the
STAFF Adviser Dana Baker
Editor-in-Chief Samaleh Omar Managing Editors Amanda PeĂąa Jessica Scott Design Editor Joytsana Sangroula Copy Editor Meghan Adams Business Editor Arnav Kumar News Editors Cayley Kilduff Holly Chun Features Editor Shravani Reddy Culture Editor Erin Janiga Opinions Editor Helina Wondwossen Sports Editor Arnav Kumar Photo Editor Aishwarya Ramesh Staff Writers and Photographers Kayla Cooper Fawaz Khan Aayusha Khanal Thor Moy Ava Proehl Lynne Tran Belle Tran Claire Wodack Kaise Dualeh Emily Peacher Sergio Cervantes
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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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
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[news] [features] [culture] [sports] [opinions] [back cover]
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CONTENTS
from the editors Welcome back, freebirds! We made it through the year! As the 2017-2018 school year comes to a close, we just want to thank you for sticking with us through this wild time. We’ve grown a lot as a publication this year and have made major advancements in securing greater exposure for the magazine; however, we also had a great deal of adjustment at the beginning of the year. We wanted to take a new approach to this publication and had to figure out what the new vision for our magazine would be. After a lot of hard work we were able to build a website at uncagedfhs.org that will provide you with content year-round! Seniors, it has been great getting to know you. All the staff members here at [Uncaged.] wish you the best of luck in your endeavors, and we hope that you continue to carry the Freedom spirit with you wherever you go. We look forward to seeing how the Class of 2018 shapes our world. Juniors, you guys made it through what is commonly known as the hardest year of high school, but now is not the time to rest! Use this summer to work on yourself and expand your horizons in preparation for your college search. Most importantly, don’t forget to dedicate time to your passions and interests. Freshmen and sophomores, hang in there. Have a safe and eventful summer, Freebirds! n
[Photo by Joytsana Sangroula, 12]
letter from the editors
3
NEWS
Capstone: Off on Their Own
Senior Year: Through a Different Lens
S
enior Jun Wong chose to learn more about film by creating a summary video of his last year at Freedom High School. He started making short videos of him and his friends and editing them to post on his YouTube channel called “The Previews” almost a year ago. Wong’s videos contain very little dialogue and instead focus more on heavy production, editing and music. As senior class historian, Wong has a responsibility to create a slideshow containing pictures of all the students throughout the year. Instead of making a slideshow, Wong wanted to make a video similar to those he has posted on his YouTube channel for his Capstone project. “It’s the class of 2018’s entire year of what we’ve done as a class from 2017 to 2018,” Wong said. “It’s more or less just a summary video and it gives future classes an insight on how senior year’s going to be like and how fun it is.” Wong has posted a sneak peak of the project on his Twitter and YouTube, which has collectively earned almost 500 views. The video contains clips of the senior class getting
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hyped at pep rallies and senior Robert Mayo running across the football field. The most difficult part of the process for Wong has been editing all the clips together to create a cohesive video. “Editing for this entire Capstone video will probably take at least 40 to 50 hours in total because there's at least 500 clips piled up for this year, and I’m still going to have more,” Wong said. “I have to go through every single one of them and then pick out the ones I want to actually use, edit it all together, put in transitions, music and match it up with that.” Wong’s final project will result in a video that encapsulates all the memories the class of 2018 has created during their last year at FHS. His end goal is to improve his editing skills and hopefully expand his YouTube channel by learning more about the art of filmmaking. n [Story by Claire Wodack] [Photos provided by Jun Wong]
Greetings From Iceland! S
enior Cameron Roper is hoping to learn more about filmmaking through her Capstone project by traveling to Iceland for eight days to make a documentary. Roper’s project focuses on self development by learning something new which she has always been interested in. As well as videography, she is learning the fundamentals of planning a trip and how to manage a travel budget. “I'm traveling to Iceland and I'm going to make a video,” Roper said. “I don't know anything about video editing. So I went to Hawaii over spring break, and I made a practice travel video to get into the video making process. I’m going to use all those techniques to make a travel video about Iceland.” Roper has a passion for telling stories. Usually, she’s told these stories
through writing, but she now wants to learn how to translate those narratives into a motion picture. “I really like artistic things,” Roper said. “I love movies and stories and I feel like creating those special moments that look good on film is a really rewarding experience.” Roper intends to continue the story after she comes home from Iceland through multiple art projects. She plans will show the beauty of the world through a variety of mediums. Roper also plans to learn more about photography while in Iceland. Over the past year, she has practiced her photography and intends to use her skills to make the best documentary possible. n [Story by Claire Wodack] [Photo provided by Cameron Roper]
Saludos desde Peru! S
enior Katie Shepard is choosing to immerse herself into Peruvian culture for 10 days for her Capstone project. “I’m going to Peru for 10 days with my grandmother and we’re going to travel all around Machu Picchu,” Shepard said. “It’s going to be a complete Spanish immersion, so none of us are going to speak English the whole time.” Shepard has a deep love for the Spanish language and has taken classes up to Spanish 5 at FHS. She plans to minor in Spanish in college while majoring in neuropsychology. Having a deep understanding of the language will help her get intern-
ships overseas. Besides gaining new experiences and testing her bilingual capabilities, Shepard is most looking forward to hiking Machu Picchu and seeing the alpacas. “I’m super excited for Machu Picchu and all the hiking,” Shepard said. “There's a lot of alpacas in Peru, and I really want to see the alpacas.” Instead of having just textbook knowledge of a field of study, Shepard is getting real world experience and testing how well her Spanish actually is before studying it in college. n [Story by Claire Wodack] [Photo provided by Katie Shepard]
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NEWS
Capstone: Off on Their Own A Permanent Passion
S
enior Jenna Green is choosing to through a lot of people and get a lot explore a potential career path as a of special permission.” tattoo artist through her Capstone. Green has always been an artist, but it During her three weeks, she will take wasn’t until recently that she decidpart in a mini apprenticeship at Patriots ed becoming a tattoo artist was Tattoo, Piercing and Body Art in Fairfax. her end goal. Through her project, Green will be able “My interest in tattoos startto explore a career that interests her. By ed when my parents sat me the end of her capstone, she will decide down [and] asked me what I whether she wants to continue the path wanted to be when I grew of becoming a tattoo artist or go in a up and I told them that I different direction. hated everything,” Green “I’m going to go in and learn how to said. “I looked up obscure put together all the machines, learn how jobs for artists and tattoo to clean everything properly and then artist came up and that do concept work,” Green said. was never something I Despite graduating this year, Green is thought of before, but only 16. She skipped her junior year and when I looked into it, I is completing high school early. Her age really loved it.” was a concern when getting approval Green hopes that her for her project because to get a tattoo, apprenticeship will help you must be a legal adult. show her art to the world “The hardest part [about Capstone] and create a foundation is getting approval because it is an that she can rely on to build a obscure project and it is in an adult career in the tattoo industry. n environment,” Green said. “I had to go [Story by Claire Wodack] [Photo provided by Jenna Green] [Photo by Cayley Kilduff]
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Empathy Through Art
N
ina Dixon has also chosen an artistic approach to her Capstone. For her project, she will be reading biographies of individuals who suffer from schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder and multiple personality disorder and then she will create paintings to reflect how their minds work while living with a mental illness. “I always wanted to do something with painting, and last year I thought I was going to do something with just reading books and making paintings about it,” Dixon said. “But a friend of mine said something about mental illnesses and I thought [that] I wanted to do that for my Capstone. Reading about their experiences will be interesting, I feel like the actual paintings are going to be really hard but actually figuring out how these people feel and seeing the different sides of their lives with mental illnesses is going to be exciting.” Dixon’s biggest worry about her project is generalizing peoples experience with mental illness. “Everyone's experiences with their
illness is different so just basing it off of one book, it's hard to say that this is universally how everyone feels,” Dixon said. Art has had a prominent role in Dixon’s life, and this project has helped her have a better understanding of the effects that colors and shapes have on a person's emotions. Dixon’s intention is to help people understand what it’s like for others to live while suffering from conditions such as schizophrenia, OCD and multiple personality disorder. n [Story and photo by Claire Wodack] [Photos provided by Nina Dixon]
[Story and photo by: Claire Wodack] [Photo provided by Nina Dixom]
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NEWS
Leaving Borders Behind W hile most students prefer to remain close to home or on the East Coast, some have decided to explore their undergraduate education in places much further away. In the fall, seniors Emmy Wood will be attending University of St. Andrews in Scotland and Ashkaan Kashani will be attending McGill University in Canada. “It’s a long distance from home and I feel like that’s scary for me,” Wood said. “But I really like travelling and I don’t mind the distance as much as some other people do.” According to U.S. News and World Report, more than a third of the top 50 colleges and universities in the world are outside of the U.S. Even so, only a handful of Freedom High School students choose to study abroad every
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year, with most students choosing to stay in Virginia. “I don’t want to look at everything through the lens of South Riding for the rest of my life, or look at everything through the lens of Virginia,” Kashani said. “When you go there are so many different perspectives from all over the world, from different cultural backgrounds, from different religions...there’s a real diffusion of ideas that you don’t really get from a local school.” Even curriculums can vary drastically from country to country in regards to a particular major, meaning that applying abroad can give someone a different educational experience as well as a cultural one. “I found a lot of information on how the school systems work [in Scotland],
and it opened my eyes to how the U.S. is different from a lot of other countries in how they value different things in their education,” Wood said. “If you’re adventurous and just want to explore different parts of the world I think that applying abroad is a great opportunity.” While for most the sacrifices necessary to study abroad are too great, failing to consider options outside of the U.S. may be ignoring the variety of quality of education that the rest of the world provides. In the age of globalization, not only can studying abroad provide a different educational experience, but it can also provide a broader worldview that may be priceless in this increasingly interconnected world. n [Story by Kaise Dualeh]
SUMMER
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FUN CHALLENGE
e all dread the back-to-school icebreakers when our teachers ask us to share interesting stories about what we did over the summer. Typically, it goes along the lines of “I slept most of the time,” “I watched Netflix,” and “I scrolled through social media.” In order to avoid boredom and to brighten up your summer, try some of these activities! n In the House:
BBQ
Beach
Movie Marathon
Picnic
Roadtrip
Homemade Pizzas
Pool Party
Water Park
Pillow Fort
Sunrise/Sunset
DC Trip
Game Night (Video or Board)
Photoshoots
Local Festivals
Yoga
Messy Twister
Top Golf
Henna Tattoos
Flashlight Tag
iFly
Make Popsicles
Picnic With Friends
Amusement Park
Scrapbook
Fruit Picking
Ice Cream (Roller places- Iron Ice)
Tie Dye
Camping
Sporting Events
Outdoors:
Catch (& Release) Fireflies
Fireworks
Strawberry Picking
Bowling
Carnival
Hiking
Zoo
Rebounderz
Water Balloons
Sidewalk Chalk Art
Laser Tag
S’mores
Bike Rides
Roller Skating
Star Gazing
Going out:
Gardening
Sunflower Field
Piñata Party
Concert
[List by Emily Peacher] [Photo illustrations by Aishwarya Ramesh]
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FEATURES
bees exposed to only certain plants, is typically used to treat ulcers or wound beds. Li aimed to create a method to make medical grade honey low-cost, by cutting out the things that interfere with its antibacterial properties. Her experiment proved to be a success. On average, medical-grade honey is $50 per ounce, but according to her cost analysis, Li was able to make the product 10 times less expensive. Not only was her product significantly cheaper, but the honeys displayed nearly two times the amount of antibacterial activity. “The more exciting thing is not that we found this one honey, but that we developed this method which can be applied to any honey so that any honey can be made into medical grade honey,” Li said.
MADDEN MOORE
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individual antioxidant,” Patnaik said. And, contrary to literature, Patnaik found that using higher concentrations of cocoa and pomegranate was actually growing cancer cells. Although Patnaik needs to conduct further research, she thinks there may be a level at which these antioxidants could become potentially dangerous. Junior Jessica Li also shares Patnaik’s interest in human health. For her project, Li attempted to solve a current medical problem. “Two really big issues today are cancer and infections; those are the leading causes of death throughout the world,” Li said. “The need for a natural low-cost anticancer and antibacterial agent is a big deal right now. So what I ended up looking into was honey, or more specifically medical-grade honey.” Medical grade honey, produced from
JESSICA LI
very year, students from all over Loudoun County present their innovative research at the Regional Science and Engineering Fair (RSEF). From chemistry to physics, participants enter projects in one of 17 different categories, hoping their hard work will earn them a seat to the next round. Three individual Freedom participants, Isaani Patnaik, Jessica Li and Madden Moore, focused on cancer related research. Senior Isaani Patnaik studied the impact of several antioxidants, including green tea, cocoa and pomegranate, on treating medullary thyroid cancer for her project. Not only did she get to conduct independent research, but her results were quite interesting as well. “I found that a combination of various antioxidants is a lot more effective at treating cancer than compared to an
ISAANI PATNAIK
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Science Fair
“Two really big issues... today are cancer and infections; those are the leading causes of death throughout the world” - JESSICA LI Junior Madden Moore integrated his interest in computer science with medical research. For his project, Moore developed a computer model that can aid in early detection of several cancers from a blood sample. “I discovered that machine learning algorithms can differentiate between tumor cells and normal cells with very high accuracies, on average between 96 and 99 percent over 10 trials,” Moore said. “I also found a specific interaction between different microRNAs that exist across three different types of cancers. While each of these microRNAs aren’t statistically significant in the cancers individually, their interactions can be used as a biomarker for different types of cancers.”
Despite the evident success of their projects, Patnaik, Li and Moore each faced some challenges. “When you have your experimental design and you’re reading through, you’re saying ‘Oh, this isn’t that bad’ and then everything goes wrong,” Li said. “It’s like Murphy’s law: everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. In fact, Li didn’t have conclusive trial data until two weeks before RSEF. And Patnaik struggled to find time to conduct her research. “I had to make time to do things,” Patnaik said. “I would be going in on the weekend or going in early to school to do the research and with the snow days, it kind of threw off my [research].”
Moore had to create a new method halfway through his project, when the government database vital to his research changed formats. Patnaik, Li and Moore hope to continue their research. As she begins college, Patnaik aspires to become a doctor and continue cancer research. This summer, Li will travel to Korea to collaborate with other student researchers on her project. Having placed second in his category and winning two special awards, Moore will soon compete at the state science fair. n [Story by Shravani Reddy] [Illustration by Shravani Reddy]
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FEATURES
VAPENATION
M
any Freedom High School students can recall a moment in their childhood when they were told not to, under any circumstances, use drugs. Whether that message came from a parent or the episode of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” about adderall, children are taught drugs are extremely harmful and will ruin their lives. How do these messages stick with individuals when the drugs they come across seem so harmless? Over the past several decades, the United States has been devoted to combating teen substance abuse. From Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign to the growing popularity of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), it’s clear that substance abuse has been a major concern for generations. Just as these campaigns vary in their methods, the results are just as mixed. Some argue that anti-drug efforts often oversimplify complex issues and rely on ineffective tactics like fear mongering. Despite this, anti-drug efforts are at least partially responsible for the gains made in limiting substance abuse. According to the Center for Disease Control, teen smoking has decreased from 28 percent in 1991 to 11 percent in 2014, but this doesn’t account for the massive swing toward other forms of substance abuse, specifically vaping. The National Youth Tobacco Survey found that between 2011 and 2016, reported e-cigarette use rose 900 percent and 1.7 million high school students reported that they vaped in the past 30 days. By far, the most common device used for vaping among teens is the JUUL. JUULs are devices that evaporate a liquid known as e-juice, a solution made of nicotine and other substances, which is then in-
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haled by the users. What started as an Jason Gadell said. “The law has caught alternative for adult smokers has now up with the technology of vaping so become a favorite pastime of many essentially it is a tobacco violation.” high school students. The perception of vapes as being Manufacturers of vaping devices are a casual and mostly benign drug, well aware of this segment of the mar- has led to its meteoric rise into the ket. One cause of concern for many mainstream, except there is very little is the blatant effort by many vaping evidence to uphold this reputation. manufacturers that market products E-cigarettes and its vape offshoots are towards young people. A main draw still relatively new drugs with subof vaping devices, such as JUULs, are stances that are still being studied and the variety e-juice flavors including developed. mango, cotton candy and even creme A Columbia University study found brulee. that when e-liquid is heated, just as The Food and Drug Administration it is when being turned into vapor in (FDA) has made attempts to regulate most vaping devices, it produces toxic e-cigarettes and vapes in the same metals such as nickel, zinc and lead. manner as they would tobacco, some This danger doesn’t even account of which have been successful. In May for the fact that e-cigarettes and vapes 2016, the FDA secured the right to contain much more concentrated prohibit the sale of vapes to minors amounts of nicotine, compared to nationwide, but its accessibility has traditional cigarettes. Without any sort rendered this ruling virtually useless of consensus on the effects vaping as vape shops become increasingly can have, high school students have popular past urban areas and into sub- essentially become guinea pigs. urban communities. “The chemicals in [vapes] are much It’s almost impossible to talk about more immediately toxic [than cigawhy vaping has become so popular rettes],” AP psychology teacher Holly without mentioning the unobtrusive Salyers said. “They’re both toxic and nature of vaping. To a non-smoker, damaging, it’s just whether it’s more JUULs could easily be mistaken for a immediate or long-term. We don’t flash drive, which makes them even know what the long-term damage is easier to conceal in public. Its compact going to be from using e-cigarettes, design also enables one to carry a because they’ve only really been vape in one’s pocket without trouble. around for about 10 years. So, we This is really the heart of the vaping don’t know for another 10 to 20 years issue; how do you combat the use of a if they’re going to cause things like drug that is so hard to detect, a drug cancer. My suspicion is yes.” that seems so casual and harmless? The effects of vaping may not be While the average citizen would fully discovered until decades from have trouble detecting the use of a now. Still, the possibility of vaping bevaping device, law enforcement has coming a national public health crisis adapted to the new trend. is present and judging from similar “It can be done more discreetly than events in the past, vaping doesn’t smoking a cigarette, but I think that seem like it will have this harmless everybody now is accustomed to the reputation in the future. n smells of cotton candy and strawber[Story by Samaleh Omar] ry muffin,” Loudoun County Deputy [Photo illustration by Shravani Reddy]
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THE SPIRIT OF
S
tudents have various ways of giving back to the community especially through volunteer. Many volunteer their time at the local library, school or community events. Freedom High School juniors Kayla Wrigley and Sarah Francis volunteer at Sprout Therapeutic Riding and Education Center, which is a center for therapeutic horseback riding for people of all ages who have a mental or physical disability. Both Wrigley and Francis have a great interest in horses. Wrigley does not have a background of horseback riding, however, her love for horses and helping others inspired her to volunteer at Sprout. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to help people with special needs,” Wrigley said. “I love being able to see what they [the students] can accomplish during their lesson”. Francis has been riding horses since she was 3 years old, and she grew up watching her older sister volunteer at Sprout. This inspired her to volunteer and use her knowledge about horses to helping kids and adults with disabilities. “I just love seeing the reaction of the
kids,” Francis said. “[It’s] the best part for me to see how fulfilled they get because of the simple things we do”. At Sprout, Francis and Wrigley take on the role of leading the horse, but also helping the students ride. But aside from instructing they also help with the barn work, such as cleaning up the pens, caring for the horses. Through the riding lessons, the students are able to get therapy, but most importantly develop physical and social skills. “It [Therapeutic riding] can promote vocal ability… it really helps with their physical health, so a lot of parents choose that form of therapy for their kids,” Francis said. They are also able to teach the children to work and overcome challenges that they may have thought to be impossible or difficult due to their disability. Through constant work, Wrigley and Francis are able to guide the students to success. At the same time, Francis faces some challenges when it comes to instructing, especially when the students struggle to interact with her and the horse. But
through encouragement and genuine work that Wrigley and Francis put forth, the students are able to gain confidence to follow through with the lesson. “I always encourage the rider because sometimes a little encouragement is enough to make them able to do the challenge they are facing,” Wrigley said. Sprout gives opportunities to Wrigley and Francis to help individuals to learn, interact and build a relationship with others and receive therapy through riding horses. Not only do the students learn from instructors, but the instructors are also able to learn from the students “Volunteering at sprout has taught me that when I [have] a difficulty in my life that is too great to overcome, I have the ability to do so,” Wrigley said. Through their involvement with Sprout, Wrigley and Francis hope to inform others about the importance of giving back to community and helping others conquer challenges they face. n [Story by Holly Chun] [Photo illustration by Shravani Reddy] [Photo provided by Cayley Kilduff]
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In-State International
JAMES MAD
*The names included in this map were all that were received and confirmed at the time of printing, therefore not every member of the senior class is represented.*
McGill University, Montreal | Canada Ashkaan Kashani
University of St. Andrews | Scotland
UNIVERSITY VIRGINIA
Emiliana Wood
Alex Adatsi Cecilia Barber Priya Batheja Bevan Charles Caroline Chen Kristina Chong Caroline Doskey Zuhaad Hameed Esha Jain Josephine Johannes Ara Lee
Military U.S. Air Force Mustabinur Bhuiyan Christopher Brown Anna Evangelista
U.S. Army
Nathaniel Brown
U.S. Marine Corps Brian Meenan Arthur Norton Douglas O’Connell
U.S. Navy Joshua Nieset Kyle Nieset
Other
Mission Work Matthew Bean
Gap Year
Christopher Weidner
VIRGINIA TECH
Jenna Brummond Lahari Bucchammolla Natalie Calizon Sydney Campbell Isabelle Clavelli Nicole Cox Kathryn Francis Macy Freeman Brennan George Gregory Greiner Xavier Guzman Erin Hall Morgan Howe Robin Jiang Srikari Karamchedu Salona Khanal Catherine Lam Ryan Le
Caleigh McDonough Ryan McGrath Hailey Morse Sean O’Connor Hunter Oakford Emma Perrotta Timothy Phan Kenneth Powell Alexandra Reed Anant Sharma Daniel Shomali Zachary Spencer Kathryn Stefano Emma Terry Maria Togni Justin Ubelhart Jun Wong
Rachael Bean Carley Belknap Ellery Broga Sydney Calvelli Abbigail Daley Joshua De Guzman Nina Dixon Cameron Funk Vikram Gondy Patrick Graves Erin Janiga Kaitlin Keiper Kaitlin Key Olivia Kleinsmith OF
Jamie Lee Isaani Patnaik Caitlin Phan Daniel Richardson Aarti Sakhuja Eric Sakmyster Shaira Shuhrat Chan Sohn Taylor Weigand Matthew Yorkilous
LYNCHBURG COLLEGE Kevin Chung
ROANOKE COLLEGE Tyler Lee
RADFORD Noah Broussard Riley Bryan Kelly Conlon Megan Kazanjian Taylor Piper Sara Werthmann
GEORGE MASON
MADISON
n
Erin Krobath Josie Kupsky Jasmine Lander Elliot Mullen Kanwaljit Othee Rushil Patel Kevin Pham Kaleena Roeder Ryan Shuman Noah Sim Rachel Stegmeier Danielle Stelly Cameron Taglieri Alexis Vicchio
MARY BALDWIN Morgan Holmes
SHENANDOAH Giulianna Biondi Kayla Johnson
NOVA
Sarah Adalat Cheyenne Adkins Giovanni Aievoli Marie Atie Neamen Baattai Mohtashinur Bhuiyan Larry Chin Carlos Cruz Madison Demello Haylee Dinarte Benjamin Dueno Danielle Fuller Earfon Ghasemy Jacob Graves Katherine Himes Ricardo Hernandez-Uriarte Saira Jimenez Meredith Lax
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH
Brooke Askew Alia Athman Devin Bazyk Virginia Campbell Caroline Doskey John Doyle Morgan Eaton Sharon Eusebio Aiyana Evans Rachel Fangyen Bhavya Jetty Meghan Jones Gabriel Jupiter Tahia Karim Sonia Khan Samuel Kim Duncan Maclean
Mohammed Abdul Karim Sarana Adhikari Leah Ahn Apinya Asawatungsathian Ellen Ayoub Jordyn Bright Holland Casserly Jacob Crissey Zainulabideen Fazal Mustafa Fitrat Jack Fitzgerald Louis Garcia Sarah Ghaffari Janelle Gonzaga Cyann Halley Matthew Hood Fiorella Izquierdo Aditya Jain Natasha Kaka Elizabeth Klein Radhika Laddha Elizabeth Lim Lisa Lupetaliaami Hawa Maiwand Mia McKinley
Matthew Neal Kate Nette Sohailla Noor Mylene Perlas Preethi Prem Anthony Rubio-Tonche Anna Rush Isaac Sadozai Ankit Sapkota Case Stallings Megan Thomas Angela Vivaldi Owen Weismiller Erin White Shayna Wolin Elizabeth Yoo Jean Yoon
LIBERTY Colin Alexiou Grant Fuller Sarah Kiel
Danielle Leeson Jhavon Leverett Dwarakh Nayam Jehan Negash Brett Newman Marcino Nguyen Leah Pangburn Kate Pearson Kristie Phan Paige Ragusky Chris Ramos Suheil Raphael Matthew Reyes Juan Romero Utkarsh Sahay Valeria Santiago Naveed Sherzai Allyson Sims Douglas Smith Chau Tran
MARY WASHINGTON MARYMOUNT Ariya Louis Aya Sharif
Christine Dang Cameron Delean Ingrid Dizon Erin Wilson
RANDOLPHMACON CHRISTOPHER COLLEGE NEWPORT Michael Stopper
LONGWOOD Taylor Adams Shae Carter Mary Findley Brady Gartner Sara Wilfong
HAMPDENSYDNEY COLLEGE James Taylor
Sophie McKinley Timothy McKinley Alyssa Miller Andrea Motas Vy Nguyen Ahssel Omar Raveen Omar Marius Orentas Amanda Peña Alison Perlberg Hasintsoa Razafinjatovo Allen Ren Matthew Rogers Joytsana Sangroula Adithya Sarathy Bryce Scarbrough Prithvisagar Shivaraman Emily Silampa Lucy Strother Sanekesha Vohra Sitara Wahezi Nicholas Walter Caitlyn Yoon Diba Zahed
Jacob Ahn Jackson Allen Kathryn Fink Jonathan L. Fisher Molly Kammerdeiner Jessica Scott Kathryn Shepherd
VIRGINIA STATE Shawn Jones
WILLIAM & MARY Meghan Adams Andrew Cho Elizabeth Comeau Christina Terrazas
OLD DOMINION
NORFOLK STATE Jillian Pippins
Stacy Anyele Caitlin Knee Robert Mayo Adam Tessmer
Class of 2018
Out-of-State Auburn University | AL
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign | IL Anoop Hariharan
Purdue University | IN
Ashton Englebert
Avanindra Balasubramaniam Nicole Balog Vivek Khanolkar
Madelyn Jarama
Kenneth Bolton
Petra Jasper
Peyton Grant
Maria Billings
Kyle Schofield
Cameron Roper
Shuhao Lai
Devin Hight Sophia Zappolo
Jackson Garber
Adam Jones
Southwest Minnesota State University | MN
Andrew Pirko
Washington University, St. Louis | MO
Jonathan E. Fisher
University of Nebraska, Lincoln | NE
Aidan Hoyt
Clarkson University | NY
Abner Devallon
Marymount Manhattan College | NY
Sydney Wrighte
University of Alabama | Al Savannah College of Art and Design | GA
William Penn University | IA
Occidental College | CA
University of Kansas | KS
University of California, Davis | CA
Frederick Community College | MD
University of Southern California | CA
Johns Hopkins University | MD
Colorado State University | CO
United States Naval Academy | MD
Johnson & Wales University, Denver | CO University of Hartford | CT Pensacola Christian College | FL University of Florida | FL Valencia College | FL Oxford College of Emory University | GA Francesca Moore
Mount Holyoke College | MA Hae-In Ryu
Abigail Hoisington Maria Cresci
Sean Crumbliss Declan Grant Emily Sorber
New York University | NY Varun Khanolkar Archisha Singh
Pratt Institute | NY Jiwoo Kim
Duke University | NC Aaron Chai Caroline Maloney
East Carolina University | NC Hanna Evangelisto Sydney Mawyer Alexander Oates Cameron Peacher
Lenoir-Rhyne University | NC Nicholas Nies
University of North Carolina, Asheville | NC Lindsey Nystrom
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | NC William Schroder
Kenyon College | OH James Smith
Ohio University | OH
Pennsylvania State University | PA James Hadley
Point Park University | PA Emily Heer
University of Pittsburgh | PA Aishwarya Ramesh Ashlyn Rocky Annalee Salazar Alexis Thomas
Johnson & Wales University | RI Miranda Herrera
College of Charleston | SC Kalea Perez
University of South Carolina | SC Morgan Kerns Connor Sachs John Tapley Emily Tasker
Vanderbilt University | TN Niel Yocom
Brigham Young University | UT
Austin Callens
Jayson Call Zachary Tyler
Zyan Collins
Laney Tannery
California University of Pennsylvania | PA Saint Francis University | PA Donovan Foley
Saint Joseph’s University | PA Sean O’Toole
Utah Valley University | UT American University | Washington D.C. Kendall Malinchock
West Virginia University | WV Antonio Alvarez Kolin Bishop Sean Helmick Hannah Ingram Lawrence Jenkins Cassandra Keiter Cameron Korhnak Steven Langford Kendall Moffett Harrison Westfall
CULTURE
REAL WORLD EXPERIENCES
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ne of the most difficult decisions a teenager will ever have to make is a choice in a career path. With college not that far away for many students, it’s a decision that needs to be properly considered. In order to ease the transition from highschool to the career preparation of college, many students try to gain experience in work fields that interest them. One of the many ways to gain this experience is to apply for internships and summer courses. This summer, sophomore Lauren Balser will be taking advantage of these opportunities. Balser has been interested in journalism since her freshman year. Since then, she’s constantly been looking for ways to gain experience in her desired career. “I was looking for things I could do over the summer to pursue journalism, and this internship kind of fell into my lap,” Balser said. The School of the New York Times, a summer academy and internship program
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located in New York City, caught Balser’s eye while she was scrolling through her Instagram feed. The two week course offers students like Balser a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience jobs related to their interests, as well as learn more about other professions. Some of the featured pre-college courses include culinary arts, photography, visual storytelling and journalistic writing. “I knew the program was something I would really enjoy, because I love New York, and I love journalism,” Balser said. The program also offers opportunities for students to work directly under employees of the New York Times. We get to go to the actual New York Times building and listen to advice from people working there,” Balser said. “To have conversations with them and to get to learn about how the company works is really cool.” The program’s requirements, though
not very extensive, require students to maintain a relatively high GPA and challenging course load during the school year. These requirements are set to ensure that a student is able to handle the intensity of the internship and educational program. Balser was able to find a program that allowed her to experience working as a journalist firsthand, by simply scrolling through Instagram. Opportunities to learn more about potential careers and to gain experience are sometimes only one click away. n [Story by Helina Wondwossen] [Photos by Helina Wondwossen and provided by Ava Proehl]
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tayed up late studying for a test? Coffee. Monday morning? Coffee. Long day at school? Coffee. This caffeinated beverage seems to be the answer for many Freedom High School students’ problems. In reality, it’s just brewing up trouble, according to new information that suggests there is a link between coffee and cancer. According to the New York Times, Starbucks and other coffee vendors did not warn consumers about acrylamide in coffee, which is a chemical formed after coffee beans are roasted. Since coffee vendors never explicitly told their customers about acrylamide being in their coffee, the Council for Education and Research on Toxics filed a lawsuit in 2010. Acrylamide can be found in a variety of products; it is in harmful toxins like cigarette smoke and also in common foods such as potato chips and bread. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that this chemical forms during high-temperature cooking, and in this case during roasting coffee beans at temperatures higher than 250 degrees Fahrenheit. In multiple studies that examined the correlation between acrylamide and cancer in lab animals, high doses of this chemical caused several different types of cancer in lab rats. Acrylamide is on California’s list of substances that are carcinogenic or are possible causes of cancer. Because of this potential hazard, a California judge recently ruled that coffee must come with a cancer warning label to inform coffee drinkers of the risk that comes with drinking this caffeinated beverage. Despite this research, the link between
acrylamide in coffee and cancer isn’t entirely certain, because, according to the American Cancer Society, most of the studies that tested the possible connection of acrylamide and cancer in humans had the same results; acrylamide intake did not seem to increase the risk of having any specific cancer in humans. Sophomore Emma Zimmerman is a regular coffee drinker, who likes coffee for the taste and for making her less tired throughout a long night of completing homework. After being informed about the California case and the acrylamide found in coffee, Zimmerman said she would continue to drink coffee and that it did not change her opinion of coffee. However, she believes that people should be warned about how acrylamide in coffee has the potential to negatively impact their health. “I don’t see a big problem with allowing people to have all of the necessary knowledge to make the decision that they find to be most appropriate,” Zimmerman said. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and International Agency for Research on Cancer classify this chemical to be a probable human carcinogen. Even though these organizations view acrylamide to be a possible carcinogen, they based these conclusions on lab animal testing. The link between acrylamide created from roasting coffee beans and cancer has not been proven, despite the California ruling. For all the FHS students wondering if the possible risks of drinking coffee exceed its benefits, it’s up to you to decide if that’s your cup of tea… or coffee. n [Story by Aayusha Khanal] [Photos by Erin Janiga]
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SPORTS
commitments
[With as much success FHS athletes have had this year in securing college roster spots, [Uncaged.] would like to recognize those athletes that will continue both their academic and athletic career in the next stage of their lives.]
sophie mckinley Sport: Swimming College: George Mason University I chose Mason because as soon as I️ walked on the campus I️ felt like I️ was at home. Also since I️ am swimming there, the team was so welcoming and are so great. They also have great academics so it was an easy choice for me.
mia mckinley Sport: Swimming College: George Mason University I picked George Mason because it is in-state, and since there are three of us going to college at once, it will alleviate the cost overall. Also, I love the campus and of course, the pool is really nice.
tim mckinley
Sport: Swimming College: George Mason University Well I chose George Mason because when I went on my recruiting trip there, I felt like I was at home. The team was so nice; the coaches were amazing. Also, I liked the dorms and they have a pretty good business program. One thing that kind of swayed me to go there was when Sophie committed to GMU before me, so it was kind of in the back of my mind also. 22
kenny bolton Sport: Track and Field College: William Penn University (Iowa) I wanted to make a smart decision financially and so I knew that going to William Penn on an 80% running scholarship would be the right choice.
drew pirko Sport: Lacrosse College: University of Hartford (Connecticut) The school fit well for me, and I saw myself playing the most at Hartford. I’m mostly looking forward to hanging out with the guys on the team and getting to know people from all around the country.
jack fitzgerald Sport: Baseball College: George Mason University I chose Mason because it was the best opportunity for me to be an impact player. I also really liked how close it was. I’m really looking forward to just playing the game. I’ve been playing all my life and I can’t wait to step on the field and just play. 23
SPORTS
sydney wrighte Sport: Gymnastics College: Auburn University (Alabama) I really fell in love with the campus when I went to visit. The gymnastics facilities were incredible. As well I really loved the coaches and felt like the team was the right fit for me, and I could not only be on the team, but compete and help the team. The first time I was on campus and met the coaches, I just knew Auburn was the school for me.
megan fisher Sport: Soccer College: Hofstra University (New York) I chose Hofstra because it is a great school not just athletically for soccer, but academically as well. I also met a ton of great people when I first visited the campus and it was totally the school for me. I could just see myself there and I knew it would be a great fit.
robert mayo Sport: Football College: Old Dominion University I felt like ODU was a school I could grow and learn from to be a better person as well as athlete and it’s close to family so they could come to my games.
DISCLAIMER: Due to the abundance of athletic commitments this year, other student athletes not mentioned in this issue will be covered on our website. Please visit uncagedfhs.org.
[Quotes compiled by Sergio Cervantes] [Photo Illustration by Lynne Tran] 24
1 Gymnastics 2 3 4 wins 5 5A state title
Freedom High School’s gymnastics team was able to win the 5A state title this year. Leading up to the win, Sydney Wrighte practiced tirelessley to have her best performance possible. “Anything can happen in gymnastics,” Wrighte said. “One meet may be your day to win or your day to lose. [The state title] was also my last competition for high school gymnastics, which made me want to do my absolute best.” The last time Wrighte experienced winning a state title for gymnastics was two years ago in 2016. “Winning the state title was exhilarating,” Wrighte said. “You feel so accomplished as you are called the number one team in VA for 5A.”
Senior Sean Crumbliss’ Wrestling 5 1234 States Win
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All-State Notice
Junior Samuel Koltisko became the first FHS All-State Indoor Track athlete in February. “Making all state was unbelievable, the time I ran in the second heat wasn’t actually that impressive, so when I found out I got All State I actually didn’t believe it.” Koltisko said. Koltisko is working to be an AllState athlete again next year and is also trying to make nationals.
Senior Sean Crumbliss has accomplished a lot in wrestling, with the help of people he met. “Winning states is crazy, my parents were crying, my coaches were crying; other teams’ coaches were crying and I realized that I couldn’t have done this without them,” Crumbliss said. After winning a state title, Crumbliss is leaving FHS with a prominent legacy. “I did everything I wanted to.” Crumbliss said. “I made all American, I broke the school win record, I won states. All those goals I set my sights on when I was ten, I did it.” [Relive these moments on our website!]
Cofeld’s Winning Shot in the 1 2 3 4 Jeremy 5 District Championship
4 5 Jaelyn Batts’
During the Potomac District championship game against Potomac Falls, the FHS basketball team pulled off an amazing win thanks to senior Jeremy Cofield’s game winning shot. “It didn’t really feel real,” Cofield said. “It’s something that you dream about as a kid. It just capped off a good senior year for me.” Junior Jaelyn Batts reached a career accomplishment by After four overtimes, Jeremy Cofield’s shot ended the game, scoring her 1,000th point in high school girls’ basketball. with FHS coming out with a win. “Getting my 1,000th point felt overwhelmingly amazing,” Batts said. Batts was unaware that she was going to accomplish this milestone before the basketball game, but through [Story by Thor Moy] teamwork she reached her 1,000th point. [Photos provided by Sydney Wrighte, Sean Crumbliss, “Everyone decided to make it a surprise that I was going Jaelyn Batts and Jeremy Cofeld] to get it that night,” Batts said. [Photo illustration by Belle Tran]
1000th point
OP-ED
HIGH SCHOOL RELATIONSHIPS FOR
H
igh school relationships. Are they a waste of time? Are they a distraction? With college only a short time away, do we really have the time for a relationship? Is it possible to balance a relationship and school? There are plenty of pros, and cons, of dating in high school. For example, a beneficial relationship can help one develop individuality and a sense of self-worth by having a strong support system, but an abusive relationship whether that may be physical or mental can undermine any feeling of self-worth and contribute to mental illnesses or substance abuse. A healthy relationship, regardless of how long it lasts, can help individuals discover new things about themselves like what they look for in a partner. A not-so healthy relationship can steer an individual off course and distract them from focusing on other important things like their education or future. Teenagers are bound to become romantically involved, whether it be a few days, months or years. It is important to remember that a significant other has the power to influence an individual, even if it isn’t noticeable at first. But in high school, these things are difficult and may be ignored. Even if some
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Our relationships - family, friends or romantic - all shape our views and overall character
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of these relationships don’t make it past high school, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they weren’t influential or worth the time. Our relationships - family, friends or romantic - shape our views and overall character. So what can we learn from our relationships in high school? We can learn the attributes that we will look for in future partners. Maybe your ex tried to impose their own values on you and you didn’t like that, so in the future you’ll steer clear of people who try to force their ideals on you. We can learn about time management. Juggling a relationship and school is tough, and it takes time to find out what works best for our busy schedules. We can learn to be more accepting and tolerant of people who differ from us. Regardless of who you decide to date, the key is to find balance in your life. Even though it may be thrilling at first, your relationship isn’t the only priority, meaning that you shouldn’t sacrifice everything for one person. If you feel as if you are mature and responsible enough to maintain a relationship while also fulfilling your duties as a student, feel free to date in high school. Ultimately, the choice is yours. n [Story by Belle Tran]
AGAINST
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hen you finish up middle school, everyone tells you about all of the adventures that await you in the next four years: dances, friends, and the oh-so-glorified relationships — however, what they don’t tell you is why these relationships are not worth your time. Being in a school full of 1,800 teenagers, love, rather lust, will always be in the air, but these short-lived romances are anything but a learning lesson. To be frank, high school relationships are the epitome of extraneous, distracting events that occur in one’s life. There are a number of reasons as to why these relationships should be deemed unnecessary — from being a waste of time to becoming abusive, relationships in general can take a fast turn depending on how well the couple knows each other. Every relationship is dependent upon how two individuals treat one another and what sort of dynamic they have. In high school, when one is going through their Identity v. Role Confusion stage of development, it is difficult to commit to a partner when you have yet to find out who you truly are. In the long run, it is unhealthy to focus half of your attention on an individual who you will, quite frankly, not last with; an individual’s priorities during their adolescence should be themselves — not a measly relationship that will
be forgotten in five or six years time. The teen years are a time when even friendships that seem incredibly important to you don’t last beyond graduation. With that being the case, who is to say that you and your high school sweetheart will still have the same measure of trust and affection after heading off to college? Fast forward to your twenties and now you’re in Intimacy v. Isolation — a time in your life specifically meant for building relationships and finding a designated life partner. At this point, you will also be able to recognize who you are as a person and what you want to make of your life. The moral of the story is to wait and not rush into things. Sure, maybe you’re meant to find your other half at this very age — but chances are you’re not. At the end of the day, it is more important that you are able to find yourself in the midst of high-school-busyness. n [Story by Joytsana Sangroula]
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High school relationships are the epitome of extraneous, distracting events that occur in one’s life.
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OP-ED
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I am not saying it is wrong to have optimism; however, it is offensive and illogical to suggest that your friend is going through cancer for a reason.
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It is easy for people on the outside to try to provide silver linings, but sometimes we just have to accept that there are no silver linings to be found.
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PHILOSOPHICAL OPTIMISM
I
am sick and tired of people telling me that every negative thing that happens in my life is all part of God’s plan. When I was in middle school, I brushed aside all my disappointment, failure and indignation because I viewed all my anxiety and stress from school as a part of my destiny. It took me until this year to realize that it is ridiculous to believe that there is some all-powerful figure out there that puts you through suffering due to the belief that everything is “for the best.” Some people find comfort and stability in saying that all is “for the best” because it means that their life is still perfect, and that they do not have to make any changes, which is exactly the problem. We need to stop indoctrinating people with the belief that everything happens for a reason and start educating them that the world is an unforgiving place that does not provide explanations. Imagine that your friend tells you that he has been diagnosed with cancer. You say that “all is for the best” and God has a plan for your friend to become stronger from his battle. This is such a common statement that people make to their friends who are dealing with grief, but it is irrational and is heavily based off of emotion, not logic. I am not saying it is wrong to have optimism; however, it is offensive and illogical to suggest that your friend is going through cancer for a reason. Your friend may very well enter remission as a more resilient person, but that does not make up for the emotional and physical struggle that he went through during his battle. I think people fail to realize cancer emotionally taxes and scars patients for the rest of their lives, no matter how much of an effort they put toward acting to be happy on the outside. This is why platitudes like “all is for the best” are hurtful. You don’t understand your friend’s emotions, so you cannot pretend like everything is going to be okay. Your friend is losing a valuable part of his life fighting something that he never signed up for, and is going through an excruciating amount of pain that he may
never be able to recover from. In fact, he might even beat the cancer and still come back as a completely different person because of the agony he endured. Does that really sound like God’s plan? It is easy for people on the outside to try to provide silver linings, but sometimes we just have to accept that there are no silver linings to be found. Your friend may always have to live in the fear of what is to come in his future because some cancers truly never go away. I am not telling you to lose your faith, as I truly believe that religion is integral to maintaining strength and resiliency through adversity. However, I am telling you to stop acting as if there is an explanation for why everything happens, because that is simply not true. Some of you may not have experienced true hardship in your life, so my thoughts may come across as pessimistic and bleak. However, once you experience serious hardship of your own, you will understand that there are so many questions that the universe cannot answer. Believing that there is always an explanation to everything that happens in this universe is only going to make us weaker, as we find useless comfort in knowing that the quality of our lives are only temporarily diminishing for a greater good. Thinking like this is only going to get us hurt when we realize that intense optimism only leads to disappointment later on. There is not a destiny out there for us, so it is time to accept that sometimes we just get bad cards dealt to us for no reason. n [Story by Arnav Kumar]
W
“LADY-LIKE”
e all know what we can and can’t do. Obviously, we have to follow the law: don’t steal, hurt or deceive. But many of us also follow our own personal law. A code that we’ve been brought up to understand and follow that prevents us from doing certain things, no matter how trivial, like wearing a certain type of clothing or acting a certain way. Some of our actions can be attributed to internal biases that have been ingrained in us since birth. We even have these biases about ourselves; who we should be and the way we should act. These biases tend to shine through in social situations, and people don’t even realize. This is called implicit bias, and Ohio State University’s Kirwan Institute has studied the intricacies of these internal expectations. They state that everyone, no matter what, has some implicit bias, and that they are constructs so ingrained that they may not even align with our outward beliefs. Take burping, for example. When a guy burps, people laugh. They may even get a high five in return. But if a girl burps in a social setting, she may turn red. People might look away or chastise her, saying “that is NOT ladylike.” These double standards undoubtedly exist, and it impacts the way people are treated. When actions don’t follow what someone would assume based on gender, people might become uncomfortable. We need to break down the walls associating
certain actions or interests with genders and realize that someone else’s actions do not impact us. People even project these biases onto themselves. A female friend of mine burped, and she automatically apologized for not being ladylike. It was just the two of us, and I realized how ridiculous it was that she was apologizing for a bodily function. These constructs take a lot out of us, making people apologize for not acting the way that we have been told to act. This holds true for males as well. If a guy likes something that isn’t traditionally thought of as “manly,” they can be belittled and make fun of. If a guy reveals that he watches a certain show, like “Gossip Girl,” he may be made fun of because of the traditionally female nature of that show. If a girl watches “One Tree Hill” or “Gossip Girl,” she might have conversations with her friends about the dramatic lives of the characters. This is another double standard in which people cannot like the same things because of how -certain genders are “supposed” to act. It’s ridiculous that as people, we are forced to act in a certain manner because of unimportant and frankly unwarranted internal beliefs. We need to consciously decide to stop treating people a certain way because of a box that we put them in. n [Story by Meghan Adams]
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It’s ridiculous that as people, we are forced to act in a certain manner because of unimportant and frankly unwarranted internal beliefs.
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When actions don’t follow what someone would assume based on gender, people might become uncomfortable.
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[Artwork by Lizzy Yoo, 12]