Spotlight Volume 99, Issue 3 | Spring 2019

SPOTLIGHT South Hadley High School’s student-run newspaper since 1919 Volume 99, Issue 3 | SPRING 2019

SPOTLIGHT

Spotlight, currently in its 99th year, is South Hadley High School’s student-run, open forum publication. Students create all content and make all editorial decisions.

Inside this issue Volume 99, Issue 3 | Spring 2019

3 Promise Act

4 Arts Night

Spotlight staff Abby Authier Morgan Flynn Arianna Gouger Gracelin Lerch Mercedes Lingle Caroline Pare Jorjia Tsilibocos Karlee Zuhusky

5 MCAS Controversy

6 Social Media Addiction

Adviser Mr. B-G

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Contact us Email: spotlight153@gmail.com Phone: 413.538.5063 x3512 Address: Spotlight Newspaper South Hadley High School 153 Newton Street South Hadley, MA 01075

Front Cover

Student work on display at Arts Night, held on May 16th. Photo by Mercedes Lingle.

Back Cover

Students wear “fatal” impairment goggles while driving around a course on the turf to experience the effects of driving while intoxicated. Photos by Arianna Gouger.

2 ABOUT | Spotlight | Spring 2019

10 Cindy’s Review

11 Fashion Trends

A note from the staff We are pleased to bring you the third edition of Spotlight for the 2018-2019 school year.

As always, you can get regular updates from the Spotlight social media, listed on the left. Our Snapchat account, @Spotlight1919, is our newest social media offering, and is updated with pictures from school events and sports games.

Spotlight would love to publish your work, so if you’re interested in working as a reporter or photographer, please let any Spotlight staff member or Mr. B-G know. We welcome opinion piec-

es, reviews, poetry, artwork, comics, photography, videos - whatever your talent or interest is, we want to give it an audience.

We’re happy to help you write a news or feature story if you’d like to attend a sporting event, concert, or other performance. We also welcome reader feedback and editorial letters, which may be sent to spotlight153@gmail.com.

A special thanks goes out to our sponsor Easthampton Savings Bank, our advertisers, and our high school’s administrative team for their ongoing support of scholastic journalism.

Students raise awareness in support of Promise Act

Staff Photo by Shanza Asif

A UNITED FRONT: Student Council hosted a press conference to show the state how important it is that this act is passed.

By Morgan Flynn Many of us don’t know what’s going on in the government, whether it be local or state. Frankly, many of us probably don’t care or don’t have the time to read the countless stories or learn about what’s happening. As students in a public school, however, we should definitely try and educate ourselves on the Promise Act. Massachusetts has some of the best schools in the country, and people come not only from across America, but from across the globe to go to school in Massachusetts. However, our public schools are struggling behind the scenes. This is where the Promise Act comes in. If this bill is passed, it will put billions of dollars into the pockets of public schools across the state, even right here in South Hadley.

The last time public school budgets in Massachusetts were looked at was in 1993, and we can all agree that the world has changed drastically since then. The “world wide web” was only invented in 1990, and there were no such thing as “smart boards” back then either. Technology is a vital part of our education, yet it is barely fractionated into a basic public school budget.

It may be hard to believe that something like this can directly affect our town, but South Hadley is paving the way for other public schools in Massachusetts to fight for the Promise Act.

Staff photo by Morgan Flynn

ACTIONS ARE EQUAL TO WORDS: High school students wrote letters to rally for the pass of the Promise Act. Our school isn’t just fighting because it’s the right thing to do, but because some of our own beloved faculty and staff are suffering from these cuts.

According to the proposed budget cut list, there are going to be cuts in the arts department, the history department, the English department, as well as the entire French program being cut just in the high school alone.

The Student Council at the high school is getting involved in making a change in their community. On May 10, the Student Council hosted a press conference about the Promise Act that was broadcast on the TVs at the high school.

Present at the press conference were Senator Joanne Cumerford, State Representative Dan Carey, as well as Superintendent Nicholas Young and members

of the school committee. At this press conference, they presented Sen. Cumerford and Rep. Carey with more than 780 letters written by students in favor of the Promise Act. “I hope they bring the letters to the statehouse floor to show how much South Hadley needs this,” said senior Emma Rahilly, the student representative on the school board. “Statistics are great, but letters are what makes the difference.”

The students involved in this press conference educated themselves on the Promise Act, and went to their peers to educate them on the subject as well, urging them to write the letters and help make a difference.

“It’s difficult for students who don’t know,” said senior Justin Taylor, a member of the Student Council. “You have to make them realize that this will affect their future. The teachers you have will be affected - you have to personalize it.”

The high school has big supporters in the state government campaigning for the bill as well.

“I grew up with teachers as parents,” said Senator Cumerford. “I saw through their eyes what public education can do for students. It is the great equalizer and the great producer. I am the product of a public education and I’ve seen what it can do.”

Spring 2019 | Spotlight | NEWS 3

Students show off creativity on Arts Night Sculptures, paintings, carvings and more were on display By: Karlee Zuhusky and Abby Authier The hallways of the high school acapella group “Vocal Roar,” the were so beautifully decorated with jazz band, and the chamber choir. students’ art work that walking We spoke with music teacher Ryan through them made you feel like Caster about his thoughts on Arts you were in a museum.

Night, where he shared his excite“I think Arts Night is kind of cool, ment about using some new music because I think a lot of people technology. don’t realize everything our kids “This is our first concert all year do, and it’s nice to have one night where we’re able to use our new where we can showcase their equipment. I am very excited. We talent,” said woodshop teacher have brand new speakers, mixing William O’Neil. equipment, hand-held microOn display from the students phones and individual mics for in woodshop was a wide range of each person. It’s going to be a very skillfully handcrafted items, includ- high level show.” ing chairs, benches, plaques, and Sophomore and art exploration even a canoe that is being raffled student Christine Gurek was also off, which you can still purchase very pleased with how Arts Night tickets for at $10 a piece. The went. drawing will be held sometime “I thought it felt good to display during the last week of school. my art and have people see it since Another attraction from Arts I worked very hard on it,” Gurek Night was a performance from the said.

Senior Luke Petrosky, a student in AP art, also shared his thoughts with Spotlight about Arts Night.

“I felt like it went amazing. I felt really loved and appreciated, and so did everyone else.”

Art teacher Maureen McNally was one of the main coordinators of the event. She worked very hard all year to make sure that Arts Night was a special event for students, faculty, and family members.

“I’m floored every year at how much people have done and how good it is,” McNally said. “I love to sit back and see it from a different point of view.”

Overall, Arts Night was a very successful event. Not only was there a good turnout, it left the students whose art was displayed very proud.

Photos by Abby Authier

Sophomore Morgan Flynn showing off her art.

4 FEATURES | Spotlight | Spring 2019

A student’s art work hanging on the wall.

Plaques made by the woodshop students.

By Morgan Flynn He’s here! The long-awaited arrival of baby Sussex has finally come, and the new royal arrival is already breaking tradition.

Meghan Markle, an actress known for her role on the American TV show Suits, and Prince Henry (Harry) Charles Albert David, prince of England, were married on May 19th, 2018 at Windsor Castle. Their marriage is one for the history books; this marriage breaks one of the royal traditions of having a wedding on a weekday, Meghan is one of the first Americans to ever marry into the royal family, and this marriage is also the first royal interracial marriage as well.

Soon after the wedding, which was viewed by hundreds of millions of people worldwide, people were waiting with bated breaths for the announcement of a pregnancy. In January, Meghan revealed he will be due in early April.

Harry and Meghan kept the pregnancy top secret and had the world at the edge of their seats for months waiting for any sort of hint of the arrival of a baby.

The royal baby boy was born on May 6th, 2019 at 5:26 in the morning. The new family broke the decades’ old tradition of taking the famous hospital picture. The tradition, starting in the 1980s by Princess Diana and Prince Charles with the birth of their son,

A Royal Arrival William. Just a few short hours after the baby was born, Princess Diana and Prince Charles walked out of the hospital, picture perfect, with William in Diana’s arms. The tradition continued with Harry’s own birth, and then William continued the tradition with his wife Kate with the birth of their three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis.

Meghan and Harry decided to take a different approach. They announced to the public before the baby was born that they would not be making a public appearance directly after the baby was born, and instead opted to spend a few days alone with the baby and then release a name with some official photos.

On May 8th, the couple released the first official photos of the baby. Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor was welcomed warmly by people across the globe. Michelle Obama tweeted, “Congratulations, Meghan and Harry! Barack and I are so thrilled for both of you and can’t wait to meet him. #RoyalBaby”. Prince Harry’s brother and Archie’s uncle Prince William commented on the new baby, jokingly welcoming the new parents to the “no sleep club.” Archie has some big fans right here in South Hadley as well. History teacher Stephanie Viens says that, “As an Anglophile, I am very excited that an American is part of British royalty!”

Instagram photo by Sussex Royal

AND THEN THERE WERE THREE: Pictured above is Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with their new son, Archie.

Students are getting in on the royal buzz as well. “I was very excited to hear the news about the baby,” sophomore Ari Gouger says, “And I love the name Archie. It is a great name for a royal baby.”

2019 English MCAS exam gets controversial

By: Jorjia Tsilibocos

This past winter, the 10th grade English MCAS exam featured an excerpt from a book followed by a prompt which asked students to write a diary/narrative from a racist woman’s perspective.

Many students were uncomfortable with this task, as it is not normal to write out racist thoughts on a standardized test.

The state’s department of elementary and secondary education officially pulled the question from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System test following protests from several Massachusetts teachers groups, meaning that the question will not be scored.

DESE said they were made aware of the issue from several Boston Public Schools administrators who said their students were concerned about the question.

A number of people felt hurt and confused as to why any education team would think this question would be okay.

Morgan Flynn, a sophomore who was asked to answer the question on the exam, said, “I felt really uncomfortable about it. It was foolish for them to think it was okay and not review the entire book

first.”

Abby Authier, another sophomore who received this question, added that, “In our generation we should take a closer look at how questions will affect one another.

This question shouldn’t have been in a statewide test.”

English Dept. Chair Tina Lesniak said she was disappointed that the prompt appeared on the exam, explaining that it probably made a number of students uncomfortable. Lesniak said she hopes that in the future, the department of education would improve the process it uses for vetting the questions.

The board did end up apologizing for the question. These are educators who believe that these questions will shape and help youths. Clearly, this question did the complete opposite. Everyone makes

MCAS Practie Test Screenshot from TestNav

CLASSROOM CONTROVERSY: Pictured above is a screenshot of one of the practice tests available to students.

mistakes, I just hope that people’s mistakes don’t completely invalidate what we have been taught as society, and what our world has worked so hard to overcome racism.

Spring 2019 | Spotlight | NEWS & COMMENTARY 5

Student Opinions Social media causes emotional spirals for teens PHONE MANIA: Students are constantly on their mobile devices, even with other technology in front of them!

Photos by Spotlight Staff

By Caroline Pare In a world with a rapidly revolutionizing tech industry, most people find themselves staring at a little screen almost constantly.

According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 77% of Americans owned smartphones in 2018. On the surface, social media seems like a cute, fun, and enjoyable pastime. People can share photos and videos from their life with friends and family. Yet underneath all the smiles, pictures of food, and dog videos lies a much more sinister world of social media often forgotten.

According to a survey by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, feelings of depression directly correlate to increased screen time.

“Teens who spend more time than average on screen activities are more likely to be unhappy, and those who spend more time than average on non-screen activities are more likely to be happy.”

Social media has played a role in the rising teen depression rate, and companies are refusing to acknowledge this. Additionally, social media gives bullies the power to viciously attack people about their appearance and life, all under the mask of anonymity, which gives people a sense of 6 OPINIONS | Spotlight | Spring 2019

power and that it’s not as bad as bullying face to face. Social media also gives teenagers, who have self esteem problems to being with, another source to compare themselves to.

Celebrities and “influencers” with professional photographers and personal trainers advertise expensive and potentially dangerous products on their accounts to their highly vulnerable teenage audience. When teens suffer cyberbullying and are constantly comparing themselves to millionaire celebrities, it is no wonder more teens have depression than ever before.

Social media addiction is also a very real thing. We often retreat behind screens when the real world isn’t going our way. We become obsessed with followers, likes, and comments. It gives us a small sense of pride and happiness seeing people like our pictures, and our follower count grow. This is a never ending cycle of people constantly chasing the high of more likes and more followers. When teenagers spend so much time on their phones constantly scrolling through Instagram and sending Snapchats, they interact less with their friends in person.

According to an article by The Atlantic, less time spent in per-

son with friends and building meaningful relationships has also contributed to the high rate of depression.

Teenagers are often aware of the effects of social media. “[Social media] is crappy but we like the memes,” said a female sophomore who preferred to remain anonymous.

However, owning a smartphone and having social media goes hand-in-hand with being a student in high school. Some students even consider not having an Instagram or Snapchat account not normal. Using social media excessively and checking often has becoming a habit to many students, a habit that is very hard to break.

Fortunately, it seems that some companies are finally taking steps to end the turmoil that their apps and websites cause.

For example, Instagram is testing a version of the app where users cannot see the amount of likes a post receives. If this testing trial becomes permanent, it could improve the self esteem and mental health of students.

Hopefully, more social media companies will follow Instagram’s lead and do away with these degrading constructs to improve the mental health of their users.

Time for ‘Tiger Country’ to do some re-branding!

By Mercedes Lingle South Hadley’s beloved mascot, most South Hadley-related animal. be an improvement from the dreaded the Tigers, are the pride and joy of all There aren’t exactly tigers roaming black and orange. Our school resemthe citizens who reside in town. There the streets of South Hadley, and the bles a costume store at Halloween are tiger paws everywhere, from the majority of the residents of South much too closely for comfort. Secback of the cars to the gravel in the Hadley have never seen a tiger out of ondly, having a mascot as broad as driveways. For people who have lived captivity. Also, having a tiger mascot dinosaurs, which includes thousands in South Hadley of species, would their whole lives, provide us with the tiger has bemany opportunities come more than a to include different mascot, and more types of dinos. The of a staple in their different schools everyday lives, could have different as even the sign sub-mascots, all welcoming people being dinosaurs. to South Hadley For example, proudly reads, Plains School “Welcome to Tiger could be the Plains Country!”

Pterodactyls, Mosier However, I proSchool could be the pose that we make Mosier Velocirapa change to our tors, and the middle mascot. Not many schools could be people are aware of MESMS Triceratopsthis, but the first eves. Additionally, idence of dinosaur having a mascot fossils discovered so powerful would in North America make us inherently were uncovered in more intimidating. our delightful little According to BriSouth Hadley! In tannica, the online 1802, 40 years priencyclopedia, the or to the classificaword “dinosaur” tion of dinosaurs as originates from the a fossil group, Pliny Greek roots deinos,

Photo from Beneski Museum of Natural History Moody was plowing meaning “fearfully HEAR US ROAR: Dinosaur tracks are featured around the town of when he discovered great,” and sauros, a dinosaur footprint South Hadley. meaning “lizard.” in his field. Today, With a name so that same fossil is held in Amherst is just plain uncreative; according to fear-inducing, we would intimidate all College, on display for the public. It USA Today, the tiger is the third most of our opponents, while taking pride seems odd that our town can have popular high school mascot. in the heritage of South Hadley. produced something so substantial If South Hadley were to pay homNo matter how difficult it may with little recognition from the town age to its humble beginnings, and seem to change our mascot, which citizens! I propose that South Hadley make the dinosaur the mascot for the is the livelihood of South Hadley, the show its pride in this accomplishment town, many positive changes would end results would surely justify the by changing our mascot to the South come about. First of all, our school means. Just imagine, “Welcome to Hadley Dinosaurs. colors would immediately become the Town of South Hadley, Dino CounWhile I like tigers as much as the significantly less hideous, as any color try.” Pretty jaw-dropping, right? next person, tigers are not really the scheme relating to dinosaurs would Spring 2019 | Spotlight | OPINIONS 7

By: Abby Authier The tea on this story is hot, sisters! Follow along on how we unfold the troubling details on the drama between a once loved sister and the new queen of the block.

James Charles. You’ve probably heard of him. If you haven’t, here’s a quick recap. James was 17-years-old when he first started his makeup journey on YouTube.

He quickly rose to fame with his fastpaced and well-crafted makeup videos; that and his catchy catch phrase “Hey Sisters,” which soon blew up.

Tati Westbrook appeared on the Ellen show after becoming the first male ambassador of “Covergirl.” James even appeared in this year’s 2019 Met Gala.

James has gotten himself into a lot of scandals, now including this one, which has crowned him the first YouTuber to ever lose 1 million subscribers in 24 hours. He can only thank himself for that one and, well, of course Tati Westbrook.

Tati Westbrook is also a famous YouTuber and a business owner with her own company called Halo Beauty. Tati was the one that helped James when he first became a “Beauty Guru” on YouTube. She

Ta-’TEA’ was, as he called her, his “Second Mom.” She and her family had welcomed James into their humble abode, but have recently stopped all friendly encounters.

On Friday, May 10th, Tati posted a video titled “Bye Sister.” The video starts with old clips of Tati and James together. It also shows all the time she praises him, and gives him free publicity with his promotion codes and apparel.

Tati talks about all the Westbrook/Charles photo from YouTube times that James had made comments about him being EX-BESTIES: Tati Westbrook and James Charles once attracted to only “straight had a very close relationship. men.” She gives an example about the time when they were out to dinner with her family, and James decided to explain, in detail, what he wanted to do with the waiter, which Tati told James that Once the video was posted, his followers he was straight at the dinner and to stop dropped from 16 million to 13 million in 24 talking about it at dinner. James proceed to hours. This tea is an example of petty Youtell her, “it doesn’t matter, I’m a celebrity.”

Tube drama that can ruin a person’s life.

Spotlight adheres to the MA Student Free Expression Law

“Freedom of expression shall include without limitation, the rights and responsibilities of students, collectively and individually, (a) to express their views through speech and symbols, (b) to write, publish, and disseminate their views, (c) to assemble peacefully on school property for the purpose of expressing their opinions.

No expression made by students in the exercise of such rights shall be deemed to be an expression of school policy and no school officials shall be held responsible in any civil or criminal action for any expression made or published by the students.”

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Contact us: spotlight153@gmail.com or 413-538-5063 x3512 8 OPINION|Spotlight|Spring 2019

New abortion laws have Americans asking if the nation is moving backwards Lately, the topic of abortion laws and plete. After this point, individual states lutely insane and frankly, unconstitutionregulations has been present in everyday made laws concerning abortion. al, to allow people who have never been discussions more than ever. Due to the Without proper healthcare, many are pregnant, and never will be pregnant (for new, drastic ban on abortion by several concerned what women will do to abort their lack of a uterus), to decide what U.S. states, people all around the world an unplanned pregnancy. The operation pregnant people can and cannot do. are speaking their minds on the issue, involved in an abortion is risky no matter Furthermore, it is deeply upsetting whether they are “pro-life,” “pro-choice,” how experienced the doctor is. If women that our nation would faster send a rape or anywhere in between. are forced to have abortions in secrecy, victim to prison for not wishing to give The current President of the United then the danger will increase exponenbirth to a baby, than send a rapist.

States, Donald Trump, and People who claim to be some Republican members “pro-life,” but then support of Congress have expressed banning immigrants from support of overturning Roe the United States, or look v. Wade, a Supreme Court away when transgender ruling influenced by the Fourpeople are murdered in coldteenth Amendment which blood, or support lessening found state laws banning gun laws when every week, abortion to be unconstitumass-shootings occur betional. cause gun laws are already As of mid-May, Alabama so loose, really need to reput into place the strictest think their logic. abortion law in the nation, Abortion is a sensitive making it illegal to get an subject, no matter how you abortion in almost every go about it. Life is precious, circumstance, the exception and the Spotlight staff bebeing if the women’s life is in lieves so. The problem arises danger. when we choose to “protect” Several other states unborn life, rather than the followed suit with laws nearly thousands of people who are as severe, such as Kentucky already living, people who

Photo contributed by Ella Francis and Georgia. Women in have memories, have expeWOMEN UNITE: A small pin features the symbol of the female these states are eligible to be rienced emotion, and who sex, with a twist. sentenced to life in prison for take steps each day; “life” is abortion, even if they were raped, and tially. different than living. unwillingly conceived the baby, or if they For 40 years, America has been Women must have the right to choose miscarry, as a miscarriage is somehow moving in a direction of progress, howwhat is best for themselves and their perceived to be the fault of the woman ever slowly it may be. If these laws are situation. We should be focused on the carrying the baby. allowed to pass, and are put into place, people who are alive right now, starving, The age of the mother at hand is also the progress we have made will be null or homeless, or in danger. We should not irrelevant when it comes to the new laws, and void. Every woman who is faced with be as concerned about the lives of those so in theory, an 11-year old rape victim an unplanned pregnancy and lives in a not yet living, especially when that baby could be sentenced to life in prison if she state which has enacted the strict new could be born into a starving, homeless were to get an abortion. laws will face a decision which puts her family which has no means of supporting Roe v. Wade was introduced in 1973. and any involved party at risk. it.

Over 40 years ago, women were given Speaking as people who have never No matter what your stance is on the right, nationwide, to dictate what been pregnant, we at Spotlight do not be- abortion, one thing should be clear: it is happened to their bodies before the first lieve that it is our say whether a woman a woman’s right to decide what happens trimester of their pregnancy was comshould keep her baby or not. It is absoto her body.

Spring 2019 | Spotlight | EDITORIAL 9

‘Drive In’ to Cindy’s for great ice cream

By: Caroline Pare In the summertime, there’s nothing better than cold, refreshing ice cream on a hot day. One of the most popular ice cream places among South Hadley High School students is Cindy’s Drive In in Granby. Cindy’s has dozens of different ice cream flavors. They also have special sundaes, milkshakes, and even a sundae for dogs!

Usually during summer vacation, I visit Cindy’s at least twice a month.

Recently, I took my first trip of the season, accompanied by my brother and my dog. When we arrived, there was no line, and only a few people Photos by Spotlight Staff scattered about the outdoor tables.

WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM: My typical order is twist soft serve ice Cindy’s sundaes are topped with cream in a cone, with rainbow sprinkles. For this trip however, I decided to whipped cream and a cherry. be a bit extra.

Usually, I’m not a fan of hot dogs, I ordered a brownie sundae, the but because I was reviewing Cindy’s, classic Cindy’s long dog, and an ice I knew I had to try their most iconic cream for my brother. We got our ice food item. It was steaming hot, with a creams first, then sat down while I stripe of ketchup and mustard on it. waited for my hot dog, which was My first bite was warm and full of ready just a few minutes later.

10 REVIEWS | Spotlight | Spring 2019

flavor. I hungrily ate the rest and it was surprisingly delicious. I next tried the brownie sundae. Sometimes, if I eat too much dairy I get stomach aches, so the brownie sundae seemed like a good, filling dessert option that did not have an overwhelming amount of dairy.

The brownie was hot and chocolate was oozing out of it. It mixed together with the vanilla ice cream melting on top. The cold vanilla complimented the warm chocolate brownie perfectly and was so yummy that I ate the whole thing in less than three minutes.

Overall, Cindy’s is a delicious option for a quick and cheap meal or ice cream. All of our food was less than $17, and the outside seating is clean and spacious. The workers are all very kind as well, and the experience was overall pleasant.

I give Cindy’s a Tiger Paw rating of 5 Paws - Pounce On It!

High school fashion fluctuations

By Mercedes Lingle Throughout the world, the concept of “fashion,” and what is in-style is constantly shifting and changing, with trends coming into the limelight and leaving it faster than lightning in a thunderstorm. This concept is no different in the niche of South Hadley High.

These days, social media is one of the biggest influencers of fashion trends, especially in the world of teenagers. According to Wikipedia, 7 out of 10 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 report using social media more than once a day. Teens are constantly flooding their brains with new trends portrayed by their favorite social media influencer, ranging from Patrick Starr (a famous makeup guru) to Emma Chamberlain (a popular teen YouTuber).

In South Hadley, these trends often pop up displayed in the clothes of students. One example of a popular trend is the revival of Birkenstock shoes, or “Jesus-sandals,” which have made a comeback from their late 1980’s claim-to-fame. These shoes are often worn no matter the season, as it has become popular to wear them with mid-shin length socks. Although these shoes were laughed at and shunned for several decades, they are now considered the one of the most reliable and practical shoes by many high-schoolers.

Another popular trend within the high school is the notion of tucking one’s sweatpants into their socks. Yes, you read that correctly. This fashion statement is often explained through the idea that the student in question did not want to get dirt, snow, or other unwanted inhabitants into their socks or shoes. Proudly walking through the halls with one’s ankle-region exhibiting some serious bulkage has become the social norm here in South Hadley, and it does certainly seem to be catching on in other towns!

The third popular fashion trend is one which has been in and out of fashion throughout all of time, although some modern-day alterations have been made. Recently, it has become trendy for students with long hair to display their locks in a plop utop their heads–yes, the high-bun! This hairstyle represents a cross between a pompadour and a regular bun. Wearers gather all their hair in a tight or loose ponytail and then twist the hair into a swirl-y bun, which generally sits towards the front of their head.

The difference between the Edwardian-era style and today’s high buns is an odd one - after the bun has been made, some students choose to then pull their hoodie over their head and pull the strings tight, so that their head resembles the shape of a cone. I wonder how long this style will survive, cone-headed glory and all!

Photos by Spotlight Staff

The final fashion trend which has become supremely popular in high schools around the world is the revitalization of the Croc.

With a slogan as encouraging as “Come as You Are,” the official slogan of the Croc shoe, it is hard to ignore the benefits of the shoe. While Crocs started off as a gardening shoe, or something to wear by the beach or in the water, they have morphed into an everyday staple piece for many. “Crocs are so convenient.

They are also durable and are super easy to slip on and off. The best part is that they are waterproof!” says sophomore Caroline Pare.

It is certain that any person who entered the high school would notice the trademark trends which so many students sport every day, such as Birkenstock shoes, the sweatpant-tuck, the cone-head bun, and the colorful Crocs we gallivant about wearing.

Spring 2019 | Spotlight | FEATURES 11