[Uncaged.] Volume 5, Issue 3

[UNCAGED.] news 05 AET makes artificial limbs culture 08 the price of fitting in

features 16 good grief! sports 24 replicating greatness opinion 28 “are you the new substitute?�

freedom high school newsmagazine | february-april 2020 | volume 5 | issue 3

STAFF the

from the editors Hey there, free birds!

Third quarter truly has been the roughest quarter. We hope that all of our free birds are staying safe and positive and that you’re taking care of yourself.

We want to take a moment to recognize that LCPS’ decision to close school buildings due to COVID-19 (also known as Coronavirus) has impacted our publication schedule and our normal medium of publication. As a result, this issue is only going to be published online, and is obviously a bit later than our third issue usually is. While we were not able to physically print this issue because of closures, we still want the Freedom community to be able to read what their peers have been up to.

We have a lot of exciting articles in this issue, so be sure to take a flip through and catch up on what your fellow free birds have been doing. From making prosthetic limbs to starting a band, Freedom’s community has some exciting things to get back to once everything returns to normal.

Even though we aren’t physically at school for the fourth quarter, it is still an important milestone. Freshmen, you’re done with the first year of high school!

Pat yourselves on the back; you might’ve had the toughest freshmen year out of all of us. Sophomores, you’re about to become upperclassmen. Juniors, you’re finally going to get to leave three minutes early each day. And, seniors, you’re about to move on to bigger and better things. Even though graduation is postponed, celebrations are still in order. Wherever you’re flying off to in the fall, we’re excited for you.

We’re working on special COVID-related coverage, so stay tuned to our website for that and for our annual senior map, which we’ve taken online this year.

We can’t wait for the Freedom community to see what we’ve been working on the past couple months, and what is our last print issue of the year. So, without further ado, scroll to the next page!

Stay safe, free birds. We can’t wait to see you in the fall.

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letter from the editors

Adviser Dana Baker

Editor-in-Chief Ava Proehl Managing Editors Kaise Dualeh Aayusha Khanal Online Editor Lauren Balser Photo Editor Claire Wodack Director of Media Emily Peacher News Editor Madison Roney Features Editor Eliza Agi Culture Editor Camille Desjardins Opinions Editor Lindsay Brisson Sports Editors Morgan Maiden Bailey Elliott Staff Writers James Czarnaski Carina Funk Dan Gittelman Lauriane Razafinjatovo Lilly Christenbury Uncaged is the newsmagazine of Freedom High School. The attitudes, opinions, views, and ideas expressed in Uncaged do not necessarily reflect those of this staff, the faculty adviser, Freedom High School, or the Loudoun County Public School system. Uncaged follows the county and state guidelines established for student high school publications, and disclaims any liability with respect thereto the use or reliance on any such information contained in this publication. The Uncaged staff welcomes contributions and encourages the expression of students, faculty, staff, and members of the Freedom High School community.

Cover photo by Ava Proehl

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The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. //excerpt from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou

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DROPPING ELECTIVES [Story by Dan Gittelman] [Photo by Ava Proehl]

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ave you ever wanted to take a class, but scheduling conflicts prevented this? Many students struggle to deal with the stress of balancing school in addition to the various challenges and responsibilities that high schoolers face.

“I was not able to be in AP World because I had track, which is a lot of work,” sophomore Justin Park said. “I wanted the extra credit from the AP, but I had trouble balancing them out.”

Especially in an environment where there is overwhelming pressure to compete for a higher class rank, it can be very tempting to take classes for the purpose of a GPA boost. While this competition is positive due to how it convinces students to challenge themselves with more difficult courses, it’s necessary to consider the entirety of one’s schedule when selecting classes.

“Well-being always comes first,” FHS counselor Cristi Goldberg said, “If you’re not feeling healthy in your mind, body and spirit, how are you going to be able to focus on what you need to focus on for your studies?”

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While GPA is important, students need to also consider whether the class is moving at the right pace for them.

“I was first in Algebra II Trig, and after the first quarter, I dropped down to Algebra II,” freshman Isaac Yun said.

“I dropped out because it was going at a pace too fast for me.”

The most suitable course for a student is not always synonymous with the one known to be the most advantageous. Grade boosts go into a lot of student’s class schedule decisions, but it’s important to know that higher grades are more important than harder courses.

“Colleges are more interested in seeing that you have challenged yourself, but you’re still getting As or Bs,” Goldberg said. “I’ll be honest with you.

It’s not really helpful to take an honors or AP course, or Dual Enrollment course, and think that the Cs are going to look good.”

Each year, students need to balance taking challenging yet manageable courses. It’s also important to know that taking an academic alternative will not prevent you from taking an honors or AP course later on.

“I am still able to take the same class I was going to take next year,”

Yun said. “So, I feel that there are still opportunities for me.”

Stress from challenging courses is not always the factor that prompts conflicts with a student’s schedule.

Many surprising, and rather uncontrollable, components have provoked issues preventing students from taking their desired classes.

“I wanted to take the final level of my workshop class, Manufacturing Systems 5, this year,” senior Ben Comeau said. “I signed up, but over the summer the teacher who was going to teach it moved to Independence, so I wasn’t able to take it.”

Various complications make it strenuous for students to create a class schedule that is manageable and contains their courses of interest. However, FHS demonstrates a commitment to making the course load creation process tranquil by offering counselor discussions in addition to a multitude of course options.

“I definitely think there are a lot of opportunities to take what you want, especially during your senior and junior years once you have a lot of your core classes out of the way,” Comeau said. “I don’t think there are a lot of barriers to it.”

AET CREATES ARTIFICIAL LIMBS [Story by Aayusha Khanal] [Photo provided by Roma Kamarouthu]

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hen students were tasked with creating prosthetic limbs, it was just another ordinary day for them at the Academy of Engineering and Technology (AET).

A group of high school juniors studying engineering at AET had to simulate the movements of a human limb. While other students began designing prosthetic legs or arms, junior Roma Kamarouthu and her group planned on creating a prosthetic hand. Their prosthetic hand comprised of tension strings that attach to every joint of the finger and to a circuit motor on the base of the palm. With there being multiple tension strings on each finger, it allowed the prosthetic to bend at the knuckles and mirror the flexibility of an actual hand.

In Annika Srinivasan’s group, they approached their prosthetic hand from another angle.

“My group and I designed a prosthetic hand using a myoelectric sensor, which is a sensor that detects an individual’s nerves,” Srinivasan said.

When they tested their prosthetic, the myoelectric sensors were connected to her and a circuit so that when she flexed her muscles the sensor was able to read her nerve activity and the prosthetic hand could mimic her movements.

As the engineering students deepened their understanding of limb functionality and mobility through this project, they dove right into a challenging assignment: creating a device to help a young disabled student who has limited movement in their arms and hands.

The student has had difficulty raising their hand in class and communicating with their teacher, which has led to a lack of class participation and involvement. Wanting to ease their child’s difficulties in class, the parents reached out to the engineering department in AET to find methods to increase the student’s standard of living in a classroom. “[The student] can’t move a majority of [their] body and because of [their] disabilities, [they] have issues with participating in class,” Kamarouthu said.

Multiple classes in AET are working to create a prototype suitable for the student’s needs. Since there are multiple groups designing multiple devices, the most efficient and cost-effective prototype

will be given to the student.

Currently, the engineering team at AET is building a back camera for the student’s wheelchair so that when the student moves backward in their chair, they can see where they are going.

Additionally, they’re developing a light signal so that the student can get their teachers’ attention more easily. Another group wants to create a device that will help the student take notes.

Through these technologies, the student can have more efficient mobility and easier participation in school.

Kamarouthu is working with several AET students that also attend FHS, including junior Meena Kakai.

“We’re planning on attaching LED lights to an antenna on their wheelchair,” Kakai said. “If they press on the red button, it indicates that they want their teacher to help them. If they push the yellow button, it indicates that they have a question.”

Color-coded buttons and lights that correspond with a certain action, such as raising their hand, is a subtle but effective method of comfortable in the classroom.

Another group in Kamarouthu’s engineering class wants to mimic a car’s back-up camera, with a clear screen and an overlay. Since the student has limited movement in their neck, the back-up camera eliminates the need to look backward. Ideally, the screen will also indicate when the student is getting extremely close to an object.

In order to maximize the limited space on the student’s electronic wheelchair, the engineering students are planning on interfacing their prototypes on the preexisting joystick, which is used to maneuver the wheelchair.

“It’s not just busywork,” Kamarouthu said. “We are creating an actual meaningful impact on someone with something that we’re creating.”

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PHILOSOPHY INCREASING AWARENESS

[Story and photos by Madison Roney]

n an attempt to inspire more environmentally friendly efforts in the student body, the philosophy club and class officers are devising a sustainability project.

“The sustainability project came from a discussion in philosophy club about individual action and responsibility,” said Jessica Legnini, philosophy club sponsor and history teacher.

“We wondered whether or not the students of Freedom High School would actually make changes in their behavior under certain circumstances.”

Samitha Venkat has taken the lead with this sustainability project due to her belief that students should be more aware about their impact on the environment.

“It is an attempt to get people to care more, whether it be through class competition or what the [seniors] did last year for the Yemen project,” Venkat said.

In order to make this project a reality the philosophers petitioned the help of the class officers to get as many students involved as possible.

“It is going to be a collaboration between the philosophy club and class officers to make a school wide competition, to make sure we are enacting change, in a way that students can have fun and learn proper ways to continue to support the environment, and just be more environmentally friendly,” said Jake Beyer, junior class president.

There is no specific date set for the beginning of the project, but with the hassle of planning and putting together prom, the project should start after that period.

“I would say our specific audience would be the juniors through the freshman, just because the seniors, by the time in May, will be more checked out, getting ready to leave for Capstone and whatnot,” Beyer said. “So it is going to be a final way to ignite a competitive fire between the grades.”

The Philosophy club students discuss quotes and topics every Friday morning in L207, challenging their way of thinking and solidifying what they know to be true.

The project is designed to focus on different tasks each week that encourage Freedom Eagles to change little things in their daily routine to benefit the environment.

“This is an issue where it is all or nothing,” Venkat said. “It is more than trying to get people to be sustainable in the moment, it’s trying to get people to realize how they themselves can impact the environment and get people to care about it.”

The students along with Legnini have developed a list of 10 things that are simple and easy for students to accomplish.

“They’re not big or ridiculous things, it’s just like [Venkat] said, bringing your own spoon instead of using a plastic spoon or making sure you have a cup instead of using a plastic or trashy cup that gets thrown away all of the time at Starbucks or this kind of stuff,” Legnini said. “It’s just little stuff that people can do to change their behavior every day, and it’s doable.”

Although the project is designed to be more lax, some worry that the student body will think the project is too easy, inconsequential and disregard it.

“I guess my main concern is that people won’t care because I have noticed, at the pep rallies, people go all out here,” Venkat said. “Their faces

are in gold or black, whereas, when it comes to political, social issues or stuff that still affects people here, people kind of shun it away.”

With the competition factor, some students also worry that getting the most spirit points will be all that the student body cares about.

“When students in this school try to get an impactful issue going, weeks for awareness, that are not spirit point related, it is usually really hard to get the student body involved,” Beyer said. “So I guess that is part of the concern, just that apathy towards the topic.”

Venkat and Beyer hope that the movement doesn’t stop when the project stops. The sustainability project is designed to change the habits of the students, and it can be used multiple times over the school year as a reminder to stay environmentally friendly.

“Some people aren’t really willing to put in that extra effort to bring their own fork to school, and it is easier to be wasteful,” Byer said. “That is why we are trying to come together, that way we can fuse the class spirit aspect with the importance, that way we get a movement that everybody cares about, and is going to continue because there is incentive with the class competition, and it’s just a worthy cause.”

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the price of fitting in [Story and photo by Bailey Elliott]

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upreme, Brandy Melville, Nike, and American Eagle: All are brands one will easily spot while walking through the halls of a typical high school.

While teenagers begin working and earning their own money comes the power of purchasing whatever they desire. With the constant advertising of the “hottest looks”, Instagram feeds full of influencers sporting the latest trends, and the desire to develop a style that impresses, it is no surprise that teens spend majority of their money on clothes.

Style and image go hand in hand and both can have a major impact on a teenager’s lifestyle. Clothes can say a lot about a person, whether they dress simple but comfortable or trendy and more put together. Senior, Jordan Pastro uses her diverse style as a way to express herself. Teenagers spend a lot of money on clothes to find a balance

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between fitting in and expressing their individuality. With the idea that style is based on expressing who one is as a person, then why do brands matter so much in how one presents themself?

“Teenagers want to feel accepted, and we feel with certain brands, we represent ourselves in a way that makes us more acceptable to other people,” junior Jacob Neale said.

Social acceptance is something that deep down, all teenagers seek as they work towards “fitting in” with whatever crowd they desire to be in. Being surrounded by peers wearing the latest brands, often pushes others to wear similar styles and clothing, starting a trend.

“In today’s society there’s a lot of standards held for girls,” Pastro said. “I believe the constant pressure to look a certain way drives people to spend so much on clothes.”

There are many factors that impact

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teenagers choice of style, such as peer pressure, body image, social media and celebrities. When deciding on what clothes to buy most teenagers consider what others will think about it, how their body looks, how they look compared to what they’ve seen online, and if it matches the latest looks that may be worn by celebrities. Taking into account all these factors, is the price of fitting in truly worth the money?

Clothes are how teenagers show the world who they are. They reveal true style, not just through the shallow appearance of the look itself, but a window to the person inside and who they are trying to express themselves as. While brand names are often deemed as “basic” or “boring”, they are all apart of the process of finding one’s choice of style, whether that’s wearing Brandy Melville, carrying a North Face backpack or sporting the latest Nikes, all are a part of style.

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the dish on [Story by Lauriane Razafinjatovo]

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or so long, the term “dieting” has been brought up with a negative connotation as it associates with eating disorders and a resulting setback of temporary weight loss.

However, the term diet also refers to ‘the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats’, according to the Oxford dictionary.

This other type of ‘dieting’ is considered to be a lifestyle and one that every individual acquires from their daily consumption of food. Likewise, this excludes temporary restriction, but instead, a consistent way of eating seemed to work efficiently, typically depending on the individual.

Some of these common dietary lifestyles include veganism, vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten-free and even bulking. Evidently, reasons for going on certain dietary lifestyles vary from person to person.

“I chose to be vegan for ethical reasons,” senior Carmen McCoy said.

“After watching several documentaries about animal rights and even the environmental and health benefits of veganism, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.”

The vegan lifestyle diet is a common outlet for individuals aspiring to make an environmental impact as it excludes the consumption of any animal products. Some other lifestyle diets that aim to have a similar im-

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pact include the Mediterranean, vegetarian and pescatarian diet.

“I went pescatarian to be more environmentally cautious,” senior Julia Riley said. “Eventually, I want to go vegetarian and then vegan but I wanted to kind of make a transition to it since I knew that it wouldn’t be easy living at home because my parents don’t follow my diet.”

Aside from the initial goal of making an environmental impact, a consistent dieting lifestyle comes with other advantages undoubtedly involving health.

“I think it helps to be more aware of what I’m eating because I’m not just putting junk food and feeling bad about what I’m eating, so I’m happier with my food choices,” Riley said.

For many, reasons for going on a consistent dietary lifestyle are more influenced by their health and fitness objectives than anything else.

Having been a wrestler for six years, senior, Connor Costello, has had numerous experiences with different types of diets both short-term and long-term.

The sport requires athletes to take measures in maintaining a specific weight as well as the required energy to perform.

“During wrestling season, I chose to be on a vegan diet not only to lose weight but because of its potential athletic benefits. When I was on it, I felt like I had more energy. Though, this might be different depending on the person though, since there are a lot of factors that go into play”, Costello said.

Notably, Costello’s vegan diet was

dieting lifestyles short-term as it aimed for a temporary goal. After the season, Costello typically resorts to a consistent dietary lifestyle by going on a bulking diet.

In this bulking diet, restrictions include unhealthy foods and reaching a specific amount of calories in order to consistently gain weight through muscle mass.

“My current diet has been working very well for me,” Costello said. “I’ve gained around 10 pounds in a little under a month. For the most part, being on a consistent diet is usually the best thing as your body is able to adjust to the diet and you’re able to experience all the benefits from the diet. However, there’s nothing wrong with switching diets and trying different things.”

This type of conduct is common among athletes who are looking to see what works best for their athletic performance.

“When I restrained myself from eating sugar, I started craving it because my body needed that for energy, so that didn’t last very long,” sophmore Liliana Gines said. “And with intermittent fasting, my metabolism slowed down and I started getting tired and I couldn’t handle it because I’m a gymnast. What works for me is eating small portions every 2 to 3 hours.”

Individuals who find themselves losing the results gained from the temporary diets might often fall into the habit of constantly going from one

diet to another, turning this habit into a threatening lifestyle. Desperation and constant disappointment are also major influencers for serious eating disorders. This is where these stereotypes and negative connotations of “dieting” are derived from.

However, it is not only short-term diets that receive stereotypes. Individuals who partake in certain and consistent dietary lifestyles are faced with them as well.

“A common stereotype and misconception about veganism is a protein deficiency, which is not true. Vegans eat a lot of lentils, beans, nuts and seeds, which have a lot of protein,” McCoy said.

Unfamiliarity with certain types of dietary lifestyles can also be a factor in creating misunderstandings broader than stereotyping.

“A lot of people don’t know what it is,” Riley said. “Like, I’ll say I’m pescatarian and they’d think I’m talking about Presbyterian, so they’ll ask about what church I go to. It’s kind of funny.”

Despite whether an individual is on a temporary diet or a dietary lifestyle, judgment is inevitable. It comes down to just figuring out what works best and is healthy for that individual so it does not lead to life-threatening circumstances. Essentially, both concepts stem from striving to achieve a certain goal and both have a role in helping reach it.

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MALES OVER EGO [Story and photo by Morgan Maiden]

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n society, boys are pressured to be strong and dominant, often encouraged to be “tough.” These stereotypes of boys having to stay masculine and independent can create roadblocks in school, sometimes creating issues when going to a teacher to ask for help.

“The stereotype that guys have against them is they can’t ask for help because they feel like it won’t look cool because they feel they are not good enough or doing worse than other people due to them feeling like it is a competition,” junior Tyler Potock said.

Because of societal stereotypes, male students sometimes choose not to ask for help because they have learned not to.

“Men don’t want to be told what to do,” said Linda Sapadin, a psychologist who writes for Psych Central. “Read a self-help book? Nah, it will just make him feel vulnerable. It will tell him what he’s doing wrong.”

Some male students at Freedom felt this way early in their academic careers.

“I used to have a difficult time going in to talk to my teachers, especially when I was younger because I felt like I could just do it on my own without having help,” Potock said.

Junior Brady Andrea had a similar experience.

“In more recent years I have asked for help more often as what I learn gets harder. I have gone in probably once a week,” Andrea said. “When I was younger I never went in because I thought it made me seem dumb, but once I realized that was stupid I started going in more.”

“We’ve done a good job about trying to dispel that myth,” said Colleen Hurley, FHS counselor.

“Regardless of your gender, there are times when we need a little additional help and support.”

Sophomore Nate Land believes that asking for help is a good thing.

“I go in to my teachers early sometimes if I don’t

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quite understand the material the first time,” Land said. “I feel asking for help is the only way you are able to help yourself.”

Hurley says that the school has seen relatively equal proportions of students asking for help, regardless of gender.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say [asking for academic help] is a male thing over a female thing. It just depends on the individual student,” Hurley said. “I see it across the board with males and females.”

Students say that the perceptions and stereotypes society pressures male students into are not worth not getting the help a student might need.

“Getting over your ego and getting help for anything is worth so much more than feeling helpless because you weren’t able to get over your ego to get the help you need,” Andrea stated.

“That perception that’s out there is kind of getting dispelled because we are seeing a lot more guys [ask for help] than I think society thinks we should be seeing,” Hurley said.

THE EVOLUTION OF

TALKING TO TEACHERS [Story and photo by Lindsay Brisson]

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s the years continue to pass on and society gets deeper into the 21st Century, the years aren’t the only thing that are continuously increasing.

There are some students in the classroom who are known to stay quiet and concentrate on their work just like there are some teachers who are known to be pretty easy going, however, there are some students and teachers who are the exact opposite.

The amount of students who frequently back talk to teachers has increased, and the way teachers respond has changed as well.

It’s apparent that the way students talk to teachers now versus back then has changed a lot, and vice versa.

The evolution of how students and teachers communicate started from a very formal and sophisticated road.

Students did not have access to technology, therefore all of their communication and school work was done on paper and in person. Each student addressed their teachers formally, and vice versa. School rules were strict and bad student behavior was dealt with efficiently and formally.

The way students talk to their teachers has evolved quite a bit. Students may feel more comfortable with their teacher since teachers aren’t always as strict today, making them feel more relaxed when talking to their teachers.

Since the introduction of technology into society, students are able to communicate with their teachers outside of the classroom, which can lead to nasty emails instead of face to face confrontation.

Junior Rebecca Fuentes explains how how she’s seen a change in the way students address teachers.

“I definitely think that students have gotten more disrespectful overtime, but I think this is because of how sometimes teachers treat us unfairly and because we can send emails and text each other it’s a lot easier for students to be rude,” Fuentes said.

Since technology has only increased in complication and popularity over the years, it makes it so much simpler for students to communicate solely through a screen, which can be incredibly less intimidating than communicating face to face.

Psychologist Dr. Danielle Rosnav, who works at the NOVA Behavioral Wellness Center, explains how technol-

ogy may have had an impact on how students and teachers communicate.

“As the evolution of technology continues to evolve, students see videos, movies, articles, and other forms of entertainment that lead students to believe that talking to their teachers the way they do in moves is okay,” Rosnav stated revealing how technology truly has had an impact on the way students and teachers communicate with one another.

Overall, it can be stated that the way students and teachers communicate has changed an incredibly large amount over the different centuries, and since the development of more extreme technology, it is safe to say that the use of iPhones and computers as well as other devices has had a major impact on what is said by teachers and students behind a screen. Back then, technology was not available, therefore making teaching styles and the way students talked to teachers more formal and respectful.

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the art that remains F

[Story and photos by Claire Wodack]

or many years, tattoos had a bad reputation of being exclusive to criminals, members of biker gangs and any other person who could be painted as a delinquent. It was common for people to think those with tattoos would never be able to get a job. However, that perception has changed. Tattoos have become increasingly more popular in recent years, especially with young people. Now, people get tattoos for many different reasons, such as a way to express themselves, a way to honor their loved ones or just because they want to have the art on their bodies. For these four students, their tattoos are an extension of their identity.

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enior Daniel Pirko got his first tattoo in December. His tattoo is very personal to him as it pays tribute to his mother.

“My tattoo is a breast cancer awareness ribbon,” Pirko said.“I had been thinking about this tattoo since I was in 7th grade. My tattoo means a lot to me, as I got it to honor my mother who fought and beat breast cancer.”

Pirko’s father and brother have similar tattoos as they all wanted to have a permanent reminder of their wife and mother’s strength.

“My mom thinks it’s awesome that we all have tattoo’s for her,” Pirko said.

For Angelo Easter, his tattoos are a representation of his faith.

“I have 3 tattoos, I have tattoos of clouds with ‘Fear God,’ a cross, and a stopwatch with a feather that says ‘respect the past, create the future’ surrounded by clouds and doves,” Easter said. “I’m Christian and God is a big part of my life, and I fear no one but God” One criticism of teenagers getting a tattoo at such a young age is the idea that they’re doing it impulsively and that they’re going to regret it when they’re older, but Easter has wanted to get tattooed for a very long time.

“I’ve thought about it since I was 13, so it was cool to actually get them,” Easter said.

Easter loves getting tattoos and has lots of pride in his. Although they hurt, Easter says it’s an addictive pain and he will continue to get more.

“I was kind of scared for my first tattoo but now since I’ve done it a few times I’m not scared anymore,” Easter said. “I’m trying to cover up both arms and my chest.”

Senior Christian Norem lost his dog and wanted to pay homage to him by getting a portrait of his pet this past January.

“My tattoo is my old dog in the clouds with a cross

behind my dog and a sun with rays of light shining around as the background,” Norem said. “God is represented by the cross, watching over me and protecting me. The sun and its rays of light represent God shining down on everyone because his love shines to everyone.”

Norem was very close with his dog. One of his favorite memories with him was when they would sing together.

“He would howl back until I stopped singing,” Norem said. “It would always make me laugh and smile.”

Norem took time to plan out his tattoo carefully, making sure it was perfect before getting it inked into his skin. He wanted to get something as a daily reminder of his values.

“I feel happy when I see my tattoo,” Norem said. “It’s the two things I always want with me in my life and knowing that they are both with me makes me happy.”

Senior Shady Danial got his first tattoo while he was in Egypt.

“It’s a small cross on my right wrist,” Danial said. “I decided to keep it simple just because it was my first.”

In Egyptian culture, it is typical for Christians to tattoo a cross on their right wrist as a way to distinguish themselves from people who aren’t Christians and as a testimony to their faith. This specific tattoo has been a tradition in Egypt for hundreds of years.

“The experience wasn’t the best because I was scared and nervous since people have said that it either hurt or that they didn’t feel it,” Danial said.

Despite this, Danial plans to get more tattoos in the future.

“I want to get more tattoos that represent other things in my life and hold a significant meaning to me,” Danial said.

Every tattoo has its own story. It’s more than just inked skin, it’s a physical representation of the things they love.

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[Story by Ava Proehl] [Photos by Aayusha Khanal and Ava Proehl]

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he lyrics slice through the air, and the sound of the strumming guitar, the beats of the drums, and the energy of the room combine to create the ideal moment. This is the life of senior Ryan O’Connor, musician since age five and member of the band Good Grief!

O’Connor’s music journey began in kindergarten when he was introduced to the drums.

“I actually really wanted to play guitar,” O’Connor said, “and then my mom was like ‘Hey, I just saw a coupon for drum lessons,’ and I said ‘Why not?’ and then later on I picked up guitar.”

Though guitar is still O’Connor’s second favorite instrument, due to the limitless possibilities of scales and melodies with just six strings, drums are still his specialty and go to instrument.

“At this point I’m much more skilled at [drums],so it’s a lot easier to be expressive on the drums for me at least,” O’Connor said.

O’Connor is the drummer for his band Good Grief!, which is made up of him and two other members, Tristan Foster and Nick Saah, who recently graduated from Potomac Falls and Champe High School respectively.

Good Grief! started in early 2019 and has since been playing wherever they could get a gig. Together, they’ve performed at shows throughout Virginia and Maryland.

“We’re like a pop rock band, that’s the best way to describe it,” O’Connor said. “We make music for fun.”

The band met up through a mutual friend and former band member. Ryan says it may have actually benefited Good Grief! to have the fresh start.

“This other guy that we all knew, he pulled me into the band because they needed a drummer,” O’Connor said. “He left after a little bit, but we all continued. We changed our name, so now we’re still writing together, and we all feel like the quality of our music has improved quite a bit since then.”

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The name Good Grief! was created during a random brainstorming session one day and has stuck ever since.

“We were thinking of new names and I think Tristan just came up with it one day and we were like ‘that’s cool’ and it’s like the Charlie Brown catch phrase too,” O’Connor said.

“The logo, Tristan came up with that and me and Nick were like ‘okay, so why is it a smiling headstone?’ and he was like ‘Good grief’ and we were like ‘ohhhh!’. That was our aha moment, and we kind of stuck with it because that’s an easy to remember name.”

As the drummer of the group, O’Connor says it’s most important to find a balance between music that is expressive and music that is accessible.

“I always want to have some sort of groove that’s making people either want to bop their head or move at shows,” O’Connor said. “I remember one song, the first song we put out as Good Grief! We made that song specifically at a tempo that was the perfect jumping tempo, so at shows later on we could tell people to jump to it.”

The band has played multiple shows with varying audience sizes, but some of their best shows have been ones with large audiences and larger venues.

“We actually played the NOVA pride festival in fall 2018, and that was really sick because we just had a massive stage and an actual sound system that worked,” O’Connor said.

“And then back in June we played at Baltimore soundstage which was pretty sick because that’s a much bigger venue, bigger artists play there and come through and tour through there.”

While they generally lean towards the poprock genre, each band member pulls inspiration from artists across the musical spectrum.

“We each individually pull from different styles,” O’Connor said. “Our singer really likes

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Alkaline Trio, our bassist is more into Avenged Sevenfold and Muse and then I pull from all over, so I’ll listen to anything from Morgan Wallen to Post Malone to The Band CAMINO. I’m all over the place, with pop, punk, rock and country.”

This blend of their individual preferred styles is part of what has allowed Good Grief! To have such a unique sound. After working last minute to create a show after a band member left, they realized that they could use each of their influences to make something special.

“We played the show, and it actually went surprisingly well, and a lot of people were like ‘it didn’t sound like you were missing anything sonically, so it was all good,’” O’Connor said. “So we figured.. this team of people can work well together and we have enough differences musically that we can come up with something brand new that everyone is a fan of.”

They currently have three singles out

on all streaming services such as Spotify and iTunes and are working on creating more music to get their name out.

“Our goal for this year is just to grow, specifically on Spotify because that’s a pretty major platform,” O’Connor said. “We’re trying to release at least six songs this year, and we’ve already done one. On Sunday, two days ago, we started recording final versions of songs for an EP that we’re trying to put out by late spring or early summer, and we’re gonna go

Follow this link to check out Good Grief!’s music on Spotify!

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from there.”

O’Connor is enthusiastic about the possibilities for the band, and sees it as an opportunity to maybe gain a label deal later in the future. But for now, it stays a hobby until the band can gain enough traction and attention to become more mainstream.

“We’re just making music because we can,” O’Connor said. “If it took off, we wouldn’t be mad about it, but we’re just a local band. We just do what we do because we have fun doing it.”

A DISCUSSION OVER DISCIPLINE A

[Story by Lauren Balser] fter being tardy for the sixth time, senior Apoorva Saravanan faced every high schooler’s nemesis: lunch detention. After receiving a warning, Saravanan came to the conclusion that she needed to make it to school on time.

“I can’t afford to be late anymore,” Saravanan said following her warning. “[My friend] Brenna decided that she wanted to take efforts into her own hands and was like, ‘I’m going to call you every morning to wake you up at 7:30.’ It’s gotten to that point.”

Not even a week after saying this, Saravanan found herself in lunch detention. Twice.

“It’s really uncomfortable,” Saravanan said after her first lunch detention.

“It was really quiet, and the chewing.”

She paused and laughed a little. “It was really uncomfortable.”

There are a variety of disciplinary actions that LCPS specifies, ranging from lunch detention to Friday school to In-School Restriction (ISR).

ISR teacher assistant Celeste Collins says that lunch detentions are often given for excessive tardies, such as in Saravanan’s case, but that if students skip those detentions, Friday school or ISR are the next options for administration.

Saravanan says that being tardy should not warrant lunch detention.

“The most we’re missing is maybe

five minutes of the morning announcements, which isn’t that important. You can look it up,” Saravanan said. “Especially if you drive, we can’t always control [traffic].”

If students continually skip lunch detention, Friday school or other punishments given to them by administration, they can face ISR. The LCPS Students Rights and Responsibilities states that students can receive ISR for “serious or repeated violations of school rules.”

“So it’s not a suspension, right?

It doesn’t count against your attendance,” said Kathryn Koscinski, assistant principal. “But what it does is it gives you a secure location that you’re working on schoolwork, that you have access to teachers, you have access to counselors, if you need extra support, and we kind of know where you are.”

Jack Karry— a senior who has been in ISR several times— has a similar perspective to Saravanan on missing parts of the day that he says are not as crucial.

“If I’m skipping study hall, I don’t understand why I have to get a day of ISR for that if I’m skipping a class where I just sit for an hour and a half,” Karry said.

Senior Cole Singer was also dealt ISR as a result of skipping.

“I ended up skipping study hall and I got two ISRs and missed practice as a result of it,” Singer said. “I think

it’s pretty reasonable because they have to punish you in some way and suspension or other options may be a little too harsh, so just keeping you restricted in school for a day sort of keeps you so that you’re watched and you’re not doing anything wrong and you’re learning to do better.”

“We’re responsible for you,” Koscinski said. “When you leave and we don’t know where you are, it’s kind of a little scary for us. We check the building, we check classes, we call home. And if we can’t get ahold of anyone, we have to call the non-emergency number. So when someone leaves the building, and they don’t tell us, it triggers more of a safety concern, then we’re just trying to make your lives miserable by staying.”

Despite the fact that ISR is a punishment, some students feel that it can be helpful.

“Honestly, I know it’s supposed to be a punishment, but it helps, especially being an athlete,” Singer said.

“You sometimes get work that starts to pile up that you don’t get done, so it helps you take your time and finish it all and get caught back up. But you also then are stuck in there all day so once you finish your work, you’re bored out of your mind.”

“At some point when you’re in there, it’s not really that bad of a thing,” Karry said. “You get your work done, you can boost your grades.”

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38%

of students disagree that when students are accused of something wrong, they get a chance to explain

13% 21% Collins agrees.

“Some of them like coming in here because they feel like it helps them get caught up on their work and gives them sometimes downtime from whatever’s going on out there. Others don’t like it all,” Collins said.

Another common reason students get ISR is possession of tobacco or vaping products.

“If they’re caught with any type of tobacco products or any vaping products, they can get ISR for that,” Collins said.

“I have gotten in trouble for [juuling],” Karry said. “I stopped juuling completely, like outside of school [and] in school because they pulled me out to the front office and they charged me with it. They were like, ‘You had nicotine on school grounds.

That’s illegal. You’re going to have to go to court.’”

While Karry was not formally charged and his record will be expunged when he turns 18, he still had to do community service and take a class on nicotine.

“You have the students that are like,

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[statistics from LCPS school profiles]

of students “disagree” that they know the consequences of breaking a school rule

of students “disagree” that teachers and other adults at their school listen to what they have to say ‘Well, maybe I should try it,’ or, ‘Other people are doing it. Maybe it’s cool. I don’t know.’ And I think those kids in the middle, when they get in trouble, I think that [discipline] does make a difference. I think [for] students that are already hooked, it’s a lot harder,” Koscinski said. “What’s hard with vaping is by the time you usually catch someone, they’re already pretty locked.”

Karry said that the school’s actions were “a lot more effective than I thought that they would be,” but that if other students do not face similar consequences, their actions will not change.

“I think for the kids that don’t get charged, it doesn’t really stop them,” Karry said. “My sister’s got friends and I’ve got friends and they’ll get caught with [juuls]. But then they’ll bring it right back into school the next week just because all they got was ISR.” Saravanan says she sees how disciplinary actions such as ISR are “a good thing,” but ultimately feels that for many students, the programs are not effective.

“I don’t think it actually does

anything to reform [students in ISR],” Saravanan said. “I don’t think any of those kids that are in those programs are bad kids. They might have made bad decisions.”

“Frequent fliers most of the time don’t like school, period, so they’re not coming on a regular basis,” Collins said. “Sometimes ISR is the only thing administration can do to keep them in school.

“I’ve been in their shoes and part of the thing is at some point they do that just to piss off administration cause that’s more paperwork for administration to have to do, and it’s kind of like an ‘f you,’” Karry said. “I had that mentality at one point. A lot of [students] do it for rebellious reasons.”

“Just because you made a bad choice doesn’t mean every time I see you I think of that choice, right?” Koscinski said. “I don’t know if kids sometimes understand that. They seem surprised that after I discipline them I say hello to them or I talk to them, but in my mind, you made a mistake, you’re learning from the mistake and we’re moving on.”

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? [Story by Carina Funk]

F

reedom High School students are known for dedicating their time and excelling in school work, but they also are dedicated to sports.

From participating on high school teams to club teams or even both, FHS athletes devote most of their time to their sports, but this takes quite a toll cost wise.

As athletes get older, the amount of time and money they spend slowly starts to increase as they become more dedicated to the sport. There is also a significant increase in price when they join high school sports, especially here at LCPS where students are required to pay an athletic fee along with equipment and sometimes even buy spirit wear.

“For high school soccer we have to pay an athletic fee and for our team meals,” senior Lexi Krobath said. “Our jerseys are provided which is nice but we still have to pay for everything else on our own.”

The athletic fee is $150 per sport and that doesn’t include the extra expenses that come with playing on

a high school team. Meals can range from $50 to $80 dollars to get food for a whole season and the extra spirit wear is typically more than $100.

These costs have come under fire multiple times, leading to a discussion about reducing the athletic fee to $75 which would be effective next year.

Despite these fees, students believe that even though these expenses are a little excessive, the experience is worth it.

“I would say that sports are definitely worth the athletic fee and other expenses,” said senior Brenna Haley, a varsity basketball player.“They’re a really great and unique experience you can’t get anywhere else.”

But, these prices combined with the prices of club sports can start to add up, as athletes have to pay for multiple expenses in addition to their high school fees such as equipment which needs to be replenished after a certain amount of time.

“I have to pay for cleats, gear, uniforms, helmets, and because I take the face off my lacrosse stick, [it] cracks a lot, so I need a new one about every two months,” said fresh-

man Grant Maiden, varsity lacrosse player.

As athletes get more serious and consider playing in college, they also have to accept expenses such as additional training and recruiting camps.

Some athletes even have to pay for extensive travel for tournaments and showcases.

“I hope that all of the time and money I’ve dedicated into the sport will reward me with a college scholarship,” Maiden said.” I think the increase in coaching and the extra time I’ve dedicated will pay off and being on higher, more expensive teams will help me get noticed by better college teams.”

With the rising pressures of college commitment and the added expense of high school sports, student athletes are put through a huge cost increase, but with the pending adaptations to the athletic fee, the cost could slowly start to decrease.

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“So you think you can play?”

[Story by Lauren Balser]

A

s Freedom’s sports programs continue to evolve and expand, the tryout process for each sport has become harder for students.

“Our process has been pretty much the same for the last few years,” said senior Paul Jasper, a varsity boys soccer player. “We’ve had four or five days of tryouts. We’re required to have three days of tryouts, I think is the rule for all sports. In those first three days, we’ll just do basic soccer drills, gameplay, different things like that.”

“There’s a total of three days at tryouts,” said senior Jalen Harrison, a varsity boys basketball player. “The first tryout is pretty much just running. You do some skill work in terms of how many layups can you do in thirty seconds, how many jump shots you can make, stuff like that. You pretty much don’t play any five-on-five basketball at all. The second tryout is a bit of a mix of running and playing. It’s a bit more skill based, so you’re competing against other players. You’re probably doing a one-v-one, a five-v-five, but with sprinting. By [the last day], the coach is figuring out those final spots.”

“It’s about a three or four day process,” said senior Brenna Haley, a varsity girls basketball player. “We start out with basics. We do drills for a little bit and then as the days go by, we get into more complex stuff like learning plays and doing different defenses.”

After the third to fifth day, cuts are generally made for most sports, and teams are set into stone.

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“The problem is that since everyone is so good, it’s harder for people that are coming up to make the teams when there are more of them,” one varisty soccer player who requested anonymity said. This player cited returning players as a major reason for this.

“We don’t know who the teams are, but we have a pretty good idea,” said senior Mackenize Leonard, a varsity girls soccer player. She says this is due to knowledge of players’ past experience on the team.

“Because a lot of the sports here at Freedom are so successful, it’s really hard for people who have never played this sport to come and pick it up,” Leonard said.

“We basically know who’s going to be on varsity, except for a few people, because of the varsity team last year,” one varisty soccer player said. “And, you never know, you know?”

“I don’t look at a returning state medal winner in the wrestling room and say, ‘Oh, he’s going to be a guaranteed starter next year,’” wrestling coach Greg Northart said. “If somebody beats him and takes that spot, they have that spot.”

“It’s hard to say [if the tryout process is fair] to be honest, because it definitely varies for each school and how each team is set up,” Jasper said, “but I think having the three days built in no matter what is a really good thing because it allows people to build up a repertoire with the coach.”

“I think there can be improvements made [to tryouts],” Jasper added, “but I think with the time we have, it’s

probably one of the better ways to do it.”Harrison says that tryouts are “100%” fair.

“There’s people who made the team that no one expected to make the team, but who had a good tryout,” Harrison said. Likewise, he says that many good players do not make the varsity team because they had a poor tryout.

Haley has a similar perspective.

“It’s not set in stone, but I do think coaches try to see the different skill levels people are at,” Haley said. “I wouldn’t say it’s ever unfair to people because I think coaches are always looking for new people to contribute something new to the team.”

“Teams are not set until tryouts,” athletic director Brad Bauder said.

“There’s always opportunities for, if it’s basketball, for kids who haven’t played basketball.”

One common sentiment among varsity players regarding a good tryout is the importance of conditioning.

“Conditioning is going to be training, sport-specific,”Northart said. “It looks different from sport to sport. I think a lot of coaches here understand the importance of running conditioning as well as weight-room conditioning.

“I think [conditioning is] crucial.

Especially if he’s never seen you before or if you want to make your way up the ladder on the teams,” one varsity soccer player who who requested anonymity said. “[We try to] give them a practice run before they join the team, like, ‘Am I going to like this?’” Northart said. “We

don’t want people who are going to come out and find out, ‘I don’t like this sport.’ That’s the main goal, is to get them hooked early that way they can progress throughout the entire season.”“A lot of the conditioning is also to help them physically and help prevent injuries,” Bauder said. “The better shape you’re in, you’re not going to over do it and get yourself hurt.”

“We have conditionings before the tryouts happen so [our coach] can see people before they even go to tryouts. If the people who decided not to go to conditioning show up at tryouts, then he won’t have looked at them as long,” the anonymous varsity soccer player said. “They might not be able to have the same advantage.”

Harrison says that he, “would still count [conditioning] as tryouts.”

“Because the coaches spend so much time watching us play before tryouts, in terms of having workouts and having an off season where we play games against other high schools before the season starts, I would say [coaches] have a good general knowledge of who will most likely make [the team],” Harrison said. “That being said, the team is not decided. Your tryout still does matter.”

Many players cite differentiating themself as a key reason for success.

“On the varsity side of things, it’s all about what differentiates you from a JV or varsity player,” Jasper said, citing communication, knowing the game and being a team player as high priority qualities of a varsity player.

“For basketball, it’s definitely who

is going to look to score,” said senior Emma Strohecker, a varsity girls basketball player. “You have to have confidence.”

In addition to confidence, what an athlete brings to the field or court is also of great importance. “[Our coach] says that there’s four things that people could be good at and really good players are good at maximum two,” Leonard said. Those qualities include technical skills, tactility, size and speed.

“I think that he knows that those are the aspects that players have and we’ll be able to show, and all he wants is for you to just really showcase yourself and be who you are. Don’t try and bring all of those different aspects into your tryout process because then it’s just going to kind of look like you’re just all over the place and you’re not really focused on being your best player.”

Another common sentiment among varsity players is to concentrate on playing to one’s strengths and putting in effort.

“Play how you know how to play and do your own thing,” Haley said.

“Don’t worry about what other people might be doing or their skill level. Just worry about yourself and what you have to do.”

“It’s okay to make mistakes,” Strohecker said. “Coaches see that. When you make a mistake giving 100% effort, the effort outweighs the mistake.”

“Most of the time the kids that are pumped and ready to try something new are going to make sure that they have all those boxes checked in order to make sure they’re ready on day one,” Northart said.

In addition to technical skills and effort, many players stress having the right mindset going into tryouts.

“You can have amazing skills, but if you don’t have motivation and you don’t play hard, then those skills won’t get you very far,” Haley said.

“Don’t go into it cocky,” Strohecker said. “Anyone could come out of there and take your spot.”

“We can build technical skills. We can build fitness and conditioning,” Jasper said. “But you need to try and have the right mindset.”

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[Story by Eliza Agi] [Photos provided by Kelly Novotny and Michael Stupec]

F

rom Michael B. Jordan to Cristiano Ronaldo, major league athletes have influenced young sports players for many years. After watching stars succeed in their sports, young athletes often try to fill a legacy left behind by their icons.

The students hope to be able to replicate a figure who has had a major impact on their life and impacts many others.

Although many sports can be represented with a few large names, various players still make an impact on a smaller scale such as lacrosse player, Dana Dobbie. Junior Morgan Koeneke, who is committed to the University of Virginia for lacrosse,

looks up to her as a player and values her skills on the field and character off of it.

“I think that pro athletes show that there’s always a way to get better and a way to keep improving in your game,” Koeneke said. “I think that pro athletes inspire other athletes to keep playing their sport by showing how much fun it can be to still play the sport when you get older.”

Koeneke has also found herself wanting to be able to play like Dobbie, which has led to her replicating some of her skills to add to her own abilities.

“Looking up to the way she plays makes me want to do the things that she does on the field and incorporate that into my own game,” Koeneke said.

[Junior Nadia Stupec kicks the ball across the field]

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Not only do the athletes’ skills and memorable moments get mirrored on the high school field, but so does their hard work and commitment towards being a successful player.

Junior Nadia Stupec has been influenced by Team USA soccer player, Hope Solo and her dedication towards the sport.

“Professional athletes encourage me to continue my hard work and persevere to hopefully one day get to that level,” Stupec said.

Transitioning from recreational leagues, to travel or high school teams, and then to college, one’s skill level is significantly improved through the increased hours of training and games. Many students continue to push on through gruelling hours of games and practice because they are motivated by their role models, the professional players they look up to.

“I would say some of my success can be attributed to [Dobbie] because I actually was coached by her at a camp, and she really believed in me and made me a better player,” Koeneke said.

The mindset of these professional players can be transferred onto the younger players as well. Dobbie is encouraging and kind, which Koeneke appreciated during her time being coached by her, and she wants

to carry that mindset with her.

“She is supportive of players of all ages trying to get better at the sport and you can tell she wants people to love the game as much as she does,” Koeneke said. “[She] gives an example to younger kids of what it looks like to be dedicated and hard working and how that leads to success.”

Although some students try to replicate their idols on and off the field, Stupec does not hold the same ideology about Hope Solo and her character due to a scandal which deteriorated her career.

“Solo’s allegations against her have led me to not want to be like her outside of the sport of soccer,” Stupec said.

The roles which FHS students now are attempting to fill will eventually be refilled once again by future generations. The community which is built through a sport is bridged on teaching younger players. The success of these current athletes will be mirroed by the success of the younger athletes.

“Yes, I think the biggest thing that I will stand for, besides abilities, is inspiring kids to find ways to love the sport and be creative with it,” Koeneke said, “and showing kids how hard work and time and effort really pay off in the long run.”

[Junior Morgan Koeneke gets ready to take a shot at a game]

M

[Story by James Czarnaski] aking the college decision is already tough as is with deciding how to pay for everything, choosing what to major in, and having to consider multiple options such as in state or out of state. Making the decision to play a sport in college makes it even tougher. Many factors play into making the college decision as an athlete, such as which division to play at, what offer makes the most sense, and the overall feel of the college or university.

Academics come first because not everyone can go to a Division I school and go pro after college. Being a Division III athlete opens up more free time to focus on academics. Athletes are able to explore their major more and make the most out of the academic experience their college offers.

“I looked at the schools that could help set me up best for what I want to do after college, and then I looked at the athletics to choose the best fit for me,” senior Sam Masters said. “I think it’s very important to think about what you want to do after college to make the right decision.”

Some programs or majors aren’t offered at certain colleges, which helps to narrow down the college decision. In some cases, teams don’t allow players to take part in a major or program to focus more on athletics. Classes can consume a lot of time an athlete can spend getting extra work in between classes. “Lots of

schools don’t allow for the participation in the Registered Nursing program while playing soccer, so I wanted to find somewhere that prioritized my educational goals, but also allowed me to play at a high level,” senior Allie Spong said.

The combination of being able to study and play at a high level entices a lot of athletes when deciding where to attend.

Just being able to play at the next level speaks highly of athletes’ passion and willingness to continue to play. Division I isn’t a priority for everyone, but for some it is. Being successful and skilled at a sport can open up more doors to great academic opportunities.

“I was able to consider some schools with a high academic reputation that I wouldn’t have otherwise looked at if I wasn’t playing lacrosse, “ junior Morgan Koeneke said. “Honestly, I think that my lacrosse abilities helped open doors to schools that I may not have been able to get into solely based on academics.”

Being a talented athlete only is half of being a student athlete, being academically proficient can only improve the chance of being recruited to a prestigious school.

“Grades were pretty important in the recruiting process because they opened up a lot of options and pathways for schools that I wanted to go to,” Koeneke said. Having a high GPA and high SAT/ ACT score stands out to Ivy League schools and other Division one schools.

[Strait passes the ball at a home game]

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Every athlete wants to win and play for a successful program, but a part of the process is making a good connection with the coaching staff. “Part of the process of being recruited to play at the collegiate level is being very ‘in your face’ towards college coaches, but sometimes you will come across a coach that you can tell really wants you to be a part of their program,” Spong said “The Mary Washington coach was always very understanding towards my goals and wanted to help me reach them.”

Another factor in the recruiting process is choosing what size school fits the best.

“I looked at schools of all sizes and once I figured out that I like smaller schools I began to narrow my search of academics and athletics,” Masters said.

The biggest aspect of the overall process is the cost of paying for school.

Division I and II can give athletic and academic scholarships. Division III offers only academic scholarships. “My parents are really hard-working and smart people and gave me the opportunity to go wherever I wanted without scholarship money, but fortunately I was able to help them out,” senior Andrew Strait said. “It was really nice to help them out, and also I’m so grateful for the coaches at University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) for believing in me to give me some money to help out as well.” Offers either for academics or athletics or both can be a game changer when deciding which college is the right fit and most affordable.

[Masters prepares to launch the shotput] [Spong winds up for a corner kick]

[Editorial by Camille Desjardins]

F

reedom High School has thousands of students, so naturally, the school does as much as they can to provide entertaining clubs and events. Yet, in recent years, I’ve noticed that very few students are inclined to do clubs simply because the club looks fun. Everything seems to revolve around college. The pressure of getting into college has negatively influenced students’ decisions about which activities to get involved in, and has pushed students away from activities that they believe are not valued by colleges.

In middle school, most of the clubs I did revolved around my interests and what I thought was fun. I joined French club because we watched movies and had snacks, which I found enjoyable.

Also, I played several teams for sports outside of school, and had fun exercis-

ing and meeting new people. Once I entered high school, I constantly was told by my peers to join certain groups such as SCA or Model UN purely because the two look good for college.

In recent years, I have really struggled to fit extracurriculars in with the rest of my life. In the eyes of most colleges, it’s expected that we are committed to a sport, take high level classes, maintain a healthy social life, volunteer outside of school and participate in clubs that support our interests.

It’s no wonder that students are more willing to do extracurriculars like National Honors Society, where volunteer hours are earned as part of the organization. I’ve noticed many clubs that focus more on individual interests are no longer doing as well, because no one feels they have the time. Honestly, I think it’s disappointing that we are convinced it is better to look good for college than to enjoy high school by joining organizations that represent our interests I opted to join clubs I felt passionate about, while also balancing activities to make me a well rounded student.

Instead of staying in several clubs that I was not as fond of, I picked one or two that I loved and knew I could invest significantly more energy in. Working through HOPE club since my freshman year has allowed me to feel that I made a true impact in the club, rather than simply checking off a box.

Aside from clubs, the school has previously had problems when gaining popularity for fun events that are not the traditional homecoming and prom dances. Last year, SCA tried to promote a winter snow glow dance. Despite the fact that students had been asking for a winter dance for a long time, very few students bought tickets. Perhaps they simply forgot, but it seems that very few students want to enjoy fun school activities. If this dance had included volunteer hours or a grade boost, I can guarantee the amount of students signing up would have been huge.

At the end of the day, it’s completely understandable that students would want to participate in activities they can use to better their future. However, it upsets me that we often miss out on fun experiences because schools are only concerned with what looks good for college, or what will make us appear the most well rounded. If students only partake in activities for their future benefits, we won’t look back on them as fondly as if we had picked activities we truly enjoyed.

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[Editorial by Lilly Christenbury]

I

t’s a new beginning. Everything is strange, and the map is no help. I stand there thinking, “Where am I going? I don’t think I am doing this right. Where even am I? I am definitely in the wrong class; wait is this the gym? No, this has to be the auditorium. There is no way I am getting to class on time.”

I transferred to Freedom in the fall; joining a new school has its challenges in addition to the normal everyday obstacles of high school. There is a strange pressure to make new friends and find your place in a foreign environment; you’re surrounded by people that you have to see everyday for the next however-many years, even though you don’t know any of them.

I remember walking into my first class and having people think I was a substitute. It was in the beginning of November and classes had a head start before I joined. They definitely knew who the teacher was; I didn’t. I

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felt super awkward having to introduce myself eight separate times.

One of the scariest things about being the dreaded new kid is learning the social layout of your new school.

You have to understand which cliques are at your new school, scope out who belongs where, meet as many people as possible, remember those new people and find where you belong. It made my head spin. Regardless of what I told myself, I was still worried.

On my first day, I remember thinking, “Will people like me? Would the clases be crazy difficult? Was this the best decision coming here?”

Popular movies like “Mean Girls”, “Clueless” and “High School Musical” have various characters starting a new school. Each production captures the first day of school in a unique way. In “Mean Girls”, Cady literally gets a tour of the cliques in the cafeteria, and she immediately gets sucked into the popularity and regime of Regina George. In “Clueless”, Tai gets a makeover immediate-

ly upon arriving in Beverly Hills, and her entire personality and wardrobe change. Gabriella has to deal with the evil shenanigans of Sharpay in “High School Musical”. I didn’t know what to expect. All I knew was that every high school movie I’d ever seen told me I’d be in for a ride.

Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised.

Transferring to Freedom in the middle of my junior year has taught me that just because something is new, doesn’t mean it has to be scary.

The movies were pretty inaccurate.

Even though the timing of my move could have been better, I was welcomed with open arms. I found my place and I didn’t have to fight a Sharpay or Regina to do it. In my five short months of being a Freagle, I have learned that change may not be easy or difficult, but that it’s good for you. I am happy to be able to spend my last year and a half at Freedom; even though there are thousands of people here, I feel like I’ve found my place.

[Editorial by Kaise Dualeh]

I

n the wake of mass panic over COVID-19, known as the coronavirus, and with infections in the hundreds, the French government had a very specific request for its citizens. Stop faire la bise. “La bise” is a social greeting involving two people touching their cheeks twice while making soft kissing sounds in the air. The tradition has been dated back to about the Middle Ages, although it only became a social greeting for the general population some time after World War I. It is a mandatory custom as well, with it being exceptionally rude under normal circumstances to replace “une bise” with a nod or a fistbump as might be acceptable in other cultures. Needless to say, it is quite a big deal without any real American equivalent.

So why the overhaul? Well, with coronavirus being spread through touch, having the entire country in close physical contact with others throughout the day is not exactly conducive to good public health. Of course, policy proposals such as the postponement of public gatherings like marathons and the shutdown of public spaces such as the Louvre have been important policy moves, but that alone would not have been enough to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the country. France realized that something else needed to be done, that a change of culture, and not sim-

ply a change in policy, might be what is necessary to combat the disease.

Coronavirus is not the first time France has taken such an action.

During the Black Plague of the mid-14th century, “faire la bise” and similar greetings were rooted out of French culture in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent mass spread of the disease. While obvious advancements in epidemiology and science in general make it more likely the country will be more likely in the modern era in handling a much less infectious disease, the track record in their history points to a multi-faceted approach beyond the policy outlook, which may make positive results more likely.

The story of “la bise” in France highlights an approach to problem solving that most national governments, the international community, and most importantly communities around the world have seemingly neglected. Many of our world’s problems, whether it be the coronavirus outbreak, climate change, or insufficient access to mental health services, all have one very important thing in common. Changing policy alone will not be enough to solve them. Instead, we need to work in changing the mindset of those closest to us in order to slowly transform the behaviors on a wider scale that allow these issues to persist.

Looking at issues from the cultural

perspective rather than the common public policy perspective allows for analysis into the root of these problems. Mental health needs more than treatment centers, it needs the erasure of the cultural stigma surrounding it. Climate change needs more than renewable energy, it needs people willing to change ingrained cultural diets involving mass meat consumption and the shifting of buying patterns to sustainable goods. As you may be able to see, these cultural challenges are often as difficult if not more difficult to overcome than the public policy obstacles. How do we get ourselves to change the way we think, fundamentally change the way we live our lives?

The answer is slowly. We often like to seek change in large steps, but incrementalism does not have to be equal to doing nothing at all. Cultural change is not something that can happen all at once, something that the French may soon find, but it is increasingly necessary to solve these global challenges we face. It begins with changing the way we say hello, but it moves on to greater societal awareness over the method in which a disease spreads, making everyone safer. Small steps can lead to big change, and the world could do well to remember that.

opinion

29

So long, Farewell ...

S

o, this is it. The 12 years, spanning from learning how to read to deciding our post high school plans, are coming to an end. Events that we have waited our whole lives for have been postponed or altogether canceled. None of us expected our final year to be cut short due to a global pandemic. We never expected to switch to online classes, cancel prom or lose our final days with our fellow classmates.

Although this is not how we pictured it, we have to take what we get. I’m sure we all expected our final year to be in Freedom, spent with the people that we have grown up with, as we completed the last semester and found fulfillment in being able to say “I made it.” This marks an end to all the high school sports games, spirit weeks and last moments with your friends before we all split in different directions.

We may never see some of our classmates again, this could be a final goodbye for many of us.

Despite all the obstacles being thrown our way, there are some positive aspects to it. As much as we hate to admit it, waking up and being able to do our classes in our PJ’s and bed-head is kind of nice. This gives us an opportunity to learn in a different environment than we are used to, giving us a chance to adapt to circumstances and learn from them. We now are equipped to handle online school, taking on new responsibilities and facing hardships we could have never seen coming. We’re building our own schedules, doing what works for us, and finding structure where we can. That is something we should be proud of, being able to face a pandemic and deal with it in a (semi)calm and rational way.

After all, this situation requires drastic measures that were unexpected for all. So, take in a deep breath.

One of the worst parts about going to college is being apart from loved ones, so use this break to spend time with your family and siblings before you head off. Look on the bright side and use your new found free time to enjoy all that South Riding has to offer; go outside, and surround yourself with the people you love (safely, of course). After all of this is over and we’re older, we’ll be able to look back on these moments and laugh about how unusual this situation was. So, try to embrace living in a major historic event and look at it with optimism.

We don’t want to remember our senior year as the three months we spent doing online school, so take time to reflect on the amazing moments our class has shared over the years. Use this as a learning experience: teach yourself to focus on the positive aspects, rather than the negatives from this year.

Remember our year as our memories before COVID-19, all the senior photos taken in the summer and fall, our final homecoming, and moments spent with our favorite teachers.

From your senior editorial board, it’s been amazing telling all the stories, good and bad, of Freedom and the senior class these last four years. Thank you for allowing us to share your talents, achievements, art work and more. We’re proud of each issue, and couldn’t have done it without all of you.

I know it isn’t an ideal end to this chapter of our lives, but there is so much more ahead of you. Our story is not over yet. So, this is it, Class of 2020. Do big things.

With love, Emily Peacher, Lauren Balser, Kaise Dualeh, Aayusha Khanal, Ava Proehl, and Claire Wodack

[Art by Sydney Laywell, 9]