April 2019

Read it Online www.herefordharbinger.org

The first junior prom

NEHS and Rho Kappa present “RBG� - Page 2

was a success!

Index 2-4 5-7 8-9 10-13 14-15 16

Community Sports Spotlight Features Opinion In Focus

Volume VIII Issue VI Hereford High School, Parkton, Maryland www.herefordharbinger.org

April 2019

Inside Athlete of the Month Page 5

Inquire Hereford Harbinger @hharbinger @hharbinger

2 | Hereford Harbinger

Community

April 2019

Spirit Club hosts first mini golf tournament

Lindsay Clarke

Community Editor

The Mini Golf tournament hosted by Hereford Spirit club will be an experience you will never FOREget.

Spirit club works to get students eager to be involved in school events and games.

The Hereford spirit club continues to increase student involvement by hosting the first annual mini golf tournament. The goal of the club is to get more students involved in supporting their fellow Hereford students in all events: performing arts, sports, and everything in between.

Social Studies teacher Nicole Maffei helped to start the club last year in order to promote upcoming games and have a supportive student section.

The spirit club includes students of all grades with representatives from each grade called spirit captains. The senior spirit captains are Mark Suchy (’19), Helena Ruldolph (’19), Sam Furman (’19), and Sydney Watts (’19). The junior spirit captains are Zoe Nicholson (’20), Evan Barnard (’20), Gabe Lindsay (’20), and Kelsey Pflugrad (’20). The Sophomore captains are Braun Lippe (’21), Oliver Hess (’21), Vita Shats(’21), Katie Kurniawan (’21). Freshmen captains include Adriana Burger (’22), Joe Sheckels(’22), and Alyse Altberger (’22).

The mini golf tournament is May 18 at the Her-

NEHS and Rho Kappa present “RBG” Sydney Powell

Community Editor

Independent. Strong. Determined. Revolutionary;. These are all words that the students who attended the screening of the RBG documentary used later to describe the “notorious” Ruth Bader-Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

The National English Honor Society (NEHS) joined Rho Kappa on Wednesday, March 20 to present two screenings and discussions of “RBG,” a documentary-style movie featuring Ruth Bader-Ginsburg herself that details events of her early life as well as her many lifelong achievements.

The groups decided to screen the movie in recognition of Women’s History Month and invited all students, as well as faculty and community members, to attend the screening.

As the audience watched the documentary, NEHS members asked group discussion questions throughout.

These questions focused on RBG’s life and accomplishments, as well as the audience’s feelings about all that she has done.

Overall, the praise that students had for the movie was immense.

“I thought it was excellent,” Juli Giza (’20), NEHS and Rho Kappa member said. “It really showcased how brave she was for standing up for women everywhere, especially in the law.”

Appointed by President ill Clinton in 1993, Ruth Bader-Ginsburg became the second woman to serve on the US Supreme Court. Since then, she has been a major advocate for and contributor to the court concerning gender equality and civil rights issues.

Over the years as a Supreme Court justice, Ginsburg is considered to have been instrumental in the decisions for some of the past decade’s most prominent cases, such as Obergefell v.

Hodges, which legalized same sex marriage in all 50 states.

Ginsburg has also been a large advocate for the recent #MeToo movement, showcasing her public support not only in the media and through her rulings, but in the movie as well.

By showing the movie, NEHS and Rho Kappa members hoped to educate and introduce the audience to previous and current gender equality issues in the workplace and in the law.

“We were hoping to teach students that the United States did not always have gender equality and that it was not long ago that women were discouraged from doing many activities,” Rho Kappa President Dana Barbakoff (‘19) said. “Justice Ginsburg proved that women were capable of doing anything men could do; helping pave the way for generations.”

Many students who attended the screening now see Ruth Bader-Ginsburg as a role model to imitate.

“RBG is an amazing role model because everyone can try and see and feel

what she’s been through,” Brynn Powers (‘22), who attended the screening, said. “They can take their personal experiences and what they’ve done and compare it to RBG and see what she did to conquer her challenges.”

Presenting the RBG documentary gave students, teachers, and faculty a chance to learn about Ruth Bader-Ginsburg during Women’s History Month and appreciate her role as an influential and dominant icon for women since the earliest times of her life.

Illustration by Keegan Whittle

eford Golf Center. Four people are allowed to be on a team and it is a shotgun start, so everyone will start at a different hole. The first two rounds of the tournament are open to high school students and the third round is a family round for anyone with a team member ten and under.

“I enjoy being a part of spirit club because there is so much positive energy, and everyone wants to collaborate to produce the best and most spirited events,” Gianna Patti (’20) said.

Patti said she thinks that the mini golf tournament will help introduce the underclassmen to spirit club which will hopefully encourage them to join next year.

Mac Tiller (’24), Austin Clarke (’24), and James Traynor (’24) held a mini golf game in order to find their fourth player. The freshmen’s strategy is to get into the other opponent’s heads in order to gain the advantage.

“My golf icon is Tiger Woods because he is very poised,” Tiller said.

The spirit club have been involved with pep rally and spirit games in order to raise involvement throughout the school. The first annual mini golf tournament is aimed to bring students together in friendly competition.

NEHS celebrates Shakespeare’s birthday Sarah Dickerson Reporter

NEHS hosted an event on April 23 to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday. Students were invited to attend promotional workshops and games to celebrate English poet and playwright William Shakespeare.

Stations were held in English wing rooms, where students could sign up for a variety of workshops. Dessert was provided, and students were encouraged to come learn how to write a Sonnet (a 14-line poem popularized by Shakespeare), participate in trivia, and play Kahoots.

“It is mostly games and stations that popularize and bring awareness to his [Shakespeare] work,” NEHS officer Elizabeth Thompson (‘19) said. “He has rounded out the way we view literature. He has done a lot of great things to help shape English views towards writing with his plays and poems.”

The passion among students has certainly been notable.

“Shakespeare is one of the greatest writers ever,” Nicco Boggan (‘19) said.

Shakespeare is infamous for his many plays written in the late 16th century and early 17th centuries. He is one of the only writers to have his works read in multiple English levels. “Romeo and Juliet” is read in English 9, “Macbeth” in English 10, and “Hamlet” in English 12.

These works are also in addition to other popular plays like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Julius Cesar”.

To prepare for the stations, club members conducted various forms of research to learn all about Shakespeare and his plays, poems, and sonnets.

The Sonnet station required members to comprehend the writing style popularized by Shakespeare called iambic pentameter. In iambic pentameter, the sentence structure each consist of an unstressed syllable followed by a word with stressed syllables.

One thing is for sure, April 23 brought about Shakespeare, Shakespeare, and more Shakespeare.

“We just [wanted] kids to come and have a good time learning about one of the most influential writers ever,” NEHS club advisor and English teacher Michelle Vance said.

Ms. Vance also took it upon herself to purchase a fullsized Shakespeare cut-out for students to take pictures with on the day of the event.

In addition to the games and workshops being played, the advanced theatre class presented 60 second renditions of certain Shakespeare plays, including theatre department chair Mr. Rose dressing up as Shakespeare himself.

community

April 2019

Hereford Harbinger | 3

FBLA attends state-wide conference

By Rebecca Meldron Reporter

The Future Business Leaders of America club (FBLA) attended a state-wide conference at the Hunt Valley Inn from March 28-30. There were approximately 4,000 students that attended the conference from several schools. Any school in Maryland that has an FBLA chapter was competing at this conference.

The members of FBLA competed in a competition that included various events such as investments, banking and financial systems, introduction to public speaking, economics, and health desk. Students who went to the conference had already placed at the regional competition in their event or are officers of FBLA. Ethan Jacobson (‘20), George Schwab (’20), and Patrick Coyle (‘20) all placed in banking and financial systems at regionals.

Everyone that placed in the state conference will go on to compete in the next conference. Some of the students that placed are: Sam BonGiorno (’20), Ethan Jacobson (’20), Patrick Coyle (’20), George Schwab (’20), Andrew Spence (’21), Ryan Vetter (‘21), and Victoria Tsygan (‘19).

The competition is based on objective tests, which some took beforehand online, but no one knew the results. Other students did presentations at the conference in front of judges or in open events taking another objective test there. None of the outcomes were known right after the event; the results were given at the award ceremony.

Some students had to prepare for their events. Andrew Spence (’21) had to write and memorize a speech, and Maddie Strong (‘21) had to research and study to prepare for her event.

The conference isn’t just about the competition. The conference helps students make connections with people that could help them in the future.

“I wanted to improve my speaking skills and networking skills,” said Mahema Pande (’19). “I’ve met so many people.”

Pande is the region two Vice President, making her a Maryland state FBLA representative. She did the opening and closing ceremonies and presented the awards at the award ceremony at the conference.

“I wanted an opportunity to learn about business and how

to lead a group,” “we learn valuable leadership skills at the conferences.” Andrew Spence (’21) said.

Officers gain different skills along with the learning opportunities. “I want to be a manager and since I’m an officer it helps [me learn how to] set things up and make sure people are in the right places,” said FBLA officer Ben Ward (’20).

As an officer, Ward plans out the conferences and makes sure everyone has what they need. Strong is in FBLA because

she wants to improve her leadership skills and she thinks the marketing aspect will help her in the future.

Even if you don’t want to be an entrepreneur, FBLA could help you learn valuable skills that can help in any situation. The networking can help you get a job after college and connections made at conferences are extremely helpful when entering the business world.

Photo provided by Ben Ward

Members of FBLA place in the state conference and move onto the national conference. Students used what they learned in the FBLA and business class to move on in the competition.

Aeronautics and aviation classes bring a unique flare to technology courses

By Paul Rapuzzi Reporter

A new addition to Hereford’s expanding STEM program is the Aeronautics and Aviation Technology (AAT) course, which serves to teach students about the basics of aerospace technology and innovation in the field of flight. The course is being constructed based off of curriculum from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) website and will be built by engineering teacher Michael Dodd-O. Hereford is known to have a variety of electives from astronomy to creative writing, but AAT is unique among Hereford courses.

“We’re going to be one of only three schools in the county that will have the program,” Dodd-O said. “It’s also going to be directly transferrable to CCBC, so it should be helpful to [the students].”

With such a small number of schools offering the program, it begs the question as to why Hereford has opted to participate.

“We were looking for another engineering, technology-based program that would be rigorous and motivating for the students,” Dodd-O said. “[We] wanted to present [the students] with an opportunity that they wouldn’t have at other schools.”

Registered students seem to share Dodd-O’s opinion.

“I think the class will benefit the school in many ways,” Devin Zahn (’20) said. “More STEM programs will be very beneficial living in a day and age where technology is in every aspect of our lives and more machines are doing the work for us.”

According to Dodd-O, the program will involve elements such as drone design, programming, mechanics, and use of the computer-aided design (CAD) feature. Additionally, the course will explore the applications of drone usage such as photography, search-and-rescue, and even complex

course isn’t the direction that everyone had hoped Hereford would go.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it,” Fine and Performing Arts chair Robert Rose said.

“I just think we could have handled things differently, like adding a mandatory class on public speaking or expanding the foreign language program to four or five languages.”

The rise of a STEM focus in American education is nothing new; according to economicmodeling.com, there was a 43% increase in STEM majors on college campuses between 2015 and 2016.

While there are always concerns with introducing a new course to the school, opinions seem to be relatively high among students taking the course.

“I’ve always been interested in drones and last summer I even got my drone pilot license from the Federal Aviation Administration,” Zahn said. “I’ve been using my drones to take photos for fun and this will make the aviation course my fourth engineering credit.”

subj e c t s such as

bio-mimicry

and swarm robotics.

While the AAT program seems to be beneficial to Hereford’s expanding STEM programs, the addition of another STEM

Illustration by Katie Blair

4 | Hereford Harbinger

Community

April 2019

SADD club creates anti-stress baskets

By Sarah Borton Reporter

As finals, AP Exams, the SAT, and college decision days are approaching, stress levels are surging, and students are diligently working to keep their grades and mental health from spiraling into despair. The Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Club has recognized this highly stressful time and wanted to help with students’ stress with anti-stress baskets.

SADD Club’s mission is to influence young people to make positive decisions and successfully conquer daily risks and pressure brought into their lives. Gemma Rossi (‘19) and Gage DuBois (‘19) are co-presidents of the club, with Megan Hamilton as the advisor.

“We talk a lot about what we can do for our school and present issues that we could contribute to,” Caroline Diaz (‘19) said.

“We are only informing those on the consequences [of destructive decisions],” second-year member Ellie Dono (‘21) said.

During the first week of April, SADD club constructed the anti-stress baskets. They were tailored into girls’ baskets and more neutral baskets. The girl’s basket included numerous destressing items such as essential oils, face masks, scrunchies, a huge teddy bear, and bath bombs. The neutral basket includes a blanket, gift cards, hats, food and snacks, a gummy bear lamp, and funky socks.

The baskets were raffled off. Tickets were sold in the main lobby during the week leading up to spring break, April 15 to 18.

Throughout the year, SADD Club has participated in multiple awareness and fundraising activities. The day before homecoming, the club placed DUM-DUMS lollipops on students’ cars with notes saying, “Don’t be a DUM-DUM, drive safe this weekend” and other notes against reckless driving. SADD previously stood for Students Against Drunk Driving.

Before the holidays, they also collected winter clothing to donate to Project Place. Project Place is a homeless shelter in Baltimore City catered to displaced people with mental disabilities.

Last month, SADD Club members distributed eating disorder awareness bracelets, and in exchange, people signed a sticky note alongside a body positivity message. The notes are being made into a collage that will eventually be hung in the hallway. Other various posters have been

made such as bullying and cyberbullying prevention and LGBTQ+ rights.

SADD Club’s goal with the baskets is to promote stable mental health by providing students with relaxing items.

Members of the club, including Jackson Gardner (‘22) said they hope the baskets make testers more comfortable and calmer while studying.

“With all of the items and bracelets that we have already bought this year, and things that we have donated our money to, we have to gain that [money] back,” Dubois said.

All of the proceeds will benefit SADD Club.

“A lot of people are stressed out with sports, [theater], and other clubs, so it would be nice to have something that will brighten [students’] week and help them manage their time, with homework and sports and [other extracurriculars],” Diaz said.

The winners of the two baskets will be decided April 17 or 18.

See Page 10 for more on stress and how to deal with it.

SADD Club representatives Jackson Gardner (‘22), Jade Minetos (‘22), and Farley walk around to classrooms with baskets filled with gifts. They promoted their raffle in which they will give away two baskets filled with anti-stress products.

Bailey Farley (‘22) decides which basket to enter to win. Both baskets have been filled with gifts such as speakers, oil diffusers, bath bombs, and more.

All photos provided by Sydney Powell

Reed Mikelskas (‘21) fills out a ticket to enter into the raffle. He took place in the raffle to help raise awareness for positive mental health practices.

April 2019

sports

Hereford Harbinger | 5

Athlete of the Month:

Three sport athlete Jimmy Kells looks to guide baseball team to winning campaign

By Sydney Watts Reporter

Jimmy Kells (’19) wraps up the wrestling season, finishing second in the state championship tournament, and shifts his focus to his final season of baseball as a high school athlete.

Kells, who is originally from Rochester, New York, started playing baseball when he was three years old.

He attended Pittsford Sutherland High School, where he was selected as a freshman to contend at the varsity level. The team was the defending state champions trying to reclaim another title. Being a driving factor on the team, he helped the team make it to the sectional finals.

He entered Hereford as a sophomore and started on the varsity baseball team.

Head coach Rick Evans spotted his baseball Photo provided by Jimmy Kells talent right away.

Jimmy Kells swings through a pitch in an early season match-up.

Kells has hit three homeruns, leading the team in that statistical category by two.

“For the past few years [Kells] has been the ultimate leader by examto state semis.” and wrestling, he received first team all-county. For wrestling, he ple on and off the field,” Coach Evans said.

In the off-season, Kells competes during the summer for the was selected as first team all-region, second team all-county and Kells plays shortstop, which is a position between second club baseball team, Redbirds, with high school teammates Aaron region, and placed second and third in the state championship and third base. This position requires taking charge and com- Winsker (’19) and Justin Bishop (’19). tournament. municating among the infielders, making Kells a vital player on The things he will miss the most are the friendships and “Jimmy is an all-around player,” teammate Nate Herbkersthe team. memories that he made with the team while being at Hereford. man (’20) said. “He can do everything. He is fast, he has baseball “Jimmy is always ready to play and is very enthusiastic “These memories will stay with me and remind me of a bet- IQ, and he definitely is the leader of the infield. He is an all-star.” about baseball,” teammate Connor Mann (’19) said. “He is a ter and more simpler time,” Kells said.

Kells is undecided on his future plans but has intentions of straight up ball player and is hungry to get the ball.”

In baseball he earned second team all-division and all-state playing a sport in college.

Last year he led the team in runs batted in with a total of 14 and is hoping to earn more honors at the end of the season. and had a batting average of .404.

Baseball is not the only sport Kells competes in. In his off With a season opener win against Catonsville on Mar. 26, season, he plays football and wrestles. In each sport, he has been Kells “feel[s] like [the baseball team] is going to make it back highly recognized and has received many honors. In both football

6 | Hereford Harbinger

Sports

April 2019

Tiger strikes on Sunday Tennis team rallies for another winning campaign

By Chloe Parker

By Mark Suchy

Reporter

There is something oddly satisfying about the Masters.

The rolling greens, perfectly manicured shrubbery, birds chirping ever so softly, and soothing voice of Jim Nantz introduce a reassuring fact: spring has arrived.

Until the fall from grace of the man who ‘made golf cool’, the Masters was also characterized by a red mock-turtleneck and the roar of several thousand spectators. Missing from the single most calming event was Tiger Woods. Accompanying his absence was a lack of intrigue, declining viewership, and an overwhelming amount of questions as to what exactly transpired to topple such an influential figure. Woods was gone and so was the excitement of a spring Sunday at the Masters.

Because the fall from grace was so epic, the return to the mountain top was destined to be extraordinary. Woods started Sunday two shots back and headed into the 12th hole down two strokes, in the middle of a jammed packed leaderboard featuring other prominent names like Dustin Johnson, Francesco Molinari, Brooks Koepka, and Rickie Fowler.

Adding to the already enticing storyline was the fact that these young emerging golfers all hailed from a generation of players who dedicated themselves to the game because of Tiger. Many of these players wanted to be like Woods and now they were competing for a green jacket against him.

Woods slowly began his ascent to the top of the leaderboard, punctuated by a magnificent tee shot on the historic 16th hole. Tiger played a perfect backspin shot that cut across the hill and gave him a two foot birdie putt. The birdie handed Woods a two shot lead with two holes left to play and all but secured him his fifth green jacket.

The scene that dominated the 18th green appeared to be a flashback to the early 2000s. Back when Woods was routinely captivating the country and showing just how awesome it was to sink a tournament-clinching putt followed by a massive fist-pump. Except now it was 2019. Now Woods was multiple back, knee, and neck surgeries removed from those days. Instead of his father waiting for him it was his children. It was 2019 and Tiger had done it again. Woods captured his fifth green jacket, 15th major tournament, and shows no signs of slowing down.

The greens were still rolling, birds still chirping, shrubs still expertly manicured, and Jim Nantz was there, only this time the roar of Tiger engulfed Augusta—pure magic.

Spring sports are back in session. Tennis players are on the court. Rallies are being played. Our tennis team has just started their matches, finishing their first two with wins. Their first opponent, Catonsville, fell 8-1 and their second opponent, Eastern Tech, went home with a loss of 9-0.

These wins do not come effortlessly to the Bulls: many hours are spent practicing in the off-season, which contributes to their success ethic throughout the entire season.

“During the off season, I usually play three days a week,” Thomas Pallan (’20), a three year varsity tennis player, said.

“I train individually with my coach and play in a tennis clinic against other players in the area.”

Pallan is not the only one who is eager to improve his personal game before the season starts.

“I play for Greenspring with Thomas in the winter,” Anahita Eshaghi (’20) said. “Then, right before the season starts, Rachel Rowe (‘20) and I come to the courts at the school and hit around.”

Rowe and Eshaghi have been teammates for three years now.

Players from all different classes this year are coming into the season with a competitive and hungry mindset. All of them have a drive for improvement.

“I just hope to get better and hopefully we win counties,” Grayson Hammann (’22) said.

Self-improvement may be a goal for some, but their eyes are on one thing: regionals. Receiving hardware after a successful season is something every team hopes to achieve, and with this team’s work ethic and skill, this goal is attainable.

For those who don’t follow tennis, 9 matches are played during a team tennis match: 2 boys singles, 2 girls singles, 2 boys doubles, 2 girls doubles, and mixed. Each individual match win earns the team a point. A maximum of nine points can be won.

Max Bohlmann (’20) and his doubles partner, Pallan, were able to win the county doubles tournament against Dulaney last season, beating them 6-2-6-0, but that is not quite where they would like to finish this year.

“This season, I hope to win counties as a singles player and place well in the regional’s tournament,” Pallan said. “As a team, we hope to go undefeated in the regular season and win the county and regional’s championships.”

In strives to achieve this goal, head coach Hal McVeigh plans a typical practice of a run to Bunker followed by warmup hits, and end with matches against each other. Occasionally the players work on footwork and short sprints to improve their speed on the court.

Sports Editor

“Coach Hal McVeigh continually pushes us to be better every day,” Pallan said.

Contributing to the tennis team’s previous success is the support between all of the other players and an encouraging parent and student section. Along with their coach, team captains Bruce Hoosier and Emma Wallner help bring positivity to the team.

“Both of them hype us up during warm up and provide lots of energy and encouragement for the team,” Rowe (’20) said.

To keep up the cheering and to see their skills advance, come support their teams at their next match on April 18 against Loch Raven at 4 p.m. at home.

Illustration by Katie Blair

Track team promotes safety and physical fitness with new equipment

By Will Amos Reporter

Hereford Track and Field has seen huge amounts of success in recent history, and this year the program is putting even more into the program to ensure the athletes perform at peak level and are safe while doing so.

The VX sport equipment, a vest that tracks statistics related to an athlete’s physical fitness and current condition, worn over the shirt or under the shirt, is new to the track program this year, being used by the varsity girls’ soccer team in the fall, and by players from both track teams across a variety of events.

The track teams have had equipment similar to this before, but this year’s are an improvement from the equipment last year, according to female track athlete Mary Ellen Revitte (’21).

“I wanted to be able to closely monitor the physical fatigue levels of the athletes in order to tailor their training appropriately,” track coach Bradley Duvall said. “Secondly, we wanted to limit major injuries. Often, the athlete doesn’t know when they are getting to a point where they are at risk, or conversely, they always feel that they are at that level of fatigue.”

The monitors track heart rate, distance, speed, overall training load, foot strike imbalances, number of body impacts, and more. By tracking all these stats, track athletes can perform at a higher level, more safely.

“I think it’s a cool way of incorporating technology into sports and training and to see my runs and all in details I otherwise can’t access,” female track athlete Emily Francis (’19) said.

“I can learn more about myself as a runner.”

The VX sports equipment allows track athletes and their coaches see the rates at which the heart recovers during intervals of rest between training.

“The goal is to shorten the required time to restore normal heart rate as an indicator of cardiovascular fitness,” Duvall said.

By tracking distance, where the athletes run, and how much they run on recovery and training days, workload can be gradually increased to prepare for championships.

“It tracks where you are so if someone gets lost on the trail it could help find them,” track athlete Nikki Mondo (’21) said.

The new equipment, even though it’s an upgrade, has been met by some backlash by the track teams.

“I don’t think they’re completely necessary because they don’t really need to track our exact location, but I can see how they are helpful,” Piper Lentz (’22) said.

“Sometimes they feel a bit constricting and it’s really gross to put it on if its damp, but they’re okay,” track athlete Drew Turnbaugh (’20) said.

Even though the new VX Sport equipment are said to be a bit uncomfortable or constricting, the positives heavily outweigh the negatives, according to Duvall.

“It monitors far more data than any human can ever interpret,” Duvall said. “I can ensure that our training sessions are at an appropriate intensity and length to help recover after meets and prepare for the next competition.”

There’s a clear analytical benefit to having the VX Sports tracker, but some track athletes use them to intimidate opponents and teammates alike.

“Some guys are afraid to take their shirts off while wearing them, but I do because I think it’s a real power move; nothing asserts dominance faster,” Turnbaugh said.

All photos by Gemma Rossi

Logan Kauffman (’20) and Austin Craig (’20) sprint towards the finish line. The two ran the 100 meters and placed 8th and 12th respectively.

Members of the Hereford girls track team begin their race in a group of other runners. The girls ran hard and got in front of their opponents, with Olivia Holbrook (’19) and Brooke Wilson (’20) placing first and second.

April 2019

Hereford Harbinger | 7

sports

Senior athletes reminisce about sports careers

By Jen Barranco Reporter

As the end of senior year approaches, so do many of our ‘lasts:’ our last first day, last homecoming, last prom, and last high school sports game. Many seniors have been playing with their teammates and coaches since freshman year.

Varsity lacrosse captain Stephanie Joyce (’19) has played nine seasons of sports throughout her whole high school career.

“I’ve known most of my teammates for my entire life, so I know how each girl plays and their habits,” Joyce said. “My favorite memory was the state championship last year. Even though we lost it was still really fun to go down there and compete.”

Joyce will continue her lacrosse career at Queens University.

Libby May (’19) has played 12 seasons of sports, winning two state championships with the cross country team her junior and senior years.

“At the collegiate level, the lacrosse team will be a lot larger, so the experience will be less personal,” May said. “I will miss having a small team that knows each other very well, but I’m excited to play at the next level.”

May will continue her career at University of Maryland, College Park.

While many seniors in the class of 2019 are going to continue playing sports in college, many others are not. This will be the last time they will play on a sports team.

Bruce Hoosier (’19) has played eight seasons of sports, four seasons of soccer and four of tennis.

“I will miss my teammates and the competitive mindset of my team and the opponents,” Hoosier said.

Considering teams practice for a total of 144 hours per season, student athletes will be left with more free time than they’re used to.

“I’ll probably get a job and play intramural sports,” Hoosier said.

Julia Watt (‘19) has played 12 seasons of sports, winning three state championships in indoor track along the way.

“Since I’m not playing sports in college, I’m going to try and workout as much as I can, but I’ll probably be doing school work a lot and sleeping,” Watt said.

Grafton Griffey (’19) has played seven seasons of sports, including lacrosse for all four years and basketball for three years.

“I will miss the bonds I created with my teammates through being with them everyday after school practicing for a common

goal,” Griffey said. “My favorite memory throughout my high school experience was coming back and beating the Severna Park lacrosse team in overtime last year.”

Competing in high school sports has led to many friendships and created bonds that will last forever. As seniors move on to the next chapter of their lives, they will create new memories.

Photo provided by Stephanie Joyce

Photo provided by Grafton Griffey

Joyce clears the ball from her defensive half. She will continue her career at Queens University next fall.

Griffey takes a knee to wait out his penalty. This lacrosse season will be his seventh sport season of his high school career.

opinion

The demise of the Orioles brings with it another summer filled with losing As the snow melts and birds begin to chirp the world is reborn once again, transitioning from a dreary winter to a bountiful spring. Accompanying this glorious season is the cracking of bats and popping of leather. Yes folks, it’s baseball season.

In a growing sports market, AmeriBy Mark Suchy ca’s pastime is struggling to maintain releSports Editor vance. Poor marketing decisions (i.e. starting opening day during March Madness, having a generational talent sign a 400 million dollar contract outside a spring training facility, and refusing the rights to all content for social media sites) have certainly played a role in diminishing the sports’ popularity among younger generations.

But the leisurely pace and incredible skill still make going to a baseball game one of the best sporting events Baltimore has to offer. The only problem is the Orioles have managed to completely tear down and unhinge their roster, creating one of the worst teams in baseball history, and making it incredibly painful to even watch an inning.

The opening day starting pitcher sets the tone for what to expect from the pitching rotation. In Baltimore, Andrew Cashner turned in one of the worst performances imaginable: giving up six runs in an uninspiring four innings of lackluster work. Helping to set the tone for what will be another losing year.

Fans typically flock the stands for superstar talents and hometown heroes like Manny Machado and Adam Jones. With Jones departing in free agency and Machado gone via trade, the birds searched for talent to fill the void. The only problem is there’s just not enough talent to sell the seats.

Trey Mancini has been very useful and will hopefully fill the Nick Markakis role that had with the losing teams of the earlier 2000’s.

Chris Davis has already provided a highlight this season; sadly this highlight is in the complete wrong direction. Davis has set a record for the most consecutive hitless plate appearances, shattering the previous MLB record and making Orioles’ fans face-palm in the process.

To compound the losing woes that have dominated recent seasons, the Orioles boast a mediocre at best farm system. Going into the 2019 season Bleacher Report ranked the Orioles farm system as 19 overall, making this rebuilding effort vastly different from that of the 2014 Houston Astros.

The Astros were able to bounce from worst to first after they captured the 2017 World Series. The reason that Houston was able to make this change so quickly was because of their incredibly deep and talented minor league teams; providing the Astros with assets to deal for Justin Verlander and still have enough talent to dominate the field.

Trading Machado and Johnathan Schoop was certainly an

unpopular move by management for many fans, it was a move that was necessary to aid the rebuilding effort. Machado fetched the now ranked top prospect in the Orioles farm system, Yusniel Diaz. Unfortunately, Diaz is only ranked as the 63 best prospect in all of baseball.

Furthering the mediocrity, the best ranked pitching prospect for the Orioles, lefty DL Hall is only ranked 88 in the top 100.

The birds have been plagued by horrific starting pitching since the atrocious Ubaldo Jimenez contract, furthering the issues with the uninspired resigning of Chris Tillman, and Cashner. The bad news gets worse: there is no terrific starting pitching on this year’s team either, so the astronomical 5.18 earned run average of the 2018 season could actually get worse.

The lack of depth afforded to the Orioles spells disaster for many seasons to come. The worst to first might need to wait awhile.

My generation came of age in a Baltimore sports town that was dominated by the Ravens.

A team that boasted a dominant defense which prided itself on grit and toughness, qualities that many Baltimoreans embodied. The Orioles were an afterthought. 14 straight losing seasons tends to make it hard to get excited. Camden Yards rarely saw sellouts, you could buy cheap seats and move all the way down to the first base line by the third inning.

But then something different happened. The Orioles became a legitimate title contender. They prided themselves on mashing homeruns and incredible defense. Baltimore got behind them and suddenly the ballpark wasn’t as empty anymore.

The peak of this came in 2014 during the American League Divisional Series when Delmon Young launched a base-clearing double to left field. Camden Yards had never experienced such excitement, such joy, such pure nirvana. It was Orioles Magic.

And then as quickly as a Chris Davis mega-contract and horrific starting pitching decisions, the Orioles were back to the bottom of the Major Leagues. Furthering the Orioles’ fan depression was a horrific 47 wins in 2018 (yes that means they lost 115 times). The summers of winning were over and order was restored.

Gone are the days of competitive baseball in Baltimore.

Gone are the days of American League East Pennants. Gone are the days of Machado gobbling up groundballs, Jones making spectacular catches in center, and Zach Britton whiffing batters with his incredible sinking fastballs.

We knew the winning summers would not last forever, we just didn’t think it’d be over this fast. But, that is just what Baltimore baseball has come to be to my generation.

Illustration by Amanda Rodier

8 | Hereford Harbinger

Spotl

Ever Been

Ghosted?

Ghosted?

Ghosted?

Teens embrace another exploit: “ghosting”

By Emily McNicholas Managing Editor

Ghosting, according to the New York Times, is a verb that refers to ending a romantic relationship by cutting off all contact and ignoring the former partner’s attempts to reach out.

In today’s society, we spend more time interacting on social media, so ghosting is characterized by avoiding somebody on all social media platforms more than it is by avoiding physical contact.

Hit the block button on text, Instagram, and Snapchat, and your mission of ghosting is about 90% complete. The other 10% would be avoiding them in person. If you’re lucky enough, you probably don’t see them much in person anyways, a factor that makes ghosting much simpler to accomplish. But is ghosting really justified? Or is the old fashion face-to-face break up the morally correct option? Regardless, Hereford student surveys display the average teens’ feelings toward the seemingly popular act.

Our survey predicts that 40% of Hereford Students have been ghosted, but a little more than 50% claim they have ghosted someone else. Students might have figured out by now that it’s easier to ghost a significant other who doesn’t go to Hereford. “[Ghosting] is probably different in every school,” Brennan Payne (’20) said. “But in our school that’s just not how it works.”

Most people would agree with Payne. In the Hereford Zone, everybody knows everybody, so chances are you won’t be able to get away with ghosting in the 233 square miles of this town.

“If I were trying to ghost someone, I would probably decrease the amount of talking and texting with [her] and hang out with her less until I just stopped talking to her for good,” Nick Balducci (’19) said.

With your ex going to a different school, ghosting is more convenient. You don’t have to encounter this person in the maroon- and gold-colored halls, so it’s just like you’re off the grid, as long as you don’t count all the forms of social media that constantly share your location and activity.

Snap Maps on Snapchat is just one way of sharing your

location and activity to all your friends on the app. You may want to hit customize and select which friends can see your location, so you’re your stalker ex does keep trying to hit you up.

“Ghosting is hilarious. There’s so much social media, so how can you actually get ghosted?” Joe Arigbamu (’19) said.

Ghosting is a complicated task. It takes work trying to keep your social life a secret. If you have your significant other blocked, chances are they will still see your latest insta post from other friends.

Radio shows have also participated in the enjoyable act of dropping each other out of our lives. The Cain Show featured a new term, cloaking, which is derived from ghosting.

According to Fox News, cloaking is when a person doesn’t just stand you up for a date; they also block you on any app that you’ve previously communicated on. The radio show has a game called “Roses,” which allows a suspicious individual to trick their significant other into sending roses to the wrong person, providing them with their answer: Have I been ghosted?

Depending on the situation, ghosting may or may not be justified.

“I think ghosting is justifiable if they are creeping you out and won’t leave you alone, or say weird things after you tell them how you feel,” Lindsay Posner (’20) said. “However, if you lead someone on and then drop them, then that’s just mean.”

This cut off of communication could be a necessary barrier. But remember, if there’s no reason for ghosting, they most likely deserve an explanation.

Boo!

light

April 2019| 9

*A random sampling of Hereford students were surveyed on the displayed topics. The data from these surveys is shown above.*

Illustration by Molly Szymanski

Illustration by Molly Szymanski

1 0 | Hereford Harbinger

FEATURES

April 2019

Student music preferences: iTunes, SoundCloud, or Spotify?

Music- it’s a significant part of every teenager’s life. Our parents grew up with radio, cassette tapes, record players and Walkman’s. Now, any song in the world is accessible to us with the push of a button Pandora Radio was one of the earlier versions of a “streaming service”, with their app being released in 2008. Unlike streaming services today, Pandora only offered radio stations and there were limitations on how much music you could listen to. Although Pandora now offers any music, it seems to have dissolved as new apps emerge, such as Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud. These apps are always under debate for which one is the superior streaming service. Although they generally accomplish the same thing, there seem to be factors that sway students to one app or the other.

Spotify offers around 30 million tracks and Spotify “Premium” gives the user limitless skips and the ability to make playlists. It costs $9.99 a month and also includes a subscription to Hulu.

“I like [Premium] because I can make playlists and listen to other people’s playlists,’’ Briana Almond (‘20) said. “I hate the free version of Spotify.”

Spotify will also create a “Daily Discover” playlist for each user, based off what they typically listen to.

“I like the pre-created playlists that it makes for you because it brings me new music I wouldn’t think about listening to,” Almond said.

On the other hand, Apple Music allows users to pick some of their favorite artists when they create their account, and suggested playlists are made based on their choices. Apple Music is the same price as Spotify Premium: $9.99 a month. They offer over 40 million songs, more than Spotify, and songs can be activated through Siri.

“When I got [Spotify] it honestly really confused me,” Phoebe French said. “I didn’t know where to find the songs I wanted, and they didn’t have a lot of old rock and roll stuff.”

Apple Music has other notable features that Spotify

does not include, such as the ability to download music videos while listening to a song and providing lyrics. While Spotify does include lyrics sometimes, it depends on the song.

“I’ve always had [Apple Music] and we’ve always been kind of an ‘Apple Family’,” French said.

If you too are a part of an “Apple family”, you’ve probably never considered using another streaming service. It’s more convenient, especially since it requires taking up storage on your phone.

A less traditional choice, SoundCloud, is another popular choice for music. SoundCloud was established in 2008 and is used to create and upload music. Owen Sabia (‘20), or better known as “Lil Odak” uses this app to share his original raps with the world. “[My favorite feature is that] you can upload and post your own tracks and music,” Owen Sabia (‘20) said. “On Apple Music or Spotify, you have to pay to get your songs uploaded.”

SoundCloud lets you upload around 3 albums worth of audio for free, with monthly plans to share more.

“SoundCloud Go Premium is everything you need,” Brendan Payne (‘20) said. “I would much rather pay for this than Spotify or Apple Music.”

SoundCloud is the cheapest option out of the three, only costing $4.99 a month.

“For me, it has better options of music, and it’s easier to use as an app,” Payne said.

With the convenience of all these different music platforms, listening to your favorite song has never been easier.

No matter which streaming service you prefer, there’s no doubt that music connects us all.

Illustration by Katie Salko

3:36

0:00

Music services differ schoolwide Feat. Anna DeLibro —— Reporter

Hereford Harbinger | 1 1

FEATURES

April 2019

OPINION

Festival season inspires trends

Student stress can be manageable

By Katie Salko Features Editor

By Maggy McGuigan Reporter

Festival season is a platform for celebrities, influencers, and models to exhibit their diverse aesthetics, which impacts upcoming, spring fashion trends. However, music festivals also allow everyone else to go all out in a judgement-free zone.

Last year I went to Firefly and was immediately surprised by how over-the-top everyone’s outfits were. I had seen photos of celebrities’ take on festival fashion, but I didn’t think the majority of people would put so much effort, thought, and money into their outfits.

In recent years, retailers have been pushing different aesthetics, from streetwear to reflective and glittery pieces. However, top festival brands such as Dolls Kill and Revolve, have stepped away from the classic bohemian or hippy vibe that have been associated with music festivals.

“I do [go out of my comfort zone] because when I’m at a festival I just feel free and it’s a non-judgement zone,” Phoebe French (‘20) said. “Everyone is so nice and will compliment anything you’re wearing.”

Along with the rise in vintage trends in day-to-day wear, 90’s inspired trends like high-cut swimwear and vivid colors can be seen at music festivals. Additionally, as the comfort level of the outfit must be taken into consideration, many people stick with sneakers, commonly from revived brands like FILA and Champion.

As the aesthetics for festivals are becoming increasingly diverse, the line-ups are doing the same. The variety in artists and genres of music in festival lineups is attracting more and more attendees.

As June is quickly approaching, my friends and I have already started looking at outfits for Firefly this year. With only one weekend to present your best three outfits, it takes hours of planning and online shopping weeks in advance.

Even smaller, local music festivals are evolving to become more like Coachella. Festivals are especially being seen as opportunities to spread brand-awareness in the fashion community because through of social media. One post from an Instagram model at a festival can attract thousands of new customers to the clothing brand and increase the festivals popularity.

Primarily, I shop on Dolls Kill because their diverse styles are designed specifically to be worn at all types of music festivals. They categorize different trends and offer mostly bold apparel that will stand out.

Fanny packs and backpacks have also been revived and have become the statement piece of many festival outfits in recent years. Along with jewelry and make up, accessories are what can make or break an outfit.

I’m excited to wear three stylistically different outfits this year at Firefly, one being streetstyle, one athleisure, and one reflective and glittery.

Comfort, price, and originality are all things I consider when choosing outfits for music festivals. The judgement-free zone of festivals allows for everyone to express their own fashion style through attire that many usually wouldn’t wear.

Since the beginning of time, man has had a constant enemy. It tracks him wherever he goes and, at times, completely consumes him. It is a daily struggle for each and every person worldwide and as students, we feel its presence—a weight on our shoulders—more than most. Stress.

Countless tests, college confusion, teenage drama, sports teams... the list of stressors goes on and on. Meanwhile, each individual student has their own unique stressors as well.

One common stressor is sleep.

“My balance is definitely skewed towards school and sports, but I can fit everything in at the expense of not sleeping,” Drew Turnbaugh (‘20) said.

Christopher Gottleib (‘21) agrees, as one thing that stresses him out is “getting enough sleep—homework definitely keeps [him] up at night.”

Homework may hold the No. 1 spot on many lists, including “Most Procrastinated,” “Least Prioritized,” and, of course, “Most Stressful.”

Students have found ways to fit their 15 hours of homework a night into their already-busy schedules, but, admittedly, it’s difficult when all you want to do is cuddle with your dog and watch Netflix.

“Enrichment is a great factor which helps me get my work done before my 5th and 6th period classes,” Gottleib said.

Emma Clark (‘20) has a more physical way of completing her at-home assignments.

“I have a huge calendar in my room and every day has a task [which] has to be completed by the next day,” Clark said.

“Calendars and to-do lists save my life.”

The pressure we feel is often insurmountable, but there are ways to lessen it. Schoolwide, students have found activities ranging from yoga to CrossFit to sports that help them cope with their daily stressors.

Emma Clark understands the struggles that athletes sportwide experience, specifically through the painful recruiting process.

“I’ve been going through a lot [in] the recruiting process with volleyball and school,” Clark said. “I am trying to get recruited and that’s an extremely stressful process for any athlete who understands that.”

H o w e v e r stressful the impending doom that college is, there are ways to combat the anxiety that comes with any such existential crisis.

“Take a deep breath,” Gottleib said. “You have to realize that a lot of other people are going through this too.”

Abby Klink (‘19), head of the school’s Tranquility Club, takes a more elaborate approach to managing her breathing through yoga.

“Meditating really helps,” Klink said. “The foundation [of yoga] is in breathing and if you can control your breath, you can control your heart rate and then you can control your mind.”

Clark uses yoga to balance her stress as well.

“Yoga is one of my absolute favorite things to do,” Clark said. “[I make] sure that my body is there with my brain because if one kind of gets off, I’m a wreck for the next week.”

Turnbaugh turns to sports as a way to relax in between assignments.

“I try to procrastinate and pretend that work will go away, but I think running helps take my mind off things for a while,” Turnbaugh said.

Klink uses her own experiences to recommend destressing opportunities for students.

“I would [recommend] something that you can manage to do frequently that will help you,” Klink said. “If that means taking a hot bath, or meditating for five minutes, or finding something in music you can listen to, or just something that’s realistic that you can find to say ‘OK, I can let go of some of this stuff.’”

Lastly, each person defines stress differently.

“I guess to me, stress is knowing the long list of things you have to do, and really not wanting to do any of them,” Turnbaugh said.

Gottleib takes a different approach.

“Stress is a normal aspect of life that every single person [in] this world goes through and it’s something that cannot go away, but it is something that we have to deal with,” Gottleib said.

According to Klink, stress is “just anxiety.”

“I’d say stress is anything that makes your heart beat faster, makes you breathe more, and just [makes you feel pressured],” Klink said.

No matter the assignment, class, or grade, nothing is more important than maintaining a healthy balance. Mental health is a key factor in our successes as well as our failures. Bottling up all emotion and tension is not healthy, and that is why it is necessary to find a cathartic activity suited to you.

With AP tests coming up fast, SATs, prom, graduation, and more, students need to manage their time and stress more than ever. But we’re almost there, guys.

June is right around the corner.

Illustration by Amanda Rodier

Coachella 2019: A recap of weekend number one

By Maggy McGuigan Reporter

Photo provided by Phoebe French

Phoebe French (‘20) poses at the Firefly music festival wearing a tie-dye body suit, black shorts, and a striped fanny pack. French attended both Firefly and Moonrise but said she enjoyed Firefly much more.

After its creation in the summer of 1999, the Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival, better known as Coachella, has become widely famous for showcasing live music of the year’s most popular artists. This year marked the first Coachella weekend, featuring even more rock, pop, indie, rap, and electronic artists than ever before.

The festival is held over the course of three days, this year being hosted from April 12th to 14th, and features a variety of performers such as Childish Gambino, Billie Eilish, The 1975, and Ariana Grande.

Coachella takes place in Indio, California. This creates a beautiful setting that also led to influencers and attendees showing off a variety of distinctive apparel, which primarily include vibrant combinations of colors, materials, and ethnic borrowings.

The success of Coachella found in its early years proved that American music festivals could work and succeed in a destination form, as opposed to a traveling festival. In the years following Coachella’s success, many other festivals have followed in its footsteps, copying its format as a destination festival with multiple

stages, attractions, art, and camping.

This new form of music entertainment has created a decade of prosperity and pleasure for attendees and Coachella has gained a multitude of awards for its well-known success. As they continue to improve their facilities, environmentalism, and safety, Coachella stimulates a prosperous future for the music festival industry.

Image provided by Wikimedia Commons, edited by Katie Salko

1 2 | Hereford Harbinger

FEATURES

April 2019

OPINION

The education system needs to be tailored to students It’s standardized test season. I don’t know about you, but I simply cannot wait to be evaluated on the same rigid scale as millions of my peers nationwide. As Common Core treads dangerous ground, threatening myself and others with PEMDAS and bridge plans, I wonder where the line will be drawn between improving performance and causing unnecessary stress.

By Molly Szymanski Standardized tests are supposed to measure the intelliOpinion Editor gence and aptitude of every student that takes it, with the exact same assessment. See the problem?

How, exactly, is a set of questions so perfectly designed that it will define the academic quality of a student? There are millions of different ways that one’s knowledge can be measured that doesn’t lie solely in English or math multiple choice questions.

If you look down a hallway at school, you’ll see different students that all learn in their own way, and not everyone will work best with a #2 pencil and a scantron.

Because test scores are so heavily weighted in the overall value of a student, many schools, including ours, have become insanely rigorous in academics. If you asked an average student on campus, they’d likely say that take at least one honors-level class. Honors is not supposed to be for average students. Although it may be regarded in our school climate as the ‘bare minimum,’ they were originally designed for students with an affinity for the subject. I don’t mean to offend, but I’m not sure that all of the students currently taking Honors Chemistry seriously have a passion for the class.

What’s happened because of this? Students that should be taking honors-level classes are loading their schedules with four, five, or even upwards of six Advanced Placement (AP) classes instead, and they’re being stretched far too thin. The idea of an AP class is to give students help adjusting to a college-level course. If students are racking up the college-level classes as a junior, what are they even doing in high school?

Despite the contempt I’ve been throwing at public schools, they’re not the sole culprit. Junior Emma Patteson (‘20) recently transferred here from St. Timothy’s School in Pikesville, a private, all-girls high school with rigorous academics and mandatory athletics. After coming here, she’s found more room to breathe.

“At St. Timothy’s, I constantly felt like someone was going to yell at me, and we had no free time. It was mentally and physically draining” Patteson said.

Obviously, not every student wants to play sports and overload themselves with challenging course work. The need for a supportive learning environment, however, is unanimous throughout.

John Kousouris (‘19) previously attended Calvert Hall College High School, a nearby all-boys Catholic school, which gave students a climate they could easily focus in. “[Calvert Hall] was more interconnected, I felt a sense of brotherhood there” Kousouris said.

What the education system needs is a way to make every student feel like they’re learning something, which may be hard to do when they’re given the same cookie-cutter assignment as 50 other kids.

Coming from Oldfields School, a private high school in Sparks with only 180 girls enrolled,

Darienne Dennis (‘20) found large class sizes something difficult to adjust to.

“At Oldfields, it was more one-on-one, there was only around six girls in a class” Dennis said.

“It’s difficult, at least for me, to focus in a class of 30 people; class sizes should be smaller.”

Now that it’s been established that there’s an issue in the system— that it places too much pressure on students to fit a near-impossible genius stereotype within an unwelcoming, stressful environment— steps need to be taken to change it. “[If I could change anything], I’d make school more conducive to individual learning. It doesn’t have to be just one way; everyone’s a different learner, so I’d make a more learning-friendly environment” Kosouris said.

School officials should listen to student concerns and act towards it. Students now are at the brink of weekly breakdowns due to stressful course loads, and it’s entirely unnecessary. If someone asks their guidance counselor for help with focusing in school, whether it be with a specialized plan or just stress management, it should be given to them.

Education is not the cheap beanie you found on clearance at Target, it is not one-size-fitsall. The way you learn should be a reflection of you, and not of words written in the curriculum.

Illustration by Molly Szymanski

Hereford legacies reflect on past and predict future for their children

By Halli Powers Reporter

H H S

Wes (‘84) and Beth Amos (‘86)

Gerard (‘85) and Addison Beck(‘88)

Misty Hough (‘90)

Anna Hough (‘19)

Kelby Whittle (‘22)

Brooke Whittle (‘88)

Sarah Beck (‘19)

Jack Amos (‘19)

Photos provided by Anna Hough, Will Amos, Keegan Whittle, and Sarah Beck

Since its construction in 1953, Hereford High School has educated thousands of students residing in and around the Hereford Zone. As students are passing through the halls, graduating and making room for the next class, some families remain in the Hereford system for generations, creating legacies.

Whether you take part in agriculture, athletics, or art, Hereford has been recognized as a top school for each, even earning the title of a National Blue Ribbon School, which adds to the appeal of the Hereford Zone that has kept families coming back.

Hereford High initially began in 1909 as the Agricultural High School, located in Sparks, MD. In the 1920s, the school was renamed to Sparks High School, then converted to Sparks Elementary School in 1953. This led to the development of the current Hereford High School, which was originally agriculture-based. The majority of the student body was the children of farmers living in the area.

Today, Hereford has strayed from its agricultural roots and put more focus on athletics and the performing arts. Additional changes have occurred over time.

“Hereford used to be an agricultural school, but it has expanded and become a more populated school,” Misty Hough (‘90) said. “Everyone wants to go [here].”

Such changes include the curriculum, having a different collection of courses that were offered as compared to now.

“My parents had to take wood shop, small animal care, horticulture, sewing, and cooking [classes],” Sarah Beck (‘19) said.

Additionally, Hereford Middle School was not opened until

H H S

Photos by Gemma Rossi

1984, meaning that students in kindergarten through sixth grade attended elementary schools, then transferred to Hereford in seventh grade for their secondary studies.

“It was a junior and senior high school then. The building has changed a lot, and it’s a lot more populated,” Wes Amos (‘84), father of Jack Amos (‘19), said.

A number of current students are the children of former Hereford students, including Amos, Sarah Beck, Kelby Whittle (‘22), Eleanor Beck (‘21), and Anna Hough (‘19).

Amos’s mother graduated from Hereford in 1986, Whittle’s and Beck’s mothers were both graduates in the Class of 1988, and Beck’s father graduated from Hereford in 1985.

“There have been two generations [of my family] that have attended Hereford, and my grandma taught here,” Jack Amos said.

Even teachers that attended Hereford have returned to their alma mater. “[Mr.] Baier is really good friends with my parents; he graduated a year after them,” Anna Hough said. “I have a really positive relationship with [him]. I can always go to him for help and he has given me good opportunities in school.”

Some students even spend time with current teachers, listening to them reminisce about their time spent as high school students.

“A lot of the teachers that teach at Hereford now went to school with my parents or one of my aunts or uncles and tell me about their time together,” Sarah Beck said.

The memories are not restricted to parents of students; older generations are also involved in the storytelling.

“My grandfather coached the high school wrestling team and taught at Hereford Middle School, [and] some teachers that were in the same grade as my aunts, uncles, or [parents] will say that they knew them,” Eleanor Beck said. “[I get to hear] funny stories about when they were in high school.”

In response to hearing their parents reflect on the changes that have been implemented at Hereford, students have predicted what the school will be like 20 years from now.

“I hope that Hereford will have a new variety of clubs and an expansion to the sports program as well as a bigger art program,” Anna Hough said.

Some predictions indicate drastic changes to the school’s overall function.

“The entire school will use more technology and the library will be gone,” Whittle said.

However, other predictions imply that Hereford will continue operating the way it currently is, only with changes to the student body.

“In 20 years, I think Hereford will be more populated, but other than that everything will stay the same,” Jack Amos said.

Although Hereford has already experienced drastic changes through its 66-year tenure, the possibilities of more changes for future generations are endless. through its 66-year tenure, the possibilities of more changes for future generations are endless.

April 2019

FEATURES

Hereford Harbinger | 1 3

First ever junior prom sets the bar for others to follow

T

By Midori Day Reporter

he first ever Junior Prom was held on April 6, after the Junior and Senior prom split this year. The prom featured a Hollywood theme, and although it was in the cafeteria, it made a memorable junior prom for future classes to follow.

The junior class prepared for the dance, working together with advisors, Tiffany and Rowdy Bibaud, and the junior officer team.

“The officer team was faced with a daunting challenge: there was no precedent,” Junior Vice President Derek Wu (’20) said.

“Without this, we needed to create a whole new set of procedures for the dance, which we did by hosting the prom meetings and by issuing ballots to hear the classes thoughts on each decision.”

The officer team worked to make the prom much more than a homecoming, while keeping ticket prices relatively low. Prom committees met many days prior to the prom to discuss things like dress code, food, music, and decorations.

The biggest issue was the dress code, the long held debate between short and long dresses. Ultimately, the junior class voted for their preference, but no dress code was enforced. This allowed for students in the class to know what the majority would be wearing, but still allowed students to make individual choices.

It was decided that Wegmans catering would provide food, and DJ Supreme would provide music. The dance also featured a red carpet, gold stars, and an Oscar statue to match the Hollywood theme. Games could also be played for raffle tickets. For the raffle tickets, prizes included parking passes, a mini-fridge, and a flat screen TV. “The games were a really good addition and I think people were genuinely excited with the prizes.” said Lily Potter (’20).

Brooke Overmier (’20), winner of a parking spot, also enjoyed the games.

“I wasn’t surprised at how well it was put together because they left it up to the officers to spend the money how they wanted and I trusted it would look good.” said Overmier.

She enjoyed dancing with her friends and thought the Wegmans catering was delicious.

Officer Wu felt pressure from the junior class, because everyone had been used to the combined prom. He wasn’t thrilled about it either, but had to make the most of it.

He thought the prom was overall very successful and he was

happy with the decorations.

“Our main goal was to transform the cafeteria so that it didn’t feel like a cafeteria for the dance, and I definitely think that the draping, tables, and other props worked perfectly.” said Wu. For prom king and queen, the class first put down couple’s names they wanted to win, and votes were counted for different couples until there were only two.

Once it was narrowed down, the two couples were Bailey Perez (‘20) and Niko Hillary (‘20), and Megan Sabo (‘20) and Colin Campbell (‘20). It was a close vote, but Sabo and Campbell took the title home.

Although change can be difficult at first, there is nothing that can be done but to work together in coming up with something as good as or even better than before. The Junior Prom is a clear example of this.

Photo provided by Bailey Perez

Local high school band, Shotgun Swahili and the Garden Gnomes prepare to open for the DJ at Junior Prom. The band gained popularity after playing at the variety show earlier this year.

Photo provided by Lily Potter

Photo provided by Bailey Perez

Lily Potter (’20), Jacqi Needle (’20), and Catherine Bauermann (’21) pose for a picture at the prom. They became friends through dance, and danced together in the dance show earlier this year.

The prom featured Wegmans catering, with foods like sushi, dumplings, wraps, and chicken bites. The junior prom committee spent lots of time debating on which foods to choose to please the class.

1 4 | Hereford Harbinger

harbinger Hereford

Informing and entertaining the Hereford Zone Hereford High School 17301 York Road Parkton, MD 21120 443-809-1905 Volume 8 Issue 6 ADVISER Megan Hamilton EDITOR -IN-CHIEF Libby May MANAGING EDITOR Emily McNicholas EDITORS Katie Blair Lindsay Clarke Sydney Powell Katie Salko Mark Suchy Molly Szymanski ONLINE EDITORS Will Amos Paul Rapuzzi REPORTERS Will Amos Jen Barranco Sarah Borton Emma Charles Midori Day Anna DeLibro Olivia Holbrook Joe Inglisa Conor McCue Maggy McGuigan Rebecca Meldron Chloe Parker Halli Powers Paul Rapuzzi Sydney Watts BUSINESS MANAGERS Joe Inglisa Conor McCue ILLUSTRATORS Joe Inglisa Amanda Rodier Keegan Whittle VIDEOGRAPHER Keegan Whittle SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATORS Jen Barranco Chloe Parker

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OPInion

April 2019

Our View: Locked bathrooms are unfair to all Whether it’s as soon as you walk into school, during class, or enrichment, the bathrooms at are probably locked, forcing you to hold in your business a little bit longer. There are six main bathrooms in the school: 3 for each gender. Sometimes, you can find them all locked at once, in which case you still have the four extra bathrooms down in the gym, a miles walk causing you to miss class and waste time.

In middle school, the big bathroom debate was whether to go before class and arrive a few minutes late or get to class and ask the teacher to miss part of instruction to go to the restroom.

Students were encouraged to go in between classes to prevent missing any material.

In high school, a place of supposed freedom and independence, students are now encouraged to go during class, since the bathrooms seem to be locked in between classes, especially during the enrichment and lunch hour.

The small, or albeit growing population of students who are abusing the bathrooms, are punishing the rest. Students push against the brown heavy door only to get pushed back and quickly sent back to class, only to try again after class to check if the door is open.

This is a constant problem students are facing. These days it has become the buzz in the hallways as you inform the next unsuspecting girl or boy it’s locked before they get the chance to

try the door for themselves.

A trip to the men’s bathroom on the first floor left Connor Dunay (’21) locked in for about 20 minutes during enrichment.

He was found by administrator Ashleigh Hickman who heard him banging on the inside of the bathroom door to be freed.

Dunay’s phone was dead, preventing him from making any calls for freedom.

“There’s no need for the administration to lock the bathrooms because it isn’t really preventing anything,” Dunay said.

“It’s aggravating for sure.”

This real problem seems to be like one straight out of a movie. We should be chanting ‘free the pee’ as the students in “Bridge to Terabithia” did when the bullies blocked the bathrooms forcing the children to ‘go in their pants.’

But the administration isn’t completely wrong. The whiff of mint or lemonade in the stalls suffocates some students as they just wish to relieve themselves. Students are abusing their right to go to the bathroom by skipping class, taking a Juul break, and breaking many other rules outlined in the student handbook. So, does this allow the administration to take away our right to use the bathroom?

The administration has yet to respond to our request for an interview.

Stop trying to be “baddies”on social media

By Emma Charles Reporter

There is nothing that grosses me out more than scrolling through my Instagram feed and coming across people I know in real life, faces looking like a plastic Barbie doll, and bodies not resembling the way they looked today when they were sitting in front of me in English class.

What I find disgusting isn’t necessarily the way they look in the photos, but the fact that these individuals feel like they have to alter the way they truly look in order to conform to society’s ‘ideals.’

It’s sad that more and more people aren’t able to accept the way they naturally are.

To clarify, the editing I’m talking about is when girls use apps such as “Facetune” or “Slim & Skinny” to change their body shape or facial features. I am not complaining about the filters you use to fit your profile’s aesthetic.

“Girls should be able to edit their pictures however they want because it’s their Instagram,” Val Garcia (‘19), who just wrote a research paper on body image said. “If I have a pimple, I’m going to get rid of it.”

If you want to “Perfect365” your face to remove a pimple, whatever, because that’s something you could cover with makeup in real life and have the exact same effect. Did the flash totally wash out your face in that picture, so you make the coloring a little bit darker? Okay, I understand that. But if I’m being blinded by the color of your teeth, or all of a sudden you have a party in the back like Kim Kardashian, girl, whatchu doin’?

“You don’t see men editing their pictures, so why do women have to?” Travis Getz (‘20) said.

Social media should be about sharing exciting moments with your followers, and appreciating everyone’s unique lives. But unfortunately, too many girls get caught up in the idea that they have to look like the famous Instagram models who post photoshopped pictures, thirsty for likes. And let’s not pretend that almost

all our favorite singers, actors, basically all media influencer’s pictures aren’t airbrushed or altered in some way.

This is such an unhealthy way to grow up, admiring accounts on social media which aren’t even a true representation of the person behind the screen.

“Social media has brainwashed people, mainly girls, into thinking that they have to have the perfect body to be accepted,” Josh Arigbamu (‘19) said. “You shouldn’t have to make your waist look smaller, butt bigger, or arms skinnier to have a sense of self-worth.”

I know we all want to pretend that we’re perfect and our lives are perfect over social media. But that just isn’t reality for anyone.

Obviously, you’re not going to think to yourself, ‘Yes! Let me post that picture I accidentally took on my front camera of my double-chin,’ and you’re not going to share your tearstained paper because you had a mental breakdown trying to finish your math homework. But some of the people I follow are turning into catfish accounts.

“I think [editing your body] creates a false narrative,” John Kousouris (’19) said. “Why would you want to hold yourself up to fake body standards?”

Wo u l d n ’t you rather be more real with the people that follow you and know that they’re liking your pictures because they admire the way you actually look or that they think it’s cool you post what you’re actually passionate about? That’s something we should all strive for, because that feels a lot better than some random guy commenting a heart-eyed emoji on your post because they think your fake skinny waste and curves are hot.

“It’s okay not to be perfect and if you don’t like the picture enough to post unedited, then don’t post it,”

Megan Anzalone (‘19) said.

I can tell you right now that I’m much more inclined to smash that like button on a candid picture of you genuinely having fun than a picture of you looking like you just underwent an intense appointment at the plastic surgeon’s office.

Illustration by Keegan Whittle

NEED TO VENT?

WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR! Send to hhsharbinger@bcps.org or bring to M-224 Letters may be edited for grammar and/or length

Opinion

April 2019

Hereford Harbinger | 1 5

The arts are just as important as STEM

By Olivia Holbrook Reporter

Illustration by Keegan Whittle

Pressures force students to choose the lesser of two evils What a strange time we live in; it feels like just yesterday I was sitting in eight grade health class learning about the harmful efBy Joe Inglisa Reporter fects of marijuana. Yet here we are in 2019, where every day more and more states are closer to legalizing recreational and medicinal marijuana use.

Most of us have also heard about the dangers of alcohol and the tragedies it has caused, but we still see our parent’s enjoying a cold beer or glass of chardonnay. It’s no wonder teens are trying everything from drinking to smoking pot, but is one really safer than the other?

It’s difficult to compare the two. People who smoke will claim it’s safer than alcohol, but that’s not exactly true. Marijuana affects the cardiovascular system, increasing heart rate and blood pressure, but a person can’t fatally overdose on pot like they can with alcohol. A large buildup of alcohol in a short period of time can lead to parts of your brain shutting down, which can quickly kill a person.

So weed won’t kill you, but that does not make it safe. Long term effects of marijuana consumption are not as well established as alcohol. Long-term chronic drinking can lead to alcoholic liver disease, which can progress to fibrosis of the liver, which can potentially lead to liver cancer.

We may not have as much research for the effects of marijuana, but we as students see what it can do every day. I have personally seen people who were pretty straight kids until they

started smoking pot; now I hardly recognize them. Their personality changes and they hang out with different people. Overall, it’s like they are someone else. These people may not be dying, but they are living a different life.

Most students know what stuff like this does to them, and frankly they don’t care. Students now more than ever are under extreme amounts of pressure—life is a competition for us. We are constantly compared to other students, other schools, and other counties. We are pressured to take more challenging classes and stuff our resume with whatever will make us stand out.

Over the weekend, a few Natty Lights or rips of a blunt are some students’ only release from this otherwise overloaded life.

So what about our parents? Of course, there are lots of adults who care what their kids put into their bodies. There are also plenty of parents who are clueless as to what goes on in their kids’ lives, parents who are the reason kids feel so much pressure, and even parents who know what their kids are doing and ignore it.

“Your generation of parents were the kids that I went to school with that smoked a lot of weed. Now, they are parents and some of them have no problem; some are very successful and just smoke a little on the side,” Student Resource Officer Richard Croft said.

So parents, it’s important to know your kids. Talk to them, because chances are they have a lot going on. Our high school years should not be a time to be pushed to our breaking points, and if teenage drug and alcohol consumption truly is a problem in our community we should be working together to combat a solution.

A 1e9endary mad-lib

By Libby May

At our school, we are fortunate that an arts education is made available to us. Just as our sports teams are considered the best in Baltimore County, our Arts program can rival with Carver, a magnet school for the arts, in terms of the quality of work produced. I have found the arts program to be dedicated, entering students in competitions and challenging them to step outside of their comfort zone. I can personally vouch for the program.

When I was a freshman, I thought covering a standard piece of paper was akin to painting the Sistine Chapel in terms of effort and time and oil painting was a complete mystery to me as I had never once seen oil paint. Nowadays, most of my paintings barely fit in my car. I cannot say if art benefits me in other subjects, but I know that it is an integral part of my life.

There have been studies linking art to success in math, science, and language arts with one such study in 2006 by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. This study showed a link between arts education and improved literacy skills, yet studies by Harvard were not able to confirm this link. However, as I will argue and Harvard points out, the arts have a much broader importance in our society then benefiting another subject. The arts can stand alone for teaching what no other subjects can teach.

“Personally, I've found students benefit from taking a variety of classes, both academic and non-academic, which helps to break up the day and allow the mind to work in diverse ways” Samuel Tillman, an art teacher, said. Many students agree.

“I’d say art is important to me because if I am not able to create, and create often, it is really difficult to find another fulfilling outlet for my feelings and experiences to be seen and understood by other people. When I am unable to do art, I tend to get very restless and have difficulty functioning.” Carmen Honeywell (‘19), an AP Studio Art class student said.

While Hereford supports the arts, it seems as if our broader educational system pushes the STEM fields with more force then those in the arts.

“Oftentimes we have to sacrifice our creative side for the non-creative side” Nina Wilkinson (‘20), who wrote her award-winning Rotary Four-Way Test on the importance of the arts, said.

If none other than a practical reason will convince you of the benefits of an art look no further than your phone.

“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in the arts are expanding at the same growth rate as all other occupations. Certainly, the field of design is ever expanding, as visual culture becomes ever more pervasive, particularly through the many screens we look at through the day” Tillman said.

Instead of merely taking an art class to meet the graduation requirements, consider the importance of art and the impact it has on us mentally and emotionally. Truly enjoy your art class.

Editor-in-Chief

Congratulations, seniors!

You’ve almost ________ your final year of ________! Hours of listening to verb

noun noun

________ ramble on about ________, being reprimanded by ________ teacher

noun

teacher

for ________, and waiting for the never-ending days to go by are finally under our belts. verb

__________!

exclamation

Accompanying the end of this _________ ________ is ________, ________, and ________. adjective

noun noun

noun noun

noun noun

noun noun

But how will we pass the single, ________ month we have left? adjective adjective

A recipe whipped up by yours truly will surely get you through the next ~20 days:

Send in your mad-lib to @Hharbinger on instagram!

• Keep busy by watching lots and lots of ________. noun • TV Show • Enjoy yourself by eating endless amounts of ________ noun • noun • Spend time outdoors, enjoying the ________ noun • noun While the seniors are just about done with ________, the _________ must still noun noun

________ at least one more year of high school.

plural noun

verb

To any ________, you and your families are in our prayers. same plural noun

Sincerely, the most ________ group of ________ out there, the Class of 2019! adjective

plural noun

Photo provided by Wikimedia Commons

16 | Hereford Harbinger

In Focus

April 2019

Pallan poses with his teammate, Max Bohlmann (‘20), and two opponents on the tennis court. Pallan is in his third year on the tennis team.

Get A Glimpse: Thomas Pallan Thomas Pallan (’20) balances all aspects of his life in order to be the well-rounded student that he is. He is involved in sports, clubs, prestigious classes, and music.

Pallan has enjoyed playing the trumpet ever since he started in 5th grade.

He continued playing the trumpet throughout middle and high school, and will be participating in the upcoming spring concert.

A year later, Pallan began to enjoy the game of tennis.

His passion for the game sprouted from watching professional tennis on TV. He enjoyed it so much that he began playing the sport in 6th grade.

His tennis career has followed him through high school and he has been gearing up for the rest of his season this spring.

Looking further into his season, Pallan has set up a few

All photos provided by Thomas Pallan Pallan has been playing the trumpet since 5th grade. He will be playing in the upcoming spring concert.

goals for himself. “[I’m looking forward to] getting the opportunity to play in counties and regionals,” Pallan said.

Aside from his love for tennis and the trumpet, Pallan is very well-rounded in his school studies.

His favorite subject is AP Biology and his toughest subject is AP Physics. Along with those two AP courses, Pallan is also enrolled in AP Calculus BC, which is the highest level of calculus that the high school offers.

Pallan’s prestigious academics will play a major role in his future, as he is thinking about going into biomedical engineering.

Because of his passion for biomedical engineering, Pallan takes part in the Future Physicians of America club.

As a sophomore, Pallan took AP Computer Science, and when he has the time, he enjoys programing on the computer.

In the rest of his free time, Pallan also enjoys swimming and, of course, playing tennis.

Overall, Pallan has accomplished many great tasks, whether it’s competing in a tennis match, playing trumpet in a concert, or passing some of the toughest classes offered in the school.

All illustrations by Katie Blair