JUNE ISSUE

Students achieve notable academic success; 2023 Valedictorian, Salutatorian announced

MEKENZIE MCCANN H/S Editor

Being named valedictorian and salutatorian is the pinnacle of academic achievement for a graduating senior. On May 25 at the Senior Awards Ceremony, senior Tyler Huneke was named valedictorian, and senior Sierra Wendland as salutatorian.

Huneke states that he will be attending “Harford Community College (HCC) for mathematics, mainly for financial reasons.”

Huneke comments that “the award [of being named valedictorian] is an honor, because it recognizes me as the top of our graduating class as a reward for the work put into classes.”

In the fall, Wendland states that she “will be attending the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK).” She is “going to double major in microbiology and paleontology.”

She chose this school “because it is a good distance from home (about eight hours), and I am able to bring my car so I can go back home for a weekend if I need to,” says Wendland.

“I also loved the school spirit and how welcoming the whole

town was. There are also so many opportunities in Knoxville that partner with the college,” Wendland says.

“It is an honor [to be named salutatorian] because a lot of my classmates are very smart and

states Huneke.

Wendland gave her speech at the Senior Awards Banquet on May 25, and she says that she prepared by standing “on a stool in front of my dad and practiced.”

Huneke states that to achieve valedictorian, “it really was a lot of studying and good work habits that got me the title.”

During high school, Wendland comments that she “took a lot of honors and AP classes and tried to avoid unweighted courses. I also took gym at HCC so it did not yank my GPA.”

[I] learned how to write, and in AP Lit, [I learned] how to develop my thinking,” says Huneke.

Wendland states that the class that she struggled the most with was AP Physics, and she “hated the content and it was a lot of math and complex concepts, but [physics teacher] Mrs. [Christine] Jestel taught me how

[English teacher] Mrs. [Carla] Harward taught me how to write and be vocal. [Fellow English teacher] Mrs. [Joanna] Dallam taught me how to think and be confident in my thoughts,” says Wendland. She also would like to give a shout out to Jestel, Harward, and Dallam all “for pushing me to be a better student.”

“I’d like to thank Mrs. Dallam, Mrs. Jestel, and [math teacher] Mrs. [Jenny] Beigel, each of whom not only made classes enjoyable, but helped me grow significantly as a student and as a person,” Huneke says.

Wendland gives

high achievers as well, so I really had to go above and beyond, and it is great to be recognized,” states Wendland.

His valedictorian “speech [for graduation] was written with lots of drafts and revisions until it finally was ready for graduation,”

“The main classes I struggled with were AP Chemistry and AP English Language and Composition, but I definitely grew as a student from pushing through them,” states Huneke.

“I learned the best lessons from the two AP English classes [English Language and Composition, and English Literature] - in lang

to work through that way of thinking.”

“Most of my AP courses will help in college, especially AP Physics, but definitely also AP English Literature and language.

“thanks to [science teacher] Mrs. [Patricia] Massetti; I aided and mentored for her my junior and senior year, as well as had her for biology my freshman year. [Massetti] really pulled me into biological sciences and I loved the way she presented the ecology and evolution units because I really enjoyed learning about natural selection and ecosystem health, which is part of the reason I want to work on environmental restoration or ocean exploration in the future.”

Hawks display student creations at art show

LILY CORCORAN Copy Editor

From Wednesday, May 17 to Friday, May 19, NH hosted its annual Art Show, which featured more pieces than last year, according to art teacher Mrs. Lisa Campbell. Organizers said the show had a large turnout during the evening show on May 17, with many community members observing art students’ best work.

Art teacher Mr. Jason Blevins’ classes, which include fine art prep, drawing and painting, advanced drawing, and advanced painting, had pieces ranging from scratchboard hyenas, created by sophomore Liz O’Brien, to drawings of Igor Stravinsky surrounded by cats, which was created by freshman Sascha Kendall. Campbell’s classes,

which focus more on three-dimensional design, had works such as stained-glass mobiles, made by senior Elyse Friedman, and a mosaic elk skull, made by sophomore Claire Moffitt. Fine art and drama teacher Mrs. Nancy Green’s class made various Venetian masks, which were also featured at the Renaissance festival in November.

The show itself was set up by both art students and the NH Art Guild. The groups arranged the works on various accordion boards to create a walk-through gallery, while more art was glued to shelves and arranged on more tables. Towards the back of the library were the senior spaces, featuring art created by senior artists such as Ren Kramer, A. Keenan, Sanaa Johnson, and Isabella Singh. Kramer said, “this

is the proudest accomplishment of my high school years. I’ve put an ungodly amount of time into helping plan and execute the show and I’m extremely satisfied with the outcome. I’m also incredibly proud of my senior setup.” They add, “I just can’t believe that it’s over after so much preparation.”

The show was open to the public on May 17, at the same time as the choir concert. Many showed up to the show, such as O’Brien and their family. O’Brien is a member of the Art Guild and helped to set up and break down the art show. They said, “my experience with helping at the art show was a lot of fun. I was so amazed by the talent and effort put into the art pieces and the setup of the Art Show.” O’Brien continued, “My favor-

ite moment was going to the Art Show [on] Wednesday evening because it made me happy that so many people were showing their support for the arts and for the students that put in so much hard work. It was so exciting to watch it all come together, and I can’t wait to see what students make next year.”

Other students also showed up to the art show, such as sophomore Melayna Tidwell. Tidwell had multiple pieces of art in the show. “I liked having pieces in the art show because I felt like I was actually accomplishing something with my art, and it felt very rewarding, especially after all the hard work I put into it. At the same time, it made me pretty self conscious, because while I was proud of my work, I couldn’t help but com-

pare it to art that I thought was a lot better than mine.”

Tidwell noted that her favorite piece was the “one with the clocks in the tree stumps,” created by sophomore Maddie Dietz because “its concept and execution was just beautiful and combined to make something reflective and memorable.”

Tidwell continues, “I really liked how every art student had a chance to showcase their work regardless what grade or skill level they were at. I wish that the accordion [boards] weren’t so close to the ground, though, because I feel like there was a lot of good work that got overlooked since it wasn’t in the natural line of human sight.” Overall, the 2023 NH Art Show was a success, with many praising the artists and the coordinators.

Tyler Huneke, Valedictorian

Sierra Wendland, Salutatorian

Students struggle through school week; Compulsory attendance brings stress

VIEWPOINT

For many high school students, attending school can bring in a great deal of stress and anxiety.

According to HCPS policy, if a student misses 10% of the school year, which is 18 days out of a 180-day school year, they may be subjected to disciplinary action, which can include a loss of credit.

A student’s attendance should not be the most important factor when looking at the success of a student. Students should be able to demonstrate their knowledge in the work effort and skill with passing grades.

Of course, this isn’t to say that students can show up for maybe a few days out of the whole year but still be excused because they find a way to pass.

This is to say that every once in a while, it should be okay for a student to take time for them-

selves with a day or two off if they feel stressed without having a negative impact on them.

A student could even have perfect attendance, but without proper focus, who can say they are learning the material that well?

If they are pushing themselves through the week, all that information will go in one ear and out the other.

According to an article on Kansan.com, engagement and motivation are a large factor that contributes to academic success. When it comes to balancing school work, social life, and sleep, it can make things hard for someone to be able to pay attention to what they need.

Being able to have students take a break when they need it can let them focus on what they need to do instead of being overwhelmed.

A student should be able to have time to themselves if they

Teens highlight false realities

VIEWPOINT

Today, numerous teenagers immerse themselves in their own imaginative world, developing fixations on countless public figures. Most teens would rather live in their own fantasy world than actually live in real life. Nobody takes chances now. People would rather sit in their room and read books and watch shows all about their character or celebrity. This reality is not healthy because it stops teens from interacting with others and taking chances on people.

According to BiteScience, “Teens and young adults who had a stronger fictional emotional connection with a media personality held more unrealistic romantic beliefs.” With this unrealistic and high expectation, it tarnishes future relationships, making relationships harder.

With these fictional and unrealistic relationships, most of the time those feelings aren’t reciprocated back.

When admiration for a celebrity turns into a fixation and preoccupation, a parasocial bond known as the "celebrity worship syndrome" results. The term "obsessive-addictive disorder" is used frequently, even though it is not clinically recognized in the DSM5.Celebrity worship syndrome falls under the umbrella of parasocial relationships, which are characterized by a unidirectional,

Importance of tipping waiters

VIEWPOINT

non-reciprocal bond. An individual must invest a lot of time and energy in this situation to build a relationship with someone else (specifically, a famous person), who frequently has no idea of the admirer's existence.

Most teens know these characters, and celebrities don’t know their existence, but it doesn’t even matter because they will still devote their life to them. So why even go through the hassle?

Admiring a celebrity and character is different than becoming fixated and obsessed with them. People can admire them as much as they want, but the problem arises when they devote their life to them and start to fade away from reality.

The real source of this problem comes from teens’ desire to be in a fulfilling relationship; however, a real relationship is scary. A real person could not accept them, love them, and could possibly betray them. It’s just easier to fall in love and fantasize about celebrities.

It isn’t horribly wrong to do this. Everyone fantasizes about a celebrity or character occasionally. But the thing is, in the long run, it isn’t good. This leads teens in the future to have high expectations and future relationship problems. It also stops teens from trying to be in a relationship with someone, or even talking to them because of the feeling like someone won’t accept them or be right for them.

get too stressed out, instead of having to wait until the weekend to recharge.

Taking these days off for mental health can have positive effects towards students.

According to verywellmind.com having a lot of stress on a student’s brain makes it hard to be in a mindset that is suitable for learning.

Also, it does not feel fair to have experiences cut for having what’s considered a bad attendance.

Students have 18 days that they can miss until they define it as chronic absence.

This can affect their ability to put themselves in opportunities like dual enrollment, or even being able to graduate.

If a student has been doing well in their classes but has quite a few absences, it should not negatively affect them if they are able to achieve success within their classes.

When was the last time you went to a sit-down restaurant and tipped your server? Hopefully, you always do. It can be guaranteed that waiters don’t get paid as much as they should. Many servers get paid less than minimum wage because they are expected to make tips or, if they are unlucky, they only get tips and no hourly wage.

According to the United States Department of Labor, in Maryland, waiters are legally allowed to be paid $3.63 as minimum wage. Many workers have families depending on them. $3.63 plus some tips is not enough money to feed several mouths. That law should be changed so that the tipped minimum wage meets the state minimum wage rate, which is currently $13.25.

Imagine having to guess every week if the money earned from a paycheck will be enough to get you through the week. This would cause so much more stress than there already is over things like paying bills, taxes, little fees, or anything else. The government taxes people on everything, even things that should not be taxed, like menstrual care products - but that is a completely different discussion.

Being a waiter, whose pay is based on tips from other people, is really unstable. Nothing can be predicted like who will come in during a shift or even what will happen. In any business there are busy days and terrible customers, but at least in some places the pay is better.

It is horrible that waiters don’t get paid as much for all of the hard work they do. Assume that someone has not tipped your waiter or given them an attitude. Be the difference. It is a letdown to not be tipped; time is money. Waiters put in time and money, which is tiring already for them to not get tips. Yes, it is their job, but it is still how they get their source of income.

It never hurts to do an act of kindness, so be the small light in someone's day. Tipping is not just giving them a dollar; it is also thanking them for all of their hard work and efforts. To put it simply, people work because they need money.

real compared to professionals; Programs thrive off plagiarism

art is

EDITORIAL

Chances are, if you happen to be on Instagram, TikTok, or any other type of social media, you’ve come across some really impressive art. Artists work hard to produce the amount of work they do, and some don’t even get as many as 15 views or likes on their content. This can be hard on artists, especially if they earn their living through their art. However, bogus pieces of work seem to attract all the attention and praise these days.

This “art” is known as AI art. It is generated by AI programs to create beautiful, intricate designs that are just a search away. Now, there’s no denying that for a while, it seems a little bit fun to use; getting to see all of these cool images displayed on a screen in front of you. But, after a while, those images start to become repetitive. You can’t see the effort put in by real artists. There’s no depth, no emotion, and no story behind the art. As said by illustrator Anoosha Syed: “AI doesn’t look at art and create its own. It samples everyone’s then mashes it into something else.” It’s like a fruit salad devoid of the best fruits. All you get are those stupid pears.

Artists put way too much time and effort into work for it to

be copied and used for profit by some lazy person who just types in prompts like, “Mona Lisa in a top hat” into a search bar. It takes hours, even days, to finish a piece that has already taken ungodly amounts of time to plan and draw out. Compared to actually creating art, using an AI generator looks like child’s play.

AI art will never truly be art. Syed continues, “Another human will never look at an image the exact same way the original artist did.

They will never move their hands the way the original artist did. AI doesn’t do the same – it can only copy.” Tracing (copying art) is frowned upon in artistic communities across the world. Why is this attitude not extended toward AI art? It’s basically the same thing but with less effort, and it’s incredibly frustrating to watch people fawn over images generated by some lowly robot.

Not only that but half of the images used in AI art aren’t even allowed to be used. Famous works of art, such as the art of Van Gogh or da Vinci, are public domain, according to the National Gallery of Art. They’re free to use, and you can’t get in trouble with the law for profiting off of them. But what about those regular, online artists? Those are not

public domain unless the artist says they are, and that is rarely the case. When the artist posts their art online, AI art generators can take these and warp them into something else.

According to The New Yorker, artist Kelly McKernan found that their name had been searched in the AI generator over 12,000 times.

“The artist had not consented to have their copyrighted artwork included in the LAION database; they were not compensated for their involvement, even as companies including Midjourney charged for the use of their tools; and their influence was not credited when A.I. images were produced using their work.” Because of this, McKernan, along with several other artists and Getty Images, sued the AI company who used their work, as they “unlawfully copied and processed millions of images protected by copyright” to the detriment of the content creators, according to Document Journal

Next time you see some whimsical AI piece on Instagram, keep in mind: AI art is not real art, and it never will be. All it is is computer-generated images that are stolen time and time again from artists who actually work to make their art for others to see and appreciate.

AI

not

Drawing, painting, practicing art; unmeasurable benefits for brain

The brain is the most complex part of the human body. It is the control and command center for the body's nervous system.

The brain commissions one’s thoughts, emotions, actions, memory, and so much more.

This highly functioning organ needs stimulation to keep performing at the highest of capabilities. One of the best ways to stimulate the brain is art.

An article on ACRM titled How The Brain is Affected by Art mentions how “there is increasing evidence in rehabilitation medicine and

the field of neuroscience that art enhances brain function by impacting brain wave patterns, emotions, and the nervous system.”

ACRM also explains how “art can also raise serotonin levels. These benefits don't just come from making art - they also occur by experiencing art.”

Art not only challenges the human brain, but it also contributes to an increase of memorization, higher levels of brain activity, and more.

The same article mentions how “in a study conducted by Pro-

fessor Semir Zeki, chair in neurasthenics at University College London, participants underwent brain scans while being shown images of paintings by major artists.

The study found that when people viewed the art they thought was most beautiful, blood flow increased by as much as 10% to the reign of the brain associated with pleasure — the equivalent to looking at a loved one.” This proves art is good for the brain.

“Art accesses many of the advanced processes of the human brain, such as intuitive analysis,

Creating harmonious balance; One machine, moving time forward

EDITORIAL

In 1964, author Leo Marx wrote the book The Machine in the Garden. It was made to compare the progressive and traditional ways of living life. This argument is at the epicenter of many modern-day arguments about nature and the newest types of technology. Marx unintentionally begs the question of whether these two can co-exist harmoniously together or not.

Gardens are the flourishing culture of the world and the machine represents the time ticking along to advance culture. The ideas spurred by Marx in his book have sparked debates since the day it was published up till the modern day.

Without explicitly saying the debates that came from this book, disagreements about nuclear weapons and contemporary issues can be drawn back to Marx’s stance in his piece of work.

The machine and the garden must coexist to create a harmonious balance in life.

The machine must always live in the garden. Never can the garden be living within the machine. The garden is a place of comfort for people, for everyone. The machine is a singularity, while the garden is everything.

It is very possible to achieve

a harmonious balance between the machine and the garden. Harmony can only be found if the machine and the garden coexist peacefully in balance.

Starting off, the garden is so unruly that it cannot simply be said to be one thing or another. The garden is everything, everywhere, for everyone. Every human has a different garden that they prune themselves within the garden of the world.

The garden has purposes to be fulfilled. It is only beneficial to life if it can do what it was made to do. This being to create a place where dreams can grow, aspirations can flourish and people can be made into what they desire. This is important to the aspect of everyday life because it is what allows for life to grow in such a way that creates a prosperous world.

A stagnant, swampy lake, overgrown with foliage, flowers, and vines. That is what the garden of people’s lives can look like without the machine.

Unlike the garden, not everyone has their own machine. There is one machine in the world; a singular one.

The machine can be defined simply as time. Time and time alone is what pushes life on. Every day, people wake to alarm clocks ringing at 5 a.m., wait for school bells at 2 p.m. and leave work just because the clock says

6 p.m.

Some see the machine as a negative thing, something that causes stress, anxiety, and tears to be shed. Those people make 100% accurate claims. Creating high-stress, situations of importance is the purpose of the machine.

The machine is a catalyst for life, it allows the garden to grow. This leaves people with the choice to acknowledge the power of the machine and garden individually and discover the power those two have when placed to work together.

How can these two polar opposites exist together, let alone create a harmonious balance?

Each idea's purpose balances the scales. Life sits stagnantly without time. Time moves too fast without life.

Life and time, the garden and the machine. What is the difference?

Deadlines must exist. There can be no finish line; without a finish line, when will the garden stop growing?

The roots and branches of the garden are trimmed by the machine. The garden is pruned to fit the idea it must shape in life to succeed.

So, yes the garden and machine can exist together. But, they must coexist harmoniously to create the proper equation for a contentful life.

Amount of sleep affects performance

VIEWPOINT

As students, we like to challenge ourselves in school. Being able to do so, we need enough sleep the night before. Since high schoolers have the earliest starting time for a school day, we need more sleep to help our brain function. The recommended hours of sleep according to the sleep foundation is eight to ten hours. This is more time than an adult needs. High school students start their days earlier than younger students, therefore need to go to bed earlier to get the recommended hours of sleep.

We need every second of those eight to ten hours to help us pay attention during the day, think

sharper, and recognize important information in school. But if we do not get the right amount, we tend to suffer from extreme drowsiness which impacts our abilities in school.

Results of a poll by The Sleep Foundation show that seven in ten high schoolers don’t get enough sleep. That is 70% more than half of all 14 to 18-year-olds are not sleeping for a beneficial and healthy amount of time on school nights.Teens develop sleeping habits of staying up later and waking up later, but the school schedule requires early rising. This causes our sleep schedule to be changed because, on the weekends, many tend to try to catch up on sleep. When the school week comes around, the

expressivity, and embodied cognition,” states ACRM, and “artists are often better observers and have better memory, and this may be due to how art affects the brain’s plasticity.”

A different article by Malaka Gharib on NPR explains how “art's ability to flex our imaginations may be one of the reasons why we've been making art since we were cave-dwellers, says Kaimal.

It might serve an evolutionary purpose.

She has a theory that art-making helps us navigate problems

that might arise in the future.

She wrote about this in October in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association

The article notes how “studies show that despite those fears, "engaging in any sort of visual expression results in the reward pathway in the brain being activated," says Kaimal.

"Which means that you feel good and it's perceived as a pleasurable experience.”

Everyone should practice art. Even if your skills aren’t astounding, the benefits it has for the brain are incredible.

Mindfulness is important

VIEWPOINT

Many people go through life without therapy when they know they need it and won’t ask for help, or don’t even understand they need it but need the help.

There are multiple kinds of therapy, and some people may only find that one works for them while no others do.

In personal experience, DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) is the only one that seems to really connect to the brain.

Another kind is CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) which is what DBT is based on.

Both are talk therapies but DBT is a more intensive therapy which is “specifically adapted for people who feel emotions very intensely.

All of those practices are important in anyone’s daily life. If a person didn’t have ways to relax and reduce stress and anxiety, mediate depression, or boost self-esteem they are more likely to commit suicide.

This is why at least some of these tools are essential in life.

Maintaining these concepts have proven to lead to less stress, fewer fights, and better relationships, all of which contribute to an overall better life.

Of course in order to practice

constantly changing sleep schedule causes inconsistent nightly rest accordingly.

However, there are ways to help improve sleep schedules to get a healthy amount of sleep to benefit teenagers. Some of those tips include putting eight hours into one's daily schedule for sleep and keeping the same sleep schedule on the weekends. Also, avoid caffeine and energy drinks later in the day as well as limiting screen time to 30 minutes before bed.

It only takes small actions to help increase the hours of sleep. Carving out those hours for sleep can help to increase students’ performance in school as well as benefit our brains and bodies. Makeing sleep a priority.

The aim of DBT is to help you understand and accept your difficult feelings, and learn skills to manage them.” According to mind.org.

In DBT one of the most discussed practices for coping is mindfulness.

Mindfulness is so much more important to everyone’s daily life than people realize.

According to newsinhealth. nih.gov,

“Studies suggest that mindfulness practices help people manage stress, cope better with serious illness and reduce anxiety and depression.

Many people who practice mindfulness report an increased ability to relax, a greater enthusiasm for life, and improved self-esteem.”

mindfulness, the most important piece of information to know is, what is mindfulness?

Well, mindfulness can be defined as “being completely aware of what’s happening in the present—of all that’s going on inside and all that’s happening around you.

It means not living your life on “autopilot.” Instead, you experience life as it unfolds moment to moment, good and bad, and without judgment or preconceived notions.” According to newsinhealth.nih.gov

While the idea may not be easy, and people spend their whole lives trying to perfect the skill, just trying and remembering it at times can be extremely beneficial to mental health.

Even practicing this tool just once a day for a few minutes can help.

Try to grow the duration of time focusing on staying in the present until it can be accomplished all day.

Why not try it? What is there to lose?

Invalidating feelings that are valid; How manipulators manipulate

VIEWPOINT

Invalidating someone’s feelings is really dangerous. Doing so can make a person feel like they are lost. Unfortunately, there are people who can’t accept that you have feelings, and these people are heartless.

Psych Central explains, “Some people use it[invalidation] intentionally as a tool to manipulate you by making you question your feelings.” Disregarding a person makes them feel unimportant or irrational.

While sometimes a person does not dismiss others’ feelings intentionally, the damage is still done. Sometimes people will say things like “It could be worse” or “Other people have it worse.” While this is true, so are the feelings of the person who is hurting in front of you. Not accepting or hearing how a person feels is like taking the air out of the tire on the car they use to commute to work; without the tires, there’s no way to get where you need to be and you feel stuck.

In a relationship or not, Psych Central reports that “no matter how it happens, emotional invalidation can create confusion and distrust.” That kind of experience can lead to not feeling wanted or heard, and create holes in the relationship where trust is being broken off each time these negative actions occur.

Another way in which people dismiss the feelings of others includes making the whole conversation about their feelings, and victimizing themself so that all the blame is on you. This isn’t fair.

If someone did something wrong, they must own up to it rather than put the blame or guilt on the other person. Someone shouldn’t feel like they have to ‘baby’ or take care of the other person's feelings when they are the one that is upset.

Why does this happen? There could be a couple of reasons. Online sources suggest, “They

[invalidators]might be unable to process that person's emotions... it could be used as an argument strategy... or avoiding responsibility for their own actions.” Though there are different reasons for negative comments, none of them are respectable.

Invalidating also can be connected with being a manipulator.

Web MD reports “Manipulation is the exercise of harmful influence over others... manipulators take advantage of you to get power, control, benefits, and/or privileges.”

While getting what you want is a skill, manipulators “know your weaknesses and know how to exploit them, they use your insecurities against you, or they convince you to give up something important to you, to make you more dependent on them.”

All they want is power and control over their subject, and this is never a good thing.

Overall, researchers say, “Validation tells someone their emotions are respected. It makes space for another person's emotions to exist.” To truly fix this kind of negative behavior and to make positive changes, researchers suggest to “put your undivided attention on the speaker... use words that are affirming and gentle... avoid becoming defensive... do not offer unsolicited advice... and accept responsibility.” Attempting these behaviors can help to create a healthy relationship with others and with yourself.

Also, having an outside perspective on things can really help when you are in a difficult situation. If you are being gaslit, “communicate in clear, direct, and specific ways.”

All relationships fail if you don’t have honest and open communication. It is the key to finding something healthy and pure. Don’t let someone lock you up in your own mind, limiting yourself to being just the image they want you to be. Instead, learn to use your voice productively and value yourself.

Labor shortages cause issues with customers

EDITORIAL

Understaffed workplaces are starting to become problems for many places, from amusement parks to restaurants and anything in between.

Now, this isn't exactly a new problem, but it seems to be more noticeable in certain areas. Wait times at many public places are extremely long and make guests not want to stay. When sitting down for a meal at a restaurant, you are given the luxury of not having to cook your food and sit down for a (hopefully) good meal. You realize a wait will be involved, but that wait shouldn't have to come from the lone waiter and a half-sectioned-off restaurant because they don't have enough servers.

Many places also don't plan for when they will be having larger crowds. As an owner or manager, you never want to have to turn away people because you're fully booked, but

have nowhere for these guests to go because you didn't plan for the number of people.

According to uschamber.com, "In 2022, more than 50 million workers quit their jobs, many of whom were in search of an improved work-life balance and flexibility, increased compensation, and a strong company culture." They continue saying, "jobs that require in-person attendance and traditionally have lower wages, have had a more difficult time retaining workers. For example, the Accommodation and Food Services industry has had the highest quit rate since July 2021, consistently above 4.9 percent."

Labor shortages are something employers have to deal with, and they could combat this task in many ways.

According to beekeeper.io, some of these things could include "Recruiting: More Referrals" for better employees. They continue by saying "optimize the onboarding experience, make training an ongoing process, provide context

around why policies and processes change, better scheduling for better lives, and build better teams through better communication” could help with these shortages.

Solutions for this are super difficult to come up with, as many people were quitting their jobs and moving onto something new, sometimes leaving some places so understaffed they had to shut down.

Labor shortages are slowly declining in 2023, according to www.shrm.org, hopefully causing some places to become more staffed to be able to plan for larger crowds and busier days of the week.

The best thing businesses can do is plan and be prepared and take on things the best they can while still trying to satisfy guests and not have long wait times, overcrowding, overworked employees, and shut down areas since they have one employee working a particular area.

Being “fake” isn’t always bad

emotional chaos. And there is nothing wrong with being “fake” if it’s going to protect you from unnecessary stress.

People love to talk, and some personalities are based around starting drama because that’s their way of keeping their life exciting. But it needs to stop.

BROOKELYN PRIEBE Reporter

Nothing is worse than letting people walk all over you, and that happens way too often in high school because people want to avoid drama.

Yes, avoiding drama is amazing and easy for some people, but sometimes it takes a mental toll on you. But your avoidance also may be viewed as you being “fake,” which just isn’t true; it’s trying to be nice and prevent

My advice: please grow up. Everyone is just trying to get through high school, and it’s hard enough to juggle school work, a job, and personal stuff. This doesn’t leave a lot of time and energy to deal with drama.

Call me crazy, but wouldn’t it be better to talk to that person instead of talking about them behind their back? It seems like this would have a much more productive outcome. Plus, these problems won’t matter in a few weeks, months, or even years.

The people who start drama

want something. Sometimes what they need is someone to be mad at. Sometimes they have their own issues that they don't know how to process. Sometimes they even like to watch things implode. And sometimes, they’re just bored.

No matter what, at the heart of drama is usually lies, exaggeration, pettiness, and miscommunication. And if that's how you want your character to be defined as, then go ahead.

For the rest of us who don't enjoy drama, here's our message to you: be quiet, recognize there is no point to your behavior, and consider what you do might only hurt you more than the person you are trying to insult. For my non-drama loving friends, keep being you; you’re doing amazing by not feeding into anyone’s nonsense.

Toxic people poison positive experiences; Quitting sports over players’ behavior

this kind of negativity. It doesn’t matter whether you are in sports or not; there is a big chance you have heard at least one thing about things happening in sports. People talk about it all the time. I hear so many people express negative opinions about sports communities or experiences.

SARAH WELZANT Reporter

Toxic people ruin sports. Don’t get me wrong; there are so many people who are supportive on sports teams. It’s just that small percentage of people who decide to ruin it all for you. This can include students, coaches, or even parents. Trust me, these behaviors don’t just come from the players.

And no sport is immune to

Negative experiences can come from any sport.

For example, some friends have told me about the amount of people who contemplate quitting their sport because it can be too much to handle. Social aspects of sports communities can make or break your perspective on that sport.

Some people who join sports make it a bad habit to be super competitive when it doesn’t need to be.

Being overly-competitive leads to bad sportsmanship, which takes out the fun from your teammates or the other teams perspectives. It's not like there are major consequences for losing, so have fun with it.

Joining a toxic sports community can make you self-conscious. Many people feel like they’re being judged if they are not part of a certain stereotype. This judgment can really put pressure on someone, and then they start to feel anxious. You shouldn’t judge someone’s athletic skill; they’re probably working just as hard as you.

Someone might not be the greatest at a sport, but that’s what practicing is for. Practice makes perfect. You can’t just join a sport and auto-

matically be a pro. You have to build your way up learning the skills and rules of the sport you join.

Also, why are there so many toxic parents when it comes to sports? Parents are there to motivate their children, not criticize them. Your kid should be able to join whatever they want. Kids have so much potential, and if you limit them to do something that you want, it can feel so restrictive. Sports are a special opportunity for kids that help them to be motivated and entertained. There are some parents that make it like a competition of whose kid is the better player. They are your children, not objects.

I’ve played on my fair share of sports teams, and there are some great teams out there. Joining a sports team should

be about making new friends and having fun with them. One team I’m on has the most supportive people out there. I contemplated quitting that sport a lot, but I stayed because the people were so nice. I may not be the greatest player on the team, but I have fun.

You don’t have to make things super competitive. I mean, being competitive drives you to play your best, but you don’t need to have competitive behavior all the time. It makes you absolutely insufferable. Having a sports team should be like a family, or you should at least be friendly with everyone on the team. People's reasons for quitting a sport should not be due to a toxic environment that does nothing but kill the mood.

North Harford says goodbye to McCormack as he retires

MATTHEW LEDFORD Op-Ed Editor

As the 2022-23 school year comes to a close, Mr. Brian McCormack prepares to retire from his position at North Harford. For years, McCormack has been a presence in the lives of countless students primarily as a business teacher, but also in history, and tech. Senior Matthew Gabriszeski comments, “Mr. Mack was more than just a teacher to me; he [is] a mentor, a friend, and a guiding light in my life.” He adds that McCormack’s “humor, wisdom, and genuine care

for his students made him stand out among all the other teachers I’ve had. I feel privileged to have been one of his students, and I know that his legacy will continue to inspire others for years to come.”

Schueler added, “Mr. Mack is a fun teacher with a lot of powerful insights on life. He can always make you smile with jokes about his ex-wife. He will be missed by many here at North Harford.

“His legacy will continue to inspire generations of students to come. The impact that he had on the lives of his students is immeasurable, and they will always remember the lessons that he taught them, both inside and outside of the classroom.”

Kaitlyn

McCormack says that he is most looking forward to “learning how to sleep in until 6:30 a.m..” He believes that “teachers do not have a legacy in the building. Within four years, all of us are totally forgotten. The legacy I leave is with the students that I have hopefully had a positive impact upon.” Senior

Sophomore Lily Corcoran adds that as a teacher, “he gives a lot of really good advice, includ-

Language Honors Society continues; Students inducted into various programs

ALEXIS GOTT News Editor

The Language Honors Society at North Harford held an induction ceremony on May 8, 2023. The ceremony inducted new members into the German Honors Society, Spanish Honors Society, and the French Honors Society.

The event was held in the auditorium, and departing senior members were recognized and given their graduation cords for participating and becoming a member in each society. Seniors Sierra Wendland, Elisabeth Holmes, Luke Dawson, Aidan Ward, Peter Derussy, Kyle Hoy, and Sara Grady all received cords for graduation.

New members were recognized into the honors society as well, including junior inductees Emily Watt, Thomas Stolz, Korynn Sims, Jillian Lasher, Will Cummings, Sarah Crowe, Blake Carberry, Mason Adelhardt, and sophomores Brihanna Guido

and Jenna Roh.

German teacher Mr. Russell Blake explained that the German Honors Society has been prev-

ing ‘plan your work and work your plan.’” He is also really good at “giving you training wheels and then pushing you, really hard, in the right direction.” Corcoran said that if she didn’t have him for AP computer science, she probably would not have been nearly as successful in the class. Fellow sophomore Sarah Welzant said McCormack is “very silly.” In AP computer science, he teaches a lot about coding. One of Welzant’s favorite memories is “PB&J and chocolate milk day,” as well as a day where

the students were permitted to go out to the track to run a lap, and then “they imported times into a code they were making in class to see who was fastest.” McCormack comments that he is, “not sure exactly what my next act will be. I am looking for a challenge, but not sure what that challenge will be. Running a three hour, 50 minute marathon and qualifying to enter the Boston Marathon would be great? Starting a small business selling apple pie filling is something I will have the time to pursue!”

Klapka flips to new chapter

look.”

alent at North Harford for over thirty years, and that “The German Honor Society recognizes excellence in both [the German language] and overall academic achievement.” He adds that the main purposes of the society is to organize activities for the German Club,” and also shares that those who are members of any Honors Society are at an “advantage” when applying for colleges and universities when it comes to their applications. The presence of any Honors Society on an application for colleges is a “great

The requirements to possibly be inducted into the program is to have an average A in the language students take as a class, and enroll or have a committed dedication to partake in German IV, French IV, or Spanish IV, depending on whichever language a student may be taking, according to the teacher. Those who have been inducted into the Language Honors Society are to usually be picked by the Language teachers, and Blake shared that “German III students in good academic standing with the intent of taking German IV,” are the students that he tends to seize to be invited. However, another option to try to become involved in a language honors society is to write and submit a letter of application, and then await for the decision of a possible induction. The teacher finishes by stating that, “It is always a pleasure to celebrate this achievement with students and their families.”

Staff member Mrs. Earliene Klapka works with the cafeteria staff and is retiring after 11 years at the high school. She will not be working after her retirement, so this is the end of her journey.

She explains, “I have been working a total of 33 years. I started out at North Harford Elementary and worked there for 17 years. Then, I moved to the middle school and went there for five years. Finally, I finished off here, and this will be my eleventh year working at the high school.”

She wants to retire to “spend time with [her] husband who is also retired.” The staff member explains, “My favorite part is everything. I absolutely love my staff, I love working with the kids, and I love working with my vendors. Also, my bosses always support me and everything I do.”

Klapka says, “Something that isn’t my favorite within this job is on Sunday night, when my phone rings and people start to call out. While it is very frustrating, I get over it as soon as I talk to the person on the phone.”

The cafeteria worker shares, “After I retire, my husband and I aren’t travelers; we are definitely homebodies. We will go as far as Tennessee to visit his brother. It will just be nice being able to spend time with each other without the pressures and commitment of work.”

Klapka’s “experience at the high school has been great. The people here like staff and admin-

istrators are all outstanding.” She says, “Everybody here has made me feel so welcomed and part of their school from the very beginning.”

This staff member wanted to shout out two people. She shouted out the “office staff because if [she] ever needs anything, they are always there to support [her].” She also wanted to shout out her cook because she always has her “back and there whenever [she] needs.” Overall, Klapka will “miss all the people the most and will never forget [her] time here.”

A couple of Klapka’s co-workers have some kind words to share about her. Including Mrs. Shenna Morrison, who mentioned “She has been a great manager and a great friend. She leads an amazing kitchen and we are going to miss her so much.”

Another staff member, Mrs. Leisa Gahler, shares, “What I love most about [Klapka] is her kindness and positive energy she brings to the kitchen.” Kitchen worker Mrs. Judy Galbreath says, “I have been working with [Klapka] for eight years, and she is very nice. We are all like family here, so I am definitely going to miss her presence.”

Lastly, Mrs. Renee Stotler claims, “She has been a great manager and very helpful. It has been such a pleasure to work with her and I am very grateful for what she has brought to our staff.” Klapka explains “ lunch is by far the busiest time of the day and it can get stressful at times. Overall, it’s rewarding in the end because you see the kids getting fed and happy.

AP Physics travels to Hersheypark to study science in coasters

MACKENZIE SCOTT Op/Ed Editor

On Friday May 19, Mrs. Jestel’s AP Physics students were given the opportunity to go to Hersheypark and to calculate things about the coasters and other rides using mass, time speed and more.

The students were allowed to work in groups of four and were given a packet to work on during the day that included information about the rides and questions regarding things like

the mass of the ride or finding the velocity of the coasters. Junior Jasmine Owens said, “On the trip we had the opportunity to see physics in its real-world applications. We went around the park and took measurements and answered the questions in the packet about the roller coasters that we saw.” Junior Braxton Victor commented how the packet had “called back quite a few units such as circular motion, energy, and kinematics.” Junior Korynn Sims

said that her group “worked on Fahrenheit, Storm Runner, Comet, and Great Bear. We had to work on the first two and the other two were easiest to do without actually waiting in line for.” One of the main complaints from students was that the park was very busy that day, some students only being able to ride two to three rides with lines that had up to three hour waits according to Junior Emily Vaughn. Vaughn said that she and her friends had waited

about an hour for food and lines for everything in the park were very long.

Sims said the park was too crowded but that gave them the opportunity to do their work in the lines. Victor said other students should go on the trip in the future “if a better day [where Hershey doesn’t bite off more than they can chew] is chosen then absolutely they should” as two events Physics Day where many high school students attended and Music in the Parks

were middle school band, chorus and orchestras came to play were both happening that day.

Vaughn said that the trip could have showcased more of the concepts that they learned. Vaughn continues saying that “some of them were more difficult to see but overall, it was decent.” Overall, the trip did end up well for many students. “It was a good way to get away from regular day stress while also being able to do productive activities,” according to Owens.

BELLA ARIST Reporter

Seniors (from left to right) Sierra Wendland, Elisabeth Holmes, Luke Dawson, Aidan Ward, and Peter Derussy join to receive their graduation cords for their time in the German Honors Society. PHOTO CREDIT: Russell Blake

Pattison joins Fallston Middle staff

NOEL BAILEY Op/Ed Editor

Ms. Monica Pattison has been a special education teacher at North Harford High School for the past four years. But, she will be ending her teaching at The Nest and heading to Fallston Middle School as an English teacher.

Pattison said she chose to become a special education teacher because “you can make a really big impact on people.” She helps the kids that “need to make more progress because they are below grade level, so I wanted to help them get on grade level with reading,” she added.

She helps specifically with teaching students English and has worked hand and hand with the English department and teachers the past four years. “I’m very blessed to have all those good people around.”

Pattison is also an advisor of Best Buddies, and the club has monthly parties. One of her favorite moments while teaching here was attending those parties and this month there was “a graduation party where we had graduation hats and decorated them, while also signing fake yearbooks,” for the seniors. She adds that the turnout and the students make it fun because they have “quite a bit of students as Best Buddies.”

Pattinson started off her teaching career teaching English in Magnolia Middle School before she transferred to NHHS. When she was a teacher at Magnolia she worked with alot of

Stevens transferring schools in August; New assistant principal to join The Nest

special education students and “with this one special educator and I loved what she did while still loving English.” So she decided to have the “best of both worlds of helping teaching with special education and English,” at North Harford.

Mr. Matthew Swaboda, the special education department chair, “has been amazing and helps everyone in the department while being a really good resource and friend.”

The past four years, she has worked with Mrs. Joanna Dallam in the English department, and this past year, she has worked with English teachers Mr. Michael James and Mrs. Emilie Philips. “I feel like I’ve got really good English teachers this year, and all the past English teachers I’ve worked with in the past couple years have been great, too,” Pattison said. She also commends the administration for being helpful with IEPS.

Pattison is a co-administrator of the English Honors Society. Junior James Ortt is a part of the English Honors Society and has worked with Pattison all year. Ortt said “she always helps with things that need to be done, she always puts other people first,” during English Honors Society.

Pattison helps elementary students with their research projects with the English Honors Society students. Ortt says “I think she’s going to do a really good job at Fallston, but we’re really going to miss her here for everything that she does.”

Learning life lessons through language; Spanish IV hosts annual wedding

RILEY HEROLD Reporter

On Monday, May 15, and Wednesday, May 17, Spanish teacher Mrs. Jean Buttitta’ s Spanish IV classes held traditional Spanish weddings.

Buttitta stated, “It’s a part of a unit called Pasa día la vida, which basically means life events. In this unit, we talk about baptisms, birthdays, weddings, and funerals. We reenact a traditional Spanish wedding.”

Just like a traditional wedding, there is a bride, a groom, best man, maid of honor and other fellow bridesmaids and groomsmen.

The students of the Spanish four classes got to choose and vote who they wanted as their bride and groom.

The students of the Spanish four classes got to choose and vote who they wanted as their bride and groom.

Once decided, the bride got to pick her maid of honor, while the groom got to pick his best man. The priest was also chosen by the students and voted upon.

Senior Lindsay Bittner stated, “My class voted who they wanted to be the bride, and somehow, they chose me to become the bride. Which I thought was a little funny that they chose me, but

STELLA MANNS Sports Editor

Assistant principal Mr. Edward Stevens is leaving The Nest. His new school in the fall will be Patterson Mill High School.

Stevens said he “will miss the students the most.” He adds that he will also miss “the homecoming fireworks, and the staff.” He will “be working with someone who” he used to work with at NH. Stevens added that he is a “NH grad, and [his] kids went” there as well, so he will “always be a Hawk.”

Junior Thomas Stolz is “very upset to see such a distinguished vice principal like Mr. Stevens leave.” Science teacher Mrs. Kimberly Harris has worked with Stevens since both of their first days. Mrs. Harris shares that she will look back on when she would forget to do her duties and Mr. Stevens “would have to call” and remind her. She adds that his impact was so profound due to his consistency in his job.

Stevens came to The Nest after English teacher Mrs. Carla Harward started working as a Hawk. Harward expressed that he “will be greatly missed” as everyone “like[s] him very much.” Even

though a key part of the school is leaving after this June, Harward adds that the “thought of new ideas coming into the building” is “exciting.”

“He was kind of like a fixture here since he has been here a long time,” according to coach

“He was also a ccommunity-oriented man and contributed to the community in many ways.”

teacher said he will be sad to see him leave and hopes to “see him outside of school and at events,” wishing the assistant principle the best,

Coach and physical education teacher Mr. Jeffery Burrows “will miss him a great deal, and” he wishes “him luck.” Stevens has “always been supportive” of Mr. Burrows as a teacher,and even “as a coach,” too.

Not only are current students and teachers planning to miss him and his impact as a Hawk, but 2013 alumnus Katie Halterman said that when she was in the “cafeteria with other teachers,” she could tell that students “enjoyed being around him from the way they were all smiling and laughing.”

and government teacher Mr. Mark Filiaggi.

Filiaggi wishes Stevens could “stay, but [he] understands that the county likes to move people around.” He added that he “thinks it is best to leave people as part of their school since they know the school and are part of its community.” The history

Alumnus and retired English teacher Ms. Linda Duncan has taught and worked with Mr. Stevens in the past.

Stevens explained that “he was supportive of teachers who worked hard and helped student growth, academically and socially.” According to Duncan “he was also a community-oriented man,” and she finishes that Stevens was alaways “contributing to the community in many ways. “

Hawks nurse retirement announced; Dorsey moves on

BELLA ARIST Reporter

School nurse Mrs. Joanne Dorsey will be retiring after ten years of working at this school. She will officially be leaving her position on the first of December, but will continue to help out in the health suite in the fall.

reason, speaking medically.”

Although, not everything is positive. Dorsey explains, “My least favorite part is the kids that come up here and use me as an excuse to get out of class. I have to try and discern if they are really sick, or just trying to get out of a math class.”

many new connections here.” She says, “I have made friends through here and I definitely want to keep in touch with them after my retirement.”

I overall felt really special to take on the part of the bride for the whole class.”

Senior Michael Allen stated “I got voted to become the groom by the class, which was cool, but I really didn’t want to be chosen. Overall, I did end up doing it anyway.”

After Bittner and Allen got chosen to become the bride and groom, Bittner got to pick her maid of honor, which was senior Riley Stoneback.

Allen got to pick his best man, being senior Andrew Robinson.

Stoneback stated, “[Bittner] and I are friends and she needed a maid of honor.

So I said I wanted to do it. But it overall feels pretty cool that [Bittner] valued our friendship enough to choose me as her maid of honor which made me feel so special.”

Robinson stated, “I kind of just told everyone that I was the best man, and that’s how it happened. It was pretty cool to be the best man, though.”

Traditionally, in Spanish culture, people practice Catholicism, so they do “for rich or for poor.”

Stoneback stated “It was definitely a cool experience to have before you actually see your friends get married.”

Dorsey explains, “I graduated nursing school in 1976 and I have been working as a nurse ever since then. My experience was mostly in labor and delivery, the operating room, and dialysis. I finished off being a school nurse here.”

As the nurse has been working for so long, she explains “I am ready to retire because of my age.” Dorsey shares, “I love this school, and it has been a wonderful way to end my nursing career. It is time to go be a Nana with my family. Also, my husband and I want to travel. We actually want to move to France and travel around Europe; we are both ready to do that.”

Dorsey explains that there are so many parts of her job that are so wonderful. She says, “One of them is the autonomy of being in an environment of never knowing what is going to come through the door. Most people just think our job is giving out band-aids and Tylenol for headaches, but it’s not.”

She later shares, “Even though it’s not in a hospital setting, there really are a lot more critical and medical needs now. It is definitely a challenge knowing what’s going to come in and trying to figure out what is going on. We basically just have to debrief with each other and try to figure out a

The thing she will miss most about being at this school is “the people, 100%.” She shares, “Without a doubt, it is the nicest school in the county and the most supportive staff. I do hear from other nurses that their staff isn’t the most positive, I am grateful to be here. I have never ever had a conflict with anyone here.”

This nurse has also “made so

Dorsey wants to give a shoutout to “Mrs. Bishop, my coworker. On days where I would just end up in tears and didn’t think I could make it another day, she was there to support me and lift me up.”

Her last words for this school community are, “This is the best school in the county. I know several nurses who applied for this job and I am leaving the school in wonderful hands. The person that will be filling my position will be amazing.”

Ms. Linda Duncan, former English teacher

School nurse Joanne Dorsey has been working at this school for ten years. She is going to be retiring on December 1 and moving away to a new country.

PHOTO CREDIT: Bella Arist

AP Physics students ride to shore; Boat project tests buoyancy

KRIS GRAY News Editor

AP Physics students are taking a dive into the annual boat project on June sixth.

As some already know, this year-concluding task involves building a boat out of cardboard and four rolls of duct tape.

The goal is to successfully “use oars to get it from one side of the pool to the other with a person inside of it” according to Junior Madison Hedges.

Hedges adds that she and her group have been working on the project for about “two months and a half.” Junior Madison Maccentelli states that “you can choose whether to work in a group of up to three or individually.”

The trial will be taking place in the pool at North Harford Middle School across the street from the Hawks Nest.

Hedges explains how they will “walk over to the middle school with all of [their] boats and [students] are welcome to dress up like a pirate or whatever [they] would like to dress up as.”

Then, the students will “put their boats in the pool and just hope you don’t sink because then you are all wet for the rest of the day,” states Hedges.

Uppercue set to retire at close of year

SARAH WELZANT Reporter

Maccintelli adds that participants only need one person in the boat but adding other people allows students to gain extra credit. For fun, students “can also race” each other, Hedges adds.The junior says she has “a lot of hope that [her group] could be able to do it [successfully].”

Her strategy is to test the prototype in her pool before her group completes the final test.

This experiment is based on the subject of buoyancy. In order for the cardboard boat to float successfully, the student’s team is going to make “a little bubble at the bottom of [the] boat with duct tape and then the bubble will use buoyancy to hold the boat up.” While the student is confident in her ability, she believes “that one of the boy’s groups in [her] class are probably going to do the best because they have done the best on all the other projects.”

Maccintelli believes that this project is very important because not only does it focus on the subjects learned in the curriculum but “the bigger thing is working together to be able to get it across the pool.”

She admires the idea that students can use critical thinking to create “something that doesn’t seem like it could possibly float.”

McGibney retires after years of work

HEROLD Reporter

NH will be bidding goodbye to custodian Mr. Kevin McGibney, who is held dear by the school community for his years of dedication and time put into the school to make it a better and cleaner place.

Fellow custodian Mrs. Robin Anderson stated, “He is very serious about his job, but if you get to really know him, he has a sort of twisted sense of humor.”

She also stated “I think the school is going to miss him quite a lot, because he knows the building and the grounds better than anybody. He knows everything about this building there is [to] know, so I think the school’s definitely is going to be missing somebody when he leaves.”

Mr. Tim Vanheart, his other fellow custodian, stated “I have worked with him for about 15 years, so I know he really cares about the school. He even went to NH as a student a long time ago.”

Vanheart continued “He’s a good person to work with and I’m jealous he is leaving, but I wish him the best and a happy retirement.”

English teacher Mrs. Carla Harward stated, “I feel happy for him that he’s now going on to the next chapter of his life, being able to relax a little bit, not even having to worry about the building and things that have to get fixed or problems with the

With the school year ending soon, North Harford will bid farewell to Mrs. Tricia Uppercue who will be retiring.. Uppercue has been working with HCPS for 30 years.

The counselor started her career as a high school English teacher for 8 years. Eventually, she was able to come to the profession she is in today as a school counselor. For 22 years, Uppercue said she has been working with students and helping to support them.

Retirement is looked at as a point of reflection according to Uppercue.

She wants to look back on the last 30 years she has spent in her career and think about “the impact [she has] had on others and the impact others have had on [her].” She said she wants to use this point of her life to pursue other passions and dreams.

Many of Uppercue’s colleagues said they will miss her very much after she leaves. Mrs. Jennifer Behler, a part of the counseling team, believes that she learned a lot from Uppercue within a very short period of time.

According to Behler, Uppercue is “a wonderful counselor who always puts her students first.” Behler is very excited to hear

that Uppercue will be starting this new chapter of her life but will “will definitely miss her next year.”

Mrs. Christle Henzel, school psychologist, said she feels lucky to be able to work with Uppercue. She comments that she is “an extremely caring, compassionate individual” who has been quite helpful to the students she has worked with according to Henzel.

She mentions that Uppercue has “has helped countless students” with mental health and their academic careers. Henzel adds, “North Harford High School will not be the same without her.”

Over the years Uppercue comments that she has been very fond of her career. She says, “As

a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, I enjoy the counseling component of my job.” Specifically, she enjoys “utilizing [her] certifications in animal-assisted and equine-assisted activities and therapy and using the animals at NHHS to help support students.”

Mr. Mark Szot also has worked with Uppercue for many years. According to Szot, Uppercue is very dedicated and skilled within her profession.

To both students and staff, Szot believes Uppercue has “demonstrated empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness.”

He says, “We will miss her sense of humor and wish her all the best as she begins the next chapter of her life.”

ITS: One last hurrah for seniors; ITS, drama club gathers for ceremony

building, so I’m very happy for him that he is now going to be able to enjoy retirement.”

With McGibney leaving, people reflected on their favorite memories of him.

Anderson stated, “I think my favorite memory is probably when he was trying to teach me how to drive the zero-turn tractor. One day I decided it was fun to go quickly up the hill, but when you go up the hill quickly you kind of bounce out of the seat and the machine keeps stalling.”

She continued, “I kept calling him on the radio to tell him to come out because the tractors broke. I didn’t realize every time you came up off the seat that it stalled out. So, when he came outside, he thought that somebody had just left the tractor.”

Harward also shared a memory; she stated, “The fact is that my room has always been cold, so he would always come in and shoot the gun and say, ‘well, it’s saying that it’s 70 degrees in here, but obviously it’s seems like it’s 30,’ so he was always trying to help me with my room temperature.”

Anderson stated “I think it’d be nice if he knew really how much he’s appreciated. You know, sometimes we don’t feel appreciated for what we’re doing for our school, so I think if anything, I would like him to know how much everyone knows how much work he did here and just how much he’s going to be missed.”

ALEXIS GOTT News Editor

The drama community of North Harford gathered to celebrate their most recent season on May 9, and they also inducted eligible drama students into the International Thespian Society, otherwise known as ITS.

The end of the year banquet was the first one to occur in the past four years due to Covid. Drama teacher Mrs. Nancy Green explained that “this year [the drama community] grandfathered in all of the students who should have been inducted sooner due to the pandemic, since this was our first banquet and induction to ITS in four years.” She also added that this year, it was the “biggest class of eligible students ever” with a grand total of 45 students.

The induction is to serve as “their formal induction into ITS- theater honors society,” said Green. The director and teacher also added that the ceremony included a review of the season, as well as slideshows and pictures followed by a “delicious dinner catered by Buon Gusto.”

The ceremony was for both those who were involved in drama this year, including tech crew, cast, and more, as well as

those who were inducted into ITS.

Music teachers Ms. Katelyn Hemling and Mr. John Wojciechowski were “selected by students to be this year’s honorary adult inductees for their support and

receive scholarships. Seniors Nathan Santana, Ethan Jourdan, Julia Eakes, Sean Smith, and Neah Shaw were awarded with the drama scholarships, as well as freshman Alex Manzari.

The drama teacher mentioned that during the ceremony, the drama community has an “Oscar’s style award portion,” explaining that students are presented with superlatives and the drama students must nominate and vote by ballot or write in for the said superlatives. Winners are granted “certificates, handmade buttons, and trophies.”

The evening ended with the seniors being presented with their graduation cords, as the ITS is an honors society.

Green also mentioned that a song is sung to honor the departing seniors “before they take their final bow together as NHHS Thespians!”

involvement in the Ren Fest and the musical.”

The ITS gives an opportunity to drama students who have committed “100 hours or more of extra curricular drama involvement” according to Green, to

Awards are also given to “honor the memory of past NHHS thespians,” who have unfortunately passed, according to Green. She states that there are three awards, one honoring Winn Berrel, Erin Drumm, and Jessie O'Shaughnessy.

Beloved custodian takes road of retirement;

RILEY

Mrs. Tricia Uppercue is set to retire from HCPS after 30 years. She likes using animals to help support her students.

Photo Credit: Tricia Uppercue

The drama community gathers for their ITS and end of the year banquet. Students involved are given an opportunity to win scholarships.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mrs. Nancy Green

Mr. Liebel

Mrs. Beigel

Visitors urged to “drive safely, not swiftly”; Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour visits Philadelphia

EMILY JOHNSON IDR Editor

Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour has officially visited Pennsylvania and continues to be a trending topic in the media. The shows took place on May 12, 13 and 14 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Each show began at 6:30 PM with two openers, including either GAYLE or Gracie Abrams, and Phoebe Bridgers. Each opener lasted approximately 30 minutes. Swift took the stage around 8:00 PM, and attendees counted down the seconds until the show started, with the help of a giant clock on the screen.

Swift opened with Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince, and emphasized one of the lines at the end of the song that goes “It’s been a long time coming…” to transition into her Lover era. Swift may have been referring to an Instagram post from November 2022, when she announced her tour and the final line of the caption mentioned this same line; fans believe this is how she hinted at what song would be used to open the shows.

During her Lover era, Swift sang Cruel Summer, The Man, You Need to Calm Down, Lover, and The Archer. Next, the performer had a quick change and transitioned into her Fearless era. The graphics on the screen appeared to show the Lover House, which has one room that represents each era, or album, burning down, and all but one room was left; the gold room, which follows the color scheme of the Fearless album. Swift entered onto stage in a gold outfit with fringe, wielding a gold guitar. She sang Fearless, You Belong with Me, and Love Story.

Next, Swift changed and moved into her Evermore era; this was represented with a giant tree and roots on the screen, making it seem as if she were underground in the roots. Swift brought out a grand piano, covered in fake moss, and performed Tis the Da*n Season, Marjorie, Willow, Tolerate

it, and Champagne Problems. Afterwards, Swift had another quick change and opened her Reputation era, starting with Ready for it, and following with Delicate, Don’t Blame Me, and Look What You Made Me Do.

After Reputation, Swift sang a singular song from her Speak Now album, which was Enchant-

ed. Swift wore a flowy purple gown to represent this era.

Next was the Red era, and this began with a red cart being wheeled on stage. It appeared that every time the cart was opened, a song from Red would start playing. Then, red balloons appeared on the big screen, signaling that they had entered the era. Swift came onto the stage, wearing a t-shirt that stated Not a lot going on at the moment. She then sang 22, We are Never Ever Getting Back Together, I Knew You Were Trouble, All Too Well (10-minute version) and Nothing New ft. Phoebe Bridgers. There was an outfit change thrown in there as well. She then transitioned into the Folklore era, which included yet another outfit change to a flowy dress, and graphics of trees on the big screen. A wooden structure appeared on stage, in which she climbed onto its roof. Swift sang the 1, betty, the last great American dynasty, august, illicit affairs, my tears ricochet, and cardigan during this era.

After Folklore came the 1989 era, in which Swift had another outfit change (this time to a pink, sparkly top-and-bottom set). She performed Style, Wildest Dreams, Blank Space, Shake it Off, and Bad Blood. Her second-to-last set of songs were the surprise songs. Each

show, Swift performed two songs (one or two lucky shows got three songs) that were a complete secret, up until that moment. Many fans put their guesses for each show's surprise songs out on social media. The May 12 show got gold rush (from Evermore) and Come Back… Be Here (from Red). The May 13 show got This Love (from Lover) and Forever and Always (from Fearless). Finally, the May 14 show got The Best Day (from Speak Now) and Hey Stephen (from Fearless). To end the show, Swift changed one more time and entered her Midnights era. She sang Lavender Haze, Anti-Hero, Midnight Rain, Vigilante Sh*t, Bejeweled, Mastermind, and Karma. The end of the show included small fireworks, and lots of confetti, along with Swift and her backup dancers/ singers taking one final bow.

Sophomore Hannah Arnold attended the Saturday show with her parents. Arnold dressed in “a leather top and skirt that looked like a magazine” to match the vibe of the Reputation album. She hoped that one of the surprise songs would be Haunted, from her favorite album (Speak Now), but was happy with Forever and Always. She believes the show was “really good” and still “cannot believe that [she] got to go.” The only issue Arnold discussed was the lines to get into the stadium, because “people cut in line, and it was annoying because [she] was standing there for an hour and they had just arrived.”

Junior Sara Ford also attended the Saturday show with her mom. Ford wore a “white flowy summer dress, white converse, and a cowboy hat that [she] won at the carnival and bedazzled.” She was very excited to hear songs such as Illicit Affairs and My Tears Ricochet, as her favorite album is Folklore She hoped to hear seven as one of the surprise songs, but was glad Swift played This Love. Ford mentioned that getting to the stadium “could’ve been worse, since [they] left super early,” but

Ledford prepares for 12 day hike

BROOKELYN PRIEBE Reporter

After graduation senior Matthew Ledford will be doing something he has wanted to do since he was 13 years old. He says that hiking has always seemed awesome to him because he gets “to go out and survive with just what’s on [his] back.”

Ledford is traveling to Philmont, New Mexico, which is “the largest scout reservation in North America.” He adds “My little brother just joined this troop. and he just got old enough, so he breached over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts.” The senior explained that the troop needs adults to go, and since he turns 18 in July, and the trip is late that month, he’ll be able to be a supervisor by then.

He continues, “We’ve had shake-down hikes which are hikes where you test out gear and see what you absolutely need to carry. It’s how you pick your equipment that you need and everything in that pack I have to carry for twelve days.” He added that it is important to do things like “break in some good boots, because you don’t want to wear fresh boots for the first time you go out.

I’m borrowing Timmy Saltzer’s backpack and sleeping bag, and the sleeping bag is a pound and a half.”

find what gear he needs for his upcoming hike.

He says this trail is not “really” a trail, but a track that is 12-15, which means it is track 15 being hiked in 12 days.

The group going is a total of about 50 people, and they break down into crews of ten. Ledford says “you eat, sleep, and hike with your crew, but we’ll fly down as a group.”

“Everything we need for that entire 12 days, we have to carry. Like the food and water, tents, and there’s nowhere to shower unless you find a stream,” he continues.

Ledford says, “The best part is it’s going to be memories that you hold with you for the rest of your life.”

His biggest fear while accomplishing this track is dying, but he says “they had to make sure I had a will, which I already had at the firehouse. I mean, the whole dying thing I’ve come to terms with as a possibility due to the career I want to do as a firefighter, but I am confident in my abilities.

Tri-M gets recognition; Spreading music in our community

NOEL BAILEY Op/Ed Editor

Students from North Harford High School are a part of a club called Tri-M, which is a musical honors society.

The club is very similar to all the other honors societies, but its main focus is on music. Students have to have a “certain GPA like any other math, science, or national honors societies,” to be

eligible to be a part of the organization, according to Mr. John Wojciechowski, North Harford High’s band teacher,

Students also have to do service projects throughout the year that are music-related. They also have to earn hours throughout the year by “participating in different music events, like helping out at concerts, or doing all-county,” said Wojciechowski. He continues that the main purpose of

Tri-M is to “promote the involvement of music and to share music with the community.”

Junior Madison Maccentelli had to “redo the music window near the office and the one in the music hallway,” to brighten up the school with more music.

That project was Maccentelli’s favorite to participate in because “it was neat to see how music has always been a part of the school and that people years before us

were doing the same events.” The students in the club must “obtain five service points throughout the year by various activities,” said Maccentelli.

Tri-M is led by president senior Brooke Bogdan, vice president junior Kaitlyn Calland, and senior Julia Eakes is secretary.

Two teachers run the society at our school: Wojciechowski and chorus teacher Mrs. Katelyn Hemling.

Maccentelli said,“my love for music and my ability to share the talent that I have obtained in the band over the years,” are the reasons why she wanted to join the society.

Maccentelli didn’t have to do any extra hours or projects to be able to get into the band. She had to write an essay, and she said that the essay requirements had to be about “what music means to [her].”

Ledford hiked on the Appalachian Trail. This will help him

PHOTO CREDIT: Matthew Ledford

Swift and her team of backup singers and dancers take a final bow. Every show ended with the song Karma, from her latest album, Midnights.

PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Johnson

Howling with excitement about Great Wolf Lodge

EMMA CORNMAN Reporter

Great Wolf Lodge is a waterpark resort that also holds activities such as arcades, obstacle courses, zipline courses, and more, depending on location. A new Great Wolf Lodge is soon opening in our area.

“Great Wolf Lodge in Perryville, MD, will open on August 1, 2023. It is the 20th lodge to join the Great Wolf Lodge water park resort family,” states the Great Wolf Lodge website.

The website goes on to mention how, “Mid-Atlantic families will have something fun to howl about in 2023 as Great Wolf Lodge, North America’s largest family of indoor water park resorts, recently broke ground on its newest resort in Perryville, Maryland.”

“Great Wolf Lodge Maryland will become our 20th resort in North America, and our largest! With 700 family-friendly suites and a 126,000-square-foot indoor water park, this expansive space will have something for everyone,” the website states.

The plans for this water park have been in motion for about two years.

“After being slightly delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company broke ground on the site a little over a year ago and is slated to be complete in the upcoming months before being officially open for business on August 1,” explained an article on USA Today.

The article reports that “the waterpark will feature 22 water slides, including two brand new ones, that can be seen twisting from outside the confines of the

building, with something to appeal to every age.”

This location features “in addition to the waterpark, there is an adventure park with even more activities for families to enjoy including bowling, ropes courses, mini golf, a mirror maze and an arcade,” mentions USA Today.

The source mentions, “those familiar with Great Wolf Lodge already may remember the ‘Magiquest’ interactive journey designed for families to partake in. Along with the improvements of the new waterpark come more complex storylines and ‘enchanted forest-esque’ interior designs for guests to immerse themselves into.” The website continues that “Perryville’s Great Wolf Lodge will feature a 700-room resort with suite options to suit parties up to 12 people.”

USA Today explains how “the all-in-one staycation destination will feature plenty of dining options for the whole family including a Dunkin Donuts, a buffet-style campfire restaurant with options ranging from hamburgers to Tex-Mex and an upscale dining restaurant.”

Freshman Brooke Fitch has already heard news about the new Great Wolf Lodge being built in Perryville. Fitch has recently been “last January, and it was in West Virginia.” She mentions how “all ages” are appropriate to go to water parks, and that she would go to this new one with “people that [she] like[s]”. Fitch states that this new Great Wolf Lodge will be popular.

Come in and enjoy the experience of Great Wolf Lodge’s newest experience in Perryville, MD, open on August 1 to the public.

Pricey improvements to M&T Bank Stadium; Upgrades hope to attract more people,

EMMA CORNMAN Reporter

The Maryland board commissioned a $450 million dollar improvement plan for the M&T Bank Stadium. Upgrades are hoped to be completed in the next few years.

An article written by Hayes Gardner from the Baltimore Sun explains how “planned improvements to M&T Bank Stadium cleared a formal hurdle Wednes-

enhance experience

There are no current plans to renovate Oriole Park.

Gardner explains how “while economists have questioned whether subsidies are “worthwhile public investments,” the stadium authority’s request to issue bonds for M&T Stadium work won unanimous approval from the Board of Public Works, comprised of Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman and Treasurer Dereck Davis, all Democrats.”

Gardner also explains how “in the case of the Ravens, some have criticized the state for spending hundreds of millions of dollars to increase the club’s formal commitment to Baltimore by as little as one decade.”

Junior Reece Hinkle states that she has not heard of these new improvements to the Ravens stadium. Hinkle mentions that the renovations “don’t have to be necessary because it’s not

day as a state board approved the Maryland Stadium Authority’s request to issue $450 million in bonds to fund the project. The upgrades should be complete by 2025 or 2026.”

Gardner mentions how “last year, the General Assembly passed a law permitting the stadium authority which owns M&T Bank Stadium and Oriole Park at Camden Yards - to borrow up to $1.2 billion to improve the two venues ($600 million each), provided the teams signed long-term leases” and that “the bonds will be paid back later with lottery funds.”

The reason why the Ravens can access public money is “because the team signed a lease earlier this year, extending its formal commitment to Maryland by [ten] seasons. The lease had been slated to expire in 2027, but will now end in 2037 or, if the team exercises two [five]-year options, 2047,” Gardner notes.

The board approved construction to be completed by Providence, Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Co.

Gardner notes how not only the owners of stadiums benefit from renovations, but “elected leaders often promote such expenditures as economic drivers. Building or renovating a stadium attracts tourists and keeps the professional team, and its positive impact on the economy, from relocating, officials often note. Besides, they say, pro teams boost civic pride.”

“But economists - while acknowledging the positive benefits of pro sports teams have long decried the practice of spending substantial public money for the benefit of a privately owned team. Even factoring in the benefit of civic unity, stadium subsidies are bad deals for taxpayers and the money would be better spent on education or tax breaks, they say,” mentions Gardner.

a bad stadium overall, but [she] mean[s], to get more people, it could be.”

She doesn’t believe upgrades are needed anywhere around the stadium. The Oriole Park doesn’t need any because “[she] was there a few weeks ago, and it wasn’t that bad.” “And it’s been there for a while and they kept it updated.” She notes that it’s “possible” these renovations could bring in more people.

“I’ve expressed my reservations about stadiums generally, but I think in this particular situation, the stadium authority and all that they’ve done, the commitments that the Ravens organization has made to the community, I’m taking a wait-and-see approach,” Davis told The Baltimore Sun after the meeting. “Yes, it is a significant investment, but I believe if everybody is doing their part, if everyone is living up to their commitment, it could be a winwin for the community.”

The Ravens Stadium’s $450 million renovations are to take place soon. The last improvements were made back in 2016-2019, and costed $120 million.

PHOTO CREDIT: Joshua Gordon

Hawks Happenings

Pupils struggle with summertime learning loss; Preventing regression, maintain cognition

KRIS GRAY News Editor

How helpful is a summer break to students’ academic health? This is a question researchers have been studying for years, and the results are finally coming to a conclusion.

The American Educational Research Journal recently examined this topic across grades one through eight. The non-profit education-driven organization NWEA “found that the average student lost 17-34 percent of the prior year’s learning gains during summer break, as well as that students who lose ground in one summer are more likely to also lose ground in subsequent summers.”

Health teacher Mrs. Jacqueline Williams understands that for math teachers, “there is a lot of knowledge lost” especially in subject areas that are cumulative over the years. Williams hopes that students are always “doing something to keep [their] brains active, like games and puzzles.”

Junior Corbin Peacock stays immune to summer learning loss by engaging in “a lot of reading” over the summer. Also, his family “tends to do random…trivia” in order to stay keep thinking.

Peacock recommends that students purposely try new things. ”When you see something that is interesting, don’t just ignore it; ask yourself how do I figure that out?,” states the student.

Journalists say their goodbye

KRIS GRAY

News Editor

On May 16, the journalism staff participated in their annual senior dinner. The memorable event took place at the Harford County 4-H Camp and Deer Creek Overlook at 6 p.m.

Every year, the students who curate the newspaper, run the announcements, and manage many other aspects of North Harford’s school activities have a chance to recognize those who are graduating. Senior Reese Showalter explains that the journalism kids “plan it in class, where [they] decide what food [they] are going to have, etc. Then, on the night of the dinner, they] go eat with friends and family while an underclassman gets to pick the senior they want and then go up and give a gift and a little speech about you.”

Showalter acknowledges that the “senior dinner means a lot to [her] especially as a senior” being on the receiving end of this exchange. To her, “it really felt special because other classes don’t have a special night for their seniors and it really meant a lot…that [she] got to celebrate it with the people that [she has] been in class with for three years.”

At the venue, students engage in the award ceremony, speeches, cries, and much more. As the advisor for the class, English teacher Mrs. Jennifer Chandler “loves hearing what [her students] have to say about each other” because “that’s the part that just melts [her] heart.”

Chandler describes how contrary to the majority, she didn’t cry because the teacher is “not sad” about her seniors leaving, but “excited, because the alternative to them not going is not what [she] wants for them, so to have them three [or] four years and then know that this is exactly where they’re supposed to be and doing exactly what should be happening is exciting.” It’s also fulfilling, according to Chandler, because “they don’t know this yet, but [Chandler] has had hundreds of kids in this same position who have gotten to go from this sort of stage to what the rest of their life looks like.” She adds that some of her graduates are married and even “have jobs at NASA,” which allows her “to have a front row seat to what the rest of their life looks like, even though they can’t see that.”

Finally, the advisor believes that “it is cool to be in the position to know that ultimately, [she] had a part in the process of helping them” get to where they are. Senior Matthew Ledford’s important advice for underclassmen to be successful in journalism is to not miss deadlines and “don’t get banished to the lab,” the room next to Chandler’s, as a result of missing assignments “because the lab is not fun when you’re by yourself.”

On the other hand, senior Meghan Kalck acknowledges that the senior celebration “made [her] feel really good about [her]self.

As the event came to a close, so did the senior’s school year.

Peacock believes that keeping his brain active throughout the annual summer break “helps [him] stay ready and prepared for the [future] learning process.”

There are plenty of simple ways to prepare for the next coming school year. Scholastic advises that parents “let kids read what they want.” Based on this, children should have a variety of texts to read because they “won’t gain as much from summer reading if they aren’t truly enjoying it.”

Secondly, it is important to “make time for smart play.” Everyday brain challenges like puzzles don’t over-strain cognitive function, but still maintain a certain level of consistency.

Trotting triumph in horseback riding, eventing; Weisman shares equestrian experience

SARAH WELZANT Reporter

For sophomore Harley Weisman, she finds horse riding to be her place of therapy as they “bring a lot of peace.” Weisman has been working with horses for eleven years and started doing shows around seven or eight years ago.

Her journey had started when Weisman was only five-years-old

place ribbons. She also shares that there are “some bad memories from riding, like when you fall off.” Weisman laughs, explaining a saying within the community, “if you haven’t fallen off at least a hundred times, you’re not an actual rider.”

In order to hone the skills of the horses, Weisman dedicates herself to training regularly, as she will train about twice a week.

5 o’clock in the morning,” where she finds herself visiting the barn, feeding the animals, and loading them into a horse trailer. Once at the shows, Weisman says, “it’s a lot of sitting and waiting at horse shows,” as she finds herself having to wait a couple hours until her event.

Though Weisman likes working with horses, she admits that there is a frustrating side. She says, “sometimes they won’t listen, so they will just be very stubborn some days and not go anywhere.” This can be especially frustrating when trying to work on a new skill, according to Weisman.

and decided she wanted a pony for her fifth birthday. Her grandma decided against this idea, but instead signed Weisman up for lessons in horseback riding.

Many memories were created during Weisman’s journey within the sport. She remembers being nervous at her first horse show, but ended up doing quite well and earning a few second

Her routine will start once she gets to the barn, and her day will involve cleaning and grooming the animals and then eventually warming up for practice. Warmups include “walking, trotting and most days, [she will] do some jumping.” Going to shows requires a lot of commitment, as Weisman states, “when we go to horse shows we will be waking up at, like, 4:30 or

When riding, one must make sure that they are in the right mindset. Weisman explains that the sport is “all about getting over your nerves” and to find ways to not be anxious while riding. Being nervous or anxious doesn’t make the sport any fun. This can make things dangerous as she says, “if you’re not having fun, or you are nervous all the time, you can put yourself in danger.”

Weisman will continue to grow as a rider along with the support from those in the camaraderie within the community. She explains, “people think that riding isn’t really a team sport, but it definitely is. Your barnmates are like your teammates, along with your horses, too.”

Sophomore Harley Weisman sitting on her horse after a show. Her horse wore many ribbons from her events.

PHOTO CREDIT: Harley Weisman

Fourth of July Parade, July 4

Fair, July 10-15

Farm Fair, July 22-29 Hawks Happenings

New schedule gets mixed reactions; Students, vs teachers react to early start

GABRIELLE MOXHAM Reporter

In the 2023-2024 school year, HCPS will be starting back to school earlier, beginning Aug. 28. This causes mixed feelings from both underclassmen and seniors alike.

At this time, there has been no specific dates released for the senior’s graduation, but on the anticipated calendar, K-11 students are anticipated to end June 5, seeing as there are no inclement weather days. According to the HCPS calendar, these dates prove that there will be the shortest summer vacation recorded for the county, however, next year there will be the longest summer vacation recorded.

The senior class president for 2024, junior Aidan Jablon, stated, “I’m definitely disappointed because our senior year will be unnecessarily extended and our summer before college will then be shorter. I feel like all the se-

niors as a whole are saddened - or are going to be saddened - by the news, which will make school spirit much lower.

Jablon believes this will have an effect on attendance as well. “I also believe people will show up less, especially towards the end of the year, because students will feel drained and exhausted,” he says.

Jablon personally feels unsettled about this schedule change because “personally, for my last summer still being a high school student, I want to be able to have a break, see friends, go on vacation, etc.”

According to foundations of technology teacher Mr. Brian Dougherty, from a teacher perspective, the change really is not that bad. It doesn’t affect their schedule that much and they will get out earlier, which means they get to enjoy longer summers after this school year. Dougherty commented “I don’t mind it at all, es-

pecially if it means we get off a little bit earlier, which it looks like according to the calendar. I feel like the reality is summer break is too long to begin with.”

Dougherty actually believes we should participate in year-round school with two weeks off after every quarter and slightly extended winter break and a shorter summer break, even though he teaches at a non-year round school.

As for how this will affect student’s willingness to learn, he says “I definitely think there will be a little bit of push-back in the beginning” however, taking a glimpse at both sides, “I think there are a lot of students that are finished with summer by that time anyway and ready to go back to school because they miss their friends and challenging themselves.”

The schedule may cause mixed opinions but Dougherty thinks it will not affect students learning.

Students create, show off Hawk pride

LILY CORCORAN Copy Editor

On Tuesday, March 7, the NH Art Guild began painting their mural dedicated to the art department. This mural is the first of many to be created, and is expected to be finished by the end of the 2022-2023 school year, according to art teacher Mr. Jason Blevins.

The mural is composed of multiple paintings, all of which connect back to NH in some way. For students who take fine art prep, there is a reference to the drawing of Igor Stravinsky, which is being painted by freshman Sascha Kendall and sophomore Lily Corcoran. For the students who take 3-D design, there is a reference to the clay houses and a famous piece by M.C. Escher being created by juniors Ryley Montgomery and Raye Roberts. Pieces inspired by the Mona Lisa and pop art are being worked on by freshmen Mia Siegel and Lila Edwards, and a pottery-prompted piece is being painted by sophomore Liz O’Brien. There is also a statue of David, painted by senior Marissa Struhar. Leading all of the paintings is a stained-glass hawk created by seniors Emma Stoffel, Ren Kramer, and Elyse Friedman.

Currently, the mural is only in its beginning stages. According to Montgomery, the club started officially planning out the mural “at least into late second quarter,” which means that it has taken a few months to plan out the designs and get them approved by

well. Kendall continues that the easiest part of the mural was “choosing what [idea] we wanted and the colors for it.”

Even though the work on the mural is only getting started, it has drawn attention from many who walk through that hallway.

Junior Tristan Armiger says, “I really like the [M.C. Escher] eye. Overall, [the mural] looks really pretty, I think.” Freshman Edwin Medrano agrees with Armiger and says his favorite part is the Igor Stravinsky painting.

The pieces created by the mem-

of the Art Guild. Though they are not finished, they are already garnering praise from both students and faculty.

NH administration.

According to Montgomery, the easiest part of the process was “definitely getting the ideas” together, while the hardest was figuring out the layout of the pieces. However, Kendall says that she “thought the hardest part was making the sketch on the wall,” as it was hard to get the exact proportions from the reference drawings. The rough texture of the was hard to work with as

In terms of the mural’s being finished, O’Brien says, “I think that we’ve made a lot of progress on the mural, but each individual piece is at a different spot, so it’s hard to say how close the mural is…to being finished. I think that some pieces of the mural will definitely be done by the end of the school year, but others may not be. Each piece ranges in complexity and difficulty, and some people are more available than others to work on the mural.”

If students or teachers want to keep up with news about the mural, they can check out updates on the Art Guild Instagram page, @nhhsartguild.

bers

PHOTO CREDIT: Lily Corcoran

Mason Dixon

Popular Predictions

Temperatures rise in summertime; Taking precautions, preventing deaths

MEKENZIE MCCANN H/S Editor

With summer quickly approaching, temperatures are rising, and so are a host of car-related issues.

Excessive heat can quickly cause problems with the cars such as “hinder[ing] the chemical processes inside car batteries, making it hard for them to hold a charge and produce enough power,” states AAA. The temperatures can cause the car’s “battery fluid to evaporate faster than normal.”

The heat can also affect tire pressure, which can eventually lead to “uneven wear and shorten the life of a tire,” says AAA

According to Repair Smith, the hot weather can cause the oil in the car to become thick “and decrease in viscosity,” which can lead the engine to be “more susceptible to abrasion, scuffing, and corrosion.”

The parts in cars that make up the cooling system, such as a thermostat, water pump, radiator, coolant, and radiator are all used. With the extreme heat, they are used more, adding stress to the cooling system. “When a part fails, the engine temperature

rises, putting the engine at risk of serious damage,” says Repair Smith.

Health teacher, Mrs. Jacquelyn Williams, says her car “usually stays in the garage, but when I am not I use the sun visors, and some of our cars have tinted windows, and my car has curtains that go up, but I protect all our cars with visors.”

Be prepared for driving in the heat, according to Repair Smith, you should always “keep a wellstocked emergency kit in your vehicle.”

Drivers should also always plan ahead, and have a plan in case the car does break down.

According to NHTSA, there have been “940+ child hot car deaths since 1998” and “about 40 children a year die from a heatstroke, either because they were left or became trapped in a car. That’s about one child every ten days killed in a hot car.”

“Sadly I am not sure that I doubt that, but I find it interesting that we have not talked more about that as a culture because animals and kids get left in cars a lot and people do not realize how hot it really gets in there.”

”I am surprised there has not been some type of safety thing

Importance of sunscreen explained

KIMBERLY

Reporter

ALLEN

Sunkissed skin, cool winds, and crashing waves; summer is coming up! These are all things people commonly think of when they think of summertime, but what is often overlooked is the dangers of the blazing sun.

According to Space.com, the sun has been around for 4.6 billion years, and humans have only been on the Earth for six million years. In modern history, it wasn’t until the 1920s that sunscreen started to appear. An Australian man by the name of Milton Blake was the first to produce sunscreen.

Organic sunscreens are good for people with sensitive skin, according to University of Chicago Medicine. Another plus of organic sunscreen is that it doesn’t leave a white cast. It’s also important to use sunscreen on the scalp as the sun shines directly on the head.

Sun protection factor (SPF) measures what extent that sunscreen protects the skin against ultraviolet-B rays. Sunscreens that protect the skin the most from ultraviolet-B rays have an SPF of 30 or higher. According to The University of Chicago Medicine, SPF 30 blocks 97% of UV rays. Sunscreens only work if they are applied correctly. This means that it is important to reapply sunscreen every two hours. Sunscreen isn’t the only factor that protects people from the sun; that’s why people also wear hats and sunglasses, and stay in the shade for sun protection.

Many adults don’t wear as much sunscreen as they are sup-

installed in that car that realizes that there is motion in it when the car is off. I am sure that is something that some kid will design,” says Williams.

“The majority of hot car deaths–53%–happen because someone forgets a child in a car,” says NHTSA

There are ways to prevent child hot car deaths by “checking the back seat of your car before locking the doors.” Also, “Never leave a child alone in a parked car. Rolling windows down or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle. A child’s body temperature can rise three to five times faster than an adult’s,” says NHTSA

According to Consumer Reports, children’s bodies heat up faster than adults due to children lacking “the ability to efficiently regulate their body temperature. Children dehydrate more quickly than adults.”

Junior Valentina Angulo comments that this situation is “sad, the child is the victim,” and she thinks that “the parents are irresponsible and the parents should be held responsible for their child’s death.”

posed to. Doctors recommend people to wear two tablespoons of sunscreen just on the face. A majority of Americans don’t wear as much sunscreen as doctors recommend. 58% of Americans said they only wear sunscreen in the summer or when it is hot outside, according to Advanced Dermatology.

Sophomore Ann Warren said, “I wear sunscreen pretty often. I get sunburned super easily, so I think it’s important to protect my skin from things like skin cancer and burns that the sun causes.”

Sand, snow, and water all reflect sunlight, so it is important to take sun protection measures in all types of weather, rain or shine. On cloudy days, up to 90% of UV rays can pass through the cloud cover.

For sunburns, a common remedy to relieve the pain is aloe vera. However, if a sunburn is more severe, with symptoms like fevers, headaches, or vomiting, see a doctor about the burn.

The sun is farther from earth in the summer than it is in the winter. This is because the sun has been noted to rotate on its axis.

School is coming to a close. Soon, many will be at the beach vacationing after a long year of work. But what many do not know is that the beach actually is a very beneficial place for a person and promotes many health benefits that coincide with the brain.

Beach has many benefits for relaxation

RILEY HEROLD Reporter

In fact, according to an analysis of English census data published in the journal Health Place, those who live by the coast report better physical and mental health than those who don’t. But also in a study published in the Journal of Coastal Zone Management, participants who live in homes with ocean views report feeling calmer than those without them.

Sophomore Amanda Walker said, “Going to the beach is something I do like to do because it helps me unwind and gives my brain a break. I find the sounds of the ocean to be incredibly soothing, and I appreciate the lovely sunshine.”

After reaching the beach, it’s hard to resist breathing in that salty, oceanic scent that fills the air. It turns out that there is something interesting going on in that beach air. Despite its name, the negative ions present within the air at the beach are actually beneficial for a person’s health. They occur when the energy from sunlight, rainfall, or waves causes air molecules to break apart and then re-attach themselves to another molecule, causing it to gain an electrical charge that is known as a negative ion.

According to Dr. Pierce Howard, author of The Owner’s Manual for the Brain, “high concentrations of negative ions are associated with high energy and positive mood.”

Denise Mann, writer for WebMD, and author of the article, Negative Ions Create Positive Vibes, said that “exposure to negative ions can create biochemical reactions within our bodies that can help alleviate depression and relieve stress.”

In my opinion, I think the beach is okay; I don’t really like the sand though. But I do enjoy watching the waves as they hit the beach, which is calming to me only if the sun isn’t directly in my eyes.”

When sunlight hits the eyes, it’s converted into electrical impulses that travel directly to the part of our brain that regulates the nervous system, stimulating it to produce certain hormones.

According to an article on Healthline.com titled What Are the Benefits of Sunlight, “sunlight triggers the release of serotonin in our bodies. This can help a person feel calmer and focused; but it also helps to improve our moods and fights stress.”

Sophomore Reagan Gorschboth stated, “In my opinion, I think the beach is okay; I don’t really like the sand though. But I do enjoy watching the waves as they hit the beach, which is calming to me only if the sun isn’t directly in my eyes.”

She also stated, “I do know that at the beach the sunlight exposes you to vitamin D, which is overall good for you.”

The sand at the beach is also beneficial even if some don’t necessarily like it. In fact, the sensation of the warm sand on your feet and being barefoot in nature has a grounding effect that is shown to boost your mood.

According to Dr. Heidi Hanna, an Advisory Board Member for the American Institute of Stress she stated “This is a phenomenon called ”earthing,. This phenomenon reduces inflammation, pain, and stress, but also improves blood flow, energy, and overall generates greater well-being.”

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA

~Reagan Gorschboth, sophomore

Swimming into summer; NH students serve as lifeguards

RILEY HEROLD Reporter

Summer is approaching rapidly, signifying the start of summer jobs and pools starting to open up. Many NH students have looked into becoming lifeguards this summer.

Freshman Kendall Chandler stated, “This will be my first-year lifeguarding at North Harford Swim Club. Last year, I worked behind the snack shack at the pool, but it just wasn’t for me because I wanted to move up in the world to help people and kids.”

Freshman Julianna D ’Alto also will be working at North Harford Swim Club for the first time this year.

She stated “So, I worked at the pool last summer in the concession stand, but lifeguarding really intrigued me and I already wanted to get out and try something new, so I went for it and now I’m lifeguarding this year.”

As for other students at NH, junior Payton Murray-Rodriguez will be in her second year of lifeguarding also at North Harford swim club.

She stated “I wanted to become a lifeguard because I wanted to work in a pool environment, but I also wanted to be able to work while I was at the pool. It overall paid well, and I got to hang out with friends while I was doing it.”

As for the training, teens have to get CPR certified, and First-

aid certified. This can be done through programs like Red Cross, Harford Community College, and many others. An online part of the test has to be completed, too.

Students must also pass a precourse swimming skill test which includes a 300-yard swim, a two-minute tread, a surface dive to a depth of seven to ten feet to retrieve a ten-pound object, then return to the surface for a 20 yard swim.

D ’Alto stated, “In March, there was a program through Red Cross where they held in-person training where they teach you a bunch of the saves and things like that. After that, I had another in-service training but specific to my pool, so I could learn specific things that correspond with it.”

Even though there is a lot of training that goes with it, it is well worth it and allows people to make many memories, according to Murray-Rodriguez

Despite the extensive training involved, the experience is undoubtedly rewarding and lends itself to creating countless unforgettable moments.

Murray-Rodriguez stated, “Last year during adult swim, some of the lifeguards would do a belly flop competition for the kids. The kids would all sit around the diving board and would rate each lifeguard’s belly flop. Actually, one time I did the competition and I won for the best belly flop.”

BMX:

Sophomore competes around country; Continues riding after struggles occur

Sophomore Kylee Niederberger spends many of her afternoons and weekends at the track training for BMX. She has been riding for the past eleven years.

Niederberger first got into racing because her dad had done BMX in the past, so she tried it and loved it. She first started racing at a track in New York, then began practicing closer to home. She now rides all around the country and in Canada.

Niederberger is competing at a high level since she has ridden for many years. She competes against guys and girls. At a local level, she competes against boys. When she heads to state, regional, national, and international levels, she is put up against girls.

Throughout the many years racing and competing, Niederberger has faced many struggles. She states “one of them is motivation; racing on the level that I do, it involves training every day. Some days or weeks I go into spells where I lack motivation to train.” Spending so much time racing, she has a hard time continuing to ride, but she continues because she loves it and it’s

Niederberger (far right) at her last race in South Carolina, where she placed third in Supercross. She heads to another race in Virginia on June 9-11.

PHOTO

Kylee Niederberger worth the feeling when she rides.

Another struggle Niederberger faces is injuries; she constantly gets injured because BMX is a dangerous sport. She says that “since I am in a high-risk sport, there are many injuries, and when I do get injured, it is hard to get back to where I was before I got hurt.”

Even after she has faced many injuries, she keeps continuing to ride because of her love and passion for riding and racing. She states that one of her favorite things about BMX is the way “it can clear your head and only let

you focus on riding, instead of thinking about everything else.”

On top of BMX riding and competing, Niederberger also trains for Kinetic Ninja Warrior. She used to compete, but now focuses on her passion for BMX. She continues to do training sessions and is a tumbling coach there.

Focusing on BMX, Niederberger has a race coming up June 9-11 in Woodbridge, Virginia. She has competed in many places, most recently in South Carolina, and continues to travel for races around the country.

Track & Field travels to State meet; team talks preparation, goals, results

GABRIELLE MOXHAM

Reporter

Many different individuals qualified and went to the state championship for the school’s track and field team. No other sports team managed to do so.

Junior Korynn Sims qualified in pole vault. She has been vaulting for a year now - a total of three seasons - and she hopes to continue the journey in college.

According to Sims, in order to qualify, a person has to be within the best eight in the region. North Harford falls under the 2a East region, which means participants are competing within the region to stay at the top eight while also competing against all the other regions (2a North, South, and West).

Another way that someone can qualify is to clear the state qualifying height of eight feet, four inches. The vaulter stated “my average height I clear is

around nine feet, four inches but my personal record is at nine feet, six inches.”

One way that she planned and prepared for states was to, “work on my technique with my new pole and my turn over the bar the week prior.”

Her premeet ritual usually entails listening to music with her team, and before any possible PR’s,

she likes to pray.

Another track member, junior

meters, and she threw 97 meters.

Anna

order to qualify, the throw has to reach 94

In order to prepare, O’Leary stated, “I’m just going to work on my throw and technique with my private coach until I

manage to fix it.” She created a four-step plan to help her: steady tempo, plant her left foot, follow her left arm, and remember that hips lead.

After the team traveled to state and competed, junior Austin Parry commented on the experience, “I participated in the 3200 meter run, and I didn’t do as well as I had hoped, but it was okay.” Parry placed fifteenth out of 16 participants. In order to do better next time, he stated, “I got stuck beyond someone, so next time I will go around them.” The lesson he learned from the state competition this year is, “I need to run faster.”

Freshman Kendall Chandler also made it to States this year, and participated in the 4 x 800 meter relay. “As a group, we ran a 10.29, which was one second off from a PR,” she reported. Chandler claimed, “I think we all learned to run a lot smarter.

This year, North Harford Swim Club will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Many people in the Jarrettsville area have been coming to this pool for a long time.

PHOTO CREDIT: North Harford Swim Club

ISABEL KROPKOWSKI Features Editor

CREDIT:

Junior Korynn Sims leaps into action over a 9’6” jump. The vaulter cleared the jump and managed to place sixth at states.

PHOTO CREDIT: Rachel Weston Sims

O’Leary, qualified for the discus throw at states. In

Swimming into summer; NH students serve as lifeguards

RILEY HEROLD Reporter

Summer is approaching rapidly, signifying the start of summer jobs and pools starting to open up. Many NH students have looked into becoming lifeguards this summer.

Freshman Kendall Chandler stated, “This will be my first-year lifeguarding at North Harford Swim Club. Last year, I worked behind the snack shack at the pool, but it just wasn’t for me because I wanted to move up in the world to help people and kids.”

Freshman Julianna D ’Alto also will be working at North Harford Swim Club for the first time this year.

She stated “So, I worked at the pool last summer in the concession stand, but lifeguarding really intrigued me and I already wanted to get out and try something new, so I went for it and now I’m lifeguarding this year.”

As for other students at NH, junior Payton Murray-Rodriguez will be in her second year of lifeguarding also at North Harford swim club.

She stated “I wanted to become a lifeguard because I wanted to work in a pool environment, but I also wanted to be able to work while I was at the pool. It overall paid well, and I got to hang out with friends while I was doing it.”

As for the training, teens have to get CPR certified, and First-

aid certified. This can be done through programs like Red Cross, Harford Community College, and many others. An online part of the test has to be completed, too.

Students must also pass a precourse swimming skill test which includes a 300-yard swim, a two-minute tread, a surface dive to a depth of seven to ten feet to retrieve a ten-pound object, then return to the surface for a 20 yard swim.

D ’Alto stated, “In March, there was a program through Red Cross where they held in-person training where they teach you a bunch of the saves and things like that. After that, I had another in-service training but specific to my pool, so I could learn specific things that correspond with it.”

Even though there is a lot of training that goes with it, it is well worth it and allows people to make many memories, according to Murray-Rodriguez

Despite the extensive training involved, the experience is undoubtedly rewarding and lends itself to creating countless unforgettable moments.

Murray-Rodriguez stated, “Last year during adult swim, some of the lifeguards would do a belly flop competition for the kids. The kids would all sit around the diving board and would rate each lifeguard’s belly flop. Actually, one time I did the competition and I won for the best belly flop.”

BMX:

Sophomore competes around country; Continues riding after struggles occur

Sophomore Kylee Niederberger spends many of her afternoons and weekends at the track training for BMX. She has been riding for the past eleven years.

Niederberger first got into racing because her dad had done BMX in the past, so she tried it and loved it. She first started racing at a track in New York, then began practicing closer to home. She now rides all around the country and in Canada.

Niederberger is competing at a high level since she has ridden for many years. She competes against guys and girls. At a local level, she competes against boys. When she heads to state, regional, national, and international levels, she is put up against girls.

Throughout the many years racing and competing, Niederberger has faced many struggles. She states “one of them is motivation; racing on the level that I do, it involves training every day. Some days or weeks I go into spells where I lack motivation to train.” Spending so much time racing, she has a hard time continuing to ride, but she continues because she loves it and it’s

Niederberger (far right) at her last race in South Carolina, where she placed third in Supercross. She heads to another race in Virginia on June 9-11.

PHOTO

Kylee Niederberger worth the feeling when she rides.

Another struggle Niederberger faces is injuries; she constantly gets injured because BMX is a dangerous sport. She says that “since I am in a high-risk sport, there are many injuries, and when I do get injured, it is hard to get back to where I was before I got hurt.”

Even after she has faced many injuries, she keeps continuing to ride because of her love and passion for riding and racing. She states that one of her favorite things about BMX is the way “it can clear your head and only let

you focus on riding, instead of thinking about everything else.”

On top of BMX riding and competing, Niederberger also trains for Kinetic Ninja Warrior. She used to compete, but now focuses on her passion for BMX. She continues to do training sessions and is a tumbling coach there.

Focusing on BMX, Niederberger has a race coming up June 9-11 in Woodbridge, Virginia. She has competed in many places, most recently in South Carolina, and continues to travel for races around the country.

Track & Field travels to State meet; team talks preparation, goals, results

GABRIELLE MOXHAM

Reporter

Many different individuals qualified and went to the state championship for the school’s track and field team. No other sports team managed to do so.

Junior Korynn Sims qualified in pole vault. She has been vaulting for a year now - a total of three seasons - and she hopes to continue the journey in college.

According to Sims, in order to qualify, a person has to be within the best eight in the region. North Harford falls under the 2a East region, which means participants are competing within the region to stay at the top eight while also competing against all the other regions (2a North, South, and West).

Another way that someone can qualify is to clear the state qualifying height of eight feet, four inches. The vaulter stated “my average height I clear is

around nine feet, four inches but my personal record is at nine feet, six inches.”

One way that she planned and prepared for states was to, “work on my technique with my new pole and my turn over the bar the week prior.”

Her premeet ritual usually entails listening to music with her team, and before any possible PR’s,

she likes to pray.

Another track member, junior

meters, and she threw 97 meters.

Anna

order to qualify, the throw has to reach 94

In order to prepare, O’Leary stated, “I’m just going to work on my throw and technique with my private coach until I

manage to fix it.” She created a four-step plan to help her: steady tempo, plant her left foot, follow her left arm, and remember that hips lead.

After the team traveled to state and competed, junior Austin Parry commented on the experience, “I participated in the 3200 meter run, and I didn’t do as well as I had hoped, but it was okay.” Parry placed fifteenth out of 16 participants. In order to do better next time, he stated, “I got stuck beyond someone, so next time I will go around them.” The lesson he learned from the state competition this year is, “I need to run faster.”

Freshman Kendall Chandler also made it to States this year, and participated in the 4 x 800 meter relay. “As a group, we ran a 10.29, which was one second off from a PR,” she reported. Chandler claimed, “I think we all learned to run a lot smarter.

This year, North Harford Swim Club will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Many people in the Jarrettsville area have been coming to this pool for a long time.

PHOTO CREDIT: North Harford Swim Club

ISABEL KROPKOWSKI Features Editor

CREDIT:

Junior Korynn Sims leaps into action over a 9’6” jump. The vaulter cleared the jump and managed to place sixth at states.

PHOTO CREDIT: Rachel Weston Sims

O’Leary, qualified for the discus throw at states. In

Spring sports season ends in playoffs; Senior athletes are honored in final games

MEKENZIE MCCANN H/S Editor

Spring regular season ended the first week of May, and the second week sent teams straight into the playoffs.

According to County Sports Zone, on May 11, the baseball team had their first playoff game facing Rising Sun High School, winning 5-4. The softball team also played that day, hosted by Elkton High School, and won 9-4.

On May 10, boys and girls lacrosse both hosted Elkton High School. The boys won 20-3. The girls defeated the Golden Elks 21-2.

Unfortunately, the winnings ended for all teams at the region semi-finals. On May 12, boys lacrosse played Kent Island High School and lost 4-14. On the same day, the girls lacrosse team traveled to Queen Anne’s County High School and lost 6-14.

Junior Blake Howell, a member of the boys lacrosse team, says that he “expected playoffs to go relatively similar to how they did. We knew Kent Island was a tough opponent, but we had hope going into the game. We unfortunately lost, and I personally could’ve done better. There were multiple saves I believe I could’ve made, and several turnovers I made on accident.”

Another member of the boys lacrosse team, senior Cruz Cespedes, comments that “the team has improved on building energy before the game to keep up motivated.”

“We started the season off rough; the defense was not really connecting, and there [were] definitely a lot of bumps. But towards the end, we got it together and everyone was working together. The defense actually played very well against Kent Island, knowing they would be the toughest team this season,” Howell says.

“My favorite memory is probably either the South Carroll game or the Bel Air game. They were both very close games that we persevered and managed to win,

UCBAC results are in, Half of tennis team advanced past first round

EMILY JOHNSON IDR Editor

with everyone playing quite well. The Bel Air game was won 17-13 and the South Carroll game was won 11-9,” comments Howell.

Howell states that the team “will have a very strong defensive front, and I am looking forward to how we will fill the spots of our seniors, and I honestly can not wait for my senior season.”

Girls lacrosse player and co-captain senior Grace Underwood comments that the team “pushed ourselves and gave 100% effort, and that’s all that really matters. We played some of our best games towards the end of the season, which shows our growth as a team on and off the field.”

Senior Isabella Southard also plays girls lacrosse and states that she “expected to go as far as we did. I know it was certainly disappointing to lose, but we played very well and fought all the way through the games.”

Girls lacrosse co-captain and senior Haley Stone states that

ter together that day than they ever had, and Alyssa [Edwards, goalie] went off in the goal!”

Southard says that the team “definitely improved our momentum in games; we used to have a habit of being a second-half team, but [we] have grown to have strong starts and good at carrying the momentum throughout the games as the season progressed.”

Stone states that she thinks the team’s “transition on the field improved tremendously. We had troubles early on with moving the ball down the field, but we recognized those problems and found a solution that began to work well for the team.”

Underwood says that her “favorite thing about this season was the bond each and every girl had with one another, many of us have grown up playing together, and knowing it was our last time to all play together gave us the drive to make the most out of our season. We played this season for each other, and it was an amaz-

15 and lost 7-9. That same day, the softball team traveled to Harford Technical High School and was defeated 6-7.

Junior Preston Miller, a player on the baseball team, says he “knew the league was surrounded with talent, so every game was going to be a battle. But we got matched up with a very solid team so the outcome could’ve gone either way. Personally, I thought we would do a bit better but it is what it is,” says Miller.

Baseball player senior Colin Brosh comments that the team “had a very good team this year; we started hot but had a rough few games in the middle of the season. I thought we had a really good chance to win our region, or go even further if we played how we did in the beginning of the year.”

Miller states that the team has “improved on a lot of fundamental and small aspects. Anything from getting the right angle on a ball to watching the right or wrong pitch.”

Brosh says that baseball “had a very tight team and everyone was friends with everyone, and there weren’t really any cliques of people who separated themselves from the group.”

“My favorite memory of the season was [freshman] Collin Kight hitting a two-run home run against North East in the first inning of our Regional Semifinal,” says Miller.

“I love how close my team was. We had a great bond and we rarely ever argued or fought. Wouldn’t trade this team for anything,” he continues.

The tennis season is officially over, and the results of how the team performed at divisionals have been announced. Over half of North Harford’s varsity players won their first match and moved on to the next round.

The following players reached round two of divisionals: sophomore Jake Jestel (second men’s singles), sophomore Mia Sbodio (first women’s singles), freshman Brayden Cornman and senior Ryan Frank (first men’s doubles), sophomore Arie Howell and senior Elisabeth Holmes (second women's doubles), junior Cara Dyke and junior Logan Harriety (second mixed doubles), junior Stella Manns and senior Jeremy Webb (first mixed doubles).

Sadly, senior Baptiste Chone (first men’s singles), sophomore Emma Clayton (second women's singles), sophomore James Cassidy and freshman Benjamin Grabia (second men’s doubles), junior Mekenzie McCann and junior Emily Johnson (first women's doubles) did not move past their first round of matches.

Manns and Webb were the only players that continued onto the semi-finals. They then lost to Patterson Mill in the semi-finals, 0-6, 1-6. Later, in the consolation match, they played Fallston and won 6-2, 6-1. Manns and Webb finished in third place overall for mixed doubles.

the team “honestly expected to lose the second we reached the game against Queen Anne’s, but to be honest, that was one of the strongest fights we have ever put against another team. It was to a point that we were leading by one at one point. Our attack moved the ball fast and the defense worked bet-

ing feeling to accomplish what we did.”

“My favorite thing about our team this season was our dynamics. everyone got along so well and the chemistry showed both on and off the field,” says Southard.

The baseball team traveled to North East High School on May

Senior Abbey Saltzer, a player on the softball team, comments that the “team got closer as the season progressed.”

Junior Sarah Reifsnyder says that the softball team has “improved on being a team and enjoying each other and getting along.”

Next season, Reifsnyder is looking forward to being “a senior and playing with the girls I love playing with.”

Tryouts nearing as school year ends, students preparing for August

STELLA MANNS

Sports Editor

Fall sports are set to start on Aug 9. Sports including field hockey, soccer, football, cross country, and volleyball are all preparing starting now for the fall season.

A freshman member of the cross country team, Julianna D’Alto, is planning to prepare herself for the fall through individual and team training. She plans to do some “strength conditioning” individually to better herself for the season.

Over the summer, the cross country team plans to meet “three times a week at different trails and parks and do workouts

and long runs together” according to junior James Ortt. Individually, Ortt is “running everyday” or “sometimes twice a day” along with recovery and stretching. He usually tries to run in the morning, but if Ortt does not have the motivation to do that he will, “wait until the evening.”

The junior added that the team plans to host “some bonding” events, along with going to “IHOP or DQ after a hot run.”

Field hockey is also joining in on preparing for tryouts as a team. Even though the team does not host conditioning, according to junior Grace Conklin, some of her teammates and herself make conditioning schedules to follow.

Summer sevens, “is seven v. seven field hockey,” and players are grouped on teams with “the people from” the team “last year.”

For junior Korynn Sims, “since there is not going to be a designated” conditioning schedule for

the team, she plans to ask her current track coach for a “distance oriented” schedule.

Sophomore Mady Smick, who is planning to return to play soccer in fall for a third year, plans to “run on the treadmill” and participate in the TopFlight 11v11 summer league. Smick will be present at the scheduled team conditionings when she can make it.

For boys soccer, juniors Sean Babiak and Matthew Siedlecki both plan to participate in conditioning over the summer. Babiak added that the team also does “a camp at Gettysburg” over the summer. Siedlecki said that over the summer, the team plans to come to the school “once or twice

a week” to run and condition. The Hawks will have two six v. six TopFlight teams, according to Siedlecki as well.

Football will host non-mandatory conditioning and training sessions, according to sophomore Drew Keener. Keener believes that if players show up to the sessions they will “most likely” have a better chance of making the team. The sophomore expected to partake in “weightlifting, sprints, and running.”

Junior Wyatt Canapp said that the football team plans to have seven v. seven, touch football teams where they “play against other schools” to prepare the Hawks for the fall season.

“The team also does a camp at Gettysburg over the summer.”

~Sean Babiak, junior

Tennis players compete at HCC in a match. Many athletes performed well.

PHOTO CREDIT: Staff

The seasons for these teams have ended and now they are celebrating their accomplishments with banquets. Many spring sport players are currently preparing for fall sports.

PHOTO CREDIT: Julia Blondell, Megan Hauer, Staff