By Caroline Welfare
The settlement started only 30 minutes from where Roanoke is now, back when that land was deemed inhospitable due to the lack of good ground for building houses, and it has been a beautiful farmland since the first families who settled there. Those families might not be there for much longer, and the beautiful valley would go with them. The government itself is ordering and forcibly obtaining farm and forested land for the 42-inch fracked gas pipeline that not only disrupts the community, but also damages the pristine waterways connected to Virginia’s second tallest waterfall, Bent Mountain Falls and Camp Creek, both of which are home to 10% of freshwater organisms in both Virginia and the Blue Ridge. The Nature Conservancy owns the family-friendly and popular hiking trails known collectively as Bottom Creek Gorge, but not the land that has been claimed for the pipeline. And runoff from the nearby pipeline is not their only concern. Families old to the area are afraid of having their land claimed without them having committed a slight against the people, despite Virginia having strict laws about eminent domain. This is not a common problem, but the U.S. government has been known to claim land already owned for resources. Several signs of protest are hung on fences, the closest one to the paused construction says boldly; “THIS IS THEFT!” According to reporting in Cardinal News judges have ignored several emergency pleas, and after a four-month-long pause in construction, the Supreme Court has once again given the project a green light. According to the Appalachian Voice runoff is not the only environmental concern. When the pipe inevitably breaks, the fracked gas will spread and ruin the surrounding waterways, endangering species that were threatened already. From above, or from distant overlooks, the pipeline looks like a scar on the lush mountainside. The Mountain Valley Pipeline threatens both the environment and farming families who have been there so long that they may not have another place to go. Not only are homes that have been legally owned for decades being claimed by the order for the pipeline, but when it unavoidably breaks, we will have a wholly different, water-poisoning problem on our hands. “U.S. Supreme Court gives Mountain Valley Pipeline the OK to resume construction as 4th Circuit hears arguments,” according to Cardinal News. A photo shows the construction - but conveniently hides the “THIS IS THEFT!” sign on a through road.
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By Eason Zhou
Virginia has a reputation for having historically lax gun laws, which have generated discussion and attention frequently. Despite the state’s long history of hunting and gun ownership, its lax gun regulations have made it possible to openly carry firearms in public areas and have few background checks for private sales. Concerns about gun crime and public safety have been raised by this laxity, which has prompted calls for tougher laws and background checks. Is Virginia genuinely effective in reducing gun violence through firearms restrictions? No, is the response. The U.S. state with the 29th-highest rate of gun violence is Virginia. Between 2010 and 2019, there was a 9 percent increase in gun-related deaths, a 4 percent increase in gun-related suicides, and a 20 percent increase in gun-related homicides in Virginia. At $836 per person annually, Virginia is rated 31st in the U.S. for the highest social cost of gun violence. Virginia spends $7 billion on gun-related deaths and injuries, of which $292 million is covered by tax dollars. Of gun-related deaths, 32% are homicides and 65% are suicides. Virginia averages 7.4 suicides and 0.7 suicide attempts per 100,000 people, or 663 gun-related fatalities and 62 gun-related injuries annually. Virginia has the 35th-highest rate of attempted and actual firearm suicides in the US. In Virginia, the average annual number of gun-related homicides and assaults is 339 for every 100,000 people, or 4.1 homicides and 7.8 assaults per 100,000 people. In the U.S., Virginia has the 31st-highest rate of gun-related killings and assaults. In 77 percent of all killings, a gun is used. The primary cause of death for kids and teenagers is firearms. In Virginia, firearms claim the lives of 85 adolescents and teenagers on average each year; homicides account for 55 percent of these deaths. 111 women were shot dead by an intimate partner between 2015 and 2019, and 62 percent of victims of female intimate relationship homicide died with a gun in their hands. It’s important to note that the effectiveness of gun control measures can vary depending on the cultural, social, and economic factors of each country. Additionally, correlation does not always imply causation, and other factors may contribute to the observed outcomes. But I believe that regardless of the cultural and economic differences between countries, no country’s people hope that more people will die from gunfire. The United States ranks among the top in the world in terms of various data related to shootings, and there is still a lot of room for progress on the gun control front. The effectiveness of gun restrictions has been well demonstrated in some countries, so why hasn’t the United States taken action to reach a collective consensus on limiting firearms in order to create a more harmonious living environment? While some may claim that owning a gun gives them the opportunity to protect themselves, the simple truth is that guns are more often used to cause harm than to protect. The data shows that loose gun restrictions lead to more firearm deaths. There are many people in the process of promoting the new law who are preventing its change, whether it is organizations like the NRA or individual citizens. However, to change the situation, we can only speak out in hopes of changing the minds of more people. As more and more people join, those who truly have the ability to change policies will take action. I hope this day will come soon and make our society better. For Kaylee Timonet, school was always a place for her to thrive and be a leader especially as the Student Body President of her class, but all that was taken away from her with a simple dance.
On September 30th, while at a party with her mom, Kaylee and her friends were dancing when a DJ filmed them and the video was eventually posted online. Although this video was taken outside of school, and nothing in it associated the school she attended, Kaylee’s principal, Jason St. Pierre took it upon himself to find the video and talk to Kaylee about it. Kaylee was called into his office the following week, and was immediately punished and scrutinized for of her dance because St. Pierre claimed that the dance was “not living in God’s ideals” thus forcing his religion upon the 17-year old. He took away a scholarship Kaylee had worked incredibly hard to achieve, along with taking away her preposition as president. Punishments should never be given for no reason, but unfortunately sometimes they are. For Kaylee Timonet this was the case, and the punishment she received was heightened to an unbelievable extent due to her just enjoying life and having fun. Following receiving this devastating information which could possibly hinder her future, Kaylee used Tik Tok to share her story with the world. Her story immediately received lots of attention spreading it across various new outlets around the country. In response to the outrage among teenagers all over the US, St. Pierre was asked to back down from his position as principal and apologize to Kaylee and her mother for the entire situation. Kaylee’s story has shown teenagers all over the country that there will always be a support system there for them with the help of social media. The extent at which people have come together to back Kaylee has been incredible to see and it shows us the advocacy of the new generation. This entire story makes me realize how powerful our generation is, but it also makes me appreciate the freedom and support from adults that we have at our school. Editorial
Dancing - a harmless activity you can do anywhere, with anyone, and at any time. For some, dancing comes as a form of art or expression, but for others, it’s a way to connect and spend time with friends and family. Dancing can be many things, but being the reason for costing your future should not be one of them. For senior Kaylee Timonet of Louisiana,, a video of her dancing with friends at a private party would be the reason she lost her chance at a college scholarship. After her principal, St. Pierre, got a hold of the video, he called her into his office where he chastised her for not living up to “God Ideals.” He proceeded to take away her role as Student Government President and remove the school’s support for her college scholarships. Since then, her story has gone viral across many platforms and news outlets, where she has gained support against her unjust punishment. Fellow classmates have shown support in a protest walkout at school asking to “Let the girl Dance.” After all the backlash with St. Pierre's punishment, he has since given back her position as president and resumed endorsement for her scholarships. Unfortunately, although the situation seems to be resolved, the deadline for Timonet’s scholarship passed before her punishment could be reversed. “Regardless of what the principal thought about Timonet’s dancing, I think his punishment was a step too far,” said Upper School SCA President, Attilio Ciccozzi ‘24. “I myself love dancing," Attilio mentioned, “and I'm glad that if another student or myself were in her position, our North Cross community would have reacted much differently.” Upper School Director Stephen Belderes had a visceral reaction. “This is literally literally the plot of Footloose,” he said. “That's outrageous. It makes no sense.” At North Cross, dances are a key aspect of student life that brings excitement and anticipation all throughout Willis Hall. This October, high schoolers are gearing up for Homecoming week and all the activities associated with it. As we go into Homecoming, we should be glad to be at a school like NCS.
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ongratulations to all seniors for battling senioritis and making it to graduation! We have overcome several trials and tribulations, (such as the AP exams), but we have also enjoyed several events together! Personally, my favorite events from my senior year were Prom and the Senior Trip. When we surveyed the senior class, most felt that their favorite event was the Senior Trip. We thank all the facilitators who put every event together for our enjoyment. To any incoming freshmen, sophomores and juniors reading this, my only advice would be to work hard because every year counts. But also don’t forget to enjoy your high school years. To the incoming seniors, my advice would be to schedule your college meeting with Ms. Aavatsmark as soon as possible! Also, make sure to find time for yourself amidst all the stress you’re about to be put through. However, also remember, that life (hopefully) only gets better from here ! (unless you peak in high school). Good luck ! Yours truly, Massoki Maka < Meanwhile, some staff members shared words of appreciation for seniors: “Many seniors are in my friend group like Haley, Rocio, Irene, Massoki, Eleena. They are all great friends. When I first came to the dorm, they stopped by my room, helped me unpack and introduced me to the others. Without them I couldn’t have a wonderful school year like this.” - Nhi Le “The senior class meant family to me because people like Massoki, Rocio, Irene, Haley and many others have had such a great impact on me. They welcomed me with open arms and we formed an unbreakable bond. I will miss them dearly and will never ever forget them. - Rabia Ferron “The senior class was very encouraging. An example of this is how encouraging Kylie Schaefer was to the new freshman on the tennis team. She was always encouraging us to do our best and was a great role model. She helped us connect as a team.” - AB Cullen “Quiet at first, Massoki Maka seemed serious and a bit scary. I later realized how wrong I was. She was funny and thoughtful. One of the most down to earth people I have ever met.” - Aadeetri Pandey “The senior class of 2023 is a very talented class in and out of the classroom. Everyone is always giving 100% no matter what they are doing whether it is homework, classwork, quizzes/tests, practicing a sport, playing a game, or even just doing something to help in the community. An example of someone who exemplifies this hard work is Zach Morgan, who was always training and getting better for his teammates and is always pushing through the pain to reach the goal of winning a state championship. The class of 2023 is very amazing and I can’t wait to see what everyone’s future holds for them. They will all be greatly missed by North Cross.” - Tristan Lange Recently, the students of Willis Hall have been forced to attend advisory every other Thursday. Prior to this, advisory only took place on ad hoc occasions, like when students needed to choose their subjects and electives for the next year, for example. When we asked the advisory coordinator, Brett Odom, why this change was brought about, Odom said that the impetus of making advisory more common was to build connections between students and between students and advisors. An additional benefit is also a sense of community and bonding.
When the students of the Willis Hall Herald came together to discuss advisory, they highlighted the following positive attributess about advisory: “Advisors are really kind, and one can share their thoughts and feelings.” Others said, ”The idea of advisory is good.” and “Advisory is pretty fun.” However, there were also negative comments, such as: “It is held too early in the morning,” or “It is boring, not because of my advisor, but because we have nothing to do,” and, “I just don’t like advisory, period.” A survey that we conducted between April 26-28 yielded the following results: When asked if students felt that advisory is a safe place to share their feelings, 37.7% of students agreed whereas 39% of students disagreed. 27% were neutral. When asked if students felt that advisory helps students connect with their advisors 56% agree, 23.8% disagreed and 20% were neutral. Lastly, when asked whether the advisory program helps students make connections with other students, 50% disagreed, 33% were neutral and 16% of people agreed. Some of the advice given by students include: “to make the information more entertaining and have more time so the advisor can really get the point across for the information;” “To not force attendance and to have fun competitive games to make people want to be there and maybe provide some muffins or something;” “To make it more like a activity period and please not in the morning and also not for seniors;” and “There needs to be less ‘fun’ hands on activities, and more directed social conversations in the advisory room between the students and the teachers. This will provide a sense of trust between the teachers and the students, and will produce more productive and worthy information for the advisees to gather in civilized discussion.” Some very interesting comments include: “Advisory doesn’t really have a clear ‘purpose’ to me. It just seems like a group meeting but there’s nothing specific about it that stands out to me. We should only have Advisory to choose classes. Seniors do not need to attend and I don’t see the point of Advisory throughout the year because students would rather catch up on work before school or sleep in longer.” One of the biggest takeaways from this survey is that many Upper School students do not see the purpose of advisory. North Cross should work to see that their students understand the point of advisory and find it to be a necessary tool. On April 20, our advisory was centered around drinking and driving. Prom was approaching and many juniors and seniors drive themselves. Schools always worry about drinking and driving and need to inform students for general safety. Many students in Willis Hall cannot drive. We question whether its a school’s job to inform students about the dangers of driving under the influence. Most of the Herald staff felt as though it is not the school’s job to inform students about the dangers of driving, because it happens outside of school premises. We believe that it is common sense and should be reinforced by students’ parents. We asked ChatGPT to wrie an editorial that congratulates the Global Studies Program for all its successes while also encouraging the school to focus more on Africa. The NCS global studies has never sponsored a trip to any country in Africa, despite the numerous Africans who have come to study here. While we appreciate that this may not happen soon, there are several other ways the school can incorporate African culture into our curriculum or daily lives. For example, we can add courses centered around African history. AP is currently developing a course for 2024 called “AP African American Studies.” This would be good to add to our curriculum, as it will make African Americans feel like they shouldn’t only have to wait for Black History month to be celebrated. Another way in which our school can incorporate African culture is through food. It would be greatly appreciated by the few African students present to enjoy food from our homes and see our peers enjoying it as well. Although the following editorial is generic, it draws very good points that NCS should dedicate more effort into understanding Africa and understanding its intricate and interesting culture and history. We edited the formulaic response. As students of this esteemed high school, we are lucky to be exposed to a world of diverse cultures and ideas through the school's global studies program. From exploring ancient civilizations to learning about contemporary global issues, this program has enriched our understanding of the world and helped us to become more globally aware citizens. However, as we celebrate the successes of this program, it is important to acknowledge that there is still work to be done in terms of providing equal attention to all regions of the world. One area that could benefit from more focus is Africa. By increasing the attention given to Africa in our global studies program, we can work towards breaking down these barriers and fostering a greater appreciation for the continent and its people. This could include exploring the history, culture, and current events of various African countries, as well as inviting guest speakers or organizing cultural events. In addition to benefiting our own education, giving more attention to Africa in our global studies program would also help to promote greater diversity and inclusivity within our school community. By learning about and appreciating the unique perspectives and experiences of African people, we can become more empathetic and compassionate individuals, better equipped to navigate an increasingly interconnected world. In conclusion, while we applaud the efforts of our school's global studies program, we call for a greater emphasis on Africa in order to promote greater understanding and inclusivity. We believe that by working towards a more comprehensive and balanced global studies program, we can prepare ourselves to be responsible and informed citizens of the world. |
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April 2024
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