every year. Streaks do not happen often in any sport, so Western Girls Swimming will for sure go down in the VHSL history books.

February 2016, The Western Hemisphere, 10

Opinion Is Moving Midterms Practical?

Dear College Emails: Why?

By: OLIVIA GALLMEYER

s of the moment I am writing this, a mere month after receiving my PSAT scores, I have gotten over 100 of you already. Awesome! Wow! How unbelievably exciting. Unfortunately, it’s as difficult to relay sarcasm in straight text as it is for me to have any interest in you. College emails, let me tell you something: you are not influencing me in any way, other than making me slightly more annoyed at my clogged inbox. I will not sign up to receive the “Free 7 Steps to Any Great College” brochure, nor will I take your “A World of Possibilities” college major quiz. And seriously, William and Mary, stop sending me emails with the subject line “Olivia, I’m interested in you.” It’s a little bit creepy at this point. I must confess, that if you are trying to gain my interest in your college, you are thoroughly failing. Your emails all have the exact same copy-andpaste formula of “you’re so impressive and smart, you need to give us all of your personal information so we can keep sending you stuff about how great we are.” I’m not sure you know how to write something that would appeal to sound-minded students. After all, what do you know about me? You know my

By: MARK FERGUSON

P O T

Photo: EME MASSARELLI

name, my email address, the fact that I am a white female, and my PSAT score. Is that really enough for you to decide that I’d fit in at your college? You know nothing of my interests, my personality, or even my grades in school. You are simplifying me down to a demographic and a single score, and I find that pretty insulting. You are seeing me as a num-

ber on a test booklet that might make you look prestigious, and not as a person who is trying to make important decisions about the future. And the next time I receive an email with a subject line like “Your impressive high school achievements,” or “A unique opportunity for Olivia,” I will laugh and delete it, because I know you don’t have a clue.

“Exams suck. So why make them ruin winter break?” said Jack Lesemann, a freshman who has been avidly supporting moving exams since he joined Western in 2015. The timing of midterms has caused commotion as many students crave a change to the current exam dates. Some want to keep the status quo of having exams after winter, but most want to see exams moved to before break. One obvious advantage of having them after break for students is being able to study more. Finishing exams before break would give students the chance to fully enjoy winter break without having to worry about looming exams. It also makes sense to move exams because after working hard, students can then relax with a winter break instead of immediately going back to school. Also, so much of curriculum today seems to be modeled around preparing students for colleges. Why not reflect this approach in midterms? Move exams to before winter break just like most universities. This would be all too easy to enact if not for one issue–the semester ends two weeks after winter break.

Mr. Mann, the legendary Latin teacher, believes that moving exams would be a great idea, but it’s just not feasible as the two semesters would become uneven and there would not be enough time to cover the material on midterms. Mr. Mann then went on to remark that he believes moving the start of school to an earlier date would allow midterms to be before break. Many teachers agree with Mann’s stance on issue and believe that just moving exams would be beneficial for students, but having a shorter first semester would not work. In my opinion, there are two ways to solve this problem. The first is to start school two weeks early in August and then finish at the end of May. The second is to move back to a seven period day. A seven period day would mean there would be more time in each class, giving teachers enough time to cover a semester’s-worth of material before winter break. Moving midterms isn’t as simple as just moving exams, but regardless, I think it’s important that both Western faculty and the student body discuss the best solution to the timing of exams.

The Western Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the student-run newspaper for Western Albemarle High School in Crozet, Virginia. It is published 5-6 times a year by the journalism class and is distributed to students, faculty and the community. The Western Hemisphere serves as a public forum and seeks to inform, educate, and entertain the student body and local community. Opinions expressed in the newspaper are not necessarily representative of WAHS, the faculty, staff, or administration. The Western Hemisphere is a member of the Virginia High School League, Quill & Scroll, and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The newspaper is printed by Narrow Passage Press in Woodstock, Virginia. Letters to the Editor: The Western Hemisphere welcomes letters to the editor of any topic of concern to the Western community. All letters must be signed; works submitted without the author’s name will not be published. All materials are subject to editing for libel, obscenity, poor taste, spelling, grammar, punctuation, style and space. Submit letters to the editor to: The Western Hemisphere, 5941 Rockfish Gap Turnpike, Crozet, VA 22932 or wahs.news@gmail.com

Editors-in-Chiefs Tim DeSimone, Lauren Kearns, Eme Massarelli Opinion Editor Olivia Gallmeyer A & E Editor

Shannon Durazo

Latitudes Editor

Matt Mandell

Sports Editors Asst. Editors

Ben Masselli and Alex Lehmbeck Madeleine Andrews, Abby Lohr

Social Media Editor

Talley Johnston

Photo Editor Morgan Broadus Staff Writers Gabby Eng, Jessica Klees, August Lamb, India Mawn, Jack Lesemann, Spencer Stevens, Ellie Bowen, Pauline Gilbert, Mark Ferguson, Lucie Taylor, Emma Duckworth Adviser

February 2016, The Western Hemisphere, 11

Jill Williams

Arts & Entertainment

Grease Is the Word By: TIM DESIMONE

Collage Credit: Eme Massarelli

With February comes the annual “Academy Awards,” arguably the most important award show in the entertainment industry. And with the Oscars comes Oscar predictions. Seniors Shannon Durazo and Eme Massarelli and freshman Emma Duckworth weighed in on their predictions for the top awards at this year’s Oscars.

Shannon’s Picks

Eme’s Picks

Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio “The Revenant”- Legend has it that Dicaprio slept in a rotting animal carcass in the Alaskan tundra as part of his character development for the grueling film. For the love of god, give this man an Oscar before he ends up getting killed.

Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio “The Revenant” - This. Is. His. Year. The scene where Tom Hardy’s character tells DiCaprio to blink if he wants to die is among the most heartwrenching and suspenseful acting jobs I’ve ever seen in a movie. No one in the theater breathed for a full minute.

Best Actress: Brie Larson “Room” - As much as I love Cate Blanchett, Brie Larson’s heart-wrenching performance as a young mother desperately trying to escape her kidnapper’s grasp in “Room” was too amazing to ignore.

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett “Carol” - This was the toughest category to call this year because every woman nominated was superb. Blanchett’s elegance was perfect for the tragic role of Carol.

Best Supporting Actor/Actress: Kate Winslet “Steve Jobs” and Sylvester Stallone “Creed”. The “Best Supporting” category is predicted to be the most competitive at this year’s Oscars. But in the end, I think Hollywood heavyweights Winslet and Stallone will take home the gold.

Best Supporting Actor/Actress: Rooney Mara “Carol” and Tom Hardy “The Revenant” - Rooney Mara poured her soul into the character of naive Therese. Meanwhile, Tom Hardy has had many triumphs recently, including “Mad Max: Fury Road,” but his character in “The Revenant” is hauntingly psychotic. Hardy matched DiCaprio’s acting and perhaps even went beyond.

Best Director: George Miller “Mad Max: Fury Road” - Lo siento Alejandro, Miller’s epic masterpiece “Mad Max” is not only one of the best action movies ever, it’s just downright epic. The film is also the frontrunner in the “Best Visual Effects” and “Best Cinematography” categories as well. Best Picture: “Spotlight”- Maybe it’s my own selfish desire for a movie about journalism to win, but in my eyes “Spotlight” is superior to all of the other films this year. The immensely important film featured both great acting, rad directing, a kick-butt screenplay, beautiful cinematography, and a lovely soundtrack. What more could you ask for in a movie?

Best Director: Tom McCarthy “Spotlight” - McCarthy had a challenging job of creating a movie based on a fairly recent scandal. Many of these true story-type of movies end up seeming like overdramatic tv films, so the brilliant tension-heavy “Spotlight” is an enormous achievement for McCarthy. Best Picture: “The Revenant” - 2015 was a great year to be an avid moviegoer, with so many quality films having been released. Every movie nominated was well deserving, but with the incredible momentum that “The Revenant” has coming into the Oscars, I’m putting my money with this insane true story.

Emma’s Picks Overall: Emma has no comment for any movies other than “Star Wars The Force Awakens” and remains salty towards the Academy for not nominating the film.

So, whose Oscar predictions will prove correct? Tune in to this year’s Academy Awards on February 28th to find out.

February 2016, The Western Hemisphere, 12

t’s one of the most iconic and well known musicals of the 20th century, embodying the wild and free spirit of an entire decade. Thanks to the efforts of the Western Albemarle Drama Department, “Grease” is coming to Crozet as this year’s spring musical. “It’s about the time in your life, when you’re a teenager and you feel like rebelling against your parents, against your culture, against school, and against society, that’s what the play’s about. And I think that’s why people like it so much,” says Drama instructor and Musical Director Caitlin Pitts. “It’s one of the most popular musicals ever, and it’s just very fun, it’s a super fun musical.” Junior Lauren Rider is playing Frenchie, a Pink Lady. “If you look at the script for Frenchy, and the backstory, there really isn’t that much, so I really got to come up with whatever I want.” This gives Lauren the ability to turn Frenchie into her own ideal character, one that strays away from the wild and reckless behavior of some of the other characters in the show. One of the really iconic and well-known aspects of the show are the costumes and styles of the characters. “We have to try to think about colors and shapes, like what is their personality? Are they more mature, childlike, are they a little scandalous or conservative, so it’s fun to try to see through the eyes of the character and see what they would pick out to wear,” said sophomore Alice Ferrell. She is the student costume designer of the show, one in which the crowd expects the Pink Lady jackets, and the slicked back hair. “[We’re pulling inspiration] more from Broadway productions, because the musical is a lot different from the movie, I think it’s interesting to see the parallels between the two and compare and contrast what they’re like.” “Grease” will be performed March 24th, 25th, and 26th

Arts & Entertainment

G-Eazy’s ‘When It’s Dark Out’ Lights Up the Music Scene

By: MORGAN BROADUS

O “Wiz Khalifa” Photo: Thecomeupshow/cc

Rihanna’s “Anti” album cover Photo: FidanSophia/cc

New Year Brings New Beats

“T.I.” Photo: AlexCrick/cc

By: ABBY LOHR

or music fanatics, a new year means the build-up of album drops, new stars, and the return of trusty, well-known artists. The competition in the rap and R&B industry has definitely heated up over the last few years and finding talented, new artists has proven difficult. But I’m going to break down the top five rap and R&B albums to look out for in the new year, hopefully making album searches more worthwhile.

1. “Anti” by Rihanna

The variety of her music and talented voice makes her an artist to look out for in the new year. Albums like ‘Loud’, ‘Rated R’, and ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ have proven to her fans that she’s a vocal powerhouse and extremely versatile with her range. Many female R&B artists come out with maybe one breakthrough album and then seem to disappear from the music industry as their popularity dies down. With Rihanna, each album is unique, catchy, and filled with artists that compliment her voice.

2. “The Life of Pablo” by Kanye West

Is it just me that is extremely surprised West hasn’t released a new album since 2013? Maybe his roles as a husband, father, and rising rap star have kept him slightly under the radar, but let’s not forget his breakthrough album ‘Graduation’ released in 2007. “Stronger” was my go-to song for the longest time, and I still listen to it from time to time. Based on his past albums, I’m banking on ‘The Life of Pablo’ being a best-seller for West.

n December 4th, 2015, Bay Area’s own G-Eazy released his much-anticipated sophomore album ‘When It’s Dark Out.’ The album is a continuation of his first album, ‘These Things Happen,’ which received a tremendous amount of praise when it was released in 2014. Almost immediately after dropping ‘When It’s Dark Out’, the album began to rise to the top of the charts In his debut record, G-Eazy describes his early rise to fame, expressing that he earned every bit of success he achieved. If ‘These Things Happen’ was about his first taste of fame, then ‘When It’s Dark Out’ is him fully submerging himself in the lifestyle associated with his newfound celebrity status. While standout songs such as “Me, Myself, and I” feat. Bebe Rexha, “Order More,” and “Random” climbed the charts and remained there for weeks, G-Eazy’s entire album is full of hits. One of the most popular tracks, “You Got Me,” gives a whole new meaning to G’s confident and braggadocios side, a persona consumed with fame, money, and success. While this track, along with

“Random,” “Calm Down,” and “One Of Them” feat. Big Sean, promotes the famous side to him, emitting a particular sense of cockiness throughout the album, G-Eazy also produces emotional tracks that show his simple ‘Gerald’ persona, which he openly describes as his humble and down to earth side. In “Everything Will Be OK” featuring Kehlani, Gerald raps about the sacrifices and struggles of leaving his hometown in order to pursue his dreams. With deep stories that G-Eazy kept hidden from the public, the Bay Area rapper releases his darkest secrets on this track to create a song that will leave you in chills. Overall, ‘When It’s Dark Out’ is the perfect blend of the two personas of Gerald Gillum, validating that G-Eazy deserves all of the success he’s dedicated his life towards.

3. “Khalifa” by Wiz Khalifa

Most know him by his breakout song “Black and Yellow” released in 2011. Ever since, Wiz has been coming out with album after album, while still maintaining his constant appearance on social media. While the majority of his music consists of rap, he has a few hits that are slower and catchy such as “See You Again” with Charlie Puth. Maybe he could have come up with a more creative album title, but his new album is sure to continue his success in the rap industry.

4. “Evol” by Future

I don’t know much about Future, with the exception of his appearances on the album, ‘What A Time To Be Alive’. Based on his compilations with Drake, I’m a big fan of his raspy, auto-tuned filled voice. If it’s not too creepy to say, I think his voice is slightly soothing but in a thug kind of way. With his own album coming out, we’ll be able to see how he does on his own. Because of what I’ve already heard, I think Future could overshadow top rap artists easily.

5. “The Dime Trap” by T.I.

I feel like T.I. gets a lot of hate, but I have high hopes for him after his massive success with songs like “Whatever You Like” and “Live Your Life” in 2008. His rap isn’t as hardcore or smooth like many artists, and let’s be honest, his songs are a little all over the place, but I’m hoping he can make a comeback. His voice has a nice tone to it, and he has the ability to create songs that listeners keep on repeat. With his last successful album, ‘Paper Trail’, being released in 2008, here’s to hoping he’s had time to make ‘The Dime Trap’ a hit for listeners.

Up and coming rap star, G-Eazy.

Whether you agree with these top five albums or not, there’s no denying that 2016 will be a big year for R&B music. February 2016 The Western Hemisphere, 13

Photo Credit: TaylorG/cc

Latitudes

Humans of WAHS

As a project for the Western Hemisphere, Editor-in-Chief Lauren Kearns was inspired to create Humans of WAHS. A local take on the popular blog Humans of New York, Humans of WAHS is a collection of “anonymous” interviews and photos from the halls of Western. Find the complete series on our website www.thewesternhemisphere.org and on Instagram, @humansofwahs. Photos By: LAUREN KEARNS

“I like the old saying that you should put life in your years, not years in your life. Life is so short, and I think a lot of us get caught up in things like trying to keep up with others and make money. And I think that’s fine and dandy, but you have to ask yourself whether you’re happy. If you focus on putting life in your years, you’ll have so many good experiences, and I think you’ll be remembered not for what you did, but for what kind of person you were. I believe I was put here to serve others, and someday I want to be remembered not for the things I did, like coaching, but for being a good person who was fair, kind, and treated everyone with respect.”

“We’ve been best friends since freshman year, when I moved here from Chile. We first met in English class – I was wearing a blue shirt, and she came over and complemented me on it, so I said she could borrow it anytime. And we’ve been best friends ever since.”

“Crozet and New Orleans are completely different – almost nothing’s the same. One of the biggest differences, though, is the food. The food in New Orleans is just amazing. Right around now it’s crawfish season, and my mom cooks the best crawfish – there’s a crawfish pasta that she makes, and a crawfish étouffée. Now that we live in Virginia we have to special order the crawfish, but believe me - it’s worth it.” “I’m probably most proud of where I am in my music career. Of course when I was twelve I thought I would be completely famous by now, but even though that’s not the case, I’m really happy with what I’ve accomplished. I mostly play at vineyards, breweries, and coffeehouses, and recently I actually started getting paid – I still can’t believe that people are paying me to come and play music for them. It’s an awesome feeling. One of my favorite places on earth is my roof, and sometimes I’ll bring my journal out onto it and just write songs. Many of my songs are inspired by everyday life, but songwriting is kind of weird – when I’m happiest, I’ll write my most melancholic songs, whereas when I’m in my deepest and darkest places, I’ll write my happiest songs, which are the ones people seem to like the most. I just pull from deep down, and that always seems to work.”

“I know this may sound cheesy, but I really want to change the world. At the end of my life, I want to be able to look back and pinpoint the things that I was able to change. But I don’t just want to solve issues - I want to make sure that while making someone’s life better, I don’t make someone else’s life worse.”

February 2016, The Western Hemisphere, 14

Latitudes Whose Car Is It? You know your teacher’s style prefereces, but students never get the opportunity to see their teachers’ cars. A car says a lot about a person, so we have provided you with a number of your teachers’ vehicles. It is your job to match the teacher with the vehicle. Below we have listed a brown Honda CR-V, a black Jaguar, a black Chevy Suburan, a silver Lexus, and a blue Toyota FJ Cruiser, in that order. Choose from the teachers and staff below.

1) Word Bank

Mrs. Hyman

Mrs.Hoza

Mrs. Innes

Ms. Powers Mr. Jackson

For Answers, see bottom of page

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February 2016, The Western Hemisphere, 15

Latitudes

Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich? Mark and Matt weigh in on the great debate. Whether the hot dog is classified under the “sandwich” label has divided the nation. Many side with Mark, who believes that a hot dog is its own entity—separate than that of a sandwich. But there’s also a strong fight for the opposition. Matt’s argument focuses on the basic content of the hot dog. It has meat, bread, and other supplemental items such as ketchup, mustard, relish, onions - just like any sandwich would. So who’s right?

Of course a hot dog is a sandwich!

Heck No! A Hot dog is a...Hot dog.

By: MATT MANDELL

ome radicals have recently claimed that the German delicacy is NOT a sandwich. Outrageous, I know. “An item of food consisting of two pieces of bread with meat, cheese, or other filling between them, eaten as a light meal” is how Merriam Webster defines it. Now, all you doubters must be ready to pounce on me for the term “two pieces of bread,” but cool it. Sure, hot dogs don’t contain two separate meat holding agents, but neither does a Subway sandwich. When you walk into Subway and craft your piece of art, you may recall that the sandwich creator does not cut one side of the bread. Thus creating a sandwich without two separate pieces of bread. If you are ready to counter that with the fact that Subway does not sell sandwiches, I officially deem you unfit to participate in this debate. Why? Because I called Subway and asked Stephanie, a sandwich master, if they sold sandwiches. She said “yes.” Those of you who are in denial of a hot dog’s sandwich-hood are closed-minded, unaccepting people. It meets the basic requirements of a sandwich— bread, meat, various toppings and condiments. However, some are still reluctant to accept the sandwich status of the hot dog because of its orientation. Unlike a Subway sandwich, the majority of hot dog consumers munch on their dog with the crevice in the bread facing upward. Whereas on a Subway

By: MARK FERGUSON

sandwich, the carbohydrate partition is on the side. The orientation of the bread and the fact that it’s cut lengthwise but not all the way through, affects nothing in this discussion. Just because the bread of a classic turkey sandwich may be more familiar to the eye gives no one grounds to say a different looking one is not a sandwich. That’d be like me telling a Floridian a palm tree isn’t a tree because it doesn’t look like the ones where I live. However, if the debate ended here, there would be many loose ends. Is a taco a sandwich? A burrito? Taquitos? Wraps? The list goes on, and that’s why the discussion of a frankfurter’s sandwich-status relies on intentionalism. In other words, what was the artist’s (cooking is certainly an art) intention in creating this food? Whether the bread was employed as an attempt of making a portable, compact, tidy meal determines the sandwich classification. For example, if you take a saltine and dip it in ranch and eat it (highly recommended), does that mean you are eating a ranch sandwich? Heck no it doesn’t. You’re snacking, or at least you are intending to and that’s what matters in this debate. And when a street vendor crafts you a hot dog, he is intending to make you a portable, delicious meal, ergo a sandwich.

isclaimer: I don’t like hot dogs, but I do like sandwiches. This personal phenomenon was the main inspiration for my debate. I’d also like to thank my friends, family, and my god, whom is sweeter than the sweet relish on Matt’s so-called “sandwiches.” Sandwich: (n) a. two slices of bread usually buttered with a thin layer (such as meat, cheese, or savory mixture) spread between them. b. food consisting of a filling placed upon one slice or between two or more slices of bread. Many people do not think that a hot dog is a sandwich, yet by the current Oxford dictionary definition, a hot dog seems to be a sandwich. But according to this definition, a pie is also a sandwich, because it is pie filling surrounded by a yeast based crust, and technically pizza is, as well. But when asked to make a sandwich, no one would ever make a pizza, pie, or, most importantly, a hot dog. So I think it is safe to say that this definition created in 1792 is outdated. Earl of Sandwich (inventor of the sandwich) never imagined that his thin layer of meat and cheese would become something as ginormous as the foot-long sub. It is time the definition of the sandwich is

February 2016, The Western Hemisphere, 16

“When asked to make a sandwich, no one would ever make a pizza, a pie, or, most importantly, a hot dog.” modified to fit the current understanding of sandwich. When coming up with a new definition, it is important to consider what the modern universal understanding of a sandwich actually is. What do the circular PB&Js in the plastic bags which the cafeteria serves, a philly cheesesteak, and a cheeseburger have in common? They all consist of layers of toppings in between two pieces of bread. Therefore, a sandwich must be defined as one or more pieces of bread with one or layer of meat, cheese or savory topping. A hot dog would not fit this definition, because the hot dog fits inside the bun, but the other layers of the hot dog do not fit inside. The inability to fit multiple layers inside the two bread pieces compromising the hot dog is the reason the hot dog is not a sandwich.