February 15, 2024
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The Scoop
Is the Army Losing Their Inner Zyn?
By: Andrew Ellis
When you hear Zyn, you may be thinking of the well known phrase, “finding your inner zen”, which refers to a warm feeling of peace and tranquility. While that is the correct definition for “zen”, “zyn” is different.
Zyn is a nicotine pouch first introduced in the US in 2014. Owned by the company Swedish Match, Zyn was a major hit in America, but not just among your everyday civilians.
Much like other products of similar nature like dip, Zyn made it big in the military, especially amongst soldiers in the Army. The company saw a dramatic 62% increase in sales within the US over the past year, and much of this can be attributed to the military.
As both an addictive substance and also a very popular product amongst our nation’s soldiers, Zyn was sure to catch Congress’ eye.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is currently advocating to take action on the product saying, “It’s a pouch packed with problems– high levels of nicotine…” Senator Schumer states that it is a dangerous product with major health concerns. Since nicotine is a highly addictive substance, many Republican congressmen and women are pushing back.
In retaliation to Senator Schumer’s statements, Representative Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) said in a post, “Big Brother Schumer doesn’t want us to chew or smoke. Now he’s against an alternative that’s helped many quit. Come and take it!”
While the men and women in Congress are debating the health impacts of Zyn on civilians, especially teens, they neglect to bring up what would become a massive blow to the military.
As civilians, we can see the side of the issue that can affect us; however, we may have to dive deeper to find how decisions like these may impact everyone, including the military. I was able to speak to First Lieutenant (Lt.) Zachary Ellis to gather more on this topic from inside the Army.
“I was first introduced to Zyn during IBULC (Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course) in [Fort] Benning. Because smoking has drastically gone down in use in the military, there were two things that filled the gap, the first being dip and the second being Zyn.”
By the end of the 1990’s, the Department of Defense had put a hard stop to all smoking in government buildings, which included all military posts. This meant that if soldiers couldn’t smoke, they had to fill that void with something else. Zyn answered that call nearly ten years later.
“You’re always tired, you’re always hungry, you’re always in the field, so it was a good substitute for people when they had to stay up for days at a time, helped them not eat and helped them stay up,” said Lt. Ellis. When offered something that could accomplish these two things, what soldier could resist it?
However, while it may have seemed to benefit soldiers with their attentiveness and energy, it came with a detriment.
Lt. Ellis stated that Zyn especially affected younger soldiers and it was a major financial strain on them. While serving as a platoon leader with the 101st Airborne Division, he noticed that soldiers would complain and become sick when they went without their typical daily routine.
However, Zyn does not appear to affect their performance. “In terms of performance on the battlefield, I didn’t see a difference.”
But with select members of Congress pushing for a ban on Zyn, Lt. Ellis brought up a compelling argument: “[if] they are going to issue a ban, soldiers are gonna continue to use it for the next [few] months, and we’re gonna have to kick out a ton of soldiers because of that, and right now, we are desperate for soldiers.”
Any regulation of Zyn will have major impacts on the livelihoods of our nation’s soldiers. On one hand, Zyn is addictive, costly in the long run, and unhealthy. Yet on the other hand, it enhances their capabilities when they are needed the most, which could in turn protect them in dire situations.
As a leader in the US Army, Lt. Ellis made his final statements regarding Zyn: “If you haven’t started it, don’t. Even if it’s with your buddies, just realize that thing will own your life, mentally, physically, emotionally, it will become your master. If you haven’t started it, please do not start it. You won’t be looked at weird for not doing these things. Good people will actually respect the fact that you don’t have these addictions.”
It is now up to the American people and who we elect to decide what the next steps are.
Sources:
“Smokeless tobacco not permitted in workplace | Article | The United States Army.” Army.mil, 10 December 2010, https://www.army.mil/article/49281/smokeless_tobacco_not_permitted_in_workplace. Accessed 13 February 2024.
Zanger, Jesse. “Schumer calls for federal action on Zyn nicotine pouches.” CBS News, 24 January 2024, https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/schumer-calls-for-federal-action-on-zyn-nicotine-pouches/. Accessed 13 February 2024.
“Zyn Is Seeing a Huge Increase in US Sales.” Business Insider, 9 February 2024, https://www.businessinsider.com/zyn-nicotine-pouches-huge-increase-us-shipments-2024-2. Accessed 13 February 2024.
“’Zynsurrection’: GOP rallies behind Zyn nicotine pouches after Schumer call for action.” The Hill, 24 January 2024, https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4427760-gop-zyn-nicotine-pouches-schumer/. Accessed 13 February 2024.
The Body Positivity Movement and Its Effect on Body Image
By: Monica Truhe
“Body positivity is a social, worldwide movement focusing on equality and acceptance for all body types and sizes. One of the goals is to challenge how our society, particularly all forms of media, presents and views the physical human body,” according to Dr. Kristen Fuller, an author for verywellmind.com. In my experience, the body positivity movement has encouraged more posts on different social medias centering around representing many different kinds of bodies.
Although this sounds like a pure motive and a great idea, I believe it can turn sour. When we continue to place emphasis and importance on the body, we take away from what really matters in a person: their character, kindness, compassion, humor, and what and who they love.
65.5% of individuals surveyed at the NCLA thought that the body positivity movement was helpful. 13.8% thought that the body positivity movement was flat out harmful, and the rest had a mixed view. If they had a mixed opinion, students were asked to explain.
One student said, “I think the body positivity movement can be helpful to some, but to decenter the importance of how our bodies look, we should focus on body neutrality.” Another said, “I’d rather express body neutrality- inclusion of all body types is obviously important, but body positivity can always be twisted and still glorify the societal standard.”
Nick Swisher says, “They [body positivity influencers] do put emphasis more on the body than the person. I feel like in that situation, the only correct way to go about it is looking at the person. As long as they’re happy, why should we care what they look like?” Kaitlyn Parker says, “It’s definitely meant to help, but I think sometimes it can be more harmful because of the way that our brains are programmed.”
Megan Saxon says, “I think the body positivity movement…has the right idea, but I think it can do some harm. It’s almost like we are peer pressured into loving ourselves as we are, even if people want to make…healthy choices.”
Chelsie Orenstein says, “Body positivity does help. From my own experience with high school girls, they tend to compare themselves…body positivity can be a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing if we are just focusing on our bodies and not our personalities…what makes a person a person is not what they look like, it’s who they are, their character…it can be good, but it’s not going to solve the problem.”
Sophia Franks says, “The body positivity movement and my exposure to it has made me more accepting…It’s led me to see the people, the minds and the spirits, and not just the bodies. But, also, the body positivity movement has shifted a lot of my focus towards the body, as well. That can be a good thing and can be a bad thing. If you’re overexposed to constant conversation about body types it can lead to unhealthy obsession over your body type, no matter what type of body you have…I think it’s something that we need, but maybe not in quite the volume that it’s fed to us today.”
(This was published from a paper written in 2022)
Living
The Swifties Win It Again
By: Arthur Merchant
While most agree that no musicians have reached a point of cultural significance comparable to that of one particularly-British Fab Four, The Beatles; Taylor Swift is one that commonly comes up in the discussion of the most popular musicians since their time.
Beyond her achievements in being consistently (and impressively) relevant in the cultural sphere for multiple generations of listeners, as well as maintaining a loyal fanbase even 18 years after her 2006 debut, Swift has also received acclaim for her music beyond just its commercial success.
Some mere, “critical acclaim” may be an understatement, though.
The thing is, Swift hasn’t just won a few awards for her music. At this point in time, she holds the record for most “Album of the Year” wins at the Grammy awards; with 4 separate albums winning the certificate.
Those 4 albums consist of Fearless (2008), 1989 (2014), Folklore (2020), and Midnights (2022), with each album being recognized for its significance in the realms of country, pop, and folk music, respectively.
That last album, Midnights is the record that sealed Swift’s fate as being the first person to reach such levels of success at the Grammys. Midnights’ infectious blend of cleanly produced electropop and close-to-home lyrics managed to sweep both fans and the awards in Swift’s favor-leading to her becoming perhaps the single most significant popular musician of the past few years.
In the 64 years of its existence, no other artist in history has had such a successful time at the Grammy’s for their albums. From innovative jazz musicians to iconic stadium rockstars, Swift has somehow managed to (at least in this sense) trump them all.
Moving on from this momentous achievement to the release of her new album, titled: The Tortured Poets Department. The album is set to release on April 19th of 2024, and anticipation is brewing.
While information about the album is limited, there are some things to check out to have the record on your mind.
For starters, the album’s cover has been released; with a black and white photo that has a sleek, almost neo-Old Hollywood feel. It’s well photographed, and with its meticulous lighting and framing, may even leave a bit to be interpreted…
With that, music fans have seen a lot from Swift recently, and there appears to still be lots to look forward to on the horizon.
Sources:
“Taylor Swift.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Swift.
“Midnights.” Wikipedia, 20 Nov. 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnights.
“The Tortured Poets Department.” Wikipedia, 13 Feb. 2024,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tortured_Poets_Department.
ABBY SMITH, 10TH GRADE
Self Portrait
“[Abby] suddenly got the idea for this piece after sketching photos of [herself]. Except these photos were taken when [she] was in the lowest point of [her] life. The thought of looking back and acknowledging how others saw [her] at [her] lowest was an eye-opening idea, so [she] wanted to create a piece that portrayed that. Chiaroscuro style paintings is what really inspired [her], with the dramatic lighting helping draw viewer’s eyes to things they might not focus on otherwise. With these ideas combined, [she] was able to create this painting in the hopes that others would come to recognize that it’s hard to read exactly how others are feeling, but not because of a lack of empathy but because it’s easy for us to mask our emotions.”
Black History Month: A Celebration of Influential Leaders Throughout History
By: Wenda McLaurin
February is known as the month of love, the month of Valentine’s Day. But it’s not only known for that, other events, including Black History Month are also celebrated.
Black History Month is the annual celebration of achievements by African Americans, and it’s a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. It’s been officially recognized by the United States, Canada, and recently by Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The concept of Black History Month started with Carter G. Woodson. Woodson was an African American writer and historian who was also known as the ‘Father of Black History.’ He was also known as a scholar who was dedicated to celebrating the historic contributions of Black people.
In 1926 he launched “Negro History Week” in the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln, who was influential in the emancipation of slaves, and Frederick Douglass, a prominent leader in the abolitionist movement. His concept was later expanded to Black History Month.
Many important figures in history have been recognized for their achievements, relating to any category. Many of them are well-known by multiple generations, such as MLK Jr., Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, and so many more! However, there’s so many figures now that are influential to this month, such as Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, or Kentanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court. Regardless, these figures have made significant contributions to the United States, which altered our history.
Many organizations have advocated for African Americans, including the NAACP, which stands for the “National Association for the Advancement of Colored People”. It is a civil rights organization that was formed in 1909. Its current goal is to advocate for civil rights and social justice, as well as achieve equity and social inclusion that eliminate discrimination.
A history teacher at the NCLA, Ms. Chelsie Orenstein, has created a project for her AP World students. Students are tasked with writing about an influential historical African American figure. When asked about how she sees Black History Month, she explained that African American figures in history are important, and she wants to show how much they have overcome, despite diversity. She added that it’s especially important if students in her class are in the same ethnic group as the leader, which promotes inspiration. “If I don’t do that, I feel I’m not really doing my job!” she added, chuckling.
Many African Americans are celebrating right now, proud of their heritage and their ancestors. Regardless of whether it’s February or not, we should all acknowledge the accomplishments of Black people, and honor the many people who have paved the way for future generations.
Sources:
“Amanda Gorman.” Amanda Gorman, www.theamandagorman.com.
“Carter G. Woodson.” Biography, 28 Dec. 2023, www.biography.com/scholars-educators/carter-g-woodson.
Franklin, Jonathan. “Here’s the Story Behind Black History Month — and Why It’s Celebrated in February.” NPR, 1 Feb. 2022, www.npr.org/2022/02/01/1075623826/why-is-february-black-history-month#:~:text=It%20was%20Carter%20G.,Life%20and%20History%20(ASALH).
NAACP. “About.” NAACP, 15 Feb. 2023, naacp.org/about.
NAACP. “Carter G. Woodson.” NAACP, 17 Feb. 2023, naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/civil-rights-leaders/carter-g-woodson.
—. “The Historic Nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.” NAACP, 17 Mar. 2022, naacp.org/resources/historic-nomination-ketanji-brown-jackson-supreme-court.
U.S. Economic Development Administration. “Celebrating Black History Month.” U.S. EDA, Feb. 1, 2023, https://www.eda.gov/news/blog/2023/02/01/blog-eda-celebrates-black-history-month
Mean Girls the Musical, “Yay or Nay?”
By: Hannah Simcic
As the rise in remaking movies has gained popularity, so has turning them into musicals. The new remake of Mean Girls came out this past January, and it turned out to be a musical rendition of the original film.
Many thought the idea of making it a musical took away from the excitement of the movie as a whole. Others say that it was corny and was a mockery of the original 2004 film.
Sarah Hernandez says, “It took away the whole meaning of the movie, they tried to make the movie more inclusive to all which was cool, but took away the stereotypical mean girl portrayal in the original Mean Girls.”
With that being said there were many who still enjoyed the musical aspect of it, connecting it to the actual broadway production.
Angie Peterson says, “They had a very difficult task on their hands since both pieces are so beloved but as a huge fan of the original and a huge fan of the musical I really liked it!”
In my opinion, the movie was a bit cringy with its Gen-Z flair, trying to make it “cool” and “relatable”. I feel that it could’ve been done in a better manner which would have made the movie flow better and portray the message they were trying to convey.
As for the musical aspect, the songs were very upbeat and entertaining. The majority of them met the vibes of the scenes in the new movie and the old one.
The movie was just over two hours long, which I felt was a bit long for what the movie was; some moments dragged on, while others were barely even touched on. It took away some of the comedic moments which the original had.
Overall the movie has gotten a pretty even rating of loving it or hating it. Its Rotten Tomatoes rating has come to a 70%, or a 6.2/10. It seems that people are either loving it or hating it, there’s no real in between.
Will you go out and see it for yourself?
Inside the NCLA
Study Habits @theNCLA
By: Carsyn Queen
With a reputation of academic excellence, the NCLA strives to create a community of hard working students and challenging classes. I asked the high school Falcons how they study for their rigorous courses. With 45.3% of the student body responding (55.2% of freshmen, 37.9% of sophomores, 39.5% of juniors, 51.0% of seniors), here is what they said:
Discluding freshmen (who cannot take AP courses), the high school Falcons take 1.7 Advanced Placement classes on average. 7.7% of high schoolers take 5 AP classes- representing the high expectations placed on students at the NCLA.
It seems the hardest courses are the sciences as 41.4% of Falcons report spending the most time studying for those classes (ex. chemistry, AP Chemistry, biology, etc.). Math seems to follow soon after, with 32.2% of high schoolers spending the most studying for their math class.
However, 90% of the NCLA’s high school students study for at least one of their classes. 60.0% of students study for their English class, 78.6% for math, 72.8% for science, 33.5% for history, 9.3% for AP Seminar/AP Research, and 17.9% for an academic elective.
37.1% of those surveyed use practice problems to study. Many report using games such as Blooket and Quizizz to help them prepare for assessments in a fun way. 34.3% review their notes, many of which rewrite or read their notes out loud to aid in memorization.
12.1% of high schoolers report studying every day. 22.9% claim to study between 1 and 4 times a week. 10.7% of Falcons study once every 2 to 3 weeks. 10.0% study about once a month. A plurality of NCLA high schoolers (34.3%) study in preparation for an assessment.
74.3% of students listen to music or other audio during their study sessions while the other 25.7% prefer silence.
It seems that about half of the Falcons that responded study best when alone while the other half prefer the help of others.
Struggles of Junior Year
By: Sarah Hernandez and Alyssa Hopkins
Underclassmen- junior year is quickly approaching. You’re probably thinking, “Nah, I got time,” and maybe you do, but we promise that knowing a little bit more about what’s coming will help you feel more prepared.
Being juniors this year has given us a whole new respect for what all the previous upperclassmen were talking about when they complained about what needed to be done during the duration of junior year, but there is no reason to be scared. We’ve collected some data and asked current juniors and seniors about what their experience was so you can gain further insight. Overall we want to help you become the best junior you can be and have fewer struggles than we did. We want to allow you to really learn and understand what might be best for you in your amazing junior year!
Here’s a rundown on what classes and extracurriculars may be best for you, if dual enrollment is for you, how hard AP classes are, and how to manage all the workload from your classes to be able to give you the best junior year experience.
First, let’s look at how juniors and seniors have rated their junior year to give you some perspective on how junior year might be. Looking at a poll sent out, 11 students rated their junior year a 3 out of 10. This means that junior year can be difficult for some and it may take a bit more work. However, 10 have called junior year a 6 out of 10, so there is still hope for an okay and fun experience. It’s really all about the attitude you have towards your work and strive.
A lot of what affects your junior experience will be the classes that you decide to take. Looking specifically at AP classes, polled students have said that AP Chemistry, AP Language, and AP Physics are the hardest classes out of all of them. So if you plan on taking these classes, know to put in more effort and pay close attention to these classes. Even if some classes are hard, it’s important to push yourself a bit harder if you know that you can handle a higher level than standard or honors classes. Find what you feel you will do best in. Don’t feel pressured to take the higher classes, you know yourself and your limits best.
Other classes that have been mentioned as being a bit more challenging would be Math 3 Honors, Honors Chemistry, and English 3. Although some may feel like these are hard classes, it depends on how you personally are as a student. So, if you know you struggle most in math, take some more time to really study up on that class.
Looking at dual enrollment from the students that took the poll, over 50% of them did take FTCC. It is a good reminder to know that these classes are now all online and asynchronous! It will be extremely different from having a teacher in the same space. You will be learning the curriculum by yourself and it is on you to keep up with these classes and know what to do. From what we have gathered, taking Public Speaking in FTCC can be difficult with it’s a heavy workload, so remember this before deciding if this is the class for you. Dual enrollment is an amazing opportunity that our school provides to us. It’s really nice if you like getting ahead, but you also shouldn’t feel pressured to take it.
Junior year is also the year that college preparation begins. Discussion about the future can be stressful, but remember that you are not alone. It’s okay to ask questions and get answers about what you aren’t sure about. It’s okay to not know what you are planning to do just yet, but begin forming ideas and thoughts about what you want to do. One of the most helpful things for us when thinking about our future was to think about what we were passionate about!
We also know that academic pressure can be stressful and junior year may be a struggle at times. The University of New Hampshire has spoken about this topic and here are some helpful strategies that can help you relieve some of this stress. Positive-self talk is important! It’s good every once in a while to cut yourself some slack and remind yourself to have a positive outlook. If you do badly on one test, it’s okay to be disappointed, but don’t beat yourself up about it! It’s in the past, and now it’s time to focus on the future. So shake it off and move on to what will help you improve! Practicing self care can be the best step to take. Not everything will be about your academics and it is good to just take a few moments to take care of yourself.
None of this can be achieved without having some academic strive. This is a very important part of your highschool experience. Work hard for what you want and don’t give up! It’s up to you to find your best self and work on what you feel will get you where you need to go. Yes, junior year will be a struggle, but it will all be worth it in the end. I promise, you’ve got this!
Sources:
“Academic Stress: Coping Strategies | Psychological & Counseling Services.” University of New Hampshire, https://www.unh.edu/pacs/academic-stress-coping-strategies. Accessed 12 February 2024.
Feeding Hearts
By: Kaitlyn Parker
The NCLA’s High School Student Council decided to host a food drive for Valentines Day. The drive was thought of in hopes of uniting everyone to provide for the less fortunate throughout the month of February.
The drive took place from February 12th to February 16th. The whole school got involved with this drive and donations were made by kindergartners all the way up to seniors. It was a way to get the whole school involved and give back to the community.
All of the cans donated from this week’s food drive will be donated to Crisis Control to help with their food assistance program. Crisis Control is a local non-profit organization that works to provide for those in need from Forsyth and Stokes county.
Crisis Control works to help families who are experiencing a financial crisis. They run a client choice food pantry where the families come in and pick out their own food based on preferences.
This kind of food pantry is unique because it allows the individuals to pick out their own food. They get enough to last two weeks and they are able to get things they would enjoy eating. When people come in they typically get more than sixty items from the pantry.
Pantries like the one run by Crisis Control Ministries are important because they provide food for families in times of need. No one can expect when a crisis is going to strike or when they are not going to be able to provide for their families. People can lose their jobs or make a bad investment and be stuck with large financial burdens.
333,991 pounds of food were donated by Crisis Control in 2022 and they continue to support the community today. They are only able to provide food for these people with the help of donations that often come from drives just like the one our school is doing.
As Crisis Control works to help our community, we want to help be a part of the impact they make in 2024.
Sources:
Crisis Control Ministry. “Food Assistance.” Crisis Control Ministry, 2024, https://www.crisiscontrol.org/. Accessed February 2024.
Senior Night: A Picture In Time
By: Hermiony Wisnasky
Last week was senior night for the men and women’s basketball teams as well as the varsity cheer squad. Sadly we lost all three games, the score for JV was 39-54, 58-75 for women’s varsity and 32-43 for men’s varsity.
Carver definitely spoke their opinions about our school and team, lots of bantering across the gym between our student section and their parent/student section took place on Friday night.
The varsity cheerleaders came onto the court with a new dance, choreographed by their coach Jurne Smith. They performed to “…Ready For It?” by Taylor Swift in honor of the new album she just released.
In between the varsity women’s game and varsity men’s game, the seniors were called out to the court to be honored. This year’s basketball and cheer seniors were William Martin, Addison Guldberg, Emmerson Guldberg, Natalie Burns, Christian Caldwell, Sophia Dolesh, Nicholas Swisher, and Brecklyn Wilson.
We were able to show a little appreciation to the seniors on the women’s basketball team Friday night.
Our first senior was Emmerson Guldberg. E. Guldberg has been playing basketball for seven years, since 6th grade. She said some of her favorite memories this season were “eating team meals before each game”. Another one of E. Guldberg’s favorite memories was when the women’s basketball team had the opportunity to meet with a team from Australia and exchange cultures.
E. Guldberg is going to miss the “simple moments of basketball, bus rides, and practice”. She does not plan on pursuing basketball in the future and is going to miss playing sports at NCLA when she graduates. She plans on attending Chapel Hill. She plans to pursue a major in mathematics and statistics.
Our other women’s basketball senior is Addison Guldberg.
A. Guldberg has been playing basketball for five years. She says her passion for basketball started her eighth grade year.
Some of A. Guldberg’s favorite memories were “team summer trips and team dinners before each game”. She is going to miss her coaches and the leadership role she had on her team. A. Guldberg says, “I love my teammates, and our relationships are going to be hard to leave behind”. She is planning to attend Wisconsin Lutheran College to attend their nursing program. She is thinking about joining the D3 basketball team in fall of next year. Otherwise, she would love participating in intramurals at her school.
E. Guldberg and A. Guldberg have played volleyball, basketball, and soccer with each other all throughout high school. A. Guldberg said, “We are splitting up for college, but I’m excited to see what the future holds for us!” The twins were the only seniors on the women’s varsity basketball team this year. Their leadership, courage, and overall skill in the game will be missed.
The varsity cheer squad was also recognized in between games on Friday.
Senior Christian Caldwell was one of the only male cheerleaders on the NCLA squad this year.
Caldwell’s inspiration for cheering his senior year was his father, who cheered in college. He was able to push himself outside of his comfort zone, as he was used to running.
Some of Caldwell’s favorite memories this season were “when the team was struggling to get a dance or cheer down, and they would all come together and help each other out”. He said he is going to miss, “the team’s hard work, teamwork, and the overall happy moral of the team”.
When Caldwell graduates, he plans to attend either NC State, HPU, or Embry Riddle Aeronautics. He also plans on doing track and field in spring at college.
Natalie Burns, one of the squad’s captains, is also graduating this year.
Burns wanted to cheer this year because she “loved doing cheer in the past, loves to support our men and womens basketball teams, and loves learning dances with [her] teammates.”
Some things she is going to miss about cheering for the NCLA are her teammates and the bus rides to-and-from the games.
She has been cheering since 7th grade, and performed a cheer routine at the ACC Championship in the Bank of America Stadium when she was just a sophomore.
Burns plans on going to a four year university to pursue pre-dental or nursing. Her top choices right now are Clemson University, UNC Charlotte, and Wofford. She led the NCLA varsity cheer squad and showed great leadership this year. She is an outstanding role model with a great future ahead.
Senior night was a full night with a packed student section as many students and teachers came out to support our seniors. We cannot wait to see where their next chapter takes them.
Sports
Superbowl LVII: San Francisco 49’ers Vs. Kansas City Chiefs
By: Aiella Dorsinville and Hannah Charleville
Super Bowl LVII just ended and what a game it was! The final game of the NFL season was played by reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the challengers, the San Francisco 49ers. This Super Bowl has gained significant media attraction, being a rematch of Super Bowl LVI, with Kansas City coming home with the trophy on both occasions. Due to the Chiefs previous win against the 49ers in the Super Bowl of the 2019 season and the 2023 season stats for both teams, most analysts predicted the Chiefs to be the favorites.
According to 64 NFL reporters, the Chiefs were favored by 49 of them (76.6%), while the 49ers claimed 15 votes (23.4%). The most common predicted final scores were 27-24 and 27-21, with 52 experts claiming the game would be decided by a touchdown or less. We can officially say that these predictions were correct as the Chiefs won in overtime 25-22. It was a very close game, with the 49ers leading in the 4th quarter 19-16. However, a successful field goal by Chiefs’ kicker, Harrison Hutker, made the score 19-19.
As the game went into overtime the audience was made aware of the new rules that were in play. The new rules are as follows: both teams will have the opportunity to possess the ball; if the score is tied after the first possession, the next score will win the game; 3 timeouts per team per 2 periods; and there will be no coach challenges as all reviews will be initiated by the replay official. Overtime is considered a whole new game and the 49ers started with ball possession after winning the coin toss, much like they did at the start of the game.
The first score of overtime was a field goal made by Jake Moody of the 49ers bringing the game to 22-19. But with three seconds left on the clock, Patrick Mahomes completed a game winning touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman, making the final score 25-22 in the Chiefs’ favor. Congratulations to the Chiefs on their hard fought, back to back Super Bowl victories! Can they do it again in Super Bowl LIX?
Sources:
ESPN Staff “Super Bowl picks: Experts predict 49ers-Chiefs score, MVP” “NFL” February 7th 2024
Student Submissions
We asked the NCLA’s most creative minds:
What makes a good babysitter?
Ms. Hall’s 3rd Grade Class
