Slideshow • 3 Photos

Christa Cole

Women from various STEM fields introduce themselves as mentors to the young women, prepare to answer questions and speak about their experiences in their careers.

Friday usually seems to be the day where students can be found skipping out of the school doors, excited and anticipating the arrival of the weekend, but this past Friday a number of girls stayed behind. High school and middle school students stayed after school into the late evening to discuss and learn more about STEM, standing for science, technology, engineering and math. The second annual WiSTEM (women in STEM) event celebrated the young women and their involvement in STEM through activities, conversation and words from women in the community who are currently working in the STEM fields, ranging in careers from wildlife biology to pharmaceutics to oncology. Eighth grader Cecelia Thomas, a student in the STEM program at THMS, was one of the middle schoolers who attended the WiSTEM event.

“Something that stood out to me was when the women were talking about how there were few women in their college STEM courses and they had to work so hard just because of their gender,” Thomas said. “I thought it was very shocking since I have never had a personal experience where I was one of the few girls in a science or math class ever.”

Thomas learned much from the event about the necessity for women in the STEM fields.

“I learned that there is a definite place and need for women in STEM careers and women in STEM fields in our community are fighting to establish that place,” Thomas said. “I would want people to know that there is a place for girls in STEM even though they are not always treated equally.”

STEM president Genevieve Cowardin believes the same, and is hopeful for the future.

“We have just as much right to pursue and be successful in STEM as any man. Women working today and three decades ago in STEM have sometimes had to work twice as hard as men to achieve the same amount, but it is all changing,” Cowardin said. “We are a point in our society where we have the chance to move forward and embrace equality for all. There is so much hope in the movement in STEM these days, and we need to celebrate and encourage it.”

Cowardin is a strong believer in the role of women in STEM, and greatly enjoyed the night that she put together, especially while observing the main activity of the event.

“My favorite activity of the night was walking around while students and mentors collaborated to make structures that represented connection. I loved seeing all the unique approaches individual groups took and the conversation that came from that,” Cowardin said. “Another part that I really loved was hearing the questions that the students were asking the mentors. They were so insightful and the responses were enthusiastic and genuine.”

The event was a success, but there was much work that had to go on to prepare for it first.

“It took so much more planning and organization this year than I was expecting. Last year Mr. Jackson had handled a lot of the contacts that had to be made, but this year the tasks rested on our committee of seven HHS STEM students and three women in HCPS. I was responsible for making the contacts with all the mentors and the middle schools in addition to organizing the food. The committee together organized for the activities and worked to spread the word about the opportunity.”

The event ended with discussion between the students and mentors over a meal from Mr. J’s. As the young women left that night, Cowardin hoped that she had encouraged them to shine to their full potential, hoping they had all gotten one particular message.

“Don’t let thinking that “STEM is for boys” keep you from achieving and embracing your dreams,” Cowardin said. “STEM is for you, me and anyone who is willing to work for it.”

On Friday, Jan. 27, the girls varsity basketball team had a home game against the Woodgrove Wolverines, a Conference 21 opponent. Woodgrove took the game by the final score of 71-53. The game started out slowly on the offensive end, with Woodgrove leading just 12-7 after the first quarter. Starting late in the first frame, the Wolverines took off on an 18-3 run that extended their lead to 27-10 a couple minutes prior to halftime. Harrisonburg was able to cut into the lead a bit prior to the half, going into the break trailing 31-17. Freshman Jakaya Brandon paced the Streaks in the half with nine points.

The Streaks were able to continue chopping into the lead, getting within single digits at one point during the third quarter, and trailing by ten, 48-38, heading into the fourth. In the final quarter, Harrisonburg’s offense was able to put up 15 points, but the defense struggled, allowing 23 Woodgrove points, leading to the 71-53 defeat.

Brandon finished with 16 points, a team high for the Blue Streaks, with senior Kendall Thompson also finishing in the double digits. The Streaks’ upcoming games are against Turner Ashby and Fort Defiance, both Valley District opponents, with just four games remaining until the postseason begins.

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, the girls varsity basketball team hosted the Turner Ashby Knights, who are known as the school’s biggest rival. TA put on a clinic, not losing the lead the entire game, with the game’s final score being 71-57. In the first quarter, TA jumped out quickly to a 4-0 lead. As soon as Harrisonburg responded with two points, the Knights fired back with two more scores, including a three-pointer, making it 9-2. The Knights continued to increase the lead, scoring two more three-pointers, finishing the first with a 23-10 lead. Junior Constance Komara lead the team with six points, and two rebounds. The second quarter started out with Komara draining Harrisonburg’s first 3 pointer of the game. Freshman Jakaya Brandon would also add another three, however, the Knights were still able to maintain a decent lead, outscoring the Streaks 14-9. With 1:31 to go in the second, Junior Madeline Cooper was visibly shaken up after contact when going for the ball. When the referee called for the time-out, she was able to get up and walk away, but did not return to the game. The Knights had a 37-19 lead over the Streaks heading into the second half.

The third quarter started with Komara once again hitting another three-pointer, and senior Kendall Thompson making one of two foul shots. Komara would miss a three-point shot, but came back and put up two points, with the score at 25-37. TA put up some more points, but Harrisonburg came answering back with Komara and Thompson scoring. The lead would shrink to nine points, but TA  put up another bucket before the end of the quarter. The Knights were up 47-36 at the end of the third. TA would start the fourth with another score, and continue to pour it on against Harrisonburg, outscoring them 24-21 in the fourth quarter to win 71-57, leading from wire to wire en route to victory.
Despite the loss, both Komara and Thompson played well for the team, racking up 15 points each. The girls team slip to 7-10 on the season and have upcoming games against Fort Defiance, on Wednesday, Feb. 1, and again on Friday, Feb. 3.

This year’s musical, “Meet me in St. Louis”, is in more than full swing as the production’s opening night is set for Feb. 15, hitting off a five-day stretch totalling in five productions. According to sophomore ensemble member Jenna Altair, the show is beginning to come together.

“We have everything choreographed so far, [though] we have a few rough spots that we’re still fixing up,” Altair said. “Today is our first day in costumes. We’re trying to do that since we have lots of big dresses, and we need to make sure that we can dance in all of those.”

Focusing on Altair’s specific scenes in the musical, she says it is coming together even more smoothly with the exception of one.

“For at least the parts I’m in, the ensemble, we have it almost all done. It’s just particularly one scene in Act Two that we just need to fix up a bit, but it should be done in the next few days,” Altair said.

For freshman and first-time musical member Danner Rebhun, the overall success of the musical so far has been based on the thoughts of her fellow cast members.

“I think the musical is coming along well. I don’t really know the timeline because this is my first year in the musical, so I don’t know how far we should be right now, but going by what everyone else seems to think, I think we’re doing pretty well,” Rebhun said.

Even though she may not have a good insight on the timeline, Rebhun notices what needs fixing-up.

“I think what needs to be touched up the most are the ensemble dances,” Rebhun said. “I don’t really know anything about dancing, but from what I’ve seen it’s a bit messy at this point in time, but I’m sure we’ll be able to get it together.”
Currently, the cast is focusing on running through the show to perfect what needs to be perfected.

“We ran through Act One yesterday in all the costumes, and now we’re doing it today to make sure [it’s good] and kind of build around that in case we need to change some moves,” Altair said.

From now until opening night, that is exactly what the cast and crew members will be doing; dress rehearsal, after dress rehearsal, after dress rehearsal.

“At this point, we’ll just be in costume, seeing the set and actually running through the show multiple times,” Altair said.

The cast and crew of this year’s musical have two weeks to touch-up their final perfections, and then they are set for five nights of dancing, singing, big dresses and big audiences.

The forensics team traveled to John Handley for their conference tournament on Feb. 1, producing top finishers that will move onto the regional tournament in Salem, Virginia on Feb. 25. The top finishers are as follows: \

Information courtesy of Bradley Walton

For years students watch their teachers and administrators do their jobs and deal with whatever the dilemma of the day is, while the students have their own dilemmas, their own point of view. There hasn’t been much that allows the student to see the school from the teacher’s side. The goal of senior takeover day, in the words of assistant principal Lisa Warren, is just that. Allowing students, namely seniors, to find out what it is like to operate from the teacher perspective for a day.

“We did it because we wanted to allow the students an opportunity to see what it is like as a teacher or an administrator so that they can kind of walk a mile in their shoes and see what a staff member at the high school does on a daily basis, and see it from their point of view instead of just the student’s point of view,” Warren said.

One of the seniors shadowing Warren, Emma Nouri, decided to participate in the event because her brother did it before her.

“My brother did it when he was a senior. He was the principal. And it sounded like it was a really fun thing to do, something to try and something different than just coming to school on a regular day,” Nouri said.

The seniors shadowing Warren followed her through her day, including going to various meetings and doing lunch, morning and afternoon duties.

“They’ll do my morning duty with me, which is running around the building making sure kids are okay, they’ll do my afternoon duty which is bus duty…they’re going to go into a couple of meetings with me, with the electives fair coming up, so they’ll be a part of the planning process…and then they’re also going to do some paperwork that’s required of an assistant principal so they’ll see the non-fun side of being an assistant principal,” Warren said.

Aaron Cosner, an English teacher that was taken over, is not sure what to expect from the experience.

“I really don’t know [how it will go]. I’m trying to create some lesson plans that are pretty simple for my senior that’s taking over, but I don’t know if he will be able to handle one of my more energetic groups,” Cosner said.

Nouri was also not sure what to expect, but was nonetheless excited for the opportunity.

“[I was] excited. I think it [was a] fun and a good experience… she wasn’t that specific about what we’ll be doing, but [we talked] to her today,” Nouri said.

So, some seniors have found out what teachers and administrators do, even if, before the day, neither the teacher nor senior knows quite what to expect.

Virginia Junior Academy of Science (VJAS) is a state-wide tournament designed to promote scientific creativity and research within high schools. It is an annual competition held at Virginia colleges. It’s rewards consist of scholarships and other substantial prizes. Students submit papers about their research and then if selected, they present their final product to a panel of judges.

Projects from HHS are supervised by STEM teacher Myron Blosser.

“It’s an organization that allows researchers to present research and that’s how people hear about the new data being gathered. VJAS is open to high school students who want to share their ideas with the scientific world,” Blosser said.

Projects can be submitted by groups or by individuals. There are 17 different categories for submission that range from engineering to botany and zoology. The process of submission begins months before the actual tournament.

“In the middle of February, we submit the papers and they go to the judges. The judges read through the papers and score them. If you do well on them and get a good score, then you are invited to come and present at the actual tournament,” Blosser said.

Students can submit any topic they want, whether it be original or a repeat.

“We have a group of juniors that are simply redoing the same research they did last year to polish it up and make it better and that’s the way to do it. The first time you research, you don’t have enough time and you aren’t ready, so that’s why we are encouraging students to polish what they have already done,” Blosser said.

Junior Iliya Zudilin is one of the juniors reworking their project from last year. Zudilin is in a Biotechnology class, taught by Blosser. Their work falls under the psychology category.

“We’re just expanding on our project from last year which is about the effect of music on test taking. We’re trying to get a bigger sample size and more music to make it more accurate [than last year],” Zudilin said.

Zudilin and his group of juniors Cora Metzler-Sawin, Garrett Cash and Jenai Macarthur used techno, country, rock and classical music on test takers. Their results from last year didn’t quite live up to expectations.

“Test takers did better when listening to rock and the worst listening to classical which is the opposite of what we thought would happen. We’re just going to do it again to see if that stays the same,” Zudilin said.

The group gained inspiration for their project from the AP Psychology class they took last year. They were invited to Mary Washington to present their projects, but didn’t win any awards.

Another group participating in the project-making are seniors Tyler Rodriguez, Yogesh Aradhey and Jake Urbanski. Their project is categorized as an engineering submission.

“We decided we wanted to build a drone. We kind of just wanted to build it for the actual drone, but the VJAS project was an add on. We got the frame, the propellers, the motors, the controllers and the computers and put it all together and then we use a flight software called Mission Planner to make it fly,” Rodriguez said.

The drone took nine weeks to build to the point where it was able to fly, but their mission doesn’t stop there.

“The long term goal is to program it to do collision avoidance with sonar sensors. So we’ll put a little sonar matrix on the bottom and build legs so there is space for that,” Rodriguez said.

In the end, Rodriguez hopes that it would be able to automatically avoid buildings and objects being thrown at it, but the group still has a far way to go.

“Once we finish the base functions of the drone, we are going to have to do some programming and some coding in order to get object avoidance. It’s going to be a lot of work, but it will be worth it,” Rodriguez said.

The group is working with JMU Engineering professors to fix and adjust the drone to fit their needs and VJAS requirements. The group is currently one of 45 that HHS will submit to the tournament.

“I’ve been teaching a long time and it’s really easy for schools to teach science,” Blosser said. “Seldom do I see students actually do science. That’s the kind of the idea behind VJAS; it allows students to not only learn about science, but it also encourages them to do science and that’s really cool.”

Look around you. The homework you’ve procrastinated from doing, the teacher you’re ignoring, the sibling you’re trying to shake off, is all in the bubble. Everything you do, everything you see, almost everything you care about, is within the bubble. The thin membrane floats high above us, encasing all the Earth in the bubble, protecting it, you could say.

From time to time, the bubble has rippled, swayed, almost cowering at the tumult below, not afraid that this time will be the one that pops it, for it knows that this is too trivial for it, but afraid that this will lead to the problem that pops it.

The bubble has always been beyond our reach, beyond what we can influence. The goings on on Earth, the homework, drama, politics, battles and wars have always been entirely too trivial to affect the bubble, though it will occasionally sway and tremor.

If the bubble was to be measured as an earthquake, it would have had merely a tremble every century for the longest time, until recently. Until recently, it would have simply glanced down upon all of us, slightly wary at the goings on, but it would know, somewhere, that it had nothing real to worry about.

Recently, however, the tremors started coming more and more frequently. It would shake a bit every decade, then every year, every month, week, day, and now it shakes perpetually. Now, it doesn’t just glance down, worried, every once and awhile, its eyes are perpetually trained on us, trying to work out what is going on, how bad, exactly, the threat is.

The bubble knows now, with 100% certainty, that our activities are now dangerous to it. It can tell what we are putting into the air, it can tell that we are using our fossil fuels with an abandon, it can tell.

Recently, even more recently still, a certain figure was lifted up to the level of the bubble, along with a handful of his other, in large part more sane, counterparts. A certain someone who has no idea of the problems that would be caused were the bubble to disappear, a certain someone who denies that we are even causing the danger to the bubble. This person has poked and prodded the bubble, causing it to quake more ferociously, more frequently still, and will continue to prod it. This person in power is poking and proding the bubble constantly, with a sword of ignorance and apathy.

The bubble is our protection, the Earth’s protection, from the environment that our planet may revert to. The bubble is our atmosphere, which we are corrupting. The bubble is what protects us from disaster, what has thus far allowed the Earth to inhabit life.

What happens when the bubble pops?

Ever since we were younger, we’ve been told that it’s what the inside that counts. Yet if you look around, you’ll notice that what makes us different from each other is what’s on the outside. Our skin color, our size, our clothes. If what makes us different is the stuff we’ve been told doesn’t matter, why do some people continue to make it out to be the most important?

Imagine judgement as a pair of glasses. Now, consider taking off those glasses and seeing the world as a beautiful place. Ignore the issues around us and try and focus on the miracle that we’ve developed multiple populations from around the world into one community: the human race.

Looking around our school, we can look at the outside differences and appreciate fellow students with various cultures, languages, traditions and other lifestyle qualities. What we need to keep in mind though, is that throughout the different cultures, within the assorted languages and behind the unique traditions lies a human being just like the rest of us.

We all have blood flowing through our veins. We all have a heart, beating every minute of the day. We all (hopefully) have some humanity, and a moral compass that tells us we’re all the same, and we all deserve a happy, judgement free life.

Last Friday, Feb. 10, the swim and dive team travelled to Warrenton, Virginia for their conference championship. During the meet, the Harrisonburg team had twelve members qualify for the regional competition, with the men’s team placing third and the women placing fourth out of six teams. The competitors for HHS broke multiple meet and personal records, which are as follows:

The cast and crew of “Meet Me in St. Louis” have been hard at work since December, memorizing blocking, music, dialogue and intense choreography in preparation for opening night on Feb. 15. Tech week is now underway, and for everyone involved in the show, it is the most difficult part of the season.

Senior Megan Labarge has been a part of tech week for all four of her years at HHS, for two years as a member of stage crew and two as stage manager. She has become very familiar with the process.

“It puts all of my planning and organization to the test, and everything can be really hectic if it isn’t organized. The crew this year is just becoming a part of the show during tech week, and we’re just now figuring out how they’re oriented and how they’ll function within the show. The directors are always really stressed, too, especially regarding all the things they need from me and from the students,” Labarge said.

Tech week is a vital part of the creation of musical. For the entire week leading up to opening night, rehearsals run from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. in the evening as the cast and crew run the show from start to finish, with a break between acts.

The musical team bonds over the course of the week, as they are required to spend excessive amounts of time together in order to perfect the show. For junior Cora Sawin, the tech week process is always fun, even with the stress it brings.

“It’s really fun,” Sawin said. “It’s nice to hang out with everyone for that long, but homework and balancing school along with this is really difficult.”

Some musical veterans, like senior Eleanor Alger who plays Mrs. Smith, are no strangers to the way tech week works.

“This is the first time we’ve seen the cast, crew and pit come together, and we’re all running off of so little sleep,” Alger said. “Patience is running a little thin. Tech week is still my favorite component of putting together a show, because we finally get to see what it’s all going to look like.

The stress of tech week on the musical team often comes from a number of factors, including balancing schoolwork and rehearsal. For senior Noelle Warne who plays Esther, one of the lead roles, this transition into tech week is one she takes seriously.

“It’s always a shift of priorities,” Warne said. “For me, it’s all about time management. After school, I go home and make schedules for eating, warming up, getting dressed and whatever else I need to do. I videotape rehearsals so I can give myself notes. I change my diet so I can stay healthy, because without a lot of sleep it’s really easy to get sick.”

The process often takes a toll on many of the cast and crew members, as the late rehearsals make the juggling act of schoolwork and extracurriculars even more difficult than normal. For Labarge, this is evident by opening night.

“The amount of time we have to be here is really stressful,” Labarge said. “We put in so much work, and we work for such long hours. Everyone is tired and kind of cranky, but we always have to remember that by opening night it’ll pay off.”

Junior Lizet Muniz feels similarly.

“Having to be here for six hours at a time without having a lot of time leftover for homework is really hard,” Muniz said. “Trying to find time for assignments is the hardest part for me.”

Despite the stress of pre-opening preparations—which include full show run-throughs, last-minute costume finalizations and tightening dance numbers—the cast and crew are excited to share the story of “Meet Me in St. Louis” with the community.

“The amount of focus going into each rehearsal increases leading up to tech week. Everyone has to hold themselves accountable, and if each individual is motivated to tell the story, the whole group will come together,” Labarge said.

In order to hold themselves accountable as Labarge says, the team must be able to work together in order to combine all of the elements of the show into a cohesive product.

“Every year is always super stressful but super fun. I’m always a little stressed about pulling my performance up to par but I’m so excited to see what the show will look like with cast, crew and pit combined,” Muniz said.

Despite the setbacks on the road to opening night, the cast, crew and pit are excited to see what the show will bring to an audience.

“We have the potential to do so much with this show, and I think by opening night we’ll be able to truly bring it to life,” Warne said.

Slideshow • 12 Photos

Ryan Doerr

People gather in support of rights of minority groups

On Jan. 21, 2017, only one day after the 45th presidential inauguration, over half a million people rallied in Washington, D.C. in protest of the policies proposed by Donald Trump and his administration. These policies include defunding Planned Parenthood, overturning “Roe v. Wade”, funding a pipeline that will displace indigenous peoples, creating a blanket ban on immigration which specifically targets Muslims and placing a gag order on several federal organizations in order to keep fact from clashing with policy. Due to the widespread outrage, the turnout for the march worldwide capped off somewhere around three million, with protests in all 50 states, more than 70 countries and all seven continents, according to CNN.

In the crowd at the Women’s March on Washington, a number of HHS students made an appearance, including junior Lizet Muniz.

“I went to the march because I’ve been taught to stand up for what I believe in since I was a little girl. I never want to make someone feel lesser because of what they look like or where they come from or what religion they practice,” Muniz said.

For senior Maria Snell-Feikema, the march was more about politics.

“I marched because Trump is a sexist and I wanted to defend my rights by telling him, as well as those others in power, that I deserve equal rights, too,” Snell-Feikema said. “It wasn’t just about women’s rights, though. It was about all the other issues affecting our current political climate, because they affect us not just as women, but as people.”

This mindset was important to a number of protesters, many of whom gathered not only to fight for women’s rights, but for the rights of a number of different of marginalized groups within the US. The protest encompassed the idea that women’s rights are human rights, which meant that it stood for the problems that affected people of every class, color, creed and orientation, not just those of the women in Western civilization.

Junior Julie Hedrick knew a march like this would go down in history.

“I heard about it a few days after Trump was elected, and a few friends of mine who live in NoVa [Northern Virginia] told me I could stay with them and go to the march. I knew I’d have many opportunities to march in the next four years, and I knew this one would be in the history books,” Hedrick said.

For Muniz, the march was about an issue close to her heart.

“My dad was an illegal immigrant,” Muniz said. “When we found out that the march was about more than just women’s rights—that it was about his rights, too—we knew we had to go and show support.”

The march had a permit for around 200,000 people, but due to the ferocity with which the public responded, 500,000 people rallied on Independence Avenue, which congested the streets with people. According to the DC Metro Twitter account, 217,000 people used the Metro before 11:00 on the morning of the march—three times the amount of normal workday commuters.

“We went in on the Metro, but we had to pass three different Metro stations because none of them had parking,” Snell-Feikema said. “When we finally found one with parking, the line wrapped all the way around the building and into a nearby neighborhood.”

Hedrick had a similar experience.

“When we got off the Metro, it wasn’t even close to the beginning of the march. So many people had gathered that the crowd backed up down Independence Avenue to the Metro exit. The march itself was so full of people that it couldn’t even follow the original route. We had to split in half to get to the White House.” Hedrick said.

For some, these kinds of protests are commonplace, but due to the unprecedented turnout for the Women’s March, not only in the U.S., but around the world, many were surprised.

“It was way bigger than most of the other marches I’ve been to,” Snell-Feikema said. “The only other one that was comparable was the People’s Climate March that I went to in New York my sophomore year. [The Women’s March] also seemed to have a lot more people that don’t normally seem like they’d march—it was a lot of upper middle class people who previously have been content with Obama’s policies.”

For Hedrick, the march was a new experience entirely.

“It was a lot more crowded than I thought it would be. I was expecting a lot of people, but not that many,” Hedrick said.

Senior Emma Nouri was touched by the turnout.

“I expected there to be a lot of people, but being there in person and seeing how full the streets were was very different than I had thought it would be. It was empowering to be around so many people that shared my viewpoints and cared so deeply about issues that are important to me. There were so many people that were willing to voice their opinions about the injustices facing us as a country,” Nouri said.

The number of youth rallying at a march like this bodes well for the 2020 election, where current high schoolers will have the opportunity to exercise their vote like they may not have been able to before. Many have high hopes for President Trump’s response, although as of now no formal statement has been made.

“I would like [Trump] to actually respond, and not just act like it didn’t happen. I think he’s really good at listening to his supporters, and he needs to start doing that for the whole of the country because that’s what presidents are supposed to do.” Snell-Feikema said.

For Muniz, it’s more about public activism than Trump’s politics.

“We need to find a happy medium for everyone. No one will ever have the same beliefs, but we need to find a way to accommodate for everyone,” Muniz said. “I want [Trump] to not think that it’s all about him. He’s marginalizing more than half of our nation, and his policies affect more than the rich and white citizens. We need to be heard.”

Nouri feels similarly, but believes that Trump needs to listen.

“[Trump] still hasn’t responded aside from one tweet, and he needs to find a way to do that. The fact that [the march] was not just in Washington, but all over the world, shows a lot about the state of America and the rest of the world. He doesn’t seem to understand that this is bigger than just him. He needs to realize that the protesters aren’t just going to stop protesting; he and his cabinet need to take into consideration all of our feelings and try to do something about it,” Nouri said.

Hedrick also feels that Trump needs to take public opinion into consideration.

“I want [Trump] to know that he needs to take women and our rights seriously. We made America—a woman made Trump—and he doesn’t get to ignore us,” Hedrick said.

The next step for many in regards to the well-being of the nation is more peaceful protest. As of early February, several other marches have been scheduled in favor of the sciences, climate change and LGBTQ rights.

“A lot of the speakers talked about different ways to further our activism, and it would be very wise for the majority of our nation to participate by calling our legislators and writing letters. We need to let them know it’s not just a small number of people–all of us are affected,” Nouri said.

Snell-Feikema feels that protest is the key to making progress.

“We need to protest more, and not give up and just accept Trump’s presidency. That’s not how democracy works. Other countries get so much done because their people get angry about things and they speak out. If we don’t do that, we’re letting oppression win, and that’s not what democracy is about,” Snell-Feikema said.

On Saturday, Jan. 21, the day after our 45th president was inaugurated, I joined over 500,000 people in Washington, D.C. to march in solidarity for women’s rights. The Women’s March spanned all 50 states of the US, as well as over 70 countries around the world. In D.C., although the original protest organizers had a permit for 200,000 people, over twice that number showed up to have their voices heard regarding Donald Trump’s policy intentions, which alienate people of color, undocumented immigrants, women, the LGBTQ+ community and virtually any other group of people that is not white, male and reasonably wealthy.

I was devastated by Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton, not because I loved Clinton as a candidate, but because Trump – though I genuinely don’t think he believes half of the words that come out of his mouth – has riled up a kind of ugly in this country that makes me so fearful for the future.

In the wake of the Obama Administration leaving, I found myself at a loss. Regardless of political aims, the Obama family undeniably showed the entire nation what class, intellect, grace, style and respectability looked like. They are a stunning example of what can be accomplished with hard work.

Barack and Michelle came from the South Side of Chicago and managed to become Harvard educated, well-spoken and brilliant leaders despite having all of the odds stacked against them. Michelle is the second most educated First Lady (after Hillary Clinton), and has done more – in my opinion – for this country than almost any First Lady in history. The Obamas have raised their children in an environment full of love and hope and respect, regardless of the death and rape threats pelted at their family throughout all eight years of Barack’s presidency. The hatred received from all sides during the Obama Administration, at many times without reason, that has been met with nothing but quiet dignity serves as a testament to how much this First Family loves the United States. The Obamas are, above all, a champion of the people.

It is safe to say that I cried a lot on Friday.

A world without my president – a phrase I never thought I would use, past or future – that has been replaced by one so full of anger and fear is a world I don’t want to be a part of, and until Saturday I was (and truly, there is no other word) devastated.

But this march has restored my faith in so many things.

Over half a million people from all around the world attended the D.C. rally. Over 250,000 people attended a sister march in New York City. Over 175,000 people attended one in Boston. Over 80,000 people attended one in, even in London. All around the world marches took place that made me realize that we don’t have to let the world become this awful place Trump wants it to be.

When I got to the Metro Station in Falls Church, the line to get onto the platform curved all the way around the station and into a nearby neighborhood. D.C. Metro tweeted that travel to the march was more than three times as large as regular workday commutes. This became evident very soon, as I had to squeeze into a single Metro car with an absurd amount of people in vagina hats.

Upon entering D.C. I exited the Metro, only to be met with crowds so large they backed up the entire march route, causing it to be rerouted. The original estimate of people had increased so dramatically that protesters were perching in trees, bushes and on top of parked vehicles to get a good look at what was going on. So many vibrant women spoke and called us to action, and a few men took the stage as well, among them a rapper who stated that he was marching because, “It is because of our women that I am a man.”

Among the speakers were America Ferrera, Gloria Steinem, Michael Moore, Ashley Judd, Scarlett Johansson, Muhammad Ali’s daughter Maryum Ali and Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz. After their speeches, we were surprised by appearances by Alicia Keys – my role model since the age of 7 – Janelle Monae, Amy Schumer and Madonna.

The march to the White House began at 2:00 p.m. Collectively, half a million people chanted and laughed and loved their way to Pennsylvania Avenue, where a lawn party of sorts was taking place. At the end of the march route, thousands of people remained, talking to news reporters, smoking cigarettes, petting dogs and taking pictures of other people’s posters.

Over three million people worldwide marched for women’s rights and the advancement of marginalized and minority groups on Saturday. I have never been more proud or more hopeful.

Every year, JROTC hosts a formal ball for all members. Junior Jazmin Francl has attended every year, and the food and dancing is definitely remembered.

“[I love] the food. It’s formal food: chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes,” Francl said.

Dance lessons are also provided for anyone willing to learn, and most cadets appreciate how reasonable the dances are.

“[First] a teacher shows us the dance moves. We practice alone and then we practice with partners,” Francl said. Senior Jean-Pierre Mwami has attended all four years as well, and the dancing is his favorite part.

“[I enjoy] the dancing part, because dancing is fun,” Mwami said. “We learn some dances that we can actually use later on in life, like at weddings and stuff.”

With such a large scale event, responsibilities have to be taken on by some of the students; they form the ball committee.

“The people on the ball committee have to set everything up. [They] make sure everything’s paid for and all the food is ordered and all that stuff, so that’s pretty hard,” Mwami said.

The cadets appreciate the effort to give them a fun night together. It gives them an opportunity to mingle and have fun together outside of the normal military setting.

“[It’s] so that everyone gets to know each other. We all get to hang out in a formal setting [and] experience what a ball is like,” Mwami said.