Front row left to right: Chris Carter, Jase Rhodes, Nate Bonds, Jacob Johnson, Justus Horner. Back row: Coach Rhodes, Kerrigan Chaney, Sander Frogner, Harry Anderson, Spencer Britton, Peter Anderson, Coach Britton, Finn Chaney. Photo by Kaitlyn Perkins. Missing Nate Hayes, Thomas Frieben, Josh Miao, Brooklyn Chen, Kaitlyn Perkins Ainsley Myles.
Lillian Phillips. Upper Left: Jacob Johnson ‘25 races in the 300 meter dash. Photo by Kaitlyn Perkins. Upper Right: Kerrigan Chaney ‘25 runs the anchor leg of the 4 x 400 meter race. See centerfold for stories. Photo by Jacob Johnson
We identify the things that make us feel better Caption Contest
There are so many things in the world that make us happy. So many things that induce dopamine, or the “feel-good” hormone.
But what makes us especially happy, and why? It may be something we’re passionate about, like playing a sport, reading stories or it just may be watching television.
It could be helping others. Altruistic behavior releases endorphins in our brains. Giving to others releases oxytocin. Our Help Save the Next Girl Club raised money and supplies for the Lampstand Drive for young sex trafficking victims.
“Donating made me feel like I was making an impact. I felt so accomplished,” said club leader Fiona Parnell ‘26.
Things that make us happy and excited in life are incredibly important. In order to live with balance while dealing with work, we must prioritize free time spent doing exhilarating activities and spending our time with purpose. For example, a good purpose is exercise, which is one of the most valuable things for the brain and body. When asked about what makes him happiest, Cole Cass ‘25 said “Lifting weights. It takes my mind off things. I only worry about my workout. It feels great both in the moment and after, it’s healthy.”
“Dance makes me happy,” said Jahanvi Patel ‘25, “I love the performance part of it. And the movement with the music, it’s like an energy rush.”
Hunter Basile ‘25 said “I would say sports, when I am bonding with teammates, sharing experiences and competing.”
Winning games boosts confidence, enhances attention and focus. It sparks neurochemical changes by releasing dopamine, testosterone and endorphins. Sports are fun; they are beneficial to the mind and the body, also while influencing positive psychological effects.
“Shopping
for a human
who understands
my
needs, treats are non-negotiable.” Jase Rhodes ‘26
animals. Pets, especially dogs, are a valued presence in the household. They not only surround us in a loving atmosphere; those who own pets gain the ability to raise beings. Pets can lower stress levels and even keep owners in shape as we walk them around the block.
“Donating made me feel like I was making an impact. I felt so accomplished.” -- Fiona Parnell ‘26.
“Music makes me the most happy, always,” said Tyler Bloomfield ‘25, “It’s calming and relaxing. Listening to a band also can really get me going… I get lost in it.”
Meanwhile, another contributor to happiness is spending time with
Finally, family and friends, also in the household, our loved ones are the most important people in our life. They give life skills, wisdom, emotion, nurture and much more.
“The feeling of security, knowing that there’s always someone to be here for me,” said Mia Rueda ‘26. “My mom is a built-in best friend to be here with me for life. My brother I can always rely on. He gives me protection.”
willis.hall.herald Founded in 2010 and based in the Journalism elective, The Willis Hall Herald is the official student-led publication of the Upper School at North Cross School. The Herald may be published in magazine form three or more times per year. Founded in 2017 and produced by the Herald staff, GeoPrism: A Global Studies Journal may be published in magazine form once or twice per year. the Herald welcomes letters, commentary and submissions of original content that adhere to the Herald’s dedication to factual journalism. Letters and other content must be signed and may be edited for length and Herald style. The Herald does not guarantee publication of outside submissions. Submit letters to willishallherald@northcross.org. the Herald won Gold Medals from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association in 2012 and 2015. The Herald is also a member of the National Student Press Association, whih awarded The Herald “First Class” honors in 2024.
Help Save the Next Girl takes a stand with Lampstand
By Margaret Bass
Help Save The Next Girl is a non-profit organization that was formed in 2009 to help educate young girls and women about predatory dangers.
It is based out of Southwest Virginia with 13 partners including the Roanoke Police Department and The Joyful Child Foundation.
The HSTNG club was first brought to North Cross by Bailey Sanders ‘16. It is currently run by Fiona Parnell ‘26 as President. Emma Votta ‘26, Millie Chopski ‘26, and Margaret Bass ‘28 all share the role of Vice President; the club also has a Male Representative, Brandon Carey ‘26.
The club has been very active and raised money and supplies for The Lampstand. This is a shelter for young female victims and survivors of sex trafficking from ages 12 -17. These donations and supplies were organized and distributed into a total of 30 bags that will be given to The Lampstand organization and their partnering shelter that helps women ages 18 and older who do not qualify for The Lampstand.
Members of the club and other donors gathered fun supplies such as fuzzy socks, marshmallows, journals, blankets and stickers, as well as essentials such as shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, toiletries bags and loofahs. In total the club raised exactly $1,500 from cash donations and a Go-
STEAM GIRLS WIN!
STEAMWORK: Anna Ciccozzi ‘26, Abby Landry ‘26 and Izzy Snyder ‘26 work feverishly to use AI to create solutions to the challenges posed by the orchestrators of event at Foxcroft School on Feb. 22. “I think the competition was really fun,” Ciccozzi said, “I was happy to collaborate with Izzy and Abby, and work on all of the challenges we were given. The math challenge, we had to find a bunch of different sequences and patterns. It was difficult at first, but it was a fun experience trying to solve them. I’m so glad we were able to take home the win.”
Photo by Jennifer Landry
FundMe.
“It was amazing,” Parnell said. “I was in TJ MAXX for supplies and people would ask me what all the stuff in my chart was for. I told them and they would give me five or ten dollars right there.”
“It was inspiring because everybody, boys and girls, worked together to help,” Votta said.
Packing the bags took the entire block for lunch and over 20 people gave their time for this project.
Indira Weed ‘25 describes the event as “fulfilling” and said “Help Save The Next Girl is so important because it educates people on the dangers that women face in the world, and we are able to help amazing causes such as The Lampstand shelter!”
Faculty Advisor Sarah Cocowitch is very glad to have HSTNG at North Cross because the “issues we learn about are truly life-saving” and “aren’t something you learn in academic classes but are critical as young women (and men) head off to college.”
She sees the impact the members of the club are making in the community and success they are having with their fundraisers and is “in awe” of what they have accomplished and will in the future.
Bibby reaches state finals in speech contest
Mason Bibby holds the medal he won for placing first in a recent regional speech and debate contest sponsored by the American Legion. He finished his prepared speech by saying, “I did not engineer these words for the glory of winning a contest or personal pomp and circumstance, they are a benchmark declaration of the values and truths I hold to be “self evident.” His victory earned him a place in the state competition in Virginia Beach starting Feb. 28.
NCS HSTNG President Fiona Parnell ‘26 gives instructions to members of the club who filled backpacks full of essential supplies for survivors of sex trafficking. Photo by Abby Landry
Photo by Meshelle Bibby
Hell’s fury, Harlem’s pride
Honoring a war hero treated dishonorably by his country
By Mason Bibby
“ The only thing that could stop us was the end of the war.”
Those are the words of Sergeant Major George H. Johnson, commanding officer of the war-renowned 15th New York National Guard Regiment. By 1917, when the United States joined the First World War–then known simply as the Great War due to its unforeseen destruction and travesty–Imperial Germany was on the retreat.
War-weariness also peaked in the United Kingdom, while France faced troop mutinies that threatened to unravel the fabric of her armies. It was time for a reprieve from the fight. It was time for a burgeoning power.
The United States joined World War One on April 6, 1917, following repeated German attacks on U.S. shipping routes and the controversial Zimmerman Telegram. America’s sheer anger at Germany reached its precipice in the form of calling up every able-bodied young man to ship out to France and deal the killing blow to the Central Powers.
Four years prior in 1913, however, President Woodrow Wilson had implemented racial segregation at a federal level. This included the military, which had already been a social norm since the American Revolution.
But despite the seemingly insurmountable odds at home and abroad, 2,000 valiant Black soldiers, both enlisted and drafted to the 15th New York, federalized as the 369th Infantry Regiment, would sail to France and become one of the most successful Army units in U.S. history.
Before that, they faced unparalleled prejudice in their home state of New York where they were re-
fused participation in the NY National Guard’s “Rainbow Division” farewell parade because “Black is not a color of the rainbow.”
Nevertheless, their valor and bravery would be proven in Europe. Quickly joining the French 16th Infantry Regiment to link up with the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the last major push of the war, the troops proved themselves apt combatants and even greater comrades. Throughout their 191 days in combat–the most of any American unit in WWI and during which not a single man was captured or a single foot of ground lost–they proved time and again that courage could not be bestowed by any man or endowed by any government.
“Each man should think not only of himself but of his buddy fighting next to him,” Sergeant Major Johnson would go on to say. “If you fight for yourself, you have only one man to fight for. If you fight for your buddy, you have two men to fight for.”
This spirit was undoubtedly embodied in their fight for their nation, and they, revered by their Allies and dreaded by their foes, would receive a new nickname from the Germans. Hellfighters.
“Each man should think not only of himself but of his buddy fighting next to him.”
SIR, YES, SIR: “Sergeant Major Henry H. Johnson poses for his official military portrait as commanding officer of the 369th Infantry Regiment. Johnson was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart in 1996 and the Distinguished Service Cross in 2002. In 2015, he was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama. Caption by Mason Bibby.
Minorities at PWIs face unseen challenges
By Jacob Johnson
There are many challenges faced when moving from a place where someone is surrounded by people who look like them, to a place where there are significantly less people who resemble them. Even if a minority grew up in a predominantly white institution (PWI), many challenges can still be faced.
“I think it’s depending on the point of view, because like some people that like aren’t able to fit in as easily will have a more hard time since like there’s not a lot of people who look like us, you know,” Rabia Ferron ‘25 said, “so I feel like it can be a struggle, but also on the bright side, if you can fit in, it’s not really that much of a problem.”
Coming from a PWI, Rabia is very knowledgeable about growing up not seeing many people who look like her. Although she may not have grown up in the NCS PWI, she still has plenty of
experience with the subject.
“At my old school I was in first grade and my brother was in preschool,” Ferron said, “and me and him were the only black kids in the whole school.”
There are a few minorities who grew up in the PWI we call home. Although they grew up through this circuit it still has to be difficult.
“It was not easy growing up [at NCS] especially through my third through eighth grade years,”
Maggie Bibby said, “I was the only black kid in my class, so it felt very isolated up until I got into the high school and saw the different walks of life because I really didn’t experience that through most of my elementary and middle school years.”
As the only Brazilian student and one of two Brazilian people on campus, Pietra Adelino Fischer definitely has the title and space to say minority.
“My other school like it was way bigger, like a big big school. It was like more than 1,200 students, like in the whole school and a lot of people are like the same thing, and do the same thing.” Fischer said. “So here I’m like the only Brazilian I can show my friends what we do in Brazil, like parties, the customs, and what we do.” Fischer said, “It was a change for me to have to speak in a different language and to learn new things in that different language.”
“Despite being in the same school, our experiences aren’t really the same. It’s easier to get along in school when you feel like you share a lot of common ground with people. It can be hard when you feel like you don’t match with any of your classmates.”-- Maggie Bibby ‘26
As someone who grew up surrounded by a large amount of just about every culture, it was very different to make that change to NCS. While NCS does have a wide variety of cultures, it is still a PWI. Some argue since there are many different countries involved in the community, it can’t be a PWI. This is a misconception because there can be many cultures but if there is still a dominant culture, then there are still minorities.
Many people who are the majority in the PWI don’t realize an issue, and may be blind to the inequality they have unknowingly witnessed everyday.
“Despite being in the same school, our experiences aren’t really the same. It’s easier to get along in school when you feel like you share a lot of common ground with people,” Bibby said, “It can be hard when you feel like you don’t match with any of your classmates.”
SEE ME: Many of the students involved in the African-American Latin X Affinity group support Carter Smith ‘25 at his signing day as he signs the papers to play lacrosse at Wagner College. L-R: Isabel Mendez Moraga, Rabia Ferron, Sharmithaa Bhavani Maheswaran, Tina Chikwata, Lilly Dearing, Carter Smith, Jacob Johnson, Maggie Bibby, Maidah Ahmad.
Photo by Suvi Hansen
English classes should allow for student choice
By Akali Koeda
Although many say that the English and Literature curriculum is thoroughly educational, several students also find it dull and unexciting. Literature should be a subject where students can cultivate their artistic interests and emotional expressions. Numerous students enjoy the subject because it can encourage open-mindedness and provide new and diverse ways of thinking. However, many do not enjoy the class and required curriculum for each grade. The English curriculum should be modified to better suit student interests.
Throughout the course of high school, the number of students who want to major in English decreased by 10.6%, as claimed by the National Center for Education Services.
According to a study conducted by Literacy Inc., 33% of U.S. high school graduates never read a book after high school.
Many students dislike English not because of the workload or the reading and writing, but the content that is being assigned to them. While interviewing multiple ninth graders at North Cross school, many agreed that the essay writing was one of the worst aspects of English.
“The English subject can sometimes consume time, become tedious, and in some cases, turn into busy-work because of how much writing and reading comes from the subject that students may grow to dislike.”
-Mackenzie Jones, staff writer of The Eagle Angle of Allen High School in Allen, TX
According to a study conducted by Literacy Inc. 33% of U.S. high school graduates NEVER read a book after high school.
Over the past 15 years 15 million students have graduated from high school with their reading levels BELOW the basic requirements.
“Writing essays is time consuming and tedious,” Eve Heletz ‘28 said, “and it’s one of my least favorite activities that we do in English.”
Other ninth graders said the same, additionally mentioning how they would have preferred writing essays about a book or a topic they enjoyed instead of a school-required book. “Mandatory assignments feel like a heavier weight,” Micah Evans ‘28 said, and many students agree.
As stated by Eagle Angle Opinions, “Students may much rather prefer writing an essay over what they want, opposed to receiving a specific writing prompt where the creativity is limited.” This is because as teenagers and young adults, our minds despise limitations and restrictions that feel pressuring and stressing to finish our work by a deadline. Teachers and other authoritative figures may not understand how a student may feel because the curriculum is what has been set by The Virginia Board of Education or by the Board of Directors or even by the teacher themselves, but students would agree that the English program could be improved through multi-
Your grade-level English/literature class curriculum should be modified for more student choice: 48 responses
ple measures.
Firstly, an opinionated essay on a book of choice for each student would be an optimal replacement for analytical essays on required books, as well as the freedom to express themselves with no criticism, compared to unoriginal, regulated essays. Secondly, several people have stated that reading in class is a prolonged activity that many do not benefit from. Individual reading times may be more helpful to the understanding of a student. Thirdly, although this may not apply to NCS, the use of mandatory rubrics, the grading of essays, or other things may be subjective to the opinion of the teacher. If the essay does not coincide with the teacher’s opinion, the grade, the critique, and the feedback may be affected for personal reasons. Therefore, if a student feels impacted by the teacher’s personal remarks and opinions, the teacher should reflect and attempt to be unbiased with a student’s work.
Although all of these “improvements” may not be realistic and also may not apply to all, they are formulated from the feedback of students and alumni in the United States, as well as students here at NCS. English and literature is an amazing subject that should be enjoyed by all, while also having the benefits of a true educational experience.
“I love memorization because it is easy and simple, and I also like how the curriculum lets us read a variety of books, “ Heletz said. “For example The Book Thief, I never would
have read it if it wasn’t required, and I actually enjoyed it.”
The opinion of international students is important as well, due to our schools’ inclusive and diverse community.
“As an international student, I like how the teacher is always there to help the students if they don’t understand” said Kevin Tran ‘26, “and how helpful they are during class and give good advice to improve our English. But, I think English class could be improved by watching more document movies and have some vocabulary.”
When Head of English Department Polly Jones was asked about the current curriculum, she responded by saying that the students’ education was prioritized first over what the students preferred.
“A lot of the curriculum is based on the development of the student.” she said. “For example, about 10 years ago, we created a document called the writing initiative, where each grade level educator from kindergarten through 12th said ‘this is what kind of essays they need to write and the kind of grammar they need to study.’”
Overall, although students may not be able to modify the curriculum, students can object to unfair treatment of students due to biased opinions, and can also protest against unfair grading and scoring.
Additionally, students can for ask or suggest an additional assignment that could be added for extra credit, or as a modification to a assignment that would allow for more freedom.
School should start later so students can get more sleep
By Mia Esposito
Our school starts promptly at 8:00, county schools start at 8:20 and Roanoke city schools start at 8:45. This feels very early for most, if not all of us. The information being taught to us this early in the morning is important. Our lives depend on the grades we get from those classes. The information we retain from the classes we take may lead to the colleges we get into. Do we need to start so early?
We all know that sleep is important to our overall health, but according to Teens and Sleep, “Experts recommend that teens between the ages of 13 and 18 get 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night?” Let’s dive deeper into why.
We all know as students and educators that grades and our performance in school is important.We also know that extracurricular activities look great on our college applications and enrich our lives. So, we’ve been encouraged to take some, and then some turn into a lot, and then next thing you know you’re getting home at 11:00 pm exhausted. The worst part is you still have homework. It all piles up and sleep goes on the back burner. After all, we can sleep when we’re old, after we get into our dream school. What I’m here to tell you is the more you sleep the more likely you are to get into that school.
In 2022 the Columbia University Department of Physiatry did a study on “How Sleep Deprivation Impacts Mental Health.” They found that, “Sleep helps maintain cognitive skills, such as attention, learning, and memory.” Therefore, if you get more sleep you will be able to pay more attention in class. More sleep will also help you retain the information you learn. Not only will it help our grades but it will also our mental health.
According to the same Columbia study, “Poor or insufficient sleep has been found to increase negative emotional responses to stressors and to decrease positive emotions.”
The 2024 CDC report says that 40% of high school students felt “persistently sad and hopeless.” There are 25.7 million teenagers in the United States and 40% of that is 10.28 million. 10.28 million teenagers are at risk of suicide. It is worse for girls. Over half of girls report feeling “persistently sad and hopeless.” Eight percent of teenagers have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder. Anxiety can affect how students learn. Sleep is directly connected with mental health. This does not directly relate to school though, right? Well, it can.
Inside Higher Ed released an article in 2022 discussing student suicides and the impact grades
Google Form survey conducted by email Feb. 25-26.
have on their mental health. The article said, “We have strong evidence to suggest that grades are making students physically, emotionally and psychologically unwell.” Not only that, but it also said, “The stress children, teenagers and college-age students feel about grades along with the pressure they experience from parents and teachers are directly linked to the widely reported mental health crisis in these age groups.”
As a student I can confirm, whether they mean it or not, there is pressure from our family and teachers. They want the best for us. However, that could just be my opinion, so I asked around. Most students responded that the pressure comes from their family, not their teachers. The pressure however might not be a bad thing. Spencer Britton ‘27 said, “There can be added stress to it, but overall, I think that it’s a positive thing.”
Camden DeMoss ‘28 was asked the same question and he said, “It can, but it doesn’t affect me all the time.”
Clinically, there is a noticeable difference but can students and teachers notice? Yes. Not only did the students say they felt a difference they also said they knew their teachers knew it too.
AP World History teacher Dr. Daniel Hood said he “definitely” thinks students need more sleep.
“I have students who’ve fallen asleep in class,” he said, “and they miss vital material that shows up on tests and they miss that material.”
This is a hit to our grades that could be prevented.
U.S. History and AP Comparative Government teacher Ryan DeMarco said, “Students who come to class tired tend to either fall asleep in class or not perform as well.” He said he can tell when a student is well rested depending on their test grades as well.
Not only do we feel it in our own school but, according to Inside Higher Ed, “88 percent said [13 to 17-year-olds] feel either ‘a lot’ or ‘some’ pressure about grades.”
Now all of this is just statistics, just numbers. They don’t mean anything to you specifically. Right? Wrong. I asked Upper School Counselor
Sarah Cocowitch about her view on mental health, sleep, and extracurriculars from a professional perspective.
“Sleep is not only critical for mental health, it’s also critical for learning,” Cocowitch said. “It not only directly impacts our mood, frustration tolerance, and emotional reactivity, but it also affects our ability to focus and retain new information. So, yes, I think getting the recommended amount of sleep for teenagers should definitely be a priority!”
So how important are extracurriculars really?
“Extracurricular activities are important for many reasons:” Cocowitch said, “building social connections and friendships, allowing for creative or artistic expression, and having a physical outlet to move and expend energy after a long day of sitting in class.”
Britton and DeMoss said they don’t make it home until 5:45 daily.
I asked them if they would be unhappy without their activities.
“I would be unhappy if I didn’t have them,” DeMoss said.
Cocowitch says we need just enough of all parts of life.
“The challenge is finding the right balance,” she said, “and managing time well so that sleep isn’t sacrificed in the process.”
Are we as a student body succeeding in balancing our sleep with our sports practices or art or music classes?
“Too many North Cross students are trying to ‘do it all,’ in my opinion,” Cocowitch said, “sometimes risking their health and well-being due to lack of sleep and stress.”
So, no, we have not found our balance.
That being said, does she think starting school later would help students finish their extracurriculars and get the recommended amount of sleep?
“I think the research shows that later start times for high school students are a good idea in that it improves sleep, academic performance, and attendance,” the Upper School Counselor said. ”But I wonder how that would work for our sports teams that have to travel at length to play away games. Would they have to miss more class time if the day runs longer? Would they just get home later and stay up later as a result?”
One reason why the public schools can start later is that their teams rarely travel long distances to face opponents.
There are many other options that might help, but none that make as much sense as starting school later. I asked seven students and three faculty members if school should start later and the results were unanimous. Yes.
Seeing the signs: Why Trump won the White House again
By Mason Bibby
Roanoke–much like the rest of the country–is a city of contrasts. It is quiet yet industrious, historically conservative yet home to diverse communities, and grounds for immense change. Here, I viewed firsthand how the battle for the White House could shape life in the region, and how quickly it could stir up political fervor.
In March 2024, Donald Trump, with wins in the Republican primaries, easily became the presumptive nominee. He was to deliver an acceptance that July, at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Despite it being before his certification. The right-leaning populace in Southwestern Virginia, had already taken Trump’s nomination and run with it. This was evident in the form of many signs campaigning for the former. The sheer scale in which these signs cropped up was a bit idiosyncratic to me. During the 2020 election, I saw far fewer signs during my commutes. I could not help but wonder if the local economy was single-handedly kept afloat by the sudden demand for campaign signs. Nevertheless, I shrugged this finding off, believing myself significantly older and to that point, more observant. Soon enough, the nation was primed for the first presidential debate between incumbent Joe Biden and former President Donald J. Trump on June 27. There was a certain degree of enthusiasm for Trump; running after a Biden presidency that a large proportion of Americans from both sides of the aisle thought anticlimactic at best and disastrous at worst. To his credit, President Biden made several key points, including those about the COVID-19 pandemic, the soaring prices of goods and services, and national security issues.
However, it was only downhill from there.
At the end of the night, top Democratic officials were practically tugging at their hair over Biden’s “disastrous” debate performance. Not only had Biden confirmed his age was an issue–a subject that millions of voters were already anxious about–he had failed to effectively combat the attacks on his administration. Republicans, meanwhile, were more than giddy. Trump had effectively destroyed the incumbent’s reputability. To that point, it was less than 24 hours before notable members of the Democratic began to call for his removal as the Democratic nominee. On July 21, his hand was forced, and he acquiesced to the demands of several members of his party.
But who was to be the new nominee?
Names flew around the nation like wildfire. But who better, the president thought, to run for his successor than the woman who had made history as the first female, Black and Asian-American Vice President of the U.S.? Who better than Kamala Harris? It was not long before the rest of the party began to rally around Harris as their nominee, to be certified at the 2024 Chicago Democratic National Convention. At this point, aforementioned signs had begun to proliferate more profusely, and in unexpected areas as well. Soon enough, the scale and location of these acts of political advocacy got me wondering about the race’s outcome. In Roanoke’s predominantly minority neighborhoods, for instance, I noticed more campaign signs for Trump-Vance, with slogans like “TAKE AMERICA BACK.” But just when I thought the election was decided in favor of the Republican nominee, a “HARRIS-WALZ” or “WHEN WE FIGHT, WE WIN” sign reset my sentiment and reminded me the only certainty in politics is uncertainty–and a lingering headache. The road to the White House, then, would lead through Pennsylvania—the Keystone State to finish the “Blue Wall.” What neither I nor arguably anyone else expected was a Trump rout, leaving Democrats stunned and Republicans euphoric.
This got me wondering: how did Harris manage to fall short of the White
FAKE NEWS? When the Daily Mail of London reported on Trump’s support in the rural heartland, they incorrectly placed Trump Town in Staunton instead of Boones Mill. But they were right to note rural Virginia’s support for Trump.
House? What made Trump more attractive this time around? What did Trump get right, and what did Harris get wrong? It all came down to campaign strategy, party support, and even a sense of morality.
The first thing I noticed during the race was the way in which the Trump campaign was managed. It showed a heavy desire to invigorate its base while simultaneously pulling in those who may be skeptical of the nominee’s policies. Trump’s overall goal this year was to paint himself as a unifying figure, a standpoint that ultimately depends on the voter–even some who voted Republican do not feel that way. However, the situation remains: enough people saw him that way, which led to his victory at several key junctions. He called for the scrapping of several government entities which a number of Americans saw as useless or overly bureaucratic. Donald Trump, overall, ran on the promise of returning several powers to the states: abortion, education and even some previously federal expenditures are all expected to forthwith (or at least, semi-immediately) be returned to the states come January. So what makes this practice particularly alluring toward Republican and swing voters? Right-aligned individuals typically seek to limit government size, influence, and oversight. This can yield positive returns, especially in the case of economic freedom, or laissez-faire, which the country is built upon. But above that, it also makes Americans believe they have more civil liberties than they would possess under a larger government. By returning interpretation of certain issues to state legislatures, Trump courted citizens who believed it is their right to decide. But this is not necessarily the prevailing stance for those to the center and left; those leaning in that direction argued that the best path to unity was through acknowledging all voices, rather than vesting their hopes into one person.
Another thing Democrats could not foresee this time around was Trump’s utilization of different voter demographics. His campaign was unprecedentedly skilled at appealing to disillusioned minority voters, his own base of primarily White, older, rural males, and swinging voters in regions that had been principal Democratic strongholds. For example, the church I attend weekly is in a fundamentally lower income, minority community. While pockets of affluence are present, the scale is not comparable to those surrounding school or home. This cycle, I noticed several signs campaigning for Trump in front yards, on storefronts, and on street corners in the area. This was evidence of Republican work with those who may not typically swing towards the base. In battleground states, particularly Pennsylvania and Georgia, this was also the case. In 2020, Biden won 13 pivotal Pennsylvania counties to ultimately win the state and the White House. This year, Harris ceded five of them. Trump took fewer stops in Pennsylvania–22 to Harris’ 26–he was more adroit in using language that appealed to a broader demographic. He set up several “Latinos for Trump” and “Blacks for
It came down to campaign strategy, party support and a sense of
Trump” pop-ups in counties where those enumerations were the highest or most important, and continued to cultivate support by promising a better alternative to a nominee who many non-Democratic voters saw as too divergent from their values. Harris’ performance was not all failure; she won women by a 10 percentage points. While the spirit of Obama’s ‘Yes We Can’ was perceptible in the Democratic campaign, it faced significant headwinds from economic challenges, global instability and erosion of trust in the government which occurred under Biden, all of which proved difficult for a candidate coming (literally) out of left field. In all, Harris failed to get a large enough proportion on board for what she presented as a noble cause. But it was not just in Pennsylvania where Kamala Harris fell short of her expectations. In Michigan and Wisconsin, specifically, there was a large disparity between expected outcomes and actual results, especially in the former. In fact, Michigan had one of the hardest right-oriented swings of any state in the Union–though all experienced it. In nearly every county, Democrats faced a hard shift to the GOP, one that stings even worse when it could be observed across every anthropological poll. What gave Trump the edge in the seven swing states was not necessarily his ability to draw in large swaths of people, which he certainly was able to do, but his personality that served as a foil to his opponent’s. Trump’s victory in the battlegrounds came not solely from drawing large crowds but from a strategic focus on incremental gains across demographics. By contrasting his governance reform-focused persona with Harris’ broader progressive vision, Trump appealed to voters seeking a transition into stability over one into social justice.
As we now accept the results of the presidential election, the query of moral advantage is brought to light. Depending on who you ask, this election could be seen as either a perfect success or crushing failure on the basis of American morality which many dissenters argue has been shattered due to the election’s outcome. Many around the world feel these effects too, as the 2024 Election in the United States occurred simultaneously with a volley of far-right elections—and united left retaliations—in Europe. While many leftists around the country fear Donald Trump’s purported contempt for globalization and resurged nationalism, the right has viewed this as a new age: an “America first” one. When Joe Biden was a Democratic Senator from Delaware, he once lamented to Congress that “Europe cannot stay united without the United States. There is no moral center in Europe.” That thought has been reflected in Trump’s attitude toward foreign intervention, specifically in the context of broader global conflicts such as the War in Gaza—another focal point behind Harris’ loss. For example, Dearborn, Michigan, which has one of the highest concentrations of Arab-Americans in the U.S., voted 47 percent for Trump, 28 percent for Harris and 22 percent for Jill Stein. Trump was able to capitalize off of the geopolitical stress that has bemused the Biden Administration for the past four years. Much like Europe, Trump’s camp
morality.
prioritized the importance of an ultranationalist America preserving its individuality in the face of mass immigration movements and international tumult. By conflicting with Harris’ progressivist hopes for an globalized society, Trump carried the narrative of moral high ground in an era where nations are receding into their own circles following crisis after crisis.
In both the U.S. and Europe, the concept of morality was fundamentally reframed by rightists as a defense of tradition, sovereignty, and self-determination. He echoed this in a speech at a Turning Point Action rally, saying “You’re fighting against an oppressive left-wing ideology that is driven by hate and seeks to purge all dissent.” Morality, as they saw it, was ensuring America remained a certain demographic’s view of it. Trump cemented his policies as an ethical imperative to, literally, “Make America Great Again,” explicitly by protecting its denizens from perceived external threats—be they economic, cultural, or geopolitical. Trump altered his persona around the preservation of American individualism and exceptionalism. The recuperation of chauvinism across the Atlantic, furthermore, occurring concomitantly as it does in the United States has offered a vision into shifting tides. Trump seized the opportunity and rode the wave of an electorate becoming incrementally more resistant to internationalized governance.
Kamala Harris lost: What did she get right? Harris was able to mount an antithesis in an election that appeared to have been decided. She shattered fundraising records. Harris took on the role of underdog against a well-known opponent. She endured relentless criticism compounded by her identity as a woman of color. Harris managed to craft a compelling counter-narrative against a GOP platform many Americans either feared or opposed. Her efforts laid the groundwork for future campaigns and inspired a level of grassroots resilience within her party. Her loss can teach important lessons about strategy, appeal and how to combat polarization.
The election is over, and ultimately, the outcome hinged on a combination of campaign strategy, party cohesion, and underlying questions of morality–a word with murky meanings as of now. These factors shaped this election, but could also serve as a blueprint for a Democratic resurgence.
As new officials take office, signs are taken down, and individuals once again become unbothered by Washingtonian affairs, there is one fixture that remains as resolute as America itself. As I passed the campaign signs daily, gazing longingly and attempting to ascertain clarity on the situation, one sight always served as a reprieve for a mind abuzz with thoughts about the nation’s future. It was a symbol of the nation itself. There, resting triumphantly atop the peak of Mill Mountain sat the Roanoke Star, illuminated in its characteristic Virginia charm. The star does not shine simply for Republicans or solely for Democrats, but for all Virginians. It shines for all Americans. It shines as a beacon of unity, resilience, courage, and hope. In its light, we are reminded that the promise of America belongs to us all, no matter who we vote for.
Infographic created with CANVA. Trump image from wiki
OPINION
Mental illness among teens can intersect with drug use
By Fiona Parnell
Both teen mental illness and substance abuse have always been considered some of the most pressing issues for young people, but due to current spikes of both epidemics, they are more relevant right now than ever. Although these are both some of the most talked about topics regarding the safety and well being of young adults, they are rarely connected in conversations when educating on the dangers of both.
As a high school student who went to both public and private schools over their teenage years, drug abuse is commonly discussed all the way from elementary to high school. In recent years, mental health has slowly been talked about more, but the stigma still remains. When adults talk about drug abuse and addiction and how it begins, we are told about three main ways: hanging out with the wrong friend group and giving in to peer pressure, trying to fit in and be “cool”, and your brain not being fully developed resulting in risky and poor decision making.
The spike in both epidemics is shown by numerous recent studies. KFF reported “Adolescent drug fatalities more than doubled in recent years – primarily due to opioids – but slightly decreased by the end of 2023.”
Although there was a miniscule decrease, which is still a positive, the comparison from 10 years ago to now is disturbing.
“There were 708 adolescent drug fatalities in 2023, compared to 721 in 2022. Although these findings represent the first decrease in drug overdose fatalities in recent years, they remain more than twice as high as the number of adolescent overdose fatalities prior to the pandemic (708 deaths in 2023 vs. 282 deaths in 2019.”
As well as the increase in drug abuse In 2023, CDC found that: four in 10 (40%) students had persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Two in 10 (20%) students seriously considered attempting suicide and nearly one in 10 (9%) attempted suicide.
Despite the countless data and studies that have been performed proving that a large percentage of adolescents who use drugs stem from mental illness, it is almost always never a part of the conversation when young adults are being guided to adulthood. Mental health and substance abuse are directly tied to each other. A 2016 study performed by PubMed, an online medical literature site provided by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, discovered a shocking statistic that proves mental health issues align with substance abuse. PubMed found that of 10,000 adolescents, two-thirds of those who developed alcohol or substance use disorders had experienced at least one mental health disorder.
The mental health stigma is extremely dangerous not only by itself but also by its impact on drug abuse. Due to the stigma, mental health awareness and resources are scarce and are a key reason why substance abuse has risen drastically. When people feel hopeless they are too scared or embarrassed to ask for help leading to them seeking an alternate way to escape.
Also, people who want to get better often do not have access to help.
“The findings provide the first evidence from a nationally representative sample that prior mental disorders represent risk factors for the transition from nonuse to use,” PubMed said in its study, “and the progression to drug- and alcohol-related problems. Treatment of primary mental disorders is likely to be an important target for the prevention of secondary substance use disorders in youth”
Teen Mental Health and Drug Abuse Epidemics
Both teen mental illness and substance abuse have always been considered some of the most pressing issues for young people, but due to current spikes of both epidemics, they are more relevant right now than ever Although these are both some of the most talked about topics regarding the safety and well being of young adults, they are rarely connected in conversations when educating on the dangers of both
Drug Abuse (KFF) Mental Health (CDC)
“Adolescent drug fatalities more than doubled in recent years primarily due to opioids but slightly decreased by the end of 2023” Although there was a minuscule decrease, which is still a positive, the comparison from 10 years ago to now is disturbing.
“There were 708 adolescents drug fatalities in 2023, compared to 721 in 2022 Although these findings represent the first decrease in drug overdose fatalities in recent years, they remain more than twice as high as the number of adolescent overdose fatalities prior to the pandemic (708 deaths in 2023 vs. 282 deaths in 2019”
Add 4 in 10 (40%) students had persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness here 1
2 in 10 (20%) students seriously considered attempting suicide
Hotlines + Help Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with drug abuse and mental illness, there are hotline rescources available
SAMHSA (Substance abuse and mental health services administration)
“SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders
Despite the countless data and studies that have been performed proving that a large percentage of adolescents who use drugs stem from mental illness, it is almost always never a part of the conversation when young adults are being guided to adulthood.
Helping the drug crisis will not be possible without helping the mental health epidemic as well. They are intertwined in a way that we cannot ignore, and it is imperative to our youth and future generations that we do not ignore these issues.
If you or someone you know is struggling with drug abuse and mental illness, there are hotline
resources available such as SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
“SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-daya-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.”
Disorganization in the healthcare field can be fatal
By Isla Whittle
No one is immune to small errors. However, in the healthcare field, these mistakes can add up and deeply affect many people. Disorganization in this field can be dangerous, and even fatal at times. In the next three paragraphs, I will explain different ways the healthcare field is disorganized, with a brief conclusion at the end. Disorganization can cause chaos and loss in people’s lives, not to mention the mortality rate of these types of cases.
The logistics of how many hospitals are organized is outdated. Fifty percent of hospitals say that their systems in which doctors and nurses can find information are outdated. This causes many healthcare workers to be unable to find the information necessary. Fifty-three percent say their systems aren’t effective either. Doctors often cant find all of the in-
formation that they need. There can be many different types of disorganization, including failures in critical thinking, undisciplined treatment strategies, structural failures, as well as failures in situational awareness.
According to the National Library of Medicine, 74 out of the 152 presented cases were caused by disorganization. This is about 48 percent of the cases. Healthcare Dive says that many healthcare workers can’t find the right information with their systems. Only about one in five healthcare workers finds the correct information that they need 100% of the time. The Journal of Surgical Research shows how the smallest errors can deeply affect a patient while in the care of a healthcare worker.
About one in ten cases of disorganization can be fatal. All these cases can deeply affect people, whether it be their physical well being, or mental. These cases can cause loss and sometimes chaos in people’s lives. If more problems were to be caused by
“74 out of 152 presented cases were caused by disorganization.” --National Library of Medicine
50% of hospitals say their systems are outdated
In conclusion, many hospitals agree that their systems are outdated and ineffective, only one in five doc-
tors can find the right information, and these issues can cause loss and chaos in people’s lives. We need to find a solution to this problem that affects so many people.
Britannica Image Quest a disorganization case, the medical bill may increase. Some people can’t afford to pay it off.
Google Form survey conducted by email Feb. 25-26.
Unseen connections between people and dogs are mutually beneficial
By Nola Daninger
There are many reasons why everyone should have a furry friend at home, whether it’s to calm you down, to help you with daily tasks, or to have someone who always looks forward to you coming home. This is a controversial subject, because some people believe that animals should not be pets, or that they just don’t like animals at home. The reasons that will be listed below will prove that everyone should have a pet and the benefit of it. Having a pet helps our mental health, reduce health risks and act as a helper to people in need. Everyone loves their pets, especially me. I got my dog when I was 11. She not only fulfilled my childhood dreams of having my own pet, but also changed my life significantly for the better. I want everyone to be able to experience this feeling, and this is my way of contributing.
As well as many pets, dogs have proven to reduce stress, anxiety and even depression according to “5 Ways Help with Stress and Mental Health,” on the site www.heart.org. They can also make you feel less lonely as well as encourage more exercise and going outside. Dogs especially require daily walks and play time. This will increase our vitamin D and improve our overall health and happiness, according to the same source. It is also proven people often get a rush of oxytocin, which is known as the bonding hormone. This occurs when you have affectionate and warm hearted interactions with your pets. Having animals also helps lower blood pressure as well as reduces the ultimate risk of heart disease. For example, finding ways to manage our stress, like spending quality time with our cats or petting our dogs can reduce health risks. These are just some of
the many reasons why animals are more helpful than a lot of people make them out to be. “Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet,” Sidonie Gabrielle Colette said in the late 1800s. Still true.
There are so many different dogs to choose from, such as sizes or breeds. Some people enjoy bigger dogs, while others enjoy little dogs.
“I only like cute dogs. I don’t like dogs who bite my leg and make me bleed,” science teacher Getulio Brasil said. Therefore, they can also help you with different things which we specifically need. Say we are struggling with depression or living alone and you don’t know how to increase your happiness or decrease your loneliness. We might not be in the mental or physical state to adopt or have a kid or a relationship, so why not get a cat? Dogs and cats have shown to help decrease symptoms of depression as well as giving you a loyal companion which you can always count on to be there when you are stressed.
Dogs also are good for people who have disabilities because they act right away if the owner is having a medical episode. These animals are called service animals and they make sure you’re healthy and secure and also bring companionship and serve as a trustworthy buddy to always rely on. Pets can calm their owner down if they are having a panic attack or just anxiety as well as alerting others if they need help. Dogs especially can even retrieve needed objects that someone in a wheelchair might need and provide balance for someone who struggles with the activity. They can open and close doors, pull wheelchairs, and recover medicine for their owner. These examples are just some of the many amazing helping opportunities which dogs exceed in that Healthline mentions.
Animals are an essential part of
dog
gets a bark box every month to help her with her anxiety. Playing with certain types of her toys calms her down and relieves some of her unwanted anxiety. In the picture you can see Penny’s favorite toy, the purple dog. There is also her toy sheep, who she has had since she was a puppy. Penny’s favorite thing is lying in her pink bed she has had since she was 1.She plays with her countless toys, and of coure spending as much time as possible with her family. Spending time with your dogs and making sure to give them a treat once in a while, like a bark box, will reduce their anxiety.
Google Form survey conducted by email Feb. 25-26.
Students say dogs make them feel better by:
“He jumps in my bed each time I have to wake up for school and lays with me.”
“She rides to school with me and snuggles me when I feel down.”
“He sits at the front door and when I walk up to the door he wags his tail and scratches at the door.
“Brings my anxiety down and comforts me when I need someone.”
“He’s always there for me when I need him, we always relax together and I feel a deep connection with him.”
“She sleeps in my bed and rides in my car to school every day.”
“We go on walks and she’s very cute.”
“By being soft and cute and stupid.”
“they chill”
life, and humans should take advantage of being able to have them. Whether it’s at home, at school, or even at work, animals can help with many day-to-day activities and make them easier. Having a pet will help your mental health, reduce
health risks, and act as a reliable helper to people in need. Next time you see a puppy in the shelter, or a cat on the street, remember that you need them just as much as they need you. “A dog is a man’s best friend,” Aleksa Zivanov ‘27 reminds
Penny Daninger is exhausted on her bed after having an exhilerating playtime with her
toys. Penny
Why dogs make life and school better
By Kaitlyn Perkins
For someone who has lived for just over 15 years, I can understand if some do not believe me when I say that I have made some pretty big decisions in my life. For the most part, I have made decisions that have had a tremendously positive impact on my life. A couple of big ones were transferring to North Cross, signing up for cross country and going to New Zealand (okay maybe that one wasn’t entirely my choice). Nonetheless, the greatest decision I have ever made in my life was in the spring of 2019 when I picked out my beloved little puppy Nera.
For my family, dogs have always been a huge part of our life. My mom had a dog growing up, my dad had dogs growing up, my cousins have dogs, my aunts and uncles have dogs and my brother, sister and I were all raised with dogs in the house. For my family, dogs are a fact of life. They are not just pets, they’re family.
My family’s current dog is a lively, very loving Aussiedoodle, who wants nothing more than to roam the beach with her doggy friends and to be showered with affection and love. Nera loves playing fetch and “tag” with my younger brother Braden, going on long walks and snuggling up next to me. Not only does my family provide a loving home for her, she makes our home a happier place.
When I am upset, Nera will come and put her head in my lap or bark a little knowing that I need to play and have some fun. When the family is excited, Nera always joins in on the fun, joyfully barking and dancing with us. As soon as I come home from school, Nera greets me like I have been gone for 10 years. She lets me know that I am never alone, even when I’d like to be for a bit. She makes me feel special and loved every single day.
I know that many families,
including mine, reap the benefits of having a dog. An article from Time magazine tells the impact dogs have on a person’s health, “Having a dog around can lead to lower levels of stress for both adults and kids. They’ve been found to decrease the risk of asthma in children and have been linked to lower blood pressure.” The magazine also quoted Andy Jones, a University of East Anglia professor saying in a press release that
“We were amazed to find that dog walkers were on average more physically active and spent less time sitting on the coldest, wettest, and darkest days than non-dog owners were on long, sunny, and warm summer days,” project lead Andy Jones said in a press release.
While I feel that dogs, compared to cats, provide a more significant bond between pet owners and their furry friends, it appears that both cats and dogs can improve a person’s happiness. An article from Metropolitan State University of Denver talked about the effect pets have on their owners. The article stated that “A recent survey that examined 1,000 pet owners and 1,000 people without pets got some pretty startling results. It found that people with furry friends tend to
spend more time outdoors, exercise more often, feel more loved and just generally be happier than those without a dog or cat, often by significant margins.”
Dogs offer a more loving and friendly atmosphere than most other animals. The Mayo Clinic explains that simply, “People with dogs know the benefits of pet ownership. The unconditional love, trust and loyalty shown by your canine companions, coupled with their unbridled enthusiasm on your return home each day, is hard to put into words.” Plus, why do you think North Cross has so many furry friends roaming the compass? It’s because we students love them just as much as they love us and having them around makes our school all that much more like a home.
So what do the students at North Cross have to say about having our fun-loving furry friends on campus?
“My old baseball coach, Coach Lawrence, had a dog,” Carter Reel ‘28 said, “and if I had a bad day, before practice the dog would like, her name’s Debbie, she would come up to me and we would play catch before practice and it would make my practice a lot better.”
Not everyone is a dog person, but even some of those people can’t help
but love our furry friends at North Cross. “I don’t like dogs, but let me say something….,” Ameer Albishah ‘26 said, “I love the dogs at North Cross here, because… they are very interactive , they’re very nice, they’re very fluffy….they lighten up my mood and they’re very positive.”
Many of us at NCS hold a special place in our hearts for each dog: “I think it’s fun[having dogs at North Cross],” Maddie Howes ‘27 said, “I love Moose, he’s my favorite.”
Each of the dogs contribute to filling our school with love and brightening up the school day.
“The dogs pretty much make it (school) better because well,” said Kaylie Johnson ‘26, “I’m personally a dog person so having a bunch of dogs here is really comforting.”
Moose may be the cutest addition to the dogs of North Cross. L-R: Jackson seems to be the coolest. Finley fancies any kind of play. Toby offers Lower Schoolers unconditional love as long as they don’t take away his bone. Photos by Compass staff
A brief history of dogs at North Cross
By Kaitlyn Perkins
Throughout the history of North Cross School, there have been many dogs, who have been loved by many students.
Founded in 1944, the elementary school was originally located in Salem before the opening of the new campus on Colonial Avenue on September 13, 1961. The first North Cross dog belonged to Margaret “Billy” Northcross Ellis. Ellis is a founder of North Cross School. She taught the first grade in the founding years of this school and is such a legend here at NCS that both the Lower School (Ellis Hall) and the school itself are named in her honor.
Ellis’ dog was Suzette, a small blond cocker spaniel.
“She was a sweet dog, and as you would expect [she] minded her manners, she was always happy to see us,” Anne Lee Stevens said.
Stevens started at North Cross in Kindergarten in 1954. “Suzette was there to greet me on my first day,
so dogs were a part of our family/ community for quite a long time,”
Stevens said. “She had a bed in Mrs. Ellis's classroom, and would stay there most of the day except when we were on the playground,”
“We would stop in Mrs. Ellis's classroom each morning to say hello to her before heading to our classroom,” she said.
Not only did Ellis help establish North Cross, she initiated a 81-year long tradition of having dogs at this school.
In the recent past, NCS has been home to Dr. Proctor’s dog Ripken, who arrived at North Cross in 2011 when Dr. Proctor became the ninth head of school. After Ripken died of old age, Dr. Proctor introduced another black lab named Raider.
Raider happens to be the father of Eric and Wendy Lawerence’s dog, Debbie, a chocolate lab that has been coming to school since she was a puppy.
Debbie spends most of her days with Eric Lawrence in the adminis-
trative offices, but she visits Wendy Lawrence’s fourth grade class for Fun Fridays.
Cathy Albright, an instructor at CrossWalk, brought her dog, Sadie, to school up until this past year.
Today many other furry friends can be found roaming around campus including Betsy Cook’s dog, Pip, in the Lower School. Pip is a yellow lab who has been visiting the lower school daily since she was just eight weeks old. Toby, Victor Lamas’ golden retriever can also be found in the Lower School. In the Upper School, Jackson, Amy Holley’s dog,
Finley, Stephen Belderes’ dog, and one of the newest additions to NCS, Moose, Sarah Cocowitch’s dog, all reside in Willis Hall.
Founder’s Day was on Feb. 6 this year. It is a day to celebrate the many teachers, students, coaches, janitors, kitchen staff, administrators, parents, and all of the people who have worked hard to make NCS the school it is today. However, the people are not the only ones who have left their mark here. Those furry, tail-wagging, loving, smiling and energetic friends continue to make their paw prints on North Cross
Say Treat! Pip, Betsy Cook’s dog, smiles in the way a Junior Kindergartener would when playing with friends. Pip is a loving and energetic member of the North Cross community. She spends her days with Cook and her JK4 friends. Sadie, Cathy Albright’s dog, smiles and poses with Elizabeth Bonnette ‘32. Photos by Kaitlyn Perkins
DORM TRIP TO THE BAHAMAS
By Victoria Real
Dorm students are preparing to embark on a six-day cruise from Norfolk, Virginia, to the Bahamas. With a mix of onboard activities and time for exploring the islands, expectations for the trip are high.
Dorm director Kate “Mrs. B.” Braniforte, the dorm director, is confident in the group.
“I know that the nine students going on this trip will represent North Cross well,” she said. “They will meet new people, be respectful to others both on the ship and on the islands, and, most importantly, they will enjoy themselves.”
She also highlighted some of the experiences awaiting them. “Waterslides, game rooms, concerts, swimming, and, of course, plenty of food.”
For some, this trip is long overdue.
“Last year, we didn’t have a dorm trip,” Mercedes Herrera ’27 said, “and I was really disappointed because two years ago, they went to Florida. This year, we deserve one. I have never been to the Bahamas, but my mother has, and she says it is one of the best tropical destinations. I am especially looking forward to seeing how clear the water is, as that is the image I have always had in mind.”
She is also eager to explore the local culture and compare the cities and homes to those in the United States and Europe.
Charlie Zhao ’26, who has never been on a cruise before, expects “to enjoy spending time with friends and teachers, see beautiful views, and experience good food.” His primary concern is the weather. “I just hope it does not rain.”
Antoine Finot ’26 has specific plans for the trip. “I want to swim with dolphins. That has always been a dream of mine.” He is also interest-
ed in the onboard activities. “I saw that there are waterslides and a pool. I also hope there is a gym so I can stay in shape.”
Nicolás Cobas ’26 is most excited about sharing the experience with his friends. “I want to have a great time, especially with Victor Latz ’27, who is one of my best friends. I have never been to the Bahamas, so I am looking forward to it.” He is also eager to explore the ship’s facilities. “There are waterslides, pools, and I believe a weight room as well, which is great.” However, he does have one concern. “I just hope there is no tsunami or anything like that while we are on board.”
With a variety of expectations but a shared enthusiasm for the trip, the students are ready to make the most of this experience.
“I want to swim with dolphins. That has always been a dream of mine.” - Antoine Finot
Illustration by Victoria Real
BOYS WIN VISAA D2
ATHLETES RUN, JUMP, THROW
Johnson wins 500
WHO’S
By Kaitlyn Perkins
Last meet of the season, seeded second, nervous but ready, Jacob Johnson ‘25 is prepared to run the 500 meter race of his life. Not only has he worked hard for this all season, but he has been training for this since summer break, joining Cross Country for the first time in an effort to improve his fitness. Practice after practice, lap after lap, meet after meet, Johnson has worked for this moment. Now on the line, Johnson anxiously awaits the BANG of the gun signalling the simultaneous sprint off the line.
“That was crazy,” Josh Miao ‘25, teammate and friend to Johnson, said. “The entire meet and even leading up to it Jacob was like okay, there’s this guy from Blue Ridge I got to beat; he’s got the fastest time in the state,” Miao continued. “Blue Ridge actually, they were ahead of us for the first part of the meet, so it was really, really important [to have Jacob beat the Blue Ridge runner]. Just
ED DICKENSON WINS BOYS
HOW THE BOYS WON
Order of Events with Team Points and Jase Rhodes’ Plaque-Winning
5. 4 x 800 Meter Relay Josh Miao, Finn Chaney, Justus Horner, Peter Anderson 4th = 5
6. 55 Meter Dash Finals: Frogner 6th = 3
7. 1600 Meter Run: Britton 2nd, Chaney 7th = 10
8. 4 x 200 Meter Relay: Frogner, Thomas Frieben, Bonds, Rhodes 3rd = 6
9. 500 Meter Dash: Johnson 1st, Frieben 4th = 15
10. 1000 Meter Run: Britton 6th = 3
11. 300 Meter Dash: Rhodes 2nd, Johnson 5th = 12
12. 3200 Meter Run: Spencer Britton 3rd, Finn Chaney 5th, Justus Horner 6th = 13
13. 4 x 400 Meter Relay: Harry Anderson, Miao, Frieben, Johnson: 5th = 4 Raider Team Total 113
*Rhodes’ individual total would have placed him 7th among boys teams, outscoring seven other teams.
to see him go out there and give it his all, and pass [the Blue Ridge Runner] in the final 200m was just crazy. And it was a huge moment for the team and really helped us, you know, to capture that momentum to win the state championship.”
“It was awesome,” fellow 500m athlete and friend, Thomas Frieben ‘27 said. “He really worked, really hard this season. He improved by probably eight seconds, which is really amazing and I’m just really happy for him.”
Johnson ran a time of 1:12.36 in the 500 meter dash, just barely beating Jedrek Sneary of Eastern Mennonite School, who ran a time of 1:12.49. The Blue Ridge runner finished third. This performance made a huge contribution to the Boy’s Indoor Track team taking home the 2025 Division II Boys Indoor Track VISAA State Championship. Frieben, who trained and raced with Johnson throughout the season, came in fourth in
PICTURE PERFECT
the 500m, clocking in at 1:14.20.
The athletes were able to compete at their best thanks to the help of the student volunteers who came to support and cheer on their classmates, the coaches preparing each athlete for their events, the parents cheering and calling out split times. Johnson was one of four athletes who won individual state championship titles that day. He also ran a speedy 39.93 seconds in the 300 meter dash placing him fifth. Between his first place finish in the 500 meters and his fifth place finish in the 300 meters, he alone contributed a total 14 points for the team.
Jase Rhodes ‘26 secured a state championship title in the high jump, as well as placing second in both the 300 me-
“Just to see Johnson] go and give it his pass [the Blue runner] in 200m was crazy. And it moment for and really helped know, to capture momentum state championship.” -- Josh Miao
MOST VALUABLE PHOTO: A parent takes one Meet Jase Rhodes ‘26 and Girls Running Event Performer of the grueling meet. Rhodes won five medals: placing first and 300 meter dash, third in the triple jump and as lead won the 1000 and 1600 meter races. Photo by Kaitlyn Perkins
HURTING NOW? Jacob Johnson pulls past two grimacing rivals in the last 200 meters of the 500 meter dash that made him a state champion individually and helped the boys win the team title. Photo by Kaitlyn Perkins
D2 CHAMPIONSHIP
THROW AND WIN AT STATES
BOYS COACH OF THE YEAR
INDIVIDUAL POINTS
Boys Individual Totals
• Jase Rhodes ‘26: 32
• Spencer Britton ‘27: 17
• Jacob Johnson ‘25: 14
• Sander Frogner ‘25: 9
• Nate Hayes ‘26: 8
• Finn Chaney ‘27: 6
• ThomasFrieben ‘27 5
• Nate Bonds ‘25: 4
• Justus Horner ‘28: 3
Girls Individual Totals
• Kerrigan Chaney ‘25: 20
• Brooklyn Chen ‘26: 10
• Faith Johnson ‘28: 9
• Gabby Miller ‘26: 4
• Kaitlyn Perkins ‘28: 2
• Lillian Phillips ‘29: 1
Johnson, Ainsley Myles ‘27, Miller, Chaney placed 5th in 4 x 400 meter relay.
Small girls team finishes 6th Chaney, Chen win titles
By Kaitlyn Perkins
Seven girls secured sixth place among the 14 teams competing in the VISAA DII Indoor Track and Field Championships
YueHan “Brooklyn” Chen ‘26 took home her second indoor track state title in the shot put, throwing a distance of 35-5.50 feet.
won the title of Outstanding Runner of the meet for scoring the most points of any female runner in division II.
see [Jacob out there his all, and Blue Ridge the final was just was a huge the team helped us, you capture that to win the championship.” Miao
ter dash and the triple jump, and third in the long jump. Rhodes will soon have a state ring for every finger as his recent win at States marked his 10th state championship. Rhodes also competed in the 4 x 200 meter relay with teammates Nate Bonds ‘25, Sander Frogner ‘25 and Chris Carter ‘25. They came in third with a time of 1:42.
“It felt good [to win a 10th championship],” Rhodes said, “it felt like I accomplished something that I never thought I’d be able to accomplish before.
And for it to come into play my last year running indoor track, it felt like a blessing towards me.” Rhodes is graduating in December and will not be participating in indoor track next year, but he has certainly accomplished a lot in his time running track so far. Rhodes was also named Outstanding Field Event Athlete of the meet for scoring the most points of any male field athlete in division II.
“I felt very happy [to see Rhodes win],” Bonds said, “because I want to see all my friends succeed in life and what they did to help win the state championship means a lot to us.”
“Be hard on myself but don’t let it get me down,” Chen said of what she thinks to herself.
In 2024 Chen threw a distance of 33-8.50 feet allowing her to take home her first championship. This year Chen returned to states more experienced and stronger.
Kerrigan Chaney ‘25 took home two state championship titles in both the 1600 and 1000 meter distance runs. This should come as no surprise to any North Cross high schooler, as Chaney is well known for her spectacular endurance and the many individual championship titles and school records she has earned in Cross Country and in Indoor and Outdoor Track. Chaney
“I was pretty tired that day,” Chaney admitted. “I felt really strong before, but really tired after my mile, and I had to push it really hard in my 1000m, but I was able to just barely make it. I didn’t really focus too much on my wins because I was excited for the 4 by 4 and the boys winning States.”
Other than the distance runs, Chaney competed in the 4 x 400 relay with teammates Ainsley Myles ‘27, Faith Johnson ‘28 and Gabrielle Miller ‘26. They came in fifth with a time of 4:37.50.
Not only did the athletes winning state championships contribute to making it such a successful day, there were many other notable athletes who medaled and scored valuable points for the team. Johnson placed third in the 300 meter dash with a blazing time of 45.72. Lillian Phillips placed eighth in the 1000 meter run as just an eighth grader.
STICK-GOT IT: Ainsley Myles ‘27 accepts the baton from Gabby Miller ‘26 while Kerrigan Chaney cheers them on before running the anchor leg of the 4 x 400 relay. Photo by Jacob Johnson
last photo of Boys Field Event Performer of the Performer of the Meet Kerrigan Chaney ‘25 at the end first in the high jump, second in the long jump lead member of the 4 x 200 meter relay. Chaney Perkins
By Mia Esposito
It was a tragedy that ruined the whole town. How could this happen? They were so young. Oh, and the girl, that dear girl has to live with it.
That’s what everyone was saying. Not to my face, no, what they said to my face was, “Hallie! You’re so strong!” I guess you could say that. I didn’t do much except slam into the airbag that was deployed when we crashed. Zach was the real hero; he was the one that called 911. Zach was always prepared and cautious. That made it even more shocking when we ran off the road. It was Valentine’s Day. We had gone over to Layla Mason’s house to see the rest of our friends. It was
dark when we left, around 10:00 I think. He took the back way to my house, the way through the woods with all the twists and turns. He was a safe driver. I was never worried. We would laugh and scream the lyrics to whatever song was playing. We always had the windows down. I would look outside most of the time, maybe if I had been looking at the road…
It would not have changed a thing, at least that’s what the cops told me.
“No, you don’t understand,” I sobbed to the detectives in my hospital room after the crash. “He would never.”
“Miss Armstrong, I know you're upset right now but can you think of another reason?” The taller of
the two detectives asked me.
By Luke Cocowitch
Being separated from each other for centuries, the two tribes, Choco and Vanilla have stayed their separate ways on their island. Even in the most basic forms of school, they were taught to stay away from each other. No one ever questioned the thoughts and beliefs about the other tribe; everyone went with it and no one said a word. One day, while in school, Charlie the Choco was listening to the very boring and repetitive lesson on why to stay away from the Vanilla tribe. He thought to himself “why are we separated? Why can’t we just like each other? It shouldn’t be that hard to.”
On the way home later that day, he thought of a way to end the separation. The two tribes couldn’t be that far away from each other; they were on the same island.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the island,
“What do you mean another reason? I can think of plenty. Deer, maybe even a bear! We were in the middle of the woods!!”
“He was also 17, maybe he just… Lost control.” The short one said solemnly.
Needless to say I didn’t talk to the cops much after that. Zach’s parents were in shambles. His older brother and I were talking at his funeral.
“Hallie, I just don’t think I can go back to school with them like this.”
Mark, Zach’s older brother, told me.
“Mark! You have to, it’s what Zach would want. He was so happy you finally got out of this town, he always said you were meant for bigger things,” I tried my best to
The island of two tribes Tragedy lives
there was Violet of the Vanilla tribe. Knowing that the same talk was going to be discussed later that day, Violet prepared herself to be bored; like she was every day during the talk. Almost half asleep, she swam in her own thoughts; some pointless, some useful. One of them being, “What if the Chocos and the Vanillas got back together, and we didn’t fight and have to listen to boring lectures on why we hate each other!” She suddenly perked up with excitement and anticipation of her plan.
Over the next few weeks, Violet started to make a plan on how to get across the island and make peace with the Chocos. On the other side of the island was Charlie, who also was planning to make a journey across the island. Once it reached the weekend, both Violet and Charlie left their homes to set out on a dream; to unify the island and to save every student who has to go through the same boring and repetitive lectures every single day.
console him.
“To be honest I don’t know how I’m going to get past this,” I knew exactly what he was saying. Zach wasn’t just my boyfriend; he was my best friend. I had no clue how my life would look without him. Monday came too quickly. Weeks passed, then months. Next thing I knew it had been a year. A year since my world ended; a year since life changed forever. It was hard waking up everyday. For a moment in the mornings I would forget that he was lost to me. In reality I was the lost one. The pain was too much, he was my life. One day everything was torn from my grasp. I wish I could end this happily, but I don’t think I know what happiness is anymore.
They both began their journey on opposite ends of the island. Not knowing which way to go except for through the wild woods and forests, they marched along their way. The journey was challenging; they endured countless obstacles, such as rainstorms, mountains, and wild humans that chased them throughout the terrain trying to eat them.
Completely exhausted, Violet decided to make a shelter and rest for a few days. “Is this worth it?” She questioned as she rested in her homemade tent. “I think I would just rather be at home and have to sit through those boring lectures.” Still fighting through his soggy leg, Charlie persevered for a few more miles, only to find a poorly-built tent looking structure tucked away beneath the brush and trees. As he crept up to the tent, he peeked in it only to find a member of the Vanilla tribe. Shocked, he slowly backed away.
continued on page 21
The flavor of Grandmother’s love
By Victoria Real
In winter, the aroma of simmering soup always filled Grandmother Stephany’s house, while spring brought the comforting scent of baking macaroni. For Gisela, her granddaughter, that place was not only where she felt right at home, it was where she escaped to. Her grandmother’s warm hug served as her daily haven during her parents’ acrimonious divorce.
Every afternoon, after school, Gisela would run to Stephany’s house. There, she was always met with open arms and a plate of food that soothed both her stomach and her heart. On cold days, a steaming bowl of soup would warm her up; in spring, the scent
of macaroni filled the air. After eating, they would sit together on the small couch in the living room, where her grandmother would tell stories of her youth or knit colorful scarves while gently stroking Gisela’s hair. These were simple moments, but they were filled with love.
However, Gisela grew up with time. Sports, homework, and friends made it harder and harder for her to visit her grandmother’s house. Stephany kept waiting, her table set for two, hoping to see her little girl running toward her like before. The house, once a refuge full of laughter and familiar aromas, began to feel emptier.
One afternoon, after months without visiting, Gisela stopped by her grandmother’s house. She
knocked on the door, and when it opened, she found the same warmth as always, though Stephany was now a little more fragile, a little more tired. Her hands trembled more, but her smile had not changed.
“I saved some macaroni for you, my dear,” her grandmother whispered softly.
At that moment, a lump formed in Gisela’s throat. She realized how much she had missed this place, this unconditional love.
From then on, Gisela vowed never to let time tear them apart. She began visiting more frequently, taking back those afternoons, listening intently to each story, each bit of guidance. But those years are merciless, and slowly, bit by bit, Stephany became weaker. Until
The island of two tribes
When she woke up, she stepped outside of her makeshift tent, she saw a Choco. Charlie and Violet stared at each other for what felt like forever. But finally Charlie managed to squeak out a “who are you?” “I. I am Violet,” she said, amazed. “Who are you?” she muttered. “My name is Charli,” he said. In desperate need of a break and rest, Charlie sat down and asked one last question. “Where are you going?” “I am going to go to the land of the Chocos,” she said. Intrigued, Charlie opened his eyes and asked “why?” “Well” she pondered. “I want to restore the peace and unity this island once had.” Charlie perked up and said, “Really? Me too!”
The next day after getting good sleep in their makeshift tents, the newly established duo headed to the Chocos part of the island with determination and hope. After a few weeks of travel, they arrived on the side of the Chocos.
Charlie asked to speak to the president of their part of the island. When they arranged a meeting, Charlie introduced Violet to him. Very startled, he panicked and said, “Why! Why would you bring her here! We have a very strict policy on no people from the Vanilla tribe!”
Charlie and Violet managed to calm him down, with some persistent promises and their thoughts on the future and how to reunite the island. “But we’ve been divided for so long!” the president exclaimed. “It would be impossible to try to get everyone together and reunite!”
“But with our help” Violet proclaimed. “It would be possible! We can do it!”
With the president of the Chocos on board with their plan, they managed to get a ride back to the Vanillas side of the island from a parrot that they befriended on their journey. Next, it was Violet’s turn to convince the President of Vanilla to agree with them. With the President
one winter, the house was quiet. Gisela came over one afternoon, but this time, her grandmother wasn’t there to greet her at the door. The chair was empty, the soup was still warm, but the loving soul that had once filled that home was gone.
Even though Stephany was greatly missed, Gisela was certain that her affection was still there. It was present in every scarf she knitted, in the smell of macaroni, and in the stories she treasured. In order to ensure that her grandmother’s legacy of love persisted, Gisela prepared meals in her honor each winter and spring.
After all, though time may pass, love’s flavors never truly fade.
of Choco in the room with them, the two presidents sneered at each other because of their past hatred and separation from each other. After long deliberation and talks of the future, the two presidents, Charlie, and Violet reached an agreement; they would have a feast with every person of each tribe.
The very next week the feast was held. With everyone finally getting used to one another, they were happy to finally break the barrier between the two tribes. After the feast was over, both the tribes connected the two parts of the island together and everyone was able to live under the same roof and in the same town. Even the younger citizens of the tribes were happy to not have to listen to the boring, repetitive speeches on how not to trust the other tribe members. Everyone lived happily ever after, connected by their future and not the past.
The day Clyde escaped his bag
By Joaquin Downey
Once, somewhere in a local Kroger, buried deep behind rows of boxes of cookies, lay an ordinary bag of animal cookies. Nothing was special about this bag, one among dozens of others, but inside it, a vast ecosystem of cookies thrived in the wild space of what we know to be that ordinary bag. Rhinos, lions, tigers, bears, elephants, wolves, moles, birds, everything you could ever imagine lived within the confines of the plastic container. Among them, two friends, Clyde, a cookie camel, and Achilles, a cookie elephant, sat near a watering hole, talking amongst themselves.
“It’s a lovely day, isn’t it,” Achilles said.
“Don’t you ever get tired of saying that?” replies Clyde.
“No, why?”
You see, Clyde was well aware of the fact they were trapped within the confines of the bag, whereas no other animal knew or understood. He had grown tired of being confined and wished he was free to explore the outside world. What it was like out there? Clyde had no way of knowing. All he knew is that the outside world promised new things, meanwhile he also kept in mind that new things also meant new challenges. Nevertheless, he was certain it was something he could handle.
“You know how I’ve told you about the ‘greater world’ right?” Clyde continued.
“Yes, and?” responded Achilles.
“Well, I for one am sick of this place. Look around you Achilles, there’s nothing new to do, no exciting new discoveries, no new people to meet, places to explore, nothing.”
“Clyde, we have everything we could ever want here, and…”
“We have everything you could ever want, Achilles,” Clyde interrupted. “I’ve set my eyes on a new prize! There’s so much to be had out there! So much to explore, so much to do!”
“My friend, your judgement is clouded,” Achilles sighed. “You have everything you could ever want here. For the love of God man, just stay here.”
“I refuse to stay any longer! I can’t take it anymore! So many simple-minded people, so many blind morons! They can’t see! But I…I can see clearly! My destiny lies elsewhere,” Clyde roared.
“If you so wish, my misguided comrade,” Achilles said, clearly giving up upon convincing Clyde otherwise.
That night, whilst everyone else slept, Clyde began to enact his escape. Glancing around, he spotted a large log lying near one of the corners of the bag. Without hesitation, he retrieved the log and began to ram the corner with all his might. After many failed attempts, the bag finally gave way, a pale blue light filtering in through the newly created crevice. Clyde tossed the log aside, glancing back at his home one last time. The dim eyes of Achilles greeted him. With a sad but determined expression on his smooth face, he waved back at Achilles. Achilles, in turn, waved back. With that, Clyde leapt through the hole and plummeted into the unknown depths of the outside world.
After what felt like hours, Clyde regained his stance and peered around himself. All around, towering transparent structures, filled to the brim with labeled items, formed a passage, the pale blue light pouring out of them. Clyde, at a loss for words, decided to continue on his voyage. All night he ran through what we know to be a grocery store (Kroger to be specific), taking in everything around him. Rows upon rows of these towering structures were scattered all about. On the opposite side of the enclosure, rows of massive shelves, upon which a black stretch of road lay. Clyde soon learned that this path actually moved and carried whatever was placed upon it towards an area where large yet weird brown packages awaited. Eventually however, dawn soon broke through the trans-
parent walls of the building, and Cylde realized that whoever or whatever populated this area would most likely return soon.
As quickly as he could, Clyde began to make his way back to the bag where the rest of his friends awaited. Unfortunately, his journey was cut short, as a loud chime echoed through the halls of the store. Shortly after, loud thuds rumbled across the ground, as something massive was approaching. Clyde began to increase his pace, but it was no use. A woman dressed in jeans, a blue shirt and apron to match began making her way down the aisle where Clyde sat.
“Maybe if I remain absolutely still, she won’t notice me,” he thought in his panicked state. The woman glanced up and down the aisle, inspecting every inch of it, making sure the store would be as neat as possible for the customers upon their arrival. As she continued her inspection, she noticed what looked to be a cookie sticking out from underneath one of the fridges.
“Hmm,” she said, bending down to retrieve the item. As she picked it up, she noticed it was a camel, and thought, “Where did you come from, little guy?”
“Unhand me you ruffian!” cried Clyde. “I command you, release me!”
It was no use however, as the woman simply walked back to the front of the store, Clyde in hand, opened a trash bin, and tossed Clyde down into the dark realm of the trash bag.
“There might be a broken bag somewhere,” she remarked and continued along with her inspection.
Meanwhile, Clyde awoke to utter darkness surrounding him.
“Where in blazes am I?!” he yelled. “What is all of this stuff? Hello?” he cried, but no answer came.
“I suppose my curiosity got the better of me, and now here I am to face the consequences presented to me.” continued on page 23
By Dara Kerman
“You’re so sweet Cooper!
Every Valentine’s day you get me the best gift!” said Annbelle to her husband Cooper. Each Valentine’s day Cooper would give Annbelle a thoughtful gift. This year Cooper gave Ella her favorite flowers – tulips-- in her favorite color, pink.
Suddenly, as the couple rejoiced in happiness celebrating their love on Valentines Day, the doorbell rang. Ella peaked through the window and noticed that a delivery man was standing at their front door holding a heart shaped box of chocolates.
“You got me perfume Cooper! And a box of chocolates, you’re too sweet,” Ella exclaimed, assuming that the delivery was for her. As she opened the door and greeted the delivery man with a “Good morning!” he replied back to her saying that he had a “delivery for a Cooper? Is Cooper home?” Annbelle said “Yep, Cooper’s right
Who is Jessica?
over here,” as he peeked his head through the door. “Okay Cooper I got a delivery here for you from Jessica, have a great Valentines!”
The delivery man then returned to his mail truck and drove off. Ella slowly looked over to Cooper holding the box of chocolates hesitantly.
She slowly muttered, “Who..the heck.. IS JESSICA?”
Cooper tried to answer? her question, though he was swiftly cut off with further questions from Ella.
“Why are you buying flowers for some other girl? Does our marriage mean nothing to you?”
Ella screamed.
Cooper quickly responded, hoping to diffuse the situation
“Ella, listen...” Cooper was abruptly cut off by Ella, “No YOU LISTEN! We’ve been married for two years now and together for ten, but you want to throw that whole relationship away for some girl you’ll see once, maybe twice?”
“No.. it’s not like that,” Cooper
muttered.
“So what is it like” said Ella, “have you been consistently seeing her?!?”
“No,” Cooper said, raising his voice slightly, “it’s nothing like that, nothing like that at all, I haven’t seen Jessica in years.”
“What?” replied Ella as she was very confused
“Listen” said Cooper, “Jessica is a crazy ex of mine. We dated in college for a month or so, and ever since she’s been obsessed with me. I even had to transfer schools because she would follow me around campus asking if we could talk about getting back together. After weeks of her pestering me about talking she started to just watch me from afar. Most times I wouldn’t even notice it, but after class my roommates would tell me how they saw her watching me from her car or how she would silently walk behind me. When I finally confronted her about it she denied everything, and I got so fed up with the situation, that
I decided to transfer schools. We haven’t had any contact since that interaction, so I am just as confused as you are.”
“Wow” Ella said “That’s a lot to process. Why haven’t you ever opened up to me about this before?”
“Well, I’m not sure why I haven’t told you. Maybe I was scared that you wouldn’t believe me?” Cooper responded.
Ella reassured Cooper by telling him that, “You can share anything with me, don’t be scared.”
“Okay I need to relax” Cooper remarked as he slumped down on the TV “I agree” Ella said as she scooched in closer to Cooper. As Cooper and Ella sat back on their comfy couch to enjoy their favorite TV show, in the corner of their living room, a small window looked onto the couple. Though, there was a shadow that appeared in the window as a pair of eyes crept up into the window, lurking, plotting, and watching Cooper and Ella.
The day Clyde escaped his bag
Not long after, though, the sky did brighten as the woman tossed a bag into the depths as well. It crashed down, ever so slightly away from Clyde.
“What the devil?” he continued as he approached the fallen vessel.
Peering inside, he was met with voices, voices that he recognized. It was his friends, the whole group, habitat and sh-bang had all been thrown away along with Clyde.
“Why Clyde, is that you?” echoed the voice of Achilles.
“Achilles! Yes, it’s me!”
“Clyde my friend! I’m so glad to see you!”
“Likewise, brother, likewise.”
“Now that that’s out of the way, where are we exactly?”
“I fear we are in what’s called a ‘trash bin’,” replied Clyde.
“Lord have mercy. I told you, this is what curiosity gets you, Clyde!” boomed Achilles.
“Yes, I fear I was mistaken, and I offer my sincerest apologies,” said Clyde meekly.
“Well, as long as you know you’re wrong. Plus, you finally did get to see your ‘greater world’, did you not?”
“Yes I did, and you won’t believe what I saw!” Poor Clyde and Achilles, little did they know that Clyde’s arrogance had cost them their home, and soon, their fates. While he was able to identify a trash bin, he did not know where the contents inside it would end up. So, the moral of this story is that while some curiosity is natural and good, too much of it can have drastic consequences. Thus, one should not take what they have for granted and enjoy it to its finest. Try something new, but don’t entirely forget and dispose of the old ways.
Directed into the SHADOWS
Film directors deserve more credit for all the stress of making movies we love.
By Margaret Bass
Have you ever decided to watch a movie based on the actors you recognize that were casted in it? You probably have! What is more uncommon is choosing to enjoy a film based on the director, who are the most overlooked collaborators in the movie making process. Steven Speilberg is one of the most well-known directors of our time. Some of his most popular movies, “Jurassic Park”, “E.T.”, “Men in Black”, and “In diana Jones and the Lost Dynasty” have had incredible success through the years. Without Speilberg, these movies might not have had the success they did and continue to have.
Understanding what makes a director stand out can help viewers gain a better appreciation of films, Directors are the most noteworthy members of a film-making team. Directors have a difficult and unique position in the movie industry. They rarely get credit for a film’s success and have to answer the difficult questions such as “Why” and help an actor through a tough time when they are thinking “I can’t do this.” Most directors choose to work with the DP (Director of Photography) on what shots and scenes of the movie need to be shot on what day, and in what order. This can be difficult with time commitments and sets as well as the hours actors are contractually bound to work. Most of the time, a movie appeals to people based off of the cast. It can be the deciding factor for someone purchasing a ticket to see that movie on opening weekend. The director is in charge of casting the actors to fit the roles and try to create the best movie possible. A director’s job, according to Berklee College of Music, is to “audition and cast actors; as semble and oversee the production team; provide design directives; lead rehearsals; and manage the production schedule of the project, ensuring that all the moving parts connect.” This is a stressful and long process for the director.
Stress is something everyone can relate to, so why should it be any different for directors? Stress and anxiety are often brought up in conversations about mental
health, and solutions to help reduce them are researched thoroughly. Often, stress can come from financial struggles or safety insecurity, but directors can get stressed out about their movies becoming big successes that bring in lots of money, which can decrease their mental stability.
In 2016 the blockbuster movie “Deadpool” starring Ryan Reynolds the Action/Thriller and Comedy movie received 19.1% 10/10 ratings, according to IMDb, and averaged an 8/10. The movie had a budget of $58 million USD.
That same year, the movie “Mon ster Trucks” starring Lucas Till (also an Action/Thriller and Comedy) received only 8.0% 10/10 ratings and averaged at 5.7/10. Conversely, this movie had a $158 million USD budget, more than twice that of “Deadpool”. Based on this information it is undeniable that the directions given by Tim Miller, director of “Deadpool”, had an unimaginable impact on the movie’s success. You may be familiar with the new movie “Wicked” based on the Broadway musical that first opened in 2003. It stars Ariana Grande as Glinda, Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, and Johnathan Bailey as Fiero. This film has had amazing reviews and is in the running for highest grossing film of the year on a global scale. Some might say this is due to the incredible talented cast, but by taking a closer look there is much more to discover. If compared to another movie-musical such as “Cats” 2019, there is a very big difference in ratings. “Cats” only received 2.8/10 rating, according to IMDb, even though its cast included incredible singers such as Taylor Swift and James Cordon. All of these actors and singers are incredible, there is no doubt about it, but their movies had different impacts. This can be credited to directors like Jon Chu and the way they chose to have their works produced.
stressful, if not more than, the life of everyone else. Craig Johnson, director of films such as “Alex Strangelove” and “True Adolescence” said in an interview to LunacyU that, “I’m a pretty even keeled guy, but film shoots are stressful and stuff goes wrong.” In this interview Johnson opens up about his career and how it affected his personal life as well as his mental health. Showing how demanding a career as a director can be. Women directors also have to deal with a certain amount of discrimination and disrespect. According to Beacon Broadside, in a poll in 2023 of the 1,114 narrative film directors, only 45 were women. That is only four percent. Women often have to work harder in their fields to get the respect they deserve and filmmaking is not an exception to this. Another example of proof for how large a role directors play in movie making can be seen through salaries. For “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” the leading actress, Jennifer Lawrence, was paid $20 million. Francis Lawrence, the director of this movie, was also paid $20 million. He received about the same amount of money for the movie as the superstar actress that is so well known around the world. Movies are a way to bring people together. They spread across countries, languages, religions, race, and so much more. Movies are things that everyone can relate to in some way and there wouldn’t be that sense of connection among people without directors to lead the way.
*Greta Gerwig made $12 million for writing and directing Barbie, but may make more than $50 million as one of the producers, just less than Margot Robbie, who recruited her to write the screenplay.
The life of a director is just as
Directors clockwise from top left: Stephen Spielberg, Tim Miller. Francis Lawrence, Greta Gerwig, Jon Chu. Director images from Wikipedia
Review:
THE GRAMMYS: Hits and misses on awards and performances
By Margaret Bass
Not everyone can agree all of the time. It’s a simple fact, but it can be proven in many ways. Music, for example, is one of the most versatile things on the planet. There are so many different genres and styles for people to enjoy. That’s why The Grammys is the second most viewed awards show after The Oscars.
The Grammys is an annual awards show that celebrates all of the different aspects of the music industry. The categories range from Best Album to Best Music Video to Best Contemporary Classical Composition.
This gives all parts of the music industry a time to shine, not to mention the incredible performances made throughout the night.
During the 2025 Grammys, artists Sabrina Carpenter (pictured on her Wikipedia page), Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish, Benson Boone, Charlie XCX, Stevie Wonder and The Weekend all performed. The Grammys have a very wide audience including many students at North Cross. Through a poll, students in art teacher Amy Jackson’s classes answered questions about their opinion on the Grammy winners for certain categories. There has been a lot of skepticism with these category winners after the ceremony. Many people through social media and other means have been expressing
NCS Best Performance
Sabrina Carpenter - 6
Chappel Roan - 4
Billie Eilish - 3
Raye - 3
their disagreement with many of the winners of certain categories, and NCS students proved to be a part of the group.
Chappell Roan won Best New Artist and our poll shows a variety of opinions on this.
Students believe artists like Sabrina Carpenter (44%), Benson Boone (15%) and Teddy Swims deserved this award.
The winner of Best Rap Album was Deochii. Our poll showed interesting results for this category. Many people had no opinion on Deochii’s win, while the opinions for agreement and disagreement were almost tied. The graph shows percentages of agreement for Deochii’s win.
The two categories with the most uncertainty are Best Ablum and Best Country Album. Both of these categories were won by Beyonce with her album Cowboy Carter.
Country Album included Chris Stapelton and Lainey Wilson among others.
NCS Best Dressed
Taylor Swift - 8
Olivia Rodrigo - 7
Sabrina Carpenter - 7
NCS Best Album
Billie Eilish - 53%
Taylor Swift - 14%
Andre 3000 - 5%
Another huge part about the Grammys is the red carpet. Celebrities dress in some of the most extravagant and unique outfits for this occasion. Our poll showed that there were many incredibly dressed celebs, but some worth noting were Olivia Rodrigo in her Versace Gown. Seven of our voters said she was best dressed tied with Sabrina Carpenter Taylor Swift got eight mentions Taylor Swift for rocking a red dress. Other astonishing outfits came from Lady Gaga in a goth look, Raye with a glamorous black dress and Kendrick Lamar in a denim duo.
A large majority of our voters replied that they strongly disagreed or disagreed with these awards for Beyonce. Many people believed that other artists, especially Billie Eilish, but also Taylor Swift and Andre 3000 should have won Best Album. The graph shows percentage of agreement with Beyonce’s win for Best Album. The survvey shows agreement with Beyonce’s win of Best Country Album. The suggestions for Best
NCS Best Rap Album
J Cole - 32%
Future and Metro Boomin- 32%
Eminem - 20%
NCS Best Country Album
Chris Stapleton - 44%
Lainey Wilson - 22%
Post Malone - 11%
Grammy performances are also anxiously awaited all night. It’s the concert of all concerts. Some of our favorite performances included Billie Eilish performing “Birds of a Feather” from her album Hit Me Hard and Soft, Chappelle Roan singing “Pink Pony Club” and Benson Boone singing “Beautiful Things” with his iconic backflip.
Photo of Benson Boone from his Wikipedia page. Google Forms survey conducted Feb. 20-21 by email.
In case you missed it: Scenes from Alice in Wonderland
Clockwise from top: Alice (Valeria Dancea) makes her way through Wonderland without losing her head despite Mia Esposito’s most vocal effort. Tweedle Dum and Dee march off after a vigorous dance. Carter Reel’s acrobatic Mad Hatter delighted the audience, while Caroline Welfare’s White Rabbit addresses a bewildered Alice trying to make sense of what the Queens (Margaret Bass and Jahnvi Patel) conveyed. Photos by Robert Robillard
Costello leads students in rehearsals for Matilda
BREAK A LEG: Middle and Upper School students stand on stage while the Musical Theatre Director and Fine Arts Department Chair Thomas Costello, directs them. They are rehearsing the opening number “Miracle” in this photo. Though the people in this number are largely made up of mostly middle school students, there are a few Upper School students in the picture above including Hayden Saunders ‘28, Samantha Belderes ‘28, Pietra Fischer ‘26 and Lily Lenkowski ‘28 also appear in this song. The musical is set to be performed in April. When the winter play ended, auditions for the spring musical started two days later. Matilda is about a gifted young girl who faces the obstacles of her family that is unappreciative of her abilities, and a school principal that constantly tortures her and her classmates. With the help of her kind-hearted teacher, she fights back against them.Caption and photo by Isla Whittle
Dance is art and sport!
By Dara Kerman
The debate of whether dance is a sport has been ongoing for many years.
Based on a recent Herald survey, 29 of 38 students say dance is a sport.
“I think dance is a sport,” Ainsley Myles ‘27 said, “as long as there is some kind of performance or competition that you are practacing for.”
What actually classifies something as a sport versus an art? According to the Oxford Dictionary a sport is defined as “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment” and an artform can be “any activity regarded as a medium of imaginative or creative self-expression.”
Given the physical exertion and skill needed to become an amateur dancer, one might assume dance is naturally recognized as a sport. However, this is not the case. Some believe that dance is purely an artform and should not be considered a sport due to the lack of competition in many of the different styles of dance. Others oppose this claim acknowledging the physical exertion and strength needed to excel in dance. Dance should be recognized as both a sport and an artform due to the physical demands and skill required to be a proficient dancer.
Dancing has been around for thousands of years with some of the earliest human civilizations using dance as a way to express themselves. Modern forms of dance such as ballet and jazz have been around for the past couple of centuries. Ballet was invented in the 15th century during the Renaissance era and it was first only available to the rich nobles who would have private instruction from ballet masters. More recent evolutions of dance
include the establishment of jazz, tap, hip hop and modern styles of dance. The earliest of these examples would be tap dancing that was invented in the 18th century from a fusion of British and West African dance styles. Both jazz and modern dance were invented in the early 20th century and they both heavily contrasted the restrictive nature of ballet, almost protesting the strict rules of ballet. Lastly, the earliest example of modern dance would be hip hop as it was invented in the 1970s in the Bronx, New York City. Hip hop was influenced by the streetwear, fashion style, music and artwork of the city. Each era of human culture and history has been reflected through new styles of dance that correlate to the societal changes of that time period.
Many of these examples wouldn’t be considered sports as they serve a different purpose. For example the cultural dances of early human civilizations don’t require a large amount of athleticism and they do not meet the requirements of a sport as there is no competition between individuals. Though more modern styles of dance such as ballet, jazz, modern, hip hop and more meet the set expectations of a sport.
Unlike many sports, dance is often an individual pursuit. Dancers train extensively in class, improve their skills at home and showcase their abilities on stage. While dance studios function like sports teams, they differ in one key aspect: dancers often compete against each other for the lead role in performances or the coveted solo spot at national competitions. Ultimately, dance cannot be confined to a single category. It embodies the creativity of an art form and the physicality of a sport. While some may argue otherwise, the discipline, endurance, and competitive nature of dance prove
86% of Willis Hall students believe dance can be considered a sport.
"I think dance is a sport as long as there is some kind of performance or competition that you are practacing for." - Ainsley Myles
Dance is art.
is a sport.
FIRST DAY AT BALLET: A young girl prepares for her first day at ballet class as she slips on her ballet flats in her ballet attire including a pancake tutu, leotard, tight and ballet pink ribbons in her hair. Britannica ImageQuest
BRONX TO PARIS: This photo shows a competitor at the 2016 World Cup in Paris, where the art form became an Olympic sport in 2024. Britannica ImageQuest
Ruh Roh!: During the annual pep rally on Thursday, February 27, the freshmen present their dance that goes with the theme of Scooby-Doo. Though they didn’t win, they had a great time performing for the school. This picture shows the end, with all the main characters in the center, making all the villains around them fall over. The main characters were Kemper Prillaman ‘28 as Shaggy, Luke Cocowitch ‘28 as Fred, Isla Whittle ‘28 as Velma, Faith Johnson ‘28 as Daphne, and Margaret Bass ‘28 as the Mystery Bus. And, of course, Scooby Doo was played by Julia Cephas ‘28. Cephas had everyone cheering toward the beginning of the dance when she unexpectedly dropped into a split.
Movie theme inspires students to entertain, compete, win VECTOR WINS!?!
Ryan Thomas ‘26 performs as Vector in the Despicable Me production put on by the Juniors at the winter pep rally. Through his performance as the iconic Despicable Me villain, he helped the Junior team take home the gold. They won a total of $500 for the best movie skit. “It was a lot of fun,” Thomas said, “It was good to be able to just mess around and have fun with it and have, like, a stand out role. In total, I think we maybe practiced like two hours.” Caption by Shree Patel. Photo by Akali Koeda
DANCING KILLED MY GRANDMA! OKAY? The sophomore class jams out to songs from the popular movie “Trolls”. The Upper School had been waiting anxiously for the pep rally when each class performed a dance combo for the theme, “At the Movies.” Finley Dalton ‘27 (center with orange wig), Remi Lewis ‘27, Maidah Ahmad ‘27, Dara Kerman ‘27 and Annabell Coles ‘27 choreographed their grade’s dance number and it was clear they put in the work. Everyone on the dance floor was smiling and energized. By the end of their dance, the crowd was on their feet, cheering loudly, appreciating the sophomore’s fun representation of the movie. Caption by Margaret Bass.
“It was good to be able to just mess around and have fun with it and have, like, a stand out role. In total, I think we maybe practiced like two hours.”
- Ryan Thomas ‘26
Photo by Akali Koeda
Caption by Isla Whittle. Photo by Akali Koeda
Hoops for a cause
SMACKDOWN: Hand poised in the air, Brandon Carey ‘26 prepares to block a layup attempt by Jase Rhodes ‘26. The basketball tournament was held on Feb. 21, after school in an epic matchup of eight teams of four. Two short 5-minute matches were held on each half of the court, with four teams playing at once. “I was pretty confident in my team’s skill before the game,” Carey said, “but we got put up against the top team so I was a little nervous during the game.” The basketball tournament was hosted by Mr. Odom’s class to raise money for breast cancer awareness. The winning team of the tournament consisted of George Lugar ‘28, Jacob Johnson ‘25, Josh Miao ‘25, and Thomas Greer ‘25. However, the second-place team, consisting of Rhodes, Tinaishe Chikwata ‘26, Nate Hayes ‘26, and Brock Miles ‘25 put up a good fight, losing only by three points. Caption and photo by Akali Koeda
RISING STARS: Brooke Harris ‘32 races down the court to shoot while Jase Rhodes ‘26 and Ryan Thomas ‘26 cheer enthusiastically. Harris had the entire school going wild after making a 3-pointer and was named MVP for the 5th grade girls’ Space Jam Tournament with Remi Lewis ‘27 coaching her. “[My favorite part was] probably when I made the 3-pointer,” Harris said. Braden Perkins ‘32 was MVP for the 5th grade boys’ Space Jam Tournament . He made the first and winning shot under his coach Antonio Mack ‘26. These two 5th grade MVPs may follow in Mack’s footsteps, eventually becoming part of the 1000 point club. Harris photo by Akali Koeda. Perkins photo by Compass staff
Surfing at Sadies
Remi Lewis ‘27, Kenzi Gibbs ‘25 and Eliza Vogel ‘26 pose for a picture at this year's Sadie Hawkins Dance. Every year the Upper School SCA puts together a Sadie’s Dance where the girls ask the guys to the dance. The theme this year was tropical, so the dance had beachy decorations and leis for guests to wear at the dance. One of the most exciting parts of the dance was the mechanical surfboard and the competition that arose from it. “I had so much fun watching the surfboard competition,” said Annabelle Coles ‘27, “I wish I had signed up, I might have even won”. The winners of the competition won gift cards to various fast food places along with the first place winner Isla Wittle ‘28 winning $100. In conclusion, this year's Sadie Hawkins dance was lots of fun filled with dancing and competition. Caption by Dara Kerman.
Photo by Compass staff
Benefits of being outdoors outweigh dangers
By Caroline Welfare
Fundamentally, being outside is good for people. Being in the woods, listening to the birds, watching the leaves growing on the trees, when it is quiet, and nothing is there to occupy your mind, makes all the stress you have seems useless.
“It makes me feel better, hanging out in my backyard,” Sharmitha Maheswaran ‘27 says. “It’s peaceful.”
Already there are protections in place for our natural wonders. In the US, there are 63 National Parks in the United States, with nine in California, the most for any state. Beyond that, there are countless national forests, state forests and state parks that are much more common, protecting more of the land’s ecosystems. Still, many assumptions are made about the woods that are harmful.
For starters, the Smokey Bear ad “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires,” ignores the importance of a cleaner burn that actually helps keep the forest healthy by clearing out weedy undergrowth and enriching the soil so new trees can grow in the place of old ones. In fact, burning was a part of indigenous people’s practices, who long ago would set sections of the woods on fire to clear out the underbrush that would keep away their animals. Humans have a natural fear of fire and getting burned. I struggle with this when baking, but a controlled burn is actually more beneficial to a woodland ecosystem than never getting burned at all. When forests aren’t burned often enough, when they do catch on fire, it is often even more deadly. Wildfires harm everyone in its path, because the flammable underbrush hadn’t been removed.
Secondly, bears. The actual dangers bears and other wild animals pose are much exaggerated, most likely due to the few and far between desperate beasts that would target humans. The average number
Propped between my walking stick and a floating log, my feet float above the ground as I pose for my mother’s picture. Last year, when this photo was taken, we went to the Everglades for our holiday trip. We camped in the southern most tip of the park and on the third day my mother and I went on a cyprus bog hike. We didn’t see any gators then, but there was one near our campsite, in a rain puddle.
HAVE LESS FEAR!
There
are an average of SEVEN alligator attcks per year. There are about FIVE MILLION alligators in the U.S. and 340 million people. DON’T GO NEAR THEM!
The Bald Head Island Conservancy recomends staying 50 feet away from a gator and avoid provoking it.
Fun Fact: Alligators cannot climb stairs.
of bear attacks per year in North America is 11, and even less are fatal attacks. The attacks that do occur are usually due to people surprising a bear, Bearvault, a bear aware website states. A few national parks have asked people to stop wearing earbuds while they explore, because being aware of your surroundings is what will keep you safe. Many people in rural areas are perfectly safe, with minimal protections in place to protect their herd animals; most of which would never approach a human. For those who worry about bears, creating loud noises while you explore the forest is usually enough to warn them of your presence, and they will leave the area long before
you ever catch sight of them. Most of the places you can go to enjoy the outdoors are used often, and whatever animal that could harm you is likely not in the area. Most of the creatures that are dangerous are so remote you will never encounter them, unless you actively seek them out. They do not want to eat you. We promise. Other animals that people are afraid of, like student Pietra says, “Spiders”; are not aggressive unless provoked. Most spiders are actually not venomous for humans, and snakes will usually not waste venom on human legs.
Finally, the woods don’t need our help. The ecosystems do need our protection, usually from the harm
we put them in. The beautiful places we can access need to be respected in order for them to still be there far into the future. Things like walking on the path only, not ripping up plants, respecting local fishing rules, hunting in season, will preserve our natural spaces for years to come.
Humans are responsible for all the pollution on planet earth (obviously), and our mining techniques cause oil spills, land poisoning, and deforestation. We have hunted and overfished species to extinction. Our planet might not be habitable in a few hundred years. We need to start now, and make more powerful efforts than ever to reverse our effect on the planet, protect endangered species, and work for a better and brighter future. This planet does not belong to us, it is borrowed from the generations after us. We need to take care of it, for ourselves and our future.
The outdoors are important to all of us. Most of us hold the Blue Ridge dear. Natural spaces need and deserve our love, and everyone should be dedicated to protecting them. The mountains are calling and we must go; an iconic quote joined by many that describe the poetry of the outdoors. Go outside. Worst case scenario, you get eaten by a bear (no you won’t).
Exercise can help us feel better mentally and physically
By Shree Patel
In the United States of America 117 million individuals are considered physically unhealthy. Everyone can benefit from the efforts of exercising.
Staying physically active can help the way people look and can prevent mental pain. For example, playing sports like volleyball can increase your mental and physical health by forcing your body to move, but not to an extreme extent unless you play the sport professionally. Many people can prevent deaths and have more longevity of life if they exercise. It can limit pain in many ways as well.
Exercising is known to improve your immune system and helps boost blood flow to your brain. According to MedlinePlus.gov, exercising is beneficial for reducing stress levels, lessening chronic pain, and lowering high blood pressure. Those with type two diabetes can benefit from exercising by maintaining their blood sugar, can keep their levels regular. If done right, exercising can lengthen people life longevity. Smokers use exercise as distractions to quit smoking, is proven method that has worked. There are countless other positive benefits from exercising, but these are some main ones that are normalized.
There are many sources who say these claims can be proven. Cartlen athletics.org says
“Exercising increases the number of endorphins that are released into your body and increases productivity.” Shown here is how being physical can affect your mental stability. Another site called mayoclinic.org says, ”being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol, and it decreases unhealthy triglycerides.” This is why many people with high blood pressure or other controllable disease diagnoses’ exercise daily. They need to do it to keep their body from producing too much of something and controlling their levels of intensity.
Willis Hall students have been to many national parks, and some named their favorites:
“25, Yellowstone is very unique.”
“Probably around like 20. My favorite was Grand Teton National Park.” “Probably 9-13? My fav was Yellowstone.” “10, Yosemite.” “5, Grand Canyon.” Great Smoky Mountains: many mentions. “1. California Redwoods.”
Exercising the best way to reduce stress and control high blood sugar, it betters many people’s life longevity by maybe decreasing the aging process. Health.com says “exercise doesn’t just make you feel younger. Regular physical activity may decrease the aging process in your chromosomes.” That’s right, exercising can make you look younger! There are specific workout routines in place to slow your aging process. For example riding stationary bikes can actually slow down the process while still boosting positive endorphins. The site mentioned how physical movement can help deeper sleep and overall better sleep. They noted “regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, get better sleep and deepen your sleep.” These are many reasons why working out is a good idea.
Working out can help control levels of diseases, prevent premature deaths, boosting life longevity, reducing stress, and improving your mental health. There are many proven ways to promote physical movement. For example, playing sports is a good starting point. Many starters begin low intensity sports like pickleball or volleyball. This can help you ease into exercising. Movement in general is beneficial for humans. If you are a smoker, have chronic pains, or are just looking to improve your life, working out can help you see the results you would like. The human body needs the positive benefits exercising produces.
Google Forms survey conducted by email Feb. 25-26.
Google Form survey conducted by email Feb. 25-26.
Playing sports improves my physical and mental health. 46 responses
Being outside makes me happy. 46 responses
Baseball has
1st
new head coach in 30 years
By Hanchen Ou
Rodney Spradlin starts to coach his players in freezing weather in the middle of February in order to prepare for the upcoming baseball season.
Coach Spradlin is the new to the Raiders this year. He takes over the baseball team after Coach Eric Lawrence got his 300th varsity baseball win last year.
The weather in February this year is different from usual, it’s only 30 degrees outside and there is also strong wind mixed in the cold air.
“I hate losing games more than practicing in cold weather.” Spradlin said. This quote showed his enthusiastic attitude towards baseball, and his desire to win ball games.
“My expectations for y’all is to beat Miller School this year,” Spradlin said. “It doesn’t matter who we play against, our mindset should be we have a chance to beat anybody even though our opponent is the New York Yankees.” Miller School’s baseball team is just now ranked as the top 25 baseball team in the nation, but Coach Spradlin will use his positive attitude to lead the NCS baseball team to become the team that has a chance to win against anybody.
Tina soars to All-BRAC 1stTeam Honors
By Monica Koene
Recently honored as First Team All Conference, Tinaishe Chikwata ‘26 never expected basketball to take her across the world, but now, as an international student from Zimbabwe, she is making a name for herself on the court.
Growing up in Zimbabwe, when Chikwata first picked up a basketball, she quickly fell in love with the sport. Her natural talent and work ethic got her to compete at a high level, catching the attention of coaches across the world.
Moving wasn’t easy. Adjusting to a new culture, balancing sports with academics, and competing at a high level came with challenges. “The journey was hard,” she said. “Back home, basketball wasn't as competitive as here. It was easier. And I feel like, because it was home, it was more familiar.” But that didn’t stop her. “I came like something new, which was good, but it was also a bit demoralizing, because I didn't know what I was supposed to be training for, what to get ready for. But yeah, my coaches and my teammates helped me get to that stage.”
COMMITTED: With his family with him, Thomas Greer ‘25 committed to Randolph-Macon college to play D3 lacrosse for the Yellow Jackets in Ashland, Virginia. Greer plays midfield for the Raiders, has been playing lacrosse for five years as a varsity player for his entire high school career. “The will to win has pushed me the most along with my parents always supporting me through the process,” Greer ‘25 said. He also thanked Justin Jensen ‘21 for his work in the weight room, which helped him significantly on the field. “My favorite memory playing lacrosse was when we beat Christchurch in the state championship my freshman year in 2021,” Greer said. “Next year . . . I will continue to develop into a great player and person. I will accomplish this by constantly working hard on the field and in the classroom.” Photo by Suvi Hansen
Caption by Luke Cocowitch
Not long after arriving, she was already known for her skills. “She cheers a lot for our team,” Mercedes Herrera ‘27 said. “And knows how to shoot really well.”
With all the hard work she put in during the basketball season, she won first team all conference. “I feel good about it. I'm very grateful and very thankful to all my teammates and my coaches, but I feel good.”
After having the very successful basketball season she now has other goals in mind. “I'm gonna be playing soccer and hopefully some travel basketball”
Outside of sports, Chikwata has a clear goal. “I always wanted to be a doctor,” she said. “And I'm trying to work towards that.”
Coach Rodney Spradlin holds a plaque he won when he was inducted into the Salem-Roanoke’s Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018 for his career as a coach and scout.
Tina Chikwata skies to the hoop. Photo by Monica Koene
The Madden Curse is real
By Luke Cocowitch
Ever since the Madden Curse came to be, the new cover athlete has been in danger of being the next victim.
Each year, EA sports releases a new NFL video game, with a featured cover athlete. Some people believe it’s only a repetitive coincidence that happens every couple of years. Others believe that the NFL committee has a script each year for small things such as which teams will sign that Free Agent every team has wanted, to which team will claim the Lombardi trophy after winning the Super Bowl. Over the past few years, the Madden Curse has claimed a recent victim; 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey started the season on IR with Achilles Tendonitis, a swelling of the Achilles tendon. After his return in Week 10, he wasn’t the same. He was on the field running the ball for the 49ers, but he didn’t have the same dominance and explosiveness. But then, during his Week 13 game against the Bills, CMC tore his PCL, a season ending injury, adding to the Madden curse’s list.
The first hints of the Madden curse began in the 1999 copy of Madden, featuring another 49er Garrison Hearst. During the regular season, Hearst broke a bone in his ankle, throwing him out of playing for two years. The next year’s cover, Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions, would go on to mysteriously retire during preseason practice in 2000.
A few years later, the curse struck one of the biggest names in football at the time; Michael Vick. This curse hit almost immediately after the release of Madden 04, as Vick would break his leg and sit 11 games of the 2003 season. He was also charged for dog fighting and was deemed “bankrupt” after his charges. Though he returned for seven more years, he wasn’t the same.
Though the Madden curse disappeared for a year when Raven’s star linebacker Ray Lewis was featured on the cover of Madden 05, it came back again to strike its next victim.
On the cover of Madden 06, was Donovan McNabb. He led the Eagles to the Super Bowl the year before, but in 2006, Philadelphia was last in their division. Shaun Alexander, Vince Young and Brett Favre were featured next on the cover in 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively. Shaun Alexander and Vince Young were both riddled with injuries, and both were out of the league after their covers were released.
Brett Favre was featured on the cover of 2009 after his retirement in Green Bay. He decided to
unretire and return to the NFL to play for the New York Jets. Though playing each of the 17 games in the season, he led the NFL in interceptions, receiving the title, cursed.
On the cover of Madden 13, was the Detroit Lions’ Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson. During the 2013 season, Johnson broke the NFL single season receiving yards record, earning his iconic nickname; Megatron.
Featured on Madden 14, was Adrian Peterson, the Minnesota Vikings running back. During the 2014 season with the Vikings, Peterson was riddled with injuries during his featured season. Even though he still made the Pro-Bowl, the Vikings were last in their division, even though they made the playoffs last year.
For two years, the curse seemed unreal.
Seahawks Running back Richard Sherman was displayed on the cover of Madden 15. “I don’t believe in curses,” Sherman said. “I believe in God.” Sherman was right; the curse didn’t affect him and he went on to compete for the Lombardi trophy in the Super Bowl against Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski.
In 2016, the New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was rightfully featured on the cover of Madden 16. Many have seen his breathtaking one handed snag against the Cowboys, but he has more accomplishments, such as another 1,000 yard receiving season, and a second-year Pro-Bowl feature.
Rob Gronkowski, also known as “Gronk” would be featured on the cover of Madden 17, after his fourth 1,000 yard receiving season. But during his 2017 season with the Patriots, he would go on injured reserve and sit on the bench while the New England Patriots hoisted the Lombardi trophy over the Atlanta Falcons in a gut-wrenching overtime win 34-28.
Many students believe the curse is real.
“I believe in it because every year the cover athlete gets hurt, and it happens a lot.” Lugar said. “Even for college football, two of the three cover athletes got hurt this year at some point.”
When Antonio Brown was featured on the cover of Madden 19, he was a standout Pro-Bowl wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers. During the 2018-2019 season, Brown had 1,200 receiving yards, and a career high 15 receiving touchdowns. He was traded during the 2019 offseason to the Oakland Raiders, where he didn’t play a single game and was released after the 2019 season. He was then signed by the New England Patriots, but only had 56 yards on the season. His career continued to fizzle out after he was traded to the Buccaneers. Though surrounded by
greatness with Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady, he retired in the middle of the game against the New York Jets.
Madden 20 and Madden 21 were both top hits for 2020 and 2021. Featuring two young stars of Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, they are both off to great starts in their careers; Mahomes won two super bowls, and Lamar has won MVP of the league twice. These two cover athletes will not be cursed soon because of the generational throwing arm of Mahomes -- even though he lost this year -- and the speedy legs of Lamar Jackson.
On the cover of Madden 24 was Bill’s star quarterback Josh Allen. The Bills lost to the Chiefs again this year in the AFC championship. The Chiefs are Josh Allen’s kryptonite. Allen has everything a franchise quarterback needs; a cannon for a throwing arm, great running legs for escaping the pocket, and size and height to his advantage. If the Bills give Allen a Pro-Bowl caliber receiver to throw the ball to, he and the Bills will be Super Bowl contenders.
On the next cover of Madden 26, I believe that Eagles running back Saquon Barkley will be featured -- especially after his record numbers this season, having a 2,000-yard rushing season, second all time behind retired Rams running back Eric Dickerson. Additionally, the Eagles won the Super Bowl even though he was contained. Though I believe Barkley will be featured on Madden 26, I don’t want him to because we now know: The Madden Curse is real!
Infographic created using CANVA. Images from wiki
No. 3 seeded boys play No. 2 Peninsula Catholic Boys play in state semifinals at Benedictine College
Varsity basketball beat Steward School 72-55 on Wednesday in the state quarterfinals to qualify for the semifinals tonight.
For the first time in a decade, the varsity boys are back in contention for a state title. A win in the semi-
finals might set up a rematch with Miller School, who is ranked No. 1.
The boys last won a conference title in 2016 under Ed Green, a legendary Roanoke College coach. Raider coach Jamiel Allen played four years at Roanoke College.
Jiale Qin is especially excited as one of the veterans of the team.
“It’s a very very special experience, I’ve been at NCS four years, this our first time making it to the state semifinals,” Qin said, “I’m so excited, I want to hold my last chance to win a championship with my team.”
I’ve been at NCS four years, this our first time making it to the state semifinals,” Qin said, “I’m so excited, I want to hold my last chance to win a championship with my team.”
Mack joins 1000-point club
GRAND GAME: Standing with his team, Antonio Mack ‘26 holds his plaque proclaiming his 1000-point career milestone for varsity basketball. The Raiders played Fishburne Military on Jan. 28, dominating the team with a final score of 76-37. With an average of 22 points per game despite missing many games because of an injury, Mack scored his 1000th point of his basketball career before the halftime mark. At one point, Mack intercepted a pass and ended the play with a dunk for two of his 18 points. “I really liked seeing my brother win, and it was a great, energetic moment; to see him grow over the years, to see him get that, it was really a great moment,” said Jesiah Hines ‘27, proudly talking about Mack’s accomplishments. When asked about his feelings at that moment, Mack said, “Obviously it was a great feeling hitting that landmark, but it’s not my end goal,” showing his desire for team over individual achievements. The No. 3 ranked boys will play in the state semifinals today at 5:30 in Richmond. Caption and
Photo by Akali Koeda
GET TO THE RIM! Above: With Tonio Mack ‘26 in support and his teammates already celebrating, Siah Hines ‘27 rises high to score against Roanoke Catholic in the quarterfinals of the BRAC tournament, which the Raiders won. Hines and Mack have been the team’s leading scorers this season at about 22 points per game, which earned both 1st Team All BRAC honors. Below: Ziel Hart ‘26 eyes the right angle for a layup off the glass. Left: Tristan Lange ‘26 goes lefty off the glass for a layup. Photos by Monica Koene
for two years at North Cross, her hard work earned her two
Being
brought
so many good memories, but her favorite is “making snow angels outside between our sets during practice.” Her arrival to North Cross has had both a great impact on the school, and a great impact on her. “North Cross has provided me with new experiences and opportunities” she said, “that I, otherwise, would not have had.”
Ryan Arthur rides
By Joaquin Downey
Ryan Arthur ‘28 pops a wheelie to go over an obstacle.
He has been an avid biker for six years, riding for Roanoke Star Biking.
“I really enjoy mountain biking,” Arthur said, “because it's super fun going fast downhill and getting fit, sitting out on the trail with friends
He recounted one of his favorite competitions where his derailleur, which is the part of the bike that allows you to shift gears, broke on him. This happened 15 minutes before the race, so he was desperately trying to fix it with the mechanics.
“We ended up cobbing together a bike built from other kids' bikes,” Arthur said. He ended up placing 17th out of 80 in that race.
Ryan hopes to move away from cross country biking and go into more downhill and enduro biking, as he hasn’t practiced in a while and wishes to regain his fitness slowly.
In her last home meet of her senior season, Adelaide “Addie” Finch ‘25 dives into the pool, living her final moments of her high school swimming career. After being on the swim team
varsity letters.
on the team has
her
Caption and photo by Monica Koene
Boys celebrate beating Catholic. Photo by Monica Koene
gingersjewelry.com
Instagram: gingersjewelryroanoke
3565 Electric Rd Suite C Roanoke, VA 24018
Tel: (540) 563-5559
Email: ginger@gingersjewelry.com
Store Hours: Mon to Fri: 10:00am - 6:00pm Sat: 10:00am - 5:00pm Sun: closed MENTION THIS AD AND GET
