The Viking / Issue I / September 2015

the

viking Loudoun Valley High School / Purcellville, VA / September 2015

around the world

Students recount their global explorations and cultural experiences.

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Above / Seniors Matt Slook and Ryan Fox compete against Kettle Run on August 28. They won 33 to 6. (photo / Olivia de Stanley) Cover / Indonesian children step across stones in Bali, where junior Ariel Santikarma visited over the summer. (cover photo / courtesy of Ariel Santikarma)

Newsmagazine Staff 2015-2016

Editors-in-Chief Managing Editor Advertising Photo Editor Multimedia Claire Deaver Helen Sternberg Editor Manager Sacha Gragg McKenna Holtz Sacha Gragg Carina Bucci Emma Rodriguez

Online Editors Emily Baer Chris Cerne

Online Managing Editor Sean Webster

Writers, Photographers, Business and Promotional Staff Emily Baer, Carina Bucci, Christopher Cerne, Nicholas Cerne, Olivia de Stanley, Cassandra Good, Griffin Hunt, Alexandra Krens, Benjamin Manning, Christopher Morgan, Carleigh Rahn, Helen Sternberg, Zachary Stevenson, Madison Stiles, Tyler Valentine, Sean Webster, Rachel Weinstein Adviser Paige Cox thevikingnews.com | Twitter: @lvhsviking | Instagram: lvhsviking

Letter from the Editors

Dear Vikings, The Viking is a completely student-run and studentfunded newsmagazine, meaning that our staff is responsible for everything you see printed, unless otherwise credited. All interviews will be fairly represented, and we keep audio files for reference.

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In the coming school year, our goal is to serve the student body by covering a variety of topics, ranging from serious political controversies to pop culture events.

Finally, the Viking is lucky enough to have a faculty and student body overwhelmingly supportive

of our newsmagazine. Thank you for your readership and your feedback.

Here’s to a great year!

Emma Rodriguez, Claire Deaver, McKenna Holtz Editors-in-Chief

CONTENTS September 2015

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Rapid Trends Students discuss their favorite hidden waterfall spots in their area.

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Around the World Over the summer, students travelled around the world to experience different cultures.

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Serving Sports Volleyball and basketball players contributed over the summer by teaching middle school students valuable sports skills.

Photostory Cross country runners participated in their first 24 hour run to encourage team bonding.

Lost in Transition A look at Purcellville’s development and what it may mean.

Editorial: Caught on Camera An increase in technology puts police brutality in the public eye and holds law enforcement more accountable.

Mackenzie Trivett, Robert Juengling and Erica Widdifield perform at the August 28 football game against Kettle Run. (photo / Sacha Gragg)

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Scott’s Run Nature Preserve consists of a large 336 acres of wooded land, a waterfall, and swimming area. It has become a popular place for students and families to venture to in the summer.

Rapid Trends As soon as one student posted a picture on instagram, the waterfall craze began. Students then got creative, finding new hikes to secluded waterfalls. By McKenna Holtz

Scott’s Run Nature Preserve Nestled in busy Fairfax, Virginia is Scott’s Run Nature Preserve. It is shocking to hear that hidden in the bustling area there would be a natural wonder like a waterfall. People also enjoy hiking in Scott’s Run, which is necessary to get to the waterfall.

“The waterfall is in McLean, VA, and Natalie Zeuske and I had been wanting to go to a waterfall this summer after a volleyball practice.

We googled some waterfalls close to us and Scott’s Run Nature Preserve came up, and we thought that was the prettiest one and would be the most fun. It is unique because people not only go there for the waterfalls, they go there for a good hike and to see the wild flowers bloom in the spring,” Junior Sydney Hays said.

Berryville Tucked away in the woods of Berryville lies a popular waterfall.

Students have attempted to keep the location of this waterfall secret, so that it would not get destroyed by constant visitors. However, it has become the best unkept secret of the summer. “I went to a waterfall in Berryville. People had been posting pictures on Instagram and I thought it was absolutely beautiful, but the location was kept a secret so it was really tough to find. Once I found it, I realized I wanted to keep it untouched. The waterfall has a tree with a rope swing off into freezing but beautiful water,” Senior Leah Coles said.

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Blackwater Falls State Park Blackwater Falls is a popular tourist site in West Virginia. There are numerous hiking trails that run throughout the park. The waterfalls plunge five stories and pour into an eight mile gorge. The water itself is naturally an amber black color due to the debris that falls into it. “My friends and I went there to try to find bugs for our AP Environmental summer assignment. The unique thing about the waterfall was that it was hidden.

We were just hiking on a trail and all of a sudden we found a waterfall out of nowhere,” Senior Francheska Molina said.

layout / McKenna Holtz Photo / courtesy of Leah Coles, Sydney Hays, and Francheska Molina

Top left / To arrive at the waterfall at Scott’s Run Nature Preserve the hiker must first walk thruogh a small creek on an elevated path. Junior Natalie Zeuske accompanied Syndey Hays to the waterfall.

Top Right / Senior Leah Coles hangs onto the rope swing at the Berryville waterfall. The rope swing is a popular attraction at this waterfall.

Middle left / At Blackwater State Falls, there are numerous trails that lead to the waterfall. Senior Francheska Molina stumbled upon it while on a hike.

Middle Right / The waterfall at Blackwater State Falls cascades down multiple stories. Many hikers travel to see the waterfall in West Virginia.

Bottom left / This waterfall is located in Berryville; however the location is not entirely known. Students have worked to keep the location a secret to preserve its beauty.

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The 11th Annual Turkey Trot 5K & Fun Run Sunday, November 8th, 2015 at 8am At the Loudoun Valley Community Center All proceeds support the LVCC Advisory Board’s programming, including scholarships to Loudoun Valley students!

Register at http://imathlete.com/events/purcellvilleturkeytrot Look for more information on the 2015 race at http://pvilleturkeytrot.shutterfly.com!

Volunteers Needed! Contact center for details at 540-338-4122.

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Around the World Over the summer, students explored cultures across the globe.

By Emma Rodriguez and Carleigh Rahn SEPTEMBER 2015

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AROUND THE

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Eddie Harris (Barcelona, Spain)

“I’ve always been pretty well traveled and open minded, you kind of have to be, but this trip gave me a sense of freedom and confidence. Like any teenager I have my insecurities and a lot of them went away after this trip because of all the experiences I had.”

Grace Kopf (Jamaica)

“I really just love being down there with my friends; being able to go back and have the opportunity to help and serve the Jamaicans again is great. I’m definitely thinking about going the next two years of high school.”

Ariel Santikarma (Bali, Indonesia)

“One thing that was really memorable was how I felt more productive and how I could do more meaningful things than I can do here. A lot of issues are more first hand there. Issues of poverty and things like that. You don’t see them in Northern Virginia very often, it seems closer to home in Indonesia.”

Alexa Buckland (Italy)

"Italy was an amazing experience. I loved Rome because it had the one place I have always wanted to go to and that is the Colosseum. We went into the underground where all the tunnels are, that was really cool."

Charlotte Ager (Haiti)

"We helped reconstruct one of the pastors' house that was destroyed in an earthquake. We had Vacation Bible School for the kids and we gave them lunch which was probably going to be their only meal of the day. We also had music and crafts. With the crafts though, kids don't really do that there, so we had to tell them that it was okay to draw on the tote bags."

Caroline Morrow (Canada)

“My family has had two cabins on the lake for over 60 years, and I have gone up every year since I was born.

One night my family and I went fishing, but we forgot to bring enough poles that were rigged with lures for pike...

I had caught probably the biggest pike ever caught on just a worm and a hook.”

layout / Emma Rodriguez photos / courtesy of Ariel Santikarma, Alexa Buckland, Grace Kopf, Charlotte Ager, Caroline Morrow and Eddie Harris

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Serving Sports

Students volunteered in summer camps that taught middle schoolers valuable skills in both volleyball and basketball. Now the students reflect on how the camps changed both the kids and their lives.

By Helen Sternberg

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thletics are a large and powerful aspect of high school. Whether it be participating in one of the many sports offered, or cheering on favorite players from the sidelines, many students are involved in the diverse athletic community.

Over the summer, the basketball and volleyball teams hosted summer camps for kids in sixth to eighth grade. These weeklong camps involved a host of activities to get kids involved in the sport of their choosing. Each day the kids would learn a new skill or technique and they then would apply that technique, through games and competitions.

Many high school students volunteered as camp counselors while athletic coaches ran the camps. While the main goal of the camps was to teach the kids about the sports, the kids learned other important skills as well.

“Although it is a basketball camp, we definitely emphasize good teamwork.

We encourage competitiveness but don’t tolerate bad sportsmanship,” senior Mar Keane said, who helped out with the basketball camp. “When someone acts unruly, we take them aside and tell them that acting rude and being a bad sport doesn’t make the official change their mind

Camp counselors pose for a picture after a long day of work with kids. The counselors helped the kids learn valuable skills and become better athletes.

and can only impact them negatively. The camp helps the kids grow.”

The camp experience does more than help the kids. Many of the volunteers walk away feeling a sense of accomplishment in their work.

“It’s such a great feeling when kids say that they are going to try out for a club team or a middle school team... It just makes you feel really good because you know that you coached them,” senior Caroline Martin said, who volunteered at the volleyball camp.

These kids will someday become the students who play for high school sports teams, and, for many, the camp proves to be an amazing opportunity for both the kids and students. By working together, kids and

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students are able to form strong bonds that further inspire the kids to continue their work in athletics. It is through camps like these that students find the drive to excel in everything they do and a passion for sports lives on.

“I love basketball, and I love being able to help young players develop their skills in a sport that we both enjoy. It’s fun to watch them develop over the years and sometimes play with them once they reach high school,” senior Lindsey Sweet said. layout / Helen Sternberg photo / courtesy of Kenyamo McFarlane

101 S Maple Avenue I Purcellville Virginia I 540.338.5859 7 Days A Week from 9 AM to 9 PM

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Lost in Tran Farms or Fries?

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oes Purcellville have cultural schizophrenia?

While Western Loudoun touts its rustic charms and burgeoning wine-industry, Purcellville excitedly awaits the opening of Chick-Fil-A. Is the coinciding growth of chain-retail and wine-tourism in Purcellville contradictory?

According to the Washington Post, nineteen new wineries have popped up in Loudoun since 2010, bringing the total number to 42 (2014). Much of this growth can be traced back to six years ago, when the county tourism agency, Visit Loudoun, first dubbed Loudoun“DC’s Wine Country”. Ever since, county and town officials have done all they can to advertise and grow Loudoun’s wine industry.

“Filled with lush vineyards,

horse farms, historic towns and destination dining, Loudoun is a vibrant destination,” reads an entry on Visit Loudoun’s website.

Tarah Nine, the manager of Otium Cellars in Purcellville, echoes those sentiments.

“It’s a mindful culture of staying active and staying fit and just being a little adventurous,” Nine said.

Nine says that the abundance of small businesses makes the culture more collaborative than competitive, noting Otium Cellars’ own partnership with local businesses Butterfly Gourmet and Lothar’s Sausages.

“I think the more small businesses...the better because they really don’t look at each other as competition...we all want each other to do well because it draws in more

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tourism,” Nine said.

One of the chief concerns raised by opponents of winetourism in Western Loudoun is undesired growth.

“Do we want every area here to look like Leesburg in 10 years?” asked a Bluemont resident concerned about the opening of a new brewery there.

Yet, because Purcellville is already more commercialized than neighboring towns Hillsboro, Bluemont, and Waterford, the fear of growth isn’t as much of a barrier.

In fact, the convenience of chain stores and restaurants in Purcellville is widely appreciated.

“I eat at McDonalds mainly because it’s very convenient, and... it’s easily accessible at all times,” senior Josh Fox said.

Rather than urbanizing Purcellville, wineries and

By Zach Stevenson breweries in fact do the opposite; in growing and harvesting grapes and hops, wineries and breweries preserve and perpetuate Purcellville’s agricultural heritage. “[At Sunset Hills Vineyard] we have a nice lake, [and] you [can] see all the grapes growing in the farm field...it’s more in tune with nature,” senior Tyler Davis said, who buses tables and stocks wines at Sunset Hills Vineyards.

It’s this, the coexistence of rural with suburban, specialty stores with supermarkets, that makes Purcellville such a popular place to both live and visit.

“With a perfect mix of historic charm and modern amenities,” boasts Virginia.org, “residents and visitors alike enjoy a vibrant, beautiful community.”

nsition

While Purcellville may be downsizing its small community feel, new restaurants and businesses make for a more diverse and modernized town.

Complex A Construction

By Chris Cerne

Top / A bulldozer sits outside of the new Chick-fil-A being built in Purcellville in the Harris Teeter shopping center. The restaurant is set to open in the fall of 2015.

Bottom / Burke Concrete Construction leads the consturction of the Chick-fil-A. The project has been underway since this past June.

s of today, the only way to get a $3 spicy chicken sandwich is to waste half a tank of gas driving to Leesburg. The imminent opening of Purcellville’s very own Chick-fil-A will spare you the trip.Many businesses, including Chickfil-A, are scheduled to be added to the local retail mix. KLNB retail owns the Purcellville Gateway and another planned district called Catoctin Corner, located adjacent to the traffic circle. Judging from KLNB’s acquisition of new land in Purcellville, it appears that the addition of new businesses is just beginning.

“Currently, the only lease that is signed [at Catoctin Corner] is Shell gas,” Dallon Cheney, of KLNB retail, said.

KLNB is negotiating with numerous tenants, and mayor Kwasi Frasier confirmed that some of the new businesses will include a Chipotle, a Dunkin Donuts, and several other fast-food restaurants.

On Twitter, former mayor Bob Lazaro predicted the openings of a Chipotle and Dunkin Donuts in late July.

According to Lazaro, “There are still significant opportunities for fast-casual food.

There’s a gap in terms of availability. They will add very nicely to the retail mix.”

The upcoming Chick-fil-A has already been leased and construction began in June at the Gateway. The branch will open in mid-October. Also coming soon, a new Thai restaurant, Finn Thai, will open as early as October according to their Martinsburg branch.

While opening new businesses encourages growth, some residents, such as Junior Blake Gregg, think that this expansion will detract from Purcellville’s small town atmosphere.

“The expansion of the town has always made me kind of sad,” Gregg said in an interview. “I’ve always thought of the town as small and quaint, and I’d prefer it to stay that way.” layout / Claire Deaver, Helen Sternberg photo / Sacha Gragg

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Freshman Sydney Dehler smiles as she runs her relay at the 24-hour relay. Almost a hundred other students took turns racing around the track in preperation for meets later in the season.

Three athletes focus on a chess game in preparation for their relay race.

Chess was only one of the activities many athletes participated in during the relay.

One Lap at a Time Cross country bonds over their 24-hour relay

The cross country team spends day and night training for a competitive season. On Friday, August 7th, ninety cross country athletes met on the track for a team building, 24-hour relay. From one pm Friday to one pm Saturday, athletes took turns with the baton, each running close to five miles throughout the day and night. Students spent the night at the track under tents set up on the field. Athletes waited for races by entertaining themselves with activities ranging from chess playing to violin practicing. Other athletes kept themselves occupied through rousing games of soccer, basketball and ultimate frisbee.

Cross Country athletes Chase Dawson (left) and Kiran Sweatte (right) and play soccer while waiting for their chance to race. Many athletes participated in other sports to keep themselves occupied at the long relay.

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layout / Helen Sternberg photos / Sacha Gragg

EDITORIAL

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Videos of interactions with police have forced students to rethink their opinions.

ounging on a lawn chair at Franklin In some parts of the United States officers Park, you would never expect to more closely resemble soldiers than police, have guns drawn on you by the police. donning Kevlar suits and assault rifles to However, this past summer, video images combat a potentially violent protest. On have brought to light numerous incidents many occasions, officers are trained to of police brutality, such as the one in react to situations by using their firearms McKinney, Texas where teenagers were first, instead of other, less lethal methods arrested as they were leaving a pool party in like pepper spray or tasers. Citizens will their bathing suits. justifiably argue that police Instances like these have When people work sometimes requires caused an outcry among see the images of lethal force. However, the American people; this America is exceptional in its teenagers being frustration with American use of lethal force. pinned to the policing has manifested In everything from itself in many forms, from ground outside of traffic stops to drug searches, peaceful protests to largea pool party, they officers must rely on a variety scale riots. Many Americans skills to ensure that are left to wonder of do acknowledge the fact that situations don't escalate to policing is a difficult job and what they would violence and people remain understand that it is not all do in this situation. safe. Sometimes, the only officers contributing to these thing a police officer has issues. Nonetheless, Americans are left to at their disposal to make a decision are wonder why the police culture is the way nuanced cues and implicit messages of it is today, and furthermore, what to do to a suspect's behavior. While white people prevent more people from being assaulted are definitely targets of police brutality, or even killed by the police.

African-Americans were killed three times The "shoot first, ask questions later" as often as whites in 2015, according to the police culture, as described by critics of Washington Post. the American criminal justice system, may Violence creates a rift between the be caused by the increasing militarization citizens and the police, where citizens of law enforcement. Photos from around feel victimized by the very people that are the country have revealed a chilling trend. supposed to protect them. The police on

the other hand, are doing what they feel is most effective to protect the majority of citizens in potentially dangerous situations.

In order to reform the American police culture, there must be a greater emphasis on non-violent methods of crowd control and policing. Strategies like negotiation and conflict resolution should be given a greater amount of attention in American police training. Through this practice, the rift between the protector and the protected will also be ameliorated.

When people see the images of teenagers being pinned to the ground outside of a pool party, they are left to wonder what they would do in this situation.

The idea of teenagers in our community being harassed by the police is hard to imagine, yet it occurs in other small towns in America. Many Americans recognize that sometimes using a weapon is the only option for the officer to protect themselves, but they can’t picture that ever happening in their community. If an incident like one in McKinney, Texas was to occur in Purcellville, Virginia many local residents would have to rethink their current stance on this issue and learn to understand both sides of the story. layout / Claire Deaver and Helen Sternberg photo / McKenna Holtz

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