September 28, 2023.
Calling all Swifties!
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!
Thank you to the Trex Cinema for partnering with us!
Follow https//: www.trexcinema4.com on Facebook and Instagram for more movie information!
Sports
The Landphair Rivalry
By: Hannah Simcic
Powderpuff is quickly approaching, and it’s creating tense competition between the grades.
The competition begins with Landphairs Army vs. The Herricanes, coached by the school’s favorite couple, Mr. and Mrs. Landphair. Mr. Landphair leads the upperclassmen and Mrs. Landphair leads the lowerclassmen.
The rivalry doesn’t just occur between the grade levels but between the couple as well. Mr. Landphair says “We’re both competitive and want to win,” but they don’t let it affect their home life. Mrs. Landphair says, “ It has smoothed out since the first year. The first game had lots of tension. Mr. Landphair learned his lesson though. If he’s smart, he’ll play fair.”
When asked where the kids, Mason (6) and Poppy (3), stand on who’s going to win, Mason is rooting for The Herricanes and Poppy is rooting for Landphairs’ Army. There may be a divide between the family on this but they don’t let it affect their dynamic.
56.4% of the high school student body predicts that Landphairs’ Army will take the win while 43.6% predicts that The Herricanes are going to come out on top, according to a poll. Mr. Landphair, coach of Landphairs’ Army, says that he is most excited about, “having a good game and watching the girls have fun.”
Mrs. Landphair, coach of The Herricanes, says, “The night of the game is super exciting, energy is high and I’m excited for everyone to have a good time.” Savannah Carter, one of the captains of Landphairs’ Army, is most excited about winning, playing with teammates, and the amazing atmosphere of the group.
Naomi Brannan, one of the captains for The Herricanes, is most excited for the event as a whole, but “can’t wait to be able to bond with people and create stronger friendships.”
Savannah Carter and Emmy Guldberg are the captains of Landphairs’ Army. When interviewed about how prepared they feel the team is, Carter said, “We are prepared with good plays and confidence.”
Photo Credits: Lauren Day
Naomi Brannan and Charlotte Pugh are the captains of The Herricanes. When interviewed about their preparedness, Brannan said, “It’s hard to tell if the team will be prepared for powderpuff. There are only two optional practices scheduled, so it just depends on if the girls choose to go to them. But I believe that everyone will try their hardest to be the best players they can be.”
When interviewed, the captains were asked if they had any words for the opposing teams. Carter, captain of Landphairs’ Army, said “Be ready to be sad!” Brannan, captain of The Herricanes, said “I hope the upperclassmen are ready for an intense yet civil game.” Though tensions may be high between the teams, there is still a mutual desire to win as well as good sportsmanship throughout.
As a word of encouragement, Mr. Landphair says to his girls in Landphairs’ Army, “The most important thing about the game is to have fun with your friends. Life isn’t about winning or losing but who you share your time with and how you can make the most of your time with them. If you leave it all out on the field and have fun, this will be a happy lifetime memory.”
Carter says, “Be confident in the plays and know, this is a fun experience that we can take away from our senior year.” Mrs. Landphair says to her girls in The Herricanes, “Go out and have a good time. Don’t worry about not having played. It’s not about that, it’s about the experience of a team and going out there and having a good time.” Brannan says, “ I will pump everyone up and make sure each player is having fun. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if we win or lose as long as we have a good time!”
Powderpuff is coming up quickly. Be ready to support your team on October 28th at 7 PM. Bring the support and competitiveness to the game. Be ready for a night of fun and excitement!
BY: ABIGAIL JONES
NCLA Volleyball
Girls volleyball is one of the many fall sports that the NCLA has to offer, beginning in the middle of August and ending in early October.
As the season draws to an end, let’s take a look at how the teams have done so far.
The junior varsity team has faced a tough schedule with plenty of strong opponents. One of the team’s favorite games so far has been their win against Millenium Charter last week.
The varsity team has done very well, compiling a record of 13 wins and only one loss. The highlight of their season so far was their win against Bishop McGuinness, and there is lots of anticipation for the rematch against the Lady Villain’s next week.
The Scoop
The Sudanese Civil War
By: Carsyn Queen
Sudan, a country in North East Africa, is fighting to restore civilian power in an authoritative government.
The civil war in Sudan is continuing to cause injuries and take lives as over 4,000 people have died and 6,000 more have been hurt in the conflict. The war that began in mid April of this year has displaced 4 million Sudanese civilians with as many as 1.1 million fleeing the country, according to CNN.
Following a long history of rebellion, the Sudanese people are continuing their fight against a forceful and unjust government in the latest of 35 coups in Sudan’s modern history. These attempts to overthrow the government- while not always successful- are the primary method of regime change in the country.
While Sudan is officially a democratic republic, the people are powerless under the oppressive rule. Thus, the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group that was formerly run by the government of Sudan but now are a powerful force in Sudanese politics, are fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces, the official military of Sudan, in an attempt to restore civilian’s power in government by integrating the RSF into the country’s military.
There is currently no evidence of an agreement nor victory to end this war any time soon.
Fifi
By: V.R.
Inside the NCLA
Getting to Know NCLA Students
By: Jay Tyson
Let’s get to know our student body! I’ve selected a lucky handful consisting of an eighth grader, a freshman, a sophomore, a junior, and a senior to answer a couple of questions.
The first person I interviewed was Aaron Garmon, an eighth grader. His personal mission statement was to be positive and not negative, and if he could only speak one word it would be “hello” because it’s a friendly greeting. He maintains a good perspective by looking at the future and ignoring the past. He would get rid of Spanish class in his life because it takes up one of his extracurriculars; his hobbies are music, hiking, and video games.
The second person I interviewed was Jamison Singerling, a freshman. His personal mission statement was to make others laugh. If he could only speak one word it would also be “hello” because it’s a greeting we use everyday. He maintains a good perspective when life gets tough by making himself laugh. He believes that humanity’s goal should be to take care of the Earth and his hobbies include playing video games and drawing. He said that the first month at the NCLA was pretty fun and easy to adjust to.
The third person I interviewed was Wenda McLaurin, a sophomore. Her personal mission statement was, “if you can’t beat them, join them.” If she could only speak one word it would be “slay.” She maintains a good perspective when life gets tough by reminding herself that not every day is a bad day, it will eventually get better. She would get rid of homework in her life because she doesn’t like it. She believes that humanity’s goal should be to treat everyone with kindness. Her hobbies are reading, writing, and singing. Her first month at the NCLA was very chaotic.
The fourth person I interviewed was Evie Bruning, a junior. Her personal mission statement is to give without expecting anything in return. If she was limited to only being allowed to speak one word it would be “like.” She maintains a good perspective when life gets tough by telling herself , “His plan over mine.” If she could get rid of one thing in her life it would be overthinking. In her eyes, humanity’s goal should be to love each other unconditionally. Her hobbies are photography and dance.
The final person I interviewed was Emmy Guldberg, a senior. Her personal mission statement was to work hard and be yourself. If she could only speak one word it would be, “hi.” She maintains a good perspective in life by reminding herself that God always has a plan. If she could get rid of one thing in her life it would be work. Her hobbies are sports and guitar. Her first month back at the NCLA was phenomenal!
I really enjoyed working with these students, and it was really nice to meet new people!
NCLA’s New Administration
By: Kaitlyn Parker
As a school, we brought on two new administrators this year and wanted to get to know them a little bit better.
First, we have Mrs. Bass. She is the Middle School Assistant Principal. Mrs. Bass grew up in Wilkes County and went to UNC Chapel Hill as a Teaching Fellow. Mrs. Bass went on to get her Masters in Secondary Education at Wake Forest. She also went back to Wake Forest to get her masters in Educational Leadership.
Mrs. Bass was a competitive cheerleader and dancer, and still enjoys playing sports when given the chance. She is married with two children, Remi and Cohen. Some of Mrs. Bass’ favorite things are Starbucks, dogs, spicy food, and the color gold.
Mrs. Bass’ favorite thing in high school was PE, but outside of that she loved math. She then went on to teach math at High Point Central High School for 8 years before moving into a role as a Math Coach at Ferndale Middle School. She then moved into the administrative realm and then came to NCLA.
Mrs. Bass’ favorite thing so far this year has been getting to know all of the staff and students at NCLA. She hopes to be a cheerleader for her staff and students to make them feel supported so that they can reach their highest potential.
Secondly, we brought on Mr. Peascoe. He is the Assistant Principal for K-12 Leadership.
Mr. Peascoe has always lived in the Triad and he graduated from Appalachian State University with a BS in Criminal Justice. He then went on to get a Masters in School Administration from UNCG. He and his wife, Laura, have 3 young daughters.
He enjoys watching sports, especially the MLB team the Dodgers, the Panthers, and APP State.
Mr. Peascoe was drawn to NCLA because he was looking for a leadership role and when he saw that NCLA was hiring he reached out to a former colleague who had nothing but good things to say. He then visited NCLA and felt that it was an environment he wanted to be a part of. Mr. Peascoe’s favorite subject in high school was science, especially physics.
If Mr. Peascoe had to describe himself in one word; it would be kind. Mr. Peascoe’s goal at the NCLA is to be a positive presence on campus and to guide others and himself to become the best version of themselves. We are so glad to have both of these wonderful administrators on staff at our school, helping us to thrive and become better as a school.
BY: CARSYN QUEEN
The Hand
“[Carsyn] painted this piece in 2021 as [her] first acrylic painting in at least three years. [She] took inspiration/ used a reference of Corpse’s hand, but altered pieces to make it more unique and have the vibe [she] wanted.”
NCLA Clubs
By: Kai Holland
The NCLA has quite a few new clubs this year, and they all look fantastic. A new rule has been put in place to ensure all clubs meet on Fridays or after school. This means your teachers are available Monday through Thursday for second lunch tutoring.
The clubs at the NCLA include book club, FCF (Fellowship of Christian Falcons), pep band, D&D (Dungeons and Dragons), quiz bowl club, and Falcon Funk.
Let’s take a closer look at the clubs, one at a time. First up is pep band! Pep Band is a mini band that plays at basketball and even some soccer games. Pep band is directed by Mrs. Katelyn Ryder and does not have a student leader.
I asked Mrs. Ryder what her favorite part about having pep band was and she said, “I like how it’s an opportunity for students who couldn’t fit band in their schedule a chance to play.” Pep band is an amazing opportunity to play. In addition to Mrs. Ryder, I talked to a student in pep band, Mattie Tyson. They said, “My favorite part is that I get to play new pieces for the NCLA games.” I also asked them both what instrument they played for it, to which Ryder said she is going to play either the barrie sax or piccolo, and Tyson said she is playing the Clarinet.
The book club is a club that reads a book each month and discusses it. For the book club I got the chance to interview Finley Foust. I asked her 3 questions about it, the first one being why she wanted to be a part of the book club, to which she said “I wanted to be a part of book club because I love discussing books I enjoy with my friends!”
I also asked what they did in book club, to which she said, “In book club we vote on the book we want to read for the next month, and then each meeting we talk about our thoughts on it.” And lastly I asked what her favorite part about book club was, she said, “My favorite part about book club is the community of people it creates.” This sounds like an amazing club for book lovers.
Our third club we’ll be looking at is FCF, which stands for Fellowship of Christian Falcons. This club is for our falcons who are Christian. For this club I got a chance to speak to and interview the sponsor, Mrs Saunders! I asked her what made her want to sponsor this club, to which she told me, “I have been a faculty sponsor for Fellowship of Christian Falcons since its inception in 2019-2020.
It was started by my oldest daughter, Lydia, and her friend Titus when they were seniors. It began as a Fellowship of Christian Athletes club, since NCLA had no Bible or Christian club at that time. I was honored to kick it off then and feel the same to sponsor it now. The club aligns with my personal beliefs and it’s extremely rewarding to see positive growth in our club members and student leaders.”
Our fourth club is D&D. For this club I got to interview the sponsor and a student leader, Mrs. Weikert and Kimberly Mead, respectively. I asked them both what they liked about this club and Mrs. Weikert told me, “It’s interactive, and builds community and creates a setting where you talk about stuff you normally don’t talk about.” While Mead said that “I like getting the chance to hang out with everyone and getting to know people in different grade levels and have fun with the game.”
I also asked what she liked about this club and she said, “I love that FCF equips students as peer leaders, and that anyone is welcome, whether they are a “Christian” or not. Our core group of 9 student leaders sign up to take turns leading each meeting. I approve their outline and they gain public speaking skills and confidence. We always have a good time, and students leave feeling challenged and encouraged.”
I asked what they did in FCF, and she explained that, “Each meeting has a fun activity or game that ties in with a short devotion and is wrapped up with prayer. Every September we meet for ‘See You At The Pole’ to pray around our flagpole for the school and our country. Around Valentine’s we host a service event, and we always end the year with a party meeting of snacks and games.” This club sounds like an amazing opportunity for Christian falcons.
Photo Credits: Andrew Ellis
I also asked Mrs Weikert what made her want to sponsor this club, to which she said that, “I was asked. I hosted one before and I know how to play it.” I asked Mead what made her want to be a student leader of this club, to which she said, “I enjoy playing the game and I remember past seniors talking about how it got discontinued so I wanted to bring it back.”
Our fifth club we’ll be looking at is the quiz bowl club, directed by Mr. Hartzell. I asked him “What made you want to run this club?” to which he replied with, “I enjoy trivia and watching Jeopardy and previously coached a quiz bowl club at my last school.” I also asked, “What do you do in the Quiz Bowl Club?” He said, “We mostly practice the style of questions called NAQT.” NAQT is an acronym and means National Academic Quiz Tournaments.
Our sixth and final club is the Falcon Funk, run by Dr. Pisapia! I asked him, “What is the Falcon Funk about?” and he explained that, “The main purpose is to get students together and listen to styles of music they don’t normally play, like Jazz and Funk, and try to play it.” When asked why he wanted to start the club, Pisapia said, “I grew up in New Jersey with strong music programs and playing sax and jazz music.” His favorite part about Falcon Funk is, “To challenge the students to play by ear and have fun.” I enjoy the idea of this club and the fact that it’s music that students don’t normally play!
The Super STUCO of the NCLA
By: Sophia Franks
As of September 15, the NCLA Student Council is officially up and running. Led by President Will Swisher, the student council meets every Friday to organize events and represent the student body in order to influence the administration. “Our mission this year is to be organized, be efficient, and to represent the student body well, communicating with the student body and with admin.” said Monica Truhe, vice president, in an interview. “Our goal is to have a good year and we want nothing more, nothing less.”
To this end, student council has already begun planning the first event of the year: Powderpuff and its spirit week. They aren’t only looking forward to Powderpuff, though. Student body President Will Swisher said in an interview that the student council is working on getting town hall meetings instituted as well. These would be monthly meetings of the student council that are open to all students so that anyone can voice their opinion or ask questions.
Will also hopes to plan “a gaga ball tournament, and potentially other events that connect to the high school student body.” They have also started forming committees, Monica added, “specifically event and poster committees, so if anyone wants to join let me know!” These committees work on planning and decorations for events and poster creation for sports and other events. If you’re interested in joining, Monica can be reached at sz3719@thencla.org.
NCLA Student Council 2023-2024.
Photo Credits: Andrew Ellis – Left to right: Brecklyn Wilson, Ana Gonzalez Garza, Charlotte Pugh, Kaitlyn Parker, Monica Truhe, Will Swisher, Nick Swisher, Brenna Lauten, Joey Mattingly, Jimmy Davis, Kim Mead
The other members of the student council include Nick Swisher, secretary, who keeps track of the agendas and takes meeting minutes; Kaitlyn Parker, parliamentarian, who makes sure that school guidelines are followed; Brenna Lauten, treasurer, who takes care of the council’s cash flow; Kim Mead (senior social media chair) and Ana Gonzalez Garza (underclassman social media chair), who superintend the student council’s communications and social media; and one representative from each class: Brecklyn Wilson (senior), Joey Mattingly (junior), Charlotte Pugh (sophomore), and Jimmy Davis (freshman).
The representatives’ job is to advocate for their class with the student council and with administration, so if you have ideas or opinions you would like to share, contacting your representative is the way to be heard.
Student council looks forward to a good year, full of fun events and school spirit. “I feel as though there will be challenges,” Monica commented, “there will always be challenges with any administrative body, but I foresee quick fixes. I think that as much as the student council is going to work together this year, I don’t see anything being debilitating.”
Vending Machine Removal
By: Thomas Wild
In mid-September of this school year, NCLA students noticed that the vending machines once located in the High School Atrium had been moved to the first-floor hallway of the same building.
According to Principal Faenza, this was because the company that owns the vending machines decided to raise the prices of soda cans in the machines from $1 to $1.25, which was deemed too unnecessarily high a price by the school.
The vending machines are soon to be removed from the school entirely by the company that supplies them and the drinks they dispense and will be replaced by a system where the NCLA purchases and sells store-bought and refrigerated canned drinks for $1.
Students were interviewed about the removal of the vending machines. While some were originally sad to see them go, others were indifferent, and over time, the new system has been well adapted to.
Photo Description: Vending machine sitting at the end of the High School hallway, following the removal of them from the High School atrium.
Photo Credits: Andrew Ellis
Owen Cotten, an NCLA Junior, said he prefers the new way of drink purchasing, as it’s less expensive to the students than the $1.25 company-sold way would have been. Whatever the case, high school students and staff will still be able to purchase $1 canned drinks at school, even with the surprising removal of the vending machines.
Student Spotlight
This week’s student spotlight is Jafet Rodriquez.
Jafet is in ninth grade and is fourteen. He loves playing sports, watching YouTube, and collecting sports memorabilia. This is his first year at NCLA.
His favorite class so far this year has been economics and personal finance. He likes how Mr. Sparks expresses himself, carries the class, and how even on his bad days still is in a good mood. Jafet’s biggest fear is not being good enough because he doesn’t want to let his parents down. His favorite food is french fries and his least favorite food is tomatoes.
Jafet’s dream career is to play in the major league for baseball. Jafet’s favorite holiday is Christmas because he gets to receive gifts and see his family. His biggest pet peeve is when people are super un-athletic because he believes everyone should know how to run or do simple athletic things.