THE
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USKY EADLINE
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BEYOND FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
A look into Friday nights with the football team, new head coach, cheer squad, marching band and Tusky Terror Pages 6 & 7
TUSCARORA HIGH SCHOOL LEESBURG, VA VOLUME 9, EDITION 1
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3 IS 1 by Maria Schense NETFLIX ROMANCE LETTER FROM THE STAFF: NEW YEAR, NEW FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS by REVIEWS by Savannah THE HEART OF TUSCARORA STUDENTS by Abby Schlitzer Courtland Blake, Tori Custer, NEW FALL COACHES by Reger by The Husky Headline Staff NEW YEAR, NEW TEACHERS Kaitlyn Fletcher and Maria Savannah Reger MENTALITY OF Schense by Kaitlyn Fletcher NFL SEASON PREVIEW by STUDY HALL AND TUSKY MENTAL HEALTH by Brady Sully Carr TIME by Matthew Sutherland Bullington RING SEASON ROUND SUMMER FUN RECAP by TWO by Chandler Tuten Nathan Francis FALL FESTIVITIES by Courtland Blake
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AWARDS & ASSOCIATIONS
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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.
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Cheer Districts Briar Woods @7pm
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Cross Country Districts Rock Ridge @5:30
Halloween
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Powderpuff Game 4:45pm
HBCU Fair 25 @5pm Football Game Volleyball Districts Home vs Champe @7pm Field Hockey Regionals @7pm
Co Editors-in-Chief Tori Custer Kaitlyn Fletcher Managing Editors Courtland Blake Maria Schense Online Editor Sully Carr Sports Editor Chandler Tuten
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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Entertainment Brady Bullington Editor Staff Writers Nathan Francis Dulhan Mohammadi Mia Parada Savannah Reger Abigail Schlitzer
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Last Day of the 1st Quarter
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The Husky Headline is written, edited, and designed by students from Tuscarora High School. All opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual writer. The views published in this newspaper are not necessarily those of the Tuscarora High School administration, faculty, staff, or the student body. We are committed to delivering relevant, accurate news - which means we want to hear from you! Opinions may be expressed in letters to the editor an can be sent to the staff at TheHuskyHeadline@gmail.com. Please include your name and class standing in all letters to the editor.
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OP-ED/COMMENTARY
Letter from the Staff
The heart of Tuscarora is our athletics program, especially our football program. Every friday night during the fall sports season, you will find hundreds of students in the student section supporting our 2017 Region 5A state runner-up football team. Friday night lights are made up of six key components: the coaches, the team, the cheerleaders, the Marching Huskies, the Tusky Terror, and the fans. Most of the pressure is put on the team to pull off another win, but it only works if every part of Friday Night Lights works together. With the departure of Coach
Photo courtesy of Yearbook
The Heart Of Tuscarora
Burnett, and the new head coach, Coach Wheels stepping up, all eyes are on the team this season. Many of the seniors are looking for redemption from the runner-up title last year, and many of the underclassmen are looking to start their varsity career off with a winning season. So far the team’s standing is 3-2. The team is hoping to secure more regular season wins and set their eyes on the postseason, so they need our help to cheer them on. Come out to Friday Night Lights and cheer on your Huskies! Game time at 7pm!
Study Hall and Tusky Time
The new system that should be a cause for concern among students Every school year brings new changes for students. This year, the school district made the decision to do away with FLEX scheduling. Because of this, our school is experiencing a significant transition with the introduction of study hall and Tusky Time in replacement of FLEX, which was popular with students. So far, this removal of study hall has been viewed unfavorably amongst many students. The brand new study hall block gives students a 90 minute period where they can complete homework and other school related tasks. However, unlike FLEX, study hall takes place at different times for every student. This means that students aren’t able to coordinate times to meet with their teachers during the school day unless they happen to be free during the student’s lunch block. Even if the teacher is available to meet with the student during study hall, students are restricted from leaving their class to visit other teachers. The loss of FLEX makes things like missing a day of school more troublesome for students trying to make up late or missed work. Additionally, students are unable to work with classmates outside of their study hall block. This complicates things like group projects, since students aren’t able to
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work with their classmates in FLEX anymore. For students who participate in sports and other extracurriculars, it may be difficult to arrange a time to work outside of school; this is an example of where FLEX was able to help students by giving everybody the same time to meet up and work. Understanding how the loss of FLEX would affect students, Tuscarora’s Administration provided a solution with a 30 minute period called Tusky Time, however, students feel that it isn’t entirely fixing the problem. Tusky Time happens everyday in between first and second block, and the classroom the students go to rotates everyday, similar to FLEX. Tusky Time is almost exactly like FLEX, however you are not able to leave to visit other teachers and students during Tusky Time. This system has the same issues as study hall: students can’t catch up with teachers, and students can’t work with peers on group projects. These problems are solved if the Tusky Time block happens to take place in the classroom the student needs to be in, but with FLEX, students were always able to go to the classroom they needed to go to. While FLEX had to go, many students are still finding themselves missing the old system.
Photos by Matthrew Sutherland
BY MATTHEW SUTHERLAND
Students working during the new study hall period. A sign in the main office window helps remind students of the newly founded Tusky Time rotation.
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FEATURES
New Year, New Students
New students share their experience at Tuscarora during the first weeks of school BY ABBY SCHLITZER
The start of school is usually associated with the start of stress. There’s homework, summer assignments, and the crazy hallways between classes. For new students, there are other worries. “I was really nervous [before orientation] because I got enrolled [at Tuscarora] like a week before school started, it was all very last minute,” said Michaela Rainey. Rainey, a senior, is enjoying her first year at Tuscarora after transferring from Woodgrove. “I like it here!” she said of her experience at the school so far, “Tuscarora is a lot more lively, and I think there’s just more school spirit here. I really like the people. They’re just happier. They talk to you more in the hallways. People at Woodgrove kind of just have their headphones in and go about their day. Also, I went to middle school with everybody here, so I already knew people.” While Rainey’s school transition is unique, she is not alone. As of the second week of school, 58 students
have transferred to Tuscarora from another high school in the county with special permission and 61 students at Tuscarora have newly enrolled in Loudoun County Public Schools. While upperclassmen transfer students have to experience the first day in a new school all over again, freshmen all go through it together. this year, the freshman class of 2022
has 369 students, the largest class in the school. “I was definitely the most nervous about how big Tuscarora is and how many people there would be,” said freshman Shiloh Gelnett. This is a common fear of freshman on their first day of high school: navigating the numbered hallways, eventually figuring out that the athletic hall is the 900s, and going through the
New Year, New Teachers
school day without using a locker. The size of the school is not the only difference between Smarts Mill and Tuscarora, though. Getting older, while it brings more responsibility, it also brings more freedom. “[At Tuscarora] there is a lot more freedom than there was in middle school, you can make your own decisions much more easily, good or bad. I also feel like we’re actually learning new things, not just the same thing over and over. Tuscarora is more focused on preparing us for the real world,” said Gelnett. All in all, the best way to get immersed into a new school is to get involved. “I was trying to get involved with athletic training, so I’m still working on that. Since I transferred so late, I missed the cut off for the fall, but I’m probably going to do it for the winter or spring,” said Rainey. “I really like the sports here,” said Gelnett, who is on the cross country team, “I think it creates a nice sense of community.”
New teachers share their experience at Tuscarora during the first weeks of school Ms. DiLoreta
- Teaches SPED History - First year ever teaching public school - Taught MasonLIFE (a post-secondary program for students with disabilities) at George Mason University "I am most excited about getting to know my students and very excited for all the spirit days," said DiLoreta. "The minute I stepped into Tuscarora for my interview, I could just feel something that I had not experienced at other locations. It just seemed like the perfect fit," added DiLoreta.
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Ms. Kelley - Teaches English 9, Journalism, Newsmag and Yearbook - Sixth year teaching - Taught at Loudoun County High School, Harper Park Middle School and River Bend Middle School "I care. A lot. I will do everything I can to help my students succeed," noted Kelley. "When this position opened here at Tuscarora, it seemed meant to be. This is my dream job. I was very fortunate to be given this oppurtunity," concluded Kelley.
Ms. Purvis
- Teaches SPED English - First year ever teaching public school - Taught kindergarten at a private center "When I interviewed here, it just felt right. I felt comfortable with the staff and administration. It seemed like a great work environment," noted Purvis. "I'm really excited to be working in such a great school with amazing staff. I'm looking forward to seeing my students progress throughout the year," said Purvis. "I am very passionate about my career," added Purvis.
Photo courtesy of Ms. Kelley
BY MIA PARADA
Ms. Kelley, Ms. DiLoreta and Ms. Purvis take a picture after successfully completing their first week of teaching at Tuscarora.
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FEATURES Chromebooks: Is the new school technology a smart move, or a waste of school resources? BY MATTHEW SUTHERLAND
The Loudoun County Public School Board spent $2 million on technology for schools in the last year, but are they getting their money’s worth? LoudounNow reported in June of 2017 that the Loudoun County Public School Board spent $2 million on “Chromebooks, iPads, and other school technology,” and now, a year later, Chromebooks are being given to students across the county to bring to and from school. Loudoun County Public Schools says that the idea behind giving students the devices is “to provide each student access to tools, resources and information to support their learning.” One of the many schools Loudoun County has recently provided with technology this year was Tuscarora
Q: How many of your classes are making use of Google Classroom this year?
471 Responses High School with their Chromebooks. The laptops have some notable features: a 360° hinge on the screen and the ability to use a No.2 pencil as a stylus are two highlights of the student’s new devices. Now that Chromebooks are being
used in school by all students, Google Classroom is being used significantly more than last year. A survey taken of 471 students revealed that over 60% of students have between five and seven classes that are making use of Google Class-
entire student body are EL students. Some EL students come from homes in which no English is spoken, and some even speak multiple languages. Some EL students are stigmatized for the way they speak English; some are stigmatized for speaking a language other than English, and for some ELs students, speaking English in front of the class brings on the familiar symptoms, sweaty palms, shaky hands, or quavering voices because they think they might make a mistake while they speak English. “When I came to the USA I wasn’t able to speak fluently, but I studied English in school back home. We used to have speaking and writing tests in English, so I wasn’t that scared, and I didn’t feel afraid to speak English. The main problem for me was that I couldn’t understand the American accent and also whenever someone spoke to me I would need to ask them to speak slower. A lot of my friends in my classes helped me to speak better English, and I also started watching English cartoons with my little sister which helped a lot,” said Helen Vergas, who is from India. Listening to native speakers and practicing frequently are what helps these students master the language. Generally, the English language learners face several common problems, such as being difficult to using proper grammar and vocabulary. “I think it is a great idea to have students grouped according to their abilities. These students
who don’t hold prior knowledge on the language, may need some assistance from their peers, and teachers and their verbal abilities may not match what they actually know, and they may be reluctant to express themselves,” said Mrs. Aasma Farooq, an EL teacher. Some strategies for language acquisition that some teachers are using include scaffolding and group instruction for Ells, even if they are at beginning levels of English proficiency. “Each student arrives to school with different and unique background experiences as well as culture. These factors affect how students learn in the classroom, and they adjust to meet students’ needs. If activities are structured to support student to student interaction. The students are required to use English to explain topics and contribute to the work. This gives the teacher an opportunity to observe the student’s proficiency of the concepts taught in classes.
EL Students: Learning English is a journey
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Photo by Dolhan Mohammadi
BY DOLHAN MOHAMMADI Think about your foreign language classes in high school. Was it difficult to learn a new language from scratch after having grown up all your life speaking English? Now think about instead of just having to take foreign language class, what if you and your family had to move to another country, one where they didn’t speak your language and you did not understand their language. This is the experience of many children who immigrate to the United States every year. They are classified as EL students, which means English Learners. They are students who are unable to communicate fluently and learn effectively in English because they often come from non-Englishspeaking homes. “My mother, father, siblings, and I lived in a small town in Egypt before we moved to United States. I didn’t know anything about English. When I started school in the US, English was so difficult for me to learn because it wasn’t my native language, but when I learned English I was finally able to express myself and believe that understanding English gives me power to life in United States,” said Ali Hussien. According to statistics from the US Department of Education, in 2003 9.9 million children spoke a language other than English at their homes and 2.9 million children who had spoken English with some difficulties. At Tuscarora, 12 percent of the
room this year. It’s nice to hear that the new devices are being utilized, but do they actually help boost productivity? Sydney Cotone, a senior says, “It’s helped me become a lot more productive in and outside of class since I have the ability to just look at Google Classroom instead of having to search through all my papers,” However, Eric Schreiber, a sophomore thinks that “the inability to download programs and apps greatly restricts their usefulness.” Students have mixed first impressions on the school’s new devices, but only time will tell how much of an impact they’re making on Tuscarora. Was the School Board’s money well spent, or was Tuscarora better off without this new technology?
In group discussions student participation demonstrates students’ progress,” Mrs. Farooq stated. This kind of instruction helps students transition to other core classes. “I’ve always found different ways to engage my students in a fun and positive environment. I am flexible in how many choices I offer the students according to the student’s current needs. I do this by extending the due date of the assignments, as well as altering the length, and quantity of the assignments,” said Mrs. Farooq. As ELL students progress, they are often forced into taking test’s like the SOLs despite clear disadvantages. This compels general education and EL teachers to research diverse ways to assist all students. While the challenge of being an EL student will always exist, it is great to see teachers and students coming together to promote success.
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FRIDAY NIGHT
LIGHTS
An in-depth look into the Friday football games with the football team, new head coach Brandon Wheelbarger, cheerleading squad, marching band and Tusky Terror BY COURTLAND BLAKE, TORI CUSTER, KAITLYN FLETCHER AND MARIA SCHENSE
the coach and team
The Huskies dominated play in Loudoun last year. After a thrilling playoff run, highlighted by a field goal victory over Stone Bridge in the region championship game, the Huskies made it to the Virginia 5A state championship game for the second time in school history. A 40-27 loss to Highland Springs ended Tuscarora’s spectacular stretch, crushing their hopes of redemption from their previous heartbreaking state championship loss in 2014.
This season, a new head coach will guide the program, but the goal remains the same. In his sixth year with Tuscarora, first year as a head coach, Brandon Wheelbarger expects his team to learn, bond and play with love and passion. Wheelbarger takes the reins from coach Michael Burnett, who resigned in January before accepting a head coach position at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. Wheelbarger states the transition between coaches has been “as flawless as it could be.”
Wheelbarger has known since high school that he wanted to both teach and coach. “That was always my goal and it was always about waiting for the right opportunity,” noted Wheelbarger. “I had a couple opportunities presented to me the last couple years and I didn’t think it was the right fit. It has to fit from a football stand point, but it also needs to be somewhere that I feel I thrive as a teacher. I consider myself a teacher first and I’ve said no to opportunities because it didn’t check all the boxes. Tuscarora checked all the boxes. I feel very blessed to be able to have this.” Although Tuscarora graduated many key contributors - including Chris Broad, Caleb Donofrio, Kyle Jenkins, Alex Lee and Adam Thorne - the Huskies return an experienced roster. The offensive line is one of the biggest strengths of the team. Seniors Spencer Anderson, Christophe Atkinson, Sam Galletta and Will Moore will lead the line.
“Together as a team, we want to play 15 games and not only for a ring, we want to be together as a team because we are a family. This team is very special. The bond that everybody has on this team is absolutely amazing. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever been a part of,” said Moore.
The Huskies return senior quarterback Justin Allen, who spent the first four games on the sidelines recovering from an injury. Junior backup quarterback Ethan Gick stepped up and kept a positive outlook in midst of Allen’s injury, leading the team to a 2-2 record. Good luck to our boys as they wrap up their season and compete for a postseason run.
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Photos courtesy of Bill Vocke
the marching huskies the terror
the cheerleaders Whether it is cheering for the football team on the sidelines, rallying the crowd, or competing in the state tournament, the cheer squad is always raising the level of school spirit at Tuscarora. After finishing second in the state last year, the cheer team is preparing for another strong season through their constant practice, even going in to the gym early on Saturday mornings.
The Tusky Terror is the heart and soul of Friday nights on Fortune Field.They give the student section its spirit, arranging color schemes for the fans and making sure to keep the stands loud and proud.
While most know the Tusky Terror from their presence at football games, they follow all the sports teams and offer a support system during times of both victory and defeat.
“I decided to be a part of Tusky Terror because I wanted to be a hype man for our wonderful student “As a team, our goal is to win states this year since we were section this year. Tusky Terror is lit this year,” said senior Jonathan Williams. so close last year. We know that we have the abilities we just need to work hard to get there,” said senior Dawson The Tusky Terror is comprised of many new members Orlowski. after many former ones had graduated the previous year. Tusky Terror’s new members are full of goals During this time of preparation, the cheer team is and ideas in order to ensure the success of Tuscarora’s continuing to help the football team reach their dream of sports teams and the enjoyment of fans in the future. states. The cheer team decorated the locker room before the football team played the Broad Run Spartans. Their routines on Friday nights hype up the crowd and pump up “I want to make these next two years of my journey here the hypest, loudest, and most memorable years the football team for the challenge ahead. of my life. To get all of the other students hyped in the student section is a big job, but we all do a good job at “My favorite part about Friday night football games is the it,” said junior Savannah Shaeffer. mood of everyone getting together and having fun and getting loud,” said freshman Caroline Abbey.
“My favorite part of Friday night lights is getting watch the football team up close,” said sophomore Ellie Wooten. Go to https://www.huskyathletics.info/page/2930 for the cheer team’s schedule and other ways to show your support.
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“Being apart of tusky terror as a sophomore has been awesome and it will give me more experience as a leader for future years. My favorite part is just the energy from everyone at the games,” said sophomore Barrett Saul.
More information on how to be support or be involved with the Tusky The Terror can be found on their Twitter page: @THSTuskyTerror
Many assume the role of the Marching Huskies is easy and straightforward, but those people do not realize that the marching band’s work is the equivalent of sports in terms of time commitment and athleticism, if not more.
The Marching Huskies practice for hours in order to perfect their routine for Friday nights and their competitions. Their work ethic has led to them receiving several honors and being one of the top marching bands in the state. They started the season strong with a win on Saturday, September 22.
The Marching Huskies are on display on Friday nights during half time of the football games and in their competitions.
Junior Robbie Voorheis has had many fun memories with the Marching Huskies, but there is one in particular that Voorheis will not forget. “My favorite memory was the band winning a statewide competition my first year. My favorite part of Friday night lights besides the halftime show is playing music in the stands to hype up the crowd,” said Voorheis. “My favorite part of football games is performing at halftime. I enjoy getting to perform with my friends on a show we’ve been working so hard on,” said senior Caroline Berg. Visit https://www.lcps.org/Page/39441 for more information on how to support the Marching Huskies.
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ENTERTAINMENT
Netflix’s Biggest Summer Movies All in One BY SAVANNAH REGER
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Teenage Romance Movies: it’s what Netflix loves, and more importantly, it’s what the viewers love. With a 95% Rotten Tomatoes and 92% audience score, Netflix’s new movie, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, takes the idea of teen romance to another level. “It just showed really great chemistry between the characters,” said sophomore Olivia Davis. “I absolutely loved the romance and when romance builds up, I really like it and those are my favorite.” With new teen crush Noah Centineo as Peter Kavinsky, and oncoming actress Lana Condor as Lara Jean Covey, this movie gives viewers relatability, as it stars high school students and the struggles they have in their life. Without giving away too much of the plot, the movie features Laura Jean and her love letters that are kept hidden in her room, how they get out, and the consequences that she runs into around town. The movie also features aspects of teen love and
how it can be found in even the most unusual places and will really keep the viewer engaged and curious to what will happen next. “I loved the storyline” said junior Emily Talucci. “It was such an amazing and beautiful rom-com story. Even though I don’t think that it would happen in the real world, it was just an amazing story to watch.” Overall, this movie contains laughs, a teenage humor plot, and regular teenage dilemmas that rolls into 1 hour and 39 minutes. It showed good relationships between siblings and how a single father is able to take on raising three girls. It also demonstrates high school dilemmas, as well as bullies, and how teenagers go through other drama in their life, and it is ok to have a slow relationship. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is a mix between teen comedy and teen romance and is a good choice for lovers of both as well as people who want to see other sides of teenagers and how their life can be, even in intense situations.
The Kissing Booth It’s the basic love story: a shy girl falls in love with the popular guy and live happily ever after. However, in The Kissing Booth, it comes in a interesting way in a stereotypical type romance. Directed by Vince Marcello, The Kissing Booth portrays teen life in a negative way throughout the movie, as teen drinking occurs as well as relationships and lies. This movie also includes violence and bullying, which also gives out bad messages to younger viewers. “I think that negative messages were displayed because of the violence,” said junior Arianna Wright. “I also thought the younger brother was a bad friend, and the plot line was kind of cringy.” Nevertheless, the movie provided interesting characters and real problems in the world, with the lead, Elle Evans portrayed by Joey King, going through relationship trauma as she must choose between her heart and her head. The Kissing Booth also brings up everyday problems in the world, as Elle lives with her single dad.
“I did like that about the movie,” said Wright about the family relationships during the movie. “It does show a good message about family values and how other people can fill that hole in your life.” Overall, the plot line was not the best, and the movie does not give off positive messages to teens. It shows rushed relationships, friendship issues and betrayal, and body shaming and violence. The Kissing Booth shows lust, and unhealthy connections between characters, and this movie should not be recommended to people who want a family-friendly movie.
Which movie storyline do students prefer? 65 students polled. The Kissing Booth
T.A.T.B.I.L.B.
29.2%
70.8%
Swifties Weren’t Ready For This Tour BY BRADY BULLINGTON
On July 10th, 2018 the Reputation Stadium Tour of Taylor Swift’s took place in Landover, Maryland. The pre concert was filled with the performances from Taylor’s good friends and popular artists, Charli XCX and Camila Cabello. After their performance, the screens went dark and everyone grew quiet awaiting for Swift to come onto the stage.
The jumbotron sized screens lit up with clips of younger Taylor, which many fans would refer to as “The Old Taylor”, and showed how the media, old fans, and society has come for her in ways that she deemed to be unrealistic and untrue. She opened up the Tour with a loud and vicious “Are you ready for it?”. After her singing of the song, “I Did Something Bad”, a song about how society makes it out to be as though she’s the bad guy in things she does, she welcomed all 95,000 fans that
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attended according to Billboard Boxscore. As the concert progressed with many of her songs off of her Reputation album, Swift threw in some oldies and it showed that the “Old Taylor is dead” statement is not as true as many people thought. Before her performance of Long Live, a throwback to 2010 from Speak Now, she sat down at the piano and looked out into the sea of fans and talked about all that she’s been going through. Many people in the crowd were getting teary eyed as she thanked them for standing by her side and supporting her, as she took an extra year off of music to work on herself. Her preformance of the song “Look What You Made Me Do” was what had ultimately shown Swifties, the nickname of her most loyal fans, she’s grown and learned a lot about the world around her and how it works.
At the end of night, Taylor stood on top of a water fountain, hair wet, and sang a mashup of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things.” Reputation magazine confetti rained down, fireworks shot up into the air, and the aurora of the crowd was as vibrant as the lit up stage. She thanked everyone for coming out after announcing thanks for her dancers and the show had ended with a simple yet heartfelt blooper video along with a blank screen that stated “And in the death of her reputation, she felt truly alive,” that symbolized the fact that Taylor Swift has never truly been so happy with her life and herself. Photo Courtsey: Brady Bullington
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STUDENT LIFE
Summer is in the Past, Fall is in the Future
What students did this summer and what they are excited about for fall BY NATHAN FRANCIS
Filled with some great times and memory filled days, summer is a great time for families to take vacations or stay home and relax. Many people went to the beach, some on a cruise, and some people just stayed home. Junior Emerson Stelle stayed home for the summer and said “It was nice to not have to be constantly doing something but also no, because I feel like I could’ve done something better iwth my time,” said Stelle. Junior Dani Zavaleta went on a mission trip with her church to Haiti this past summer. This is one of her greatest memories. “My favorite part about Haiti was being able to spend time with the orphans. Seeing how happy they were even though they had gone through things that no kid should go through, things that people here would never go through in
a lifetime. All the joy and love that I saw in Haiti is something I will never forget,” she said. Tilly Underhill, a sophomore, spent some time in the Caribbean island of Barbados. “The best part was visiting all the beautiful beaches and experiencing the life of living on an island,” said Underhill Madison Dombrowski, a junior, went on a cruise this past summer. “I enjoyed all the friends and people I met, I created such amazing friendships that have lasted and will last forever within one week.” With the summer season coming to an end, Fall is just around the corner. It sounds like many people are very excited about Fall for many different reasons including football, both high school and professional, the weather, because it it has been so warm, and the change in color in the
Fall Festivities
BY COURTLAND BLAKE
leaves. “I like watching the trees change color because it’s beautiful and I also like the beginning of the football season,” said sophomore Abbie Cummings. Some are excited about the holidays with Halloween and Thanksgiving coming up. Some are even excited about the clothes that they will be able to wear. Although people sometime do not want to summer to end and come back to school, they seem to be pretty excited about the upcoming fall season.
Daniela Zavaleta, enjoying time with an orphan in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Zavaleta went on a mission trip to Port-au-Prince, this past summer with her church and enjoyed time in their culture and spending time with orphans. Madison Dombrowski, with one of her friends this summer. Dombrowski went on a cruise to the Caribbean this past summer.
Where Students Vacationed this Summer
A look into the Fall activities available around Leesburg
As the weather gets colder and the leaves start to change, Summer comes to an end and activities change from pool days and popsicles to apple cider and pumpkin patches. “My favorite part about Fall is the weather. I hate being hot, so being able to wear jeans and a sweatshirt all the time is amazing,” said senior Alyssa Longo. Throughout Loudoun County, there are many opportunities to enjoy the crisp Fall air and make apple picking and corn maze memories before it gets too cold.
Great Country Farms
18780 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont, VA 20135 - Open 9 am - 6 pm - Fall Pumpkin Harvest Festival Oct 1-31 - Admission: $8/child and $10/adult - Apples are available to pick through Mid October$1.99/lb - Pick your own pumpkins, for $.59/lb - Wagon rides, pig races, marshmallow roasting, live music, corn maze, slides, and farm animals. - More info: greatcountryfarms.com
Temple Hall
15855 Limestone School Road Leesburg, VA 20176 - Open 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Tuesday-Sunday until November 6th - 20 acre corn maze, pumpkins, halloween treats, pig races, paint ball, jumping pillows, and animals. - Tickets are $8-14 - Find more info at: https:// www.novaparks.com/ events/temple-hall-fallfestival
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Pumpkin Village at Leesburg Animal Park
Shocktober
601 Catoctin Cir NE, Leesburg, VA 20176 19270 James Monroe Highway Leesburg, VA 20175 - Every Friday, Saturday, or Sunday from October 5th - Open daily from Sept 15through November 4th Nov 6, 9:30 am-6:00 pm - Haunted House experience - Giant hill slides, moon in Leesburg featuring more bounces, wagon rides, petting zoo, pedal carts, and than 100 cast and crew and creepy attractions. a corn bin. - All proceeds from - Tickets are $10.95-15.95 Shocktober go to The Arc - Find more info at: www. of Loudoun, a nonprofit to pumpkinfestleesburg.com help adults and children that have disabilities. - Buy tickets at Shocktober. org
What’s your favorite Fall activity?
Haunted house Pumpkin/apple picking Bonfire Corn Maze
OCTOBER 2018 9
STUDENT LIFE
Three as One
Several of Loudoun County’s STEM academies combined to form the Academy of Loudoun BY MARIA SCHENSE First separated, now three as one. The Academy of Engineering and Technology (AET), Monroe Advanced Technical Academy (Monroe), and The Academy of Science (AOS) all combined to form the Academies of Loudoun. According to Loudoun County Public Schools, AET’s goal is to provide STEM pathways for students, Monroe’s goal is to provide education in careers and technology to prepare students for future jobs and school, and AOS’ goal is to educate students in science, math, and research skills. All three of the academies offer dozens of different programs and different classes to it the needs and wants of the students who attend.
“The AOL building is incredible, the best high school in the county by far,” -Johnny Lewis, senior Monroe student
In terms of location, AET, was held at many of the students’ home school, Tuscarora. “I liked being at my home school
because I could talk to both my Tuscarora and AET teachers no matter if it was an A or B day,” said Lydia Seekford, junior AET student. The other students who have a different home school, however, were forced to take the bus every other day to Tuscarora.
Another academy that experienced something similar was AOS, which was held at Dominion High School. “I prefer going to a different school because the two places are completely different and have different needs as a school,” said: siad Nicole Seemen, senior AOS student. Different from the other two academies, Monroe was held at its own building made speci ically for the students who attended, with each room embracing a different
area of study. “My classroom [now] doesn’t have the same feeling of the old classrooms, they don’t have any personality,” said Johnny Lewis, senior Monroe student. The three academies gives the opportunities to students of spending one day, A or B, at their home school and the other at the academy. “[ I prefer] AOS because the subjects are more interesting and it’s an amazing group of people to be with,” said Seemen. Monroe senior, Caroline Johnson, agreed with the favorite choice, as she said, “I enjoy being at Monroe better because I can study what I like and we go much more in depth into our courses. Once the idea arose to create a combined academy, there were mixed reactions. However, once many of the students experienced it they found positive outcomes from the change, only sprinkled with a few negative situations. “There are a lot more students [and] I love seeing all the different Monroe classes and the equipment they use,” said Seekford. Lewis agreed saying that, “There are a lot of people now, but because of the size of the school it doesn’t
Q: How is the builidng and the setup different this year? A: “The builidng is much nicer than our previous buldining, it is huge and able to it AOS and AET as well”
10 OCTOBER 2018
“...It’s an amazing group of people to be with,” -Nicole Seemen, senior AOS student
Through the change, the love of exploratory education stays strong, and the new combined building allows students to experience more creative freedom. “The AOL building is incredible, the best high school in the county by far,” said Lewis. For more information about the Academy of Loudoun visit https://www.lcps.org/aol or talk to your counselor about becoming involved in one of the three academies.
ts
Studen AOL Meet the
Lydia Seekford
Caroline Johnson Monroe Senior
feel crowded.” However, like in any situation in life there is always some bad that comes with the good. “It puts a little more pressure on us because we know that the kids in the other schools are very smart, [but] it is cool seeing some of my friends from AOS and AET in the halls,” said Johnson.
Nicole Seemen AOS Senior
Q: “How does this year compare to last year?” A: The classes are a lot more challenging this year
Johnny Lewis Monroe Senior
Q: “Do you prefer Tuscarora or Monroe? A: Monroe, because it is the perfect balance between college anmd high school
AET Junior
Q: Did you prefer being at a home school for AET, instead of a seperate building? A: “I did like being at my home school becuase I could talk to both my Tuscarora and AET teachers”
@HUSKYHEADLINE
SPORTS
Out with the Old, In with the New Coaches
Preview of the new head coaches for Field Hockey and Volleyball the accountability and respect as a coach. She believes for this team to work, that there has to be mutual respect among players and the people around them. “Giving one’s best effort and being respectful around everyone is a big goal for me,” said Vandermast, “I want people to believe in this team and people to look at field hockey as a good sport again.” Vandermast is excited to become the next Varsity Field Hockey head coach, and hopes her background, goals and values will help this team move forward and thrive in the future. Even with the news of a new field hockey coach, there was also buzz about the new volleyball coaching staff. After the championship winning coaching staff left in the offseason, head coach Kelsey Anderson took control, and is leading the team to a 5-3 start on the year Anderson grew up in Loudoun County and started her career out in middle school when she tried it
BY SULLY CARR
will be week four against the Patriots. The Patriots continue to be one of the best teams in the league, even after starting with only one win. The Dolphins are an interesting team to watch because they finished last season with only six wins, and are not looking much better. However, the return of quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, has given the team a resurgence. This team does not have a difficult schedule, so expect them to still be around come playoff time. Verdict: Contenders
for the first time and fell in love with the sport. She then continued her volleyball career at Loudoun County High School and won three state championship rings with the Raiders before playing college volleyball at
“I want people to look at field hockey as a good sport again.” - Coach Morgan Vandermast
Shepherd University. While playing in college, she coached club teams, and now, she is in her first high school coaching position out of college. However, there is more than volleyball with this job for Anderson, and it helped her decision to come to Tuscarora. “My three little cousins play volleyball here at Tuscarora,” said Anderson. “I knew that I wanted to
NFL Season Preview
The Girls Volleyball team’s defeated Rock Ridge on September 20, after winning all three sets. The team has started the year with five wins and three loses, and are on a three game win streak.
WWW.HUSKYHEADLINE.COM
Tennessee Titans: The Titans recently defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in week three, but have a rough few weeks ahead of them facing the Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, and Los Angeles Chargers. Three of
Photo courtosey of Lifetouch Coach Anderson coaching the volleyball team during the game.
The NFL season has just begun, creating many new headlines going into the season. these teams were playoff teams last year and the Ravens have started the year on fire. The Titans have a strong team that can make a run in the playoffs, and if they struggle the next few weeks their schedule is not difficult near the end of the season. The Titans need to play well against a few good teams in the upcoming weeks, or else they may not do so well come playoff time. Verdict: Too early to tell Kansas City Chiefs: Quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, has started off this season with 13 touchdowns through the first three weeks which is a new NFL record. Even more impressive is that this
Photo Courtesy of Lifetouch
Contenders or Pretenders: Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins have started the year hot going undefeated through the first three games, but the real test
BY SULLY CARR
SPORTS TWEETS
The 2018 National Football League (NFL) season is now three weeks in, which means all fans have an idea of what their favorite team will be looking like. The NFL can be full of surprises, but as of right now some teams look like real contenders while others look like pretenders. Another headline going into the season was if the Cleveland Browns would win a game, but after week three, the headline has changed to how many games they will win this year with Baker Mayfield now starting at quarterback.
continue coaching but them playing here really sold me on Tuscarora.” Anderson has taken the next step in her volleyball career by becoming the next volleyball head coach for Tuscarora, and will help the huskies compete for another state championship this season. “These girls are working super hard to make a comeback this season, they seem like an amazing group to coach, and I hope we can get back to the ultimate goal this year,” Anderson adds. Both Coach Vandermast and Coach Anderson have been preparing their teams for the 2018 season, and are looking forward to their futures as head coaches at Tuscarora.
The Varsity Cheer team, decorated the Varsity Football locker room before their first home game of the season, on August 31.
is Mahomes first season seeing the field. The Chiefs are the real deal, and with their division being the easiest in the league, expect to see them in the playoffs. The team is still young and has a good time to develop, so do not expect them to win the Super Bowl, but a run in the playoffs would show the potential this team has. Their upcoming schedule has a few challenging games, but for the most part, the Chiefs will make it into the playoffs with ease. Verdict: This is it, Chief To read more about the NFL, check out thehuskyheadline.com to read the rest of this article.
Photo Courtesy of @TuskyCheer
BY SAVANNAH REGER After coming off very strong fall sports seasons in 2017, Changes came in the offseason, especially with the coaching staff of Field Hockey and Volleyball. The new coaches bring new ideas and culture to the locker room, as well as come from different backgrounds. Coach Morgan Vandermast is new to Tuscarora High School this year, taking over for Coach Colleen Aubel. She moved to the Loudoun County area when she was in fifth grade and began playing Field Hockey for Loudoun Country Day School. She ended up deciding against playing in college, and for her, it was an easy decision to become the next coach. “I saw a team that worked hard on the field and had loads of untapped potential,” said Vandermast. Coming to Tuscarora was a big step for Vandermast, and an unexpected one, as she originally was set to be an assistant. Now as the head coach, she brings a new face and identity to the program and is a big believer in
OCTOBER 2018 11
SPORTS
Ring Season: Round Two
Fall sports are seeking to reclaim titles
Photo Courtesy of @thsvaxctf
Senior Sian Seeger serves the ball to start the match. Losing an entire coaching staff, and starting from scratch with a new group can be difficult, but the girls have stayed positive in this transition. Megan Dunningan, a junior, is excited about the new coaches; she says, “ Our coaches are very special to us and they have experience with
playing volleyball, so their criticism and adjustments make sense and we listen.” Girl’s volleyball has had a lot of obstacles to face this season but they want to pick up right where they left off, which is to be the final team standing, holding up the State Championship trophy. “I believe this team has potential to be better than last year’s team and there is no doubt that we can still compete for the State Championship,” said Senior Ashton Dunningan. The football team is also coming off a great year from last year, finishing 2nd in the state championship game. This year the team will be coached by Brandon Wheelbarger and many other new assistant coaches. The team lost some key players on the defensive and offensive side of the football, players like Chris Broad and Adam Thorne, who both received all-state honors. Football is used to being a winning program every year and this year looks ready to be no different even with the loss of good players and a great coach. The team may have lost a great coach in Coach Burnett, but a lot of guys seem happy that Coach Wheelbarger is the head guy. Senior Mikey Ortega says, “Coach Wheels knows his football and has experience coaching this team and there is no doubt in my mind he will do a great job.” Coach Wheels will be under a lot of pressure this year as all first year coaches do, trying to be on the winning end, holding a State Championship trophy. Although, with the support of his players, it seems like he will do a great job. Like every year, there will be some new faces out on the offensive and defensive side of football. The team, however, does not seemed phased by the challenges facing them. Senior Ben Pauly says, “We lose
12 O CTOBER 2018
good players every year, it’s all about guys stepping up and doing their jobs to fill the starting spots that we lost.” With the new coach and new faces, the team still has their spirit and hope to make it back to States. After speaking with players and coaches, it seems like this year could be the year that football wins it all.
The football team is seeking to have a winning season and get a ring Girl’s cross country is coming off another dominate state championship season, going backto-back. The girls team has been dominate these past two years and hope to keep it up going forward. The team will face a lot of pressure since they are expected to win states again, but the team is confident and they work very hard. While the goal is getting back to states, the team knows it is going to take a lot of hard work. However, this is one of the most dominant sports teams here and they want to keep it up, but with expectation comes a lot of pressure. That confidence is one of the big reasons why our girls cross country team is so successful, and with all the work they are putting in to win and be champions. A third state championship in a row is very likely. Cheerleading finished 2nd in the state last year and this year they hope to see a different outcome. They have been working very hard in practice and there seems to be a different mentality going into this season. “We are working very hard on our routines so they are perfect and we increase the difficulty on each
Photo courtesy of Yearbook
Photo courtesy of Lifetouch
The fall sports teams had one of the school’s most successful seasons last year. While every one of these teams made it to the state championship, volleyball and girls cross country are looking to repeat as state champions; whereas football, cheerleading, and golf player Michael Brennan are looking to bounce back this season and become champions. After a state championship season, the girls volleyball team faces a difficult road ahead of them after losing four seniors and the coaching staff to town rival Loudoun County High School. There are many new faces on the volleyball team, but winning and having a good year remains their main goal. This year, volleyball brought up four freshman, Ava Filipponi, Shelby Wilson, Kaitlyn Dunningan, and Sofia Hardesty to the varsity team to replace the four seniors they lost from last year. Kaitlyn Dunnigan, plays the libero position. The libero is the best passer on the team and wears a different color shirt. While these girls have big shoes to fill, they are ready to take on the challenge.
routine as we go forward in our competition and hopefully we will make it back to states,” said senior Taylor Nodland. Cheerleading has many senior girls on the team, and when talking to them, they seem very determined and focused to win states this year. When talking to senior Bree Puterio, she seemed really disappointed in the loss last year but is confident about this year. “Going all the way to Richmond to lose was very disappointing since we worked so hard last year. However, I am really excited about this year and I really want a state championship win before I graduate. After talking to the girls, a state championship is on the minds of everyone involved in the program and a goal they believe is attainable. Junior Michael Brennan from the golf team is back in sports news this year, he finished 4th in the state last year and hopes this year’s outcome will be different. Brennan recently committed to Wake Forest to continue his golf career. While he is only a junior and already committed, he still believes he needs to work hard to be a state champion. “I work hard everyday on my shots, specifically my short game. My putts and chipping always needs work if I want to not only win states but be a successful pro golfer.” While the golf team was eliminated in playoff play during conference play, Brennan won conference in solo play and has recently qualified for states. Most of the fall sports teams had great seasons last year and hope to keep it up and improve this year. After talking to a lot of players, a state championship victory is the main goal and it is a goal all teams are willing to put in the work for. Good luck to all the fall teams as they continue each of their seasons. Photo Courtesy of @CoachWheels1
BY CHANDLER TUTEN
The Football team went out for a team dinner on September 20 at CiCis pizza. There must have been something in the food, because on September 21 the team won 35-23 against Briar Woods. Go Huskies!
@TUSKYSPORTS