Thanksgiving thoughts
Thanksgiving is a day when all Americans get around a table and eat a meal while remembering all the things they are thankful for. On Thanksgiving we remember to appreciate things like our family, friends and the basic necessities we often take for granted –things like just being healthy or not worrying if we can afford to eat our next meal – luxuries many people don’t have.
Things like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP is meant to lessen the burden for Americans who already have a lot on their plate. Approximately 41.7 million Americans receive snap benefits, and in Virginia approximately 850,000 people depend on SNAP. Of the recipients around 35% of people on snap are disabled, elderly or taking care of one of them. The average amount of money Virginians receive per month in SNAP is around $87 to $258 per month depending on personal financial circumstances, which already is not a lot compared to the average amount Virginians spend on food per month $996 to $1603. Due to the recent government shut down, the longest one in United States history that lasted 43 days, most federal programs were halted including SNAP. This meant many people who were already struggling had the added worry of not having enough money to feed themselves and their families especially with the holidays coming near. Luckily, the shut down has ended, but Virginians will not be receiving full snap benefits in time for the holidays. While Virginia is working hard to give the people some money, they will only be receiving 65% of their benefits, which would turn their previous $87 and $258 to $56.55 and $168.35. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the decreasing amount of money will be especially hard.
According to the Virginia Farm Bureau the price of the average Thanksgiving meal is $81.07 which was already hard for people when they had their full SNAP benefits but now with only 65% for the month Thanksgiving for some families seems impossible. Things like churches, food pantries, or the drumstick dash hosted by the reduce mission are designed to help families in need, however they are super busy and sometimes don’t have enough resources for everyone. That’s why it’s important to always help out our local communities in order to lessen the burden of trying to distribute resources to many people. North Cross hosts the annual Rise Against Hunger day, so NCS students help package food for school children in impoverished countries around the world. This is one way students and faculty can help give back to the world.
Food insecurity is not something that pops up overnight once the holidays
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
“I am
the
thankful for North Cross in general and
people
that
are
around me
everyday
who send a positive attitude to me and tell me what’s up everyday,” Hart said. ”I’m
thankful for Ms.
Wenk. She
does a lot for us everyday, and she makes sure that everything has some enthusiasm in the day. And you know, just the people in general like Ms. Lemon that keep our school running and Mr. Belderes and the teachers. And I’m just thankful for the school’s program.” -- Jaziel Hart
start, it is just highlighted by them. According to the United States Department of Agriculture around 13.5% of households in the United States are considered to have food insecurity. So during Thanksgiving, while we sit at the table surrounded by family, friends and sharing what we’re thankful for, remember something. We might consider something ordinary, like food: is it something other people wait in a long line for after a long day of working and taking care of their families even after waiting for two or three hours they’re not even guaranteed to get.
Food insecurity is not something that pops up overnight once the holidays start, it is just highlighted by them.
THANKFUL FOR TEAMWORK: Ziel Hart ‘26 evaluates his options to run as Trace Pickard ‘27 blocks and Jase Rhodes ‘26 anticipates Hart’s need for downfield blocking. The team’s offensive scheme allowed Hart to run for 177 yards and four touchdowns. Caption by Jax Bentley. Photo by Andrew Weng
THE POINT: Our cover shot shows Ziel Hart enjoying some late-game fun. Photo by Andrew Weng
What are you thankful for?
Luke Daniel ‘27:
“I am thankful for my family, my friends, and the ability to go to this school.”
Mason Bibby: What specific aspects of North Cross are you most thankful for?
LD:
I’m thankful that I can get a good education here, and that I’m able to connect with people from a ton of different countries and other parts of the U.S. that I never would have ever interacted with if I hadn’t gone here.”
MB: So what’s your favorite part of your education? Is it in the classroom, or is it more outside the classroom and the connections that you make?
LD:
“It’s kind of both, like I’ll be paired up with some people that I usually would never talk to, and I get to know them better. And then outside of the classroom, I have many different opportunities to talk to new people.”
Ryan Arthur ‘28: “My family and biking“ Levi Sheppard ‘28: “Family and time off of school“
Friends Eve Heletz ‘28 and Charlotte Marilla ‘28 are thankful for each other. “I’m thankful for my family and my friends,” Heletz said. “I’m thankful for sports and the friends it’s given me and also my family,” Marilla said.
“I’m thankful for my family and my dog. I’m also thankful for a house and a roof over my head and food.” -Millie Chopski ‘26
By Mason Bibby
WService: the Standard We Raise
henever one thinks of America, it’s easy to get blindsided by the pomp and circumstance of the red, white, and blue parades, bald eagle screeches, or the physical testaments—the Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge, the Washington Monument—to American exceptionalism. But there are oftentimes things—or people—that are just as Ameri- can, more so, even, than apple pie or baseball.
Those people are no doubt our veterans, the warriors that enlisted in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force, and Marine Corps to defend our nation and the freedoms they preserve. It’s easy to confine them to antiquated periods of history; “My great-grandfather got drafted into World War Two, but that was ages ago.” “We don’t have to worry about that anymore, there’s no wars going on.” Even though those statements may be technically true (although the latter might be less cut and dry), it’s important to remember that our veterans didn’t stop being amazing individuals the second they were discharged or when the last shot of the latest conflict was fired. It all ties into what I said on the 11th: “Service doesn’t end when the war is over. It echoes through every freedom we enjoy, in every voice
still allowed to speak openly, in every dream that was kept just within reach.”
And when I was up there at that lectern, I felt that spirit of sacrifice rattle something inside me in every word that resounded off of the walls of Fishburn Auditorium.
I’ll never storm the beaches at Normandy, go “over the top” at Château Thierry, or patrol the streets of Fallujah. Neither will many of these readers. That’s what makes this gratitude so special. Not the fact that they got yelled at during boot camp or did PT until they were sick. The fact that these ordinary people
could stand up in the face of not just an enemy, but fear, adversity, and overwhelming odds proves that they are worthy of more than just veneration. They are the heirs to the original Revolution, one that never would have been possible again without their contributions.
We have an impetus here in the United States. To be a global leader. To be a peacemaker. To be a bastion of liberty, justice, and democracy; a shining example of what nations can be.
We have not always
upheld that burden, nor have we always understood the toll it takes to be the author and finisher of that mission. But we have always been steadily climbing, ever-reaching, and patiently waiting for the day on which this goal can be fully realized. We have always kept our eyes trained on a future that is better than our past and freer than our present.
We have kept our eyes trained on a goal that speaks to a world in which tyranny no longer will have a yoke on the oppressed of the world.
I one day hope to raise my hand in defense of that noble goal. To swear an oath to this nation, its Constitution, and the rule of law that we have grown to revere. I’ll swear that oath to the millions of servicemembers who have come before me.
And, like raising the flag on Iwo Jima, we will raise a standard for the whole world to see. A promise to the world:
Liberty lives.
OPINION
Women can break the ceiling, not the electorate
WOMEN IN POLITICS 1997-2024
Hillary Clinton (2008 and 2016)
Hillary Clinton served as First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001 Later, she served as a senator from New York and Secretary of State from 2009-2013. She was the first woman to secure a major party’s nomination, though she was ultimately defeated by 45 and 47 President Donald J Trump th th
By Mason Bibby
“Don’t even look at me about running because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You are not. So don’t waste my time.”
So lamented former First Lady Michelle Obama in a Nov. 5 conversation with Tracee Ellis Ross at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Associated Press reports. The wife of the 44th President Obama, though icy in tone, is admittedly correct in her conclusion.
Kamala Harris (2020 and 2024)
Kamala Harris was the first Black, South Asian, and female Vice President of the United States from 2021 to 2025 Before that, she served as U.S. Senator from California from 2017 to 2021 Harris lost her presidential bid to President Trump, despite raising over $1 billion in her 107-day campaign
The U.S. isn’t ready for a female president.
This is not to say that women cannot be president, nor to suggest that they cannot pursue careers in public policy, law, and politics. They have before, and the country is better for it. But there is a reason why the above statement used the syntax that it did. There’s no question that women possess the talent, discipline, and steadiness that Washington requires. The United States isn’t ready for a female president because pretending we’ve reached the level of political maturity doesn’t solve problems, nor does it make us enlightened.
If anything, it makes us dishonest.
And, this is not so much an indictment of the ability of women as it is a rebuke of the cracked foundation they stand on.
Nikki Haley served as Governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017. She later served, from 2017 to 2018, as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. A primary election candidate, Haley was the first Indian-American woman to run for a major party nomination, later ceding the primary to President Trump as the final major challenger.
Michelle Obama Nikki Haley (2024)
(Married to Barack Obama who ran campaigns in 1997 2004 2008 and 2012)
Michelle Obama served as First Lady of the United States between 2009 and 2017 She was and is an advocate for education reform, public health, and girls’ empowerment She remains a public voice on the challenges and opportunities for women in leadership and politics. She has also been repeatedly cited as a viable presidential candidate, though she has expressed displeasure at the notion in the past
Oftentimes, men can scrape by in the world of politics by virtue of being able to chew gum and walk at the same time. Women, unfortunately, do not have that luxury. Voters want a commander in chief who’s confident, but not too confident, tough but not cold, maternal but not emotional, and authoritative but not shrill. It’s an impossible audition, and I’d argue we aren’t even trying to hide it anymore.
Sadly, until the country learns to evaluate female leadership with the same steadiness it applies to men, Michelle Obama’s warning will hang over every woman with a national profile: don’t even talk about running, because you aren’t ready for what the public will do to you.
Many point to the folly of Hillary Clinton as a cautionary tale for the average female politician. A The first lady-turned political candidate (though she was no stranger to cutthroat politics; she became the first female senator from New York in 2001) ran on the ethos of foreign policy experience as secretary of state, congressional governance, and years as the nation’s top democrat, perhaps second only to Barack Obama.
She lost, poetically, in an electoral college defeat despite winning the popular vote. And, in an election loss emblematic of a broken system, Hillary Clinton faded from the public eye with grace, though never quite shaking the scandals designed to bury her. Benghazi, the Steele dossier, and the email controversy, were all examples of how political slip ups are amplified when the candidate is a woman.
Clinton wasn’t unique in her criticism either. Nikki Haley, a candidate for the Republican nomination back in 2024, was described as “erratic,” “inauthentic,” and “too ambitious.” And, though she lost the primary, she later went on to endorse then-candidate Donald Trump for president, a move cited as “politically opportunistic.” However, her opponents, business mogul Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, did the same, with few, if any, repercussions.
Clinton’s own husband, President Bill Clinton, not only narrowly escaped an impeachment inquiry, but also left office in 2001 on the back end of a two-term presidency as a beloved leader with a 66% approval rating.
Therefore, until the country learns to evaluate female leadership with the same steadiness it applies to men, Michelle Obama’s warning will hang over every woman with a national profile: “don’t even talk about running, because you aren’t ready for what the public will do to you.”
Simply put, women are ready, willing, and able to be president. The presidency, however, is not ready to be theirs.
Read more at willishallherald.org
DYNAMIC DEMARCUS: Above, Roanoke Catholic transfer Demarcus Brown ‘27 communicates with teammates like cornerback Wynn Yardley ‘30 from his position as strong safety before a play on defense.
WYNNER: Abovee left, Wynn Yardley ‘28 defends the right side of the backfield with Brown. On the opposite side of the gridiron from senior All-Statte defenders Jaziel Hart and Jase Rhodes, Yardley was targetted by the opposing offense, but responded with steady play.
LINEMEN: Right: Carter Reel ‘28 connects with photographer Andrew Weng while he and Daven Reed ‘28 wait in the postgame line to offer condolences and thanks to St. Anne’s-Belfield for a hard-fought game. Reed waves with his West Virginia University glove, a gift from just one of the major D-1 programs recruiting Reed. See page 10 for a feature story on the lineman.
Photos by Andrew Weng
7TH STATE TITLE
Hart scores 4 TDS; denies
more on
D
TOUCHDOWN TORNADO: Ja’ziel Hart ‘26 rushed past Jonas Biehs ‘27 of St. Anne’s-Belfield in their 54-22 victory over the Charlottesville-based team. Hart didn’t just show up to the VISAA D-II state title game, he practically signed his name on it. With four rushing touchdowns, 177 yards, the dual-threat Wide Receiver/Cornerback reminded the fans—and STAB—why he’s bound for Chapel Hill. Reclaiming the state crown, Hart slammed the door shut on his high school career with the same explosiveness that he burst onto the North Cross scene with four years ago. Reported by Matt Case in The Roanoke Times, Hart let the sentiment flow. “It took so much work to be here, it was not easy this year,” Hart said. “It was a gauntlet, but it’s a blessing to be here.” As stated, Hart will take his talents to the next level as a four-star at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where he’ll play under former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. As Case reported, Hart said that “it has not set in yet but I know I might shed a little tear or so behind closed doors, but I’m genuinely blessed to be out here with these guys, running it back, I’m just blessed to be back here once again.”
QUEBECOIS QUARTERBACK:
When starting quarterback Tristan Lange ‘26 broke his finger while tacking midway through the season, the team looked vulnerable. Kingston Paquet ‘27, a new recruit from Quebec, Canada, stepped into the starter’s role and proved able to guide the offense. He threw two touchdown passes to Demarcus Brown ‘27 against STAB.
SPEEDY SEBASTIAN:
Sebastian Miller ‘26 smiles at the end of the game when the result was not in doubt. He used his speed to help the defense limit STAB’s offense.
Photos by Andrew Weng
What made the difference this year?
“I feel like a huge difference was our energy. Being able to play at home with our home crowd, having our supporters, our families there, played a huge part. And just our preparation with our coaches, coming in from two losses early in our season. It also helped us because we were able to correct a lot of different things that we did before, that we could do better.”
- Jase Rhodes ‘26
What was the main reason why you won the championship? The main reason we won a championship was our great teamwork and camaraderie with one another. We stayed together and we fought as one, as a team, and as a brotherhood and everybody was just great on board and everything clicked. -- Nate Hayes ‘26
RHODE WARRIOR: Despite battling nagging injuries, Jase Rhodes played tough defense. Photo by Andrew Weng
What made the difference between you beating STAB this year and not beating Blue Ridge last year? I feel like we stuck together as a family all year. We had really good practices leading up to the state championship. I feel like our two-a-days were much harder this year and it got us ready for the season. And we added a few key parts. So yeah, I feel like that was what was good.
What was it like playing with your cast?
Yeah, I mean, it was hard. . . . It was good to be back on the field. I never thought I was gonna step foot on a football field again. So when I I got cleared the week of the state championship, it was a great feeling just to be out there with my brothers.
-- Tristan Lange ‘26
ONE ARMED TWO-WAY TERROR: Above, Tristan Lange rumbles around a would-be tackler while Nate Hayes blocks. Left, Lange sends a STAB ball carrier flying from his linebacker position while Kavari Brown ‘26 (#55) prepares to support if necessary. Photos by Andrew Weng
Watch out or you’ll get pancakes--wait, no--pancaked!
Offensive lineman Daven Reed put defensive players on their backs all season.
By Kaitlyn Perkins
Daven Reed ‘28 pancaked opponents like nobody’s business at the VISSA State Championship Game just as he had done all season long.
Reed is a sophomore star lineman, whose statistics are as impressive as his size. Just 15, he is 6-foot-5 and 318 lbs. Reed can bench 285 lbs and squat and deadlift 500 lbs. His massive size, strength, and exceptional skill is what makes him one of the best and most valuable players on the football team.
Reed started at NCS last year and helped get the team to States. Despite last year’s loss at States to Blue Ridge School by just two points, the guys came back this year to dominate against St. Anne’s Belfield School winning 54-22. Currently, Reed has nine college offers for football including USF, Duke, Liberty, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, West Virginia, Rutgers and Louisville. If he had to choose right now he would go to South Carolina, however, Reed’s dream college is the University of Georgia.
THE WAY:
This season Reed has made a name for himself, totaling 14 tackles/2.3 tackles per game and 3 tackles for
By Andrew Weng
Winning the VISAA D-II State football game made almost everyone very happy, but for Alessio Nunez ‘27, it wasn’t all great.
loss. “There was this one play where me and Big Nate took number 54 to the back of the endzone and flat-
tened him,” Reed said of his favorite parts of the championship game. Nate Hayes ‘26 is an offensive and defensive lineman and a role model to Reed.
“He just brings that energy,” Reed said of Hayes. “He really loves the game and it makes it fun to play beside him. He’s a model player.”
Hayes also respects Reed saying, “Daven did an amazing job at blocking. If we didn’t have Daven do a good job at blocking, we definitely would have lost.”
“It was way easier, I kinda overestimated them,” Reed said, comparing the states game to conference. The conference game appears to have been a fair bit closer than the states game as the Raiders defeated Atlantic Shores at conference 35-29.
When asked what the hardest part of the championship game was, Reed said, “the first drive is always the hardest drive, because you’re nervous and you’re just getting the nerves out. So definitely the first drive, but that quickly went away when we scored.”
DB/WR Nunez comes from Germany
He had trained hard every day, but felt like he had not performed to his best ability and was taken out of the game. He was feeling down the evening after the game. Nunez said football is his life, the reason he came to North Cross from Germany, and his dream.
“Alessio played great all year,” teammate Walker Reel ‘27, “It was his first year at North Cross so he had a big hole to fill as we lost some key seniors last year, some good wide-receivers, so he came in, had a big role to fill and he really showed out, he showed out all year.” To give Nunez some confidence Reel said, “Just go back to what you know. When he first came to America, he’s got speed, he can move well. Just go back to the basics and just use what you’ve got because he is a really fast dude. He can run fast. So just go back to what you know and use that to build on it.”
Nunez eventually decided to cheer up and continue living seriously. Believing he has the ability to become a great football player. “[He] always
brought great energy and was always one of my closest friends when I went down to the dorm, just a great guy overall.”
Nunez chose NCS under the recommendation of the head football coach Dwayne Priest. They met each other before he arrived in the United States at a football camp.
“I was passionate about rugby,” Nunez said, “and I greatly admired Coach Priest and found the school’s education exceptional, which led me to enroll.”
Prior to coming here, he had attended a vocational school in Germany. Every two weeks he would work as an intern for two different engineering companies. He would work with CNC Machines in a warehouse making different pieces for different products. He said if he had not come to North Cross, he would have had to leave school and go to work full time in a factory in Germany. Nunez plans to run indoor track this winter, and he hopes to play football again next year.
POINTING
Alessio Nunez ‘27 communicates with his defensive teammates in the midst of defeating STAB on Nov. 15. Photo by Andrew Weng
PANCAKED: Daven Reed flattens a Blue Ridge lineman at Homecoming game this year.
Hoops happening here, now and then
Boys Varsity Basketball Upcoming Schedule
• Nov. 22 vs. Oak Hill Academy Red
• Nov. 28-30 vs. International Thanksgiving games)
• Dec. 5 vs. Stuart Hall
• Dec. 9 @ Woodberry Forest
• Dec. 16 vs. FUMA
• Dec. 19 @ Nansemond-Suffolk Academy
• Dec. 20 @ Catholic
• Dec. 27 vs. Rustburg
• Dec. 29-30 @ Northside Invitational
• Jan. 3 @ Chance Harman Classic (Floyd HS)
• Jan. 10 @ Virginia Academy
• Jan.15 @ The Covenant School
• Jan. 17 @ Christchurch School
• Jan. 20 @ VES
• Jan. 23 vs. Miller School of Albermarle
• Jan. 27 @ Eastern Mennonite
• Jan. 29 vs. Hargrave Military Academy
• Jan. 31 @ St. Michael the Arcangel
• Feb. 3 vs. Carlisle
• Feb. 5 vs. New Covenant
• Feb. 7 vs. William Fleming
• Feb. 10 @ Roanoke Catholic
• Feb. 12 vs. Blue Ridge
Girls Varsity Basketball Record as of Nov. 21 (1-3) and Upcoming Schedule
• Nov. 14 vs. SMLCA W 58-33
• Nov. 17 @ Timberlake Christian L 27-23
• Nov. 18 @ SVA L 44-34
• Nov. 20 vs. Faith Christian L 39-30
• Dec. 9 @ Stuart Hall
• Dec. 12 @ SVA
• Dec. 15 vs. Roanoke Valley Christian
• Jan. 8 vs. Stuart Hall
• Jan. 15 @ Miller School of Albermarle
• Jan. 22 @ Faith Christian
• Jan. 29 @ Chatham Hall
• Jan. 30 @ New Covenant
• Feb. 3 @ Carlisle
• Feb. 10 vs. Chatham Hall
Triple Threat Tonio: Tonio Mack ‘27 shoots a 3 on Nov. 14 in a scrimmage against Winston-Salem Christian. Mack led the team in scoring last year. Photo by Andrew Weng
