October 12, 2023
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!
November 2, 2023
A Monumental Trip to DC
By: Wenda McLaurin
Many of the students at the NCLA go on road trips, whether it be for fun and relaxation, or even for productive reasons. 12th Grader, Sophia Franks, just recently attended a trip to Washington D.C. to make a change.
Franks went to D.C. with ASP, The Appalachia Service Project. Their goal is to provide high quality home repair for Appalachian families, in order to make homes safer, warmer, and drier! They want to build relationships with the future homeowners. This trip was the second part of a youth leadership summit, their goal was to talk to lawmakers about the issues being faced in these rural areas to see if a change could be made in the future!
A section of Franks trip was for training in leadership and advocacy, having many people speaking about the issues going on, such as the racial wage gap. There were many parts of the trip that she got to enjoy, some of which were touring the monuments and taking the metro. Franks definitely wants to go back, and is thinking about living there for a while!
She says that, “Something that came out of this weekend for me is a passion and a love for advocacy.”
Franks was fascinated to learn more about these topics, and would love to go back to advocate for these families, keeping the issues on the minds of lawmakers. She enjoyed building relationships with the government officials, and seeing how exciting the city was.
A piece of advice Franks would give to someone going to D.C. for the first time is, to have a purpose to be there, because there’s so much to do, which can be overwhelming.
Franks’ trip was filled with excitement and fascinating things. She had a great time, pursuing her passions and being able to learn more about the subjects that mattered to her!
November 16, 2023
Cross Country Went to State!
By: Wenda Mclaurin
As the Cross Country season draws to an end, there is no doubt that this was one of its best seasons yet! The XC team (Will Swisher, Will Martin, Walt Martin, Caden Swisher, Kostandinos Mellonas, Maxwell Marion, Colten Frias, and Ella Lanier) went to the State Championships on November 4th, and placed as the 11th fastest team in the state. The team got to states with a lot of dedication and hard work, placing 2nd in the Region.
Ella Lanier, a junior, qualified as an individual for states. Lanier ran at 10:20, and she expressed her emotions concerning the championship. “I was super excited, but really nervous because I had never done XC before, much less been to states.” She added that while the championship crowd was extremely large, it was super fun, and even though she was nervous, she ended up having a great time!
Up next is Coach Buelin, the coach of the XC team! When asked about states, Buelin’s response proved that she was proud of the team’s work and results. “The team worked extremely hard all season (we run in a difficult conference and a very difficult region), and ran phenomenally at Regionals, where the boys were Regional Runners Up, becoming NCLA’s first XC team to qualify for state,” she replied. She also added that Lanier and the boys ran several PRs. She recognized that… “Cross Country had a truly phenomenal season. They showed up each and every day committed to getting better and put in all the work necessary to achieve their goals. They ran in the heat, in the cold, in the wind, and in the rain and pushed through it all, posting impressive times all the while. I am extremely proud of each and everyone of them!”
Finally, we have the Martin brothers, Walt Martin (sophomore), and Will Martin (senior). When asked about the championship, Walt Martin acknowledged that the championship was fun, but that there was a lot of hard work that was done to get there. “Me and my teammates had a goal to get to the championship, and push each other every single day. When we got to the championship, we just soaked it all in, knowing our goal was complete.” Walt Martin added that his brother, Will Martin, soaked in the moment, being that it was his senior year, and that the championship was his final XC race for the Falcons.
Congratulations to the boys and Ella for the championships, and congratulations to the rest of the team for a great season full of hard work!