Magazine 6.1 - Fall 2022

The Lasso

Meridian High School

121 Mustang Alley, Falls Church, VA 22043 571-730-4705 www.meridianlasso.org

Volume 6, Issue 1 Fall 2022

Editor-in-Chief

Stella Turner

Managing Editors

Clara Kasik

Isabel Costa

Public Relations Editor

Elizabeth Creed

News Editors

Kaylah Curley

Sophia Borghesani

Features Editors

Abby Crespin

Molly Moore

Opinon Editor

Preston Lieu

Staff Writers & Contributors

Sofia Braverman

Tessa Dunn

Anna Goldenberg

Rachel Grooms

Sasha Kasher

Tessa Kassoff

Madison Keelen

Victor Kidwell

Elbetel Kiros

Sara Meade

Kylie Moffatt

Ben Mossburg

Cailyn Murphy

Amity Pratt

Mara Statie

Vedika Thapliya

Arianna Vargas

Jamie Williamson

Mission Statement: The Lasso and its staff strive to inform their readers through accurate and factual reports, where information has been thoroughly gath ered and verified; serve as an educational laboratory experience for those on staff; be accurate, fair, and im partial in its coverage of issues that affect the school community; not avoid publishing a story solely on the basis of possible dissent or controversy; cover the to tal school population as effectively and accurately as possible; report all issues in a legal, objective, accurate and ethical manner, in accordance with the Canons of Professional Journalism developed by the Society for Professional Journalists.

Editor’s Letter

Dimly-lit hallways are outlined by empty, skinny, dust-red lockers — no stu dent knows where theirs is, let alone the combination. Ailing digital clocks and broken exit signs line the walls and ceilings. A 1995 mural, a spinoff of “The Thinker,” nods to students as they saunter to class. Painted, water-logged, and crumbling ceiling tiles topple on heads, exposing bundles of unknown wires and tubes that supposedly do something important. The semi-hidden science hallway floods to the ankle with suspiciously dark stormwater, calling to mind the infamous Henderson gym renovations of ‘17 and ‘18. Tapping is heard in the classroom cabinets, and students reminisce about their first encounters with Enrique the Racoon, the usual culprit, although a few birds and squirrels will occasionaly join the party in the walls.

In less than a year, every student who passed through the halls of the old Ma son building will have graduated, leaving behind a population who has known nothing other than the seven-story Meridian High School, with its tedious traf fic and endless construction. The Hub, the Learning Stairs, the Reflection Gar den, the Mustang Mug — all of which were non-existent just three years ago — have become the sole setting of current Mustangs and of the generations to come. With this innovative design comes the innovative look: cleanly-painted walls, in-tact ceiling tiles, and a general lack of rodent populations. These up grades have attracted admiration from our community, not to mention the Vice President and the previous Governor, but they definitively lack the personality Mason alumni were accustomed to. There are no murals, no painted ceiling tiles, no bathroom doors whose handles fall off, locking students inside. No class alcoves, no memories of floods, no inhabitants of the non-human variety. No history. No character.

What our building lacks, however, is exactly what our student body brings. Dermatology interns, Lazy Mike’s servers, and trained EMT’s all learn in the same plain-walled classrooms. Jugglers and fencers alike roam color-coded floors, chatting with new friends who resided across the world just a few months ago. Students produce music in an empty basement, play newly-sanctioned sports in spotless gyms, and participate in all types of unique hobbies, ranging from crafts in the art rooms to Super Smash Bros on the oddly-sized stairs of the Innovation Commons. Exemplary artists, scientists, thespians, philosophers, musicians, and athletes discuss assignments in airplane-lounge-esque hubs, occasionally coming across index cards and mini plastic babies stowed away in couch crevices, the first inklings of history in a school with a new building and new name, com plimented by refreshingly familiar student niches.

Stella Turner

New Guidelines for FCCPS Calendars

By Elbetel Kiros

On Tuesday, October 11, 2022, the members of the Falls Church City School Board approved a new school calendar policy, with a six to one vote. These new regulations will go into effect beginning in the 20232024 school year and will bring forth some changes to the students and teachers of the Falls Church City Public Schools.

The new calendar guideline has the first day of school falling on the Monday two weeks prior to Labor Day and welcomes the students back to school a little earlier than most are used to. This may seem like it is cutting into summer break, but these guidelines have also ensured that the last day of school will not fall any later than June 10, about a week before the year has ended in the past.

In terms of seasonal breaks, Fall Break will stay consistent with past years, and will extend from the Wednesday right before Thanksgiving through that Friday. Winter break will include Christmas Day and New Year’s, as per usual, and ideally last two weeks. Finally, Spring Break will fall at the end of the third quarter and align with surrounding jurisdictions such as Arlington County Public Schools and Fairfax City Public Schools. Outside of these three breaks, the only holidays taken off will either be federal holidays or ones required by state law.

As a result of the School Board’s deci sion, religious holidays which are not ob served nationally, such as Yom Kippur, Di wali, Eid al-Fitr, and Rosh Hashanah, will not be days off for the FCCPS community. Although school will be in session for these religious holidays, student absences will not be penalized. Teachers and staff will not be

permitted to schedule assessments, drills, or school sponsored activities, and teach ers must be flexible with students that are absent to ensure that students observing a religious holiday do not miss an important event.

For the past two school years, FCCPS has closed all buildings during these holidays in an effort to be more inclusive towards those of diverse religions. While this compromise may sound ideal, members of the Meridian community seem to have mixed feelings to wards the idea that school will be in session during Yom Kippur, Diwali, Eid al-Fitr, and Rosh Hashanah.

“It’s not fair to us Jewish people that [FC CPS] closes school for two whole weeks when it comes to celebrating Christmas, but still allow schools to open during our holidays, especially Yom Kippur which we spend fasting,” sophomore Paige Kessman said, as she expressed her dislike for the new guidelines for religious holidays.

A Meridian chemistry teacher, Ms. Souqi, said, “It’s a great thing to have days off to cel ebrate people’s cultures and religions, but I

understand the point of removing [religious holidays] because some people see them as extra random days off and don’t exactly see the point of them,” when asked what her thoughts on the new school year guideline were.

Others seem to think those who don’t celebrate these holidays will not merely get an “extra random day off” but be exposed to the religious diversity that is present in our community.

Junior Zaviar Patino says, “Religious prac tices are important towards certain students and there is a strong chance that children will lose their childhoods with the removal of these holidays. These breaks also create awareness of religions instead of making the [religious students] seem lucky to skip school and mak[ing] them the enemy.”

While these new guidelines have brought differing opinions from the members of the Falls Church community, these changes will not be adopted into the FCCPS calendar until the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year and will regulate the district’s calendars for the next two school years.

Graphic by Tessa Kassoff.

For the Record Late Autumn Edition

By Clara Kasik and Victor Kidwell

As crisp air grips the City of Falls Church during the Autumn season, there is a certain set of music we find ourselves listening to every day. Although our music taste is somewhat different than our previous “For the Record” writer, Audrey Morrison, we’d still consider ourselves elitists regarding the tunes we listen to. Autumn music sounds like heartbreak, loss, change. If you find yourself struggling with some seasonal depression this Fall, don’t be afraid to get help and also listen to the music that makes you feel seen.

Tyler Childers’ discography includes an array of folk songs and masterful songwriting, one of the most notable being “Shake the Frost.” This song is nothing short of beautiful, describing his lover as a comfortable Sunday. Childers sings about wanting his love to stay after he becomes lazy in the relationship, thus asking her to “shake the frost” off of his bones. The lyrics give me secondhand longing and heartbreak.

“Ketchum, ID” is the final song on the album “boygenius,” written by Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers. Man, will this song make you sad. The trio sings about feeling lost everywhere. If I’m being honest, the first time I listened to this song, I didn’t pay any attention to what the lyrics said. Baker, Dacus, and Bridgers sing the most beautiful harmonies in “Ketchum, ID.” In fact, go listen to the entire album right now because the “boygenius” EP includes harmonies unlike anything I’ve ever heard.

Cage The Elephant is a rock band that has been producing hits for over 10 years. An underrated song of theirs is off their 2013 album Spiderhead, “Telescope.” This song is about experiencing isolation

and reflecting upon life. How fitting is this for the fall, the season of dying.

Colin Clary and the Magogs were not a band I could find information on very easily. I think I found the song “You Drove Me Crazy and Broke My Heart” when I was digging through twee pop for one of my previous reviews, and fell in love. Plug in your earphones, and check this tune out—I’m certain that the soft twee instrumentation and I believe strings in the background will completely win you over.

of the production, but this tune sounds absolutely like a dream. The track tells the story of singer and artist Lucia Pamela, who released a coloring book and album she claimed to have made on the moon. The fantastical and bizarre nature of this track feels right for this season, as we see people in ghost and astronaut costumes all over, ready for Halloween.

“Blue Ridge Mountains” by the Fleet Foxes is a call from lead vocalist Robin Peckinold for him and his brother to go off and live alone in the idyllic countryside. The acoustic chords and progressions evoke the feeling of falling leaves, and especially the vivid imagery of the song makes it more so touching and heartbreaking. This desperate plea for some kind of escape fits right in with this cold season.

So certain, in fact, I think it’s criminal that this band (indie musician Colin Clary’s side project) only has 50 monthly listeners on Spotify.

Something about the track “International Colouring Contest” is just incredibly mindblowing. I’m not sure what it is, maybe the drone-y synth, or the warm tones

The Postal Service, the beloved side project of Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie, is one of my favorite bands. “Give Up” is their one and only record, but still an instant classic. Off this album, you can find the song “Sleeping In,” a lateNovember tune to stare wistfully out the window to. The soft synths and catchy electronic drum beats are more of an earworm than one would expect, and Gibbard’s tenor voice feels like it’s almost another one of the drowsy synth lines. There’s an argument to be made here that The Postal Service went the Kid A route, another autumnal electronic album, but whereas Radiohead finds itself expressing alienation, this band sounds much more like a cold comfort. “Sleeping In” knows the world is ending, but is content to sleep through it.

Graphic by Ellen Chadwick (‘21)

Satire: Stairs of Meridian

By Kylie Moffat

We get ready for school, we arrive at school, we cram in some homework before school, and finally, first thing in the morn ing, we face the stairs of Meridian High School. With a total of 41 flights and 423 in dividual steps, the stairways of Meridian are something all Mustangs fear. The hellish staple of this high school building has been the source of much complaining from stu dents, who rarely are given elevator passes.

There are those lucky few who only have to climb three or four flights to begin the day, and then there are those journeying from the main floor, gym level, or attrociously far lower level, all the way to the scenic fifth floor of the building, only to be faced with the horror of science or math first thing in the morning. These students push through flight after flight with a bag full of rocks, all for the relief of collapsing in class at the end, panting through the pain.

Of course, you always have the quickly and poorly constructed elevators, and those pish-posh elevator riders, watching while others climb the stairs. The only con of el

evator riding is that half of the underclass men are on the elevator at the same time you are. You have the few students in posession of school-issued passes, the friends of the people with the elevator passes, the people without a pass who stand around in the el evator until it starts moving, and the teach ers all crammed into a small 35 square foot space.

Did you know that if you climb from the third floor to the fourth floor using a side stairway, you can save 8 steps worth of en ergy than if you had used the main “Mon umental” staircase? The school is trying to rob you of 8 steps of energy. Now you know why you always fall asleep in math.

Anyway, some alternatives to the 423 steps problem.

1) A slide. The perfect solution for those going down the stairs. Imagine sliding to your next class, or, even better, lunch. Though, this doesn’t solve anything for those going up the stairs. At least they can take solace in the fact that they get to slide on their way down.

2) We replace all the stairs with miles of ramps, going backward, forward, up, and down around Meridian. Though this likely doesn’t help with overall energy expendi ture, at least the stairs would be gone.

3) If all else fails, then replace the stairs with escalators. There is nothing wrong with an escalator; those going up benefit and those going down benefit. And on the week ends we can turn Meridian High School into a mall for both convenience and efficiency for students and staff. Just a suggestion.

A picture of the last quick steps to the fourth floor at a rare time when no one is going between classes. Can you hear the crickets? (Photo by Kylie Moffatt).

The main stairway between the third and fourth floors. If you listen really closely you can hear the cries of students past, present, and future. (Photo by Kylie Moffatt)

Alex Fulgham: Throwing Up Around the Halls

Alex Fulgham:

By Abby Crespin and Preston Lieu

The next time you walk down Meridian’s long hallways, we advise you to look out for a charismatic sophomore boy surrounded by a plethora of students, juggling various pins or balls in a mesmerizing fashion. This D&D gamer and avid bike rider will always take pleasure in showing you all his tricks and skills. His name is Alex Fulgham.

Growing up, Fulgham went through a “magic phase” where he enjoyed fooling around with all the magic tools and gimmicks available. He especially fell in love with the juggling scarves he was given, which were slowly-falling fabric scarves that he “messed around with from time to time.” Fulgham took great interest in throwing and catching these scarves, to which his dad took notice and decided to teach him how to juggle.

Fulgham’s father would gather up a few tennis balls and begin juggling in front of him, which amazed Fulgham and immediately sparked his fascination for the activity. He began practicing right away, along with his two good friends sophomore Addison Turner and junior Carson Ramey. Juggling slowly became part of Fulgham’s daily routine, where he found himself juggling for his friends in his freetime or practicing different tricks for the school’s musical. After getting all the basics down, Fulgham picked up some advanced tricks, such as “normal cascade, reverse cascade, columns, advanced columns, the factory, and more.” He also made a transition from simply juggling balls to other objects. “You can juggle a lot of things, [including] rings, clubs, basketballs, and so much more,” he explained.

All of the hard work and dedication Fulgham put into juggling opened up

numerous opportunities, both in and out of school. For starters, Fulgham is part of the school musical, “Pippin,” solely for his juggling skills. “I don’t sing, I don’t dance, I’m simply part of the musical to juggle,” Fulgham said. He is also able to showcase his special talent in solo performances. He even received an invitation to juggle in Mr. Visna’s psychology class for a lesson on the positive effects of juggling on the brain.

Fulgham encourages everyone to try juggling, saying that “anybody within a week can learn.” That being said, he did provide a few helpful pieces of advice to

learn the art of juggling. “Start with balls, not clubs,” Fulgham said. “The learning curve for clubs is literally getting bruises all up on your arms and your face,” something he did not find amusing.

Fulgham ends his last tip on a positive note. “I feel like my main point is that every person ever can learn how to juggle,” he states. “It takes a little bit of time and a little bit of effort, but after a week, or even after a couple days, you can learn both juggling and tricks.”

Fulgham juggles his colored clubs in the school’s halls (Photo by Preston Lieu).

The Falls Church skyline is filled by two fencers, dressed perfectly in white and fine mesh masks, step up to the line, hungry for competition. Their adrenaline rushes as they make eye contact, readying themselves for the duel. The competition commences with the director’s cue and a hasty move ment towards each other, filled with delib erate guile. They tighten their grip on their weapons, one directing their sword’s tip to the others’ chest. One shouts and shoots their fists in the air in triumph as they win a point while another falls to their knees in dismay. Their competition resumes immedi ately after, gasping for air and relishing each feat.

This scene is a common occurrence for sophomore Mercer Colby, who began fenc ing in 5th grade when her parents insisted she acclimate herself to other sports besides softball. She remembers trying it out and feeling somewhat surprised that she liked it. Colby gravitated towards the success she felt from the personal responsibility fencing de manded, describing the sport as “gratifying.”

Colby’s personal responsibility begins with practicing approximately 12 hours per week. Fencing requires a lot of skills, in cluding strength, speed, agility, endurance, bladework, knowledge of its tactics, and most importantly, practice. Colby prioritiz es footwork, long strength sessions, bouting (practice matches), and private lessons in her training regimes. She went on to joke about “getting bruises pretty frequently” and that building strength is advantageous when going up against tougher opponents.

Her training is also specifically geared towards her fencing event, known as Saber. Fencing is made up of three events. While they may seem synonymous to the untrained eye, the events could not be more analogous. The blade used in Saber can be as quick as a bullet, making it not only the fastest version of fencing, but the second fastest event in the

For

Olympics.

Mercer

Mercer

Colby, fencing is an art of perseverance

By Molly Moore

Colby chose Saber as her event of exper tise due to its rapid level of play and the fo cus required to win each set. “You really have to be focused. If you lose focus for half a sec ond, you lose the point” she explains.

When I spoke to Colby about her future in fencing, her face immediately lit up. “I’d love to get recruited,” Colby said, and remarked about the exciting scholarship opportunities available to the rare fencing athletes. “There are not as many people fencing, so it’s seen as very popular for a lot of the Ivies and a lot of [universities on] the East [Coast].” Colby furthered that she would love to fence rec reationally after college, and that “[going to the Olympics] would be great, but I don’t know if that’ll happen.”

Colby works on her recruiting goals on a daily basis. She notes that in order to be recruited by top level schools, athletes must place around No. 32 or better at national meets. This summer, at the USA Fencing National Championships & July Challenge, Colby placed No. 84 in the 16 and under competition for Cadet Women’s Saber, which she is “pretty happy about.” However Colby is brimming with motivation to reach her goals, “I want to improve, I want to con tinue doing this.”

Colby utilizes her great desire to com pete in college athletics as a flame to con tinue working hard. She competes at tour naments regularly, which often requires

excursions across the country, and spends many afternoons and weekends at practice or at the gym. However, a spot in the presti gious NCAA is not her only motivation for fencing; her genuine passion for the sport also incentivizes her to practice harder. Her flame is ignited by the satisfaction of im provement and physicality that fencing of fers. While the sport of fencing may seem rather reclusive, Colby emphasized the friendships she’s gained from her club team, NoVa Fencing, and developing relationships with her competitors, whom she sees often at tournaments, have made the sport im mensely enjoyable.

As Colby continues her fencing journey, she cherishes the lessons fencing has taught her and the amazing experiences she’s got ten out of the activity. For Colby, focus, con fidence, and perseverance have been key. Fencing requires you to believe you can win, because even a moment of doubt could lose your match. Colby underlined that, saying, “You might not win, but you still have the potential as long as you never stop trying. Just get one more point. Get as many as you can.”

Practicing and competing in fencing for five years has taught Colby the immeasur able art of perseverance. Colby ended her thoughts on fencing and life, with this state ment: “You just have to keep going. Even if it’s not a good day, even if you don’t win, you still have to keep going.”

Colby and teammates with autographed fore heads, posing next to fencer and Olympic Bronze Medalist, Nick Itkin. (Photo courtesy of Mercer Colby)

Colby bouting against a teammate at practice. (Photo via Nova Fencing Club)

For

Colby, fencing is an art of perseverance

For Mercer Colby, fencing is an art of perseverance

Gayle Williamson Intricate knitting

Written by Clara Kasik Photos by Jamie Williamson

You can often find Gayle Williamson around Meridian working on her latest knitting projects. The intricate patterns used are unlike much of what you might find in shops today, and the yarn used is often high quality wool from animals such as alpaca and sheep. Be sure to ask Gayle about some of her items and talent next time you see her (she takes commission for items!)

“Fighting the Good Fight”:

By Elizabeth Creed

To say that senior Elijah Pelton is in volved is an understatement. From organiz ing walkouts to packaging meals for the less fortunate, he is constantly working to im prove the lives of those around him.

Gun violence prevention work has played a huge role in Pelton’s life. He works with multiple organizations, including Students Demand Action, March for Our Lives, and Change the Ref.

Pelton became involved with the gun vi olence prevention movement following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida in 2018. A gun man opened fire on Valentine’s Day, killing 17 students and teachers and wounding 17 others. “Kids and parents shouldn’t have to worry when they go to school if they’re going to come home that day,” Pelton said when describing his reasons for getting involved.

Last spring, Pelton organized a schoolwide walkout at Meridian following the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uval de, Texas. “Organizing the walkout last year [was kind of] last minute,” Pelton said. “We had probably about 36 hours to put it togeth er.”

The walkout was a huge success, with the event receiving news coverage from ABC 7 News and NBC. More than 650 students from Meridian and Henderson participat ed, and many city council and school board members were also in attendance.

Marcus Simon, a representative for the 53rd District in the Virginia House of Dele gates, spoke at the event, as well as Victoria Virasingh, a former candidate for Virginia’s 8th District seat in the U.S. House of Repre sentatives. “It was really cool to have them

H A IJ L E

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speak at our event because they are both voices in this movement,” Pelton added.

In addition to advocating for gun safety laws, Pelton works with organizations that help those battling food insecurity. Pelton volunteers with Food Justice DMV, which focuses on providing Black and Brown fami lies in need with culturally appropriate gro

ceries and other essential items. Pelton helps specifically with the Virginia distribution, often running the home deliveries. He even designed the organization’s website, which is currently up and running.

Pelton also volunteers with World Cen tral Kitchen, who provided 1.5 million meals to those in need during the pandemic. Ad

Pelton poses enthusiastically in his World Central Kitchen merch while volunteering. (Photo courtesy of Elijah Pelton)

“Kids and parents shouldn’t have to worry when they go to school if they’re going to come home that day.”

ditionally, he provides non profit catering through a culinary course at the Arlington Career Center to sports teams in Arlington County.

One of his most fulfilling projects howev er, is with the GIVE Day club at Meridian.

Pelton and a few of his classmates found ed GIVE Day back in 5th grade as a service club. The club’s first action included sending hygiene kits and flip flops to Haiti following an earthquake in the country. However, they quickly expanded to creating “power packs” of food for Fairfax County students, as well as sending school supplies and other neces sities.

“We realized how privileged we were to live in Falls Church City where we have a lot of money to spend on our schools and on city related things,” Pelton said. “Some stu dents in Fairfax and Arlington County have to go home and worry that the school lunch is the only meal they’re going to eat for the day.”

GIVE Day has also partnered with a non-profit organization known as Rise Against Hunger, which sends meals inter nationally to people in need. This partner ship has allowed GIVE Day to send meals to Madagascar, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and other places around the world.

Recent measures taken by the club have included working with local organization Martha’s Table to provide peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to frontline workers and houseless populations in Washington D.C.

GIVE Day holds a special place in Pelton’s heart due to the hard work and many hours he’s invested into cultivating the club. “Give Day is where I started, so I think about that one the most. I probably spend five or six hours just planning or thinking about what we’re going to do for events that week,” Pelton said. “It’s sad that I’m not going to be able to do that next year. But we’re going to pick good people to lead the club so that they will leave a good impression and con

tinue the great work that we do.”

Pelton has participated in other various volunteer jobs, including greeting Afghan refugees at Dulles Airport following the

Taliban takeover, and working with stu dents learning English as a second language through Comunidad VA. “That is really fun because we just help them read and then we play board games,” he added.

Pelton always commits one-hundred per cent of his energy, no matter the task or ac tivity, because he truly cares about making a difference. “It’s important to me to help oth ers because I want to produce meaningful change, both locally and globally,” he said.

Pelton speaks at the May campus-wide walkout that he organized at Meridian in response to an uptick in publicised gun violence around the country. (Photo by Isabel Costa)

“We realized how privi leged we were to live in Falls Church City where we have a lot of money to spend on our schools and on city related things.”

“It’s important for me to help others because I want to produce meaningful change, both locally and globally.”

Along with other student leaders in the GIVE Day Club, Pelton was interviewed for a video focusing on Mary Ellen Henderson’s third annual meal packing event in 2018. (Photo via Youtube/Mary Ellen Henderson Middle)

Tabby Hermann An Upcoming Pop Artist

By Tessa Dunn and Mara Statie

Tabby Hermann, an active freshman at Meridian, has a life surrounding music. Besides having the best Shakira impression ever heard, she has a passion and talent for music and even has a flair for making her own songs. Hermann is excited about her career so far, her life surrounding music, and her goals for the future.

Her biggest influences in music are seen on both the large and small scale. “I find that other people's musical styles and voice techniques really influence my music and also the people in my choir

of her artistic inspirations come from this genre.“I chose pop because I think it's fun, and well within my register,” said Hermann.

A favorite pop artist of the young singer has been Ariana Grande. “I’ve loved her since I was really young, and her music got me interested in singing and writing lyrics,” said Hermann.

Additionally, R&B artist SZA is a huge inspiration to her. Her hit song "Drew Barrymore" left a huge impression on also to her personal aesthetic.

Musicians like Grande, Swift, SZA, and new artist Olivia Rodrigo have helped Hermann find her own signing style and genre, and their music has greatly contributed to her artistic voice.

Hermann cites her dad as first piquing her interest in music. She specified how her dad had originally inspired her to begin making her own music, as well as convincing her to join choir. Her experience in choir has been extremely important to learning about how to make her own music. “When I was little, I sang for fun but when I joined choir it gave me the confidence to create music,” Hermann said.

Hermann engages her emotions well in her writing process. Hermann answered “ I sort of just find out what's bugging me and spill,” Hermann said. She further explained that it was almost a type of ranting or therapy for her, and is one of her primary emotional outlets when she is feeling upset or anxious.

Hermann, a talented freshman vocalist, performs at a Welcoming Falls Church event in Mr. Brown’s Park. (Photo courtesy of Jayla Evans) class,” Hermann said.

Although she draws influences from all over, Hermann mainly focuses on signing and writing pop music because the genre shows off her vocalistic talents. Many

Hermann. But according to the singer, the most impactful artist she listens to is Taylor Swift. Just like Grande, Swift's music serves as inspiration for the lyrical aspects of Hermann's music. Her favorite Taylor Swift

Hermann stayed humble about her future in the musical world, clearly undermining her talent. "Maybe I could see myself going to an art college to pursue a music career, even if that seems like an out of reach career," she said, "but we'll see."

Tabby Hermann is a talented, on the rise, pop artist, who could very well be the next celebrity hung up on your wall.

Zaviar Patino A Young Freestyler

Zavi always had a passion for music, which he picked up from his mother and godfather, but it wasn't until his teenage years that he picked up on rap. It wasn't until his move to the Domincan Republic that he discovered the genre. There, he began hanging out with friends who listened to rap and he quickly fell in love with the genre.

Outside of his friends, Patino draws musical inspiration from American rap classics Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., and Eazy-E. When it comes to modern rappers, Patino cites Lil Wayne and Joyner Lucas as having the smooth delivery and presence he one day hopes to achieve.

Patino cites his intense drive as the key to relentless pursuit of rap. This hobby has turned into something bigger for him, and through it he has learned more about perseverance and hard work. “Without purpose you have no drive, and without any drive you can't accomplish anything," Patino said.

He likes to engage in the music he makes by using imagination and spontaneity to create songs. In terms of his creative flow, Patino said "I can be sleeping and wake up with my next idea for a song." He even mentioned that he finds inspiration from the beat his feet make as he walks down the street. As for lyrics, Patino tries to go with the flow and just put words on the paper.

Zavi takes a slightly unconventional stance on his audience. He considers the people who hate on his music

or bully him for his hobby to be his biggest fans. He even goes as far as to be grateful for teaching him to overcome obstacles and grow into a better rapper. Having said that, he also has support and positivity from many of the people around him, who he is infinitely grateful for.

At Meridian, Patino is turning his music into something bigger than himself. At this year's club fair, Patino debuted his new club, Freestyle Club. He hopes to provide a safe space for everyone to feel welcome and comfortable with producing and creating rap music, no matter their capabilities and experience levels. His central hope for this club is to create a sense of "family" amongst like-minded musicians.

His interest in music is

closely tied to his vision of the future. If all goes as planned, Patino one day wishes to attend UCLA with his friends and start a band, a plan they've had since they were young. Patino also hopes to one day expand his passion beyond himself and use it to raise money. In fact, a lifelong goal of his is to give away two million dollars to charity, because he has seen struggles and wishes to give back to the communities.

Patino made sure to plug his club and emphasize its warm environment one last time. “To all of those who wish to have some type of extra curricular, to all of those who feel uninspired, [or] to all of those who want a place to belong, free style is not just a club, it's a family and we would be happy to accept you,” Patino concludes.

Patino, founder of the Freestyle Club and an avid music creator, is known for his incredible drive and perserverance. (Photo by Mara Statie)

SETTING IT UP:

Meridian Welcomes Boys Volleyball

By Isabel Costa

The brand new Meridian High School boys volleyball club team, led by their coach Shannon Hladky, has exceeded expectations already. Considering the spontaneous creation of this team, their notable success is a pleasant shock. Senior and team founder Nikita Johnson calls their success “pretty surprising.”

Johnson, who played volleyball before he moved to Falls Church, had been unable to play since the beginning of the pandemic. Instead, he has served as the manager for the Varsity girls volleyball team for the last three years and helped out at practices and games.

Although he enjoyed managing, Johnson was itching to get back out on the court himself, and he first thought of starting a team at the end of his junior year. When he sent out an interest form to find out if fielding a team was a possibility, he was impressed to receive over thirty

signatures. With sufficient interest, Johnson had to set out to find a coach.

Enter Coach Shannon Hladky. Last winter, Hladky was approached by a Falls Church parent about his interest in coaching volleyball during the fall season. He responded enthusiastically, but didn’t expect anything to come of the idea. “I think it’s fair to say I did not think she would bring it up again,” Hladky said.

Hladky, who has three kids at Meridian, has led more than 50 recreational sports teams around Falls Church, and

has been looking to coach at the high school level since his kids began to age out of recreational leagues. Once Johnson established a group of players and Hladky was officially on board, the team brought in the help of Athletics Director Brian Parke and Administrative Assistant to the Athletic Director Becki Creed. “One of the challenges from the start was becoming an approved volunteer coach,” Hladky said.

After a long process to ‘hire’ Hladky, the coach then set out organizing team practices and games. Due to competition with several fall sports, the most difficult task for him was finding open gym space to have weekly practices. Gym

space would already place the team a step ahead of many other club volleyball teams in the area, which are often unable to find practice space. “Fortunately, Becki was able to carve out a few hours for us each week,” Hladky said.

Johnson recruited some of his friends from the Varsity girls volleyball team to provide coaching on the foundations of volleyball, which Hladky said “set the team off on the right direction.”

This hard work paid off for Hladky, who enjoyed coaching the team “tremendously.” He commented, “At our very first practice, when I saw the kids laughing and having a great time, it was

“We are already talking about doing it again next year.” - Coach Hladky

The team huddles around Coach Hladky before a game. At the end of their huddles, they cheer “Dave Paulsen Basketball Camp” in honor of their uniforms (Photo by Danny Oppenheimer).

instantly all worth it.”

Because this was a club team, there were no cuts made. Johnson explains that this has led to a wide range of skill levels among players. Around half of the players on the team are relatively new to the sport. Because of the unpredictability going into the season, the team started in the lowest division, C.

In this division, they play a wide range of teams from the region, and according to Johnson most of them are in the same boat. “It’s a weird dichotomy because you’ll have the scrawniest little kids who have no idea what they’re doing and then you’ll find someone who lives in the gym and hits super hard,” Johnson said.

The team’s regular season ended during the last week of October, but their 10-4 record and 3rd rank in the division have pushed them into the postseason. Their semifinal and final matches took place on Friday, November 4. Meridian won their semifinal game but were unfortunately defeated in the division finals by the Lewis Lancers in two sets.

Hladky speaks proudly of the team and their focus on supporting each other’s growth. “As a team, we are so much better now than we were at the start of the season,” Hladky said. “We probably had one kill and zero blocks in our first match and now we consistently have more than ten of each.”

Johnson accredits many of these kills to senior George Vogel-Rogers, a powerhouse on the team. He even called Vogel-Rogers’ serves his favorite thing about the team. “They’re kind of terrifying. Whenever he serves we’re super proud of him,” Johnson said.

Besides Vogel-Rogers, the team’s uniforms are something Johnson and the other players have grown to love over the season. Instead of anything relating them to Meridian High School, the team wears gray shirts with ‘Dave Paulsen Basketball Camp’ proudly displayed across the front. “Had I followed through with Mr. Parke and gotten [the uniforms], they wouldn’t have arrived until mid-November and our season would basically be over,” Johnson said.

The seniors on the team still felt it was important to commemorate the season with some sort of uniform, so Johnson and Parke searched for an old uniform in the athletic department’s storage. They ended up going with the ‘Dave Paulsen’ shirts and drawing on numbers in permanent marker, and the team adopted the uniform wholeheartedly. “Now, we’re confusingly called ‘Meridian High School/Dave Paulsen Basketball Camp’ and we cheer Dave Paulsen Basketball camp every time we’re

on the court. It really messes with the other team’s minds,” Johnson said.

According to Johnson and Hladky, this inaugural season bodes well for the future of the team, which is made up of lots of enthusiastic sophomores and juniors. “We are already talking about doing it again next year with an eye to making it an official VHSL sport in the future,” Hladky said. Hopefully the coming seasons bring more success for the boys volleyball team, as well as their own uniforms!

The team prepares to receive a serve from the Arlington Aces in a playoff game on Sunday, October 30. Meridian lost the first set 14-25 but won the next two 25-18 and 15-8

Senior George Vogel-Rogers is about to unleash a powerful serve on the unsuspecting opposing Arlington Aces (Photo by Danny Oppenheimer).

(Photo by Danny Oppenheimer).

Sophomore Joe Kritenbrink returns a serve from the Lewis Lancers. Meridian lost this match with a first set loss of 18-25, a second set win of 26-24, and a third set loss of 9-15 (Photo by Danny Oppenheimer).

TREMBLAY maureen

By Madison Keelen

There’s no shortage of high school students working after school or during the summer, with job options that usually span from waiting tables to babysitting. While less conventional, one stu dent at Meridian went above and beyond expec tations of a “normal” after-school job by working the front desk of a dermatology office.

Junior Maureen Tremblay never imagined herself working at a dermatology office at the age of 16 — when she started searching for a summer job. In reality, she expected to be mowing lawns, not working alongside an experienced dermatol ogist. It was a hot summer day when Tremblay was first introduced to this exciting opportunity.

Tremblay was out in her yard watering the lawn, when a neighbor approached her. She ful ly expected to have a quick neighborly chat, but quickly realized that wasn’t the case when her neighbor began inquiring about her summer plans. “When I said I was thinking about getting [a job,] she mentioned how her friend was look ing for some help around the [dermatology] of fice,” she said. Shortly after, Tremblay began the exciting process of looking for a job.

TAKING TEEN JOBS TO THE NEXT LEVEL

During the last week of her sophomore year, Tremblay was called in for her first day on the job. She entered absolutely clueless as to what she was expected to do. It was a hectic day and Trem blay accompanied the head dermatologist. She was busy all day working, diligently cleaning up around the office. That day marked the beginning of a new and exciting opportunity for Tremblay, where the number of skills and opportunities she could pick up seemed endless.

Although the work was hard, Tremblay loved the new experiences she gained. She developed organizational skills, worked well with others, and most importantly, learned about communi cating with a team. On the job, Tremblay helped schedule appointments and maintain an orderly office environment, saying that staying focused was key when working. One of her fondest work memories was being surprised by sales associates with lunch for the staff. Despite all the hard work,

Tremblay truly enjoyed her job at this office. “Working here has given me incredible insight into how to navigate the working world,” Trem blay said.

In the future, Tremblay sees herself pursuing a career in the medical field. Her unique teenage job allowed her to see what the field of work was like in reality and to gain connections and expe rience. She is beyond grateful she was offered the job and couldn’t see herself working anywhere else.

“It is a whole new experi ence. I am able to try things that I’ve never done before and everyday I feel like I’m learning something new.”

Tremblay, a junior at Meridian, never expected for her teen job to involve an office, let alone a doctor. (Photo via Maureen Tremblay).

Tremblay has also been a prominent member of the girls’ basketball team. (Photo via Elizabeth Creed)

By Sophia Borghesani and Stella Turner

Sophomore Nora Stufft from the varsity girls’ basketball team said, “I’m super excited because I love to play basketball. Sometimes it’s stressful because I don’t really have that much time in the day to do schoolwork, but that’s part of being a student athlete and I love playing.”

The girls’ team has been state champions and runner-ups in the past two years. The boy’s team looks to advance past regionals for the first time in six years. (Photo by Audrey Morrison)

Swim & Dive

“I’m definitely excited. Swim is always fun,” sophomore Katherine Steyn said. “I enjoy hanging out with my friends and getting better at swimming.”

Both the girls’ and boys’ swim and dive teams consistently reach the state swim meet, where multiple juniors and seniors look to medal again this year. (Photo by Megan Clinton)

Wrestling

Wrestling has been in the spotlight recently as girls such as seniors Senya Urbom (far right) and Emilie Miner (far left) fought for girls’ wrestling to be sanctioned by VHSL. In September, VHSL voted for girls’ wrestling to become a separate sport in Virginia, allowing female wrestlers to have the chance to compete in their own state championship this year.

WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW Basketball

The boys and girls practice and compete together throughout most of the season. (Photo via Instagram/@meridianwrestling)