freedom high school newsmagazine | november 2018 | volume 4 | issue 1
STAFF the
Adviser Dana Baker
Editor-in-Chief Samaleh Omar Managing Editor Shravani Reddy Design Editor Ava Proehl Copy Editor Helina Wondwossen Business Editor Arnav Kumar Photo Editor Cayley Kilduff
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The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. //excerpt from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou
News Editor Kaise Dualeh Features Editor Aayusha Khanal Culture Editor Emily Peacher Opinions Editor Claire Wodack Sports Editor Lydia Carpenter Staff Writers Eliza Agi Anika Akkapeddi Lauren Balser Lindsay Brisson Kayla Cooper James Czarnaski Camille Desjardins Bailey Elliott Morgan Maiden Aly Nichols Madison Roney Kawther Said
Uncaged is the newsmagazine of Freedom High School. The attitudes, opinions, views, and ideas expressed in Uncaged do not necessarily reflect those of this staff, the faculty adviser, Freedom High School, or the Loudoun County Public School system. Uncaged follows the county and state guidelines established for student high school publications, and disclaims any liability with respect thereto the use or reliance on any such information contained in this publication. The Uncaged staff welcomes contributions and encourages the expression of students, faculty, staff, and members of the Freedom High School community.
Cover photo illustration by Ava Proehl
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table of contents
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[news] [features] [sports] [culture] [opinion] [back cover]
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20-21
CONTENTS
fromthe theeditors editors from Welcome back, free birds!
Welcome back, freebirds! Your favorite newsmagazine is back and better than ever! We hope you’ve had an amazing summer and even better start to the school year. We’re Heycertainly there, freeglad birds!to be back in school and back in print.
We’re excited shareyou thisno penultimate issue to witheagerly you. Everyone on our has put Butsolucky fortoyou, longer have anticipate ourstaff quarterly in the work, and now you get to see the result! We’ve put in our time and effort in order issues. year,stories we launched ournever new have website: uncagedfhs.org. movie to share theLast inspiring of our peers; we focused more on ourFrom tight knit reviews to lifestyle vlogs and unique recipes, we’re covering more issues community. than we ever have. We’re writing, updating and uploading faster than we As some our senior members prepare to leave the nest, we Make hope you cantolook backout and our ever of have, bringing you new stories every week. sure check still 73 enjoy the little things that made our time at FHS so special. Many of us are itching to Questions series, where we interview FHS faculty and students. take advantage of this spring weather, so go outside, put up your feet and open up a copy of [Uncaged.]. Reminisce about the snow days, and look to the days ahead. As fall settles in, we hope you take time out of your busy school schedule to forget have to some fun. Although the weather days Don’t be excited about the wonderful thingsistochanging come! Of and course, this are is APgetting exam season, but this is also time for prom, Capstone, finalizing collegeright plans.before There’sthe shorter, don’t be the discouraged. Embrace thisand time of change always something stressful to focus but we want to encourage youand to focus on theinposholiday season. Enjoy someon,cider, pick some pumpkins breathe the itive. In times of stress, breathe, relax, and tell yourself “you got this.” Before you know it, it crisp air. will be the end of the year, and we’ll all we piece hopeofyou’re finding place in the chaos of high school. AndFreshman, here’s one final advice from all ofyour us here at [Uncaged.], take advantage of the restSophomores, of your year! n take this year to develop your interests, try something out of your comfort zone. Juniors, as you conquer harder classes and seemingly have less time, don’t forget to take a moment for yourself, spend time with friends and family. And to all our fellow seniors working through the college admissions process, make your last fall at home the most memorable by far.
[Photo by Cayley Killduff ]
[Photo by Aishwarya Ramesh, 12]
letter from the editors
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The Freedom to Sign
J
ust like every other year, the Freedom High School community has gained new teachers from many different backgrounds and geographical locations. One of those teachers is John Jones, the new American Sign Language teacher who is Deaf himself. Growing up, Jones’ mom taught him to sign. He went to Gallaudet, a university for the deaf and hard of hearing community. After graduating, Jones started his career in education. “My previous work was special ed for 12 years,” Jones said. “I finished working in special ed. I became an ASL teacher in a hearing school for two years. Now, I work at FHS as an ASL teacher.” When he first came to FHS, he was welcomed by many smiling faces. “[I first thought] Wow! This is a big school,” Jones said. “I looked around and saw everyone saying hi and everyone was being nice. I thought, ‘Wow, I like it here.’” His students from ASL I & II were slightly taken aback over having a deaf teacher. “I went into class and said hi to everyone, and they were shocked,” Jones said. “Jaws dropped and they could not stop staring. Their eyes were huge. They were nervous but
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they know more sign now ah Ramboyong. They, along and they’re fine.” with Jones, sign everything, In Jones’ classroom, he only and Lauren Holesapple, the wants students to communiother sign language teacher, cate through signing. translate for students and staff “I’m always watching who aren’t familiar with ASL. students to make sure they’re “We want Mr. Jones to feel voices are off and there’s no welcome and accepted, as talking,” Jones said. “Sign only. well as educate people on I want them to understand deaf culture and ASL as there sign.” are many misconceptions “If you only sign, they learn [about it],” Shepard said. a lot faster,” Jones said. “MixJones hopes that teaching ing together two languages hearing students sign will is not good. You don’t mix build bridges between the Spanish and English. You deaf and hearing communidon’t mix French and English. ties. You don’t mix talking and “I wanted to combine the ASL. Learning how to only hearing world and the deaf sign is the best way.” world,” Jones said. “I thought Jones’ main teaching goal about how I could do that, is to improve students’ signand realized I could teach ing ability. hearing students how to sign “All of my students care so and bring them together.” much about their grades,” With each new person who Jones said. “They’re so walks in to FHS, many feel nervous about their grades. I that it is the responsibility of tell them, your grades don’t students and staff to make matter. I don’t care about them feel welcome and inyour grades, I care about cluded, even if it means going your ability to sign.” out of our way to do so. Not ASL club has been created everyone will know how to to give students and teachers have a conversation using the opportunity to commusign language, but everyone nicate with Jones. ASL club is capable of learning a few meets twice a month, once basic signs to strengthen on Friday mornings so teachinclusivity in the school. ers are able to come, and once during Friday advisory for students. The club is lead [Story by Claire Wodack] by ASL students Chloe Shep- [Photos by Eliza Agi, Kaise ard, Morgan Wilson and Sar- Dualeh and Ava Proehl]
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C KING IN THE KITCHENS
H
ave you ever thought about the impact the food you eat can have on your body? Have you considered how the environment is affected by the food you eat? For senior Courtney Ring, the negative effects that certain foods, such as meat, soy and corn, have on the environment were enough of a reason to convince her become a vegetarian. For Michael Kitchens, a social sciences teacher at Freedom High School, it was the experience of seeing his family members suffer through health complications that influenced him to change his eating habits. “For me, the environment was a deciding factor,” Ring said. “[My diet] definitely has a lot of health benefits, but it wasn’t what I was thinking about when I did it.” Ring’s sister is pursuing a degree in environmental science and first introduced her to the impacts that cer-
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tain foods have on the environment. Through conducting her own research, Ring discovered issues caused the foods she used to eat, like overfishing, monocropping and the meat industry. Crops such as corn and soy are present in almost every processed product, causing farmers, who are seeking to make big profits, to resort to monocropping. As a result, nutrients are drained from the soil. When this happens, the soil becomes unusable and farmers abandon the plot of soil for another. Whereas Ring made the switch for environmental reasons, Kitchens’ main reason was health. Documentaries such as “Super Size Me” and “What the Health?” have influenced him to change his diet. “As I got older, I started to see the effect it can have on people,” Kitchens said. “Just seeing my family members having to go through high blood pres-
sure and having to take medication. It is something I really don’t want to deal with when I get older.” Both Ring and Kitchens agreed that making the switch was easy aside from when they eat at restaurants. “It was hard going to a restaurant because you see all those options and you’re like ‘oh I used to eat that,’” Kitchens said. “They got the chicken, they got the lobster, and it’s like ‘dang, I used to eat that’.” Because of their diets, Kitchens and Ring are more mindful of the foods they eat. Even though Kitchens’ diet is more limited, he likes to get creative in the kitchen. Instead of frying chicken, he would fry a tomato. This way, Kitchens is able to imitate the same flavors out of healthier ingredients.
[Story by Belle Tran]
Africa Through A Different Lens
T
his year, Freedom High School offered students a new history elective: Survey of African History. The course was given little advertisement, and towards its beginning lacked student interest. Even though the class seemed like it would be short on students, the African History elective started the new school year with over 30 students enrolled. Taught by Jessica Legnini, African History is one of the only history electives with a fully packed classroom. Senior Rebecca Sertse, one of the students enrolled in African History, first heard about the class from a friend and later chose to register. “I couldn’t wait to learn about my own country and other countries in Africa as well,” Sertse said. “I’ve seen Africa portrayed so negatively, so when I enrolled in the class I hoped I’d learn more about what made Africa great.”
In the dual enrollment course, Legnini is planning on discussing various topics related to civilizations within Africa and the continent itself, and hopes to change the perspectives of students enrolled. “I think that we’ve got a problem in the West concerning African history,” Legnini said. “We definitely have this sort of monolithic view when it comes to discussing the continent.” In order to push past the common misconceptions that many students hold in regards to Africa, Legnini hopes to organize the class in a way that engages students as well as challenges them. Instead of following a syllabus or set curriculum, Legnini has created a goal for students to work towards. “When we talk about cultures other than our own, we tend to take on a European voice of those cultures,” Legnini said. “In this class,
I’m trying to find the African voice.” Aside from finding the African voice, Legnini hopes that by the end of the year students are able to discuss and view Africa differently. She plans on helping students reach that goal by providing them with texts and articles concerning African countries, written by mainly European professors or explorers, and critiquing how the continent is portrayed in them. By doing so, she also hopes to shed light on the inaccurate representation of Africa in the history curriculum as well. “I think we know nothing about African history at Freedom High School aside from the gold and salt aspects,” Legnini said. “Student’s don’t realize that [the continent] has vibrant, modern cities and is a place of innovative ideas.” [Story by Helinia Wondwossen]
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PRESS PLAY
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tudents have a multitude of different hobbies they use to blow off steam or express themselves. A very popular choice is playing video games, but seniors Nick Aldana and Ethan Curtiss are two students who prefer to create video games. Aldana, along with Jamie Alonso, created a game studio called Lemon Dog Studios of which they are the directors. They’re collaborating with the Game Development Club at FHS to work on their current game Arkangel. They have also teamed up with artists and programmers from around the world to create the game. Arkangel is about four kids who get trapped in the underworld. In the process of trying to escape, they get caught up in a series of events that puts the fate of the world on their shoulders. The demo of the game will be launched in May 2019 on PC. Aldana and Alonso are planning on potentially releasing it on Nintendo Switch as well, once the team completes the game. After its release, they have no plan of creating another game. “We have thought about doing supplemental material to the game that’s existing, in terms of comics and anima-
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tions, just to drive the story forward and get people get more invested in the characters,” Aldana said. Aldana is also working on a tutoring app that he plans to release around the time of AP testing. “The game requires so much more than just a simple tutoring app because a game requires art direction,” Aldana said. “It requires custom programming, and you need to make sure that it has a good plot and story.” Curtiss started out seven years ago by studying the code of other games and applying it to his own. No matter the approach, having to use math and science is inevitable. Luckily for Curtiss, he enjoys it. “The best way now is to take an online course,” Curtiss said. “There are plenty of resources online. Even YouTube videos would be faster than what I did.” For the past two years, he and an online team have created multiplayer games to count down to the New Year. Previous versions are playable on mobile, desktop and XBOX. Currently, he is working on the 2019 edition. The games can be found on Roblox under the username AstroCode. “The Roblox platform is a great place
to start because it’s simple, but it’s where games are being made now,” Curtiss said. “It’s often seen as a childish platform, but it isn’t the kids who are making the games, it’s older people.” Creating these games can take months of planning, collaboration and talent. That is why meeting deadlines one of the most important parts of developing video games. They help a developer determine what needs to be prioritized and how much time it takes. It helps to use a workflow, such as GitHub or Trello, to organize the plans. Curtiss made the decision to start this version the New Years countdown earlier than the last one. “With the 2018 countdown, we made it over winter break,” Curtiss said. “We barely slept, it was two weeks of nonstop working.” No matter how much work it is, Curtiss, Aldana and Alonso look forward to creating more video games. “Video games are an artform,” Curtiss said. “It’s worth pursuing and it definitely makes an impact on people’s lives.” [Story by Anika Akkapeddi] [Photos provided by Nick Aldana and Ethan Curtiss]
Still from Ethan Curtiss’ New Years Countdown game
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let’s talk E
very state and every county has a different approach when it comes to teaching sex education. In some schools, you’ll find the ‘abstinence only’ approach, where students are only taught the negative impacts of sex. But at Freedom High School, students are taught about different types of birth control and healthy sex, both mental and physical. There is much debate about which of these methods should be taught, though when looking at statistics, it’s clear that abstinence-only teaching isn’t as effective. Amy Wheeler, the new sexual education supervisor for Loudoun County, has been teaching sex education for 14 years. Previously, she was in charge of curriculum in Harrisonburg City, which leans more toward comprehensive education. When asked which end of the spectrum is more effective, Wheeler definitely has a preference. “In Harrisonburg City the pregnancy rate, if we wanna talk about statistics, has declined in the past several years,” Wheeler said. FHS students receive an abstinence-based curriculum, according to Germaine Grinkley, who has been teaching sex education in Loudoun County for 11 years. “It’s really the happy medium,” Grinkley
said. “Abstinence is the baseline, [but] we are able to teach the birth control methods as well as [information on] STIs”. Grinkley firmly believes that students need this information in order to make informed decisions. As other sexual education workers claim, there is no sure way to prevent teenagers from having sex. “Abstinence is the main, absolute message,” Grinkley said. “It’s important just to have the correct information out there so that students are informed and they can make informed decisions about their sexual health.” Both Wheeler and Grinkley agree that it’s more dangerous for students to be left in the dark, and though there’s certainly a need for this information, it isn’t the only subject focused on. Sexual education at FHS also includes healthy relationships, especially romantic relationships, because students in high school are often entering their first relationships. In the curriculum there’s one day dedicated to this topic, in which they talk about healthy and unhealthy relationships. Grinkley helps students identify toxic behaviors, and also stresses the importance of knowing what you are and aren’t comfortable with. She spends time teaching consent and emphasizes the importance of discussing boundaries with romantic partners. “People don’t understand what consent is,” Grinkley said.
“It starts with the love that you have for yourself and 10
about sex... “[We have] to address the hard-line definition.” The earlier these topics are taught, the better, and the least likely students are to find themselves in uncomfortable, and possibly harmful situations. Grinkley discusses these topics in hopes that if students find themselves in unhealthy situations, they’ll realize it and get out. An even more important relationship is the relationship someone has with themselves. “You have to love yourself first,” Grinkley said. Grinkley, and other sexual education teachers agree, if one enters into a relationship without respect for themselves, then they can’t demand that respect from others. That goes for all relationships: platonic, romantic or even just acquaintances. Knowing one’s value, and having the ability to realize whether or not they’re being treated properly, is the foundation for any healthy relationship. Relationships will always be relevant, whether or not someone agrees with the method of how sex is being taught. Sex education can be the difference between healthy, loving relationships and a long pattern of toxicity. In her 11 years of teaching the topic, Grinkley has received
several letters from students, explaining how the curriculum she taught helped them; “I have one letter from a student that I keep,” Grinkley said. “He indicated that I saved his life because [of what he learned] in that class with healthy and unhealthy relationships, and as a result of the lesson, he saw some things in his relationships that should not be happening to him and he was able to get out.” In Loudoun County, the sexual education curriculum focuses solely on heterosexual relationships which has left some students at FHS feeling overlooked. “By only teaching safety for heterosexual couples, an entire group of kids is being excluded,” senior Sage Walker said. “I think that same-sex relationships should be talked about.” Sexual education has proven to be an invaluable experience that can prepare students to be healthy individuals in adulthood. It’s a required class for a reason. There are no tests, quizzes or grades. Just information that has the potential to change the course of one’s life. [Story by Lydia Carpenter]
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if you see yourself as being deserving of respect. - Germaine Grinkley
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SOCIAL MEDIA MEDIA CLEANSE CLEANSE SOCIAL S tammering for a second, sophomore Will Mosier pauses and rolls his eyes, aware of how ironic what he is about to say is. “Listen. I’ll do this, but can I have someone keep my streaks?” Mosier asks. Mosier is not the only high school student addicted to social media. Many teenagers across the country worry about their Snapchat streaks, Instagram followers or the amount of retweets they get. For many Freedom High School students, giving up their social media for a week is impossible. For Mosier and three other students, however, giving up their social media for a week was their reality. “I use [social media] a lot,” Mosier said. “I check it in between classes, before I get up and before I go to bed.” Junior Cristiana Barno is a self-proclaimed social media addict, and uses her social media constantly. “It’s a thing of habit now,” Barno said. “I have moments where I’ll check it for two minutes and then it’ll be two hours.” Senior Gessica Taddei made her first social media account at 13, and thinks she spends too much time on various platforms. “If I’m doing my work and I get bored while I’m doing it, I’ll go through my phone instead,” Taddei said. “It’s usually more entertaining than whatever I’m doing, but that’s not very helpful.” Junior Rafaella Navarro uses her phone and social media many times throughout the day. “There’ll be people at my table that I don’t really know, and I’ll just pull it out to avoid talking to them,” Navarro said. “It’s like a safety blanket. It’s universal that you don’t talk to a person while they’re
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using their phone.” Getting rid of their “safety blanket,” the four students deleted virtually all social media and streaming apps; the most notable of which included Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Tumblr, YouTube and Netflix. On a rainy Monday morning, the social media cleanse began. Their experiences throughout the week were similar: students in their class would be on their phones all of the time. As Navarro realized, many of her peers did not know how to have proper face-toface conversations. “That probably would have been me sitting there, using my phone,” Taddei said. “But now I actually see that it’s disrespectful.” For many, the addiction comes from seeking approval from their peers. “I think everybody likes it when someone says, ‘Oh you look so nice in that!’ or ‘I hope you’re having fun!’” Navarro said. “It’s kind of weird, when you think about it. We get more excited about people typing to us than saying it face-to-face.” Barno’s greatest struggle throughout the week was feeling restless. Instead of scrolling through her friends’ new posts, she began reading the news in order to fight the scrolling habit she— along with many of her peers— was accustomed to. “Normally I’d get up, check my streaks on Snapchat,” Mosier said. “But being able to just wake up and not have to do that felt good.” He thought that the best part of his week was not having to worry about Snapchat streaks at all, despite his initial concerns surrounding them. “It’s kind of annoying, anyways,” Mosier
said. “It’s like ‘good morning’ at 6 a.m., let me tap my phone 30 times.” Even though they found the week to be eye-opening, the four know that they will not rid social media from their lives permanently. During the week, however, Apple released a new update that contained a feature called ‘Screen Time”, where the user can set limits for how much time they spend on specific apps, notably social media, gaming, and streaming apps. All four said they would be inclined to use this feature. “We can set little goals for ourselves, like only using social media for two hours one day,” Navarro said. “I definitely think people should try that.” “It doesn’t even have to be for a week,” Mosier said. “Even limiting screen time can just be all the more beneficial. You don’t need it.” Barno agrees that limiting screen time can be beneficial. “Honestly, you don’t need it,” Barno said. “I survived the week without social media. It’s a week later and I’m still here.” “I feel like when I don’t use my phone, I’m more aware of my surroundings,” Taddei said. “I actually get to spend more time with people and talk with them.” There are many benefits and drawbacks to using social media, and many to deleting it. The four agree, the best way to handle social media is to be mindful of how often they go on it and not to obsess over something as simple as someone tapping a picture. “If you think about it, social media is really just stupid,” Taddei said. [Story by Lauren Balser]
“It’s like a safety blanket; it’s universal that you don’t talk to a person while they’re using their phone.” -Rafaella Navarro
“Honestly, you don’t need it. I survived the week without social media. It’s a week later and I’m still here.” -Cristiana Barno
“That probably would have been me sitting there, using my phone. But now I actually see that it’s disrespectful.” -Gessica Taddei
“We get more excited about people typing to us than saying it face-to-face.” -Rafaella Navarro
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FREEDOM IN T
he Freedom High School Dance Team has offered a supportive school community to dancers of all grades, interests and backgrounds. Now in its 12th year, the team has evolved in many ways, expanding its membership, creating new traditions and setting goals for the future. For the past four years, FHS teacher Regina Greer has served as the team’s faculty sponsor. Due to her daughters’ involvement in dance, the role seemed like a natural fit. Greer has noticed several positive changes in the team. “I definitely think that [the team is] just more technically stronger than they have been in the past because of how competitive [dance] is in this area and because they all [are] on a competitive [studio] team,” Greer said. “And I would say that there is definitely an evolution in terms of leadership. It’s not just a couple of girls leading the team as captains, but a group of [dancers] who work together on choreography, music and teaching.” One of these dancers is senior Caelyn LeSeur, who has been a member of the dance team since her freshman year. Although she danced competitively at her studio, LeSeur wanted to make new friends with similar interests and become more involved at Freedom. As captain this year, LeSeur has taken on more responsibilities than before. “Personally, I’m better at making music [for performances and] other captains may be better at doing choreography,” LeSeur said. “Sometimes, over the summer, we have to choreograph three dances in a week, so that gets hard because [we] have to think of new material.” LeSeur is also responsible for making sure the team is working together effectively.
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TION FIRST POSITION Through team bonding, such as group dinners before home football games, the captains make sure the dancers are building trust and developing friendships. “As a team leader, me and the other [captains] must be someone [that everyone] on the team can listen to and learn from,” LeSeur said. “They should also be able to talk to us and trust us and see us as friends, but also [as] leaders when need be.” As a new member and the first male dancer on the team, freshman Max Villegas was nervous about auditions. Villegas has been dancing for four years at Axis Center for Dance, focusing mostly on jazz and lyrical styles. When training camp started in August, Villegas realized there were many aspects of the team different from traditional studio dance. “I was nervous because there were people from other studios. The dance team is [also] a lot more sharper and dancing on the football field is a lot different than dancing on [marley flooring],” Villegas said. “They [also] do movements that may be different from my Reddy] [Story by Shravani studio choreographer’s normal style.” Despite the stigma of[Photos men in competiby Ava Proehl] tive dance, the team enthusiastically accepted Villegas. His teammates feel as if he is the first of many male dancers in the expansion of dance team. Looking to the future, the Freedom Dance Team hopes to engage in more community outreach, perhaps offering an open dance clinic over the summer. [Story by Shravani Reddy] [Photos by Ava Proehl]
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A New Face at Freedom A
winning attitude, time management skills and humility are just some of the valuable aspects former Wisconsin Badger basketball player Mark Vershaw brings to Freedom High School. During his junior year at the University of Wisconsin, Vershaw averaged 11.8 points per game and made a surprising final four run in 2000.Making it to the final four wasn’t an easy task for Vershaw and Wisconsin, as the Badgers were never on the radar to even make the tournament. They started off the 1999-2000 season slowly, but Vershaw and his teammates persevered down the stretch and won their last six games before March Madness.
Despite the doubt from many pundits, considering the Badgers were the 16th ranked bubble team in the, which mean they were on the verge of making the tournament,Vershaw wasn’t surprised when they received a bid to the NCAA tournament. “I wasn’t shocked because conference play really prepared us for how hard the tournament was going to be by us having to play great teams before the tournament,” Vershaw said. Keeping sports and school balanced as a student-athlete requires dedication and organization. While Vershaw recognizes that life as a Division I student-athlete is difficult, he is grateful for the discipline
that he gained during his time at Wisconsin. “It’s like having two separate jobs, but it teaches you to have effective time management skills, which [are skills] that will follow you your whole life in whatever you decide to do,” Vershaw said. An accomplished college basketball player, Vershaw accumulated 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 300 assists over the course of the career. While he may have been the leading scorer on his team during his junior year, Vershaw acknowledges is teammates when talking about his success. “It was a collective effort by everyone to get points up on the board, not just by me,” Vershaw said. After graduating from Wisconsin, Vershaw took his talents to Europe to play professional basketball before pursuing a shot at the NBA. Following his playing career, Vershaw transitioned to coaching college basketball at schools such as Western Illinois University and Monmouth College. Although Vershaw has left the basketball world in his pursuit of teaching, he still wishes to stay in touch with the game that he grew up with. “Basketball is a big part of my life and always has been, but [playing basketball] does get harder as you get older,” Vershaw said. After earning a degree in education from the University of Virginia, Vershaw decided to leave basketball to become a history and government teacher. “I actually coached in college for 10 years and decided I wanted to spend more time with my family,” Vershaw said. “So I decided to make a career change and become a teacher to be able to have more [Story by James Czarnaski] [Photo by Lydia Carpenter]
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CHEER BEHIND THE SCENES
W
hen students think of Friday night football games they probably envision bright lights and cheers from their classmates standing beside them in the bleachers. Often times, the girls behind the hype, the cheerleaders, tend to be forgotten. Despite movie stereotype that cheerleaders are mean and cliquey, the Freedom High School cheer team is welcoming to all girls. According to senior Mackenzie Nguyen, the cheerleaders all get along well. “In the past, our team has always been cliquey and separated,” Nguyen said. “But finally, this year we’ve all gotten along well and have really bonded and connected together as one.” The cheerleaders worked hard to establish friendships with the football team before the season started. Cheer coaches and cheerleaders planned multiple cookouts during August. Members feel that they’ve become good friends with many of the football players. Since the cheerleaders are responsible for spreading school spirit at games, this was crucial for the two teams. Sophomore Carly St. Laurent explained that getting
closer with the football team has helped improve the dynamic at football games. “It feels more genuine and you know them better; rather than cheering for someone you don’t know and don’t feel a connection with,” St. Laurent said. This year FHS has decided to add a Junior Varsity Cheer team that cheers at Junior Varsity football games. Outside of football games though, they do not participate in other school events. “New members are encouraged [to join],” Sophomore Brooke Hartman said. “The Junior Varsity team is all about working on those varsity skills.” While the Football team is known for tackling and the track team is known for running, few have a clear representation of what the cheer team does. “A lot of people come up to me and ask ‘What do you even do at practice, just shake your pom poms around?’” Sohn said. Many people fail to realize that the cheerleaders also compete at competitions outside of the football games. These competitions take place every few weeks, nor
mally taking place at large meets with many other teams. Although they have a large audience at their normal football games, the audience at competitions is normally smaller. “I hope this year more people will come out to watch and support us, especially the football players because we support them at every one of their games,” Nguyen said. The girls on the team feel that if people come to more of their competitions, they will get more recognition and the team will be taken as seriously as other sports. “We work hard and don’t really get enough recognition,” says St. Laurent. “A lot of people think cheer is just dancing around for an audience but outside of that we compete and we really work hard.” [Story by Camille Desjardins]
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K
yle’s Kamp was created in 2010 by Rob Hahne after his 7-year-old son Kyle was diagnosed with Leukemia. It originally was a simple website created in order to keep friends and family updated on Kyle’s condition, but then it later evolved into so much more. The supportive funds raised through the organization go directly to pediatric cancer research at Children’s National, helping fund innovative research projects aimed at expanding medical research on cancer, as over $2,000,000 has been raised since 2012. Hundreds of teams participate in the Kyle’s Kamp tournament, as it is a great way to come together as a team and raise moneyfor an amazing cause. The Freedom High School team has been a part of Kyle’s Kamp since 2015. The team has the opportunity each year to invite a child to that has been diag-
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nosed with or affected by cancer to the baseball field. They are given the opportunity to throw the first pitch of the game and to hang out in the dugout with the team and coaches, as they chat about baseball and give advice. The bleachers and field are decorated with streamers with black and gold everywhere, along with photos of the Kyle’s Kamp member coming in order to make them more comfortable. “It truly is a life changing experience for players to get to talk to and get to know young children who have been affected by cancer,” baseball player Aaron Weidner said. “This helps us understand truly how lucky we are and it helps us develop compassion and care for the world and those who are impacted by terrible things like cancer.”
Freshman Aaron Weidner had the opportunity to attend Nationals Park. Due to Weidner’s team raising the highest amount of donations, was able to attend the game at Nationals Park. Each player on Weidner’s team individually collected money from friends and family for the tournament, in order to raise around $250. However, some of Weidner’s teammates raised over $2000. “We got to go into the underground batting cages, stay in the dugout, and go in the bullpen,” Weidner said. “It was definitely something that I will never forget.”
[Story by Emily Peacher]
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Hair is heating up... literally
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veryone has had a bad hair day once in his or her life, and there may be a solution to extreme bed head. Most students in high school, especially girls, have used some kind of heat to style their hair at one point. Whether it’s to curl, straighten or blow dry, any form of excessive heat can cause damage your hair. Although using heat on one’s hair is more common than dyeing, it can be just as damaging. When one straightens his/her hair, they are placing strands between two extremely hot metal plates and pressing down to get the desired straight look. This can cause cracks in the cuticle layer, split ends, faded color, increased frizz and sometimes broken strands. Sophomore Sydney Lemmerman’s faces this problem. “My hair is very dry and brittle,” Lemmerman said. “I straighten my hair very often and I can surely see a change in the texture of my hair.” Some may use heat protectants when straightening or applying heat, but this still does not ensure full protection. If one does use heat on their hair, with or without heat protectant, they can reduce damage by only applying heat occasionally. Sophomore Lauren Tabella doesn’t straighten or use heat on her hair very often at all. She has also never gotten her hair dyed. “I notice that my hair is still dry, but definitely not as dry or damaged as it would’ve been if I had ever dyed my hair or if I used heat on it more often,” Tabella said. Using heat on hair is a common occurrence, and even though most students know the consequences of their actions, they do it anyways. Heat is a definite factor when it comes to hair damage, but some students also dye their hair, for various reasons. This
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can cause larger amounts of damage. In order for hair dye to set in to the hair shaft, it has to break through the hair’s natural protection, known as the cuticle. Once the hair dye has set into the hair shaft, the ammonia kicks in; a colorless gas that can cause coughing and irritation to the nose and throat. The ammonia lifts the hair cuticle in order to let the dye set, in allowing the peroxide to strip away the color of your hair. The lifting of the cuticle causes a lot of damage to your hair and makes it to feel almost straw like. Dyeing your hair can cause many issues in regards to texture and moisture. Sophomore Brooke Hartman bleached her hair last year, which is the process in which bleach made of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia is used to make hair platinum blonde. She has noticed a lot of changes. “I wanted my hair to be blonder, and bleaching it sounded like the way to go,” Hartman said. “I have noticed that my hair is a lot dryer, and I have to use a lot of conditioner for it to be slightly shiny.” Sometimes, students may choose to dye their hair for their sport. Emily Clark, a dancer on the Freedom dance team, dyed her hair for her dance performances outside of school. “The teachers will ask us to highlight our hair for our stage presence,” Clark said. “My hair ended up looking a bit orange, so I eventually had to try and dye it back to it’s normal color.” To protect hair from further damage, a conditioner that caters damaged hair and a heat protectant that is made to protect hair against extreme heat could be a solution. It’s better to keep hair healthy and shiny now so that in the future the hair will still be sleek and healthy. [Story by Lindsay Brisson]
THE UNSPOKEN ISSUE
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eenagers live with their cell phones glued to their hands. Instant answers, keeping up with friends, movies, music, and much more are right at their fingertips. This information that is received leads to over exposure of events such as mass violence. The updates and exposure that are constant when shootings happen can influence teenagers’ lives. “[Social media is] making us feel more stressed because it’s putting [violence] in front of us all the time,” said Amanda Williams, Freedom High School psychologist. Social media highlights the exaggerated portions of mass violence including school shootings making it seem like they are occur more frequently then they do. “It’s happening less often, Williams said. “So what happens in social media? The news sensationalizes it.” The exposure in social media has increased anxious thoughts in teenagers, creating stress and tension. The occurrence of stress is possible for anyone, any time of the day. Sophomore Erika Strobel is aware that school shootings can happen in any area, which makes being prepared more important as well as being aware of her surroundings. “It’s always on my mind [and I] always try to think about it,” Strobel said. Students still may be aware and worried about shootings without the topic being brought up or spoken about. Worry students have can be triggered through the school day in common settings such as hallways or classrooms. “[One] morning I was just walking into the school, and I was thinking they really [could] let anybody just walk into this school,” sophomore Rishi Rathnakaram said. Sophomore Ryan Borden lived in Switzerland for two and a half years. When compared to the U.S.,
Switzerland holds major differences in regards to the amount of mass violence. As stated by the National Public Radio, “Firearm deaths in Switzerland take place at just one-seventh the rate that they occur in the United States.” Borden became more aware of shootings through his transition from living in Switzerland to the U.S. Mass violence, which is a new occurrence for Borden, has instilled worry. “It’s crossed my mind multiple times how the threat of [shootings] in schools is much more of a possibility and more probable here,” Borden said. Even though there is an unlikely chance of a school shooting taking place at FHS, students are still doubtful. According to the Washington Post, “the statistical likelihood of any given public school student being killed by a gun, in school, on any given day since 1999 was roughly 1 in 614,000,000.” The unlikely chances still create tension, but students and staff know that FHS is safe and have precautions in place to keep everyone safe. “[With] having a plan and keeping the school safe, I think our school is doing an amazing job,” said Jessica Legnini, history teacher. Rathnakaram recognizes that Loudoun County and more specifically FHS is an assured secure place with the school resource officer, the precautions put in place in the event of an emergency and the security with visitors coming into the school. He continues to keep a positive mindset in order to maintain a healthy routine at school. “It’s a very safe place to live and the possibility of it happening is really low,” Rathnakaram said. To relieve stress, different techniques can be used. Some techniques include breathing exercises or visiting their counselor for further assistance. The tools available can help decrease stress towards shootings. “Try to refocus your thoughts on what’s important now, reviewing school safety plans, and being aware of well in the unlikely chance that this happens I know what to do, and I know how to be safer.” Williams said. [Story by Eliza Agi] [Illustration by Emily Peacher]
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FREEDOM MEETS ITS MAX
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very morning, Freedom High School opens its doors to 2,316 students and faculty. With the promise of city job opportunities and increasing real estate development, this number will only increase, presenting significant consequences for FHS. Last year, FHS installed brand new “learning cottages,” essentially trailer classrooms behind the main school building, to accommodate the growing population. These cottages were able to free up four classrooms within the school. “Every inch of the school is in use,” administrator Tonya Smith said. “Almost every classroom is full, every block of the day. [Some] teachers are on carts, but still have a ‘homebase’ to put all of
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their belongings and [where] students [can] find them.” This year, FHS will implement even more new strategies to manage this growth. As part of their management plan, the school administration plans on removing 200 unused lockers and replacing them with tables. These tables will not only offer an alternative to eating lunch in the cafeteria, but can be used to change up the learning environment during classes or study halls. Several schools are being built to accommodate the growing population of Loudoun County overall. Although they don’t directly affect the zoning of FHS, Independence High School and Paul The Sixth (PVI), a private Catholic school, will both be opening fall 2019.
PVI Loudoun will be located within a mile of FHS, sitting on the intersection of Riding Center and Braddock Road. Some of the FHS community may choose to attend PVI, which will alleviate the overcrowding but the presence of two schools will significantly increase traffic at certain times. Newly built, Willard Intermediate School, is currently housing 8th and 9th grader living in the John Champe zoning area. This is meant to alleviate the overpopulation issue. Currently, there are no intentions of adopting a similar intermediate system for FHS. [Story by Morgan Maiden] [Infographic by Emily Peacher]
increase of population since 2010
24.8%
increase of 27,160 housing units since 2010 [Chart of population growth of Loudoun County from 1990-2018]
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ased on data for the 2017-2018 school year, 48 percent of students enrolled at Freedom High School belong to a minority ethnic group. But, is there a visible representation for Asians in movies and television? Every now and then, one can find the stereotypical Asian represented, a math nerd, an obsessed gamer, a notoriously bad driver. Is that really accurate though? The representation of Asians in media reduce all Asians down to a stereotype, but there have been recent efforts to give them more complex and developed roles. The anticipated release of “Crazy Rich Asians” marked the moment when Asians, specifically Asian-Americans, were represented in Hollywood. The movie had an Asian director and an allAsian cast, but did they really represent the Asian community as a whole accurately? In the movie, a majority of the actors and actresses had lighter complexions and European features. “Crazy Rich Asians” is proof that darker skinned
Asians, like Filipinos and Nepalis, are often overlooked in Hollywood. “Even if there is diversity, I feel like colorism is still apart of [the discrimination],” senior Sweekriti Dahal said. According to Google Dictionary, colorism is the discrimination against people with darker skin, especially among people of the same ethnic group. Colorism is prominent in American and Asian pop culture, as people with lighter skin are praised, and those with darker skin are marginalized. In Asia, Western ideals of beauty have heavily influenced Asian society and media, blossoming the idolization of white skin. “They think that lighter skin is more attractive or it’s a societal beauty standard [and] that really puts the darker skin Asians at a disadvantage,” senior Jessica Li said. The idolization of white skin affects those with darker complexions by making it nearly impossible for them to land roles. “In films, Philippines cast actresses
and actors with lighter skin or ones that are mixed with European blood rather than darker skin [Filipinos],” senior Sean Borromeo said. Disney has received backlash for their live action remakes of “Aladdin” and “Mulan” for whitewashing Asian characters. The rampant criticism from the Asian community pressured Disney into recasting and including more suitable actors and actresses. It’s a start to creating more diversity in the American film industry. Films such as “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Aladdin” and “Mulan” are attempts from Hollywood to represent the Asian community. Although they are not quite there yet, the movies are still positive progress towards inclusivity in the entertainment industry. It gives hope to people of color that one day they will also be represented in Hollywood. [Story by Lynne Tran] [Photos by Madison Roney]
“IT’S A SOCIETAL BEAUTY STANDARD THAT REALLY PUTS THE DARKER SKIN ASIANS AT A DISADVANTAGE.”
JESSICA LI
“EVEN IF THERE IS DIVERSITY, I FEEL LIKE COLORISM IS STILL A PART OF IT.”
SWEEKRITI DAHAL
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THE FLAWS WITH STRAWS
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he life expectancy of an American is roughly 80 years according to the CDC from 2015. Plastic, on the other hand, can last from 400 years up until forever. Even though grabbing a plastic straw for your frappuccino or purchasing a plastic water bottle may only take a couple of seconds, the impact of that small action can last for a lifetime. While we may think it’s only one plastic water bottle, only one plastic grocery bag, or only one plastic spoon, it adds up. In fact, there is currently more than 7 billion tons of plastic waste that has been generated. When more than 40 percent of the plastic we use is only used once before it’s thrown away according to National Geographic, how we manage our plastic consumption becomes an even more pressing matter? Fortunately, many people have recognized the tremendous amount of plastic pollution in our oceans and landfills and have started a movement to stop using plastic straws. Not only does plastic affect our environment but also endangers the safety of many animals. After seeing how plastic, specifically plastic straws, can harm poor creatures such as sea turtles, many people have decided to quit using plastic straws. Even Starbucks has made efforts to limit plastic usage by announcing its
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goal to remove all of its single-use plastic straws by 2020. Starbucks implemented fully recyclable sippy cup lids for most of their cold beverages to replace its plastic straws. Other companies have begun to phase out their plastic straws, including McDonalds and Hyatt hotels according to Forbes. Although it’s terrific that major companies are taking an initiative to cease plastic straw consumption, there are more significant sources of plastic that contribute to plastic pollution. The irony in this movement of limiting plastic straw usage is that people have stopped using plastic straws yet continue to use a plethora of other plastic products. Forbes magazine has even stated that plastic straws are estimated to only be 0.3 percent of the total plastic waste by mass. When plastic straws account for a minuscule amount of the world’s total plastic waste, it seems absurd that we seem to be focused on solely limiting plastic straw consumption. Now, I’m certainly not complaining about people being more environmentally conscience by trying to limit their plastic straw use, in fact, I fully support it. The problem with restricting ourselves to only abandoning plastic straws is that we start believing that we are doing enough to help save our environment; we fall
into the trap of believing we did enough and don’t bother to go beyond that. But why are we just stopping there? What about all the plastic grocery bags or all the plastic water bottles? If people truly do care about the environment then they shouldn’t stop at just restricting their plastic straw consumption. Although stopping to use plastic straws is a great idea, it’s just a start. We can make a more positive and lasting impact on our environment if we just stop using plastic altogether, or at least limit our usage; even though plastic straws are recyclable, only a part of them actually get recycled and the rest of them get thrown into a landfill, and that’s only if people actually recycle them in the first place. We can use recyclable grocery bags instead of plastic ones. We can use reusable containers instead of plastic Ziplocs. We can use reusable water bottles instead of throwing away our plastic water bottles after a couple of hours. We have to realize that plastic straws aren’t the only contributor to Earth’s detrimental health; we have to be open-minded to change. Just remember, plastic is used once but its impact on our world is forever. [Editorial by Aayusha Khanal]
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fter three long years of making ourselves the most attractive college applicants, we have finally reached the climax in our journey as students. Our fate is out of our hands as college admissions officers determine whether we are fit for their respective schools. Considering this, I think it is time to reflect on our high school careers. First and foremost, I would like to congratulate all of those who put forth their best effort over the past three years. I know that effort does not always translate into having the best grades, but I think there is something to say for persevering through the numerous challenges that come with high school. To all those who continuously worked hard and never compromised their values in order to achieve a better grade, I commend your honest efforts. Unfortunately, I feel that my congratulations will not extend to some of my classmates, given their propensity to commit actions of academic dishonesty. While the class became wrapped up in trying to beat one another out for a higher rank in the class, people lost their sense of morality, and cheating started to become a commonplace occurrence in every class. All of a sudden, cheating was a way to survive, and the art of deceiving teachers almost became a class of its own. From simply pulling out a phone while taking a quiz to organizing businesses that specialized in completing assignments for others, cheating became embedded in the legacy of the class. Cheating wasn’t the only way our class lost its values, though. Competition among peers began to wither friendships and create animosity among some of the brightest students who should have been working together, rather than against each other. The failure of classmates became looked as an opportunity to rise in ranking. I sometimes pity those who had the audacity to cheat their way through high school because they are weak individuals, but other times I am jealous of them because their time at Freedom was a breeze compared to my experience. More importantly, however, I am concerned about how our educational system is allowing for cheating to go unnoticed, giving an unfair advantage to the kids who actually attempt to perform well without sacrificing their morality. A message to the people who don’t meet the qualifications to receive my congratulations: don’t complain about how your teachers didn’t prepare you for the rigor of collegiate studies. Moreover, don’t complain about how your Advanced Placement teachers failed to prepare you for the exams that could have given you college credit. When you get to college, please accept that you, not those around you, need to change in order to succeed.
Sincerely,
[Editorial by Arnav Kumar]
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ou catch her staring at you from across the room. Her beautiful cerulean hues glimmer in the overhead lights. You must have her, so you walk over. Your body is overcome with anxiousness. You’re about to make your move, and you can’t believe your eyes. She is only $15! The dress of your dreams is on sale for $15! As you wait at the cash register the last thing you think about is how the clothes you are buying were made. The cost of manufacturing, shipping and making your dress cannot possibly only cost $15. So who is paying the price for your dress? It certainly isn’t you. On Apr. 24, 2013, 1,134 garment workers in Bangladesh died making clothes for Primark, Walmart and other western clothing brands. The day before the incident, engineers were called in to inspect the large crack in the building’s third floor ceiling. The workers were ordered to evacuate the building, but the managers ordered them to report back in the morning. With the looming threat of not receiving their $62 paycheck at the end of the month, the garment workers returned to work. Around 8:45 a.m., the concrete ceiling collapsed. Usually, countries don’t have labor safety laws because cheap labor attracts big companies. The more products a country manufactures, the more its economy improves. At the same time, clothing brands are trying to win consumers with their low prices. In order to do so, they ask textile producers to cut costs, to cut corners--out goes paid leave, sick leave and fire safety mea[Editorial by Kawther Said]
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sures, and in comes unpaid overtime and tragedies like the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh. According to Oxfam, it takes four days for the CEO of a top fashion brands to make the same amount of money a Bangladeshi garment worker would make in their whole life. Gucci sells t-shirts for $2,000, but that does not change the fact that the person who made the shirt is making $2 a day. Rapacious industries are exploiting peoples who are trapped in a system that cares more about profits than workers. Fashion is a $1.2 trillion industry, yet companies still cannot ensure basic human rights. In addition to violating human welfare, fast fashion--cheap, trendy clothes that are not meant to last a long time--devastates the earth of its valuable resources. Cheap clothes teach society that clothes are disposable. How many people buy a dress for one dance and never use it again? Carelessly consuming fashion directly contributes to wasted labor, money, time and resources. The answer to fast fashion is not to donate your clothes to Goodwill or any other charity. According to the Council for Textile Recycling, only 10-20 percent of clothes donated in America are sold in thrift stores. The other 80-90 percent end up in landfills or in developing countries. When your second-hand clothes are given away for free in developing countries, the local economies are disrupted because nobody is going to purchase clothes when they can find the same items for free. Then local busi-
nesses lose customers, which translates into lost jobs and a plunging economy. This would be avoidable if consumers did not buy a surplus of disposable fashion in the first place. The answer to fast fashion is to make a conscious effort to avoid consumption of unethical clothing. If consumers want to stop contributing to child-labor, slave-labor, unsafe practices, unfair wages, unpaid overtime and environmental degradation, there are a few things that you can do. You can shop second-hand and give clothes a second chance to serve their purpose. Not only is it good for the environment and garment workers, but with the rise of YouTubers like Emma Chamberlain, thrifting is seen as trendy. Another option is to host clothing-swaps with your friends. Do they have a shirt you want to borrow? Why not make it official? Additionally, make sure to care for and repair your clothes instead of throwing them away. Lastly, make sure to do your research before you buy. Companies aren’t always honest about their practices, and thorough research can help you make the right decisions. The dress of your dreams may only cost $15, but it cost garment workers their lives.
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ust like hundreds of other students at Freedom High School, I too own a spam account, or more commonly referred to as a finsta. The original purpose of a finsta is to be able to connect with close friends in an unfiltered way, but over time this purpose has drastically changed. Recently, I have been using my spam account more often than my main instagram account. Since I follow other spam accounts, I have taken notice of the different types of content posted on these online platforms. Most spam accounts often include long rants, or people complaining about others. This is nearly the opposite of what the original intent of these accounts were supposed to be, hence being extremely problematic due to creating drama which could easily be solved by constructive com-
munication. Not only is the concept of spam accounts toxic, but bashing other people online or complaining about daily mishaps in life only create unnecessary drama. When scrolling through people’s finstas, the things that they are complaining about can be fixed pretty easily, or they are matters that are so minuscule that they could be let go of all together. By posting rants and complaints constantly, it only allows for further obsession over the issue at hand. A more efficient and healthy solution to the matter would be to actually do something to fix the issue so that it is no longer a problem worth ranting about. I am also guilty of this vicious cycle. I found that when I ranted about my day on my finsta, I only obsessed over it more. The more often I continued this
habit, the more I realized how unproductive I was becoming in regards to solving issues in my life. Once I started posting more positive content, and posting less often, I immediately noticed a change in my mood and my life felt less chaotic as a whole. Spam accounts, when not used for the intended purpose of connecting with close friends, can be extremely toxic and problematic, let alone unnecessary. Overall, it creates more stress posting about issues online since it only perpetuates the problem. Coming from someone who also fell into spam culture, I advise anyone with a finsta to post less and to avoid ranting about personal issues. At the end of the day, finstas are only a compilation of complaints and rumors. [Editorial by Kayla Cooper]
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[Photo by Nick Aldana, 12]
[Artwork by Sabrina Beach, 12]