22 minute read
Class of 2022 Valedictorian
When looking at these events, its important to consider the common thread between them: rising water levels. Being a beach location, the Outer Banks is surrounded by water, the Atlantic Ocean in particular. Due to its location, the OBX is frequently hit by hurricanes of very high wind speeds, occasionally even Level 5. In fact, Cape Hatteras is actually the most hurricane-battered location in the country, hit by an average of 1.33 storms each year (or four storms every three years). Combined with the rising ocean levels, this quickly becomes a serious threat to the future of tropical areas like the OBX.
The root cause of both hurricanes and rising water levels is climate change, mostly attributed to global warming. As the temperature continues to rise, large ice regions like the Polar Ice Caps continue to melt and raise water levels. In the meantime, this shift in temperature also contributes to the rise in hurricane strength over the past few decades. As the temperature rises, wind speeds increase along with the water dropped by hurricanes, since evaporation is sped along by the hotter climate. As a result, flooding has increased dramatically as well, destroying homes and causing millions of dollars in damage.
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A few years ago, a book called Legend was written by Marie Lu about a future world where most of the land has been swallowed by the ocean. Although this would be an extreme case, it is very possible that we could see more events like those in the Outer Banks if we continue to not address global warming. The worst part? The Outer Banks isn’t the only place that has been affected. Major locations like Venice, the Great Barrier Reef, Glacier National Park, and many more popular vacation spots are also being ruined by climate change.
Many people view climate change as an invisible problem, not close enough to home to be of concern, but that simply isn’t true anymore. The world is changing, and we don’t want to be on the wrong side of the water when it stops.
VALEDICTORIAN OF THE CLASS OF 2022 SHARES HER JOURNEY THROUGHOUT HIGH SCHOOL
BY KRISTINA HAVILAND, EDITOR IN CHIEF
As a freshman in high school, one may wonder if they will be valedictorian in their final year; senior Claire Zhang happens to be the top student in the Class of 2022.
She has shared her ups and downs of high school academics, strategies and advice, and what lies for her in the upcoming years.
Guidance Counselor Lauren Biggins says,
“The Val/Sal are determined by their weighted GPA. This is averaged until the seventh semester (the first semester of senior year). Zhang, although very academically gifted, didn't think the title was a slam dunk. “I knew I was in the top, but yeah I was a bit surprised to be valedictorian.
To be valedictorian, students must have a very high GPA. Biggins says, “Typically, the student has an unweighted GPA of over 4.0.
Zhang’s hard work over her four years at KHS has helped her reach this position. “I’ve definitely put a lot of time into school, preparing for tests, and studying. I’ve really just been working hard for all four years and I’m glad it all paid off.
She has also taken a total of 13 AP classes.
“It was pretty tough because AP classes are always really rigorous, but I feel like I’ve always had the motivation to do well in my classes because I knew it would all be worth it in college.
Zhang says she would not change anything about her high school career. “I think I had a good experience overall. It was pretty tough, but I learned how to manage my time, and study effectively.
Math teacher Jacqueline Bagarozza says,
“Claire's work ethic allows her to be resilient when facing a challenge. When she encounters a problem, instead of shying away or shutting down, she becomes motivated to work even harder in order to overcome.
Zhang will be attending the University of Pennsylvania with a dual major in biology and material engineering. The classes she took really helped prepare her for what she wanted to major in.
She says,
“I definitely took classes I was interested in. I always knew I wanted to do something in science or math so I took almost all the science classes. I figured out pretty soon that I liked biology and physics so I explored those fields outside of school through research and then I figured out that I wanted to do engineering and biology.
Many high achieving students want to be at the top of their class as an end goal. In terms of advice for other students, she says,
“Work hard but having the best grades isn't everything and you should have a balance of academic life and social life. I never really sacrificed hanging out with friends for studying for hours and hours because at some point it doesn't help and isn’t worth it.
Zhang is an extremely hard-working student, and it does not go unnoticed by her teachers. Bagarozza says,
“Claire is one of the hardest working students that I have ever had. She always comes to class with a smile and a positive attitude. She is always willing to help her classmates when they need it and takes the time to explain things to them in detail.
French teacher Sophie Adams has similar sentiments about Zhang, and says, “Claire already had all the qualities of an excellent student as a freshman. I remember her being more carefree then, a more juvenile version of her current self. I know for sure that Claire has grown into a bright, humble young adult who deeply cares about the world she lives in. Anyone who gets the opportunity in the future to teach Claire, work with her, or just cross paths with her will be very fortunate. What truly set her apart and allowed her to soar is that Claire is an individual who puts 150% in everything she does. Claire comes thoroughly prepared to class; she is fully engaged in her learning, and inquisitive.
Zhang will be delivering a speech at graduation on Jun. 21 at KHS. She says,
PHOTO BY CLAIRE ZHANG ZHANG WAS HONORED WITH OTHER OUTSTANDING STUDENT-ATHLETES FROM AROUND THE STATE AS AN NJSIAA SCHOLAR-ATHLETE.
PAGE 16 COLT CHRONICLE//GRADUATION ISSUE CLASS OF 2022 SALUTATORIAN
BRAEDEN CARROLL MAKES THE TOP TWO OF HIS CLASS AS THE SALUTATORIAN FOR THE CLASS OF 2022
With a valedictorian, comes a salutatorian, and this year’s Class of 2022 salutatorian is Braeden Carroll.
His diligent work throughout his four years of high school has given him an extremely high GPA, one which along with many other things has gotten him accepted into Princeton University with a major in engineering.
Carroll says,
“I never really envisioned that I would be salutatorian, but I committed myself to do well and it kind of came as a result of that. It's a nice recognition of the hard work I've done, but it's not a goal I had been fixated on for years or anything like that.
While taking many advanced classes, he has learned how to strategically plan his time and come up with different work ethics.
Carroll says,
“Through all my AP and honors classes, I have learned that strategic time management can make a seemingly daunting task much more manageable. As long as you don't procrastinate on assignments and complete what your teacher asks you to, any class can be manageable.
With these strategies, he also has some useful advice for those who are striving to be very high-achieving students.
BY KRISTINA HAVILAND, EDITOR IN CHIEF He says,
“Pursue your own interests and spend time doing things they enjoy. I'm glad that I chose classes I was interested in, as opposed to simply chasing GPA boosters, so I could learn things about which I was curious.
Many students believe that their grades and school is the only thing that matters. However, from experience, Carroll shows others that it is important to have a balance between school and your social life. He says,
“I still had time to run yearround, hang out with friends, and take part in other hobbies, instead of constantly worrying about school work. School is important, but it is not everything. Carroll has also been very highachieving in Wind Ensemble, Pep Band, and Percussion Ensemble in school. Band teacher Ryan Stroud says,
“When Braeden was auditioning for various Honor Bands, he would spend a lot of time practicing. That valuable use of his time led him to a point where he didn't have to work as hard because the skills became innate to him. That's what all of us should be striving for in our lives. Work really hard so that your skills become second nature, and then, try to apply those skills to something that you love to do.
PHOTO BY BRAEDEN CARROLL
VALEDICTORIAN CLAIRE ZHANG AND SALUTATORIAN BRAEDEN CARROLL POSE WITH THEIR SIGNS OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.
His teachers have viewed his growth as a person and student over the years. History teacher Matthew Arroyo says, “Braeden is an outstanding student who strives to perform his best in all academic endeavors. He is motivated, completes assignments early, and always seeks feedback to improve his work.
Looking back on how he balanced work and life outside of school, Carroll reflects, “I would have focussed myself more on a few select activities, instead of spreading my time out over too many things. I learned during lockdown that I enjoyed my time more when I could get more deeply involved in a few things, so in junior and senior year I was more precise in how I allocated my time.
Although high school is highly focused on grades, there is so much more to learn than just academics. He says,
“School provides a unique forum in which we can discuss our opinions and reflect opposing viewpoints off of one another. Learning what other people think can help you learn about yourself, so school has played a significant role in helping me find my way among my peers and in the world.
BRAEDEN CARROLL
PHOTO BY BRAEDEN CARROLL CARROLL AND HIS SISTER KRISTYN CARROLL AT AN ALL-COUNTY DINNER FOR BEING GREAT STUDENTS AND GREAT ATHLETES.
SENIOR SERVICE SETS UP SUCCESS
SENIORS AT KINNELON TAKE PART IN VARIOUS COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS
BY LUCAS MARIN, STAFF REPORTER
As the 2021-2022 school year is coming to a close, Kinnelon High School seniors made a lasting impact on their communities before graduation through senior service projects.
Senior Service is when students are involved in community service related activities. They select where they would like to complete their community service. However, this is not required in Kinnelon. Students can choose to not participate in the project. Students that partake in this service work from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
PHOTO BY LUCAS MARIN KOUTSOKOUMNIS UNLOADING TURKEYS FOR THE CLUB “TURKEYS4U.
Community service projects can range from many different activities, including collecting food for the less fortunate, taking part in a recycling program/clean up, volunteering as a coach or refereeing a youth sports team.
According to a study conducted by Non Profits Source, “Approximately 63 million Americans volunteer their time, talents, and energy to making a difference.
The increase in helping others is extremely pleasant as community service is what makes people and their communities better. This has taken over Kinnelon as many seniors are participating.
Two students making a difference are Kinnelon seniors Michael Koutskoumnis and Jake Pyror.
Koutsokoumnis inspires to make a sound impact to Morris County. He will work doing community service initiatives at Jersey1st in Parsippany. Jersey1st is an organization that strives to raise awareness on issues pertaining to the social and economic impact of New Jersey.
The projects offered by Jersey1st were engaging because of their direct and visible impact.
Koutsokoumins said,
“I’ll be working on a variety of projects like collection drives to town cleanups.
The ability to help others is a gift for many seniors, and was a driving force behind Koutsokoumnis' decision.
Koutsokoumnis said,
“I chose to work at Jersey1st because I have a passion for community service and I want to make a difference in my community. " Partaking in such an important organization requires a teenager to keep their ultimate goals in mind. He adds, “My primary goals and duties for the project will encompass town cleanups and community service projects within Morris County.
JAKE PRYOR
Another senior making magnificent strides for Senior Service is Jake Pryor. Pryor is working at KHS in the history department. During this time of year, things can be pretty hectic, and choosing where to volunteer can be a difficult decision.
Pryor stated,
“I chose this project because I love history. I participated in the National History Bee and Bowl. I’ve taken a bunch of KHS history classes including: World, US, APUSH, AP Euro, AP Gov. ” Pyror also tutors history for the National Honors Society at Kinnelon and outside of KHS.
Pryor's motivation for volunteering is people. “I
love helping people so this is extremely ideal for me and what better way to teach something I love in History. ” Pryor also aspires to major in Political Science and Economics in college.
Pyror then discussed his preparations for his community service, “I plan on helping teachers on whatever tasks they want me to support in their classrooms. I’m really looking forward to and thankful for this opportunity.
The road doesn’t end there for Koutsokoumnis and Pryor. On June 10, students who took part in Senior Service shared their experiences with their peers at KHS. Both students are working diligently towards making Morris County a better place. They want to inspire others in showing them what "forever deeds" look like.
WHO RUNS NEW YORK?
WHO IS THE BEST TEAM IN NEW YORK: YANKEES OR METS?
BY JAKE PICCOLA, STAFF CONTRIBUTOR
The constant cracks from the bat after home runs is a noise that all baseball fans love. With the regular season starting on Apr. 7, there are still so many games to play. However, for New York baseball fans, the debate about who is better is already starting.
The debate is between the New York teams seems happens yearly, and ruling the season, it becomes a constant occurrence. Looking deeper into who is better is hard to say so early in the season. The Yankees currently have a record of 228 and the Mets have a record of 22-11. Both of these teams reside at the top of their divisions and are rather far ahead of their competition.
Both teams decided to come back to this 2022 season after they failed to make the postseason in the 2021 season. With the MLB lockout threatening the beginning of the season, both teams did not lose their strive to come back and dominate in the 2022 season. With both teams coming hot into the 2022 season, they show no signs of slowing down.
GRAPH BY JAKE PICCOLA A GRAPH DEPICTING 26 STUDENT'S OPINIONS ABOUT NEW YORK BASEBALL
Sophomore Greg Nascimento is a bigtime baseball fan. “The Yankees run New York without a doubt. With their abilities to blow out teams, like the Chicago White Sox I see no end in sight. The Yankees are the best team in New York. ” Nascimento is a strong believer in the Yankees and is excited to see how they continue the season.
The Yankees are on a hot streak recently as they have won their last four games. The Yankees continue to extend their number one position in the AL East (American League). The Yankees have had players at the top of leading stats such as having three Yankees in the highest home runs with Aaron Judge leading the pack.
Sophomore Matt Kispert, however, disagreed with Nascimento, “The New York Mets run New York baseball because they have the best fans and a bright future while succeeding in the present. ” Kispert is hoping for the Mets to reach the postseason this year and wants to see how the Mets can succeed after a poor 2021 season.
The Mets had a very slow season last year as they went under .500 wins. This was not a good sight for Mets fans but this year they have been coming back with aggression. The Mets are also first in the NL East (National League) and they have a great lead compared to the other teams. This Mets team is one to be afraid of playing against. Sophomore Dylan Charles also chimed in on the debate. “I am not a Mets or a Yankees fan but I do think the Yankees are the better team. With their power hitting and overall pitching, it is hard to compete with if you are the Mets. ” Charles will watch both teams compete and enjoy some New York baseball this season.
The disagreement between both Nascimento and Kispert is also joined by another 26 Kinnelon High School students whom all took a google form. In this survey, there was a clean 13 to 13 split on who runs New York. Many people are separated on who is the King. But when it comes down to the numbers, it seems that the answer to the question of who runs New York comes down to a tie.
GREG NASCIMENTO
SCHOOL CHROMEBOOKS: HARDWARE THAT HARDLY FUNCTIONS
KHS BECAME A ONE-TO-ONE SCHOOL IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR; HOWEVER, FAILURE TO OPERATE THEM HAS BEEN A BIG ISSUE.
BY NICHOLAS MAKSIMOV, STEM/SCHOOL NEWS EDITOR
In the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, Kinnelon High School students were each given Chromebooks that every student to complete online work. Students who already had personal computers were highly advised to use the school’s, and those that did not have one to begin with, had to deal with the inadequacy of the school computers.
Chromebooks were given to every student in September 2021, and students and teachers alike have had to deal with the slow processing times.
The Chromebooks, which have quite a poor system, tend to be more of a liability to students, rather than a resource.
“They’re pretty bad, ” said sophomore Marwan Ahsanuddin. “I don’t like them. I want an option to return them.
Ahsanuddin is not the only student that shares these views as many students do not find the Chromebooks useful. The Chromebooks boost a poor gigahertz speed-most of them under a mere 2.5 GHz. (For perspective, the computers in the journalism in KHS operate at a baseline 3 GHz.) With more than two tabs open, Chromebooks tend to drop to 1.5 GHz. Despite the fact that they are a little low when it comes to these standards, they are the best bang for your buck that are in the industry right now.
Computers that use Windows in 2022 are sold at $500. Apple MacBooks, though, are sold at $900. Many of the MacBook OS that are sold today share the same processor as those with Windows; but Chromebooks, which are sold at a baseline at $250, are obviously cheaper and still get the job done. So what if they are a little slower? More money in the pocket is just that: money in the pocket.
On top of the memory storage of the being lackluster (a mere 3.79 GB), the CPU (Central Processing Unit) is not even a regular one. While the desktops in one of the high school computer labs have i3 processors, the Chromebooks have a version of a CPU called “AMD A4-9120C RADEON R4, ” which is an extremely cheap version of a CPU as opposed to the i3 processor that the desktops have.
Overall, it is not a good look for the functionality of the Chromebook.
“They’re pretty cheap and they’re really slow. ” said sophomore Carrie Nitkinas. “I do a lot of work, and it has a lot of tabs open. Work that can take five minutes takes 15 minutes instead, so it’s annoying.
PHOTO BY NICHOLAS MAKSIMOV
"[Our parents] pay taxes and we get Chrome books; we deserve MacBooks and Windows computers like Lenovo, ” said freshman Logan Sheldrick.
As the school year nears a close, administration has confirmed that the Chromebooks are here to stay, at least for the immediate future. Students have mixed feelings about this topic.
"I would stay digital. It’s easier to take notes on a computer, ”
said sophomore Jessica Stubs.
Library Media Specialist Jenny Sassaman had similar positive sentiments: “I think it's great that we’re finally 1:1. It's great that everyone has access. ” Not all students at KHS have access to a personal laptop at home so the generosity of the school provides equity among students across the district.
The choice of Chromebooks also saves the district a lot of money. As explained by District Computer Technician Bill Moller, 2,000 Apple iMacs would cost the district $1.8 million, whereas the same amount of Chromebooks costs less than a third of that, at half a million dollars.
When it comes to the debate over Chromebooks, the answer is unclear and multifaceted. The functionality of the Chromebook speaks for itself; however, some students actually need them.
Anything that is there for the benefit of the community should be kept in place, along with its hardware…even if the hardware hardly works.
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WHY DO I NEED TO PUT ON SUNBLOCK?
GET THE SCOOP ON WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO LATHER ON THAT SUNSCREEN THIS SUMMER.
BY SOPHIA ANGERMUND, STAFF WRITER
Sunscreen. It’s annoying, an inconvenience, and a chore to put on. However, it’s more important than many realize. Sunscreen protects the skin from harmful ultraviolet rays coming from the sun. Sunscreen helps protect against skin cancer, skin discoloration, or wrinkles over time.
What is in sunscreen that protects people from UV rays?
Sunscreen acts like a very thin “vest” which stops the UV photons before they reach the skin. It contains sunscreen molecules that are organic and absorb, scatter, and reflect UV pigment that is inorganic. The ingredient doing this miracle work in sunscreen is ZincOxide. Zinc-Oxide, the only ingredient that has been FDA-approved that protects the skin from harmful UV lights from the sun. It is the safest and most effective ingredient in sunscreen.
How much sunscreen should I use?
It is recommended that each person puts on one ounce of sunscreen every single day. Yes, every single day. Regardless of the weather, these harmful UV rays manage to still get through and harm people’s skin. Therefore, it is important and dermatologist recommend that everyone puts on one ounce of sunscreen every single day.
But, I want to be tan!
A big myth that spreads around is that sunscreen does not make you tan. Unfortunately, that is a reason which stops people from using sunscreen. Sunscreen only blocks out UV rays that are harmful and damage your skin. Sunscreen just lets you stay out in the sun longer while protecting your skin. It does not affect your ability to get tan at all. People can lather on some extra sunscreen while trying to achieve an amazing tan!
Well, now what should I buy?
There are many out there but the best sunscreens are dermatologist recommended. Click the QR code below to view 14 of the best sunscreens which contain Zinc Oxide. Find one that's best for you, and buy yourself some new skin protection for this summer!
PHOTO BY SOPHIA ANGERMUND
PHOTO OF DIFFERENT SUNSCREEN BRANDS
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