November 2014

Driving: Teen accidents Spirit: Do we have school spirit?

Face-Off: Chubbys vs. Cosmic Fall: International Holidays

Academics: Pirates prepare for college

N OV. 2 014 VO L . X X I V I S S U E I I

Pirates' Hookok

he editorials, unless signed, are the consensus opinion of the editorial staff and do not necessarily reflect the views of the adviser or the school administration. The newspaper welcomes letters to the editor. The newspaper reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity.

All letters must be signed, however, the newspaper will withhold names upon request with good reason. Advertisements in the newspaper are paid. Advertisements and are not the opinion of, or the endorsement of, the newspaper or school administration.

•Head Editors: Deirdre Logan, Marie Muir •Editors: Kima Clifton, Jasper Cool, Neo Cruz, Timothy Duke, Sara Falcon, Maya Gacina, Lena Geller, Ben Huffman, Jasmine Lyon, Cy Neff, Nick Strauss, Joelle Trollinger, Morgan Whithaus •Staff: Ranya AlZubaidi, Elizabeth Beyer, Clay Bourguignon, Joel Flores, Pam Gonzalez, Axel Herra-Ramos, Dillon Mclntyre, Addison Oliver, Caitlyn Patton, Randy Pena, Ray Starn, Tracy Tran, Naomi Van Horne, Bernice Villa-Rosendo •Video: Mone Jones, Jordan Lovell, Araad Sarrani •Photo Editors: Anna James, Emmanuel Johnson, Abdur-Rauf Muhammad

www.riverside.dpsnc.net

3218 Rose of Sharon Rd. Durham, NC 22712

OPINION

2

The real meaning of school spirit Somewhere, right now, there is a student struggling to get his grades to a passing level. An athlete is recovering from a serious injury, praying to heal before the season is over. A teacher racks her brain, trying to figure out the best way to relate to her students.

Everything that the patrons of Riverside High School achieve while walking these halls is a testament to the worthwhile effort of bettering our community we have created here. Riverside is comprised of over 2000 individuals that over the course of their lives have walked many roads, all leading us here.

Our heritage stems from all over the globe. Our classrooms are a living, breathing example of globalization and intercultural relations. The simple act of our mutual existence fosters good will and positive relationships.

Riverside is not just a scholastic institution to the students that roam its halls. It is a place of meeting, and for many, it represents the largest and most robust community that we will ever join.

Our passion for Riverside is independent of the ever changing rules and systems of the school itself.

When we say we love Riverside, we are not talking about the building or the dress code, we are talking about the people and the positivity flowing through the halls.

Our sports events and elective extracurriculars instill a sense of camaraderie between the students who are watching and those laying everything on the table to perform at their best. Their loss is our loss, their triumph is the school’s triumph.

No matter the scenario, those who inhabit the walls of our school find a way to make the best of any situation.

The school is constantly evolving.

Many of us have seen the administration and schedule change drastically, and there are many students with more Riverside seniority than certain staff. This does not deter our enthusiasm for making every day a good day. The school can change, but our bonds remain unaffected.

That is school spirit, the true, undeniable connection that everyone in Riverside shares. Our spirit can not be measured in basketball games won, nor in the proficiency of our choir. Our spirit exists as pride in each other.

We dedicate entire weeks to school spirit, we hold pep rallies and dances, but these are merely representative.

These activities allow us to come together and celebrate what many cannot describe: friendship, coexistence, appreciation, love.

Despite the ever changing nature of the school we call home, the

Inside this issue

International Thanksgiving p. 8 Media promotes scandalous costumes p. 9 Promotion of spirit p. 11 Dress code issues p. 15

• GRAPHIC BY TRACY TRAN

unique sacred energy that connects us can never falter. The fidelity of our spirit lasts through generations.

Even if the school itself is disliked, our school spirit is enough to look forward to coming back each day. From the daily chant of “Roll, Pirates Roll” to the annoying twice daily trumpet solo, we thrive on what makes Riverside special. We live for the spirit.

How to write a college essay p. 16 School vs. creativity p. 17 #Break4Buses p. 22 Teen car accidents-inevitable p. 23

Visit The Pirates' Hook on the web to see Letters to the Editor and Spanish and Arabic translations of the editorial. http://riverside.dpsnc.net/pages/Riverside_High/Student_Resources/Other_Resources/News_Archive

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November 2014

Face-Off 3

Chubby's vs. Cosmic: Battle of the Burritos

By Addison Oliver Ninth street is the perfect college town street that is known for its well balanced assortment of restaurants that never fail to satisfy customers. Whether you are in the mood for seafood, steak or an old fashioned hamburger, Ninth street is the place to leave you feeling stuffed to your liking. There is however one question that Ninth streeters seem to stumble upon when looking upon the street for a good meal, ‘Which mexican restaurant should I go to, Chubby’s or Cosmic?’ That is a question that can easily be answered by the sensible majority of Ninth streeters, Chubby’s Tacos is the way to go.

Chubby’s Tacos is a wonderful restaurant that manages to portray traditional Mexican culture in a way that embraces you while upholding a comfortable family friendly environment. If someone is in the

mood for Mexican food, they deserve the whole nine yards and Chubby’s delivers that and more.

When a customer walks into Chubb y ’ s they are immediately

smacked dab in the face with the won-

Cont. on next page

By Timothy Duke Ninth street is a place that many people find themselves when they search for something to eat. On Ninth street, two Mexican restaurants exist in constant warfare.

Cosmic Cantina and Chubby’s Tacos are two of Durham’s most loved restaurants, and many Durhamites hold their side on the Chubby’s vs Cosmic debate close to their

hearts, rarely wavering on their opinion.

However, one opinion is right: Cosmic is much much better.

Two weeks ago, my friend Sebastian got a burrito from Chubby’s tacos; he would soon learn the error of his ways.

He took an enormous bite. Sebastian spat out the burrito in utter disgust and immediately began screaming about how there were globs of fat remaining on the steak in his food. He told me that this was not the first time this has happened, for a few weeks prior, he had a similar experience, just with a little less fat. No one should be given a shoddily crafted meal, which is what customers receive at Chubby’s.

At Cosmic Cantina, customers ascend the stairway to heaven. When they enter the restaurant, they see a beautifully written, hand-crafted, locally-grown chalk

Cont. on next page

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4 Face-Off

Chubbys cont.

derful aroma of cooking meat.

One of the many highlights of going to ‘Chubby’s’is their endless supply of Mexican drinks and sodas. Chubby’s provides drinks such as Jarrito’s, a well known and loved Mexican soda, Horchata, a traditional sweet beverage that is freshly made each day.As well as having a great display of mexican drinks, Chubby’s food does not disappoint. With delicacy, Chubby’s cooks have perfected the art of taco and burrito making by filling the tortillas to the almost breaking point with your choice of juicy tender meat and vegetables. These huge masterpieces are complemented extravagantly with the crispy scrumptiousness of Chubby’s seasoned chips. The chips contain as much or even more flavor than most of the foods at the Cosmic Cantina combined and that is without your choice of salsa from the Chubby’s world famous salsa bar When people try comparing the

Cosmic Cantina to Chubby’s tacos I find it adorable. Cosmic does not even deserve to be in the realm of conversations with Chubby’s Tacos.

In order to enter Cosmic one has to walk up a never ending poorly lit staircase that is hazardous and injury prone. Cosmic is not easily accessible and secluded from most Ninth street restaurants. Some might say the dimness of the lights and separation adds to the feel of the restaurant, but I know the real reason behind these sketchy endeavors. Cosmic is cowering in the darkness of Chubby’s greatness, scavenging for the leftovers of Chubby’s success.

The Cosmic Cantina truly is an embarrassing imitation of Chubby’s Tacos that feeds its few customers tacos with paper thin tortillas that break under the pressure of being compared to Chubby’s Tacos.

Overall Cosmic Cantina is weak sauce compared to the exotic Picante flavor of Chubby’s Tacos.

Pirates' Hookok

Cosmic cont.

board menu. Cosmic Cantina has a depth of flavor that is unmatched. Once the tortilla is torn apart there is no stopping succumbing to the overwhelming flavor covering the tastebuds. All the food at Cosmic is prepared with elegancy. Food is flavored with the burning passion for their craft that the cooks hold dear. Cosmic has many sizes for their foods. Mini, Regular, and Giant. The giant burrito is nearly the size of a forearm, and it is twice as large as their regular burrito. The mini burritos are a terrific deal. Those who are not extremely hungry can purchase the same flavor explosion for a reduced price and size. Cosmic offers salads, tacos, chimichangas, quesadillas, and all of these items are delicious. Whether you are buying a burrito or a quesadilla, it is love at first bite.

Chubby’s boasts their salsa bar with pride. Whoop-de-doo. That salsa bar is the

biggest let down I have personally ever experience in my 16 years of life. There are like 12 mediocre salsas, and most of them are basically the same. Cosmic's one salsa trumps all of Chubby’s salsa.

I would rather eat a tub of Cosmic salsa, than a single item at Chubby’s tacos.

The overall atmosphere, experience and craftsmanship that is to be had at Cosmic Cantina decimates the mediocre at best food at Chubby’s. Cosmic Cantina alone is justification for Durham’s title of ‘the tastiest town in the south’ and more than makes up for places like Chubby's.

Anyone can produce a prideless, thrown together, tortilla so thick that it is reminiscent of the Earth’s mantle meal. Not many can replicate the artisan level work found at Cosmic Cantina. That is why I will, for the rest of my days, proudly display my signed napkin from the creator of Cosmic Cantina on my bookshelf, and adorn myself with the attire of kings, an oversized Cosmic Cantina shirt.

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November 2014

As believable as a well paid teacher

Driver’s Ed teaches text techniques

Lenny the Pirate takes a post worthy selfie with coach Michael Whitfield while learning to drive. •PHOTO BY ABDURRAUF MUHAMMAD

By Maya Gacina Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr. Beloved social media networks and driving now go hand in hand.

New and improved Drivers

Education classes run by some of Riverside’s finest coaches now provide lessons on how to use social media without getting into any serious car crashes.

“The components of taking a selfie while driving are critical.

First make sure all rearview mirrors are faced in your direction.

Second make sure the lighting is shining directly in your face,” coach Eric Spell said. “Your ideal position would be not to see the road, only the sunlight and camera. Last but not least, use your knees for steering and hands for taking a post-worthy selfie.”

There is a good 5% chance of not getting severely injured. Any injuries involved in the drivers course are not held responsible of the teacher.

“If an arm is lost in a car accident due to taking a snapchat, it is not in our interest to give you restitution,” coach Michael Whitfield said.

The law states that texting while driving is prohibited. Yet, the law does not state that posting, updating your facebook status, tweeting, snapchatting or blog-

ging is not allowed.

Texting could be the most dangerous thing to do while driving, and even talking on the phone could result in serious harm.

Taking a selfie using both hands on the phone and not the steering wheel while waiting for the post to load on a busy highway is not only legal but is encouraged.

“I love going to Drivers Ed now. So far I have learned how to take selfies, film vines, and type a status while recklessly and carelessly driving,” sophomore Iris Vitiello said.

Soon there will be available links on the school website to pay online for these specialized classes. Classes are preferably for anyone who can not go five minutes without scrolling through their Instagram feed or tweeting about what they’re doing 24/7.

Ages 15 to 90 are welcome.

Peg Legs

5

The Department of Motor Vehicles in North Carolina will be distributing handbooks soon titled “Tips and Tricks on Tweeting While Driving, It’s Not Illegal Yet.” Construction is now underway with bright orange flashing signs saying “Don’t Forget to Take Your Daily Selfie A.K.A. Carfie.”

In hopes of a future filled with social media, North Carolina Governor, Pat McCrory is now waiting to hear back from Barack Obama for a nationwide approval on the subject.

From teenagers to grandparents, highways and city streets will soon be filled with tweets, posts, and selfies. Along with multiple car crashes and strewn desiccated bodies, cell phones in hand.

At least it will be saved in a snapchat story.

Survival of the salaries

Teachers miraculously live off their paychecks

By Cy Neff Making a living as a public school teacher in North Carolina has always been a struggle, with teacher pay currently at 46th in the nation. Teachers have played a major role in the Moral Monday protests with calls for higher pay, better benefits and the return of tenure.

In a shocking turn of events, some Riverside teachers, such as English teacher Daniel Voight reported for the first time in the history of North Carolina public schools that they were to make a living off of a teacher’s salary.

“Honestly it wasn’t that

hard,” Voight said. “All I had to do was make a few behavior adjustments, you know, cut some corners here and there.”

Corners cut by others such as English teacher Matthew Smith include eating one meal every two days, siphoning off gas from other vehicles, and living without power and electricity.

“It’s really not that bad,” Voight said while sitting in the same shirt he had been wearing for the past four days.

Part of Voight’s success can be attributed to his living conditions and family life. Currently living in a tent in the woods behind Riverside, Voight also

made the decision to stop getting health insurance in order to save on medical costs. His possibly stolen car is also uninsured.

“I’ve never really understood all the whining about teachers not being able to make ends meet,” History Teacher Drew Markham said, and when asked about a clearly infected gaping wound on his left arm. “I’m doing just great. Really I’m fine.”

Other teachers were left astounded by Voight’s accomplishment, and many have done their best to emulate his techniques.

“I mean after the first paycheck I considered putting my kid up for adoption,” English Teacher

Angela Nofsinger said. “Kids are just so expensive.”

Whether or not Nofsinger’s child was ever put up is unclear.

Another instructor practicing innovative cost-cutting measures is Photography teacher Jonathan Tweitmeyer.

“I’ve stolen my neighbor’s power, I’ve been ripping copper out of power lines, I am doing everything I can to survive,” Tweitmeyer said. “I’m making more money off of pawning my personal possessions than as a teacher.”

Other creative methods of salary supplementation have been

practiced with Chemistry teacher Tavia Webley selling cosmetic products during class and Social Studies teacher Joye Cordell resorting to even more unusual methods.

“If I told you what I do I’d have to kill you,” Cordell said.

Despite being some of the worst paid and most underappreciated teachers in the country, instructors in public schools across the state are now beginning to see the bright side. If you withhold from having kids or a nice house or repairing your car or going on vacations or eating well, being a public school teacher really is not all that hard.

6 Columns

Pirates' Hookok

“I can't wait”

As college approaches, time seems to be slipping away

By Marie Muir “I can’t wait.” My entire life, all 17 years of it, have been overshadowed by this simple phrase. Those three words have had more control over my life than “I love you” or even “Is dinner ready?”

At Easley Elementary in second grade I could not wait to bring my 25 year old godfather in for show and tell. In fourth grade I could not wait to race the boys at recess. Everyday there was only excitement and innocent anticipation on my mind. Except for nap time, there was nothing then that I could not wait to end.

Carrington Middle School witnessed my awkward years of “I can’t wait”.

In sixth grade I could not wait to read Twilight and kiss my Edward Cullen poster(s) goodnight. In seventh grade

I could not wait to wear my hot pink converses with neon green shoelaces for the first time.

And in eighth grade I could not wait to ditch my insecure middle school years for some more improved insecure years at Riverside.

As a freshman, “I can’t wait” followed me through my first homecoming dance, my first varsity soccer practice, and even my first kiss. Thank God for 'spin the bottle.'

My impatience only grew when it came time to get my license, my first paycheck as a landscaper’s intern, and my scores from my AP exams.

I am almost certain that freshman, sophomore, and junior year I muttered the words: “I can’t wait to be a senior!”

Now I am a senior. Those three words

have been with me through it all.

In bad times they served to point my attention to a happier future.

In good they served as a distraction from appreciating what was happening in the moment.

My last year living at home with parents, and my last year at Riverside is flying by.

I have decided to say goodbye to “I can’t wait”. I am in no rush.

I want to remember the camping trip with my best friends. I want to remember every one of Mr. Brown’s priceless puns.

I want to soak in every argument I have with my family over what movie to watch on a Sunday night.

For now, I can wait.

Thanksgiving: 70% off

By Deirdre Logan

•PHOTO BY MARIE MUIR

The smell of freshly baked turkey fills the house. The uproar of laughter fills the air. It is Thanksgiving at the Logan household.

The very reason that Thanksgiving is so important is that it is the time when we sit down with family and friends and give thanks for the blessings in our life.

I know I have plenty. Looking around me, I am thankful for my family, my friends, and the amazing food just waiting to be devoured.

Thinking about everything I have leads me to think of others who are not as blessed. I think about people without families or support, whether across the ocean or across the street. As we dive into the mountain of food, I can’t help but think about those who would give anything for a good meal. The whole holiday

is very humbling.

I come from a family of football lovers, so naturally we are watching the annual Thanksgiving Game. My mind shifts from Thanksgiving to shopping when I see ads for the Black Friday sales. It excites me because I know that tomorrow, its game-on at Southpoint.

We have a strategy. We never go shopping in the morning when people are getting into fist fights and trampling each other over a cardigan. We wait until later in the day when the crowds die down a little.

Isn’t it ironic, though? We get so worked up on Black Friday, when the day before we were all giving thanks for what we already have. I fall victim like everyone else. I am so distracted by a big red sign that says ‘Entire Store70% off,’ that I completely forget that my life is incredible.

•COURTESY OF MARIE MUIR

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November 2014

Opinion

7

Undocumented and proud Name Withheld “You don’t seem to be undocumented.”

I stared at my friend with a confused look. What does that even mean? What does it mean to “look undocumented?”

The fact is that I am undocumented and unafraid. I am “illegal” in this country. But this country is MY country. And I am not afraid of what others think of me.

Honestly, I do not think of my friend differently for saying that I do not “look undocumented.” I’ve grown up knowing that I was different. But, I did not think this was going to affect me as much as it does now.

Once I got to high school, everything changed. My peers and I have opportunities available in school that could potentially change one’s life. However, we

are limited in these opportunities; the ones that require me to be a citizen of this country are taken away. I have worked hard in school to achieve the best grades possible, and I do not get into trouble, yet I do not know what obstacles I will have to face in the future.

To many students, the fact of being undocumented is very difficult to live with. From learning the language to making friends, nothing is easy. I’ve learned to adapt, and I guess that is why no one ever questions me.

When Mr. Unruhe gave my class the task to write a story about how our families came to the U.S., I went home and did exactly what he said. I interviewed my mom and asked her to tell me how she came to the U.S. In the past, my mom would tell me excerpts of her journey, but this time, she told me everything. Later, she told me

to not include some episodes from my story.

In my case, I was able to work around my mom’s concerns and portray her story. Still, like many of my undocumented peers, I chose to not include our names in my story, not because of embarrassment, but simply to keep our families safe.

Nombre Retenido “Usted no parece ser indocumentada.”

Me quedé mirando a mi amigo con una mirada confundida. ¿Qué significa eso? ¿Qué significa “parece indocumentada?”

Yo soy indocumentada y no tengo miedo. Yo soy “ilegal” en este país. Pero este país es mi país. Y yo no tengo miedo de lo que otros piensan de mí .

Honestamente, yo no pienso en mi amigo de manera diferente por decir que no me “veo indocumentado.” He crecido sabiendo

que yo era diferente.

Pero, yo no creo que esto me iba a afectar tanto como lo hace ahora.

Cuando llegué a la escuela secundaria, todo cambió. M i s c o m pañeros y yo t e n e m o s oportunidades disponibles en la escuela que podría cambiar la vida de uno. Sin embargo, estamos limitados en estas oportunidades; los que me obligan a ser un ciudadano de este país ya no existen. He trabajado duro en la escuela para conseguir las mejores calificaciones posibles, y no meterme en problemas, sin embargo, yo no sé cuáles son los obstáculos que tenga que enfrentar en el futuro.

Para muchos estudiantes, el hecho de ser indocumentado es muy difícil de vivir con. Desde aprendiendo el idioma, hasta haciendo amigos, nada es fácil.

He aprendido a adaptarme, y

• GRAPHIC BY TRACY TRAN

supongo que es por eso que nadie me cuestiona.

Cuando el Sr. Unruhe le dio a nuestra clase la tarea de escribir una historia acerca de cómo nuestras familias llegaron a los EE.UU., me fui a casa y hice exactamente lo que él dijo.

Entrevisté a mi mamá y le pedí que me contara cómo llegó a los EE.UU. En el pasado, mi mamá me decía parte de su viaje, pero esta vez, ella me dijo todo. Más tarde, ella me dijo que no incluirá algunos episodios de mi historia .

En mi caso, tuve la oportunidad de trabajar con las preocupaciones de mi madre y retratar su historia. Pero como muchos de mis compañeros indocumentados, he optado no incluir nuestros nombres en mi historia, no por vergüenza, sino simplemente para mantener nuestras familias seguras.

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8 Fall

FALL

Pirates' Hookok

Everyone, everywhere gives thanks

By Pam Gonzalez A 15 pound turkey filled with Grandma’s famous stuffing roasts in the oven while potatoes are mashed with cream and a fragrant cranberry sauce simmers on the stove. Many assume this scene is found in every household across America come Thanksgiving day, however, not everybody’s thanksgiving looks the same.

Riverside’s variety of cultures means that there are many differences in the way that students give thanks. Muslim students celebrate a religious holiday called Ramadan. Ramadan is celebrated by fasting during the month of July, followed by three days of celebration called Eid al-Adha in October. During Eid al-Adha, they rid themselves of bad habits, strengthen family relationships, and make peace with one another. Eid al-Adha is also known as the ‘Sacrifice Feast,’ because an animal is sacrificed to give thanks to God. “We go shopping for cakes and other treats for the feast,” junior Tahani Saleh said. “We also gather at a family member’s house where we do our prayers and finally the feast.”

In Mexico, people give thanks by celebrating traditions like Day of the Virgin Guadalupe.

On Dec 12, people from all over Mexico travel to the capital city to wish Virgin Guadalupe a happy birthday, give thanks for all the blessings they’ve received, and ask for help on other issues.

Another holiday celebrated by the Latino community is ‘Dia de los Muertos’ which means Day of the Dead. Day of the Dead is

celebrated from Nov 1-2. This day is created from family members to remember their past loved ones.

“We make different foods and go to the tombs of the people who were once our family members,” freshman Yoyli Bautista said.

“We create an altar and leave flowers as a way to show that we remember them and to show thanks for their blessings.”

People from other countries have different holidays to give thanks but some students have adapted Thanksgiving into their lives.

“I was confused about the Thanksgiving idea because I didn’t know what it was,” said junior Wenceslaus Githiiyi, from Kenya. “There was no school on this day so it is just a regular dinner, but with family and friends.”

The traditional American Thanksgiving was started by the Pilgrims and Native Americans to give thanks for the good harvest.

Today the holiday is celebrated to give thanks for other things in addition to agriculture, such as good health or love for one’s family.

“I am always thankful on this day for having my family, being alive and having food and that on this day I’m able to see all my family come together,” junior Nori Koplar said.

However, food is still a central theme of the holiday.

“We go to one of our family members house and we have a big dinner,” junior Maygan Payne said. “We eat ham, various casseroles, pie and cakes.”

Though different cultures give thanks in different ways and on different holidays, many fami-

•PHOTO BY STEVEN UNRUHE

Spanish teacher Alice Bolanos' display in honor of the Day of the Dead on Nov 1st and 2nd. lies end up coming together and creating their new traditions due to the fact that families get free time to spend together.

En Español

Un pavo de 15 libras lleno de el famoso r​elleno de la abuela esta en el horno, mientras las patatas y salsa de arándano hierven a fuego lento en la estufa.

Muchos asuma que esta escena se encuentra en todos los hogares a través de América durante el día de Acción de Gracias, sin embargo, el día de Acción de Gracias de todo el mundo no tiene el mismo aspecto.

Variedades de culturas de Riverside significa que hay muchas diferencias en la forma en que los estudiantes dan gracias. Estudiantes musulmanes celebran una fiesta religiosa llamada Ramadán.

Ramadán se celebra por el ayuno durante el mes de julio, seguida por tres días de celebración llamada Eid al-Adha en octubre. Durante el Eid al-Adha, sen librarse de los malos hábitos, fortalecer las relaciones famili-

ares, y hacer la paz con los demás.

Eid al-Adha es también conocida como la ‘Fiesta del Sacrificio’, porque un animal es sacrificado para dar gracias a Dios.

“Vamos de compras para las pasteles y otras delicias para la fiesta”, dijo estudiante del tercer año, Tahani Saleh. “También nos reunimos en la casa de un familiar donde hacemos nuestras oraciones y finalmente la cena.”

En México, la gente da gracias por la celebración tradiciones como el Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe. El 12 de Diciembre, la gente de todo México viaja a la capital de México para desear a la Virgen de Guadalupe un feliz cumpleaños, dar gracias por todas las bendiciones que han recibido, y pedir ayuda en otras cuestiones.

Otro día de fiesta celebrado por la comunidad latina es “Dia de los Muertos.” Día de los Muertos se celebra del 1 al 02 de noviembre. Este día se crea a partir de los miembros de la familia a recordar su pasado seres queridos.

“Hacemos diferentes alimentos y vamos a las tumbas de las

personas que alguna vez fueron miembros de nuestra familia”, dijo el estudiante de primer año Yoyli Bautista. “Creamos un altar y dejamos flores como una forma de mostrar que los recordamos y demostrar agradecimiento por sus bendiciones.”

La gente de otros países tienen diferentes días de fiesta para dar gracias, pero algunos estudiantes se han adaptado de Acción de Gracias en sus vidas.

“Yo estaba confundido acerca de la idea de la acción de gracias, porque yo no sabía lo que era”, dijo estudiante del tercer año Wenceslao Githiiyi, de Kenia.

“No hay escuela en este día entonces solo es una cena regular, pero con la familia y amigos.”

La tradición de Acción de Gracias Americano se inició por los Peregrinos y los indígenas americanos para dar gracias por la buena cosecha.

Hoy, la fiesta se celebra para dar gracias por otras cosas además de la agricultura, tales

Cont. on pg 10

November 2014

Fall

9

•PHOTO COURTESTY OF THE SENIOR GIRLS

Dressing provocatively: harmful or just having fun?

By Lena Geller Two years ago, English teacher Angela Nofsinger walked into the Castle McCulloch’s Halloween ‘Beer and Fear Bash’ in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“I came dressed as a ‘Lame Excuse,” Nofsinger said. “I had on a sweater and jeans, and I was covered in note cards that said ‘I have to wash my hair’ and things like that, and then I had a cane to be ‘lame.’”

The Castle McCulloch website describes the bash as ‘wild and crazy,’ including acts such as ‘grinder girls’ and ‘blood wrestling.’ Nofsinger’s adorably punny costume was met with an unfriendly response from other attendees, especially the men.

“I think some of the guys wanted the women to be dressed, like, you know,” Nofsinger said.

“That’s not really my thing.”

Nofsinger’s costume calamity may seem humorous, but it opens the door to many issues concerning Halloween today.

On Oct 1, Subway aired a commercial showing a woman urging her female friends to stay skinny in order to fit into Halloween costumes such as ‘spicy Red Riding hood’ or ‘sassy teacher.’

Many berated the commercial for being sexist and promoting unhealthy eating habits. Writer Kara Brown for feminist website Jezebel chided, “Luckily Subway is here to help ensure that you don’t scare the children with any fat rolls while you’re roaming the streets in a sexy nurse costume.”

Subway released a statement saying that although the commercial was meant to be purely for laughs, they understand how some could have missed the intended humor. Environmental Science teacher Emma Refvem feels that social media has raised the expectation that girls should dress provocatively on Halloween.

“The internet is full of pictures of girls in slutty costumes,” Refvem said, “I think that in

recent years, especially, girls feel like they need to impress guys and outdo other girls. They’ve been taught to strive for attention.”

However, Refvem is not wholly against revealing costumes.

“As a woman, I should be able to dress how I want, and not feel like I have to worry about being judged,” Refvem said, “So if you want to dress up like a hot nurse, and it’s because it’s what you want to do, go for it.”

According to sophomore Chloe Hogan, many girls do ‘go for it.’ She admits to taking a ‘skin-tight’ approach to Halloween in the past.

“When I was younger, my friends and I went to Hot Topic to get costumes,” Hogan said. “We got stuff that could be considered slutty, but our bodies hadn’t really matured yet, so it just looked ridiculous.”

Hogan added that she sees a lot of teenage girls dressed in revealing costumes.

“Yes, there is an element of wanting to please boys. But also, there are lots of girls who use [Halloween] as a way to go outside their comfort zone, and I don’t see a problem with that.

Dressing sexy isn’t the only way to go, but it shouldn’t be considered ‘asking for it’ if a girl is dressed a little more extreme than usual,” Hogan said.

Freshman Thomas Weaver has conflicting opinions on girls’ choice Halloween attire.

“As a male, the idea of girls dressed provocatively is appealing, but at the same time, some things that they wear might make me lose respect for them,” Weaver said.

Though Weaver’s statement is ambiguous, his occasional distaste regarding skimpy costumes is shared by many. In 2011, a costume entitled ‘Anna-Rexia’ was sold in stores across the country. The costume consisted skeleton-themed dress belted with a matching measuring tape,

essentially a life-threatening illness in an exposing costume.

“I remember when there was controversy over the ‘Anna-Rexia’ outfit,” sophomore Nashara Turrentine said, “I think [the costume] is mocking a dangerous disease that affects a huge number of people. Would you sell a costume portraying a cancer patient?

The answer is no.”

Sifting through the many layers of gender equality and skimpy costumes without stepping on anyone’s toes is a hard task. Many feminists argue that the issue with dressing sexy on Halloween is not the act itself, rather the potential reinforcement of the holiday’s over-sexualization. Though some believe that Halloween has morphed into an evening with numerous repercussions, much of it has retained its spooky traditions. Candy corn, jack-o-lanterns, and haunted houses are still on the itinerary this year - with a possible sighting of Anna-Rexia, of course.

10

By Axel Herrera

SPIRIT

Pirates' Hookok

Diversity revamps school spirit

School spirit grows from the men care more about it,” senior Spanish teacher Gaby Faria said.

Foreign exchange student from attachment and pride that students Mason Dwindell said.

Costume days and pep rallies have with their school. Seniors Some of the former students of Spain, Sandra Gonzalez Vazquez, appear in many people’s image of and Juniors that have been at Riverside High School, who are expressed how spirit week or the school spirit. the school longer tend to have a now teachers or coaches here, concept of school spirit is very Equally important, however, is higher sense of spirit. They have have personal accounts on what new to her. the broad range of programs that been here for years and have taken school spirit was like for them.

“I like it because it is a good help create a sense of participa- part in the shaping of the school. “[Spirit Week] was really crazy, manner in which students get tion by everyone.

Participation in sports teams or everyone went all out and the kids motivated. In Spain school spirit The truth is that Riverside is clubs create a sense of belonging. that did not participate were the does not really exist much. It is full of school spirit, not only in For many athletes it is important odd ones. You guys have different very different here how different sports but also in classes, clubs, to see support at their games. interests, and different mentalities cultures can coexist and respect and Riverside’s diverse culture.

“Not many people have some- because of technology, media, each other,” Vazquez said.

School spirit is not just about thing they belong to. Upperclass- fashion, artists, movies, etc.,” Riverside’s diversity serves as participating in spirit week or going to every sporting event.

It is about being involved in the school’s community and working together to make the school environment better.

“School Spirit to me is students and faculty taking ownership of the school, wanting to have a part in it, and wanting to be involved.

We spend more time here than we do at home so take a little pride in it,” Principal Joel County said.

Many teachers and students have noticed a growth in school spirit this year.

“I have seen an increase this year compared to the last two years, and when groups like Student Government, the Captains •PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM DAVIDSON Program, and Destino Success work to promote it, a much larger Riverside engineering students volunteer their time to create a treasure island design, tying their result is seen,” English teacher desire to help their community into their sense of school spirit. Foods collected were donated to the Angela Nofsinger said. local food bank to provide food to those in need.

Abrigos

Cont. from p. 11 Esta meta de 140 abrigos no sólo se aplica a los alumnos del club Destino y los homeroom de español, pero toda la escuela son animados a ayudar a los miembros de Destino Success lograr su objetivo donando a la colecta

de abrigos .

Donando a la colecta de abrigos es fácil. Simplemente traiga sus abrigos usados ​​en buen estado y colocarlos en las cajas en las clases de español. Los tamaños de los abrigos necesarios son adultos mediano/grande y tallas de jóvenes de pequeño/mediano.

Gracias

Cont. from p.8 este día por tener a mi familia, estar vivo y tener la comida y que en este día pueda ver a toda mi familia unirse,” dijo estudiante del tercer año Nori Koplar.

Sin embargo, la comida sigue

siendo un tema central de este dia festivo.

“Nos vamos a una casa de uno de los miembros de la familia y tenemos una gran cena”, dijo estudiante del tercer año Maygan Payne. “Comemos jamón, diversos guisados y postres.”

a break in uniformity to Spirit Week, causing groups of students to add their own flare. Diversity has always been a part of Riverside, but now it is recognized as an important component of what this school stands for. Students, trophies, art pieces, and even murals are represented through symbols of school spirit.

“School spirit is being proud of your school. The murals speak to the fact that we have diversity,” Nofsinger said.

The murals created by visiting artists from the Dominican Republic, along with a number of students, also stand out to Junior Abigail Rivera.

“Destino Success has made me embrace my culture and see the different aspects of Riverside including the significant Hispanic heritage of many students. The murals show that we are here and that we also stand out,” she said.

Not all students and faculty go all out for spirit week. Not everyone goes to games. Still each student and teacher represents Riverside. Each person is proud of their culture, and a collective school spirit is formed by each difference.

“To raise the school spirit of everyone, you must raise the school spirit of the individual,” senior Zubair Siam said.

Aunque diferentes culturas dan gracias en diferentes formas y en diferentes días festivos, muchas familias en América terminan uniéndose y creando sus nuevas tradiciones debido al hecho de que las familias tienen tiempo libre para estar juntos.

November 2014

Spirit 11

New tactics for encouraging school spirit

By Kima Clifton

Five years ago the stands were flooded with purple, white, and gold as students, teachers, and parents cheered on the Pirates’ football team. As years passed the attendance at these games has waned noticeably.

Over the last couple of years Riverside spirit has decreased, but instead of letting the enthusiasm fall short, this year, Student Government Association (SGA) and the Captains Program intend to revamp the school’s spirit. $1 for hat day once a month, $2 game entry fee for the month of October, $3 tailgates before home football games, themes for home games, and SGA’s social media update are all efforts to promote spirit.

The SGA came up with the idea of starting a ‘Hat Day’ once a month on which students pay $1 to wear a hat for the entire school day.

“Phillip Jones and I came up with the idea to start the $1 to wear a hat,” junior Vice President Addison Oliver said. “We felt like it would be a fun thing to do. We are trying to come up with more ideas.”

To increase attendance at sporting events SGA and Riverside’s Booster Club introduced the idea of making the entry fee

By Pamela Gonzalez Destino Success is holding a coat drive from now until Nov 3. The coats collected will go to students in the community who can not afford a coat during the winter.

“The idea came from the community members that wanted to

at all home games $2 in the month of October.

“I think that is a great idea to help students see how student athletes try to be role models,” Honors World History and International Relations teacher Kathie Davidson said. “It shows how hard they work on and off the courts and fields and it gives teams a chance to have big student sections.”

The Captains Program is also attempting to boost school spirit by creating themes for home football games. Examples include American, Animal Print, and Camouflage night. This year Riverside has added a great number of freshman, making the school’s population change drastically.

“Things become logistically difficult when trying to get creative,” Davidson said. “By there being so many students it cancels out multiple ideas.”

Tailgates allow plenty of room for the increase of students. The cost to attend is $3.

“The Captains hosted a tailgate Homecoming night and it was great until the lightning came,” Student Body President Alexis Clinton said. “We had hotdogs, chips, two big cakes, played frisbee, cornhole, listened to music, and everybody was hanging out.”

Social media has become a key factor in getting students involved

• PHOTO BY ABDURRAUF MUHAMMAD

Students enjoy themselves at the homecoming tailgate organized by SGA and the Captains Program.

This and many other events and actvities are being planned to promote school spirit. in everything going on within Riverside. Getting pages on the biggest networks will spread the news more broadly since social media is really the only thing students pay attention to now these days.

“I created the Instagram Page (@riversidesga),” Clinton said.

“Dyson Robinson and Steven Powell created the Twitter

page(@riverside_sga).”

SGA is trying to change the atmosphere and make great things happen here at Riverside.

Creating seasonal spirit weeks and having a winter formal are some future plans.

“During basketball season SGA is trying to do halftime games and activities to influence more students to come and sup-

port our fellow Pirates,” Clinton said.

Promotion of school spirit takes more than just a single announcement. It takes teachers, friends, social media, and most importantly student involvement.

Being creative, participating in school events and making every part of it fun is what school spirit is all about.

Destino Success Coat Drive

help some of the students who can not afford a coat,” Spanish teacher Gabriella Feria said.

“Each [Spanish homeroom] has a goal to raise 20 coats, so about 140 coats in total is our goal.”

This goal of 140 coats does not just apply to the Destino Students, but the whole school is encouraged to help Destino

Success members achieve their goal by donating to the coat drive.

Donating to the coat drive is easy. Simply bring in your gently used and unwanted coats and place them in the boxes in the Spanish classrooms. Sizes of coats needed are adult medium/ large and junior small/medium.

En Español: Desde hoy hasta el 3 de Noviembre,el club Destino Success esta recolectando abrigos para los necesitados. Los abrigos recolectados irán a los estudiantes en la comunidad que no pueden alcanzarse a comprar uno.

“La idea surgió de unos

miembros de la comunidad que querían ayudar a algunos de los estudiantes que no pueden permitirse un abrigo,” dijo la profesor de Español Gabriella Feria . “Cada clase de homeroom [ en la aula español ] tiene la meta de recaudar 20 abrigos,entonces

Cont'd on pg. 10

The Pirates' Hook May 2014

12

Students express pride during spirit week

By Elizabeth Beyer The halls of Riverside High School were abound with fairies, superheroes, tacky tourists, sleepwalkers, and purple and gold attire. This can only mean one thing: Spirit Week.

Teachers and students alike dressed up to show their school pride.

The Student Government Association (SGA) organized Spirit Week, five full days of dressing up, the Homecoming dance, the senior picnic, the pep rally and much more.

“We thought that this Spirit Week had to be something really fun and something that everyone could do,” Student Body President Alexis Clinton said.

For Clinton and the rest of the SGA, Spirit Week was a busy week.

To promote the themed days, each specific Spirit Day had a correlating song that was played through the speakers during homeroom periods.

Beyoncé’s Flawless, featuring lyrics “I woke up like this,” was played on Pajama Day. Students were also encouraged to follow @riversidesga on Instagram, Riverside’s Student Government page. Hashtags such as #iwokeuplikethisrhs, were crucial to a new push by the SGA for an increase in the social media promotion of spirit. Students could tag a photo with hashtags in order to submit their costumes to win a prize. Winners were chosen randomly from all submissions.

Kristen Lovell, a senior SGA member was in charge of prizes for Spirit Days. She asked restaurants for donations and worked with her mother as well as senior class Vice President Ryan Woods to create gift baskets, complete with prizes such as gift certificates and candy. Each basket was matched with the theme of the day it was being awarded for.

Lovell and Woods even created post-

ers so that students would be aware of hashtags and the days’ themes.

SGA members along with many other students noticed the increase in participation.

“From the past years that I’ve been at Riverside, I do think that this was one of the best years because we tried to get it to where Spirit Week was open for everybody,” Clinton said.

Clinton noted that often some teachers feel discouraged from participating in Spirit Week, but this year, the SGA wanted to include everyone.

“We had prizes for students and teachers because we wanted teachers to be involved as well. It wasn’t just a student thing, it was a Riverside involvement,” Clinton said.

Spirit Week was not the only part of the SGA’s obligations. Friday was a busy day, boasting the senior picnic, the pep rally, the Homecoming game, the Homecoming tailgate, and the Homecoming dance. The senior picnic received donations from Chick-Fil-A, who provided food.

The pep rally showcased the result of the Coin Wars, a previous SGA project that let students choose which administrator would be subject to a punishment based on students’ monetary contributions. Principal Joel County wore a gorilla suit during the pep rally as the winner of the Coin Wars.

According to Woods, the Homecoming game had a great turnout, but things did not go entirely according to plan. When the game was rained out shortly after starting, the SGA sent out its members to alert students ofthe dance’s new early start time and reduced entry fee of $2.00.

The SGA plans for two more Spirit Weeks this year and will continue to try to boost participation of both students and teachers in their unique Riverside experience.

13

Pirates crush wildcats, show sportsmanship Dance sparsely attended, DJ an hour late

• PHOTO BY NAJA SMART • PHOTOS BY DEIRDRE LOGAN, ABDURRAUF MUHAMMAD, AND NAJA SMART

By Randy Peña Riverside fans clad in purple and gold cheered as Riverside scored their final touchdown on the Oct. 13 homecoming game against the East Chapel Hill wildcats, ending the game with a score of 64-0. The enthusiastic crowd motivated the football team, maintaining a passionate comportment for the whole night.

“The crowd was really hyped and packed. It stayed that way all game,”

sophomore Elexus Grant said.

The players’ dedication was also a contributing factor to the win.

Though some were nervous under the pressure of the big game, they were prepared with strategies that they executed well. Even after realizing how big their lead was, they did not relax, which could have potentially allowed the other team to jump ahead.

After head coach Chris Howell recognized how far ahead the team was, he started putting in the younger

and less experienced players, such as

Homecoming Court freshman Kalgih Murreal.

Freshmen: Diana Hernandez and “We kept our heads up and didn’t Brian Carbagal underestimate the other team...we Sophomores: Jyqueria Peaks and kept telling each other ‘we still have Jackson Beck time,'" Murreal said.

Juniors: Anh Duong and Blake This impressive win will hopefully Berry provide the team with a confidence King nominees: that will keep its momentum into Mason Dwinnell, Amier Toomer, the remaining games. At the end of Ryan Woods, Derreck Gregory, Deon the day, the pirates showed good Yarborough sportsmanship.

Queen nominees: “We win with class, we lose with Deona Hardien, Emily Danes, class,” senior Byron Norman said. Moné Jones, Kimani Spruill, Bre Though the Friday night homeanna Brown coming game was postponed, some King and Queen winners: Pirates still showed up for the dance.

Ryan Woods and Emily Danes The cafeteria was transformed; the many tables were pushed against the (clockwise from top left): Students walls in order to allow a makeshift show school spirit at the pep dance floor; its normally plain col- rally; Ryan Woods and Emily umns were decorated with streamers; Danes pose together after winning the walls were hung with balloons homecoming king and queen; The DJ was an hour late, but his Jyqueria Peaks and other members arrival induced lots of dancing and of homecoming court wave at the excitement. Students enjoyed the pep rally; Students dressed up for Chick-Fil-A sandwiches, pizza, and twin day pose with Mr. County; punch that was served, and hope that Lorraine Henderson and Chelsea next year, the dance will be better WIlliams pose together on pajama day. attended.

14

Pirates' Hookok

SPORTS BRIEFS

CROSS COUNTRY Hustling across the finish line, taking his last deep breaths of the race, junior David Veintimilla finished the last race of the season proud of his team’s accomplishments.

“We had a lot of improvement for the girls and the guys,” Veintimilla said. ”[During the season] I worked on my form and was able to break 18 minutes.”

The cross country team began their season with summer workouts to get people in shape.

As the season continued, runners not only improved their personal records but worked towards beating the competition as well.

Varsity Men’s and Women’s teams capped off the season with regionals, along with a celebration for the end of season.

“The end of season cross country party is going to be a fun way to end the season,” junior Paul Wolf said. “Next year our team will be a lot of seniors, so we will do a lot better next year.”

The Riverside cross country team finished third in the conference. The men’s team had a record of 3-2 and the women’s had a record of 2-3. After a long season of hard work and improvement, both teams feel accomplished and ready for next years competition.

By Caitlyn Patton FIELD HOCKEY The crowd roars as field hockey goalie, junior Nekesa Schutte, saves another shot on goal. The field hockey team’s record is 0-11. Their record does not show how much they have improved the last few years as well as this season.

Jordan and Riverside are the

only public schools in Durham with field hockey teams. Riverside plays in the North Carolina Field Hockey Conference Association. Most teams come from the Chapel Hill and Raleigh area.

Teams in this conference are more experienced due to having played in both middle and high school.

“We have been very close to scoring multiple times this season,” senior Samantha Lambros said. The field hockey team has been improving but so have their opponents.

“This season the ball spent a lot of time on the other team’s side,” Lambros said.

Skill wise, the field hockey team continues to get better and better. The team has high hopes for next year as they continue to reach their full potential.

By Naomi VanHorn WOMEN'S TENNIS Sophomore Sophie Bischoff hits a ball over the net. The opposing player lunges to receive the ball, but falls short by a few inches, leaving the server with a rare ace. For the 2014-2015 women’s tennis team, the season was rocky yet successful.

This year the team lacked an official coach, playing instead with the help of parent Rebecca Laughton and Coach Chambers.

The season ended on the first week of Oct. 2014 with Riverside placing third out of six teams in the PAC 6 Conference.

The team practiced every weekday excluding Fridays from 3:00 to 4:45 p.m. Riverside played East Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, Person, Jordan, and Northern High Schools. The Riverside team beat Person High School once and Northern High School twice.

Bischoff and freshman Lauren Laughton made it to regionals with Laughton even advancing to states. She is the second person in Riverside’s history to do so.

“Our goal for the next year is to get to second place,” freshman Zoe Berlin said.

Berlin expresses that the team is strong with singles matches, but can improve in double matches.

The women’s tennis team’s season will resume next fall for their promising road of •PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HELM improvement and hopefully a second place win in the PAC 6 Senior Grace Sanders races the ball down the field in a competitive field hockey game.

Conference.

By Elizabeth Beyer SOCCER FOOTBALL and 48-13 over Jordan.

Under leadership by new head Riverside’s Varsity Football

By Clay Bourguignon coach Jose Santibanez; the men’s team has been struggling this VOLLEYBALL season. With a record of two A 3-0 sweep of Northern on soccer team had a much improved wins and five losses, the team senior night capped a productive season from last year.

“This was a rebuilding year hopes to bounce back. season for Riverside volleyball.

“Offensively we have im- Varsity volleyball finished 2nd in and we managed to get much better results than we expected. Our proved greatly, especially in our the conference. passing game. Just last game we “The team is pretty good this team can and will grow from this threw for almost 300 yards,” year. It is more of a rebuilding season. I’m excited for the future coach Howell said. year because we lost so many of Riverside’s soccer program,” The Pirates have showed some seniors last year. I’m excited to senior Captain Jake Macmillan improvements. They look to get see how we do in states,” junior said.

Riverside finished in fourth better as the season continues on Rachel Kallianos said following place in the Pac-6 with a 8-9-1 and plan for the offseason. the Northern game.

“I think if we really work In an earlier game this season, record and managed to come hard in the offseason then that senior Emma McClintock, re- close to beating teams that they will show in the next season,” cieved a concussion. She returned have not defeated in five plus sophomore Dandre Foust said. to give the Pirates Varsity Volley- years.

Riverside lost to East Chapel The Varsity team has been ball team a strong victory in their Hill 1-0 in double overtime early working on their blocking for match against Person. offense. Defensively they have The team finished the regular in the season and also lost 3-2 in been working on their fundamen- season with a record of 15-6. the last seven seconds on a contals, a big part of every sport. They went into the first round of troversial penalty kick to Jordan.

The race for the Pac-6 chamThe team has been getting bet- the playoffs confident, but the ter with holding the opponents game did not go as expected. pionship was very close and even down. The Pirates have shown Riverside did not advance to the though the Pirates did not achieve improvement in their last three second round. However the lady their goal of winning the Pac-6 games a narrow 19-18 loss to pirates had a great season and look there is a bright future ahead for the Pirates under new head coach Hillside and blowout victories forward to next season.

Santibanez. of 64-0 over East Chapel Hill

By Clay Bourguignon

November 2014

Spirit

Sprit week stretches dress code

Spirit week plays a big role in Homecoming. It gets everyone hyped up for the football game and the dance.

In many schools, especially Riverside, the dress code is well enforced. However, it is clear that spirit week does not always follow dress code. Teachers and faculty find it hard to enforce these rules when students are given the privilege to wear what they want.

“It is contradicting because if a student is wearing a hat or mask then they are breaking the dress code. We were more lenient on spirit week this year because honestly it’s a losing battle,” Assistant Principal Chaundra Clay said.

Last year, anything worn on the head, that might ‘disturb’ the learning environment was prohibited. Students found it difficult to show their school spirit when there were dress code rules to follow.

“It’s hard to show all the spirit you really want to when you are limited to a certain extent. This is my last year in high school and I’m going to go out with a bang, but it’s complicated when we have all these unnecessary rules

on dress code. Spirit week is about fun and who’s going to look the most ridiculous,” senior Joe Vaga said.

Students react differently when a teacher confronts them about dress code. Some students may go on a rant on why they have the right to wear what they are wearing but other times they just brush it off and keep it moving. Not all, but some female students think that it is the end of the world, especially if a male teacher says anything to them about their clothes. Several female students find it inappropriate when a male teacher says something to them about what they are wearing.

“I feel like it’s really awkward and uncomfortable, sometimes it’s the way they approach the situation,” junior Naja Smart said.

There are male teachers that think otherwise.

“I don’t discriminate if I see that they are out of dress code I’m going to say something, just like with these boys that walk around with their pants sagging.

I’ll say something to them too,” teacher Robert Duncan said.

In previous years during spirit week students would show up to school with underwear over their clothes, or clothing promoting drugs or sex. In order to prevent that type of clothing from being worn, rules were put down and enforced. Spirit week should be fun but there also is a limit.

PHOTO BY DEIRDRE LOGAN

By Jasmine Lyon

15

• PHOTO COUTESY OF RAY STARN

Media Center reaches out

PIRATE EYES

“Pirate Eyes” is designed to help students who need eyeglasses but lack the resources to afford them.

The project was started when teachers recognized that some students were suffering in the classroom because they could not see the board or read their textbooks Margie Harrison, a long time librarian at Riverside, was the founder of the Pirate Eyes program.

Since the start of the program, Pirate Eyes has joined forces with the local Upchurch Drug Store which gives the school a reduced rate on glasses. Students are allowed to hand pick their frames. The program also gets help from churches which donate used eyeglasses and parts such as frames that are needed to make or repair the glasses.

Teachers also help toward the cause.

“Many teachers donate funds to get the glasses for the kids who do not have the proper resources to just go get glasses,”Librarian Kim Mayo said.

An estimated 25-30 students at Riverside have benefited from the program this year. The Media Center is looking to spread awareness of the program to help more students.

DURHAM READS Durham Reads is a reading promotion program sponsored by the Durham Library foundation that encourages all Durhamites to read together. Alike to Battle of the Books without the competitive side, the club gives their participants books to read to discuss the book’s theme and purpose.

The club also delves into topics like race, family, identity, faith, education, culture, music and art.

All events are open to the public, and there is no fee to join.

“You can join just by checking out the book and going to meetings,” librarian Dayna Durbin said.

Each school library has received the books that the club will read, which at the moment is the graphic novel March. The location for meetings alternate between Durham Libraries. The meetings see established guests to talk about the issues brought up in the book, like authors of books; Jazz musicians, and illustrators.

There is an adult group (18+) and a teen group (13-18), both read the same books.

Durham Reads seems to be an extremely ambitious new program that wants to connect Durham and promote intellectual thought.This program is a key to the new generation’s success and prosperity.

16 Academics

Pirates' Hookok

ACADEMICS

Attention Seniors: Advice for college application essays

By Naomi Van Horn A frustrated senior furiously balls up yet another sloppy introduction paragraph to their college admissions essay and tosses it into an overflowing trash can. It is that time of year again, college applications and the overwhelming amount of stress that comes with them.

Seniors have to put time away from academics, athletics, and social lives to write these challenging essays. College applications are similar to ripping off a band aid - the more time students spend procrastinating, the worse it feels.

“There is not one path that leads to Duke,” Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Duke University Samuel Carpenter said.

Many students look for one route or strategy to get into college, but in reality they need to realize that there is not an exact way to get into a dream school.

Applications for Duke University list multiple prompts to choose from. No particular topic is preferred or benefits the student more.

Students need to choose the topic they can put their own voice into, and answers it from a personal standpoint.

There are no required skills needed to write the admission essays. College admissions personnel do not expect professional written work from seventeen and eighteen-

year-olds.

“Use your voice in the essay,” Carpenter said.

Students should use their own skills and personal experiences to better the essay in a extraordinary way.

The best writing is writing from essays that has been edited multiple times. Get multiple people to read the essay and copious amounts of feedback.

“Start early and get a lot of people to read it,” AP (Advanced Placement) United States History teacher Andrew Markham said.

The more people that read the essay the better. An application can never have too much feedback, comments, and edits.

Students should also proof read the essay themselves many times before submitting their applications.

“Start with a story,” AP English IV teacher Mira Rahili said, “Make it unique to you.”

If the essay is not individualized, it will not stand out and people that do not stand out will not be accepted to the college or university.

“Essays are the most stressful part,” senior Nigel Villaflor said.

College applications take time and effort that some seniors do not have. Students should work on college applications during weekends when they have time and are not

•PHOTO BY ABDURRAUF MUHAMMAD

Seniors work tirelessly on college admission essays for applications. exhausted from a long day of school.

“Answer exactly what they ask for - no extra,” senior Cameron Brophy said. “The challenging part is making it perfect through editing, not coming up with it.”

Editing and writing recommendations for applications is a stressful time for seniors and the teachers.

“Pick a topic you can actually talk about,” senior Nate Collon-Emeric said.

Riverside’s english, journalism, and AP

teachers have been overwhelmed with the amount of college essays they have been editing this fall semester.

“The earlier you do them the happier you will be at the end of the year,” senior Nicholas Alexander said.

Upperclassmen should consider any advice they receive from their peers and college admissions employees to make their college applications the best they can be.

Megan Shepherd- A distinguished young woman

By Maya Gacina

Anchorwoman Diane Sawyer, TV star Mary Frann, Broadway actor Kim Smith, and “Scandal” TV star Amy Young. All of these women have one thing in common, Distinguished Young Women of America.

Distinguished Young Women, founded in 1958, is the largest and oldest national scholarship program for high school girls.

This scholarship program and pageant could provide tuition for some of the finest colleges in the United States.

Senior Megan Shepherd won

the Distinguished Young Women award of 2015 last spring and is confident in her success in the upcoming pageant along with her family, friends, and counselor.

“I know Megan. She is over prepared and meticulous and has good management skills,” counselor Catherine Sebring said.

In order to apply for the program and receive acceptance a cumulative point score has to be reached. Participants compete in the following categories: self expression, fitness, interview, scholastics, and talent. According to Shepherd the interview determines the foundation of the par-

ticipant winning for the judges.

“It is a ten minute interview.

Last interview I had was about what I am involved in like Code Red, what I would want to do in life, worldly events, and my favorite book,” Shepherd said.

Continued on pg. 19

November 2014

By Sara Falcon There are only 43 more seconds left in second period, a girl has already looked at the clock nine times in the past five minutes, yearning to leave her dreaded calculus class. After the bell rings she will be able to focus on her true passion, art.

Classes including theatre, art, dance, chorus, and so on give students a channel to express their creativity. For sophomore Jumana Mograbi, this outlet is photography.

“Photography lets you express yourself, lets students express what they can do and how creative they can get with their photos,” Mograbi said. “New ideas or simply the arrangements of different objects in a picture shows creativity.”

Many students are pressured by core classes into doing their assignments the teachers way and only that way, leaving them to follow the curriculum and not their own path.

“Certain classes, like math, don’t allow creativity,” sophomore Emilee Bachman said, “There is only one correct answer and there is no room for personal opinion.”

Likewise other classes make it mandatory that the way it is taught, is how it must be learned.

“It’s mostly book work which you just copy down on paper over and over again and you read the same sentence until you memorize it,” Mograbi said.

While this method may be effective in teaching the material, it is understandable that having a choice in what one wants to do can make the learning experience much more rewarding for students.

“The classes that let me express

School versus creativity

my creativity are definitely more enjoyable. I find it easier to focus when I’m working on something I can put something personal into,” Bachman said.

Electives give students the most creative freedoms. On the other hand, core classes are much more restricting.

“Mandatory classes suppress creativity by not giving us very much freedom to choose what we want to do in them,” sophomore Kelly Heffley said, “We should have that freedom and since everyone learns differently I really think that would be beneficial.”

The information taught in core classes are made to prepare students for college and future careers. Many classes want a uniform method of learning and do not promote the use of creativity.

In the future these classes will try to improve ways to embrace their pupils imagination and be more welcoming to the creative process.

“I’d like to see the classes which limit the use of imagination to get more creative and allow students to express their creativity,” Mograbi said.

Some teachers agree that classes suppress creativity where it is very desperately needed.

English IV and mythology teacher Mindy Liles feels strongly on the subject.

“We wouldn’t have anything without creativity and imagination,” Liles said, “colleges don’t want the same old students, they want diversity and individuality.”

Visual arts teacher John Hartman thinks that the decision is on the student and they should be encouraged to express themselves no matter the class.

“In the future classes generally need to be more focused on prioritizing creativity over

Academics

17

• PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HELM

Dance class promotes individuality and talent. Many art based electives allow students to express their creatvity.

preciseness,” Hartman said.

Although these changes have not taken effect yet, the Riverside community will work from these suggestions and should be able to come to a new standard of creativity.

Escuela contra creatividad

Sólo hay 43 segundos más a la izquierda en el segundo período, una niña ya ha mirado el reloj nueve veces en los últimos cinco minutos, el anhelo de salir de su clase de cálculo temida. Después de que suene la campana que ella será capaz de concentrarse en su pasión verdadera, art. Las clases que incluyen teatro, arte, danza, coro, y así sucesivamente dar a los estudiantes un canal para expresar su creatividad. Por segundo año Jumana Mograbi, esta salida es la fotografía.

“La fotografía te permite expresarte, permite a los alumnos expresen lo que pueden hacer y lo

creativos que pueden obtener con sus fotos,” Mograbi dijo. “Las nuevas ideas o, simplemente, las medidas de los diferentes objetos de una imagen muestra la creatividad.”

Muchos estudiantes son presionados por las clases básicas en hacer sus tareas de la manera los maestros y sólo de esa manera, lo que les deja seguir el plan de estudios y no en su propio camino.

“Ciertas clases, como las matemáticas, no permiten la creatividad,” el estudiante de segundo año Emilee Bachman dijo, “Sólo hay una respuesta correcta y no hay espacio para la opinión personal.”

Del mismo modo otras clases hacen obligatorio que la manera en que se enseña, es la forma en que debe ser aprendida.

“Es más que nada el trabajo del libro que acaba de copiar en un papel una y otra vez y usted leer la misma frase hasta que memorizar," Mograbi dijo.

Si bien este método puede ser eficaz en la enseñanza de la materia, es comprensible que el tener una opción en lo que uno quiere hacer puede hacer que la experiencia de aprendizaje mucho más gratificante para los estudiantes.

“Las clases que me permiten expresar mi creatividad son definitivamente más agradable. Me resulta más fácil concentrarse cuando estoy trabajando en algo que pueda poner algo personal en," Bachman dijo.

Electivas dan a los estudiantes las libertades más creativas. Por otra parte, las clases principales son mucho más restrictivo.

“Clases obligatorias suprimen la creatividad al no darnos mucho la libertad de elegir lo que queremos hacer en ellos," el estudiante de segundo año Kelly Heffley dijo, “Debemos tener esa libertad y desde todo el mundo aprende de manera

Cont'd on pg. 20

Pirates' Hookok

18 Academics

Kathie Davidson's life abroad earns recognition Davidson awarded Mayor's Award for Cultural Understanding

By Timothy Duke International Relations and World History teacher Kathie Davidson’s childhood was spent abroad. Davidson was subject to many different cultures, and she uses the understanding that she obtained from these cultures everyday when she teaches.

Davidson also has helped with 14 years of student and teacher exchanges abroad.

Davidson was honored and humbled when she heard the news that her old colleague Margie Harrison had nominated her for the newly created Mayor’s Award for Cultural Understanding.

Sister Cities of Durham awarded two individuals and two businesses the award for the first time this year.

“Durham has a very diverse community,” previous president of Sister Cities Richard Hill said. “We ought to honor the contributions that community members were making to better our international understanding here.”

Former Riverside librarian Margie Harrison, who now is a member of Sister Cities, nominated Davidson for the award.

“Mrs. Harrison knew directly all of what Kathie was involved with internationally,” Hill said. “Davidson’s accomplishments more than met the qualifications for the award.”

Davidson and Harrison have a close relationship. They were both involved in the People of the World club and many student exchanges.

Davidson has a passion for understanding other cultures. In addition to her involvement internationally in her time at Riverside, while growing up, she lived in many different countries, and each country has a special place in her heart.

“Every place [I lived] has something unique that I loved,” Davidson said. “I loved Mexico because my high school years were there. I loved the people and culture of Iran. I like the history,the strength and the fortitude of the people in Russia and for personal reasons I relish my time in Pakistan because we were there

when the government fell.”

Davidson believes that her unusually diverse childhood was a major factor in her nomination because it gave her more cultural understanding than someone who did not have the opportunities to live around the world growing up. Davidson has many other qualifications for the nomination.

“I know it came from my 14 years of exchanges, working with the People of the World club, teaching International Relations (IR), and for hosting international students,” Davidson said.

After starting teaching at Riverside, Davidson was awarded a three year grant to do student exchanges by the Secondary School Excellence program.

“I took students through the state exchange program. I was awarded the PIE (Partners in Education) award and went to the Omsk Oblast in Russia,” Davidson said. “I was also awarded the teaching excellence award and I got to go to the president school, which is the most elite school in Kazakhstan.”

Davidson believes that the exchanges that she has done are more effective at immersing students in another country’s cultures than most other exchange programs.

“I think that Riverside is the only high school in DPS (Durham Public Schools) to do these exchanges where students stay at other students’ homes,” Davidson said.

Staying in a typical citizen’s home lets students experience the ‘real’ country.

Rather than only seeing tourist attractions, they spend their time there as a normal citizen.

“The best thing [about the exchanges] is that they make people associate Durham with the United States. Once they come to Durham they understand middle America,” Davidson said. “Most of America, and other countries, are not like their larger cities. If someone only goes to New York, they will have an inaccurate view of the rest of America.”

Davidson says that housing exchange

• PHOTO BY ABDUR-RAUF MUHAMMAD

Jessica Friedlander (left) and Kathie Davidson (right) as a supreme court judge for character day this spirit week. students makes people see their country than deserving nominee for the Mayor’s through new eyes.

Award. “[Activities] that you may consider “[Davidson] gets kids involved at mundane are new and exciting to [the a young age, and that’s the best time to exchange students],” Davidson said. “If develop a love for international affairs,” you’ve ever been to New York, you get Hill said. on the subway for the first time and it’s Her love for other cultures is infectious so new, but you look around and all the and some students leave her classes with other people look bored.” a crave for deeper cultural understanding.

These exchanges enrich students’un- Riverside is proud to house such a cultured derstanding of international cultures that woman who finds joy in sharing the many they would not be afforded by learning cultures of the worldwith her students. about them in school, or even visiting Oct. 25 through Nov. 8, Davidson, along them for vacation. The experience is real, with Riverside students, will travel to students live the lives of a normal citizen, Denmark, there students will learn about rather than a tourist. Davidson is a more Denmark’s culture and traditions.

November 2014

Is ‘NC Write’ right?

By Jasper Cool

about more...The same goes for writing instruction.”

In this day and age, techA more simplistic approach to nology is becoming more writing is not only easier for the prominent, and everything is teacher to teach but it is also more becoming more computerized. beneficial for the students. By This approach is definitely focusing on one aspect of writing advantageous in certain areas, at a time, students can become but in others, it does more harm very good in specific areas and than good. eventually master every aspect One area improved by tech- of writing.

Journalism I and English I teacher Bryan Christopher does not believe that NC Write is perfect but that it does have a place in the school system.

“I think it can be a useful tool [but] to make it useful, you have to spend a lot of time working with it,” Christopher said. “It can be part of the process but the teacher has to supplement with their own feedback because NC Write doesn’t cover everything.”

Every teacher has their own opinion regarding the best way to teach writing, but most agree A student essay shows edits that teachers must physically help made by English teacher Mr. their students if they want them Jeff Lang. to show improvement.

“Writing improves when three nology is writing and word things happen: students have to processors. Instead of writing by have time to write, teachers have hand, students type most of their to have the time to give them an work. Instead of giving their appropriate amount of feedback, writing directly to a teacher or and teachers have to give targeted mentor for feedback, Riverside instruction and feedback to the students now have the ability students, and then you repeat to submit their essays online that,” Lang said. through a program called NC Christopher’s philosophy is Write. However, NC Write is similar to Lang’s in that direct a step in the wrong direction feedback is crucial for an improvaccording to English teacher ing writer.

Jeff Lang.

Writing is a skill and like any “We’re implementing NC other skill, it can be improved Write, which I don’t think is a with time and effort from both good plan," Lang said. "I guess the student and the teacher. Once what we’re losing is the true both parties commit to lasting way to teach writing. In writing, improvement, as opposed to the common goal is to write opting for quick help, the results more about less rather than less will speak for themselves.

Academics

Testing is the wrong answer

By Ray Starn

Studying, stressing, and hearing our teachers warn students about the upcoming End of Grade (EOG) or End of Course (EOC) tests have become a way of life for the modern student. However, it has not always been this way.

Over the last 20 years, the nation shifted from a system of educational input tracking to a form that emphasizes testing as a way to hold schools accountable for educational outcomes in a statistical manner. Final tests were not always mandated by the state, which may be a strange concept to the student today.

Schools have seen a huge increase in the number of tests since the late 1990s and early 2000s because of government bills and acts, most notably the ‘No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.’ Since 1997 the costs of tests have grown from 260 million to 700 million dollars (according to the University of Pennsylvania). Nowadays, the system is controversial.

Teachers are graded as well as the students. AP World History and Criminal Law

Shepherd (Cont. from page 16) Along with being involved with Code Red, Shepherd is a competitive dancer. For her talent Shepherd chose dancing, her hobby and passion.

“In November 8th and 9th we will be learning routine and setting our routines in Greensboro,” Shepherd said.

Weeks of waiting and months of preparation, Shep-

19

and Justice Teacher Eric Spell has seen a lot of change in his 24 years of teaching.

“One test doesn’t dictate if you’re smart or not, you might have had a bad day. They should look at the body of work you did,” Spell said. “Let me as a teacher do my job. Don’t grade me on a standardized test.”

In the old testing system, whatever grade the teacher gave the students could be biased towards gender, race, and economic class.

The system now is solely based on test scores, yielding no room for bias.

There are different methods for final grading, such as having students do project based assessments or one-on-one sessions with teachers. Candice Clark, testing coordinator for Riverside, says that more tests are still being added.

“Data shows [testing] doesn’t help students. One reason I saw for the use of tests is that they gave the district a good view of what was going on in schools,” Clark said.

Next year, the district will be instituting the ten point grading system for incoming freshman, leaving the upperclassmen on the seven point scale. The system will

change from the lowest A being a 93 to a 90, the lowest B to an 80 and so on. The system is the same as the one used in college, which makes some teachers and students happy.However, the system does not take away the use of tests, as they are used for college courses.

Alon Greyber, a sophomore, is going to take two EOCs and the AP Exam for Earth Science.

“I don’t think they accurately dictate how good of a student you are. They can also be bad for the student because it causes the teacher to teach to the test,” Greyber said.

As of now, it seems that there are not enough other options to replace tests. So, as the ACT, SAT, and EOC season come around, students should continue preparing.

herd is ready to win. Currently, Shepherd is choosing and applying for which universities she wants to to attend. Ideally her top choice would be University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

“Megan used the Common Application for her college application process. The very first day the application program was sent out she used it,” Sebring said.

Shepherd will soon be representing Durham County in the program when the curtain rises

in Jan. in Greensboro, North Carolina. According to the Distinguished Young Women past participants, she will be the first participant from Durham county .

“It is an at large program.

They needed more girls so they picked any girls from any county [in North Carolina]. Usually it’s about 16 girls,” Shepherd said.

“But I’m confident so far.”

Shepherd's confidence and readiness will hopefully earn her paid tuition and a pageant sash.

State Tests: SRI (Scholastic Reading Inventory), SMI (Scholastic Math Inventory), PSAT (Pre-Scholastic Aptitude Test), ACT (American College Testing), ACT Plan, NCFE (North Carolina Final Exam), EOC (End of Course), ASVAB (Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery), Advanced Placement Exams, ACT Workkeys

20 Academics

By Caitlyn Patton The sight outside North Carolina schools on the morning of Nov 4, 2013, was one many had not seen before. A flood of teachers and students wore red and raised signs and posters for better pay and public schools’ funding to protest the state of North Carolina’s monetary cuts to public education.

The reason behind the protests varied, but state cuts to the public schools budget was a main contributor to it. With the cuts teachers were not given raises for five years, classrooms grew in sizes, and money allocated for school supplies for students and teachers dwindled.

One year later, teachers are divided in opinion on steps the state has taken to address education and pay issues.

Students and teachers began protesting the against budget cuts by wearing red on Wednesdays.

Last year, in an effort to raise awareness about the problems at hand, math teacher Julie Austin’s second period Algebra II class created the the Code Red club.

Student members spoke at public protests and sold Code Red shirts around Riverside.

This year, the teachers’ and students’ messages were finally heard by the North Carolina government. Unfortunately, some of their desires were not completely fulfilled, or resulted in more problems.

Creativdad, de p. 17

diferente que realmente creo que sería beneficioso.”

La información que se enseña en las clases básicas se hacen para preparar a los estudiantes para la universidad y carreras futuras. Muchas clases quieren un método uniforme de apren-

Red campaign continues

North Carolina reported a seven percent raise in teacher salaries. However, this raise was not shared by all. Some teachers received large raises, while others received much less.

“It is a step in the right direction, but not enough to stop the red campaign. [The new policy] put a bandaid to the problem,” Austin said.

The legislation gave up to 18.5 percent raises to middle to less experienced teachers. Meanwhile, most more experienced teachers received very small pay raises, the smallest being 0.3 percent.

Under the new plan, first year teachers with no prior experience will receive a salary of $33,000, and by their 25th year of teaching they will have a salary of $50,000.

Unlike the old pay system that gave teachers a raise every year as they became more experienced, under the new pay scale teachers will be given a raise every five years.

Teachers’ opinions about the new legislation vary. The teachers who are disappointed about the legislation are older, more experienced teachers, who, unless they were entering their 25th year of teaching, got smaller raises and lost their tenure or longevity pay under the new plan.

“I am happy for new and median teachers, but I am not happy for veterans, who did not receive much of a pay increase, and had their longevity taken away,” Common Core Math III teacher dizaje y no promueven el uso de la creatividad.

En el futuro estas clases intentarán mejorar maneras de abrazar a sus alumnos la imaginación y ser más acogedor para el proceso creativo.

“Me gustaría ver las clases que limitan el uso de la imaginación para ser más creativos y permitir

Pirates' Hookok

One year ago, teachers, students and parents protested in front of Riverside. A pay raise addressed some concerns, but teachers say many problems remain.

• PHOTO BY DEIRDRE LOGAN Jan Crane said.

Not all experienced teachers feel this way. Advanced Placement Environmental Science and Botany teacher Jeffrey Harris received a larger raise because he is in his 25th year teaching, which bumped him to the next pay bracket, giving him a larger raise.

Harris was happy with the raise he got, and was disappointed that teachers are still fighting for more.

“I am happy that I benefitted from [the legislation], but the problems between the teachers and legislature were dragged on way too long,” Harris said.

“Teachers wish they made more, but the state did do something instead of nothing, and it is unfortua los estudiantes a expresar su creatividad”, dijo Mograbi.

Algunos maestros están de acuerdo en que las clases suprimen la creatividad donde se necesita muy desesperada.

Inglés IV y maestro mitología Mindy Liles siente fuertemente sobre el tema.

“No tendríamos nada sin la

nate that the mainstream opinion is that teachers are whiners.”

Even though younger teachers got larger pay raises, not all of them are happy. Although Chemistry and Physical Science teacher Carly Coughlin obtained a pay raise, she did not think the legislation was one that would be sustainable for public schools in North Carolina.

Teachers who originally taught in North Carolina have been moving to other states, such as Texas, to teach for an assortment of reasons including better pay, as well as better living conditions, and this new legislation will not solve the problem.

“The decisions being made are creatividad y la imaginación”, dijo Liles, “las universidades no quieren que los mismos estudiantes antiguos, quieren la diversidad y la individualidad.”

Profesor de artes visuales John Hartman cree que la decisión está en el estudiante y deben ser alentados a expresarse sin importar la clase.

not sustainable decisions, public education will not last with the decisions,” Coughlin said. “The decisions being made do not take into consideration the middle and lower classes, who can not afford the direction government is taking, schools with support of charters and private education.”

This new legislation, which was supposed to bring benefits to all teachers, has led to satisfaction for some teachers and more complaints from others. With an uneven distribution of raises and the removal of tenure, teachers and students discontented with the new legislation will keep protesting until their demands are filled.

“En las clases futuras en general tienen que estar más centrado en dar prioridad a la creatividad más precisión”, dijo Hartman.

Aunque estos cambios no han surtido efecto, sin embargo, la comunidad de Riverside funcionará a partir de estas sugerencias y debe ser capaz de llegar a un nuevo nivel de creatividad.

November 2014

Homeroom Hidden Pictures

21

Find the hidden objects in the picture to the left. Can you find them all?

•Shoe

•Key

•Cat

•Sock

•Football •Notebook •Hook •Pen

•Mask

•Parrot •Pizza

•Hat

•Laptop

•Kite

•Corn

•Scissors

•Pig

•Sunglasses

•Pencil

•Pick Axe

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22

DRIVING

Pirates' Hookok

• PHOTO BY EMMANUEL JOHNSON

Cars line up behind a bus as it makes a stop in the afternoon. Drivers disregard a stopped bus and decide to go through the stop, which often leads to unfortunate events.

#Break4Buses gains national attention after incidents

By Ben Huffman The scene is covered in turmoil and chaos as emergency vehicles race to the scene of the crime. A bus full of elementary aged children are scarred by the sight of seeing a beloved classmate struck down by a speeding car while the bus, with its arm out and its stop sign glowing, sits defenseless. The motorist, meanwhile, is nowhere to be seen.

The previous scene could all be avoided with one easy step: stop whenever the bus stops. One of the most broken laws in the state of North Carolina is the refusal to stop at a bus stop. Thousands of people speed through a bus stop without any remorse or hesitation. This can lead to unspeakable tragedies including the one described above.

The state of North Carolina has put in countless efforts to stop or reduce the pace

that this crime is committed. On Mar 26, 2014, the state of North Carolina conducted a ‘One Day School Bus Stop Arm Violation Count’ to find the number of people that ignore the red lights and the arm. In Durham, 89 people ran through the bus stop and 3,150 in the entire state.

Those numbers have reflected the shocking amount of accidents and deaths caused by motorists on students getting on or off of the bus. Since 1999, there have been over 13 student deaths in North Carolina due to motorists ignoring the bus stops.

Four of those deaths occurred in the 2012-2013 school year. Over the past month there have been several incidences of cars hitting children that are at a bus stop or boarding the bus. It even led to the death of a 13-year-old boy in Wendell, NC. Freshman Austin Duncan has witnessed a similar event at Brogden Middle School.

He says it was unlike anything he had

ever seen.

“I saw a car blow right through the bus stop and hit a child with special needs,” Duncan said. “It was right in front of his house.”

Freshman Kris Mitchell saw the same incident, and was astonished by the lack of remorse from the motorist.

“I was shocked by the events that I had seen,” Mitchell said. “I saw him fly through the air and the driver just kept going.”

Durham Public Schools (DPS) has been trying all they can to make sure that the tragic events of the last month do not happen again.

These incidents have led to future changes buses may see. DPS met on Oct 12 to discuss the idea of adding cameras to the swinging arms of the school bus to catch those that break the law. They hope to reduce the number of innocent injuries and to ensure that all students have a safe

environment to get on the school bus and arrive to school on time.

This is all happening thanks to a $60,000 grant from State Farm Insurance through their Good Neighbor Citizenship grant program. By the end of the year the hope is to start placing cameras on about 20 buses in the city of Durham.

Director of Transportation Marlon Watson said in an interview with the Herald Sun he got the idea of seeking a grant when Johnston County sought the same grant and received 93 arms on their buses.

School bus safety has come into question over the last few months. The state of North Carolina is trying to ensure that everyone remains safe and sound throughout the school year.

With new regulations hopefully coming to a head, we can keep our future safe as we charge towards another successful school year.

November 2014

Teen accidents affect all drivers

By Joelle Trollinger

Taking her eyes off the road for only a second, senior Jarria Farrar missed the bright red brake lights of the car in front of her. Slamming on the brakes, she tried to stop her car but it was too late. In a matter of seconds her usual ride home was rattled.

Teenagers look forward to the day they get their license and can finally enjoy the privilege of driving. But their lack of driving experience and other factors cause many teens to be involved in car accidents.

“I hit the car in front of me, then they hit the car in front of them. After it happened I felt scared. At the time I couldn’t think - I was just so overwhelmed,” Farrar said.

Car crashes kill more young people than any other tragedy, accounting for nearly half of all teen deaths in America

each year. Over 3,000 U.S. teens die each year in car crashes.

Factors such as driving at night, speeding, street racing, distracted driving, alcohol and drug use contribute to the fact that drivers aged 16 to 19 years have the highest average annual crash and traffic violation rates of any other age group.

“Inexperienced driving would be one the reasons we see so many teen accidents.

It’s because of inattention, really. We see a lot of speeding with teenagers, thats a big problem,” School Resource Officer J. Potts said.

Teens are more likely than older drivers to speed and allow shorter following distances (the distance from the front of one vehicle to the front of the next). Following too closely is what caused junior Carlie Bickers to get in an accident.

“It scared me and made me more cautious. I’m more careful to slow down and

not ride so close behind people,” Bickers said.

For many teenagers, whether it was their fault or not, getting into an accident can be a scary experience. Senior Joseph O’keefe was on the way to a lacrosse tournament when a car in front of him swerved into the oncoming lane, causing a large 18 wheeler to swerve into the lane his car was in. For O’keefe and his four passengers, the accident was an alarming event.

“It was very scary and traumatic. It shows you that you can lose everything in a matter of seconds. I’m grateful to live and wake up every day. Everything can just be taken from you so quickly,” senior Dyson Robinson said.

For anyone, no matter the age, driving is a huge responsibility. Accidents can happen to people of all ages, but it is important for teens to remember to follow the laws and be safe on the road.

A teen's car is tragically damaged after an accident. Teen driving has caused more accidents on the road, leaving young • PHOTO COURTESY OF YAKIMA CLIFTON drivers more aware of how their actions affect others.

Driving 23 Driver's Education teacher addresses teen driving

Drinking and driving, cell phones, friends, a significant other, loud music; these are all major factors in fatal car accidents. Imagine hearing from your friend that her cousin has died because a teenager was texting and driving and rear ended car, killing everyone in the car.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, despite the traditional view that teens are eager to begin driving as soon as possible, evidence shows that young adults in recent years voluntarily delay licensure. This delay affects all ethnicities; only 67 percent of non-Hispanic whites, 37 percent of non-Hispanic blacks and 29 percent of Hispanics are licensed by 18 years of age.

Junior Tereso Carbajal is not deterred by the statistics. Carbajal does not drive because he does not have the time or the money to buy a car to get his license.

“My parents said if I keep my grades up I can get a car,” Carbajal said.

Carbajal knows the dangers of driving as a teen. He also knows that getting distracted is one of many factors in teen car crashes.

The Driver’s Education and gym teacher Michael Whitfield said when he was in high school for Driver’s Ed it was different.

“As a Driver’s Ed teacher, I noticed that the kids are getting older. It used to be 14 to 15 year olds. Now it’s 16 year old and older,” Whitfield said.

Whitfield also said that as a teenager he could not wait to get his learning permit, and that now kids are waiting until they turn 18. His theory on why students are waiting until 18 is that parents cannot afford a car or car insurance.

To sign up for Driver’s Education contact Coach Whitfield at 919-5603965 ext. 65509 or email him at michael.whitfield@dpsnc.net.

Pirates' Hook

24 Driving

What is real cost of that text message? :(

By Morgan Whithaus

Pulling out of the parking lot, each student has a decision to make. The driver can buckle their seatbelt or pull away assuming that they are not at risk of an accident. Later, cruising down the road at 45 mph, a phone vibrates - a new text message has come through. The driver has two choices; ignore the temptation to check the text message and to continue driving, or reach over, check the message, and lose sight of the road.

According to Carinsurance. org, texting while driving makes a car accident twenty-three times more likely to occur than if a driver had never taken their eyes off of the road. By wearing a seatbelt, drivers can reduce their risk of death by 45 percent and reduce the risk of serious injury by 50 percent.

Buckling up before driving and choosing not to text while driving are important, life-saving decisions.

Among teen deaths from car accidents, four in ten teenagers were not wearing seatbelts when the accident occurred. Also, multi-tasking may be an acceptable action at school, home, and work, but while driving, multi-tasking can result in injury and death. “[Students] think it won’t happen to them because they’re good at texting,” Assistant Principal Charles Carter said. “You need to focus on driving right now.

You’re already a new driver.”

Many organizations are taking a stand for safe driving. At Riverside, the school participates in the ‘Click It or Ticket’ program.

‘Click It or Ticket’ began in 1993

Surveys shows that over half of high seniors, and almost half of high school juniors, texted while driving in the last month. Choosing to text while driving increases the chance of an accident occuring by twenty-three times. Experts says that by making wise decisions on • PHOTO BY EMMANUEL JOHNSON the road, students can prevent many car crashes from happening. and is the national model for an enforcement and education campaign, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

When a student is found not wearing a seatbelt while driving, the first offense is a warning. If it happens again, the student’s parking pass will be revoked for at least two weeks.

“Texting and driving is a misdemeanor. [Students] can lose their license for that,” explained Student Resource Officer Jamie Potts. “If you get into an accident,

you’re not promised what’s going to happen.”

On a broader scale, celebrities such as Demi Lovato have also poured time and money into promoting safe driving. Promoting that no text is worth a life, Lovato encourages teenagers and older drivers to respond to a conversation with #X before driving.

This will allow a driver to pause a conversation with a friend or family member until the driver arrives at their destination.

By doing this, the temptation to respond to a text message while

driving will decrease, which then will also significantly decrease the likelihood of a driver getting into a car accident.

To prevent car accidents from happening, student drivers can remember to buckle up no matter the distance of the drive, put cell phones in a place that reduces the temptation to respond to messages while driving, stay focused at all times, and make wise decisions.

“You could get injured or someone else could get injured.

You’re not completely focused.

You’re not completely safe,” junior Lizbeth Galo said.

Driving is a privilege that has to be earned and used responsibly. One simple mistake could injure or take the lives of multiple drivers or passengers. By making small changes in driving habits, students can prevent tragic situations from occurring.

By choosing to buckle up before pulling away and choosing to ignore text messages until arriving at a destination, student drivers can save their life as well as the lives of those around them.