The Newsstreak
September 28, 2018 The Harrisonburg High School Newsstreak The Policy The Newsstreak is published by the students of Harrisonburg High School every month. Reproduction of any material from the newspaper is prohibited without the written permission from the editorial board. Advertising rates are available upon request. It is the policy of the Harrisonburg City Public School Board to comply with all applicable state and federal laws regarding non-discrimination in employment and educational programs and services. The Harrisonburg High School City Public Schools will not discriminate illegally on the basis of sex, race, religion, national origin, disability or age as to employment or educational programs and activities. Editorials appearing without a byline represent the majority opinion of the staff, but not necessarily the opinion of the adviser, school administration, or the school system. Signed editorials are accepted from people on the staff, but are subject to editing according to published guidelines and policies. Editorials may be edited for special reasons. Letters to the editor are encouraged and must be signed and a telephone number must be given. Names may be withheld if the editorial board feels there is a just cause. The Newsstreak reserves the right to edit and may refuse to publish ads or letters deemed inappropriate, libelous, or obscene. Please drop your letter by room 444 or give them to any staff member. Letters may also be sent to the high school. Editors-in-Chief: Nyah Phengsitthy, Sam Heie, Noah Siderhurst, Owen Stewart, Owen Marshall, Hannah Miller, Samantha Little, Sarah Earle Advertising Manager: Madison Varner Photographers: Sam Heie, Ilana Mattson, Ashley Iscoa Page Editors: Nyah Phengsitthy, Sam Heie, Sarah Earle, Sophie Sallah, Samantha Little, Audrey Knupp, Danait Medhin, Hannah Miller, Owen Stewart, Owen Marshall, Mia Constantin, Oziel Valdez, Sid Tandel, Simon Beach, Karleigh Gentry, Caleb Goss, Ashley Iscoa, Holly Bill Staff Reporters: Simon Beach, Jaimere Beauziuex, Holly Bill, Zoelle Bleazard, Parker Bolyard, David Braziel, Arabella Bunn, Juju Butler, Ryan Caricofe, Marchall Coffman, Mia Constantin, Sarah Earle, Martina Echazu, Emilee Fridenstine, Lucia Gabel, Karleigh Gentry, Keenan Glago, Caleb Goss, Nissi Gotay, Tina Hedrick, Sam Heie, Ashley Iscoa, Aayana Jones, Genevieve Kennedy, Audrey Knupp, Mallory Knupp, Samantha Little, Owen Marshall, Ilana Mattson, Maren McGehee, Hannah Miller, Grace Miller, Nyah Phengsitthy, Rachel Phengsitthy, Kevin Pizano, Betsy Quimby, Calvin RIley, Jorge Rodriguez, Gabriel Romero, Sam Rooker, Sophie Sallah, Layla Seefried, Noah Siderhurst, Owen Stewart, Dany T Medhin, Sid Tandel, Lucas Thompson, Oziel Valdez, Madison Varner, Alex Versen, Maya Waid Professional Affiliations The Newsstreak participates as a member of several journalistic evaluation services including the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA Gold Evaluation and 2005, 2009 and 2015 Silver Crown Winner), Quill&Scroll Journalism Honor Society (2012 Gallup Award), National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) All-American, the Virginia High School League, Inc. Trophy Class Award, and the Southern Interscholastic Press Association All Southern Ranking and 2010 Scroggins Award winner. hhsmedia.com Opt Out Notice: If you do not want to allow your student’s full name or image to appear on the school newspaper site, please send an email to vkibler@harrisonburg. k12.va.us stating: I DO NOT want my son/daughter (place student’s name here) to have his or her name or image published on the new online version of the newspaper, www.hhsmedia.com.
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Nike brings positive message endorsing Kaepernick NEWSSTREAK STAFF EDITORIAL
When Nike released an advertisement highlighting former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick with the phrase, ‘Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything,’ it stirred a huge controversy throughout the nation. The internationally recognized company showcased Kaepernick for his stand against inequalities in the American justice system and his dedication to the cause, shown through his willingness to sacrifice his NFL career. It all began just over two years ago when Kaepernick chose not to stand for the national anthem prior to a San Francisco 49ers preseason football game. Just one social media post from a 49ers blogger started a flurry of rage from people all over the country who believed Kaepernick was disrespecting the flag and the people who fight for it. Soon, though, he wasn’t the only one. He was quickly joined by teammate Eric Reid and then more NFL players, as well as college and high school football players, NBA and WNBA players, women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe and even members of college bands and cheerleading teams. Now, with Nike’s ad being released, the company has caught an immense amount of hate. Videos of people burning their Nike shoes, shirts and other clothes in response
appeared all over social media. President Donald Trump, in typical form, responded with a tweet bashing Nike, Kaepernick and the NFL, referencing that Nike is getting “absolutely killed with anger and boycotts”, and that he “wonders if they had any idea it would be this way.” Unfortunately for Trump and the people electing to put their Nike gear up in flames, they’re just fueling the fire. According to the New York Stock Exchange, Nike’s stock reached an all-time high of $83.90 per share just a week after the ad was released. In an age where social media is crucial, they gained nearly 200,000 followers. The Washington Post reported that online sales the week after the ad were up by 31 percent. In other words, more people support Kaepernick’s quest than the amount who condemn it. The advertisement ended up being good publicity for both Kaepernick and Nike, and posting a video of a burning Nike Free Run isn’t going to change any of that. It’s a childish and immature response to an advertisement that, in all reality, is a great marketing tactic. Kaepernick had a legitimate reason to do what he did, and he was blackballed by the biggest sports organization in the world because of it. Now he’s being rewarded for exercising his right to freedom of speech, and people just can’t handle it.
JUST DO IT. Taking a stance against Nike’s endorsement of Colin Kaepernick, multiple social media posts from across the country have been about discarding Nike gear. While a lot of people have gotten rid of their athletic merchandise, Nike’s sales increased by 31 percent after Kaepernick’s ad. CARTOON BY MIA CONSTANTIN
WHAT IS THE STAFF EDITORIAL? The unsigned staff editorial appears in each issue and reflects the majority opinion of the Newsstreak Staff Editorial Board. The Editorial Board is comprised of all editors-in-chief, page editors, advertising managers, photographers and selected freshman journalism students. In no way does our opinion reflect that of the school system or the administration.
Giants are on rise for upcoming season AAYANA JONES This football season is a new start for the 32 National Football League (NFL) teams. The thing I’m most excited for is watching the New York Giants eat this season. Either most of America hates the New York Giants, or they’re bandwagons for a favorite Giants player. Last season, the Giants were 3-13. We were the worst in the NFC
retirement after this East division and the season. Losing Eli Manthird worst team in the ning would be a hard league. This year is gohit for the Giants. In ing to be different and 2016 his brother Peyton better. Manning, retired from I’m going to throw pro football. a fact out here: The The 2018 NFL Draft Giants’ quarterback Always Aayana was controversial. The Eli Manning is still Giants gained Will Herthe only one to carry a team and beat the Patriots in the nandez, Alec Ogletree, Saquon Barsuperbowl twice. Many people be- kley Lorenzo Carter, Kyle Lauletlieve Manning is going to announce ta, B.J Hill and R.J Mcintosh. The
Fortnite makes famous pastime naments against each other. Even watching Daequan destroy less skilled players Fortnite is everywhere. while screaming “Ooga It’s no longer just some vibooga” is awe-inspiring. ral phenomenon but a true I’ve started watching staple of the gaming inFortnite streams when I dustry. Just the other day eat breakfast or when I just I walked into a fast food need to decompress. It’s restaurant and saw some hard to describe the exkid with a “Where we dropact joy you get from it, but ping?” t-shirt. there’s something enthrallOf course I’ve hopped on ing about seeing someone the trend as well. Unfortube as good as you are bad. nately, I’m not any good. In Half my vocabulary, as fact, I’m pretty sure I’m teranyone who knows me will rible. My K/D is 0.28 and attest, comes I’ve never gotten from Daequan a solo win. (my favorite That’s not to streamer). He’s say I don’t love unique because the game. The he combines building dynamhigh-level play ic makes that it with low-levhard not to like Sagacious el humor. If simply because of Siderhurst you tune in its novelty. to his stream, However, there you’re likely to hear some comes a point when sucking combination of “Gimme at a game is just boring and dem toes,” “Omega lol,” frustrating. That’s when I “MonkaS,” “My high turn to Fortnite streamers. ground now,” “Come here If you play Fortnite, boy,” “What do you mean” names like Ninja, Myth, and his diabolical laugh. Daequan, Dr. Lupo, Tfue, If you tune in to Ninja’s KingRichard, and NICKstream, you’ll probably see MERCS have become him clutching squads with household names. Fortnite other streamers or just is almost always the mostslaying out in solos. watched game on Twitch. NICKMERCS always Epic Games, Fortnite’s credrops in Tilted. ator company, announced TimTheTatman will alit will provide $100 million ways make jokes about his in prize money for tourown obesity. naments in the next year. Every streamer has their At the opening of the Las own personality, but they’re Vegas Esports Arena, Ninall almost impossibly good. ja broke the Twitch conEach game is a new advencurrent viewer record with ture. You don’t know how 667,000 people watching the streamer will react, but his stream. they’ll definitely bring their All of this is to say that own brand of entertainFortnite has also become ment to the situation. an established esport. PeoI guess that’s why it’s ple don’t just play it, people so satisfying to watch. The make money playing it. game is just a streamer’s It’s wild to see top paradise. streamers face off in highstakes, high-intensity tour-
NOAH SIDERHURST
majority of Giants fans, including myself, thought that Saquon Barkley was the best choice. Every NFL team wanted him, with the exception of haters. This season is going to be the season where the Giants have a comeback. We gained great people in the draft. Odell Beckham Jr, Saquon Barkley, Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard are going to grind this season and carry the team to the Superbowl.
The world needs journalists SAMANTHA LITTLE America needs journalists. Not only that, it needs the reliable news that good journalists produce. In our democratic society, where freedom of the press is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution, journalism plays a large role in informing the public and bringing light to certain issues that would otherwise be kept in the dark. This allows them to form their own opinions based on reliable sources and is essential to the fundamentals of democracy. In a society where the government does restrict what is broadcasted to the public, they are kept in a state of ignorance, allowing them to be more easily manipulated. Just as The Washington Post slogan states: “Democracy dies in darkness”. However, the credibility and reliability of this factual information is being threatened by the presence of fake news online. As people view its content, which is often embellished or even blatantly false, their perception of the reality of a situation is skewed. There is then the possibility that the opinions they form on these topics are rooted in something completely untrue. This misinformation is not only a problem in and of itself, but also a problem when it comes to how easily it can be spread. Often times unable to discern a difference between fake and legitimate news, a portion of the general public is more
willing to believe most things that are presented to them without a sense of skepticism. As they repost fake news and more of their followers are exposed to it, its readership grows exponentially. Furthermore, as more people repost it, the interpretation of how credible it is changes. What may have once been just a questionable post from an unrecognizable source slowly be-
Small Talk comes more valid in the reader’s eyes as it is then reposted by people that they know and may see as being more credible. It only takes one person to start this chain reaction. The study of cognitive science provides another reason for why fake news is able to be believed and spread so easily. Confirmation bias, which is the tendency for people to search for, interpret and favor information in a way that confirms their preexisting beliefs, explains why people are more willing to embrace certain information without questioning its authenticity. When they are presented with information (whether true or fabricated) that validates and strengthens aspects of their personal viewpoint, they are more likely to believe it and, in turn, less likely to fact
check it. Because of these things, it’s that much more important to always be conscious of the fact that fake news is real. If the public can become more educated on differentiating between the real news and the fake news, then they can prevent more false information from spreading. Though it isn’t always easy, there are a few simple ways to help with it. Check to see if key elements accompany the story: If it lacks identification of the author, clear sourcing for the information or the date that it was published, then there is an increased possibility that the story could contain false information. (Note: These are just possible warning signs and aren’t directly causative factors.) Investigate further into the headline: If a headline or piece of information seems questionable, look it up to see if there are similar stories on more recognizable and credible sites. Don’t base source reliability on verified status: Just because an account is “verified” doesn’t mean that what they’re posting is trustworthy. This status only authenticates the user’s identity and isn’t a tribute to their reliability as a source for information. Just be more aware: Being more aware of the presence of fake news ensures that people may be more critical of it as they are exposed to it. If something seems likely to be fake, do everyone a favor and don’t repost it.