The Husky Headline by The Pack

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USKY EADLINE

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TUSCARORA HIGH SCHOOL LEESBURG, VA VOLUME 9, EDITION 3

INSIDE 3

Letter From The Staff: The RISE Awards by The Husky Headline Staff New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Resolutions: Realistic or Not? by Maria Schense

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6&7

More Than Just a Hobby by Courtland Blake U-Nite is Coming by Dolhan Mohammadi The Benefits of a Vegan Diet by Abigail Schlitzer Winter Blues by Mia Parada

RISE Teachers of the Year by Tori Custer and Kaitlyn Fletcher

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10-12

Winter Festivities by Maria Schense Students Grow Their Learning by Brady Bullington Rumble in Tundra by Chandler Tuten NBA All-Star by Chandler Tuten OU? Oh Yeah! by Kaitlyn Fletcher Hearts and Hoops by Savannah Reger

A Magical Madrigal Dinner by Mia Parada Bird Box Review by Chandler Tuten Drum Roll, Please by Matthew Sutherland The Holiday Spirit in a Week by Nathan Francis

February Calendar SN

27 M

28 T

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30 TH 6

31 F 7

Band Pre-Assessment @7pm

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Opening Day: 21 Peter and the Star Catcher @7pm

Orchestra @7pm Basketball Pre-Assessment Quarterfinals

Start of Spring Sports

Editors-in-Chief Tori Custer Kaitlyn Fletcher

Sports Editor Entertainment Editor

Sully Carr Chandler Tuten Brady Bullington

Nathan Francis Mohammadi Staff Writers Dolhan Mia Parada Savannah Reger Abigail Schlitzer Matthew Sutherland

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Region Wrestling Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Tournament

The Husky Headline would like to thank its generous patrons:

Managing Editors Courtland Blake Maria Schense Online Editor

Mr. Tuscarora @7pm

royal blue Michael & Laurie Adornetto Lori Core Carol Francis Ellen Silvent The Galletta Family Lee and Rita Svehaug

bronze Medodie Baxter Jeff & Margaret Clair Thomas Ericcson Cathy & George Perry Liz Staley

GOLD Jane Taylor

Second Week: Peter the Star Catcher

AWARDS & ASSOCIATIONS

Our student journalists are members of VHSL Activities (Publications), the National Scholastic Press Association, and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The Husky Headline has won various awards since its establishment in 2011.

husky

Lisa & Kevin Carr Shenandoah Kitchen & Furniture

On behalf of the staff of The Husky Headline, we would like to thank you for your patronage. Thanks to your generous contribution, we will be able to print quality newsmagazines for the students and faculty of Tuscarora High School and the rest of our community.

CSPA Silver Medalist Critique 2016 2016 Second Class Virginia High School League Member of National Scholastic Press Association Tuscarora High School Chapter Quill and Scroll Society

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Letter from the Staff

OP-ED/COMMENTARY

RISE Teachers of the Year Awards the school day even begins for everyone else. And yet, some teachers have even more on their plate. They coach sports teams at our school, sponsor clubs, and help with other extra curricular activities because they love helping and interacting with students. Many teachers also repeatedly come to cheer on students at athletic, fine arts, and academic events, involving themselves even more in the school community. Other teachers are actually in school themselves at the same time they are teaching you. They attend classes to earn their master’s or doctoral degrees and have to do their own school work for those classes on top of the work for the classes they teach.

The next time you complain about a teacher not grading a test or paper right away, keep in mind that they are doing a lot more than we know. In December 2018, we conducted an annual survey and poll to vote for RISE Teachers of the Year. First, students throughout the school nominated teachers they felt demonstrated RISE in a survey. From those nominations, five teachers were chosen within each RISE category and voted for. After a final poll with 921 votes, four teachers were crowned the winner. Congratulations to Mr. Connelly who won in the Respect category, Mr. Sheaffer who won in the Integrity category, Coach Fletcher who won in the Service category and Ms. Vanzego who won in the Excellence category!

R I S E

espect

ntegrity

ervice

xcellence Photos by Tori Custer and Kaitlyn Fletcher

Inspired by Time Magazine’s ‘Person of the Year,’ we decided to highlight 4 staff members that the school and Tuscarora community believed each demonstrated a pillar of RISE. We wanted to give them the rightly deserved recognition because teachers overall are generally very under-appreciated by students for all of the work that they do. Teachers are at school sometimes long before students arrive and long after they leave. They put in time that we don’t even know about. They spend countless hours creating lesson plans, putting together tests, grading papers, and helping students who don’t understand material. Other teachers teach zero period classes, so they have to come in extra early everyday to teach class before

New Year Resolutions: Realistic or Not?

A look into the individual goals set at the beginning of the New Year BY MARIA SCHENSE

The weeks before the New Year where it is just the regulars and the begins are marked with a common few who continued their resolution. theme: deciding one’s New Year’s resolution. A New Year’s Resolution is where one creates a new goal or wants to change an aspect of their life in the upcoming year. Many of the resolutions prove to be 29% YES very similar including working out more, eating healthy, or being a more positive person overall. Although 71% NO the idea of this goal sounds good, Infographic by Abby Schlitzer many of the resolutions prove to be Students shared whether or not unrealistic. they made a New Year’s reolution for 2019 The motivation upon the first days of the New Year skyrockets and However, if you are not one of the more and more faces are found in many who fall out on their New local gyms and smoothie shops. As Year’s Resolution, it’s important to the days go on, less and less similar take steps and plan it out in order to faces are seen, until it gets to a point keep it up throughout the year, and

JANUARY 2019

onward. You need to create a realistic goal. Instead of saying you are going to go the gym everyday for two hours, make it that you want to workout 4-5 days a week for at least an hour each. Or instead of eating healthy at every meal, cut out fast food instead. It is also important not to cheat. Taking breaks will cause motivation to die down, and for the death of the resolution in return. Keeping these few things in mind will turn an unrealistic resolution, into a much more doable realistic change in your life. This fallout of this phenomenon connects to the fact that the New Year should not signify a time where you should make an out-of-the-blue change in your life. Just because it is

a new year or a new start does not mean that there is automatically a newfound motivation that will cause you to continue your goal. This goal should be put forth without the justification of the start of a new year. In the end, it is possible to follow a resolution, but for the most part, they are too difficult to follow. A better approach to a new life change would be to make a life-long goal and slowly continue to work towards it month after month, and year after year.

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FEATURES

More Than Just a Hobby with All-State guitarist Nick Beers BY COURTLAND BLAKE

Beers performs on stage at the Tally Ho. In 6th grade, Nick Beers was gifted both an electric and acoustic guitar by his grandparents and he became immersed into the world of music. While many students start instruments at a young age, they don’t often keep up with them. However, Beers found a passion for it from the start. “I had such a strong love for it compared to a lot of other kids. I had such a strong love that I wanted to keep up with it,” he said. For three years, Beers has been playing with the band Never Born to Follow made up of Tuscarora students who graduated last year, Zach Jones, Allan Fogelson, and Derek Johnson, and Jesse Hill, who graduated from Woodgrove High School. The group came together to compete in the annual Loudoun County Battle of the Bands event. “The first night we played, our first gig ever, was our first battle and we

Never Born to Follow poses with Bon Jovi before opening at his show. won third place. Then, we got to play at the Tally Ho and we won third place in the whole big battle. So that was really cool for a band that hadn’t played any gigs at all,” said Beers. However, even after the event was over, they decided to keep playing together. Never Born to Follow has performed for many crowds, but the largest so far has been opening for Bon Jovi on May 14th, 2018 for a crowd of 20,000 people. They got this opportunity from entering a radio contest by submitting a video of one of their original songs. “It was absolutely amazing,” he described. “[My favorite part was] the moment when we went back stage and saw the huge open arena and we were like, ‘Oh my god this is real.’” From November 25th to the 28th, Beers participated in All-Nationals Guitar in Orlando, Florida. Because

Beers plays with bandmate Allan Fogelson. he made All-State Guitar last year, he had the opportunity to audition for nationals, and was one of five Loudoun County students selected. During the trip, the students practiced music, prepared for a performance on the final day, and were able to spend a day in Disney World. “[My favorite part] was just getting to meet all the amazing people there. People that I never thought I’d be able to meet and that I wouldn’t have the chance to meet otherwise,” he said. Although music is just a hobby for some, for Beers, it is much more. “It’s definitely a career. It’s my blood and soul and passion. I think every musician’s dream is to be a rockstar, to play in front of people coming for us and not for Bon Jovi,” he said. However, he acknowledges that it is a difficult career to be successful

Photos courtesy of Jay Tamangan in. “It’s a dream that’s hard to reach and it only happens to very few people. But, one thing I do want to do is be a music teacher. That’s something I could fall back on. That’s something I could see myself doing,” said Beers. Beers’ favorite part about guitar is how universal it is. “I love how there’s endless possibilities with what you can do with it. You can do really any genre, which I think is super cool. Anybody can pick up and play guitar if they put in the time and effort, but there are only a handful of people that can master it. I’m nowhere at that level, but I’d like to see if I can get to that level,” he said. Listen to Beers’ music on Spotify:

U-Nite: Where Cultures Connect BY DOLHAN MOHAMMADI

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performance, and dress. Staff and students enjoy all kinds of different foods, wear beautiful traditional outfits, dance, sing, and carry their flags. There are a lot of students that participate in various ways from performing, modeling, volunteering, or providing food or artifacts for the event every year. “We are still recruiting, but in years past we have had more than a hundred students participating. That’s worth more than any class grade,” says Mrs. Pellicano. New business from Leesburg, Ashburn and Sterling will be participating this year by donating food and funding. U-Nite will begin with a parade of flags, carried by student models in the traditional grab of the countries they are representing. Students and teachers will kick off the show

by singing, dancing, and acting. After the performances, audience members can head to the cafeteria to enjoy flavorful, delicious food and desserts from all over the world. This year they are hoping to have even more students participate, and even more members of the community attend. Participating students get the satisfaction of being involved in an event that promotes the value unity, inclusion and diversity. Even if you aren’t participating, make sure you come out to experience U-Nite this year as it is sure to be an amazing evening with a colorful array of song, dance, and flavors.

Photos by Courtland Blake

U-Nite is a large, cultural event at Tuscarora High School where student and teachers from different countries, backgrounds, and ethnicities come together with their individual cultural tastes to celebrate unity. The event will take place on March 21st this year. “U-Nite is Tuscarora’s annual celebration of the cultural diversity we enjoy as a school community, “ says Mrs. Pellicano. We celebrate U-Nite every year. Students and teachers prepare for U-Nite by practicing almost two months before. Students practice on average 2-3 days per week in the month or two before the performance. At U-Nite, teachers and students bring food from different cultures, and it is an opportunity for students and their families to share their heritage and costumes through food,

Students participate in the U-Nite show last year.

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FEATURES

The Benefits of a Vegan Diet

Plant-based diets are proven to help the enviroment and ease many health issues BY ABIGAIL SCHLITZER Growing up, vegan and vegetarian diets were not a foreign concept in my house. My dad has been vegetarian for my whole life, so my family hardly ever had meat in the house. I have now been vegan for over a year, and I don’t think I will ever go back to my old diet. People go vegan for a variety of personal reasons; to be healthy, to lose weight, to ease illnesses like diabetes and heart problems, or to help the environment and animals. Embracing a plant based diet is always easiest when it is a personal

choice, so never feel pressured to start a diet. Additionally, most vegans and vegetarians do not think of this as a diet, but as a lifestyle. When people become vegan to help animals and the environment, they usually also commit to using beauty and clothing products that do not test on animals and that are animal free. There are plenty of studies that explain the benefits of a plant based diet on the body and the environment, as well as the meat and dairy industry’s treatment of animals. According to the University of Oxford, the meat and dairy

industry are responsible for more than a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions, so they are a leading contributor to climate change. Worldwide, the animal industry uses 70% of fresh water supplies and 38% of the total land on earth. Additionally, NIH has found a plantbased diet to help reduce the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, and some cancers. In the end, adopting a vegan or vegetarian diet is a conscious choice and when done right, a commitment. I was personally inspired to become a vegan after seeing the amazing support that vegan influencers give to the community on social media

and after watching eye-opening documentaries like Forks Over Knives, What the Health?, and Cowspiracy. These documentaries are very educational and interesting, and I encourage anyone interested in plant-based diets to check them out!

Fighting the Winter Blues

Counselors share what to do if you are feeling down this season BY MIA PARADA

Winter always starts the day with cloudy days and chilly temperatures. Starting the same way over and over again, it is easy to get sad with the season. It is scientifically proven that the sun makes you happier. Due to this, the winter season can be quite hard for some people. The month of December, Dr. Riley, the school psychologist of Tuscarora, makes it a priority to inform students of the signs of depression. However, the counselors also make it a priority to make sure every student knows that their door is always open. The World Health Organization (2014) defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” (World Health Orginization) As the quote suggests, mental health is more than just the absence of a mental illness. It has influences on so many parts of us: our moods, our energy levels, our self-esteem, the quality of our relationships with others, our academic achievement, and our ability to pursue our personal and professional goals, especially in the face of adversity or challenges,” said Dr. Riley.

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“Mental Health is important because it is responsible for the way an individual looks at and interacts with the world. Feeling depressed is so difficult and alienating but is something that is so treatable. The more people know about mental health the better,” said Ms. Megan Beardsley, a school counselor for Tuscarora.

It is difficult though to feel like you are not alone in this world, especially during this dark season. “The main thing about noticing depression is seeing a big change in someone’s behavior. Withdrawal from activities, change in eating or sleeping patterns, hopelessness. All of these things, as well over a marked period of time are indicators of depression,” said Beardsley about key aspects of depression. Though there are a few things to make yourself feel better during this season; one main way to feel better is to get help. Even though it’s difficult to feel like anyone can help you, they can. Go to a responsible and trusted adult like your parents, teachers, and counselors to get help. They can start a support group and treatment plan for you. With these steps, you

can start to feel better and figure out how to help yourself when no one is there. But why is this important if you’ve never been really sad before? “Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells us that 13-20% of children and adolescents experience a mental illness each year (2013 CDC Mental Health Surveillance Among Children — United States, 2005–2011), but the majority of those children and adolescents never receive treatment (National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent, 2011). So in a nutshell, a lot of students are struggling with mental health issues but are not getting the help they need, which is a problem considering its impact on all areas of a person’s functioning. This lack of help can be related to ongoing stigma about mental health, or simply a lack of knowledge about the symptoms and treatment options. More broadly, the lives of today’s students are more stressful than ever, with academic and extracurricular responsibilities, family and friend conflict, and the pressures of your public image on social media. Even students who do not have a diagnosed mental health condition often struggle to navigate these “typical life” stressors and can

benefit from a listening ear and learning more coping strategies. I believe that the Unified Mental Health Team at Tuscarora HS has helped to raise awareness of these issues and provide more needed support to students over the past two years.” Said Dr. Riley. The first thing is that even if you haven’t been really sad or depressed, chances are life won’t always be a smooth road for you. Life is full of bumps in the road and when that time comes, you’ll know what to do and how to get help. The point of understanding depression is to help yourself and your friends and especially people you love.

“The more people who know about mental health, the better,” said Ms. Megan Beardsley, School Counselor

“People are feeling depressed are more likely to try to harm themselves, take risks, kill themselves, or self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. Anyone can be affected by depression. It is important to help people seek treatment for their own safety and sometimes for the safety of others,” said Beardsley about why people should care about depression.

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RISE Teachers of the Ye RESPECT FEATURES

Story and Photos by Tori Custer and Kaitlyn Fletcher

RESPECT

n. A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or n.achievements A feeling of admiration for someone or something

elicited by ARE: theirMrs. abilities, qualities, achievement WHO THEY Stefanie Lane, who hasor taught

history at Tuscarora for seven years, is also a trained AVID teacher and the sponsor of Rho Kappa. “I knew at a very WHO HEthatIS:I wanted Mr. Connelly, who has taught for seven years, young age to teach...I had some amazing history professors my interest in history and and that’s currently why I the headthat of inspired the Biology department teaches decided to become a history teacher,” said Lane.

n. The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles is

both Research and Academic Biology classes. He graduated from ofanPennsylvania WHY Edinboro THEY WEREUniversity CHOSEN: As AVID teacher, Mrs.with Lanea Bachelors showed respect by incorporating AVID techniques into all of her of Science in Secondary Education. After watching his classes to increase each student’s investment in learning as a father work as a toteacher and thenwith later as a principal, Mr. whole. She has strived create relationships her students that helps them learn and has helped Connelly decided tounderstand follow inclass, his“AVID footsteps and was inspired me become a better teacher. It has taught me strategies that toreach help main goal as aLane. teacher is to leave an youothers. guys, and His that are interesting,” said She also took on the duty of sponsoring Rho Kappa, impact on students, leaving them morewhich than facts about created an opportunity for students interested in history to the mitochondria Outside of the classroom, deepen their knowledgetobyremember. serving the school community. Mr. Connelly is involved with the Frisbee Club and the “I think you have to give respect to get Comic and Smash Brothers Club. Along with Mr. Rogers, Mr. respect, I think I treat students fairly and Connelly will be hyping up the crowd during pep rallies. honestly and they enjoy class, and I think that’s a big part of respect.” said Lane.

WHY HE WAS CHOSEN: Mr. Connelly goes above and beyond to show respect towards his students. He lives by a quote his professor taught him and college that says, “A student does not care what you know until they know that you care.” He strives to treat students as people first. Mr. Connelly makes sure his students know they’re people first and not a representation of a number or grade and is always in their corner to help them out on the most stressful or tiresome days. “They might not be able to use the products of the Calvin Cycle, but they’ll definitely be able to use the fact that they were treated with respect and shown they actually matter. We have a lot of talent here at this school, and I feel like we have to let kids know that they’re good,” said Connelly.

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Teach of the Y

INTEGRITY

WHO HE IS: Mr. Michael Sheaffer is a Physics teacher who has taught here for three years. He currently teaches Academic Physics, Conceptual Physics and AP Physics. He attended University of Virginia, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics. In addition to being licensed to teach physics, he is also licensed to teach chemistry and mathematics. Outside of the classroom, he was the senior class powderpuff sponsor during the 2018 powderpuff game. Under his leadership, the seniors defeated the juniors, earning back to back victories to go undefeated in their two-year career at Tuscarora. As a Loudoun County native, he was drawn to teach at Tuscarora due to the diverse BY TORI CUSTER AND population. WHY HE WAS CHOSEN: Mr. Sheaffer is an honest teacher who genuinely cares about all of his students. He strives to be honest to each of his students, including students who he does not teach and fellow teachers. As a teacher who mainly teaches seniors, he incorporates integrity into each lesson by listening to his students, being straightforward, acknowledging their growth and preparing them for their life after high school. “Everything I do is very straightforward. I like working with the seniors because I like trying to get them ready for the next step in their lives and ready to do something productive with their life,” said Sheaffer.

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hers Year

SERVICE

n. The action of helping or doing work for someone

WHO HE IS: Coach Fletcher has taught for seventeen years and has been at Tuscarora since it first opened its doors. Currently, Coach Fletcher teaches Driver’s Education, P.E., and Advanced P.E./Weight Training. He graduated from George Mason with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education. Mr. Fletcher always knew he wanted to help people, and his many role models and his love for kids led him into his career. He enjoys teaching because he can build relationships and experience students’ individuality. Above all things, he loves coming to school every day to watch his student succeed. Outside of the classroom, Coach Fletcher is a committee member of PBIS and a sponsor of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He coached football D KAITLYN FLETCHER at Tuscarora from 2010-2017, but now he coaches flag football and youth soccer in the community. WHY HE WAS CHOSEN: Coach Fletcher goes out of his way to put his student’s needs before his own. Fletcher’s students still have smiles on their faces even when they are about to run the pacer, motivated his encouraging and motivating words. Even outside of the classroom, Coach Fletcher devotes hours to various student activities that would not be possible without his help. Coach Fletcher’s commitment to service makes Tuscarora a place where every student can shine bright and move onto great things. “I enjoy teaching because] it is the chance to meet my students and try to build relationships as much as I can with them, and everybody is different. I enjoy that aspect of learning about my students and helping them and seeing them succeed, and that’s what I enjoy the most,” said Fletcher.

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EXCELLENCE n. The quality of being outstanding or extremely good WHO SHE IS: Ms. Rian Vanzego, who has taught here for five years, is an English teacher. She currently teaches English 11, both Academic and Honors. She attended the University of West Georgia and received her Bachelor’s degree in English. She began her teaching career as an elementary school teacher in 2001 and then decided she wanted to teach high school students. Shortly after, she fell in love with teaching high school students. In addition to teaching, she is also a CAMPUS collaborator, the CLT leader for English 11, the coordinator of the Black History Month program this year and one of the coordinators of the annual UNITE program. After an interview with Tuscarora for a teaching position, she and her daughter relocated from Fairfax to Leesburg and have been here ever since. WHY SHE WAS CHOSEN: Ms. Vanzego is an excellent teacher who goes above and beyond to ensure her students minds are growing. She always strives for things to be so good that they simply cannot be outdone. She brings many things to the table, including a positive attitude, a creative mind and a helpful heart. Instead of considering herself a teacher, she likes to consider herself a “facilitator of learning.” “I will ask hard questions and I will ask questions that make them think. My job for them is to get them to that point where they are prepared where they an think outside of the box. Once they start and have that ability I feel like my job is done. Once they know this is a safe environment, a place that they can feel comfortable to be whomever they are, just as long as we do in within a structured environment, I am all good with that and that’s why I love teaching,” said Vanzego.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Magical Madrigal Dinner

Chorus starts a new tradition with medieval dinner BY MIA PARADA

A line lead all the way to the end of the cafeteria outside. People stood waiting for the entrance to the dinner to sit. But it wasn’t just any dinner; it was the first ever Madrigal Dinner at Tuscarora High School. People sat at tables placed in front of a stage with a decorated table on top and paintings behind them. Depicted on the paintings was a unicorn laying down, a sword, a shield, a knight, and a castle. Guests sat down at designated tables and ate their appetizer, while waiting for the performance to begin. The performance began with chorus director, Mrs. Christine Tarrant, thanking the guests for everything and thanking the performers for putting time and effort into the dinner. Then the music began. Upon being asked about what she expected from the dinner, Tarrant said, “I just expected students to be excited about doing something

completely different, since it was the first time ever done in Loudoun County, and I just really wanted the students to experience that kind of music and to sing acapella and to strengthen their skills. I just wanted to create a more of a choir family and a community within our school and outside of our school. To come together and enjoy music and eating and singing.” The Madrigal Dinner was the first of its kind in Loudoun County. It was a dinner filled with singing hosted by the chorus department of Tuscarora. It started with singing of a chorus of girls. There was a row of lords and ladies and the king and queen sang acapella after the chorus. The dinner turned out to be just as Mrs. Christine Tarrant and her singers expected---and more. The community was brought together through singing carols and eating good food. Food was

Bird Box Review

Top Left: Patrick Hensley, 9, showed his acting skills playing the part of the Jester. Bottom Left: The Madrigal choir sings to dinner guests. Right: Lucille Burke, 9, performs a dance for the guests. Photos courtesy of Lifetouch. catered by Cracker Barrel and had three courses which was a salad as appetizer, a main dish which was Cracker Barrel, and then a dessert. They sung and danced along with the actors. The activity of the crowd made so that the crowd was laughing and singing along with the chorus group. Most of the chorus members have started singing along with the chorus group including 9th grader Nevin Younis, one of the knights from the performance. Senior Sarah Linhart a server,

and chorus singer, described why the performance meant something to her: “[The performance meant]a lot because this is my final year with the program, and it made me happy knowing that this will be a new tradition for Tuscarora and I got to be a part of the first one,” she said. The performance meant a lot to the performers, making it an overall great experience. If you missed the dinner, don’t worry because Ms. Tarrant has stated that there will most likely be another Madrigal Dinner next year!

A look into a positive review on a popular Netflix movie BY CHANDLER TUTEN

Bird Box is a Netflix original movie directed by Susanne Bier that came out December 13th, 2018. The movie takes place in a modern/ futuristic time period and is a drama/suspenseful thriller. It is about a crazy phenomenon that occurs where a simple look or glance outside causes people to kill themselves, therefore to navigate through the world, people have to wear blindfolds to avoid death.

reasons. One reason is that the acting in this movie is exceptionally good, including a very good cast with Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, and John Malkovich. Which causes the viewer to become really involved in each of the character’s stories. Another reason is the movie is very suspenseful making the viewer constantly sit on the edge of their seat, never knowing what is going to happen next to each character,

The movie follows Malorie and her two young children who are trying to find a safe place to live to avoid this crazy phenomenon that has taken over the world. Bird Box is very good for many

especially the main character, Malorie. The viewer constantly feels themselves cheering for Malorie to survive and avoid death with her

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Infographic by Maria Schense

two children. The final and arguably most important reason why this is a great movie is because the sound track and cinematography is amazing. The sound track adds to the suspense and even makes scenes that aren’t suspenseful, very suspenseful and borderline scary. However, when a scene is nice or relaxing the sound track plays music that allows the viewer to feel nice and relaxed making the viewer feel like they are apart of the story. The cinematography was another highlight in this movie, with the perfect views of the river and the forests when Malorie and her children were in them, making the views creepy, to go along with the suspensefulness in the movie. Sometimes the camera gives us the view of Malorie when her blindfold is on when she is traveling throughout the world, to give the viewer a sense of what being blindfolded is like, and feel apart of the movie.

If you are someone who enjoyed the suspenseful thriller, A Quiet Place, Then you are more likely to enjoy this film, while the movies are different they have similar plots in the sense that people are avoiding death by not using a sense of the body. In A Quiet Place it is not using sound while Bird Box is not using vision. Bird Box is the best Netflix movie I have ever seen from the acting, to the cinematography, directing, and writing, I would recommend this movie to everyone.

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STUDENT LIFE

Drum Roll, Please

A look into Indoor Drumline BY MATTHEW SUTHERLAND

year’s show is titled Unbroken and has original music composed by members of the staff. IDL is one of the lesser known programs in the school’s music department, seeing as they don’t perform at any sports events or school concerts. The only place to see indoor drumline perform is at one of their competitions. Since indoor drumline takes place indoors, the program doesn’t have to adhere to the rules of a football field.

Indoor drumline paints their own mat to march on and bring to competitions with artwork painted on the mat that’s usually in accordance with the theme of their show. Julia Inman-Ryan is a junior and was a drum major during the fall season but plays piano for indoor drumline. “It takes a long time to paint the floor, but when you’re painting it that time flies by. I really enjoy it,” Inman-Ryan said.

Tuscarora IDL performing their 20172018 show Supernova.

Indoor Drumline’s floor for their 20162017 show The Butterfly Effect.

The Holiday Spirit in a Week

Photos byMs. Newmiller

It has been a successful season for the Marching Huskies. They were undefeated in best music, best percussion, best visual, best general effect and ranked first place in their division at state championships. However, just because the season’s over doesn’t mean the band program is taking a break. Starting in late November, some members of marching band choose to participate in indoor drumline. Indoor drumline (IDL) is an ensemble made up of the marching percussion and front ensemble of a marching band. Bass drums, snares, marimbas, and more are all given the spotlight during the winter season. Other instruments that aren’t traditional for a marching band like bass guitar and piano are also included in the activity. Over the course of 4 months, the group comes together to create and perform a show to bring to competitions, eventually participating in a championship performance. This

Another interesting element of Tuscarora’s indoor drumline is that they allow students who don’t normally play percussion instruments to try and learn something new for the winter season. Kylie Winn is a senior and plays mellophone for marching band, however during indoor season she’s a vibraphone player. “It requires more hand-eye coordination playing percussion music” said Winn. Although the transition may be dramatic, Winn said “It’s helped me build better foundations in my musical skills.” One of ensemble’s challenges this year will be competing with other larger groups at competitions. With only 19 musicians participating in the activity, Tuscarora’s indoor drumline is significantly smaller than its marching band. The first competition of the season will take place at Mount Vernon High School on February 16. The championships will be held on March 30 at South County High School.

A Photo Story about the Spirit Week before Winter Break

1. Day one, Flannel and Festive Sock Day - Students dressed up in their best flannel and festive holiday socks to get into the mood for the holiday season. “I really like seeing the schools participation because I feel like it brings us all closer together. Plus students can express who they are and their interests,” said junior Kerri Carr. 2. Day two, Holidays in Hawaii - Students dressed up in different hawaiian shirts and other holiday clothing including Santa hats and leis. “Spirit weeks are really fun and it’s cool to see everyone dress up!” said junior Kylie Phillips. 3. Day three, Ugly Sweater Day - Ugly sweaters have always been a fun part of the holiday seasons. From ugly sweater parties to similar events like that, why not bring ugly

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sweaters to Tuscarora. “I enjoyed being able to wear comfy clothes and spread holiday cheer.” said junior Elise Galletta. 4. Day four, The Night Before Winter (Break) - As it was December 20th, everyone got their warm pajamas on and got ready for winter as well as break. Students enjoyed relaxing on the last day before break in their favorite pajamas. “I really like how it helped boost the Christmas spirit and gave me something to look forward to everyday that week,” said senior Emma Koochagian.

Photos by Nathan Franics

BY NATHAN FRANICS The week before winter break was dedicated a holiday spirit week sponsored by SCA. Throughout the four days leading up to winter break, students were given different spirit days to participate in. Monday was Flannel and Festive Sock Day, Tuesday was Holidays in Hawaii, Wednesday was Ugly Sweater Day, and Thursday was Night Before Winter Break.

JANUARY 2019 9

STUDENT LIFE

Winter Festivities

A look into the classic holiday events throughout Virginia during the Winter season BY MARIA SCHENSE

During the winter holiday season, there are a variety of events and activities to become involved in, all over the state of Virginia. Some more local and small-town feel than others, there is an event taking place almost all the time throughout the season. These events are shared with family and friends, and help to spread holiday cheer and love, during a festive time of the year.

Photo by Courtland Blake One Loudoun, known for its year round abundance of restaurants and shopping, hosts holiday themed events throughout the year. During the summer, it is marked by a carnival, while during the winter holiday season a pop-up LightUp Fest begins. The temporary event takes place

from November 24th to December 24th and from December 26th to January 2nd. It focuses on Chinese heritage with the feature of Chinese lanterns, and many other lit-up exhibits. Additional aspects of the show include an abundance of worldly foods, as well as dancers and musicians to help fuel the energy of the night. “I went [to the LightUp Fest] with my family, grandma and my uncle. It was fun to interact with them around the exhibits,” said senior Lindsay Hoffman. Two of the most popular Northern Virginia Light Shows are the Bull Run Festival of Lights and Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights. Bull Run, which is held in Centerville, Virginia is available to the public from November 21stJanuary 6th.

Starting slightly earlier in the season, Meadowlark takes place in Vienna, Virginia from November 6thJanuary 6th. At each of the locations, thousands of lights are strung along

a path, where participants drive along and gaze at the lights. From light-up Santa Claus’ to gleaming snowflakes, there is close to every aspect of winter found in the light shows.

Photo Courtesy of Allison Nicely Another family favorite found in Vienna, VA is the Wolf Trap Holiday Sing-A-Long. This concert was held on Saturday December 1st at 4pm, and lasted for two hours. The SingA-Long featured the United States Marine Band, as well as other local bands and choral groups. The event is also held as a fundraiser for Toys-for-Tots as attendees are asked to bring and donate an unused toy to the foundation. Although for many the event is an annual tradition,

each year is marked with first-year participants. For senior Sarah Gould, her favorite part of the event was, “The last song, silent night, because the entire crowd was filled with candles and it was the perfect way to end the concert.” The most local event has been a tradition with the chorus department for several years. Each year, the choral group goes from class-to-class, singing holiday carols to the students and teachers. This year the caroling took place on December 17th and December 18th during blocks 1 through 4, as well as during block 7. The event is meant to spread holiday spirit throughout the school as well as to get students excited for the upcoming break. In addition to the holiday aspect of the event is it also a “good way to promote joining chorus,” said junior Megan Gibson. Although the choral students host the room-to-room caroling, peer participation in the event is also welcome. “My favorite part is when we go to classrooms where all the students sing with us because it makes everyone more comfortable and it is a fun way to end before break.”

Be sure to look out for future information about next year’s winter holiday events!

Students Grow Their Learning in Environmental Enviromental students paticipate in a seasonal tree-planting event BY BRADY BULLINGTON

Environmental Science students took a short trip to the front of the school on November 8th to plant trees. This activity was in partnership with an organization called Journey Through Hallowed Ground which plants native trees along the Scenic Byway from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania down to Thomas Jefferson’s former home Monticello, in Charlottesville, Virginia. They aim to plant as many trees as there were soldiers who lost their lives during the Civil War which is a total of 620,000. The founders of this organization go to environmental classes, such as our own at Tuscarora High School, and work with the teachers

10 JANUARY 2019

to plant trees on their campus. Dr. Westervelt, a profound teacher and environmentalist at THS, works with this program and enjoys working with her students to make a difference in the world along with this program that’s helped our campus plant trees since 2016. For students, planting trees is quite enjoyable. Sami Rashid, a junior at THS, planted trees with his first block class and said, “It was fun getting to do something I hadn’t done before. I really enjoy learning outside and doing new things in this class that help the environment.” Tuscarora was just awarded the Virginia Naturally School award by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries that recognizes high schools that teach

environmental stewardship with excellence. Criteria for this include administration support, much of the school is involved in environmental education, community based projects are evident, partnerships

with programs to better the environment, and the school itself is conserving energy. Dr. Westervelt considered getting this award, “Quite an honor,” and voiced her thoughts when asked about what inspires her. “It inspires me to keep going and make a difference in the world.” Due to the science department, but more specifically, the Environmental program at THS, teamwork has been achieved to be able to meet these standards and it’s paid off in order to receive this award. Environmental students in Dr. Westervelt’s first block come together to celebrate the Virginia Naturally School Award which is held by NikiRobinson (12)

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SPORTS

First Annual Rumble in the Tundra BY CHANDLER TUTEN

The Booster Club presented the first ever Rumble in the Tundra, on December 4, 2018. The event served as a fundraiser to raise money for all winter sports teams and to promote all of our winter sports athletes. The game occured on the day the boys basketball team played Loudoun County High School. The Rumble in Tundra had each winter sports team create, decorate, and display a table in the center hallway right before the gym. Each table had gift baskets that were raffled off to raise money for their sport. People passing the displays on their way to the gym would vote

Photos Courtesy of Cambell Tyrell for their favorite table and the table with the most votes at the end of the night would win 100 dollars. At the end of the night, the swimming team won overall and took home the prize. This big night transitioned right into the boys basketball game. The gym was packed with students, teachers, and other basketball fans. The team seemed to ride the wave of momentum in the first quarter, taking

Tuten Scores 1000 Points Sophomore Jack Clark, shoots a mid range shot against Loudoun County on December 4. The Huskies did not pull out the win in this matchup, but the Rumble in the Tundra was an overall sucess, and will be a new tradition at the school! an early lead of 22-14. However, the Loudoun County team showed no quit as they scored 30 points in the 2nd quarter to Tuscarora’s 7 points, ending the half at 29-44. The Huskies could not bounce back from from the halftime deficit and Loudoun County continued their lead and won the game with the Huskies scoring 44 and the Raiders scoring 81. Even though the basketball game was not an overall success, a lot of people enjoyed what the Rumble in the Tundra did for our school. Forward for the basketball team Brayden van Leliveld said, “It was very cool that we were able to recognize all the winter sports and have a big crowd at the game.” Booster club member Tracey Tuten

said, “It was a great event to raise money for all of our hard working winter sport athletes. This event could become a new tradition at Tuscarora.”

captain last year and this year will be Antetokounmpo’s first year. The All-star starters this year from the Western Conference will be Lebron James from the Los Angeles Lakers, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant from the Golden State Warriors, Paul George who plays on the Oklahoma City Thunder, and James Harden, a guard on the Houston Rockets. The All-Star starters from the Eastern Conference will be Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks, Joel Embiid from the Philadelphia 76ers, Kyrie Irving who plays for the Boston Celtics, Kawhi Leonard who plays for the Toronto Raptors, and Kemba Walker, a guard from the Charlotte Hornets. In past years the All-Star game has received a lot of scrutiny because the

games are not competitive due to the fact that there is no reward for the winning team. Therefore, the game consists of no defense resulting in a lot of dunks and scoring which has resulted in poor basketball to watch and a lot of complaints from the fans. To make the game more competitive this year, the NBA is giving 100,000 dollars to the winning teams charity of choice while the losing team can donate 25,000 to the charity of choice. The NBA All-Star this year should be an exciting one since there are multiple players playing at an MVP type of level like James Harden, LeBron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Senior basketball player Max Jones said, “I am very excited for this year’s All-Star game, it seems like it will be more competitive with the rule changes.”

“This event could become a new tradition at Tuscarora,” said Tracey Tuten

The Rumble in the Tundra was an overall success, endorsing all of our hard working athletes, while raising a lot of money for all the winter sports team. The event will be a new tradition that the Booster Club will feature every year.

NBA All-Star Game Preview BY CHANDLER TUTEN The NBA all-star game is coming up and the voting has already begun. The NBA All-Star game is a big event that the NBA does every year in a different city to showcase the best talent the NBA has to offer in a game. This year’s game will be played on February 17, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The players are selected by the fans, media, and current NBA players of the league. Teams are selected by two team captains who are picked because they receive the most votes. Those team captains then select players who are eligible to play for the All-Star game. The team captains this year will be Lebron James from the Los Angeles Lakers, out of the West and Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks, out of the East. James was a

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BY SULLY CARR

Senior, Chandler Tuten, surpassed 1000 career points on Friday January 11 during a game against Briar Woods. Tuten has been on the varsity squad for three years and is the third player in school history to join the 1000 club, featuring Kyle Copeland and Alex Bailey. Tuten has also tied two records this season for points in a game (36) and three pointers made in a game (7). Tuten said knowing he was close to 1000 points was distracting and lingered in the back of his mind for the last few games. “I knew before the season that this milestone was accomplishable, I am honestly just glad to get the weight of my back, and can now more importantly keep my mind on winning the game and not having to worry about scoring as much.” Tuten is still undecided about playing in college, and has acquired interest from a few schools to play. “A few schools are interested, but it will take some thinking if I want to go to college to play basketball or to just be a student. I love the game of basketball, but it will a big decision for me to make,” said Tuten.

JANUARY 2019 11

SPORTS

Hearts & Hoops

The Girls and Boys Basketball Games for St. Jude’s Night

Play 4 A Cause shirts were sold during the doubleheader to raise awareness. Photos by Savannah Reger

“There was a large crowd tonight,” said St. Judes night coordinator Portia Bagley. “We hope everybody bought their shirts to support this cause.” The girls game was first, which was a battle of the top two teams in the Potomac District. Freedom came into the night 16-0, and the Huskies entered the night 12-3, tied with Potomac Falls.

Freshman Katie Scheivert picks up her dribble to make a move on her opponent. However, Freedom got to a fast 12-2 lead early in the first quarter, and the girls were never able to quite recover from it. Even with the loss, the girls reflected on what the night meant to them.

“I loved how they supported a good cause,” said senior Kelley Kohler. “It was just a good cause, and I am happy that I supported it.” The boys also played Freedom that night as well, but like the girls, fell short of the final goal. Freedom started strong, taking a 10 point lead into the second quarter. However, the boys kept the pace up, and did not back down, so that by the time they were halfway through the third quarter, the boys tied the high-scoring Freedom team 38-38. Even though they ended up falling to the Eagles, 68-63, the Huskies had junior guard Jaden White had 21 points in the game.

Senior Artyst Marshall extends his arms and goes up for a layup.

OU? Oh Yeah! Atkinson commits to Ohio U

12 J ANUARY 2019

During his career at Tuscarora, Atkinson earned many honors both on and off of the field. As a junior, Atkinson was named First Team All-Conference Defensive Line and inducted into the National Honor Society, demonstrating hard work on and off of the field. Atkinson went on to be awarded First Team All-Region Defensive Line as he made a state championship game appearance with the Huskies. Division 1 Offers began to roll in in early 2018 from Morgan State, Ohio University, University of Richmond, Kent State and University of New Hampshire. Atkinson continued to put in hard

work and trust the process during his senior season and in November 2018, Atkinson was crowned First Team AllConference Offensive Tackle. “It [Ohio University] is ranked in the top 40 for all Division 1 schools,” added Atkinson who is really looking forward to playing football at the collegiate level.

Upcoming Schedule 2/11 Basketball Region Quarterfinals 2/13 Basketball Region Semifinals 2/15 Varsity Wrestling State Championship & Basketball Region Finals 2/18 Spring Sports TryOuts

Photo Courtesy of LifeTouch

BY SULLY CARR

SPORTS TWEETS

BY KAITLYN FLETCHER Senior Christophe Atkinson will head to Athens, Ohio in Fall 2019 to pursue his academic and athletic career at Ohio University. Atkinson, a 6-foot3, 275 pound offensive lineman will plan to study exercise physiology when he is not on the field. “Many people have not heard of Ohio University,” noted Atkison. “But it is a very good team and very good program.” Last season, Ohio University finished with a 9-4 overall record, notably winning all six of their home matchups. Ohio University finished the season on a high note, winning their last three games in a row.

Even with the losses, the basketball teams support the cause of St. Judes night. At the game, the Girls team wore shirts with the slogan “Play for a Cause” in warmups and when they were not playing to support St. Even with the losses, the basketball teams support the cause of St. Judes night. At the game, the Girls team wore shirts with the slogan “Play for a Cause” in warmups and when they were not playing to support St. Judes. At the game, St. Jude’s were accepting donations and offering the same shirts on sale to the crowd. “The girls showed their support for tonight,” said Bagley. “Next year, we hope everybody will step in and contribute, and even take a trip to the hospital ourselves.” “I hope Tuscarora continues this,” said Kohler. “It’s a really good program, and I think it benefits everyone through the support.” Both teams will aim to make a strong postseason run within the next few weeks. Good luck to both of these teams as they conclude their regular season.

Photo Courtesy of @TuskyWrestling

BY SAVANNAH REGER Everyday, students come to school, go to their classes, and have after school activities, or go home. However, some children are not as lucky. St. Jude’s Research Hospital is a hospital for children with cancer and other disabilities or illnesses, that works to cure children, without the cost to the families. Since there are no bills, St. Jude’s is constantly raising money to pay for treatments. The boys and girls basketball teams wanted to show their support for St. Jude’s as well. On January 18, both teams hosted Freedom and all of the proceeds from the game went to St. Jude’s Research hospital.

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