The Western Hemisphere - May 2015 by The Western Hemisphere

The student newspaper of Western Albemarle High School CROZET, THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2015

DE-STRESS WEEK COMES TO WAHS By TALLEY JOHNSTON

ogs filled the front lawn of the school as seniors brought their pets to Western with them as this year’s “senior prank.” Around 8:40 am on Friday, May 8, seniors started to gather in the parking lot. A dozen or so dogs joined the crowd, and onlookers started to gather on the front lawn and confused students looked over at the scene as they stepped off the buses. At 8:45 am, the seniors - with leashes in hand and dog poop bags in pockets - walked towards the front of the school with the dogs by their side. As the prank unfolded, administrators carefully

watched the crowd and asked that seniors not bring their dogs into the school due to concerns about potential allergy problems and disruptions. Within the next 15 minutes, more seniors walked over from the junior parking lot and more dogs joined in on the prank. At its height, about 30 dogs were in the front of the school. As pictures were snapped with the dogs and students, office staff, and teachers came out to see the commotion, “oooh”’s and “ahhh”’s engulfed the scene. Toward the end of the prank, seniors lined up with the dogs on the front drive-

way and staged a pet parade. The prank originated on the senior class Facebook page and was inspired by similar prank videos posted online. Senior class officer Emily Senesac said she was “worried that there would be a dog-related situation with biting or some sort of attack, but it actually went really well and the dogs were really chill.” “Some of the dogs were excited, so there was a little barking, but otherwise, I think it went really well,” Senesac added. “Everyone was happy, and laughing…this was fun and enjoyable for everyone.” Greg Domecq, Associate

Principal, admitted that the dogs were “one of the most creative senior pranks” he has seen in his 13 years at WAHS; however, he said that “it was also one of the most on-edge.” “Sometimes we have very little control over students, much less their dogs, and depending upon what they would do - if one dog bit another dog or bit somebody that was definitely a risk that was involved,” Domecq said. As a word of advice for future senior pranks, Senesac said that a good prank is “something that is funny, but doesn’t cross the line into being dangerous or inappropriate.”

e-stress week was a week full of fun activities during lunch and music playing in-between classes. The week kicked off on Tuesday, April 21, with coloring at lunch. All of the tables were covered with paper and Leadership students passed out coloring sheets with Disney characters and crayons. On Wednesday there was Yoga with Ms. Pitts and Qigong with Mr. Broderson, that was followed by a Stress Panel on Thursday. The week came to a close on Friday with a performance by the Battle of the Bands winner along with chalk and bubbles outside. When asked about destress week Freshman, Elsa Bollmeier stated that, “I felt like de-stress week was more stressful. Instead of helping to de-stress us it gave us extra things to worry about because not only were we worrying about our normal school work but we also had to think about events at lunch that were taking place. So in a way de-stress week was the most stressful week of the year.” The whole week was planned by the Leadership class. Freshman student in Leadership Alex Moreno said that the purpose of de-stress week was “to just kind of calm things down and try to make sure people could have a relaxed time as they came back from spring break and as they get ready for the final stretch of the year.”

Sports:

Opinion:

Feature:

Arts:

Latitudes:

Photo: Kimberly Powell/TEDx Charlottesville/CC BY 2.0 Senior Tate DeVito brought his dog, Beans, to the senior prank.

Photo: Olivia Gallmeyer

Successful Senior Prank Seniors have a “pet parade’ with their dogs

New Faces Join Track and Field pg. 4

By TIM DODSON

Small Population Always in Charge pg. 6

Inside the Honor Council Debate pg. 7

Madeline Challiet: Stompin’ Away pg. 12

May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 1

Review of Chalk Day Masterpieces pg. 16

News

Grinnell’s Dogs Win Top Prize

James Sun Memorial Run

By RUBY NEISSER

wen Grinnell has done very well in “coon dog” hunting competitions, earning titles for several of his dogs. Grinnell said, “My oldest male (he is eleven years old), he has his Grand Night Champion and my four year old female is just a Night Champion.” From a very young age, he has been working with and training these dogs, and has an evident talent. He trains the dogs in order to participate in competitions, in which they hunt raccoons. His father also started working with coon dogs at a young age, and this helped to spark Grinnell’s interest in coon dogs. “I just love how coon dogs work,” Grinnell said. He currently has two adult coon dogs, named Ace and Daisy, who he is training. Additionally, he has numerous rabbit dogs and 3 puppies. Grinnell said, “[I love] seeing the light click on in puppies, and getting them really started running good,” when asked what he likes about training these dogs. He cares for the dogs before and after school by feeding them, cleaning their bedding, giving them fresh water,

and training them for competitions. Most of the time, he works with his dogs on the weekends, unless he doesn’t have too much school work during the week. Also in regard to training, Grinnell said, “I am strict with them. If they don’t do what I like or if they have a quality that I don’t really like, they’ll move on down the road. It’s just the way it goes.” Grinnell begins training his puppies using a hide, and then “[w]hen they are about four or five months old, I will take a live cage coon and I will use that.” At competitions, the dogs hunt live racoons. According to Grinnell, “You get chosen into casts (five or six dog casts) and then you have one guide and the guide will take you where you are going hunting. They turn the dogs loose and whoever’s dog strikes first gets plus stuff and whoevers dog trees first gets plus stuff and points.” Treeing is when the coon dog runs up a tree. Then, the judges identify the tree that the raccoon ran up, and the competitor stays beside the tree. Both treeing and striking the raccoon result in the participants receiving

May 16th 8am - 11am Warrior Stadium Live Music, Free Food! Registration is FREE, but donations are appreciated! Donations will be given to help rebuild Nepal.

Upcoming Events

One of Grinnell’s many hounds.

points, during the competition. ‘You can meet some mean and nice people, but I just say: let your dogs do the talking not your mouth,”

Photo: Owen Grinnell

Grinnell said. “It is just a good sport to be a part of.”

- Senior Trip (May 22) - Memorial Day (No School - May 25) - Valediction (May 28) - Graduation (May 29) - Last Day of School (June 5)

Old Sinks Are Drained Away By MADELINE ANDREWS

tudents may have noticed that some of the bathrooms now have “push” faucets. This new style was installed in the cafeteria and C-Wing bathrooms during Spring Break, while contractors could work undisturbed by the school day. The installment came as a surprise to students, who have been using the standard faucet style for years. Custodian Michael Jackson said, “The new faucets were installed, because the old faucets were old and have been here since the building has been up. And, we need to conserve water, so we installed new faucets, that were more towards saving water. Instead of turning a faucet on, now you just push it in and you have a couple seconds, and then it just shuts off by itself.” These new faucets have been receiving mixed reviews among the students at West-

ern. Sophomore Faith Reid said, “I want the ones that just turn on like a normal sink. I have left the bathroom a couple times with them [push faucets] still running, and I just hope they turned off.” With a contrasting view, freshman Yvonne Batcheller said “I am a huge advocate for the new sinks. I like that even when my hands are messy from my favorite class Ceramics, I can just tap them to wash my hands off, and at the same time not get the handles all messy.” There aren’t any new changes coming to the bathrooms, however there is one new feature in the gym. A new water fountain and water bottle filler replaced two of the sinks built into the wall. This new feature is located on the far side of the gym for athletes and students to use.

New faucets have been installed in many of the school’s bathrooms.

May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 2

Photo: Madeleine Andrews

News

Rhythm in his Bones, Music in his Soul, Harmony in his Hair

By PATRICK ANDREWS

saac Rowlingson has the soul of Bob Dylan, the charisma of the Beatles, and a style that is all his own. Dressed in plaid pajamas, a dark green blazer and sunglasses, with drumsticks in hand and his guitar not far off, he charmed his way to the title of Mr. WAHS without even saying a word during the entire competition. Instead, he let his drums and guitar do the talking. He recently played for both Neighbors You Know and Galaxy Groove during Battle of the Bands last April, opened for Range Crisler and Silas Frayser at the Batesville Store with Neighbors You Know, and unofficially led the drum section of the marching band. With this prolific activity, it’s easy to see that Rowlingson’s unique musical presence is undeniable. Different is his thing, and it isn’t just an act. “Authenticity is definitely a big thing for me. I don’t like when people aren’t being true to themselves. I’m always true to myself no matter how much it hurts, no matter how much guilt [I] feel,” Rowlingson said. For Rowlingson, an expert

in drums, harmonica, bass guitar, and electric guitar, music is a means to showing that authenticity. “I try and… dig [out] the music that’s inside of me because that’s what it is for me. It’s a release of all of the emotions and thoughts that build up,” Rowlingson said. With his ability to play quite a few instruments and learn songs quickly, most people would believe that Rowlingson spends a great deal of time practicing. He does, but not in the traditional sense. “I don’t spend too much time [practicing]. I spend a lot of time in my head, though. I’ll be... playing music in my head... I don’t hear it, but I can think it. It’s not like you’re physically practicing, but you can practice inside your head,” Rowlingson said. Although he’s most recognizable for his entertaining, soulful drumming and percussion during performances for student bands and the marching band, Rowlingson has found the most enjoyment in playing the harmonica. “It’s a really good way to let out your loneliness. It’s really associated with the blues

and there’s a reason it’s really in the blues and dirty areas of music,” Rowlingson said. “There’s a real sense of loneliness that you can hear from it. It draws people that are sad and are lonely, and it’s a really good outlet for them.” But music hasn’t always been on Rowlingson’s mind. His family isn’t particularly musical, so the pressure to learn an instrument never came from his parents. Instead, the pressure came from hearing the Beatles. “The thing that started it for me was hearing the Beatles in fourth grade, and it was the first music that kind of did something for me,”

Creating Winning Smiles

Braces or Dr. David Hamer is a Premier Preferred, Elite Preferred and Teen Provider

Visit our office in Old Trail and ask about the

FREE Crozet School Shuttle

Rowlingson said. “There’s a saxophone line in this song called ‘Penny Lane.’ It’s either trumpet or saxophone, and it tasted like steak to me... It was the first music that did something for me.” From that point on, Rowlingson continued to build on his musical tastes and abilities, developing his own unique style and learning, but never copying, the greats of the music world. “I respect people. I don’t try to copy people. You can learn from anybody,” Rowlingson said. For Rowlingson, the most important key to music is its message. “Music that’s made an attempt to change some-

thing, in any era,” is worth listening to because, according to Rowlingson, “that’s where music becomes timeless... where eras don’t exist.” He noted, “You can go to a concert with really exciting music… there might or might not be a message, or a sense of change implemented, but you can go to a slow show, and you can really feel what they’re trying to get across to society, to one person, to many people, anyone.” Among the artists that Rowlingson respects for both their message and innovative style, he cites Ween, Nirvana, Bob Dylan, the Doors, and Woody Guthrie. “A lot of music just goes blind and doesn’t do anything,” Rowlingson said. “It’s like, ‘Oh yeah, we can sing about girls all we want,’ but then what is music? Just a bunch of empty words.” As for the future, Rowlingson wants to bring his own message and style to the music world. “I’d probably want to become… some sort of solo act, wear a coat of many colors, and be a jack of all trades ‘cause that’s like what I’ve always done.”

Women’s Health Care Practice in Crozet Elizabeth Mandell, MD Phone: 434-249-1613 Located in the Shoppes of Clover Lawn (across from Harris Teeter)

Call today for a free consultation

434-296-0188

cvillebraces.com

May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 3

Sports

From left to right: Connor Lowe, Isabel Holmes, Alex Moore, Kenny Gibson, Justin Lucas, Anna Young

Photo: Sandy Keyser

New Faces Join WAHS Track Western Track & Field Demonstrates Sportsmanship

By MATTHEW MANDELL

here is no feeling quite as liberating, exhilarating, or exciting as competing in a sporting event. But some students at Western Albemarle never get to experience the feeling of organized competition. The Special Education program at Western has cooperated with the track program to involve some of the students to race in the meets, called “Champions Together”. The student athletes competed at Albemarle, against Albemarle and William Monroe. William Monroe and Albemarle also brought their Special Education programs to compete against WAHS. The look on the athletes’ faces reminds us of the joy that can be experienced during a competition. The liberating feeling and sense of accomplishment you get from testing yourself and your abilities are rare. “It’s just amazing having them out there with the regular track kids,” said Mrs. Keyser, a Special Education teacher at Western. “The chance to be on a team,

they love it.” The kids practice a few times a week with the track team, and compete in local meets with the programs from William Monroe and Albemarle. When meets come around, they compete in a range of events including the 100 and 400 meter runs, softball throw, shot put, and long jump. The students also compete in a unified race where 2 members of the varsity track team and 2 members from Mrs. Keyser’s class form a team. “The relay was my favorite part”, said Justin Lucas, a speedy leg of the unified race. The Virginia High School League joined with the Special Olympics program to create this special opportunity for the kids. By using sport as a vehicle for social change, Special Olympics Virginia strives to create meaningful interactions and self discovery for every member of the community. Virginia is just the second state in the nation to develop this life-changing program through public high schools.

Supporting our Western Albemarle family neighbors since 1982. 10% shoe discount to all student athletes and faculty! #3 Elliewood Avenue - Free Parkingwww.raggedmountainrunning.com

May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 4

Sports

WAHS, Where Winning Is The Only Tradition Boys Soccer Seeks Second Straight State Title By ALEX LEHMBECK

T Senior Captain Lillian Meggs crosses the ball into the box.

Rookie Girls Soccer Team Proves They Can Hold Their Own

By VALERIE HAJEK

ull of new faces and vast talent, the varsity girls soccer team kicked off their season with a strong start after crushing their opponents of Spotswood, Orange, and Collegiate in the first two weeks of their season. “This season has definitely been a progression from last year since last year was a really new team. This is our second year of having a really young team, but we’ve developed more than last year and have picked up a lot of talent from the freshmen,” said sopho-

more, Emma Ratcliffe. After losing the majority of their midfield line, the team has seen many of the young players step up to fill the missing positions. The team has a tough lineup of games for their second half of the season. Nichole Heon, who is a returning sophomore forward, shared her thoughts, “We’re a very young team and I think we’ve blended pretty well. Sometimes it’s hard playing older teams that have a lot of experienced senior players when our team consists of

mostly underclassmen.” So far, the team’s game record is outstanding with their only loss being against Albemarle, whom they have the opportunity to challenge again. Heon talked about the leadership offered by the team’s experienced coach, “Coach Desch has been coaching for six years now and has really helped our team mesh together this season.”

he Western Albemarle varsity soccer team has had many ups and down this season. The defending state champions began the year with a convincing win over Orange 8-0. Then they squeaked out a 1-0 victory over Blacksburg, in a rematch of last year’s state championship. After this, they went through a rough patch, losing four of their next five games. They lost to Powhatan, EC Glass, Fluvanna, and Albemarle. The Albemarle loss was a heartbreaking overtime defeat against the Warriors’ biggest rival. They killed Monticello 10-0 to get back on track after their slump. One big difference in last year’s state championship winning team is experience. There are four freshmen on the team: Luke Magargee, Johnny Riordan, Wilson Brown, and Alex Moreno. The team only has two seniors, Tate DeVito and Al Luna. Luna explains, “Last year we were a very senior heavy team. Everyone knew what it took to be a state championship team,” Luna said. “I think the freshman this year have

May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 5

stepped up really well.” The underclassmen on the team have looked to the upperclassmen for leadership, which has helped the team progress throughout the season. “A lot of the guys are able to help me out with certain things that I’m not as good at. They are really encouraging as well,” Moreno says. “I think it bodes well for the future that we have a lot of young kids on the team because it is a pretty promising group of individuals that I play with.” While the Warriors season started off shaky, they have steadied with wins over Powhatan and Louisa, although they fell to Charlottesville 1-2. The team won comfortably over Louisa 8-0. “The team is looking good this year. We’ve had a tough start to the season, but we hope to do better in postseason,” Riordan said. The team begins postseason play on May 22nd, for the conference tournament.

Opinion Too Much of the Same

By SAM LESEMANN

nother story about the Honor council, I know. However, for something that should have had an incredible impact on the school, we really haven’t talked about it that much. Sure, people talked about it on facebook and a color day was organized for it, but outside of a small group of individuals within our school, no one has really said anything worthwhile about it. There’s been no mass protest for or against the Honor council; a majority of the student body doesn’t seem to have been affected at all. To an outside viewer, it would seem as if nothing ever happened, that 30 year old tradition hadn’t up and vanished one day. However, I can’t blame people for not caring because, frankly, why should they? What impact has the Honor council had on their life? Probably none. The majority of the student body doesn’t care what happened to the honor council because they have no ownership of it, and they have no reason to have any. There’s a clear divide between a small minority of involved students, students who run honor societies and clubs, students who excel in the classroom, and the majority who don’t at Western, and it doesn’t just extend to the Honor council. Lets examine the senior class leadership. Executive council has eight people running for six spots, but how many of those eight aren’t in all Honors level classes? How many haven’t held any sort of leadership position before? The current Executive council has three members, Tim Dodson, Abby Wheat, and Chance Masloff, who were also on the Honor council before it was dissolved. In addition, every single one of the seniors on Executive council this year has been a class officer beforehand, and out of the four class senior officers this year, Emily Senesac was the only one who wasn’t an officer last year. The Honor societies are in the exact same boat: For example, both Patrick Andrews and Tim Dodson,

Photo: Sam Lesemann

current Honor council members, are co-presidents of the National Social Studies Honor Society, and Patrick is also the president of the National Honor Society. Tim, Abby, and Patrick are all editors of this newspaper as well. In no way am I attacking or blaming those who hold leadership positions or blaming them for the lack of diversity, but it’s clear that, at least for seniors, there isn’t really any. So, now that we’ve established that there isn’t any a whole lot of diversity in our leadership, where do we point the blame? Do we point the blame at the student body, who vote the same people in year after year? Or do we blame those who run for every officer and every council position in the school? In truth, I think it’s both. Sure, it would be easy to blame the student body for not being interested enough to vote for other people, but when people

The Western Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the student-run newspaper for Western Albemarle High School in Crozet, Virginia. It is published 4 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 newsmagazine 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 newsmagazine 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, obscentiy, poor taste, spelling, grammar, punctuation, style and space. Submit letters to the editor to 5941 Rockfish Gap Turnpike, Crozet, VA 22932 or wahs.news@gmail.com

don’t feel ownership, they have no reason to be interested. The same for those who actually run; the entirety of the blame can’t be placed upon their shoulders because if not for them, who would actually run? Considering that we have eight people running for six spots Executive council this year, probably not many. Everyone takes a share of the blame; the student body for their lack of interest and those who run the school for holding a monopoly on leadership. The only real solution for people to fix this problem is to actually care about it, to run for leadership positions and vote for different people. If you don’t care, then it’ll always be like this. The student body, as a whole, has to be interested. Otherwise, nothing will change.

Editors-in-Chiefs Patrick Andrews - Print Sarah Rainey - Web Tim Dodson - News Opinion Editors Abby Wheat Sam Lesemann A & E Editor Sarah Honosky Latitudes Editor Ian McKechnie Sports Editor Alex Lehmbeck Asst. News Editor Tim DeSimone Social Media Editor Amalia Garcia-Pretzel Operations Editor Eme Masserelli Photo Editors Julia Elder Morgan Broadus Staff Writers Abby Lohr Annie Lorenzoni Ben Donovan Ben Masselli Madeleine Andrews Matt Mandell Olivia Gallmeyer Muhannah Hossain Ruby Neisser Shannon Durazo Tyler Philips Talley Johnston Madeline Hamer Neel Rao Valerie Hajek Adviser Jill Williams

May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 6

Disbanded Honor Council Dissolved in Controversial Decision By OLIVIA GALLMEYER

n a decision from ACPS administration, the WAHS Honor Council has been stripped of its status as a peer disciplinary jury. An official public announcement from Assistant Superintendent Matt Haas was released to the Western community on Friday, April 3. The letter stated that the disciplinary procedures of the Honor Council risk violating the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which protects access to information in students’ educational records. Contrary to popular belief, it is the particular status of the Honor Council as a disciplinary body that has been challenged rather than the entity itself. According to Albemarle County Schools Spokesperson Phil Giaramita, “It has been changes in the law, particularly the privacy law, that drove the decision to reexamine the Honor Council. So the issue was a legal one, not a performance one.” Though this decision was released to the public on April 3, word had already spread among students. “Honor Council members were supposed to have a meeting on April 1st, the Wednesday before,” senior and Honor Council chair Chance Masloff explained. “But we all got an email that it [the meeting] was cancelled, and later I was told that Ms. Gardner [a faculty sponsor of the Honor Council] only wanted to see me. That’s when I first found out about it, and I had to spread the word to all the other Honor Council members because we aren’t allowed to meet formally anymore.” The Honor Council had existed at Western for over thirty years prior to the county’s verdict. It worked as an entity to hear cases involving cheating and academic lies, where accused students had the option of either pleading guilty to administration or reporting to the Honor Council. At the Honor Council, students had the option of earning probation for their offense if they plead guilty. The council is no longer hearing cases because of the county’s decision. However, WAHS staff have met and determined a new disciplinary procedure for this year, available online here. This new policy states that if a student pleads guilty, they will receive a punishment decided on by the administrator, including a certain amount of lunch detention and a guided essay. However, after these actions are completed, the administrator is allowed to give probation for a student. If a student pleads not guilty to an honor offense, instead of coming before the Honor Council the student will present their case to the three associate principals, and they will vote to determine a verdict. Students found not guilty will have their grade restored, while guilty students will have to complete punishment. Students who are found guilty this way are still able to earn probation, and the administrators

can make recommendations on the grade to give the student. Opinions about the Honor Council and these recent decisions have been controversial. A group of students, including some former Honor Council members, wore blue on April 13 in protest of the county’s decision. According to senior and former Honor Council member Tim Dodson (who is also a co-Editor-in-Chief for The Western Hemisphere), who has been spearheading the effort to restore the Honor Council, the day was chosen partly because April 13 is Thomas Jefferson’s birthday. “It seemed appropriate to have this on his birthday, because Jefferson was so influential at UVA, and our honor council is modeled off of the one used there. This whole day really stood to show support for open-decision making and the community of trust we have here at Western because of our honor council.” Dodson feels that the Honor Council’s status has been so controversial because of the way the county made the decision to disband it: “You can’t change a thirty-year standing tradition overnight like that, but that’s what the county did. I think the way the decision was made, without the input of students, teachers, and parents, sets a poor precedence for decisions between the schools and the county.” Fellow Honor Council member Patrick Andrews (who is also a co-Editor-in-Chief at The Western Hemisphere) agrees. “It’s been argued that it wasn’t in the best interest for the county to delay this decision with this kind of discussion, but it’s important to have that to keep maintaining a cohesive community with mutual trust. If the county hadn’t skipped this discussion, they could have worked with us in the Honor Council in order to comply with more conservative legal standards. But the way the county made this decision, it’s like they just decided they knew better, and that we just have to accept no matter what.” Honor Council members, along with other interested students, met April 22 in order to discuss possible reforms to the Honor Council to work with the county’s decision. As the county had stated one of their issues with the council is that Western had a disciplinary system entirely different from the other area high schools, these students are now reaching out to Albemarle, Monticello, and Murray to gauge interest in implementing an honor council at the other county schools. Additionally, a student forum is being held on April 29 to hear opinions on the Honor Council and possible changes to its policies. “I think it’s really important to have the Honor Council so that students are able to own up to their actions and learn from them,” Masloff said. “That’s why we’re really trying to figure out a way we can still have it.”

May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 7

Inside the Honor Council Debate The Past 30 Years By TIM DeSIMONE

efore revisions were made, a simple, and judicial process was used to help decide the case of an accused student. It began with a choice. You could choose to have an administrator determine your punishment, or you could plead your case to the Honor Council. In a general election, each grade would elect representatives who would serve the purpose of assisting in the accused’s innocence, or in the process of determining punishment for the alleged guilty.

This highly confidential process involved interviews, witness testimonies, and evidence gathering. Everything down to the identities of the witnesses was kept private. After all evidence was evaluated, the Honor Council would be left to privately determine the judicial process to be taken. To decide on a punishment, eight of the twelve members of the honor council would have to agree. If guilty, the accused automatically lost all exam exemption rights for the year. Depending on the

So, What’s Next By TIM DeSIMONE

he new Honor Council has some major overhaul. The same crimes can land you in the Honor Council as before, but the procedure is different. The student can submit and turn themselves in, or appeal to a new council composed of three assistant/associate principals. The student will plead their case, and then two votes will be the deciding factor in your case. If found not-guilty, the grade is restored. If guilty, the punishment is a combination of detention, probation, and an apology essay must be written.

severity of the crime, the council could assign lunch detentions, before and after school detentions, and request an apology essay from the guilty party. In some cases, probation could be assigned, putting the honor violation on the student’s transcript for one full calendar year. If the guilty felt that there was a breach in procedure, or they were treated unfairly, the final stop was the principal. There, the case could be reviewed for fair treatment.

Do you approve of the Honor Council? 14% (No)

No 86%

Yes

(Yes)

Is it Worth the Risk?

Student and Teacher Reactions By MUHANNAH HOSSAIN

ith the recent disbanding of the Honor Council at Western Albemarle High School, student and teacher reactions have varied in many ways. Some people are relieved, saying that a student run Honor Council infringes on the privacy rights of students. Others say that holding students in high school to the level of honor that higher education institutions hold their students, is something that we should strive to do. Recently the Western Hemisphere conducted a survey, given to 30 randomly selected students, designed to test how much students knew about the Honor Council, the honor code and what they do. The survey consisted of five true/false questions about the Council and the code. According to the survey, while the general population of Western approves of the Honor Council, few students know how it actually functions. Of the 30 people polled, only three people got four out of five questions correct. Seven people got three out of the five correct, 11 people got two out of the five questions correct and nine people got one question correct. Two of the biggest supporters of the Honor Council, Ms. Bendick and Mr. Martin, had a lot to

say about the recent disbanding of the Council. The Albemarle County Board said that the main reason that Western could not have an Honor Council was because FERPA protected against student’s privacy rights being violated. Both Bendick and Martin dissented. “Other institutions can function within FERPA guidelines, why can’t we?” says Bendick. “As I understand it, [student] honor councils and FERPA can coexist,” says Martin. One other concern that the county had was that we were the only school that had an honor council, the other 3 did not. “Their [the county’s] biggest fear is that none of the other schools have it [an honor council], but there’s no reason to go down to a common denominator,” says Bendick. Indeed, students and teachers are upset with being brought down to a common denominator. “Why should we be held to a lower standard of honor?” says senior chair Chance Masloff. These aren’t the only opinions however. One senior said, “The Honor Council is useless. It has no power to enforce ‘punishments’ and to the best of my knowledge there aren’t even probation records kept in the office. What’s the point in having it?”

May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 8

Commentary

Hey, It’s Okay to Talk to Us By IAN McKECHNIE

bviously, student freedom has taken a hit since that pictured issue of the Western newspaper was published. Some noticeable differences between then and now: first, we were allowed to have an Honor Council back then. Second, our school newspaper was allowed to make wild allegations about that Honor Council’s sexual activity (in the April Fool’s edition, of course), apparently without fear of censorship. Recently, with the disbanding of the Honor Council, the removal of skits from Spirit Week, restrictions on the painting of the senior patio, and plenty of other examples, this trend toward reduced student freedom has been especially clear. The county and the administration have various reasons for the individual actions that make up this trend, the validity of which could be endlessly debated. Regardless of whether or not these decisions are truly made in students’ best interest, we must take issue with how they are implemented. When the county makes a rule or policy change, it is applied with little effort at explanation or discussion. In every example described above, it seems no attempt was made at describing the purpose behind that change to the average student. How can the revocation of these privileges correct or improve student behavior when students don’t

know why the privileges were revoked in the first place? I’m a senior in the final days of my four years at Western, and I honestly can’t recall a significant example of expansion in student freedom that has occurred during my time here. Again, the reductions in freedom are numerous, but their purposes are not communicated effectively to the student body. I’m not saying creativity is being entirely suffocated or that we aren’t allowed to see sunlight, but the general pattern is a little frightening. A body of power should be transparent about its decision-making, especially in cases where it is detracting from the liberties of its constituents. At the end of the day, when the county or the administration wishes to curb student practices, it would be in their interest to act openly. There should be no danger in making students aware of changes in their environment as long as those changes are justified. As a result, students would feel valued, and invested in their own education; they would better understand correlations between their own behavior and the decisions of their superiors. And if a change were met with significant resistance, perhaps it could be reassessed. Either way, it would build a dialogue preferable to the state of mistrust that exists today.

April Fools edition of the Western Albemarle’s school newspaper from 1983. Photo: Malcolm Andrews

86 percent

Forging notes is a violation of the honor code.

14 percent

Freshmen are automatically granted probation by administration.

Asking a friend about study tips for a test that he’s already taken is an honor code violation.

48 percent

In order to be found guilty by Honor Council, only 50% of the council must find you guilty.

33 percent

Probation lasts for only 6 months after you’re found guilty.

percent

TRUE. 86% of people got this correct.

TRUE. 14% of people got this correct.

TRUE. 67% of people got this correct.

FALSE. 8 out 12 members must find the student guilty. 48% of people got this correct.

FALSE. Probation lasts one year from the time of offense. 33% of people got this correct.

*All survey results are taken from a representative survey conducted by The Western Hemisphere.

May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 9

Sports

Andrew Ern: A Leader on the Court

By BEN DONOVAN

n tennis, very few things can beat the excitement of a well-placed ‘tweener’. The ‘tweener’, an abbreviation for between the legs, is pulled off when a player, having seemingly been beat by a ball lobbed over their head, is able to hit a ball through their legs with their back to the net, and score a winner. No one knows the excitement of this shot better than Senior tennis player Andrew Ern. Last year, in a doubles match against against Albemarle High School with his partner Ben Masselli, Ern was able to do something which he is proud of to this day. “The match was tied up, a tight match, and we got lobbed, and I was able to hit a tweener for a winner,” Ern affectionately recalls, “We were able to clinch the match and clinch it for Western.” This winner was

one of the highlights of the Western Tennis year, and Ern has been able to bring this energy into this year. Ern, starting at the number six spot and still starting in doubles with his partner Masselli, had a lot to say about the team this year. “I love getting to hang out with the team, we’re really close and have a lot of senior leadership on the team. It’s really just a lot of fun to be a part of,” said Ern when asked about the team. “We have a lot of good freshmen who will be putting a lot of effort in next year, as well as several sophomores who will be stepping into bigger roles, such as [Ben] Masselli and [Alex] Lehmbeck.” Ern has been a lifelong fan of tennis, but did not start playing seriously until he turned 10. He loves the game

for a variety of reasons. When asked about why he loves tennis, he responded “I love the game! It’s a really fun game, a lot of effort and its just a really fun game to play. I love everything about it!” Ern is a leader of the team and is hoping to be able to play a leading role in a deep playoff run this year. Ern, known for his fiery attitude of the court that can lead to emotional moments, is trying to even out and contribute more to the team. “This year, I have really taken it to heart, since it’s my last year of tennis, I have really toned down my attitude this year and am looking to make a solid contribution to a team that I could see winning states.” This positivity permeates the team and is really a good sign for the rest of the year.

Ern Attempts a “Tweener.”

Photo: David Ern

WAHS Baseball Stays Steady By BEN MASSELLI

he Western Albemarle baseball team started off at a blistering pace by winning their first seven games. This feat may be surprising to many after the very same team graduated their best pitcher in Jack Maynard. The team ended their playoff run at the hands of Blacksburg High School last year in the first round of regionals. The 2015 team is much more experienced than last year’s, led by standout third baseman Steven Mangrum. Mangrum, who is hitting with a .419 batting average, will continue his baseball career at Virginia Tech next spring. Talking about his commitment, Mangrum said, “I’m

Western is 9-2 on the season.

very excited and I’m looking forward to playing in Blacksburg.” He committed early on in high school and has stuck with Virginia Tech and the coaching staff for a while now. With the help of Mangrum, Western was able to stay unbeaten in the Jefferson District even after playing a tough game with Monticello. The Warriors were helped by in game heroics of Steven Mangrum blasting a home run in the top of the fourth inning. Mangrum talked about the win saying, “beating Monticello is probably the highlight of the season so far because they are our local rivals and it’s always great to beat them at home.” The Warriors suffered their

Photo: Jim Freeland

May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 10

very first district loss on April 30th at home to an extremely talented Louisa team. The final game ended with the final score of 3-2, it was a defensive battle for much of the later part of the game. Western had a chance to win the game in the final inning, but failed to score with Mangrum on second base. It was a heartbreaking loss that the Warriors will hopefully learn from and become stronger because of. Western baseball, led by Coach Hudgins, has high expectations every year, and this year’s team is no different. The field is loaded with talent and athletes eager to play. Make no mistake, WAHS baseball is a serious contender this season.

Arts & Entertainment By MADELINE HAMER

Senior Art Showcase

From left to right: Jessica Stone, Aaron Cole, Holly Mangum, Tucker Noelke, Olivia Battani, Jessica Stone, Thomas Lisa, Olivia Battani, Sarah Vagnoni, Madeleine Chaillet

May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 11

Arts & Entertainment Madeline Chaillet: Stompin’, Dancin’, an’ Prancin’ By SARAH RAINEY

adeline Chaillet began her Irish dancing career in Nevada when she was nine. Chaillet explains, “My mom told me that when I was younger I saw River Dance and said that was what I wanted to do but I don’t believe it.” Though her initial inspiration is questionable, Chaillet’s devotion to Irish dancing over the past nine years is indisputable. Madeline currently practices six to seven days a week, alternating trips to Richmond and dancing at home, with additional practices and workshops on the weekend. The combination of practice and driving time totals to twenty three hours a week with occasional ten hour workshops thrown in. Her endeavors in Irish dancing are both extremely time consuming and physically taxing. The injuries acquired by Irish dancers are similar to those of ballet dancers, including stress fractures and blisters. Chaillet, who has spent a majority of the current season dancing on a broken toe said, “[You just have to] work through it… because you can’t really take time off.” Even though it’s difficult and she’s injured, Chaillet keeps doing it because she “likes it and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.” Irish dancing is incredibly competitive. At competitions, dancers are first divided into divisions based on skill level, age, and gender. Chaillet is currently in the U-19 Open Championship division, which is the highest skill level available to compete in. The U-19 division has a lot of competition because most dancers who aren’t 100% invested in Irish dancing quit after high school, leaving only the most dedicated for the U-19 age group. Once she turns 21 she will move up to the Senior Ladies age division which is incredibly difficult to compete in due to the experience of each of the dancers, many of whom dance professionally. Approximately one hundred dancers comprise each division at any given competition. Each dancer performs both a hard shoe (makes noise) and a soft shoe (similar to ballet) dance in small randomly assigned groups in front of judges. After several hours of deliberation, judges choose about 30 of the original 100 dancers to return and perform an additional dance to unique music alone on stage in front of a seven judge panel. Following recalls, awards are given to the top dancers. Chaillet explains that competitions are, “really difficult because [there is] no set criteria that you have to meet, it’s all the judge’s opinion…

Madeline displays her prize after placing first at a dance competition in 2014

It’s really hard when you get on stage because half the time [the judges] are just sitting not watching you because it’s six hours into it and they don’t want to do it anymore and so you have to grab their attention.” Madeline’s favorite thing about dancing is the end result of getting to go to competitions and win awards. She says, “I don’t like wearing the make-up, I don’t like wearing the costumes, but I definitely like competing.” Chaillet recently switched to a new dance school located in Richmond which she is excited about because her “new teacher is incredible and super intense” and will help her reach her ultimate goal of achieving international recognition by placing in the top ten at the world championships. Chaillet has won several local competitions but hasn’t participated in a large one in a while. As a freshman at UVa next year she plans on competing every few months. The next big competition she will dance in is Oireachtas (Irish for “meeting”) in late November or early December where she will have the opportunity to qualify for both national and world championships. This year world championships were located in Montreal, Canada and if Chaillet qualifies for the 2016 world championships she will compete next March in Glascow, Ireland.

Photo: Madeline Chaillet

Madeline and her friends pose together after a St. Patrick’s Day performance at McGrady’s Pub in Charlottesville

May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 12

Arts & Entertainment

Clicks and Hits

The evolution and traffic of a media company titan By EME MASSARELLI

hat better way is there to waste a study hall or a “productive” afternoon, than scrolling through the master page of BuzzFeed? Many students will admit to accidentally spending hours procrastinating while glancing through listicles accompanied by clever gifs, light human interest stories, and silly quizzes. Since the site was co-founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti, MIT graduate and co-founder of The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed has gained a major internet presence amongst millennials in the U.S., U.K., and Australia. And with their new announcement of receiving a $50 million investment from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, the company is now worth $850 million and is opening offices in Berlin, Tokyo, Mexico City, and Mumbai. Arguably, what has made BuzzFeed such a success is it’s attention-capturing, tabloid-ish style of journalism. Recently, however, BuzzFeed has announced that they’re trying to transform them-

selves into a more legitimate news source. A place to get breaking news and keep updated on current affairs. One of the most difficult obstacles that the site will have to overcome is their reputation and age-restricted audience. While they aren’t as polarized as online tabloid sources, such as TMZ, it is common to see a hard-hitting story next to a “What Type of Cat are you Quiz.” People don’t visit BuzzFeed to find the most reliable and updated news reports, they use it for entertainment. But that could change as the company restructures their editorial team and increases effort on breaking news. BuzzFeed News will also acquire a foreign desk and double their correspondents around the world. What has previously kept BuzzFeed from committing to compelling journalism is the company’s drive to get as many hits on their posts as possible and expand internet traffic. Everytime BuzzFeed opens an office in a new city or country, they pour all their effort into the “BuzzTeam” to

BuzzFeed, an American Internet news media company, averages about 11 million unique visitors per day. Photo: “News website BuzzFeed” by IBoomMedia/cc

increase their new audience and find what types of posts interest them. BuzzFeed U.K. has just begun their descent into more serious editorials by interviewing the British Prime Minister David Cameron. Of course, they mixed questions about housing policy and the upcoming election with Game

of Thrones trivia. Whether or not BuzzFeed succeeds to establish themselves as a go-to source for world news, it can not be denied that they are one of the most defining media sites of the age of technology. They have been more successful than Politico and managed

to stay relevant for over nine years. And in an era where even the once most excitable internet companies tend to die within only a couple of years, if not months, BuzzFeed is an amazing accomplishment.

A Reflection on Human Futility: Unfriended By: AMALIA GARCIA-PRETELT

he first thing I thought when I watched the trailer for the movie Unfriended was “If I want to watch a Facebook horror story, I could just as easily scroll down and read my posts from 2011.” I was pretty sure it may have just been an avant-garde PSA against cyberbullying, so I disregarded it since I can’t stand watching scary movies anyway. (I did watch The Conjuring one time, sort of.) Also, the demon’s name was “Laura Barns” which I thought was funny because the real Laura Barnes I know would find a much classier and wittier way to haunt her high school peers. I must have been desperate for human interaction that week because that Friday, I found myself paying $12 to see this movie on opening

night. The movie was supposed to follow a ragtag team of beautiful, white smiling teens as they faced the wrath of the ghost of a girl they had allegedly driven to commit suicide via a group skype call. The audience was to watch the events unfold through the computer screen of Blaire Lily as she worked tirelessly to avoid a gruesome death while sprinkling in several subtle Spotify endorsements. My expectations were low, as were everyone else’s. I had been told that when “the guy blends his hand, it just looks like they blend a tomato”, so, I, along with the energized audience, were ready to watch what we thought was a very silly movie. Our preconceived notions were confirmed by the

initial uncomfortable cyber sex scene and the 20 some year old unknown actors attempting to pass off as high school seniors. We all got increasingly annoyed with the shenanigans of Blaire, the girl who’s screen we were watching, while she struggled to type one coherent sentence without the word “babe” in it. As the suspense mounted, however, even a guy in the audience who had previously shouted “deez nuts” at the top of his lungs, got tense and quiet. At this point, I knew it was about to go down, so I did what any rational person would do; I closed my eyes and tried to let the intermittent sounds of people being brutally murdered lull me to sleep. Unfortunately, the ridiculously inventive ways that this poltergeist managed

to kill this gang of ruffians managed to keep me awake. This, and the incredible dialogue. I was hypnotized by the incredible imessage conversations between Mitch and Blaire, which included great quotes such as “I want prom night to be the night” and “babe??????????????????” The movie even took a sentimental turn when Blaire desperately tried to save her life by scrolling through her and Laura’s “friendship” on Facebook. The juxtaposition of adorable pictures of two childhood friends and a poltergeist violently dragging Blaire to what I assume was Hell really left the viewer with some pressing philosophical questions. I would watch it again.

May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 13

THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SUBSCRIBERS Beth Coats Bob Beard Catherine McGahren David Johnston Debbie Elder Elizabeth and Jim Mandell Elizabeth and Malcolm Andrews Ferguson Family Florence and Toby Berger Halliday Family Jane and Chris Lehmbeck Janet Lohr Jerry and Judy Mandell Kelly Senesac Kim Tolman King Family Leah Gallmeyer Lesemann Family Marietta and Joe Lehmbeck Mary Ann Schill Mary Dutta Shabbir Hossain Susan von Hemert The Servine Family Will and Janet King

Arts & Entertainment

What We’re Listening To: New Rap Albums TPAB

By MORGAN BROADUS

endrick Lamar’s highly controversial album, “To Pimp A Butterfly,” leaked on March 16th and has since received tremendous amounts of criticism- both positive and negative. Personally, I think this album has transformed the preconceived idea of hip-hop/rap music, expressing the difficulties an African-American male must face while growing up in the harsh, gang-filled streets of Compton. While incorporating modernized concepts of racism, black oppression, depression, self-critique, and finding one’s strength in an increasingly oppressive society, Lamar has managed to mesh both early jazz, blues, and funk with his unique voice. The album is a complete masterpiece- each song provides a specific story of challenges from Lamar’s life. K-Dot has always expressed the deep origins of his music, each being intense autobiographical content taken from his own personal experiences. Recently, during an

interview with MTV, Lamar revealed his battle with depression and suicidal thoughts while he was producing his third major-record album. Lamar faced a difficult fight with himself, mainly from living a double-life. He’d either be on the road or living a humble life back in Compton, which led him to feel “survivor’s “Lamar

has managed to mesh both early jazz, blues, and funk with his unique voice. “ guilt,” as he calls it, because he escaped Compton while many he knew were trapped in the gangs. Despite his internal struggle, he was able to put his dark thoughts into the album and create yet another outstanding record. While many fans related to Kendrick’s messages, publically supporting the album, some critics didn’t seem as impressed. Considering that TPAB was so drastically dif-

ferent from his previous TDE albums, “Section.80,” and “good kid-m.A.A.d city,” many felt K-Dot had abandoned his original rap style for a new sound. Some especially memorable songs off the album are “i,” “The Blacker the Berry,” and “Wesley’s Theory.” “The Blacker the Berry,” released as a single in February of 2015, is a segment of Kendrick’s previously released “i,” which focuses on self-love and embracing one’s race. Contradicting the meaning of “i,” “The Blacker the Berry” focuses on a side of hatred, discrimination, and oppression that African-Americans must face. These two tracks are both effectively show the different sides one can feel about their culture and heritage, providing opposing views to African American persecution. Additionally, I really enjoy “Wesley’s Theory,” featuring George Clinton and Thundercat, which is the song dedicated to the actual “pimping” of the butterfly. Through-

Photo: “To Pimp A Butterfly” by Tweet mysong/cc

out the track, Lamar directly speaks of how the entertainment business will pimp out new and rising artists, the first half of the song is from the view of an artist and the last part is from the viewpoint of the capitalist Uncle Sam.

Overall, TPAB is a beautifully-written record that will surely go down in music history.

pected reaction to a track that makes you feel like your soul is melting. But this unsettling excitement I felt stemmed from the fact that Earl keeps getting better and better. In 2010, a then-16 Earl released his self-titled debut, which consisted of a colorful, and somewhat confusing, mixture of synthesizers and artificial drums. The strange beats were topped off by somewhat disturbing lyrics, some of which include “Stand up, wipe the dirt and vomit off.” and “I got a dead girl in the front, and two in the back.” Earl’s second album, “Doris,” displayed maturity and wiseness beyond the teenage rapper’s years, yet it still lacked consistency. It seems Earl finally mastered consistency in this new album. All of the instrumentals are undeniably similar, a collection

of dark, thundering sounds, and Sweatshirt’s voice seldom breaks a monotone. I will admit, the stagnant disdain present throughout the album gets a little old by the end. It is relatively featureless, with the exceptions of the tracks “AM/Radio” featuring Wiki, “Wool” featuring Vince Staples, and “DNA” featuring professional skateboarder N’akel Smith. N’akel Smith is a terrible rapper, but his short, yet effective verse on “DNA” makes the it a standout track. Sweatshirt closes out the album with an aggressive final verse on the track “Wool,” marking the end of the beautifully mundane journey that is I Don’t Like Stuff, I Don’t Go Outside. Whether you liked the album or not, a sigh of relief at the end is fitting. I know I did.

IDLS, IDGO

By SHANNON DURAZO

Photo: “Earl Sweatshirt Album Art” by Something Something/cc

epression takes a symphonic form in Earl Sweatshirt’s new album, I Don’t Like Stuff, I Don’t go Outside. This tentrack record is literally the musical equivalent of sloshing through mud for half an hour, and it is glorious. Never in my life have I heard a rap album so somber and foggy, and I have listened to a lot of rap albums. From the first synthetic ring on the premier track “Huey,” the listener begins a dark downward spiral into the depths of Earl’s slate mind. The album is the equivalent of poison to the optimist’s ears, and candy to the pessimist’s. Perhaps that’s why I liked it so much. When Earl released the first (and only) single from this album, “Grief,” I almost peed my pants with excitement. This is probably not the ex-

May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 14

Latitudes

High School Survival Guide By: Abby Lohr, Madeline Hamer, and Valerie Hajek

1. Don’t Procrastinate

5. Avoid drama at all costs

It’s really hard doing homework after already being at school for 7 hours but we all have those teachers that pile it on for the night. Basically procrastination is extremely hard to avoid and I(Abby) don’t deal with it well myself. It feels like Netflix is calling your name when you have two tests to study for the next day. Even watching bowling seems like more fun than pulling out the flashcards. Maybe that’s wwjust me? Anyway avoid tv and your phone at ALL costs during homework. We get taking a 5-10 minute break after studying for an hour but other than that texting while trying to do homework is not going to work. Your friend who’s asking about her outfit for tomorrow can wait, and so can those that ask how much you’ve studied for a test(while you’re trying to study for it).

Drama will cause stress. Our advice, don’t get involved. However, if you are dragged into a situation, do what you can to solve the problem, but there are times when there’s nothing you can do. When that’s the case, just give it time. People will get used to new things and changes, sometimes time to process the situation is all they need. Things always have a way of working out in the end.

8. High school isn’t as fun as the movies make it seem High School Musical, not even close. However, during promposal season, you never know when someone will burst out in song. Mean Girls, yeah no, not at all. These movies make high school out to be some big party, but really school is school and honestly it’s not that much fun. That’s why it is important to find things that interest you, such as sports, drama, or even making a study group with your friends.

2. Make sure to take the classes that you enjoy

9. Don’t overthink things

If you like to make crafts, take crafts class. Don’t take Dual enrollment Medical Terminology if you hate everything medical, even if all of your friends are taking it. School can actually be fun when you take electives you look forward to going to. Search for friends that want to take these classes with you, or make new friends in the class.

Everyone is not always watching you. You have a short period of time in high school so it is pointless to worry about who you are hanging out with or what people think of you. Let’s be honest, you will stay in touch with maybe two people after high school and they will be the friends who didn’t care how cool you were. Don’t waste your time trying to be cool.

3. Don’t be afraid to be school-spirited (you’ll enjoy school more) Go to basketball and football games. We guarantee that you will like high school much more if you make your friends dress up in theme and head on over to WAHS to cheer on the team. Maybe 6. Don’t walk slowly in the go to watch the new play the school is putting on. For spirit week, hallways don’t be nervous to dress up all out because you think it will be lame. Be yourself, even though it sounds cliche, it is true and you will enjoy yourself more. Support the school in whatever way fits This is a topic that I(Abby) could rant about for days. It’s a minute until the bell rings you. and the couple/person in front of you is 4. Take some time to have fun walking like they’ve just run a marathon. You’ve got places to be and they’re messing Make good use out of these working hips and up your schedule. Anyway, the cool way to don’t waste your young years. Take some time off act is to calmly spot an opening, put on the of studying to go to a movie, go get food, or to the blinker, and speed around. No harm, no gym if you are one of those overachieving people foul. Don’t be super dramatic and roll your into that for fun. Do whatever it is you like to do eyes a billion times. But please, pick up the because life is too short to spend all your time pace. working. When you’re an adult your kids will ask what crazy things you used to do and your kids will hate you if you say the craziest thing you ever did was get an A in AP euro.

May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 15

10. Good Sleep, Good GPA Pick sleep over homework… Sometimes. School is important, don’t get me wrong, but it’s really not worth sacrificing your health and/or mental state over some homework assignment. Plus, teachers are more understanding than you might think. For example, after an unplanned ten hour nap the other night, my teacher understood that I(Valerie) couldn’t come in early to take my test. Teachers don’t want to make your life horrible!

7. Reserve time to destress It is important to not get too stressed and worked up over school work. It’s pointless. Getting into an ivy league isn’t worth going psychotic. Have a spa day, take a nap, or watch Netflix to relax.

Latitudes WAHS Artists on the Chalking Block A review of Chalk Day’s finest By ABBY WHEAT, OPINION EDITOR

“Waka for President #2016” Artist Unknown. Chalk on Sidewalk. 2015.

This patriotic outburst is a reflection of the frenzy of political tension that already revolves around the upcoming 2016 presidential election. Is the nonchalant leadership style of Waka Flocka Flame what this nation needs? According to this bold maverick, it is indeed. Truly a pièce de résistance, “Waka for President #2016” encompasses the rebellious nature of our youth today. Vive la Révolution, Waka!

“Patterns” Patrick Andrews, Remedy Rule, Elinor Bragaw, Rima Chavda, Muhannah Hossain. Chalk on Sidewalk. 2015.

A combination of geometric patterns and vibrant hues, “Patterns” is a bit more difficult to interpret. Could it represent the artists’ wish for more structure in their lives? Or perhaps it could be a commentary on the hectic school day, the mixture of lines and color inciting a feeling of chaos within the viewer? Some analysts believe this piece to embody the unjust nature of capitalism. We are certain of only one thing regarding “Patterns” - it is a masterpiece.

“Trev” Artist Unknown. Chalk on Sidewalk. 2015.

Who is Trev? What is he doing here? Will he ever return? The world may never know.

“Human Flower” Lucie Taylor, Sarah Vagnoni. Chalk on Sidewalk. 2015.

“Human Flower” is a testament to the inherent connection between nature and mankind. We are a part of nature and nature is a part of us, as evidenced by this depiction of a traditional voodoo ritual (involving the fusion of the a person and his/her flower of choice) that many outdoors-enthusiasts partake in yearly. Other aspects of this piece are its portrayal of the ecstasy of the prostrate human form, as well as its clear protest against traditionally-accepted standards of beauty.

“Bustin Outta Here” Annie Lorenzoni, Sarah Modlin, Taylor Catlett, Caitlin Dutta, Sarah Rainey. Madeline Chaillet, Lucie Taylor. Chalk on Sidewalk. 2015.

Ah, yes. What a breath of fresh air. “Bustin Outta Here” obviously refers to the notorious outlaw Billy the Kid’s escape from a prison in the Wild West during the summner of 1881. The agony of the anticipation! The delirium of the departure! This piece captures both of those sentiments, as well as a multitude of others. If anything, “Bustin Outta Here” is an aggressive assertion of Billy the Kid’s pacifist philosophy. May 2015 • The Western Hemisphere • 16