October 12, 2023.
Calling all Swifties! By TOMORROW, October 13th:
Win 2 Tickets
The Falcon Leader has teamed up with Trex Cinemas in Kernersville to giveaway 2 tickets, 2 drinks and popcorn (souvenir bucket) to the Taylor Swift “THE ERAS TOUR” Movie! The Era Tour Movie tickets will be available for Saturday, October 14th, or Sunday, October 15th at Trex Cinemas in Kernersville.
To win, here’s what you do:
- Go to https://receiptify.herokuapp.com
- Once here, log in and select the 6 months option.
- Take a screenshot of your “receipt” and share it with us through email, thefalconleader@thencla.org.
- We will selected individuals, and determine our winner!
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13TH! ONCE THE WINNER IS ANNOUNCED, THE FALCON LEADER WILL BE IN CONTACT WITH YOU TO GET THE TICKETS TO YOU!
Thank you to the Trex Cinema for partnering with us!
Follow https//: www.trexcinema4.com on Facebook and Instagram for more movie information!
Sports
Falcon Soccer
By: Cooper Wingate
Soccer has quickly become a fan favorite sport at the NCLA. The boy’s soccer team added to their win column, improving their conference record to 5-3 after Thursday night’s shutout over Piedmont Classical. Maintaining dominance throughout the entirety of the game, Thursday’s game gives the Falcons back to back conference wins at home.
Junior Ethan Parker led the offense, scoring an electric set of goals and making intense plays on defense. Parker discussed the game after, saying, “I’m proud of the team, everybody came to play . . . we’re all happy.” 
The team had four other goalscorers, including juniors Elhias Leon and Donovan Roberts, sophomore Will Bovender, and freshman Kenan Truhe. “It was a great game,” Leon told our reporters when asked about the team effort. The team’s will to win is obviously a priority for the players; “I would rather have a goal than a working car,” Roberts said after his car broke down post match.
The team has faced a very strong schedule with more exciting matchups to come. Currently ranked 4th in the conference and 11th in the region, our boys team has provided outstanding performances all across the board and continues to face tough competition every match.
Their next home game is against Millennium Charter Academy on October 10th. Show up and show out with support for your Falcons!
Falcon’s Support Breast Cancer Awareness
By: Hannah Simcic
On Wednesday October 4th, NCLA’s very own volleyball team supported breast cancer awareness month by giving Mrs.BG, a breast cancer survivor, the first serve of the volleyball game. “I welled up in tears because no one has asked me to do this before,” said Mrs.BG.
The student support encouraged an even closer bond on the team, allowing them to honor those they know suffering with breast cancer. This experience was a big moment for NCLA as a whole, being that it is the first time the athletic department has done anything like this.
The support from the whole school was amazing; “The support from both Falcon Fever and parents was beyond amazing and it was definitely the best turnout so far this season. It was nice to see the school community get together for such a good cause,” said Addy Guldberg.
Kaitlyn Taylor says, “Sharing our experiences with loved ones we know who had cancer or breast cancer and the support we gave each other was very special.”
“It’s nice that the students acknowledge the disease and the long journey it is for so many survivors,” said Mrs. BG.
Ms. BG, a tenured teacher at the NCLA and breast cancer survivor, said she was diagnosed in 2017. She received treatment and surgery the same year. She has been cancer free for 6 years now. The support of her family and friends was what kept her going throughout her struggle. Her advice to those struggling with cancer is to, “lean on friends and family as much as possible.”
Photo of Ms. BG serving the first serve at the October 4th NCLA volleyball game.
Photo Credits: Mr. Gonzalez
Emmy Guldberg says to those struggling with cancer, “You are so strong, and we aren’t playing this volleyball game for ourselves, but to honor you.”
NCLA’s support for those struggling with breast cancer meant the world to many, including Mrs. BG. October is breast cancer awareness month. If you know someone struggling with breast cancer, its an opportunity to give them your support and let them know you are there for them.
Student Submissions
Hear from the NCLA’s most creative minds on:
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Ms. Parker’s 3rd grade class says:
Lia Esquivel
I want to be a cosmetologist wen I grow up. I want to be this because I can cinda be like my mom. Another reason I want to be a cosmetologist is I am already good at it.
Tanner Sparks
When I grow up I want to be a football player. The posishon I want to be a wide recver so I can score all the touchdowns. This is what I want to be when I grow up.
Harmoni Harris
When I grow up I want to be a famous baseball player that bats because I will make homeruns and run all the bases. Secendll so I can run really fast. Last, so I can cheer on my teammates when it’s there turn.
Gabriella Norton
When I grow up I want to be a hair stitylist when I grow up. I like doing hair so much. I do my mom hair Lisa a lot. I hope I can be one onday. I hope you want to be one onday. I hope you have been enspied.
Ms. Collins’ 1st grade class says:
The Scoop
The *Carolina* Classic
By: Wenda Mclaurin
In the state of North Carolina, many activities are open to the public to allow families and loved ones to have fun. One of the more commonly known activities is the annual Carolina Classic Fair, which includes games, food, rides, and so much more!
However, the Carolina Classic Fair wasn’t always its name. From 1956 to 2019, it was more commonly known as the Dixie Classic Fair. While the fair itself didn’t change much, the name change raised some eyebrows, and made people curious.
According to the Carolina Classic Fair itself, the building was named in recognition of Neil Bolton, who was the fair manager from 1956 until his death in 1972. Even before this, the fair’s previous name was the Winston-Salem Fair; however, this changed after Bolton’s passing.
There is one reason for this name change. According to NPR (National Public Radio), the Winston-Salem Council voted to change the because “Dixie” evokes images of slavery and segregation from the Confederate States of America.
While some people are content with the name change, others are either indifferent or they aren’t happy with it at all. I began to speak to the NCLA student body to hear their opinions on this change.
In the opinion of sophomore Caroline Sweat, “I just think that changing the name of the fair when the fair itself isn’t actually changed is overall beneficial. Especially when the previous name could be seen as offensive to certain groups of people. I don’t think that the name change affected the fair itself, so I’m supportive of the change to the Carolina Classic Fair!”
While not everyone agrees with this specific change to the fair, everyone can agree that the fair is a place for true entertainment and will surely give the public a fun time!
Fifi the Falcon- Spooky Season
By: V.R.
Inside the NCLA
The Pulsera Project- An Artisan’s Gift to Us
By: Finley Foust
The Pulsera Project is a nonprofit organization that helps bridge Central American artists to U.S. schools.
Last year the NCLA raised over $2,000 to help support and employ Central American artisans. This bracelet sale was sponsored by the NCLA’s Spanish Honor Society, La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica.
As a thank you gift, the organization sent us a pair of handcrafted maracas. These maracas were hand-carved in the Masaya region of Nicaragua.
Our beloved Spanish Teacher, Shannon Maggard, is the leader of this touching project. She is involved in planning and organizing her Spanish students to help participate in earning money for people in need.
Mrs. Maggard has been involved in The Pulsera Project for many years. She said in an interview that “[She has] seen first hand the impact that jobs and resources can have on poor communities in a third world country. [She loves] what The Pulsera Project stands for.”
Mrs. Maggard love The Pulsera Project, but it also contributes to a long lasting effect on the students. Mrs. Maggard has stated, “[Students] can gain a deeper understanding of social responsibility by actively contributing to a cause. Selling bracelets can teach entrepreneurship skills, from marketing and sales to managing finances.”
This project clearly establishes a lot to be learned, but let’s hear it from a Falcon and member of the student council, Monica Truhe. She says, “It was super cool to be a part of this project. It was awesome to get to know the organization and read about some of the women we were helping by selling the bracelets.”
This project creates a wonderful environment for students to help the less fortunate all while building skills they will need for their future.
Learn more about the Pulsera Project here! https://www.pulseraproject.org/
Falcon’s Ghostly Beliefs
By: Carsyn Queen
With Halloween quickly approaching and spooky season upon us, the debate over whether or not ghosts exist is ramping up once again.
In my search to find the truth, I turned to the NCLA’s very own high school Falcons. 46.2% of our high school students believe in ghosts which is about 10% more than the general US according to statistica.
Many believers cite their personal experiences as proof of the supernatural. One Falcon told of conversations with a great-grandmother as a young child only to find out that the great-grandmother they were talking to had died years prior.
Another high schooler explained that as a 10-year-old, they heard a noise in the kitchen at a sleepover. When they went to investigate, there was a “static-y figure that followed [them] back to [their] sleeping bag.”
Another Falcon and student council member, Joey Mattingly, believes in ghosts despite never having any first-hand encounters. Mattingly has, however, “witness[ed] the terror that set over a few individuals after their encounters.”
Other spooky supporters offer their religious beliefs as the reason for their faith in ghosts. A student described their belief in “soul cycles,” “If someone’s life is cut short, they aren’t able to complete the cycle and have to go through it elsewhere.”
Some believers rely only on faith and the inevitability of the mysterious as reasoning for the existence of ghosts.
Nick Swisher, a member of the NCLA student council, believes because “[he] just [hasn’t] thought of a reason to not believe in ghosts. [They] make sense to exist. There are plenty of strange phenomena that happen in the world and to not consider ghosts as one of them has just never crossed [his] mind. It’s such a fascinating topic and really does have an in-depth history.” Swisher further continued to highlight the more lighthearted aspects of believing; “Life would be boring if we didn’t think something spooky could happen.”
Many of the dissenting 53.8% blame the ease of ignoring the possibility- and fear- of ghosts.
Long-time Falcon, Andrew Ellis, just thinks, “It’s just one less thing to think about.”
One high schooler, Christopher Cornejo simply stated “[Ghosts] would be pretty spooky if they were real.”
Others don’t believe in ghosts due to the fact that they haven’t witnessed anything supernatural. One student, Finley Foust, “[doesn’t] believe in ghosts because of the lack of personal experience related to it.”
Some of the more scientific non-believers think that there isn’t enough evidence to prove the existence of ghosts. One such Falcon, senior Sophia Franks, “[doesn’t] believe in ghosts. [She] think[s] they’re a cute idea, born of people’s love for someone who’s passed away, but [Franks] think[s] there’s really no evidence that they’re actually there.”
After asking our high school Falcons, I’m still not sure whether or not ghosts exist. Do those with unfinished business walk among us? Do the undead watch our every move? Are we surrounded by the souls of those from years past? Maybe we’ll never know- but some of our Falcons seem to have decided for themselves.
Kersey Valley Through a 3rd Grader’s Eyes
By: Kaitlyn Parker
Kersey valley is an adventure park in Archdale, North Carolina. Children of all ages have gone to Kersey Valley for years as they were immersed in all kinds of fall festivities.
When someone says Kersey Valley, the first thing we think about is often Spooky Woods and all the fright that this attraction produces as we near Halloween.
However, Kersey Valley is also a nostalgic place that most of us visited as elementary schoolers. It is full of fun, from pumpkin patches to corn mazes to giant bouncing pillows.
The NCLA’s 3rd graders went on a field trip this past week to Kersey Valley. They had a full day of activities from bee shows to corn mazes to tram rides.
Kersey Valley has become a tradition for the NCLA’s 3rd graders. They have gone for the past 7 years. “We’ve done [Kersey Valley] in the past and always really enjoy it,” said Ms. Amber Parker, one of the NCLA’s 3rd grade teachers.
The corn maze is the highlight of many student’s experiences. However, they do often find it challenging. One of the 3rd grade students, Kaaraj Hunjan, reflects on the corn maze saying that it was hard because, “We didn’t have a map and we didn’t know where to go.” The corn maze is meant to be challenging because that is the part the students often learn from. Ms. Parker said, “They have to use problem solving skills in the corn maze and work together.”
The students had a lesson on honey bees in which they learned about how bees contribute to our ecosystem and ultimately our survival. NCLA’s 3rd grader, Gabby Norton, says they even, “got to take home honey,” which was a highlight of the trip for many students.
Third grader, Cora Donardt, said she thought the pumpkin patch was the best part of the field trip. Many other students agreed with Donardt and were excited that they got to explore the patch. The students all got to pick out a small pumpkin that they were allowed to take home with them.
The students had the opportunity to ride on a tram while at Kersey Valley as well. Ms. Parker said this was her favorite part of the trip because it gave her a quiet time to get to talk with the students.
The third graders got to explore many different fall activities while at Kersey Valley and they learned about working together and about the ways the different parts of our ecosystem work together.
Kersey Valley will always be a place that many of us treasure because of the memories we made there as a child and our third graders got to go on many of those same adventures this week.
Living
Friday the 13th
By: Sophia Franks
For the first time since this past January, the next 13th of the month happens to fall on a Friday.
For hundreds of years, Friday the 13th has been surrounded by superstition. According to folklore, the day is a sign of bad luck and inauspicious timing as severe as walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror, or having a black cat cross your path. Additionally, any other misfortune is supposedly multiplied by seven if it occurs on Friday the 13th.
But how did this superstition come about? Some of the earliest reasons include the number of guests at the Last Supper (13- often Judas the traitor is counted as the thirteenth guest), the arrest of a group of Knights Templar on a Friday the 13th, and the fact that the Code of Hammurabi left out a thirteenth item. The superstition was solidified in 1907 with the release of the novel “Friday, the Thirteenth”, which describes a stock market crash on a Friday the 13th.
After the book’s release, other instances of popular media made the tradition a bit more common. Main contributors were the “Friday the 13th” movies and “The Da Vinci Code”.
Today, the belief is widely counted as a silly and irrational fear. However, for some people who have friggatriskaidekaphobia, the fear is very real. The superstition of Friday the 13th has never had much of a logical backing, but there have been several events that believers consider to be proof of its misfortune.
On Friday the 13th of different years, Buckingham Palace was bombed during WWII, the Coronavirus pandemic officially began, the largest passenger ship wreck ever occurred, two flights crashed on the same day with only two survivors, and Australia experienced horrible wildfires.
Friday the 13th may be just a superstition, but there are plenty of coincidental events that could be used to argue otherwise. Either way, be careful out there this Friday, and avoid those mirrors!
BY: FINLEY FOUST
A Woman of the Day
“[Finley] drew this piece during [her] intermediate art class last year, and it was the first time [she] took a portrait seriously. [Finley] truly enjoyed creating this piece with one of [her] favorite mediums, Prismacolor pencils.”