THE LANCE
We Believe.
We Will Succeed.
The student newspaper of Linganore High School Volume LIII, Issue 6
12013 Old Annapolis Road Frederick, MD 21701
A closer look at family life: Night shift work influences parents and children Lilly Player Parents feel the separaReporter
A typical father/daughter conversation for me takes place for the hour in the car between Libertytown and BWI Airport, roughly six times a month. That’s because my dad is a pilot for Frontier Airlines. Think that’s glamorous? It may seem so with free, or very cheap, flights to almost anywhere, but in reality it’s incredibly challenging for family relationships. In addition to his travel schedule, our family schedule is upside down. It’s hard for him to shift from pilot to dad to farmer in the regular 24hour cycle. Night shift work has many names, like “the third shift,” but it’s most popularly known as the “graveyard shift.” It is dubbed the graveyard shift due to its grueling hours, typically from midnight until around 8 AM. Children of parents who work night shift or who travel for work often face unique problems. Studies find that children can become depressed or engage in reckless, rebellious behavior. It can also affect the relationship between the child and parent. Jonathan Croswell, from LiveStrong, reported, “This can reduce a child’s familiarity with a parent, particularly if they are young.” I see this with my three year old brother, Ian, who takes hours each day my father is home to warm up to him. He doesn’t have a strong sense of familiarity since he only sees his father a few times a month. My father has been a pilot since before I was born. He is often gone for days a time, sometimes working what pilots call a “red eye,” which is a flight that departs late at night and arrives early the next morning. When he is home, he has to divide his time among five children and his wife, which is no easy feat. He is only home for a short period of time, and he is catching up on sleep or working on the farm. Lack of sleep is difficult for my dad–it’s difficult for anyone! Growing up with my dad being absent has been really tough, especially with a divorced family. Fortunately, I had my grandparents as well as my aunt and uncles to help raise me, but I still had to grow up faster than most eight-year-olds.
tion just as strongly as their kids Dawn Wood, an evening shift custodian at LHS, said, “By time I come home from work, everyone is asleep, and when I wake up they’re gone. You’ve got Saturday and Sunday to try and fit everything in, but it’s never enough time.” She works from 2:30 until 11:00. My father, Dennis Player, said “It’s tough being away from my family for half of the month. I don’t see them at all, which means I miss out on a lot of big mo-
courtesy of Lilly Player
ments with my kids.” It’s a rarity for my dad to be home for birthdays, and he’s often gone most holidays as well, which I know takes a big toll on him. He’s missing out on monumental moments with his kids, like when they lose a first tooth or start a first day of school. Sometimes when you’re a teen, it’s too easy to think of the problems from only your own perspective. A teen’s point of view My situation has also been complicated due to divorce and relocation. Our father/daughter time spent together is even shorter. It was extremely hard growing up with my dad away. It felt like I never saw him, and I became jealous of my peers who had their fathers at every event. When our dad is home, I sometimes compete with my brothers for our father’s attention. Everyone wants to spend time with him one on one, rather than together. Even though he is often away, I know my dad loves his job, which is important. Growing up with him gone impacted me in negative ways, but it also helped shaped me into who I am.. There is sunshine and rain Read more at: https://lhslance.org/mvg75
December 2017
Vandalism in boys' bathrooms sparks restrictive procedures Jacob Bolger Editor
photo by Jacob Bolger
Vandalism in the boys’ restrooms have caused headaches for all, including students, especially those who have no involvement with this vandalism. Concern over this problem has grown increasingly high after reports from students and custodians alike, and the administration has begun taking more preventative measures. According to Assistant Principal Christopher Bittner, although these problems have persisted for years, they have recently escalated to a higher level than he’s ever seen. “Although vandalism occurs in all schools, this is absolutely the highest degree of it I have ever seen personally,” said Bittner. Since the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year,
the staff has taken greater measures to prevent any more vandalism. One of these measures, implemented this year, is room specific bathroom passes, which prevent more than two students from one class from leaving at any given time and the classroom logs which help to track students leaving class too frequently. Students have caused havoc in the men’s restrooms by removing sinks and stall dividers, flooding toilets, and strewing anything from toilet paper to food on the floors and walls. As a result, bathrooms are now only open in certain parts of the school. In early November, staff members volunteered to sit outside the bathrooms and have students sign in and out each time they use the restroom. The preventative measures being taken by faculty have become a nuisance to staff and interfere with their already busy schedules. Senior Sam Downs said “I propose that we change our bathroom procedure, because it’s ridiculous that teachers have to sit outside bathrooms and police kids who are breaking things in the bathrooms.” Along with the hassle to staff, students are left walking around the school in an
attempt to find a bathroom which is open. The goal of the administration is not to prohibit access to the restrooms. Some of the actions taken which are causing a hassle are necessary. Corynne Lovewell said “I believe the vandalism was very immature and I think it’s annoying for girls to have to walk around the entire school in an attempt to find a bathroom. I believe that the girls’ bathrooms should remain unlocked, and [girls] should not be punished as a result of the vandalism.” In the case that a student is caught vandalizing a bathroom, the progressive punishment system in place will result in anything from an after school detention to a suspension based on the severity of the damage done, and whether it is a repeated offense. Along with their detention or suspension, anyone caught has to pay for the repairs. The damages done to the bathrooms are a more serious incident than most people realize, but staff and students alike hope that the issue is resolved Read more at: lhslance.org/wmyw5
To the firefighters and emergency medical services, thank you Bridget Murphy Editor
Firefighters protect and save the lives of people (and animals) from potentially deadly fires every day. They also save millions of dollars in property damage by preventing the fires from growing any larger. My aunt, Sarah Hollway, is a professional career firefighter and certified paramedic in Maryland. Seeing the Oklahoma City bombing on TV when Hollway was younger inspired her to become a paramedic. As a firefighter, Hollway says that people thank them but “not as often as you think.” Hollway said she feels people more often consider firefighters as an ‘annoyance’ than anything else; “We block in their cars in parking lots. We shut down roads and mess up their morning commutes.” On the anniversary of 9/11 Hollway says people will thank her and her colleagues more than usual
and leave food at the station. Over 300 firefighters died in the 9/11 attacks, while attempting to save others. While firefighters did stand out that day and
courtesy of Sarah Hollway
deserve to be thanked for it, they also deserve to be thanked for every other day and the hard work they put in for our communities. The job is very unpredictable: fire personnel never know what time of the day that they will receive a call with an emergency that needs their assistance. The same suspense goes for the people that are members of EMS (Emergency Medical Services.) Accidents, fires, and attacks
occur all of the time. These heroes are among first to be called. EMS in recent years have had to deal with the overwhelming opioid crisis that is occurring throughout America. Approximately 90 Americans die every day due to overdosing on opioids. While the number of people overdosing and dying every day is large, there are also many lives saved because of our emergency responders. Hollway says that as a paramedic, she and her coworkers deal with at least one overdose per shift. Being a paramedic and career firefighter has changed Hollway’s life in multiple ways. With 14 years of service so far, she has touched the lives of many. Thank you Sarah Hollway, firefighters throughout America and all Emergency Medical Service personnel for everything you do. Read more at: https://lhslance.org/9dip0
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The Lance
December 2017
Lily's Hope
Lily Weaver, a junior, was first diagnosed with cancer when she was in fifth grade. After fighting for almost a year, she was declared cancer free. In February of 2017, she celebrated five years cancer free. In the next few months, everything changed. In July of Summer 2017, Lily received the devastating news that Ewing’s Sarcoma has made a reappearance on her ribs and spine. For the past five months, Lily has been in treatment, receiving chemotherapy and radiation. Her next step is a bone marrow transplant. Grace Weaver, 2017 LHS graduate, is a perfect match and will be the donor. The Linganore community is making sure Lily is not alone during this terrible time. Together, we are raising awareness for her cause and fighting right alongside her.
Lily's Hope foundation holds 5K benefit run
Bridget Murphy, Tommy Moyer, Grace Corbitt
On November 12, the entire community ran and walked through the West Winds neighborhood, home to the Weaver family whose daughter, Lily, is now on a homeschooling hospital program because she has Ewing’s Sarcoma. Weaver was cancer free for five years before relapsing July 2017. On Sunday November 12, Lily’s Hope partnered with Patty Pollatos Fund to host Lily’s Hope 5k walk/run at the West Winds golf course. The Linganore community was well-represented. Lancer Media was a starting line sponsor; the SGA worked for months signing up runners; the football team parked cars, and many students and staff volunteered and ran in the race. Lily’s mom, Amy Weaver, was overwhelmed by the number of people wanting to show support for Lily. After the race, Amy Weaver said, “Lily is so happy, she really feels in the community’s arms right now.” When participants finished the race, there was
snacks, music, dancing, and karaoke. Irma Tercero, a neighbor and Linganore parent, organized the silent auction. Paul Boehm won the race with a time of 17:51.4.
photo by Bridget Murphy Paul Boehm, first place, crosses the finish line. Junior, Bryce Witmer, took 2nd overall, and senior, Tommy Moyer took ninth overall. Linganore principal Nancy Doll took third in her age group. Laura Blackwell, a family friend and hair
stylist, held her own fundraiser on Facebook to raise money. She promised to shave her head if she raised $1,000. That goal was accomplished quickly. At the race, Blackwell announced that she was donating more that fourteen thousand dollars. The best part was that Weaver would be doing the honors of shaving Blackwell’s head. After Blackwell had her head shaved, senior Bridget Murphy made an announcement that she raised a total of $1,460. For the past month, she has been collecting money at her work, Med One Pharmacy and at Shear Images. The owner of Med One Pharmacy wrote a check for $650 in addition to the $810 Bridget raised. The winner of the $700 50/50 raffle, Ed Salter, donated his winnings to the Weavers. A drone operated by Charlie Rasmussen was used to capture footage of the event. Weaver was at the center of the event, encouraging her friends and smiling through it all. This is the third Lily’s Hope 5K.
Laura Blackwell donates 14K with "baldraiser" Grace Corbitt Reporter
photo by Natalie Rebetsky Diego Castro assists Lily Weaver in shaving Laura Blackwell's head.
On November 12, Lily’s Hope 5k took place at West Winds golf course. The race is a way to raise awareness for childhood cancer and to show Lily Weaver and her family the community’s love and support. At the end of the race everyone gathered around the stage to watch Lily Weaver shave Laura Blackwell’s purple hair. Blackwell works at the DNA Lab hair salon. She made a deal with Lily that if her salon raised over $1,000 dollars for Lily and her family, she would let Weaver do the honors of shaving her head on stage. Blackwell called this her “baldraiser” and announced that she had raised $13,252. Blackwell set up the donation site through Facebook, “Baldraiser for Lily’s Hope” and raised the $1,000 goal in 58 minutes. She had $5,000 in 24 hours. Although the baldraiser is complete, anyone can donate through Facebook. The crowd cheered as she allowed Lily to shave all of her hair in the 32-degree cold. The DJ decided to make it an even more enjoyable moment
by playing “Let it go” from Frozen and “We are the champions” by Queen. Everyone was singing and clapping along. Diego Castro, a barber, guided the nervous Lily during the process and followed up by touching up the initial haircut. Weaver removed her knit hat, and the two showed off their shared baldness. On her donation site, Blackwell wrote, “Hair is such a big thing for women, but it doesn’t define you. . .what you do in this life does!” Blackwell was Lily’s family babysitter when Weaver was first diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma and has continued to stay involved with the family, even vacationing with them. When Weaver got her diagnosis this summer and began her first round of chemotherapy, Blackwell shaved Lily’s head and helped Weaver to apply make up. “I haven’t missed my purple hair once. I got sad when my boyfriend and I were driving home from the 5k because I wish her shaving my head could have cured her.” All together Lily’s 5k showed her that she is not alone in her fight against cancer.
Dance for Hope recital taps into the giving spirit Emily Reed Co-editor-in-chief It was a packed house for Lily Weaver’s Dance for Hope benefit dance recital on November 28th. More than 500 people attended the fundraiser, and the event raised approximately $4,000 to benefit the Weaver family. The studios who participated were: Savage Dance Company, Dance Unlimited, Elite Feet, 24/7 Dance, Shining Star School of Performing Arts, Academy of Fine Arts Dance at TJHS, Urbana Dance Studio, UHS Dance team, Equinox Dance Company, and Dee Buchanan Dance. The dancers from LHS included Brianna Archibald, Ani Boghossian-James, Hannah Bonfils, Jordan Cencula, Shea Cencula, Brittni DeGrange, Ally Duda, Caroline Etherton, Samantha Iorio,
the two hour show moving forward. Lily Weaver’s recital was a group effort with Linganore’s National Honor Society pitching in to help sell concessions. Linganore’s Art Honor Society created and sold jewcourtesy of Bill Reed elry at the event as Savage dance company performs a hip hop dance to kick off the recital.well. All proceeds went to the Weaver family. Riley Johnston, Ashley Nash, Uriah Roman, Kelly Kindness was in the air. Even the winner of Stouffer, Kylie Watson, and Ashley White. These the 50/50 raffle at the end of the night donated dancers were at the top of their game for Lily. the money she won back to Lily Weaver’s fund. Smithhisler assembled the numbers, spacing Lily Weaver, a member of the Class of 2019, out the lyrical pieces with other styles in between. The drama department tech crew and members said, “I am so grateful for everyone’s support! All of the dancers did a great job, and thank you to all of of the Drama Honor Society provided dramatic lightthe people who organized the event and attended!” ing and were punctual with the music. They kept
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Distinguished Graduates
The Lance
December 2017
Jeffrey Musselman: 2017 DGO Inductee for Business Bailey Davis and Tommy Moyer Editor and Reporter
“I felt extremely surprised, honored, and blessed when I found out I was being recognized as a Distinguished Graduate. I was actually very nervous about coming back to Linganore after 34 years. Public speaking has never been my strong suit,” Musselman said. “My sister and I were not surprised at all when we found out that our father received the Distinguished Graduate Award. He works so hard and he deserves this more than anyone else,” said Jeff’s daughter, Jessica Musselman. Both of Musselman’s children graduated from LHS also, and his other daugh-
ter, Jennifer, is the Office Manager at Musselman Excavating Inc. While at Linganore, Musselman participated in JV and Varsity football, JV and Varsity basketball, as well as Indoor & Outdoor track. He was also very involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The Musselman family has become a fixture at Linganore High School. There has been a Musselman at Linganore every decade since the 1960s. “When I’m not working, I really enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, hunting, and fishing, as well as riding motorcycles,” he said about his
life today. Musselman’s career history before co-owning his family’s company includes working at many excavating and construction companies based in Mt. Airy and Libertytown, where he took on the position of laborer, equipment operator, crew foreman, estima-
tor, and project manager. He also served as a Deacon, Trustee, Finance Committee Member, and Building Committee Consultant for three years at Bush Creek Church of the Brethren in Monrovia, as well as a Nonmember Volunteer at the Libertytown Volunteer Fire Department for fifteen years. Musselman’s advice for graduating students is, “Try to be above average and excel in school. Put yourself forward and your academics first.” Read more at: https://lhslance.org/l0zpf
16th Annual Distingushed Graduate Ceremony Alexis Fowler Reporter MacIvor was very involved in high school. She played four years of field hockey, four years of basketball, three years of softball, and one year of track and field. Her family has always worked in schools, and being so involved in high school is what sparked her interest to teach that age group. After her high school career, she graduated from Shippensburg University. Her motivation to do well was always her parents. MacIvor says, “I am probably most proud of getting my college degrees, none of my parents attended college so it was a big deal for me.” She continued to earn her Masters of Education at Western Maryland College. “I learned that sometimes you have to work harder than you knew you could,” said MacIvor. After the ceremony MacIvor visited a third period Earth/space science class and talked about events in her career that helped lead her to where she is now. “Ms. MacIvor shared some wise words of wisdom with us, which I will use during my years in high school, as well as when applying for my first job and beyond, “ said Ashley Walden, Class of 2021. MacIvor’s advice to current students is to get involved and do something during high school.
On November 21, the Distinguished Graduate Organization honored four graduates at the 16th annual ceremony at an assembly for the Class of 2021. Jeffery Mussleman- Business Laura Allnutt MacIvor- Academics Jason Fraley- Arts and Humantities Chris Rich- Public Service After the ceremony, there was a luncheon in the Learning Commons. They also had the oppourtunity to talk to students and catch up with their teachers. Thank you to the DGO committee and Mr. Jeremy Brown for organizing this event. If you know of an LHS graduate who has become a success and you would like to nominate him or her, please contact Jeremy Brown (jeremy.brown@fcps.org). Graphics by Hannah Haught and Tyler Roman.
Lauren Hall and Nick Stephan Reporters Fraley has been a journalist at WTOP News since 2008 and a film critic since 2011. He keeps up with movies, theaters, and concerts. On Fridays, Fraley goes on TV on NBC4 and does previews for entertainment events around D.C. for the weekend. “I love my job because I never feel like I am going to work a day in my life,” said Fraley. After the ceremony, class visits, and luncheon, Fraley visited with Coach Conner, who was getting ready for state football competition. Coach and Fraley reminisced about the 2003 run for the state title, which, ironically, started Fraley’s journalism journey. During his speech, Fraley told a story from when he was a football player during his high school career. After losing the state game, a reporter from the Frederick News Post interviewed him, asked him about writing for The Lance, and offered him an internship at the Frederick News Post. Fraley said the three most important things he learned from Linganore were “Journalism, show business, and competition.” Fraley gave three points of advice to incoming freshmen: “Put away your phone; push your comfort zone; and remember where you came from.”
Read more at: https://lhslance.org/zkp6s
Read more at: https://lhslance.org/zkp6s
Chris Rich: 2017 DGO Inductee for Public Service Kelsey Ward Editor
Rich was a four sport athlete while in high school, including football, basketball, track and field and tennis. His love for sports has helped to shape his career working with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, FCA. After graduating from Grove City College in 2010, with a degree in Biblical and Religious studies and a minor in Communications, Rich went on to become the FCA area representative for Frederick County until 2011 when he became the area director. Rich continued to move through the ranks with FCA. In 2014, he
took on his current position as the first State Director for Pennsylvania. Rich never imagine working with FCA. He dreamed of catching touchdown passes for the Dallas Cowboys or making baskets for the Washington Wizards. “I always dreamed of being a professional athlete. I was a competitor with high aspirations. I now get
the opportunity to work with professional athletes and I love what I do. I wouldn’t trade it,” said Rich. Rich speaks to a variety of different teams, ranging from NFL teams to middle school basketball leagues. During his times at Linganore, Rich was a member of National Honor Society and was Vice President for the class of 2006. Rich participated in Mr. Linganore in 2006 and came in second. Rich’s family is deeply involved in the community. His mom, Kathryn, and his brother, Michael, both work at Linganore. Rich’s father, Roger, teaches business at Oakdale High School and is the JV football coach at
Oakdale. His sister, Brittany, is a cosmetologist at A Do or Dye salon in Mt. Airy. Rich said that while in high school, his only focus was football and that is how he decided his worth. After high school, he learned that that his worth shouldn’t be found in things. In his speech he said, “Your identity is in nothing you do. It is in who you are and who you were created to be.” Read more at: https://lhslance.org/jsv2e
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The Lance
Lancer of the Week
December 2017
Drew Twillman “drives” his way to success Tommy Moyer Reporter
“Bingo!” That is what golfers Charlie Rasmussen, Vince Booth, and Drew Twillman say to each other after they hit a good shot. “I say ‘Bingo’ a lot when Drew is playing,” Rasmussen said. Twillman’s achievements in golf are lengthy. In his junior year, he won the CMC championship and came in 3rd in districts. In his senior year, he came in 7th in states, 4th in counties, 3rd in the CMC championship, and 1st in districts. Twillman says his favorite moment in his golf career was winning the CMC championship his junior year. Even with his success in golf, Twillman still had one of his hardest moments in his sports career when he didn’t make the 2nd day of states his junior year. The most decorated golfer in
Lancer history, Twillman would still be considered an exceptional student athlete if he concentrated on only golf. This makes his achievements in basketball and lacrosse all the more impressive. Twillman says basketball is his favorite sport, even though he thinks it is the hardest one. “Basketball is the most competitive sport that I play,” Twillman says. As a 6th man for the varsity team last year, Twillman averaged 7.4 points on a team that went 16-8. His dedication and attitude are well respected by teammates. “He is a leader and pushes teammates to give max effort,” teammate Nicholas Lang said. Part of Drew’s love of basketball arose because of his respect for his varsity coach, Tom Kraft, who he calls the best coach he has ever had. Kraft explained that what makes Twillman such a great part of a team is that he embraced his role as the 6th man, even though he was one
of the team’s most talented scorers. On top of Twillman’s three sports, Kraft also credits Twillman’s inten- he finds time to be an honor roll stusity and competitiveness to why he is dent who frequently take AP classes. such a good player. His competitive drive leads him “Some guys are competitive to a to call his hardest class, AP Macfault, and they lost focus of the task roeconomics, his favorite because at hand. Drew is not like that,” Kraft Twillman loves a challenge. PREP is said. where he gets a lot of work done. Once winter is over, Twillman Twillman is unsure whether or doesn’t pick up the golf clubs just not he will play sports in college. His yet. He trades his basketball shoes for cleats and a lacrosse stick as a member of Linganore’s lacrosse team. One of Twillman’s hardest decisions he had to make was whether or not to play lacrosse his sophomore year. He decided not to, and the team went on to courtesy of Kyle McFadden win states. During Twillman stands with his plaque after winning the CMC. his junior year, Twillman decided to top choice for college is either Uniplay lacrosse again because he missed versity of Maryland, College Park or the sport and the team. Virginia Tech.
Maddie France sets volleyball assist record Grace Brooks Editor
On October 10, senior setter Maddie France, got her 1,500 career assist in her game against Tuscarora. A school record. France started her high school volleyball career on JV but was pulled up to varsity during her freshman season and has been on varsity since. She has played volleyball for six years and has always been a setter. A setter is the person who usually has the second touch of the play and assists the hitters to a kill. “Maddie is a great leader, and she’s an amazing at setting. As a middle hitter, it’s important to have a great set for me to be able to score. In some way she contributes to all our points,” said teammate Jessica Mitchell. “My mom played volleyball when she was younger and forced me into it when I was 11, but I’m glad she did,” said France. She had great coaches when she
was young, so they gave her the basis for her whole volleyball career. France’s favorite volleyball mem-
sophomore year. She also used to played varsity basketball her freshman and sopho-
courtesy of Maddie France France sets her teammate for another assist. ories are winning the Junior Varsity more years. However, after her sectournament her freshman year and ond year in high school basketball, winning the Varsity tournament her she decided that she wanted to focus
her time to strictly volleyball. France is constantly busy with volleyball. In school she takes a Team Sports volleyball class and plays a club volleyball league. She is on Metro 18 North for her third year. She plans to play volleyball at Frederick Community College, where she also plans to study Early Childhood Education. France is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. During sports she must be aware of her blood sugar and take care of it when it gets too low or high. “It’s constantly a juggling act with school, sports and taking care of her blood sugar, but it is what it is,” said France. France’s freshman sister Emma France also plays volleyball. They both practice together at home and Maddie makes Emma a better player. “She is a huge role model for me and she is the reason I started playing. Maddie pushes me to get better every day,” said Emma France.
Olivia Weinel is the Queen of the court Kaycee Morris Editor
Weinel has been playing basketball for eight years. She played for Olivia Weinel, member of Class of the Germantown Lady Panthers club 2018, is an outstanding athlete and team for one year, which is one of the student. Weinel plays for the var- top club teams in DMV. sity basketball team, has a 3.9 GPA, As a taller player, Weinel is a and was crowned 2017 Homecoming skilled rebounder and has many opQueen. portunities to score in the paint. She racked up a total of 116 points on varsity last year for Linganore. Coach Rachael Easterday, the head coach for the varsity girls team, said, “Olivia is always ready to learn something new and works really hard until she can courtesy of Olivia Weinel a c c o m p l i s h Olivia Weinel powers through for the layup. her goals. Ol-
ivia has improved over the last four years and has become a very dynamic player.” Weinel is looking forward to this year’s season and improving her skills. She said, “I can’t wait to be back and play with all the girls. I hope to get far this season.” Recently, Weinel announced her commitment to continue her basketball career and further her education at Shenandoah University. Shenandoah ended with a 6-21 overall record in the 2016-2017 season. Weinel is planning to major in psychology and criminal justice, and wants to pursue a career as a profiler for the FBI. At school, Weinel is involved in the SGA and is a member of the National Honor Society. “Olivia is a student all teachers would like to have. She comes to class prepared, she pays attention, always asks good questions, and is overall fun and an engaging student,” said psychology teacher, Samira Diggs. Olivia was crowned the 2017
Homecoming Queen out of five girls on the homecoming court. She was nominated by many friends because of her outstanding attitude. Weinel said, “I was so surprised and shocked and extremely happy when they announced me as the Queen.”
To nominate someone as Lancer of the Week, go to: https:// lhslance.org/9bexy
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The Lance
December 2017
Entertainment
Thor 3: A smashing sucess Nothing strange here: Stranger Things Season 2 Beau Cameron Co-editor in chief
Stranger Things returned for its second season on October 27, 2017. We had been waiting over a year for this, and when the show dropped, it did with a bang. Will Byers (played by Noah Schnapp): Season 2 picks up a year after the events of Season 1. Eleven is missing, leaving a traumatized Will in her place. For fans, Will has been something of a mystery for a long time. Joyce Byers (played by Winona Ryder): Joyce is, first and foremost, a mother. She is willing to raise hell and wage war for her sons, Johnathan and Will. Season 2 also introduced Bob Newby, Joyce’s new boyfriend. Dustin Henderson (played by Gaten Matarazzo): Of the younger boys, Dustin received the most attention this season. We saw him begin to make his own decisions, without the other boys, i.e. Lucas Sinclair (played by Caleb McLaughlin): Lucas got more screentime this season. He spent most of Read more at: https://lhslance.org/39dx6
Season 2 running after new girl Max, trying to make friends and bring her into the group the boys have formed. Mike Wheeler (played by Finn Wolfhard): In Season 1, Mike was the unspoken leader of the group. After Eleven’s disappearance at the end of Season 1, Mike is devastated. Max Mayfield (played by Sadie Sink): Fans have only known about Max for one season. Although her arc of joining the boy’s crew is cute, and her romance with Lucas is fun to watch, none of it made me fall in love with her. Season 2 was, simply put, a work of art. The show faces staggering expectations for its third season.
Nicholas Stephen Reporter Ever since Marvel Studios’ first film, Iron Man, released in 2008, their films have become progressively more space focused. With the introduction of Thor, then the Guardians of the Galaxy, space has become a prominent feature in the films, and Thor: Ragnarok certainly delivers. A colorful cosmic adventure, the film sets a new standard for the franchise, as well as the superhero movie genre. In Thor: Ragnarok, Thor finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first, he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger, the Incredible Hulk. Who knew an actor like Chris Hemsworth could deliver such a comedic yet fearsome performance. As Thor, Hemsworth diverges from the
other Avengers to take on a few issues back at home, mainly Cate Blanchett’s Hela. She’s ‘hella’ mean, snarky, and striking. The film was directed by Taika Waititi, a man who definitely understands how to blend action and travesty with humor. I think Waititi brings a lot of his experience as a comedian to the film. The consistently comedic nature of Ragnarok does a lot to humanize these larger-than-life characters. Nailing the tone and visuals, Waititi has undoubtedly produced the best Thor film yet. The film is perfectly acceptable as an action flick but inspired as a comedy, probably the direction the Thor franchise should’ve been aiming from the start. The film also has its fair share of heartfelt moments. Much to the anticipation of fanboys such as myself, Tom Hiddleston returns as the mischievous Loki and half brother of Thor. It’s an all around near-perfect flick, with its color, action, humor, and much much more. This film is what Marvel Studios should be. Read more at: https://lhslance.org/31ayr
Destiny 2: New and improved or frustrating failure? Tyler Roman Editor
Praised by critics and complained about by the fans, the Destiny franchise released its second game September 2017. The game was made to be a fresh start, with all progress and items not moving over to the second game, to ensure that everyone had a fair chance when beginning the adventure. This generated complaints from a good number of Destiny 1 players when the news was officially released. The in-game excuse for all everyone’s stuff being gone is that it all blew up. Initial complaints were likely cut short as the game began, with many noticeable changes from the first game.
The quality of Destiny 2 remains a point of disagreement among the Destiny community, and was hyped over more than it should have been way before it’s release. I still enjoyed the game greatly and I look forward to seeing how the series develops. While the game does have a lot of issues it needs to fix, including glitches, it has only been out for less then a year.
The Man Who Invented Christmas battles the Scrooge inside of himself
Emily Reed Co-editor-in-chief Are the same old Christmas movies leaving you less than jolly? Do the repetitive plots and cheesy lines of Hallmark Christmas movies make you say “Bah Humbug?” For a breath of peppermint-fresh air, watch The Man Who Invented Christmas to witness “The Christmas Carol” told from the other side of the quill. The strength of this movie lies in the superb acting and story that connects the audience to Dickens’ personal journey to forgive his father for ruining his childhood while writing his bestseller, “The Christmas Carol.” Dan Stevens is an excellent choice to play the eccentric Victorian writer Charles Dickens. Throughout the movie, Dickens realizes that now because of his success, he is far from the
poor but jolly pauper he was a boy. He doesn’t want to admit that bitterness towards his absent father wormed its way into his heart and destroyed his joy for Christmas. Dickens frustrations towards his childhood, It also helps that Dickens is surrounded by unconventional, intriguing characters that bring his story to life. Christopher Plummer played a Scrooge that the audience loved to hate and by the end forgives for all of his misdeeds. But, it wasn’t the seasoned veteran Plummer that stole the show. Newcomer Anna Murphy played the Ghost of Christmas Past and Tara, the Dickens’ young family housemaid. This red-headed Irish actress has a phenomenal stage presence and acted as the catalyst for Dickens’ imagination and story to take flight. She is his first editor and they struck up an Read more at: https://lhslance.org/go48v
There’s still plenty of time for the game to improve and plenty of areas it can improve in. Before the game even starts, anyone who played Destiny 1 would get to watch a slideshow of all their previous accomplishments in the first game, showing who they were playing with when they first reached each achievement. The game begins with a cut scene, which was a wonderful surprise for me. Destiny 1 had a severe lack of cut scenes, with minimal story for them to be based on. Bungie, the main developers of the franchise, quite obviously learned from that mistake and added in a comfortable amount of decent cut scenes into the second game. Cut scenes play after completing missions that have significant impact on the story or when beginning
a new “chapter” in the game, like going to a new planet or moon. In addition to the added personality of the game, the design and graphics are also a step up. With the addition of enhanced lighting, more vibrant and lifefilled environments, better looking nights, and the occasional rainstorm that pops up in some locations, Destiny 2 offers many unique areas to explore. In the new environments Bungie has created, the player is exploring for a good portion of the game. In order to gain access to faster land travel via sparrow. This feature forces the player to travel on foot Read more at: https://lhslance.org/pzdo6
Can you find your way to the star?
6
The Lance
Entertainment
December 2017
Taylor Swift’s “Reputation” Niall Horan produces continues to constantly evolve first acoustic solo album Yesenia Montenegro, Reporter
A brand new sound: Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated new album Reputation was released November 10. With 15 new songs on her sixth studio album, we get to hear a totally different kind of music from Swift. Swift has gone through an extreme transformation, but even though she and her music have changed, I still think that she a most talented singer. Her music shows that she has a strong voice, unlike auto-tuned singers. After her past album 1989, it is easy to tell that Swift is trying to move as far from her country music roots as possible. 1989 was the start of her career as a pop artist, which she is continuing with Reputation. Swift is known for referencing past boyfriends or relationships in her music. Fans have spent their time deciphering what song was about what boyfriend and what the messages in her music videos mean. The most memorable line from the song is spoken, “I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, ’cause she’s dead!” Swift explains that she wants to be a new person and that she wants her listeners to see her new style. Billboard reported that her album sold 1.05 million copies in the first four days, which makes it the most sold album of the year. Before Swift, Ed Sheeran’s album Divide had the most sales, with 919,000 units sold.
Since the album is not available on streaming services, it encourages listeners to buy the album instead of streaming it for free. The album sells for $13.99 and single songs sell for $1.29 on iTunes. There is no set date for when it will be available on streaming services like Spotify. One listener and member of the Class of 2020, Emma Howard said, “I think she’s trying to sound too much like other pop singers. In her older songs her sound was more unique and she sounded different than other singers.”
Since fans hadn’t heard music from Swift in a little over two years, there was a lot of excitement surrounding the album. Everyone wanted to hear it as soon as it came out. Swift had made it very mysterious what the rest of the album would sound like Read more at: https://lhslance.org/14v7u
Riverdale is back and will leave you wanting more Greyston Harding, Reporter
*SPOILERS AHEAD* Riverdale is back in the midst of its second season, and the show is more intense than ever. Riverdale is based on the classic Archie Comics, centering around Archie Andrews and his close group of friends, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge. At the end of Season One, the audience was horrified when Archie’s dad, Fred, was shot by a mysterious man, given the label, the “Black Hood.” On October 11th, 2017, in Episode One of Season Two, fans of the show were relieved when Fred Andrews appeared on screen; however Archie is not doing too well. Witnessing your own father getting shot is a very traumatic experience. Archie becomes obsessed with finding the man who shot his father and in the process, makes some poor
decisions. KJ Appa, who portrays Archie Andrews, does an excellent job portraying Archie’s mental state and emotions in this season. While I sympathize with Archie, I believe his actions are becoming irrational. Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse) is becoming more and more involved with his father’s gang related past. That past is with the Southside Serpents. Jughead must juggle his relationship with the Southside and the Northside. Jughead is facing a lot of inner turmoil, and I think that he’s going to test his friendships in order to be loyal to a gang. The characters on the show are lovable, and their personalities are easy for teenagers to connect with. Riverdale is a classic teen drama that pretty much anyone can enjoy. Older generations will be familiar with the story of the Archie Comics. Read more at: https://lhslance.org/000w4
Lindsey Russo, Reporter
Ever since Niall Horan’s new album “Flicker“ came out, it has been playing on repeat on my phone. Niall Horan was previously a part of One Direction until they took a “break,” which eventually turned into a complete split. One Direction had been together for five years and became famous on X-Factor. Each member auditioned separately, but they were then put in a boy band together. One Direction broke six Guinness World Records and was one of the most successful boy bands ever. The Guinness World Records record keepers announced the group’s six honors and they awarded them for their ability to sell albums by attracting followers on Twitter. Flicker rose to Number One on Billboard’s 200 album chart, He became the third member of the group to get a number one album, following Zayn Malik (Mind of Mine in 2016) and Harry Styles (Harry Styles, released earlier in 2017.) Horan’s album sold 152,000 copies in its first week of release. He has received the People’s Choice, Teen Choice, Radio Disney Music, iHeartRadio, iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards, and American Music Awards in 2017. This is his first major album as a solo artist. Flicker contains 13 tracks. One of the songs, “This Town,” was released in September 2016 and gave his fans a sneak peek of the future. On iTunes, his top five songs on the album are “This Town,” “On the Loose,” “Too Much to Ask,” “Seeing Blind,” and “Flicker.” I really like these songs because they are different from other artists and Niall
Horan has always been a talented singer. I hope he makes more songs and keeps doing what he has been doing. “This Town” is the most popular song on the album because it was released last year. Niall said he was inspired by a particular place, and that it’s not necessarily about anyone in particular. “Everything comes back to you,” the main lyric of the song, shows how he feels about the song. About the song he said, “I still go home all the time, no matter how far you traveled you still get to go home and be yourself. And then it’s obviously got that female aspect, and that it’s not about anyone.” I like “This Town” because it’s very calm and sounds like a love song. It shows a lot of emotion and feelings. “On the Loose” is the second most popular song. It was released on the album and the first time he performed it was at a San Diego Radio Concert. The song is a dancefriendly song. Read more at: https://lhslance.org/9ptv3
Lancer Media Staff lhslance.org lhslance.org
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