The Blaze Vol 6 Issue 1 | Fall 2022

BLAZE THE

ROCK RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL | FALL 2022 | VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1

As Friday’s new activity period allows more time for club involvement, read how students are joining organizations that celebrate their diversity of interests.

Amelia Chen

Rohan Iyer

Nanaki Bawa

Alyssa Yoon

James Bowles, Tanishka Enugu

Aarohi Motwani, Manika Porchezhian

Mariam Abdelsayed

Karis Adnan

Alexis Cortés Negrón

Sarah Baig

Anik Mridha

Smrithi Balakumar

Sruthi Sakala Rachel Adams

Hylay Assefa

Sarah Bataineh Nic Biernacki

Samantha Chang Maya Coleman

Ivana Figueroa Zahria Ford

Sienna Garrigan Bella Gerardi Aline Gonzalez

Anushka Goski

Raza Hassan

Iyush Hoysal

Ananya Karthik

Adi Kidiyoor

Bhargav Kuniki

James Lee

Nidhi Manchala Sitwat Mian Jackson Mitchell Sydney Nguyen Sebastian Penagos Sandoval Sudeepa Pasupuleeti Shaila Patel

Muhammad Reda Damian Rosas Shivu Sathe Abhi Sharma Nadia Shirr

Kamille Simon Bella Strano

Lucian Tiller Sruthi Vivek Melissa Waas

Katy Greiner Babcock

John Duellman

Front: Alexis Cortés Negrón, TOC: Maya Coleman, Shivu Sathe, Back: Amelia Chen

A total of 500 copies of “The Blaze” Fall Issue 2022-23 were published by School Papers Express. The news magazine is designed in the Aptly, Proxima Nova, and Garamond font families.

43460 Loudoun Reserve Drive, Ashburn, VA 20148

In our increasingly divided world, it’s easy to feel like we have nothing in common. Republican vs Democrat, Gen Z vs Baby Boomer, rich vs poor, “us” against “them;” in the age of digital clicks and fiery tweets, it sometimes can feel as if we aren’t a united community. However, with the combined effort of student leaders and teacher advocates, Rock Ridge shows the world that we are, in fact, more united than different. In this issue, you’ll get a peek into how students and staff at The Rock work to create unity and spirit in trying times. You’ll read about the multitude of clubs at The Rock, and hear the stories behind these microcosms of high school life. Additionally, you’ll get a day-by-day recap of the annual Homecoming spirit week, and get a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes work that made that week possible. You’ll also read about the Marching Band’s rise to success and the cheer team’s fiery spirit during their competitive seasons. We want to thank our dedicated and resilient staff members for all their hard work in publishing this fall issue and starting coverage up on our website. We especially would like to shoutout all the new staffers, who have done an incred ible job in learning and excelling at a multitude of new journalism skills in a very short period of time. Finally, we would like to give a warm thanks to our advisor, sponsors, faculty, and community members, whose steadfast support of student journalism has made all of our work possible.

Sincerely, Amelia Chen Co-Editor-in-Chief

TEACHER OF THE YEAR: JORDAN MARKWOOD

Choir teacher Jordan Markwood has won numerous awards in honor of his excellent teaching skills, such as The Washington Post 2022 Teacher of the Year and the 2023 Region 4 Teacher of the Year.

BY: Nanaki Bawa & Sruthi Sakala | DESIGN BY: Maya Coleman & Shivu Sathe

Jordan Markwood began his career at Stone Hill Middle School in Ashburn, Va. In 2014, Markwood helped to open Rock Ridge and currently teaches five different courses — Musical Theater, Phoenix Chorale, United Sound, Chamber Choir, and Cantus Avem — in addition to juggling duties as the Fine Arts department chair. He, like many other teachers, focuses on the amazing moments of education that inspired him to pursue

this field. “I am blessed that I get to work with the same students for four years in a row,” Markwood said. “You get to create strong bonds and rela tionships with them.”

Through the RRHS Choral Department, Markwood has guided over 1500 students in pursuing their musical aspirations, from attending prestigious music colleges like Berklee College of Music, to scoring a per fect score on the All-Virginia Choir entrance exam. Markwood employs a collaborative teaching style to help students fulfill their ultimate potential. Senior and Chamber Choir member Sneha Khandavalli has known Markwood for four years and felt greatly supported by him. “I’ve audi tioned for All-State five times, and my goal was to try to get in at least once in high school,” Khandavalli said. “I’ve been able to learn different singing techniques and audition the practice piece with [Markwood], and I was able to get in last year.”

In order to be selected for Teacher of the Year, over 150 par ents organized a 70-page book full of their memories and experiences with

Markwood. The effort was led by Cris sie Miller, the parent of junior Maggie Miller. As a part of the document, students, parents, fellow teachers, and principals shared their experiences and interactions with Markwood, with many claiming that he is one of the best educators they have ever met. “I have had the privilege of working with many talented educators throughout my ca reer, but there is no one that I respect, admire, and aspire to be like more than Jordan Markwood,” Dominion High School Choral Director My-Van Nguy en said. “Jordan never brings ego to the table. Jordan truly feels called to this profession and that his most significant contributions to the world at large will be through teaching.”

Accepting his Region 4 Teacher of the Year award, Jordan Markwood stands on the auditorium stage, smiling into the crowd of fine arts students and administrators. Photo courtesy of Jordan Markwood.

Keep reading here! The Blaze wishes to congrat ulate Managing Editor Nanaki Bawa and Business Manager Sruthi Sakala for winning a Best of SNO award for this piece. We are so proud of you!

1) Junior Kaia Greene and her teammates, sophomores Harmony Dickerson and Dylan Jenkins, participate enthusiastically in Wednesday’s lunch game, while sophomores Shayne Mitchell and Jiya Chadha look on in support. It was a strong competition, but the seniors fought hard to earn their B and D lunch wins. Juniors earned their class spirit points during both A and C lunch.

Photo by Rachel Adams. 2) Participants in the trivia lunch games raise their answer sheets as the SCA comes around to collect them. The freshmen of B lunch won their class more points, racking up their total for the week. Photo by Sitwat Mian. 3) Juniors Valerie Whitaker and Melody Simmonds bring their warmest airport outfits and blankets to show off. Both Whitaker and Simmonds love the feel of the airport. “[My favorite thing about the airport is] wearing pajamas,” Whitaker said.

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SPIRIT

BY: Rachel Adams, Ananya Karthik & Sitwat Mian

DESIGN BY: Sydney Nguyen

The week “took off” with Air port Fit Day. Students dressed up in cozy outfits and airport accessories, such as neck pillows and suitcases, as if they were at the airport. Juniors Valerie Whitaker and Melody Simmonds both participated in the spirit day. “I’m very spirited and it’s comfy to wear pajamas,” Whitaker said. Most students enjoyed the unique spirit day, and their enthusiasm for the event did not go unnoticed. Monday’s lunch game was musical chairs. Stu dents of all grades participated and competed to win spirit points for their grades.

TUESDAY MONDAY

The theme for day two was Wild West vs. West Coast. From cowboys to influencers, students divided as they chose to represent the side of their choice. Students went all out in their tubular surf wear or wore their cowboy hats and boots. “It brings unity to our school, seeing everyone dressed up,” SCA member senior Sneha Khandavalli said. The lunch game of the day was trivia, and students competitively filled out answer sheets, trying to gain the most points for their class.

With Homecoming on the horizon, the Student Council Association put together a week of lunch games and themed days from Oct. 17 to Oct. 21 to get students excited for the dance.

5) In their New-York-like decorated hallway, science teachers Kayla Hen nessey and Stephen Spruell pose like tourists in their tropical shirts and fanny packs. Photo by Ananya Karthik. 6) Pictured left to right, sophomores Jiya Chadha, Kailyn Fetterman, Kaylie Rivers, and Annabelle Monte pose, dressed up like they are in the Wild West. Photo by Ananya Karthik. 7) Sophomores Alex Canfield, Nikhil Midda, and Rishab Jha prepare to launch their rubber chicken into their basket during Thursday’s lunch game, “Chicken Toss.” The team pulled a win, earning the sophomores spirit points. Photo by Sitwat Mian. 8) Students in chorus wear all black as they grab breakfast and chat with their friends at the Rock Ridge Sings Big/Little Breakfast.

Photo by Ananya Karthik.

SCA called students to dress in their most formal, profes sional attire for Wall Street Wednesday. Students wore pantsuits, suits, and ties, and even dressed as the career of their choice. Students like junior Ofelia Goldberg were thrilled with this theme. “I love showing my spirit,” Goldberg said. “It feels like we are a community when we all dress up and do [spirit days] together.” The SCA hosted the lunch game “Finish the Lyric.” Students grabbed their friends and came together to sing classic songs while trying their best to remember the words that came next. The day ended with class hallway decorating.

THURSDAY

The morning started with the judging of class hallways, which students worked hard on for hours after school on Wednesday in the hopes of winning the friendly compe tition. Students went to town touring the city-like hallways in their tacky tourist outfits. Tacky Tourist brought forth Hawaiian shirts, Disney hats, and baseball caps from other countries. The final results of hallway judging were: fresh men in fourth place, juniors in third, seniors in second, and sophomores in first.

FRIDAY

The week ended with a Black out theme. The theme of the day went along with the theme of the football game, which officially concluded the week. Friday consisted of a pep rally and a tailgate. The seniors were crowned the winners of Homecoming Spirit Week with 156 spirit points.

LEARNING THE SKILLS, RUNNING THE DRILLS

Freshmen in the marching band improved drastically from their first steps at band camp to taking the field at high-stakes competitions.

BY: Sruthi Vivek, Nicolas Biernacki & Muhammad Reda | DESIGN BY: Sruthi Vivek

The fading sun lit up the field as students marched in endless waves. For most students, the long rehearsals were a practiced fall routine, but for the freshmen members of the marching band, the start of this school year introduced them to their first ever band camp. The freshmen this year have gone from learning the ropes of marching band to being a part of the team’s great success at all of their competitions.

The most pivotal part of the transition from middle school band to high school marching band is band camp. “[Band camp] is fun, but it could also be torture at the same time,” freshman clarinetist Jaquelyn Malapira said. “After learning the basics and all that, it gets better.”

In order to bridge the gap between middle school and high school band, the freshmen had a lot of work to do. Freshman flautist Hasini Kasuganti noticed that the high school marching band placed higher expectations on its members. “The thing I’ve noticed most about [middle school band] is that you could just blend in with the group,” Kasuganti said. “If you didn’t know how to play, you could just sit there and chill–nothing really mattered.”

Being a member of such a prestigious band meant that the freshmen needed to learn essential skills in order

to be successful. “Discipline was a big thing we learned in marching band,’’ Kasuganti said. “Especially for us crazy freshmen, standing still and having correct posture–everything mattered.”

The skills that the musicians learned from marching band are important not only when they perform, but also for their daily lives. “Learning discipline, patience, and just standing there and learning how to shut up was a big thing,” Kasuganti said.

The history of excellence of the Rock Ridge band program looms large over some freshmen. “I feel like [the prestige] motivates me, because when you feel like you’re not keeping the legacy up, then you feel disappointed in yourself,” Malapira said. “That’s kind of a burden, but also a great motivator at the same time.”

Sophomore Nathan Wong , senior Vishal Chindepalli, sopho more Patrick Moore, and junior Emily Spielman stand in formation at the Homecoming game on Oct. 21. Photo by Smrithi Balakumar.

Even with all this pressure, freshmen band players still enjoyed participating in the program. “In mid dle school, I played the trumpet, and I found out that marching band was a thing [in high school], and I tried it and it’s really fun,” freshman trumpeter Bhanu Alluri said. Alluri cherishes the relationships he has formed with his bandmates, especially with those in the trumpet section. “[In marching band,] you get to have fun talking to your section, and you can do cool activities,” Alluri said.

Even though he enjoys per forming in the marching band, Alluri still experiences nervousness before competitions. However, a strong sup

port system within the band helps to alleviate performance anxiety. “[Com petitions] are very nerve-racking, but if you just relax and focus on yourself and your music, [it’s less nerve-racking],” Alluri said. “You have many peers to support you.”

The experienced members of the band have noticed clear improve ment from the freshmen since the start of the year. “On the first day when you would hear a bunch of freshmen, it didn’t sound bad, but it didn’t sound good either; it was just a mix of sounds,” junior drum major Bella Pilgreen said. “[A few weeks later], you will listen to the freshmen play, and it sounds incredible.”

Pilgreen was able to join the high school band while she was still in middle school, giving her a unique perspective on the transition between middle school and high school. “I was used to [high school band], but as the year [went] on I realized that there’s a lot more demand for certain things,” Pilgreen said.

The high expectations placed on members of the marching band

means that members spend a lot of time together, both at practices and competitions. “The relationships [be tween members of the band] are tight knit, and most of my closest friends are in band,” Pilgreen said. The bus rides to competitions are where the members can unwind and socialize. “[The bus rides] are honestly so fun; we play this thing called Secret Satan, which is like Secret Santa, where we get someone candy [and food before a competi tion],” Pilgreen said.

The freshmen’s improvements have been amplified by the entire group, whose accomplishments includ ed a superior rating in the state march ing assessment on Oct. 15. Their efforts have taken true teamwork. “Marching band is a collaboration–if one person does something wrong, the whole band suffers,” freshman flautist Ameya Darade said.

Junior drum major Bella Pilgreen conducts the marching band at the Pink Out football game on Oct. 14. Photo by James Lee.

AT THE ROCK

From psychology to photogra phy, basketball to badminton, guitar to Girls Who Code, clubs have always been a way to con nect to like minded people and pursue passions. The clubs offered at Rock Ridge are mainly student driven, allow ing members the freedom to shape the club and learn in ways that classes at school might not provide.

Rock Ridge has tweaked the

BY: James Bowles & Sebastian Pena gos Sandoval | DESIGN BY: Nicolas Biernacki, Rohan Iyer & Lucian Tiller

schedule to give clubs more time without resorting to only after school hours. This year brought a new version of the schedule, with early lunch blocks, later brain breaks, and replacing advisory most Fridays with an activity period. This activity period is split up into “Red” and “Gray” days that contain their own sets of clubs, so no clubs overlap, and alternates weekly. Activity period is a time for

GIRLS WHO CODE

BY: Rohan Iyer, Samantha Chang & Maya Coleman

The Girls Who Code club is an organization consisting of avid coders and computer science enthusiasts. Members of the club meet on “Gray Days” during activity block, with occasional after school meetings as well. During club meetings, members discuss new coding ideas with each other, work on creating projects, and bond over their shared love for coding.

“[The purpose of the club] is to teach beginners or anyone who’s interest ed in learning how to code,” senior and club vice president Neha Bhusarapu said. “[There are] opportunities to teach them the different languages – we teach them Java, CSS, Python – and [for] people who know how to code, they can do advanced projects and showcase it at our project showcase through the Girls Who Code headquarters website.”

Computer science teacher Yaroslav Mayewsky sponsors Girls Who Code. “[The main purpose] is to foster a community of girls where they can connect with each other and support each other in their exploration of computer science and technology,” Mayewsky said.

students to either meet up with their club, seek out a new club, or to pursue a new passion.

“The club schedule is nice,” math teacher and debate team co-sponsor Swati Gupta said. “I get to meet different students. It can be a little overwhelming at times because a little more needs to be planned, but it’s also more fun, because new students come in,” Gupta said.

At a Girls Who Code club meeting, members present their work and projects in the club Project Show case. Members created projects on a wide variety of topics, from a Harry Styles themed CSS project, to a virtual hike health tracking program. Photo courtesy of Neha Bhusarapu.

During club meetings, members are not only able to improve their coding skills, but also work to build connections with each other and their community through coding. “It breaks down to three things: learning about different coding concepts, working through the activities on the Girls Who Code website, and then working on projects and sharing out those projects to other members of the club,” Mayewsky said.

Although the club attracts many students who wish to pursue computer

science as a career, this is not a requirement for the club, and some members still are undecided about their commitment to computer science. “I’m interested in medi cine and CS, and I want to hold on to both ends of it, which is why I’m in Girls Who Code but I’m also in MedLife,” Bhusarapu said.

Senior and club President Khushi Patel, who has been a member of the club for three years, loves seeing improvement in both self-confidence and coding skills for other members. “I think the most exciting thing is seeing everyone gain confidence in themselves,” Patel said. “When everyone joins they’re really scared to code, and over time as everyone gets more experienced by making things, everyone’s so proud of the work they do at the end of the year.”

Patel believes that Girls Who Code helps foster a cooperative, supportive environment for female coders to collaborate. “Especially in this kind of field that’s dominated by men, Girls Who Code makes a space for [girls] to feel comfortable and learn how to code so that they can feel proud of what they do,” Patel said.

INTERNATIONAL CLUB

BY: Nicolas Biernacki & Muhammad Reda

Founded by English Language Learner (ELL) teacher Margareta Cernev eight years ago, the Inter national Club has been a staple at Rock Ridge sine its inception. The International Club’s first year came with a large amount of interest and excitement from both students and staff, culminating with the club putting on an International Night. “The International Night had an artistic part for students to showcase their cultures,” Cernev said. “We also had food tasting and a multicultural fashion show.”

Since it opened in 2014, Rock Ridge has always had a highly diverse population. “In our first years at Rock Ridge, we had a school wide survey of the students and staff, and we established that in our school, there was a great diversity,” Cernev said. In particular, the survey found that Rock Ridge had students from more than 50 countries, speaking more than 30 languages. The melting pot that is Rock Ridge’s student body makes the Interna tional Club’s mission so important at the school. “The International Club is very important to Rock Ridge, because [in the International Club], we learn to value each other, we learn to be empathetic towards

each other, we learn to be accepting towards different cultures, and we come together and work as one even though we are all so different,” Cernev said.

The International Club has been a valuable way for international students to find a community at Rock Ridge. “My freshman year was online, and it was really hard to adapt as an international student,” junior Karla Jaen Valle said. Jaen Valle found the International Club while look ing through the Rock Ridge club catalog, and decided to join it during her freshman year. “I joined the first meeting and [the members of the International Club] were all super welcoming, and I could relate to everyone,” Jaen Valle said. The Interna tional Club helped Jaen Valle adjust to life at Rock Ridge. “They were super helpful when it came to what was going on at school,” Jaen Valle said.

Now, in her junior year, Jaen Valle is the president of the International Club. “I became the president during my sophomore year after I’d been a member for a year,” Jaen Valle said. Under Jaen Valle’s leadership, the International Club helps expose students to different cultures. “It is important to be involved with other

cultures, not necessarily practice those cultures, but know that they exist,” Jaen Valle said.

Two years ago, ELL teacher Amaia Diaz Zubillaga joined Cernev as a co-sponsor of the International Club. “[In the International Club], we help students feel like they belong, we learn about other cultures, and we break down our differences into things that we have in common, which is pretty awesome,” Diaz Zubillaga said. She echoes the International Club’s goal of bringing students together from many different backgrounds. “Normally, you focus a lot on differences between people, and while our club points out dif ferences, we mostly focus on what we have in common,” Diaz Zubillaga said.

Today, eight years after its found ing, the International Club is thriving at Rock Ridge. The club’s Oct.14 meeting had representatives from 13 different coun tries, and it is sure to stand as an invaluable resource for students of all backgrounds and cultures for years to come. “I love that I get to meet students from other cultures [in the International Club],” Jaen Valle said.

International Club president Karla Jaen Valle leads the club’s membership in a game of international trivia during their meeting on Oct. 14. “[It is important] that we are aware of other cultures so we don’t see each other as different and instead we try to find similarities,” Jaen Valle said.

The International Club is highly diverse, with members from 13 nations. Graphic by Nicolas Biernac Junior

Photo by Muhammad Reda.

SIKH STUDENT ASSOCIATION

BY: Tanishka Enugu & Sydney Nguyen

At 8:45 am on Oct. 11, students met in room L211 to kick off the first meeting of the Sikh Student As sociation at Rock Ridge. Initiated by junior Harneet Singh, the Sikh Student Associa tion, or SSA, joined a plethora of new stu dent culture clubs starting up for the 202223 school year. According to Singh, who is the president of the organization, Sikhi – or Sikhism in the West – is a “monotheistic religion that focuses on the equality of all people, being the best person you can be, and giving back to your community.” Singh started SSA with the goal to educate the Rock Ridge community about Sikhi and provide a sanctuary for Sikh students to connect with each other.

Sponsored by Latin teacher Em ily Gilmore, the club currently has around 10 members, and hopes to expand even more over the coming year through various avenues such as social media. While starting and leading a new club is a daunting task for anyone, Singh took it in stride as she expanded on the significance of SSA, and the importance of its introduction at Rock Ridge.

Q: What does Sikhi mean to you? Why is being Sikh important to you?

Singh: Since I was three, I’ve been going to this class that would happen on Saturdays that would kind of teach me the history, the language, and the music. And, you know, to be born in America, so far away from Punjab and India in general, it’s a big deal having that opportunity. I think, especially recently, the rise of prej

udice against people of color and people who are religious may not be recognizable to the people here. It’s a good idea to at least spread that education so that no harm comes to anyone.

Q: Why do you want to rep resent Sikhi and start the club here at Rock Ridge?

Singh: Educating the Rock Ridge community on what Sikhi is, and just giving the Sikh students in our school a place to come together and talk about their experi ences, as well as creating a way to give back specifically to [the] Rock Ridge community and [the] Loudoun com munity.

Q: What type of things does SSA plan to do in terms of community outreach, volunteering, holiday related events, etc.?

Singh: First and foremost, it’s meant to be a safe space, as far as students [are concerned], where we can just kind of just talk to each other. We want to create fun and engaging ways for [the] Rock Ridge community to learn more about Sikhi. We’re planning schoolwide anyonecan-come meetings, where we would pro

vide free langar -- which is like a free meal -- prepared by us. We can educate people on what we do and who we are. We really want to partner with the Muslim Student Association; they’re really cool, and they helped us a lot when we were thinking of how to run our club. The Women of Color [Club], I heard, is having a culture expo, so I thought that would be a great opportunity as well.

Q: Since this is a first-year club, what do you think the future looks like for SSA? You’ll be a senior next year -how will the club continue beyond that?

Singh: My beloved vice presi dents, Harshroop Singh and Mehma Kathu ria, are seniors, so it’ll be kind of rough running without them. But, there [are] really awesome sophomores, like Saihaj Kaur, who I know are going to help keep the club going while I’m here [during my] senior year and when I graduate. I think there’s always going to be someone who’s going to be willing to carry our initiative forward.

Q: Finally, in what ways are you hoping to expand the club?

Singh: We created an Instagram account (@rrhs_ssa), but we really want to emphasize that anyone is welcome, and all are encouraged to come. The more, the merrier.

Smiling after their first meeting, seven members of the Sikh Student Association pose for a group photo. Open to all students, regard less of their religious background, the club welcomed several interested members on Oct. 11. Photo courtesy of Emily Gilmore and @ rrhs_ssa on Instagram. Khanda Symbol courtesy of Wikimedia Commons via Undying Sikh.

We can educate people on what we do and who we are.

-Junior Harneet Singh

“ ”

PSYCHOLOGY CLUB

BY: Anushka Goski, Aditya Kidiyoor & Manika Porchezhian

Aclub based on the scientific study of the mind and behavior: Psychol ogy Club. Sponsored by psychology teachers Kevin Briscoe, Jacqueline Laabs, and Danielle Donovan, and currently led by student board leader sophomore Kruthi Sudigali, this club not only teaches students about the subject, but also prepares them for their future careers.

While the club is most helpful for those wishing to go into the psychology field or a field that is related, it can be for all to learn about the mind, behavior, themselves, and others. “No matter what you do in life, whatever career you choose, everybody can use psychology for good purposes,” Briscoe said. “It helps you understand yourself, but also helps you understand others and how people might be behaving: why they’re behaving a certain way, why they’re thinking a certain way. It allows you to look at life a little more objectively and sort of step back

and say, ‘ok, I can maybe see what’s going on here,’ and then that better prepares us for dealing with [situations].”

Members of the club learn about how certain chemicals affect the mind, are treated to lessons from guest speakers in the field, and gain access to special volun teer opportunities in order to get some re al-life experience. The sponsors of the club enjoy being able to give students the chance to learn, but also to use the information to better themselves and help them in their futures.

Since AP Psychology courses are only available for upperclassmen to take, this group has provided an opportunity for many underclassmen who still want to learn before taking that course, or anyone who just wants to learn without the addition of coursework and assessments. “I joined because psychology is something I’m really interested in,” Sudigali said. “I really like

HISPANIC/LATINX STUDENT UNION

BY: Alexis Cortés Negrón & James Lee

I remember last year, walking around the club fair, and I saw the Muslim Student Union, the Indian Student Union, and I was like, ‘Oh, I wonder if they have a Latin Student Union because I’m of Hispanic heritage,’ and they didn’t.

-Junior Mariah Waters

To listen to more of Episode One of “The Unity,” a podcast highlighting diverse student groups, and hear more about the new Hispanic/Latinx Student Union, scan this QR code.

[the club] because I don’t have to wait lon ger to find out more, I can get started right away, and I can learn a lot.”

Even though the club was only founded last year, and this is the first full year it’s available to the student body, it has become a fun community full of friendly people. As members and sponsors spread the word, the club has been steadily growing in popularity, with many students becoming permanent members. “We keep getting more and more kids coming to our meetings, and I think it’s just a place for kids that didn’t know each other [or are] starting to get to know each other,” Dono van said. “It’s growing from there.”

The psychology club will continue to meet on Fridays that are designated as “Gray Days” in L403.

CHEER FLIPS, TUMBLES AND STUNTS THROUGH COMPETITIONS

BY: Bella Gerardi, Shivu Sathe & Rohan Iyer | DESIGN BY: Melissa Waas

Standing in their prep room before their competition performance, members of the cheer team offer each other words of encouragement and advice to reduce nervousness. Although the atmosphere is anxious, team-bonding exercises keep the team warmed up and excited for their performance, where judges will be watching them with critical eyes and looking for the slightest slip-ups in form.

Although sideline cheer is a sta ple of football games, it is only a portion of what the cheer team prepares for. The team also competes in contests against teams from other schools in the state. This season, the team competed in three competitions. They placed 5th in their first competition, 15th in their second, and 6th in their third.

The team experienced a surge in members this year, leading to improved results this season. “The last few seasons, we’ve had significantly less numbers,” counselor and assistant cheer coach Ashley Hastings said. “So this season we’ve had a lot of growth in terms of the people we have on the team and the skill level.”

Junior Manasvi Sharma par ticipated in winter cheer last year, but this is her first season with the fall team. “All the skills we had last year have all

just grown and gotten better and more complicated [this year],” Sharma said.

Throughout the season, the athletes set goals for themselves and focused on how they could personally improve their performance. “I wanted to become a stronger stunter,” sophomore Karen Tun said. “Last year, when I did stunting, I was a backspot, and this year, the coach said that I would be a base, so I wanted to become stronger for that.”

The environment and atmo sphere of sideline cheer stands in stark contrast to competition cheer. “In side line cheer, there’s obviously a set list of cheers we do during a game,” Hastings said. “Occasionally you’ll see us stunting, you’ll see us tumbling, but there aren’t any requirements to sideline cheer.”

The competitions themselves are often high stakes, and the team practices various routines and stunts that culminate in their competition performances. “There’s a lot of prepa ration that goes into [the competitions] because we’re lifting people up in the air, and we literally have their lives in our hands,” Tun said.

Although Sharma is not a part of the competing cheer team, she still observes the emotions and stress of her teammates during competitions. “It’s pretty stressful; they’re always very

tense before the matches…but once it’s over, it’s pretty relaxing,” Sharma said. “They get called up on stage, they perform, and then go back, and once they’re waiting in the meeting area, it’s a lot of tense feelings all over, but overall it’s a fun experience.”

During the performance, the team gets scored on various aspects of their three minute routine. Judg es watch closely to award or deduct points for the team’s execution of various moves and stunts during their

Along with participating in sideline cheer at football games, the varsity cheer team competed in numerous cheer contests throughout the season, ending with their district meet on Oct. 19.

The cheer team performs a stunt during a sideline cheer routine at a football game. Photo courtesy of Kamille Simon.

routine. “For competition cheer, there are a couple of components to the routine: you have your cheer component, there’s the tumbling, pyramids, and stunting, and then dance,” Hastings said. “Those all can be mixed through out the routine, [and] different teams will have different things at different points in their routine, but you have to meet those four components.”

“It’s a lot about how sharp our movements are, how well stunts go, how well things like tumbling go -- just all [about] execution,” Sharma said.

If the team makes mistakes during their routine that affect their performance, they may receive deduc tions from the judges that affect their score. “[Deductions] can be for really obvious things, like if a girl falls, [or] if someone doesn’t land properly in a tumbling part,” junior Christina Wilson said.

Wilson, who’s in her rookie season, fulfills a backspot position for the team. “I’m the main support, and I help carry [the flier] so she doesn’t fall,” Wilson said. “I have to trust myself, and I have to trust the people around me that, even if she falls, she’ll be able to stay up there.”

Even with the stress and anxiety of competitions, the team manages to persevere by creating a positive team environment for competitions. “When we get ready, we always hold hands, and then we run out,” Tun said. “That feeling is the best.”

CHEER SEASON

The cheer team holds hands in spirited sunglasses as they wait for the results after performing for a com petition at Park View High School. Photo Courtesy of Kamille Simon.

THIS SHOW EATS YOUR HEART OUT: “DAHMER”

Evan Peters captivates viewers and stars as Jeffrey Dahmer in Netflix’s disturbing mystery of the cannibal murderer.

BY: Mariam Abdelsayed & Zahria Ford | DESIGN BY: Bella Gerardi & Nidhi Manchala

Between the years 1978 and 1991, 17 boys and men fell victim to Jeffrey Dahmer’s fantasy of creating a zombie-like individual who would never leave him. His inhumane experiments caused a wave of head-turns. The Netflix series named after the killer has recaptivated everyone’s attention for the mysterious crimes.

The show begins with the end, when Dahmer is captured. His last victim, Tracy Edwards, was the only one to escape. Beginning the show with the suspenseful climax makes a tremen dous statement; this cinematic tech nique depicts how the conclusion to his crime-spree brought a sense of relief. His incarceration was the beginning of the end.

Later episodes depict how Dahmer’s mother, Joyce Dahmer, was prescribed several medications while pregnant with Jeffrey, including Equanil, sleeping pills, laxatives, Valium, morphine, and barbiturates. Separately, these medications have no harm to an unborn child. However, Lionel Dahmer (Dahmer’s father), a research chemist, argued that the combination of these drugs was the reason why Dahmer developed his odd behaviors.

Growing up in an unstable household did not help the young man. At one point, Dahmer found his mother nearly dead as she had attempted suicide, while Lionel denied the legitimacy of the at tempt, claiming that she was “just tryin’ to get attention.” While this

absolutely does not justify the criminal, the added flashbacks are an appropri ate addition for the viewer to interpret Dahmer, rather than just featuring his most infamous crimes. Throughout the show, Dahmer is presented as an odd ball, social reject, and a heavy burden to his family. Consequently, as a nobody, Dahmer had nobody.

Amidst arrest, Dahmer was diagnosed with several conditions, such as splanchnophilia—when someone finds viscera and internal organs arous ing—borderline personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, and a psychotic disorder. During the trial, however, he was convicted as a mentally sane individual, receiving 16 life sen tences for his crimes. Dahmer’s sup porters were convinced that Dahmer, a white male with mostly Black victims, could get away with going to a hospital instead of rightfully going to prison.

The series shows how Glenda Cleav land, a neighbor of Dahmer’s, tries to tell police multiple times about the smell in her living area and her assump tions about him, and the police decide not to do anything, showcasing the cor rupt justice system inside and outside the courtroom.

Some of the injustice, though, was personally problematic and not systemic. During a standout scene,

Dahmer’s father tries to help him by convincing him to lie in court to avoid life in prison. The detailed rundown of conversations between the father, the lawyer, the counselor, and the court cinematically exhibits the events before sentencing, creating one of the high lights of the show.

Throughout the series, Dahmer consistently proved himself to be a failure; even the most compassionate of hearts would end up eaten. There was no saving this man--the series made it seem that he was destined to be a serial killer. Still, the story developed a nearcult following. While imprisoned for the murders, fans would send money and ask for signatures. This serial killer became a national celebrity seemingly overnight, while the families of the vic tims mourn their loved ones. The media has glorified Dahmer through dance trends and Halloween costumes, igno rant to the trauma that those involved must relive. According to E! News, Netflix did not inform the families; they were left in the dark about the creation of this show and ultimately felt disre spected.

Casting for the show was nearly perfect when it came to physi cal similarities; almost all of the actors looked like doppelgangers to the actual victims’ families. The accuracy of the

dialogue compared to true events was truly shocking. Notably, actor DaShawn Barnes, who played Rita Isbell, deliv ered a particularly stellar courtroom performance, which, when compared side by side with the outburst the real Rita Isbell had in the courtroom, was near perfect in its recreation. The acting made the show feel like the real trials were occurring right then and there. However, there are minor details within the production that don’t align with reality. Glenda Cleveland did not live immediately next to Dahmer, but resided in the building next to him. The lack of accuracy is disappointing, as one of the main parts of the story was the interaction between Cleveland and Dahmer. Instances where setting, dialogue, and action are not right is common for people in biopics and doc umentaries about murderers or influen tial people, and, although strategic, the spread of misinformation could lead to rumors that are just not right and can challenge the story’s authenticity.

Both heart-wrenching and dark, “DAHMER” used detailed cin ematography that portrayed the true, terrifying nature of Dahmer. It jumps back and forth between the past and the present, showing the psychological and traumatic problems Dahmer had that led to the poor decisions made later in life. Even with such a disturb ing story, it is one of the most popular shows on Netflix of all time, ranking in the top 10. Entertaining or disturbing, “DAHMER” deserves an 8/10 ranking, with cinematography making up for some missed accuracy points.

“DAHMER” is a 10-episode series that is now available on Netflix. Viewer discretion is advised.

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