A Tim eline o f

S e lf C o n fidence i n D r a ma

Written by: Jade Mendes and Meghan Samples Photo courtesy of: Maria Chryssopoulus

Senior Creekview Drama student, Maria Chryssopoulus, shares her self-love story through her experience with the drama department.

“My drama team is the one that makes me feel better because even though we may be stressed and pitted up against each other, in the end we all really care about each other, and that’s what’s important,” says Chryssopoulus.

Self-love comes in many forms and categories. Each community and team has their own struggles and joys. Depending on what you do and what you enjoy, your version of self-love may differ. For example, a person who enjoys running may go on a jog to love themselves because it is something they enjoy doing. For another person, self-love may be painting or singing. As for the drama community, it’s all about encouraging each other and finding themselves in the roles they play.

Although Chryssopoulis is a natural on stage, she didn't always know she wanted to be in drama. In fact, she was originally interested in dance, but when she realized it wasn’t her thing, she became interested in drama. “I joined theater because originally I was doing dance and I thought that I was going to go into that, but then I realized that maybe it's not for me, and I found this interest in drama. This interest is what made me want to try it out because if you try it out who knows what will happen?”

“I think my freshman year definitely was where the confidence grew.” Chryssopoulus has been on the drama team since her freshman year, 2017. At first, Maria was nervous to join drama, but she stepped up to the plate and took the initiative. “It may be a bumpy road, but when you love something enough, and it's a passion that you have, it's up to you whether or not you decide to take the brave step into it.”

When Maria had her first theatre experiences, she didn’t always make the lead roles and it took a toll on her confidence. However, with time, she began to love taking minor roles because she could spice them up and make them her own. Each character she played left a small piece of themselves instilled in her. “My freshman year definitely was where the confidence grew because, in a way, you're not playing yourself whenyou play these people. You're playing someone else. You embody someone else, and that rubs off on you. In Chicago(a theatre production) I was sassy, murderous, and mischievous and I'm not actually like that, but in a way, it made me be like, ‘Oh ok, I see you.’” Every time she played a character whether it was minor or a lead role, it boosted her confidence because for once, she could be someone else, she could see the world through someone else’s eyes.

Maria has had a life-long battle with self-love and her own confidence. In a society where we are surrounded by snapchat filters, Instagram, what we see on tv, and photoshopped magazines, it is easy to get caught up in it all and compare yourself, especially as a young kid or teen, but it’s always her drama friends who had her back. “I'm not always confident. It's always been a struggle, but something that Tiffany (a graduated friend from the drama department) taught me was that ‘you are your own worst critic.’ That has helped me realize that how I see myself is very different than how other people see me. It helped me to understand that even though there are days that are harder, there are also days that are a little bit brighter and a little bit easier to be more understanding and confident in myself.”

Self-Love

We live in the age of decisions to degrade ourselves on our appearances or to choose to change them at the expense of our natural selves. Our generation has allowed the aesthetically appealing bodies and faces be the front line of fame, everything we see, and everything we praise. The aspect of being a follower or the followee is representative of the distinct social hierarchy among teenagers in this generation. Our ability to be included is decided by a panel of strangers. The unfortunate game of Generation Z is predator and prey. The unspoken expectation of us as teenagers is to either shine brighter than the rest or to become blended with our surroundings, letting fear of being an outcast demean what we were born to love about ourselves. This is a testament to what it means to love what is inside your mind and outside your body.

Loving yourself independently

For the majority of people, mental appearances are less difficult to disguise than physical appearance, though the emotional aspect of self-loving is nothing less than the physical. In order to genuinely receive admiration from one’s own mind, the mirror must be discarded from the equation. Love itself is gravitation. Do you gravitatetowardyour own mind?Do your own thoughts intrigue you?If one has trouble with the admiration of their own brain and heart, then the physical aspect is trivial. One simply cannotgenuinely love themselves on appearance alone. Appearance, in reality, appeals to the outer image seen by those with judgements within themselves. To love oneself independently is to love oneself emotionally so that our mind has the ability to create admiration for the body. Loving yourself after regrets and trauma

One of the hardest things to do in human life is recover. There are endless situations that the body can be hurt, but the soul and mind can be disfigured just as painfully. The difference between regrets and trauma, in my opinion is one can be inflicted by surroundings, and the other is inflicted within oneself. Although, there are instances that compel these two to intertwine. Regrets can cause trauma, and trauma can cause regrets. Once one has become engrossed in this wheel of traumaregret-trauma-regret, the person becomes engaged in a war within themselves. One major obstacle faced within the war is selfridicule. Meanwhile, self-love is being diminished. No matter what is said, youcan’t blame yourself.Everything will be okay. Please be safe.There is simply nothing with the power to replenish the desire to recover like the admiration for oneself.

For The Orthodox Teen

The generation of followers

Social media began as a way for people to keep in contact over long distances and to share excitements in daily life with whoever wanted to listen or look. As society conformed into relying on validation for happiness, social media changed to feed that hunger. Our need for attention and validation made us susceptible to embrace the unrealistic nature of social media. One of the hardest obstacles we face as a generation engulfed in idealistic appearances is the ability to differentiate between what is authentic and what is simulated. the wholesome causality of social media.

We continue to indulge in other’s lives, but competition of being the most beautifulor most interestinghas drawn us to disregard the wholesome causality of social media. This expectation has simply destroyed confidence in people around me. I see it every day. Honestly, it is heartbreaking. Likes on Instagram no longer mean someone really does likethe picture or what the caption says. They have become pawns in a game of selfindulgence. This entire process is fabricated in our minds. We have the ability to reclaim social media in the image of self-love and confidence. We can break the cycle of comparison by being a positive presence and taking control of how we view ourselves through self-validation and self-understanding by using social media as a platform for love.

To embrace flaws and advocate for ourselves are simple precedents for recognizing the beautiful potential we have. I have fallen into jealousy. I have fallen into selfdeprecation. I have fallen into becoming so enthralled with the lives of others that I wasn’t living mine at all. There will always be some sort of desire to be something else or to change. This is not always malicious. We can still love ourselves as we are but still have the drive to unlock more potential. It becomes unhealthy when the thought reverses. Instead of deprecating ourselves because we know we can’t be something we aren’t, we can love ourselves enough to become better for ourselves.

Community

Te a m Lo ve

Photo by: Jackson Kavanagh Written by: Alexis Chandler

In sports, many teams end up becoming like family. Teams end up becoming like a family because they have been playing that certain sport together for a while. Teammates become closer because they grow bonds, and sometimes after they win a game or a meet the whole team will go out and celebrate winning. Teammates should always help and be there for their teammates if they need assistance. It is already hard for everyone to do sports with everything that is going on. In this time, we all need to stay positive and be nice to everyone.

Teams are also a good source of support. Just like a family supports each other, teams do the same thing. Jack Murrill, a freshman, talks about his experience of being on a basketball team. In asking Jack about his team experience, he explained how it feels to be a part of a team: “To be a part of a team feels good. It’s almost like a family or a brotherhood.”

He really enjoys being in a team because it allows him to feel like a part of something big. The coach is like a leader of the family, giving the team the confidence to win the game. This shows how impactful the support of a team can be. He continued by telling a story where he felt the team atmosphere was strong: “It was overtime, and the team was down. The coach talked to us and gave us that little bit of energy to make a comeback and win the game.”

Teams make memories and work together. Families know each other well and help each other to overcome weaknesses and show off their strengths. Jack explained what he loved about being on a team, saying the best part "is how close everybody gets and that you learn everybody's strengths and weaknesses.” Jack’s experience captures what it means to be a part of a team. The teammates work together to lift each other up, show off their strengths, and improve their weaknesses. Working together gives them a sense of unity so they can make fun memories that will last a lifetime.

By working together, they learn to love each other and help their teammates grow to their full potential.

Th e H o ney P o t

Written by: Meghan Samples

In response to the current global situation, Creekview has continually shown how a community can come together to su pport each other. Mr. Mark Vance, one of our school’s assistant principals, has begun the creation of a food pantry to support the parts of our community that are in need. Vance prioritizes education over everything and explained how things like food and hygiene can affect a student’s education and the importance of giving to the community. He explained, “The food pantry's vision is to make sure that any students that are at risk have equitable access to food, clothing, and cleaning products so that they don’t have to worry about that side of it. They can focus more on the education.” He emphasized the importance of fitting in and helping students to be comfortable at school: “When students get judged based on their hygiene, that affects their education. When students are sitting in class hungry, that affects thei r education as well. When they have dirty fingernails, the students notice that, and all those things affect education.” He emphasized the importance of fitting in and helping students to be comfortable at school: “When students get judged based on their hygiene, that affects their education. When students are sitting in class hungry, that affects their education well. When they have dirty fingernails, the students notice that, and all those things affect education.” His inspiration came from a very personal experience, which he shared openly. He confided, “It's always kind of been a vision of mine because I was that student that needed help. I was that student that went through some things in my life that gave me the idea that anytime I could ever give ba ck or create something that could give back, that would be something that I wanted to do.” When asked about who the food pantry will serve, he replied, “So, our vision for this is not only to serve the kids h ere at Creekview, but we are also servicing our middle schools or elementariesand even some of their family members that are not associated with our school.” It is also “run by us is here in house, in the school. That's what kind of gives us the flexibility and freedom in order to serve the kids that are in need and kind of help them and give them what the y need.” Finally, he shared what kind of items are needed. He recommended “anything food related, anything that is nonperishable, anything clothing related... Socks, shirts, jackets, anything that you can think of that just normal everyday wear, where some of these students can fit in. Also cleaning products, or shampoo, toothbrushes, soap, feminine products, anything that can help these families that can't afford those little items like that.”

The link, which can be accessed through an email via Aspen and Canvas,is available to anyone who wants to donate. Vance explained, “We accept any donations in the front office and then we're utilizing some of our students in order to help stock the pantry and organize it. My goal is that every Friday we give out a small bag to each student that needs it. If they need more from their family, we can provide more. Then on holidays we can give them even more to take with them over the longer break.” Vance can also send the link directly to anyone who missed the email.

During this time, especially with the cold weather, we implore anyone who can to donate anything they can to help their peers, friends, and their families. Let’s continue to work together to support each other and share kindness and love.

N e w Op p ortunities f o r th e N e w S e a son

Content and Photos by: Jackson Kavanagh

As the new year starts to unfold, the Creekview athletic program shifts its focus onto the many winter sports. One group that is excited to get themselves back onto the field is our Track Team. After Covid-19 shut down our school systems on March 13, 2020, the track season was cut short, and our players were devastated.

Despite the rocky end to last year’s season, the track coaches are ready to move on to bigger and brighter things, and this year, the program is expanding to include a new event. This new event added more competition for our relay racers, as they have the opportunity to compete in a 4- by 800-meter relay race. As many of you may know, the track program consisted of sixteen events last year, including six field events, two hurdle races, six different distance sprints, and two relay races.

On the other hand, a new track season means the end of a chapter for many. Senior Sage Streak has been with our track team for the past three years, and as his last season is ramping up, he has had time to reflect over the years. Since Sage was young, he’s always been told that he’s got what it takes to run: “I had always been told I was fast by my parents, my dad used to always say I should join track.”

Of course, with the new season, comes new players. One of these new players is freshman Isabella Eastabrooks, and with her energized spirit, it is clear she has what it takes to continually improve her newfound abilities. Isabella was eager to join a sport when she got into high school because she wanted to stay physically active, so she joined cross-country as soon as she could. “I really wanted to stay athletic in high school and running just gives you that boost of serotonin.”

After further developing her love for running during the cross-country season, Isabella was left seeking more, and when she learned about the track team, it was a no brainer. After joining, she was quickly captivated by the variety that track had to offer, so she decided to expand from running by considering taking on the high jump and long jump. One thing Isabella missed most about sports was being a part of a team, so she was overjoyed to learn that every member was so kind and accepting: “I really wanted to be a part of a team again... you just meet a lot of people and get to have fun with them.”

In his earlier years, he was involved in football and baseball. However, Sage was eager to start a new chapter, so he looked towards his natural abilities to see what’s next, and track was the clear answer. When asked if he had any advice for any new runners or people on the fence about joining, Sage had plenty to say: “First of all, don’t let it scare you. You may think it’s just all about running, but there’s so much more. Apart from all the events, the camaraderie on the track team is unmatched.”

With the new season in full force, our track team is ready to give it their all. So, make sure to see them out on the field this February!

Events

A Ti m eline o f E v ents

Written by: Alexis Chandler Composed by: Meghan Samples

January 6,1941- President Franklin January 12, 1879February 17th, 1994. Harding and Kerrigan for the first time since her attack. Kerrigan Roosevelt delivered his State of the Union address to Congress asking for support for the lend-lease program, aiding Allies shared ice wears the In Southern Africa, the Zulu War started between the British and same clothes she wore on the day of the attack. fighting the Axis powers. Roosevelt also the locals of Zululand, at defined four essential freedoms worth last bringing about defending: freedom of speech, freedom of the demolition of the worship, freedom from want, and freedom Zulu Empire. from fear. February 1, 1960- In Greensboro, North Carolina, four African American students sat down and ordered coffee at a lunch counter inside a Woolworth's store.They were denied service. This continued in the following days, with fights spreading to other southern states, bringing about the arrest of more than 1,600 people for participating in sit-ins. February 15, 1898- In Havana, the U.S. Battleship Mainewas blown up while at anchor and quickly sank with 260 crew members lost. The incident inflamed public opinion in the U.S., resulting in a declaration of war against Spain on April 25, 1898. February 22, 1956 In Montgomery, Alabama, 80 members in the three-month-old transport blacklist willfully surrendered themselves for arrest.

January 1, 1958- The EEC (European Economic Community), known as the common market, was shaped by Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands to eliminate exchange hindrances and arrange exchange. January 10, 1920-The League of Nations formally appeared with the objective of settling global debates, decreasing weapons, and forestalling future wars. More than 20 countries later joined. January 18, 1966- Robert Clifton Weaver was sworn in as the first African American cabinet member in U.S. history, becoming President Lyndon B. Johnson's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

February 12, 1999The impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton in the U.S. Senate ended. With the necessary two-thirds majority not having been achieved, President Clinton was thus acquitted on both charges and served out the remainder of his term of office lasting through January 20, 2001. February 20, 1962 - Astronaut John Glenn became the first American launched into orbit. Going on board the "Kinship 7" space apparatus, Glenn arrived at a height of 162 miles (260 kilometers) and finished three circles in a flight, lasting five hours.

A H i storical W i n try W o nderland D r a ma

Written by: Jade Mendes

On January 6th, 1994, U.S. ice skating star Nancy Kerrigan was attacked while practicing for the Olympics at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan by her own rival’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly. This wild event made headlines worldwide.

Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding had been rivals for years. Harding’s only obstacle preventing her from making it to the Olympics was Kerrigan, until Kerrigan was taken out of the picture altogether. Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, contracted a hitman, Shane Stant, along with Shane’s brother, Derrick Smith. They worked together in a conspiracy to attack an unsuspecting Kerrigan.

The day of the attack, hitman Shane Stant violently took a 21-inch police grade baton to Kerrigan’s knee, following her practice session. Derrick Smith drove the getaway car. The injured figure skater was devastated, and cameras of nearby onlookers caught her initial reaction to the attack. The agonizing look on her face, taken seconds after the attack, was captured in newspapers everywhere the next day. The papers referred to her attacker as a “maniac” before anyone had any idea of what had conspired.

It was later discovered that Stant and Smith had followed Kerrigan from Massachusetts to Michigan, as they could not find the opportunity for the attack until they were in Detroit. Kerrigan’s attack happened just two days before the U.S championship competitions, and as a result of her injuries, she could not perform. With Kerrigan out of the way, Harding placed first in the competition, receiving the gold medal, with no shame.

However, this glory and fame didn’t last long. Just over a month after the attack, Kerrigan and Harding had to share Olympic ice in a practice session. With allegations already arising, the tension in the air was thick. Kerrigan even told reporters later that she had purposefully worn the same outfit to practice with Harding that she had been wearing the day of her attack because “humor is good, it’s empowering.”

After an FBI investigation, officers found that Kerrigan’s bodyguard had also conspired with Gillooly, Stant, and Smith to take Kerrigan out, and shortly after, when Harding returned to the U.S., she was charged with “conspiracy to hinder prosecution” and was fined a fee of $160,000 and given a three-year probation period. While the FBI could not prove that Harding knew of the conspiracy before the incident, the extent to which she was involved is still unknown. As a result, Harding was banned from the sport for life. February 17th, 1994. Harding and Kerrigan shared ice for the first time since her attack. Kerrigan wears the same clothes she wore on the day of the attack.

Thanks for Reading!

@voiceoftheview