thefalconer volume55number5
march2018
fauquier high school warrenton va 20186
Lockdown raises alarm
“I think every family has to do what’s right for them.” —Principal Tripp Burton
The Instagram post screenshotted here prompted school officials to declare a lockdown on Feb. 21. While it is thought to refer to a different FHS, many reacted with caution. Principal Tripp Burton said Fauquier by madison albrycht and will arrellano administrators and staff took all the On Feb. 20 an unknown source on the necessary precautions to keep everyone social media app Instagram made a threat inside the building safe. Burton said to attack or “shoot up FHS.” safety was the school’s No. 1 priority. Although authorities weren’t sure Even so, the threat had many parents which FHS this attack was directed concerned for their students’ safety, with toward, Fauquier High School more than 300 students leaving from early participated in a schoolwide lockdown. dismissals or getting picked up.
The panic came only six days after a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, took the lives of 17 students and faculty members. “I think every family has to do what’s right for them,” Burton said. At a meeting on Monday, Feb. 26, the FCPS school board addressed the concerns and discussed new security options. Despite the fact that Fauquier County public schools already have locked doors during the day, a student resource officer appointed by the sheriff’s department and visitor identification scanners, the board approved hiring a school-funded safety and security specialist at each of the three high schools that will monitor buildings and social media, and investigate incidents, among other duties. The specialists will not be carrying a weapon and are not confirmed officers. Their jobs also will consist of supervising the cafeteria, coordinating emergency drills and student conflict resolution.
In Viewpoints: Op-ed examines questions over FHS’ emergency preparedness plans. PAGE 5
ESL teacher Leys Rodriguez receives Fauquier County’s teacher of the year award
ESL teacher Leys Rodriguez celebrates winning FCPS’ Teacher of the Year Award.
Conservative students get mobilized at D.C. March for Life rally -page5
Fauquier High School’s own Leys Rodriguez was named the school district’s 2017-2018 Teacher of the Year. Joined by her fellow faculty members, she was presented with the award at a surprise ceremony after school on March 6. Rodigruez teaches English as a Second Language and tutors many students from all over the world. Principal Tripp Burton said at the ceremony that he could count on seeing her in her room every day at 6:45 a.m. working with students. FCPS Superintendent David Jeck, was also at the ceremony. He described
Our new film critic feels fine about Netflix’s End of the World series -page9
Rodriguez as being a positive force and notable contributor to the Fauquier community. “Every year we have many outstanding candidates for this award,” he wrote in an e-mail announcement to the FCPS community. “I am so very honored to work alongside such an amazing teaching staff.” The nomination statement read at the January School Board meeting commended Mrs. Rodriguez for providing, “a safe space for her students to belong,” and “getting parents involved in their children’s education.”—sarah smith
Boys lax team shows great mental ‘fort’-itude on the field -page11
FCPS weighs options over new budget
fcps1.org
by joshua cunningham and sarah smith Fauquier County Public Schools hoped to know before spring break starts whether the county will face some difficult financial decisions next year. Among the possible cuts local schools could be required to make are additional funding for school security, nine fulltime positions to meet state-wide equity initiatives, increasing schools’ bandwidth and providing staff with a 3 percent pay increase to stay competitive with surrounding counties. Following a well-attended public hearing in the FHS auditorium on Thursday, March 15, the board of supervisors was scheduled to adopt the coming year’s budget on March 22. On Feb. 26, the school board approved the superintendent’s recommendation for a budget of $144,506,320. However, doing so would require a funding increase of around $6 million from the county supervisors responsible for appropriating the funds, who hinted that they might approve only half that amount. The supervisors’ March 15 budget work session with the school board, originally slated to be held in the FHS library, drew so many speakers in support of the school funding that it was moved to the auditorium. In his proposed budget, Superintendent David Jeck outlined three major priorities for the year to come: technology, workforce and “Equity and Access.”
SEE BUDGET, PAGE 3
inside
news .......................................1-3 features...................................2-4 viewpoints.................................5 center spread.........................6-7 reviews ..................................8-9 sports...................................10-11
thefalconer
news/features
Jael Tucker adventures around the world by rachel singleton Because of her dad’s engineer job with the government, freshman Jael Tucker is a student who is always on the move. Her family consists of her two parents, Katrina Tucker and David Tucker, as well as her three siblings Tekla, Saoirse and Mordecai. From country to country, Tucker and her family have lots of experiences in multiple cultures. She and her family has traveled to over 10 countries in her lifetime. The main counties she stayed in include America and Kuwait. Tucker says that traveling to all over the world so often has had its ups and downs. Tucker says, “You get to meet new friends and have new experiences.” However, she dislikes how traveling all the time means she has to leave all the friends she makes. Tucker said that as kid she loved traveling so much. She said that she thought it was amazing and the best thing ever. She said that out of all the countries she’s traveled to, her favorite was Nepal. Tucker described the country as “nice and rustic.” She said it was nice because they stayed in a room where you could look out the window through the roof and because it was so crowded and there’s no plants, everyone would grow flowers on their roofs.
cassie nelson
courtesy of Jael Tucker
Left to right: Tekla, Jael, Kat, Saoirse, David and Mordecai Tucker at the Pyramids of Giza Tucker says that her least favorite country to stay at was Egypt because whenever she and her family ate at restaurants, the staff got the order wrong most of the time. Some may wonder whether Tucker will be moving anytime soon. Luckily
for her, her parents have decided stay settled in America until all the kids have graduated from college and left the house. Tucker said she is very happy with this decision and is excited to live out the rest of her high school years in one place.
School Make-Up Dates Day 1: February 19 Day 2: March 14 (Parent-teacher conferences scheduled for this day should be individually arranged as needed.) Day 3: May 30 (built-in) Day 4: May 31 (built-in) Day 5 - Day 10: Banked hours Already, FCPS has had five emergency closures this school year. Any additional days through Day 10 would be banked hours (days beyond the state’s minimum requirement that don’t need to be made up) before further days would be added to the calendar.
courtesy of Chloe Corbett
FHS student Chloe Corbett’s cat sits in the snow during one of the winter storms. Although the days off were a nice surprise for many, some expressed disappointment with the loss of Presidents Day and other existing breaks built into the school calendar.
As unpredictable weather events continued their push into the spring term with late winter storms, changes to the school calendar have created a stir at FHS. Following the loss of the Presidents Day holiday on Feb. 19 and parent– teacher conferences on March 14 due to icy conditions in January, many students voiced frustration.
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Tapscott brings fresh perspective to AP position
Assistant Principal Danielle Tapscott
Snow days stole our holidays
by rachel singleton
march2018
With the loss of additional class time due to wind storm and power outages in March, some wondered what the additional impact may be and whether there would be days added on that cut into summer break. Junior, Morgan Gatti said she was annoyed by the decision to cut certain holidays out but understands because of how we need to have so many hours in a school year.
Gatti said that she wasn’t completely sure if having all those snow days was worth losing our make-up days, most importantly President’s Day, and having days taken away from our summer. “If they had been more spread out, like a snow day a week, it would have been more appreciated” she said. Freshman Isabelle Fetterer, whose birthday was on Presidents Day, said she was very upset by the news that it would be added as a make-up day. Fetterer said that she had planned to go out to dinner the day before and stay out late, but she couldn’t go out because it was a school night. “It’s Washington’s birthday, and he was our first president,” Fetterer said. She said that she believed the snow day policy was that days are added to the end of the year before we use our make up days. “I’m upset but I’ll get over it.”
Fauquier County’s small-town, “everybody knows everybody” atmosphere has long been a lauded trait to many of its inhabitants. Even new faces, such as Fauquier High School’s new assistant principal Danielle Tapscott, are familiar to teachers and students alike. Tapscott, who grew up in the county, said that her background in the area made it easy for her to adjust to a new school, workplace, and group of people. “It’s got a really good home feel,” she said. “I feel good. I feel at home.” Tapscott, who formerly worked as a counselor at Kettle Run High School and a dean of students at Osbourn High School, said that she had been preparing for the position of assistant principal for the duration of her time at Osbourn. “A dean of students is a transition period for prepping to be an administrator,” said Tapscott. “Working as a dean of students provided me the opportunity to function as an administrator working with parents, students, and teachers. Being a dean of students is very transitional; it’s not a position that you want to be in for years, it’s a step in the direction of becoming an AP.” Tapscott has long been a part of the Fauquier County community, having attended Liberty High School during her own adolescent years, and working as a counselor at KRHS after attaining her master’s degree. Although both are rivals of FHS, Tapscott said that the school’s close-knit, nurturing environment helped her to make a seamless transition. “It can be seen as challenging as Fauquier has always been seen as the rival school, but birds of a feather flock together,” she said. “I don’t question whether or not I should be here.” Due to the nature of her arrival— former AP Donna Guzman’s transition to become the principal of Marshall Middle School—Tapscott said that she is taking a step back to adjust before she dives into anything. “I’m in a place of observing right now, because there’s a lot that’s already happening that I just want to partner with, and enhance, not come in and necessarily start anything new,” she said. “However I can impact and leave my imprint here at Fauquier, I’m game.”
SEE TAPSCOTT, PAGE 3
news/features
thefalconer
Budget, from page 1
Technology, workforce, equity and security are top priorities in FCPS’s FY 2018-2019 budget
Technological needs include increases amounting to $880,000 total. in bandwidth, newer computers for Warner said the main purpose of Equity staff. The funding required for these and Access was to provide a level playing needs is $342,375. The most amount of field for the success of all students. money will be for providing staff with “The major focus of any equity initiative is to identify the tools and newer computers to resources needed for create the best each student to get modern learning what he or she needs environment. to be successful, The computers alone make up Warner said. $160,000 of “The notion the technology of equity puts budget. the student at In addition the center of the to the computers, need, resulting in Jeck is asking for a more differentiated fcps1.org $98,250 from the county approach to learning and to be used for increasing the bandwidth student outcomes. This budget focuses available in schools. These increases would on all types of educational equity from be substantial for students. programs, to additional staff to better The workforce increases, which recently support schools and students.” have focused on initiatives such as raising While school security already the pay scale for bus drivers to make it was a budget consideration in the more competitive, factored in a 3 percent superintendent’s proposal, it may become across-the-board salary increase for staff, even more of a priority in the wake of teaching and administrative positions recent events, such as the Florida school while slightly reducing its expenditures for shooting on Feb. 14, and also increasing retirement funds. concern over social media threats here in The current FY budget for workforce the county. is $121 million. The proposed amount The school board recently approved for next year, however, $126 million in a measure to hire an additional security salaries and benefits. This is a 4.6 percent specialist for each high school using change from last year. The extra funding existing surpluses, but the impact on would be very welcomed by teachers and future budget considerations may be yet staff, as it puts them closer to making to be determined. higher wages like in Loudoun or Fairfax After a contentious (and yet unresolved) counties. This being said, Loudoun and debate over whether to revamp the old Fairfax are also expected to have similar middle school buildings or invest in a pay increases. new, larger facility, capital improvements After rolling it out this year as a priority continue to be another important budget for newly hired Associate Superintendent factor, to the tune of $141,629. This is for for Instruction Major Warner (formerly things such as building maintenance and principal at Kettle Run), the county is utility spending. continuing to push forward on its Equity and The total requested budget adds up to Access initiatives with a proposal to bring on $144 million, with 74.6 percent earmarked the equivalent of nine full-time employees in for instruction. If passed by the board of specialist positions such as literacy coaches supervisors, the new budget would be and special-education teachers. Much of the a roughly $7 million increase from the funding would come from state revenue, current fiscal year’s budget.
Tapscott, from page 2
Tapscott said that although she plans to adhere to the school’s rules and regulations concerning what students can and cannot do, she hopes that students see her as an advocate and not a disciplinarian, and that she is here for them “100 percent.” “ I definitely just want [students] to see
my heart, that I love others, I’m passionate about what I do,” said Tapscott. “I’m going to do everything I can to help them be successful, and I’m going to be your advocate, I’m going to be your momma, your daddy, your best friend, your cousin, your uncle—whatever role I need to play… that’s what I’ll be.”
thestaff
Contributing Editors .............Rachel Singleton, Sarah Smith, Lola Banta Contributors...................... Madi Albrycht, Will Arrellano, Zoe Bockman, T.J. Brooks, Cynthia Cotes, Josh Cunningham, Elias Findley, Brendan Finn, Fenris Foerster, Tom Griffin, Ethan Hall, Mikaela Hardy, Peyton Johnston, Alice Maley, Nolan McEachin, Daniel McLinden, Ian Napolitano, Cassie Nelson, Celeste Pollack, Camden Rice, Nick Rogers, Gage Russell Adviser.......................................................................................Ben Sellers
march2018
Fashion and Talent Show is guaranteed to be an entertaining spectacle
Katie Anderson) make it a large show that is well worth the ticket price of $3. Fashions from many retailers across Warrenton are featured: Prom dresses are provided by Atelier Wedding; Gold Cup dresses by Christina Fox in Old Town; Gold Cup outfits for the boys from Peebles; and tuxedos from Jim’s Formal Wear. It may seem like almost too many vendors, but the wide variety of sponsors simply provide a style for everyone. The whole event is a wonderful experience; the backstage is always action-packed on the day of, and everyone supportive of their peers in a kind environment. The sections are unintentionally intertwined; the Fashion Show announcers Fenris Foerster and Bryce Moore will participate in the talent show for their own acts, and model Emma Gorg will perform a dance routine in one of the talent segments. It brings the show together as one cohesive unit, with all segments staggered so the audience is never left file photo/Nina Quiles without some sort of entertainment for too No karaoke lyrics were needed at last year’s long. show as performers regaled the audience As successful as last year’s show was, with Journey’s hit song Don’t Stop Believin’. the Fashion Marketing courses have high hopes that this year will be even better. The Fashion and Talent show is meant by mikaela hardy to become a new Fauquier High School The Fauquier High Fashion and Talent tradition; everyone on the team uses past Show is one in-school event that absolutely show experiences to improve the next one. Production, advertisement, and should not be missed. The show is scheduled to take place training have all gone smoothly, bringing on Friday, March 23 at 9:45-11:02 a.m. high hopes for the outcome that the show during second block and advisory in the may have. auditorium. (No word at press time on as If you’re interested in fashion as a to whether inclement weather earlier in whole, want to see your friends perform or even just get out of a class that you’re the week might impact the plans any.) Three different fashion segments (run not particularly fond of, the Fashion and by the Advanced Fashion Marketing/ Talent Show is just the event for you. With Fashion Marketing courses) and two talent the reception from last year, this is one segments (run by Junior class sponsor event that you don’t want to miss!
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thefalconer
The Falconer is Fauquier High School’s student-run newspaper, published regularly during the school year, and is open public forum for student self expression. Each issue features student-written stories, as well as student-designed layouts. We strive to include the opinions of the student body, teachers, and administration in each issue published. The Falconer received a First Class award from the Virginia High School League in 2017 and has been recognized nationally by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The Falconer is located at Fauquier High School, 705 Waterloo Rd. Warrenton, Virginia, 20186. Telephone: (540) 422-7300. Email: fhsfalconer@gmail.com
letter to the editor policy
The Falconer welcomes all FHS students or community members to submit letters to the editor for possible publication. Letters must include the student’s advisory classroom number and teacher’s name for verification. Please submit letters in person to Mr. Sellers in room 323 or by email to fhsfalconer@gmail.com. Letters are considered property of The Falconer and are subject to editing.
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thefalconer
features
march2018
Shakespeare Troupe offers Costa Rican exchange trip comedy with Twelfth Night leads to new experiences by cynthia cotes
Imagine traveling 3,000 miles from home to a completely different country and then going to one of the largest cities in the world the next day. Sounds like the experience Costa Rican student Andreina had with French teacher Nicole Goepper, whose family hosted her as part of a foreign exchange trip in January. Goepper offered up a spot in her home for the exchange student because they were running out of host families. She said her family benefited from it a lot and she learned a lot more Spanish than she thought she knew. “It was wonderful, and I know how good it is for my kids,” said Goepper. Although there were bumps in the road due to Andreina’s limited ability to speak English, Goepper's family did the best they could and met in the middle by both sides learning something new. Unlike the other host families, freshman Carly Graham had the luck of receiving not one, but two Costa Rican exchange students, Abigail and Rebecca. “I wanted to have a new experience, and I have a big family and they were all really excited,” said Graham. Both students Graham hosted spoke English really well and had a lot of things in common with their host student. Graham’s family welcomed them both with open arms and brought them into their family lives, from going to volleyball tournaments, to shopping days at the mall
courtesy of Nicole Goepper
which the girls enjoyed. Unfortunately Graham wont be going on the exchange trip to Costa Rica, but her family expressed interest in going all together rather than her going just by herself over the summer to see Abigail and Rebecca again. There is always an adventurous person in a group of people, and that was Costa Rican exchange student Fabiola, who was hosted by junior Emma Gorg. She visited many places, including Skyzone, Shenandoah, Washington D.C., some of the major cities in Virginia and all around Warrenton. “She was super fun and outgoing and willing to do anything,” said Gorg. This was Gorg’s first time hosting a student, and she had a lot of fun, while admitting it was strange having a person follow you around all day. Sadly the Costa Rican kids left too soon, but at the end of April there will be 28 French exchange students who are looking for host families while they are here.
Masahisa Takahashi portrays Malvolio in FHS Shakespeare Troupe's Twelfth Night in early February. His character was humorless steward who dons iconic cross-gartered yellow stockings after being tricked into believing his mistress is in love with him.
by rachel singleton The FHS Shakespeare Troupe presented the Bard's comedy Twelfth Night this year. After rehearsing since October, their hard work showed through in their performances on Feb. 2 and 3. Twelfth Night is, as described in their brochure, a play about “mistaken identity, a love triangle, and a mean prank.” After being shipwrecked on an island, twins Sebastian and Viola (Cameron Dutton and Eireann Maybach, respectively) each believes the other to be dead. After Viola, disguising herself as a male, becomes page to a local duke, Orsino (Cage Massey), she unwittingly becomes the love interest of Countess Olivia (Lola Banta), whom the duke seeks to marry. Meanwhile, a group of shiftless troublemakers (Bruce Boggs, Makayla Thomas, Ellie Sandler and Davis Christensen) in the countess' court plays a prank on her uppity steward, Malvolio (Masahisa Takahash), giving him a love letter that he believes to be from Olivia.
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Other key players in the ensemble included Tré Smith, as Feste the Fool, who humorously fans the flames of Malvolio's unrequited love, and Alice Christensen as the pirate Antonia, who takes in the shipwrecked Sebastian. In the past years, the Shakespeare Troupe had difficulty due to issues such as the actors being unable to memorize their lines. Twelfth Night Director Alice Christensen said that “pulling everything together was one of the most stressful things I've ever done. Between costumes and props and last-minute role changes, it felt impossible.” The faculty sponsor of Shakespeare Troupe, Julie Duggan agreed that the play was challenging to pull together. “Probably the hardest part was for the actors to memorize all those lines,” she said. In the end, Duggan said, the group of students “had amazing spirit and they were very supportive of one another ... and they showed you can work hard and have a lot of fun.”
What a Babe!
FHS Principal Tripp Burton puckers up with a porcine pal during A+ on Feb. 23, as part of National FFA Week. Members of the Future Farmers of America raised funds and allowed students to select which faculty member would do the honors by filling jars with money in the cafeteria. Along with the FCCLA, the group also hosted a faculty appreciation luncheon in the agriculture shop. Photo by Tom Griffin.
viewpoints
thefalconer
Is Black History Month fulfilling its purpose? by sarah smith
Every February, the United States celebrates Black History Month. It is a time to reflect on our history, a time to identify our weaknesses, and a time to fix them. Walking through the halls in February, you probably noticed the multiple ways Fauquier celebrated Black History Month: The cafeteria decorated its bulletin board, the library put out a display of books, and Mrs. Tolosa’s students have decorated the walls with posters in honor of notable African Americans. Even though it may be March, the topic of black history will always be important. Ms. Tapscott also organized an open mic event in the auditorium on the last day of February. Although she admits that she was just asked to do it, she said that her objective was to broaden students’ perspectives on the history in Fauquier County, as well as motivate people to learn about black history outside of February. But, has the school done enough to recognize Black History Month? That’s a pretty subjective question, and I’m not sure it’s an important one, either. The end of February doesn’t mark the end of education on the topic. You can continue to learn about Black History outside of its designated one month a year. Ideally, Americans would
thoughtfully remember the indispensable African Americans in our nation’s past year-round. I also find that Black History Month is used as a way to quietly obscure very real and very serious issues of the current day. We revere Civil Rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. for helping conquer racism, and we look back on past social and political mores and sigh in relief that they have ceased to be, but so far racism has not been conquered. African Americans continue to be disproportionately killed by police, to do poorly in school, to live in poverty, and thus turn to crime. Black History Month is shrouded in a positive light that allows everybody to forget about the perpetual issues that are plaguing the country. Of course displays of books or posters celebrating African Americans are important, but what are they actually doing to improve the people they are promoting? Black History Month is not what it should be. It’s too stuck in the past to amount to anything substantial. Obviously, it has to be stuck in the past to some extent; it’s about history. I think the best way to really recognize progress is to keep pushing for it, instead of just waiting for February to honor past African Americans and then move on. This isn’t the school’s fault, though; this is a societal failing. So, is the school doing enough to celebrate Black History Month? According to society, yes. Do I think it’s doing enough? No.
Abortion opponents find common cause at March for Life event on National Mall by celeste pollack
The March for Life is held every January on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to commemorate Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision to legalize abortion. This march not only protests the legalization of abortions, but also aims to fight for the lives of all unborn babies at the risk of being legally murdered by their mothers. Seven students from the Young Americans for Freedom chapter at FHS attended this year’s 45th annual March for Life and were proud join many others in expressing their pro-life viewpoints. According to WTOP news, the organizers’ permit with the National Park Service estimated between 50,000 and 100,000 attendees. President Donald Trump this year became the first chief executive to speak at the rally. “It was extremely empowering to be around so many people who share the same beliefs as me,” junior Gage Russell said. Many of the students attending said it is their faith that makes them pro-life; others said they just believe the right to life to be more sacred than any other. “I am pro life because I don’t believe that people should value their image or level of comfort over the life of their child,” senior Jessie Tressler said. Proponents of abortion generally emphasize the rights of the would-be mother to make decisions about her body, but those attending the rally questioned
whether the woman was the sole stakeholder in this decision. “Once you are pregnant, it is no longer ‘your body, your choice,’” sophomore Chelsea Valdez said. “There is the life of your child, another human being, at stake.” While some argue that abortions are crucial in supporting victims of rape and other sex crimes, Valdez said the numbers are too low to guide policy decisions. “It is statistically proven that less than one percent of women who get abortions are rape/incest cases.” courtesy of Gage Russell Sophomore Nicola Tressler said such Pro-life members of YAF club pose during situations should be the exception, not the rule. “In those cases, I believe it the March for Life on the National Mall. should be up to the woman, because it was and different forms of therapy to help against her will. However, for the other 99 them cope with what they’ve been through. percent of the time, it was your choice to Although there may be different views, not use protection, so you should be held even within the pro-life movement, the event provided a poignant opportunity to responsible for your own actions.” Other pro-lifers, including myself, are focus on the positive message and common less willing to make this concession when cause among participants. human life is involved. When a woman “Although it’s always very emotionally is raped, she has been put through more heavy, I can definitely say it’s one of the psychological and physical trauma than I most positive and uplifting experiences I’ve could ever imagine, and I don’t pretend to ever had,” senior Daniel Duca said. “The be able to understand her pain. However, March for Life has done so much good, how is murdering her own child going and I am truly blessed to have been able to to make her feel better? It is is no way partake in such this amazing experience.” the child’s fault, it is an innocent life. If anything, this would add to the trauma Editor’s note: Falconer contributor of the experience. Two wrongs don’t ever Celeste Pollack is president of the YAF make a right. I believe instead of being chapter at FHS. The group meets every offered the option of killing their children, Friday after school to discuss and debate rape victims should be offered protection, conservative issues.
march2018
School safety a tricky nexus of well-being, mental health and security by sarah smith
Ever since the shooting in Parkland, there have been talks about reform in school policy at both the local and state levels. FCPS Superintendent David Jeck recently announced his plans to increase security by adding a school-funded security specialist at each of the county’s three high schools to complement the resource officers assigned to schools by the Sheriff’s Department. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has expressed support for arming the “top 25 percent” of teachers at every school. But, what is Fauquier itself planning to do to protect itself? That question was answered on Tuesday, Feb. 20. After a violent threat was made to a school called, “FHS,” the school took action by placing police officers on campus and guards on watch at all of the doors. Even though students made it safely through the day, the fact that this event took place in the twilight days of the Parkland shooting made the question of security even more urgent. “I believe our response to Tuesday’s incident was very thorough and complete,” Mr. Kelican wrote. “While our school is unique with its large footprint and numerous buildings that require students and staff to travel outside from building to building, we have procedures that have been reviewed by law enforcement professionals, are continually modified and improved, and provide the best possible instructions to keep everyone safe.” It’s implied that there aren’t many areas for improvement in Fauquier’s current security procedures. What seems to be a more pressing and difficult-to-fix issue is that of mental health. “We have many resources at our disposal to help students through troubled times and we depend on our training and the relationships teachers and staff build with our students to identify these students and offer the assistance needed in these times,” Mr. Kelican said. But, Mr. Burton recently sent out an email with an attached article that explains why care for students needs to start as early as possible. The article details how a teacher makes her students pick four fellow students as their preferred seating partner every Friday. She takes note of patterns, such as who gets left out or who gets bullied, and tries to help the victim before it’s too late. The security issue doesn’t seem to lie within Fauquier itself, but the American school system as a whole.
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thefalconer
Case for greater gun control can be both legal and logical
sarah smith contributor
Mass shootings, such as the one in Parkland, Florida, are a result of many factors, such as mental health, not just access to guns. But when you really look at the evidence, it’s hard to argue that the access to guns in this country is either safe or defensible. Mrs. Nix–Berg also shares the view that the United States needs stricter gun laws. She recently wrote an article for the Fauquier Times on why she believes it’s necessary, as a gun owner and a teacher, to prohibit certain people from obtaining firearms. In the article she stated, “Is the right to own an assault weapon more important than...one life?” She also later expressed her joy that students are taking a stand to end gun violence at school and help those in need, “By and large, campus shooters have been very angry and disturbed loners. Kindness can go a long way to make someone who is hurting begin to feel whole again...I think it’s very important that students’ voices be heard. This can be your generation’s fight. It may not create change right away, but any significant change begins with grassroots movement.” Not only are students within Fauquier supporting the movement to protect lives, but teachers are as well. This type of public support has never been seen before here at this school. It is absolutely crucial that every action from here to March 14 to April 20 be carefully executed. The rest of this essay will detail why there needs to be a change in our legislation, particularly at the federal level, and the main argument will be supported by widely accepted statistics and legal opinions. Public Mass Shooters and Firearms: A Cross-National Study of 171 Countries, a study by Adam Lankford, professor of criminology at the University of Alabama, concluded, “The United States and other nations with high firearm ownership rates may be particularly susceptible to future public mass shootings, even if they are relatively peaceful or mentally healthy according to other national indicators.” Thus, there is a positive correlation between access to guns and the number of mass shootings. The Washington Post and The Atlantic both compare the United States to Switzerland and explain how two countries with high gun to person ratios can have such different rates of mass shootings. Gun rights advocates argue that the high gun ratio in the United States does not result in mass shootings. This is not true. Switzerland has 45.7 guns per 100 people, the highest in Europe, while the US has a ratio of 88.8 to 100. Despite this, Switzerland does not experience a ridiculously large amount of mass shootings. Switzerland’s gun regulations, health care system, and culture are what protects it from attack. Switzerland keeps close watch on those it brands “willing to commit shootings” and bans them from owning guns; it requires psychological analyses of
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potential gun owners; background checks are mandated and can take weeks, whereas in the U.S., background checks are not always required for every weapon; machine guns are illegal; public carry is rarely allowed; hunting weapons, including pistols, semi-automatics, and rifles must be registered with local Cantons. The psychological analyses can be offered because of Switzerland’s publicly available universal health care system, and its school children are taught to avoid violent confrontation. So along with its gun regulations, Switzerland’s health care system and culture keep violent crime in check. So, now that we’ve identified where we must fix ourselves, do we have the legal means to do it? According to Justice Antonin Scalia’s majority opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), no. But according to a far more compelling argument issued by the Supreme Court many years before Heller, yes. In United States v. Miller (1939), the Court ruled, “...we cannot say that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear such an instrument [a shotgun, in this case],” as it does not have “some reasonable relationship” to the preservation of a militia. Justice John Stevens, a dissenting judge in the Heller case, relies on Miller’s ruling and also argues that the preamble of the Second Amendment, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State…” is not disconnected from the main clause, as Justice Scalia implied in his opinion, but instead, “sets forth the object of the Amendment and informs the meaning of the remainder of its text.” He then quotes Marbury v. Madison in saying, “It cannot be presumed that any clause in the constitution[sic] is intended to be without effect.” Stevens then goes on to argue that the history of the amendment originates from Anti-Federalists who were aggravated by the idea of the Federal Congress being able to raise standing armies, and they feared that it could also disarm the militias and oppress the states, as George Mason argued, “The militia may be here destroyed...by rendering them useless - by disarming them.” What’s more, Federalist Papers 29 and 46 both touch upon the contention created by standing armies. This historical context creates a connection between Article 1’s powers of raising standing armies and militias, the fear of tyranny, and the later drafted Second Amendment. Why would the Second Amendment mention a militia if it were meant to protect an individual right to own guns? If the Framers were trying to protect an individual right, they would have said as much. James Madison also would not have rejected New Hampshire’s proposal to protect the right to own a gun for hunting or self-defense, but he did. Do we need gun control? Yes, coupled with an improved, ideally universal healthcare system. Do we have the legal arguments to support gun regulations? Absolutely. As Article 4 Section 4 of the Constitution reads, “The United States shall protect each of them [the states]...against domestic Violence[sic].”
falconstakeaction Students highlight concerns over gun laws during walk-out
march2018
An estimated 300 FHS students participated in a nationally coordinated walk-out on Wednesday, March 14. The event was commemorating the victims of the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida. It also sought to spread awareness for mental health facilities and unhealthy psychological behavior, as well as to advocate for changes in current gun-ownership laws. The walk-out started at 10 a.m. and lasted about 40 minutes. It featured about eight student speakers. Some students are planning a daylong walkout on April 20, the Columbine anniversary.
photos by Tom Griffin
Focusing only on firearms is a surefire way to do zilch gage russell
We’d be blind if we said that we live in a country without violence. That being said, we’d be ignorant if we believed that violence couldn’t be handled or contained in the United States. However there are more effective ways to prevent mass-shootings and homicides than simply trying to toss out or restrict what could very well save your or your family’s life someday. Typically, when people argue this topic, the Second Amendment’s “Right to Bear Arms” is brought up. However, the entire amendment is never fully stated. It reads: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” According to the United States Code, a “militia” is composed of all “able-bodied males at least 17 years of age … under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.” As long as an individual is a United States citizen, or merely plans on becoming one, to do good for our country, our government has no place to impede on their personal right to defend themselves. “Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes,” said Founding Father Thomas Jefferson. With that being said, I recognize that there are truly evil beings in the world that don’t want to own guns for defense, but to merely inflict hostility on others. I may stand against gun-control, but I most certainly stand with heavier background checks and, equally important, the limit to psychotropic drugs. According to cchrint.org, “At least 36 school shootings and/or school-related acts of violence have been committed by those taking or withdrawing from psychiatric drugs resulting in 172 wounded and 80 killed. … These are only cases where the information about their psychiatric drug use was made public.” The real enemy isn’t the NRA (which has no history of any of its members killing anyone whatsoever) it’s the ability to easily obtain narcotic drugs. Putting a restriction on guns will not stop people from harming one another. It’s unfortunate, but we have to be realists and accept that it’s those who make the decision to take someone’s life who are evil, not the weapon they choose to use. Procon.org states that Mexico has some of the strictest gun control laws in the world—and yet, in 2012, it had 11,309 gun murders (9.97 gun homicides per 100,000 people) compared with the United States, which had 9,146 gun homicides (2.97 per 100,000 people). If people truly want to commit murder specifically using a gun, whether they’re banned, controlled, or out on the open market, they will find a way. Moreover, according to a 2016 Lancet study, most state-level gun control laws do not reduce firearm death rates, and, of 25 state laws, nine were associated with higher gun death rates. It’s unfortunate that school shootings have “desensitized” our modern-day image of education.
STUDENTSPEAKOUT: Should there be more gun-control regulation? “Yes, because clearly the gun laws that we have aren’t good enough to keep people safe.”
rylieschmidt freshman
“Raise the age in the future, but gun control is regulated pretty well right now.”
alantrumbo freshman
Nonetheless, I believe that you’re better safe than sorry, and by that, I mean having armed guards on school premises. While it is clearly true that we should have never arrived to this point to even consider an idea like this, we live in a dangerous and hostile world. We can’t be entirely sure that a ban or restriction on guns would prevent another tragedy. With improved background checks and limits to psychotropic drugs, we could feel safe with the protection of full-time guards who just want to keep us safe. Believe it or not, rampage shooters pick soft-targets that can’t fight back. Just look at all of the previous mass-shootings over the past 19 years: On April 20, 1999, Eric David Harris and Dylan Bennet Klebold went into Columbine High School and fatally shot 13 defenseless high schoolers. On July 20, 2012, James Holmes walked into the midnight screening of The Dark Knight, only to stand up in the middle of the theatre and open fire, killing 12 unarmed citizens. The list can go on, but two key factors in both of these infamous dates: 1) the murderers were under narcotic drugs, and 2) they decided to prey on the innocent. No one in their right mind, would walk into the US Bullion Depository near Fort Knox, because breaking into the White House would be a lot easier. Shooters prey on the defenseless because they’re cowards. If they saw a sign that said “Armed Guards on Campus,” they would think twice. Airports, football stadiums and banks have armed security. Do we care more about our money than our own children? There are over 350,000,000 guns present in America today. We’ve had these for self-protection hunting, and recreation since the dawn of our great Nation. If America had a gun problem, as in guns firing without someone to pull the trigger, we would know.
Understanding gun terminology To acquire more information on the AR-15, I asked U.S. government teacher Tyler Walker, a currently serving Army infantry officer, to explain: Many people call for a ban on ‘assault rifles,’ but do not actually know what they are. Believe it or not, AR-15 stands for Armalite 15. It is the original manufacturer of that style rifle. It is not “military grade” or “fully automatic. Automatic machine guns are illegal in the United States unless you acquire a Class 3 license, which requires a stricter background check, more money and the responsibility to carry your license everywhere you go. Military M4 rifles have a full-auto option; therefore, AR-15 rifles are different. They are semi-automatic, meaning one pull of the trigger, and one round goes out. This is the exact same as a pistol. “Assault” is a verb, not a noun. If you take a baseball bat and hit someone with it, you have “assaulted” them. It doesn’t make the bat an “assault bat.” People are calling for a ban on these weapons just because they are scary or “high powered,” but actually the .223/5.56 caliber round is so small that it is actually inhumane to shoot many animals with it. A .308 is a much larger caliber round and is used for hunting. There are many wooden semi-automatic rifles and lever-action rifles that no one seems concerned with because they “don’t look scary.” If you want more or less regulation, I want you to know what you are talking about.—tyler walker, as told to gage russell responses compiled by Brendan Finn, Tom Griffin and Peyton Johnston
“No changes except for age limits (24), more sensitive background checks and mental health checks.”
da’saundill–simmons freshman
zachweaver senior
“Certain restrictions are needed based on certain circumstances. People should still have the right. Stipulations should be put on the seller.”
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reviews Black Panther brings major yawns
march2018
thefalconer
disney.com
T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Ayo (Florence Kasumba) exit a Wakandan ship. While visually stunning and destined to succeed, the film falters.
by fenris foerster Here’s the thing: This movie didn’t have to be fantastic to be important; it just had to be successful. While I’d like to point at other, better Afro-centric films as a signature of the rise of leading roles for black actors and actresses, the truth is films like Get Out, Moonlight, or even Django: Unchained weren’t centralized in the public eye the way that Black Panther is. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a massive powerhouse in the industry for the greater part of 10 years, and this shows
through in its ability to capture the public and draw in new viewers with an impressive backline of OK-to-stellar action films. With an influence like it has, of course something that big making a move toward the globalization of cinema is going to be a big deal. It’s just too bad that that move rested on the shoulders of such a mediocre action film. The movie has a really interesting mix of aesthetics, due to the separate locations and backgrounds of a lot of the characters. Wakanda alone—the fictional African nation from which the title superhero hails—has
such a clash of cultures pertaining to subSaharan African tribes, that it actually made me excited to see where they would go and take things next. It’s cool to see all the futuristic technology wrapped in artistic flair, because it makes the world seem more like a place where people live, rather than a set piece where the action is going to take place. This is starkly contrasted by the villain, who is a shining beacon of American culture, which makes him all the more disturbing later in the movie. That all being said, while the aesthetic is really cool, if you don’t really do anything with it, then there’s really no point in it. Every once in a while, there would be an interesting shot, but as a whole, the movie feels really flat visually. It uses a lot of shot-reverse shot, especially toward the beginning, that makes me want to fall asleep. The action uses a lot of quick cuts and swings of the camera to give the impression that the blows are more impactful than they actually are, which ironically robs them of any kind of force they might have had in the first place. That’s when they aren’t mystifyingly awkward to follow to begin with. Not wishing to spoil, when T’challa (Chadwick Boseman) gets into a fight over the throne in the first place, the only way I could really follow what was going on and who was winning was my own boredom and ability to predict the plot.
The basic premise is simple enough: A few weeks after the king of Wakanda dies, Prince T’Challa must rise up to become the new king, but when his throne is challenged by a villain from unlikely places (Michael B. Jordan) it’s a race against time to take back the kingdom. To be fair, there’s enough there that it certainly takes a while to actually get to the point where they’re inevitably literally fighting over the kingdom, but if you’ve seen a Marvel movie since the beginning of phase 2, then you can basically sing along with the plot as it happens. It’s sad because you can tell that at least one of the writers was trying to do something interesting by having a more sympathetic villain, but they were so shortsighted that they ended up sacrificing the believability of the actions of the characters. It’s what I like to call an idiot plot, because it’s a plot that can only occur due to the fact that everyone involved is an idiot. Looking back on it now, I guess the only reason I didn’t hate this movie was because I really didn’t have the energy to. It’s just so bloody insubstantial and non-offensive that there isn’t a lot I can complain about—and yet, there isn’t a lot I can really recommend. It’s a pretty solid action movie, but don’t expect to be blown away by its excellence. I urge you to see it, to tell the industry that this is a good direction, but otherwise, nothing special.
As style shines, plot wears thin in Call Me By Your Name by fenris foerster
In an effort to put off studying for my SATs as much as possible, I saw myself looking into the Oscar nominations that I managed to miss the past year. It was there that I stumbled upon Call Me By Your Name, an Italian indie film directed by acclaimed filmmaker Luca Guadagnino. In addition to winning the best adapted screenplay award, it was nominated for best actor (23-year-old Timothée Chalamet), best picture and a best original song nod for Sufjan Stevens. Call Me By Your Name details the story of Elio (Chalamet, playing a 17-year-old), and his journey through self-discovery after falling in love with visiting college student Oliver (31-year-old Armie Hammer).There are a lot of little interconnected threads that distract from this initial premise, but all of them eventually lead back to Oliver’s and Elio’s developing relationship—which can be a good and bad thing. This is the kind of premise that lives and dies on the performance of the actors and their ability to show change over time. The two of leads have a believable chemistry that really shows through when they’re together onscreen. I’m not usually a fan of Hammer’s work—his performances range from The Social Network to The Lone Ranger—so, knowing he was in this gave me the kind of uncertainty usually found in the nervous shakes of a frightened piglet. He really managed to pull through, though, and the quiet, laid-back demeanor of his character meshed well with his usual draws as an actor.
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I had never heard of Chalamet before this movie, but this makes me want to look back at what else he’s done. As the main character, he gets the most screen time, but he also ends up being the most compelling as we see his complete progression over the course of the film. The only performances that really impressed me were those two. The rest of the characters were passable, but certainly not anything to write home about. Sometimes they were bad enough to actually take me out of the experience—the father (Michael Stuhlbarg) in particular tended to be on the iffy side, especially when he was trying to sound mad at his son. The biggest show of quality in the film is its ability to convey the emotion of its scenes through its use of framing and color. There’s a very seductive tone as Elio falls deeper and deeper for Oliver, which is shown through the deliberate choice to have the characters come in and out of focus in the foreground during more emotional scenes. The color also serves to show the beauty of the setting in northern Italy. The food almost seems to shine when they eat it, and everything just looks so cozy. It lends itself to the slow pace, with the inviting nature of the scenes bringing you in, just as our two leads are brought into each other. With such a cozy aesthetic it’s a shame that it tends to drag so much. The movie really doesn’t have acts, because it’s hard to structure a story where nothing happens. There are parts where they dance around their actual feelings for each other, and it serves no point other than to bore the audience to tears. It’s not character development; in fact, it’s very deliberately not, because it serves to prolong the initial
sonyclassics.com
Elio (Timothée Chalamet) forms a relationship with Oliver (Armie Hammer) in Italian film Call Me By Your Name. relationship without moving the plot along or changing the dynamics in any interesting ways. Don’t get me wrong—when it’s just conversation between Oliver and Elio, it’s really good. It’s clean, it’s punchy, it’s believable as the kind of conversation two people would have in a developing relationship. Whenever anyone else talks, though, it just seems like the writer has no idea how people talk. It’s stiff and unnatural, which makes it jarring, after having seen such good scenes with the two leads. There’s a great movie in here somewhere—it’s just surrounded by needless fluff. Between the onscreen dynamite of Elio and Oliver, the quirky aesthetic and the great use of cinematography, there’s enough here to recommend—just not for best picture of the year.
thefalconer
reviews
Car Seat Headrest re-releases classic indie gem by daniel mclinden Seven years after the release of Car Seat Headrest’s indie rock darling, Twin Fantasy, the head of the project, Will Toledo, has decided to revisit the Bandcamp classic, rerecord and reimagine it. The old version of Twin Fantasy (now retroactively titled Twin Fantasy Mirror to Mirror) was an intimate and emotional experience, delivering touching lyricism and creative songwriting in a package of lo-fi instrumentation. This lo-fi sound on Mirror to Mirror gives the album a personal feeling that many studio recorded albums struggle to obtain, and within the sphere of modern indie rock is an essential listen. Will Toledo’s new recording however, Twin Fantasy Face to Face, trades in this intimacy for punch. Upgrading from the car to the studio comes with major improvements to the sound of Twin Fantasy, turning what sounded like impressive demos in 2011 to one of the most impressive rock releases of the decade. The new recording of Twin Fantasy, while much cleaner and more crisp than the 2011 version, manages to keep a rough edge to it, making songs like “Bodys” that hold passionate vocal performances and emotionally evocative lyrics while not having to sacrifice instrumentals that hit hard and create a songs that despite their depressive subject matter are oddly danceable and provide drum and guitar work that would impress most rock fans.
This cleaner production does justice to many of the tracks on this album, such as the 12-minute epic “Beach Life in Death,” which rises and falls perfectly with wailing guitar work that develops along the track and has an amazing energy exemplified by intricate and impactful drum work. “Sober to Death” gains an incredible sense of atmosphere with dreamy instrumentation that still holds a strong impact, which perfectly compliments a touching and emotionally honest track that stands as one of the greatest love songs of all time. On top of much needed improvements made on the production and performance of the various instruments, the new recording has clearer vocals and a more energetic and passionate vocal performance from Will Toledo. This allows Toledo’s beautiful lyricism to come through clearer to the listener. The songs on Twin Fantasy capture the complex feelings of love, depression, anxiety, stress and all that comes with youth perfectly. Toledo delivers lines on this album that will stick with you and songs that any listener young or old could relate to times in their life that they are going through or have gone through. Car Seat Headrest has created an album that will be remembered as a defining moment for rock music this decade. Though the new recording does improve the sound of Twin Fantasy in every way, the intimacy of the original is still a piece of music worth listening to, and can increase one’s appreciation for this new version. Anyone with an interest in rock, anyone going through the emotional intensity of youth, or anyone who has in their past, should listen to Twin Fantasy.
Netflix teen series layers comedy with intensity
things, the editing and the script. The script in particular has that sort of Joss Whedon effect where the characters talk like smarmy, sarcastic snakes the whole time, but never to a degree where they can’t veer back to having an important discussion if the story calls for it. There’s a lot of punchy jokes that punctuate scenes nicely, particularly in the inner monologues given by the two leads. The editing serves to define the style the show is going for. Without wishing to spoil, whenever events happen in the show, there will oftentimes be a call back to it during a more quiet moment, which gives it more of an impact as it reflects how dramatic events reverberate inside the characters heads over the course of the show. It also is a way to subtly remind the viewer of courtesy of Netflix what has happened over the course of the The cerebral mix of muted tones and loud action produce a schizophrenic episodes, and the sharp nature of the clips combination that mostly works in Netflix’s The End of the F***ing World. is a way to accentuate how messed up what they’re flashing back to is. by fenris foerster That doesn’t mean the editing doesn’t have it’s issues; Being a Netflix show that came out in late 2017, it’s a bit it feels like it’s designed for a show with some separation old hat now to talk about The End of the F***ing World, but between the episodes, so when shotgunning the first asking around I found that a lot of people I talked to still season, it’s easy to be annoyed by them showing you the hadn’t seen it. That’s a shame, because it’s really interesting same things over and over again. both aesthetically and from a storytelling perspective, and it Despite having its comedic moments, the show has a very consistent tone that serves to keep the audience really hasn’t gotten the audience it deserved. The basic premise is thus: James (Alex Lawther) is a offset. The colors are very muted, and the sound design 17-year-old-boy in South England who is absolutely sure serves to lull the audience around with ambient noise, he is a psychopath, and has determined that he wants to which they punctuate by making the action louder than kill a human being. Meanwhile, Alyssa (Jessica Barden) is a it should be. This is without mentioning the soundtrack, 17-year-old girl who wants to escape her terrible home life. which juxtaposes the action by gently singing jaunty tunes The two meet up, and James decides he wants to kill Alyssa as which is in itself pretty unsettling. his first human victim. This is sidetracked when she decides Most upsetting of all, however, is the very reserved to run away with James, and the two build a relationship on performances from the two leads, James and Alyssa. James, being a psychopath, has a natural drone to everything he the road through misadventures across South England. The show is really exceptional at world building. says, which is played both for laughs, and po-faced, but Everyone they meet along the way has their own little never with a lack of self-awareness. Alyssa is really the backstory and personality that get woven into the plot of emotional center, as her impulsiveness really drives the plot. Overall, great show, I urge you to check it out. the episode naturally and believably. This show is way funnier than it has any right to be, The End of the F***ing World is streaming on Netflix especially in the first half. That’s mostly down to two streaming now.
JPEGmafia’s ‘Veteran’
march2018
Veteran is a tape drenched in the modern culture of the internet mixed with the grime of the Baltimore rap scene. JPEGmafia brings a lot of angry energy to this project layering evocative and shocking lines over abrasive textured beats that keep a catchy fun energy despite their odd off the wall sound palette consisting of anything from yelling voices, pen clicks, and video game sound effects. This record is definitely not for the faint of heart with its vulgar, offensive, and violent punk attitude, but to the right audience is a simultaneously humorous, political and personal record with a great blend of interesting outsider beats, catchy hooks, and memorable lines. With the large amount of experimentation on this record, not every idea lands—and the front half of the album holds a lot of the best ideas—but the record never dwells on one moment long enough to lose interest. No hip-hop fan should miss out on the creativity, fun, and energy at display on Veteran.—daniel mclinden
MGMT’s ‘Little Dark Age’ MGMT delivered an 80s gothic synthpop throwback record this year changing up their usual style. Little Dark Age bolsters an incredibly consistent tracklist of 10 fun synth pop tunes that balance a dark lyrical tone and catchy, danceable instrumentation. MGMT goes with a very snappy clean production on this record which gives the album a great sound that allows its sticky hooks to stay with you for days after you listen to it. Anyone looking for a return to the classic synth pop style of Depeche Mode or Kraftwerk with a modern twist or just enjoy catchy electronic music will find a lot to love in this album.—daniel mclinden
Throwback: Queens of the Stone Age sophomore release is smash banger After the release of 1998’s obscure self-titled album, alt-rockers Queens of the Stone Age released a more radio-oriented album, Rated R, in 2000, and let me tell you, it’s a straight banger. It opens with “Feel Good Hit Of The Summer,” a tongue-in-cheek poke at the drug scene that QotSA was so closely associated with. Ironically penned by frontman Josh Homme while under the influence, the song ends with a bang and segues smoothly into “The Lost Art of Keeping A Secret,” the lead single, and also the song that put them on the map. This album features Mark Lanegan of Screaming Trees singing on the next two tracks, “Leg of Lamb” and “Autopilot.” There are heavy-metal bangers, such as “Tension Head” and “Quick and to the Pointless,” that feature bassist Nick Oliveri contributing to vocals as well. The main attraction to Rated R is that if you are looking for laid-back rock song, a la Foo Fighters, then you get them in songs like “In The Fade,” but if you want something harder than that, you have those options too. The only reason this album isn’t an eight is because Queens of the Stone Age has a reputation for amazing albums, and this one isn’t necessarily their best. Check out Songs For The Deaf if you like this album but think there is something missing.—elias findley
pagenine
thefalconer
sports
march2018
Track stirs excitement in its runners by rachel singleton
Winter track has just recently wrapped up after the ending of the states competitions. Track and field coach Quentin Jones said that they had a really good winter season. “Boys and girls both won districts. Regionals, our boys were fourth, our girls were second,” he said. Jones said that the it was “neat to watch everyone grow and develop and see how things change.” However, he added that the toughest part of winter track was trying to make sure they got everyone into a meet to compete. “We a had about 121 people, and it was just trying to get everyone into events and give them an opportunity to compete,” said Jones. Sometimes the weather would give us a little hecticness” Junior Morgan Pletch ran the 300-meter dash in districts and said that she enjoyed it. “I performed to the best of my ability” said Pletch. She said that she even hit a personal record for herself which was placing eighth in the race. Pletch said the best part about running in districts was not only her own race but others. She said that it was fun cheering for her team and seeing the great connections in the team was the best feeling. “Running is such an accomplishing feeling because it’s such a simple task. You get out of it what you put into it,” says Pletch. Freshman Cammy Bland went to both districts and states and very much enjoyed it. She ran the 4x2 relay with
Meredyth Rankin, Ryan McDanielNeff and Cammi Winston. “Our goal was to set a new personal record of 1:53 which we achieved so it was a pretty successful day for us,” said Bland. “We played what I think was 10 in the state.” Bland said that she states was so fun and that it was “one of those experiences you wish you could experience over and over again.” Freshman Aidan Stanton started photos courtesy of Cammy Bland winter track this year and mainly Track team members share a close-knit bond, whether in relays, friendly competition or cheering on teammates. ran the mile but field has started, excitement has stirred participated in some relays and other in winter track, plans to start spring track throughout the team and the coaches. events in the long-distance group. this year and hopes to participate in the Jones said that he is very excited that “It seemed like something I can train long jump and long distance running. spring track is starting up and he hopes to and challenge myself in with the weather She said she hopes that not doing have a lot of his older kids come out and new and work we had to do,” Stanton said. winter track won’t affect her performance kids come in and enjoy the time together. He said the best part of winter track but believes it will. “I have not had the Jones said he really wants to focus on was “the competition from other schools training and preparation that those who “learning how to commit and be part of a and the ‘rivalry’ between the long-distance did winter track had,” says Crouch. program and help one another. I do want and short-distance events. However, he Coach Jones offered a small note for to continue dominating at districts. We’ve added that it was hard to keep up with the new students who are joining the track had lots of success in the past years and consistency required during practices and team: “I always tell my freshman and my I’d like to keep pushing it and just have a on days where you don’t have practice. new students, ‘Give me a chance, give it good season,” he said. Now that winter track has ended the some time, give it 20 days for your mind Freshman Nichole Crouch, who wasn’t old winter team and spring track and to start adapting to it.’”
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march2018
Boys lax looks for fresh start For baseball team, meeting with new coaching staff lofty goals is a group effort by ian napolitano and t.j. brooks
After a good attempt at a state championship last year, the boys lacrosse team is looking better than ever. The team is led by a new coaching staff: head coach Richard Carpenter and assistant coach Ray Pura. On the varsity team there are 13 returning seniors including Cleveland State-committed Cole Anderson (midfielder). In addition to Anderson, other returning seniors expected to lead the team include Jack Averna, Sam Averna, Stratton Burch and Nate Thomason. Thomason, a midfielder, said this season will be very different from what he is used to. “We have new alice maley coaches, but I think we will go far. We Midfielder Cole Anderson faces off during a recent have been waiting for this season for scrimmage game against Woodberry Forest School. a while and I think we are all going to take this very seriously,” he said. hard, all day, rain, sleet, snow, hail, all that.” Junior defenseman Garret Miller said The JV team also had its sights set he felt really good about this season. “ We on improvement. “I’m just gonna hit the have 13 returning seniors, and I expect a wall,” freshman Hunter Barrett said. run for states.” Both junior varsity and varsity won their Coming off his season as star running first game on March 15 at Riverbend High back on the football team, midfielder Kevin School, and the varsity team beat Osbourn Chavis said he still planned to train hard for on March 19 in a 23-0 blowout at home. the upcoming season. “I’m gonna practice They play Liberty on Thursday, March 22.
by nick rogers and ethan hall Coming off of a 11-8 season last year, the Falcons’ boys varsity baseball team looks to strike back this season. Senior Dustin Donner, a starting pitcher, said the team hoped to improve on that record with at least four more wins. “We have many, many expectations for the team this year, but our first goal to complete is Denise Haugsdahl/Victor O’Neill Studios The varsity baseball team huddles up during a scrimmage win more than 15 games.” Donner said no one in against Skyline. They hope for at least 15 wins this season. Freshman catcher Nate Dulevitz particular was going to be a key player. said the team is capable of playing “I think everyone that’s on the team was winning baseball if they take better plate put on the team for a role to help win this approaches. “If we take the same plate year, I wouldn’t say there’s a key person approaches as we did against Skyline, because we will all work together to win.” then we are going to be a good team.” The team began the year right with Dulevitz also said that they need to a 21–4 scrimmage win over the Skyline work on driving first pitch fastballs the Hawks. The Falcons looked to take this on other way. “One thing to work on is going the road with them, starting with a 9–6 up to the plate and recognizing first pitch win over Handley. They faced four more fastballs and try to drive it the other way road battles before the next homestand, to move runner into scoring position.” on Tuesday, April 3 against Sherando.
After successful postseason, Boys varsity basketball looks wrestlers already plan ahead forward after a tough season by nolan mceachin
The Fauquier Falcons had an exceptional wrestling season, with a second-place finish at the Virginia High School League State Tournament. The team worked hard throughout the season, facing tough opponents at national competitions including the Mount Mat Madness, held at Mt. St. Joseph’s in Baltimore, and the Beast of the East tournament at the University of Delaware. Just as steel sharpens steel,
Victor O’Neill Studios
Sophomore Sammy Fisher has his hand raised during the Northwest District Quad.
such challenges helped the Fauquier wrestlers improve immensely. However, the state competition was the ultimate goal for most of the wrestlers. “It was eventful and a lot of fun,” said sophomore Sammy Fisher. “We would have liked first [place], but we were all happy with our performance.” Fisher helped carry the team to its strong postseason finish, earning his second individual state championship. He said winning states felt like “winning a normal match at the time, but later on it set in that I won states.” After finishing twice as state runnerup in previous seasons, senior Kyle Budd also secured a state championship. Budd said the wrestlers who competed at states “did mighty wonderful.” After weeks of trying to make weight, Budd said his favorite part of the season was “waking up the day after states and eating donuts out the wazoo.” Falcons wrestling is a continuous grind, and already the team is beginning to prepare for next season. Among his goals for next year, junior Ethan Jordon, a state runner-up, said in his senior year he would like “to see the team get closer and to have a bond.” Although previous years’ successes set a high bar, junior Kevin McEachin said he would “like to see most, if not all, of our wrestlers on the podium at the state competition” and “to see everyone have their hand raised next year.”
by camden rice
The Fauquier High School varsity basketball team went 10–12 this season help from freshman power forward/ shooting guard Angelo Brizzi. Although he missed a few games for academic reasons, senior guard Dakari Mullins also started a few, helping the team out a lot when he came off the bench. Senior Frankie Strano started most of the games and came out with incredible defense, earning him MVP recognition.
Victor O’Neill Studios
Robby Brooks dribbles the ball up court.
The boys season ended with a loss at Handley 36–86. Even so, senior forward Malcom Lowe said that, overall, it was one for the books. “Even though we didn’t go as far as we probably could’ve, it was still a successful season,” Lowe said. “We were county champs this year, having the best record against Liberty and Kettle Run, which is something everyone was pretty proud of.” Although the varsity team will graduate off much of its veteran talent this year, Lowe said they will leave it in capable hands with younger team members like Brizzi and sophomore Caleb Furr. “It’s rare you get a team with as many seniors as we did this year, but I ultimately think we made the best of it, and also having two young guys in Angelo and Furr. It was really cool to see them both develop as the season went on,” Lowe said. Senior forward Ryeail Lewis agreed, saying the future looked bright for the team with the number of experienced up-and-comers. “I think they’ll do really well, honestly. They have five returning players that played the [varsity] level, and they play AAU [travel] ball, so they’ll be ready for next year.” With high hopes for the years to come, Lowe also said his high school basketball experiences won’t soon be forgotten. “They’re finna make noise the next couple years. But yeah, overall really good season, made a ton of memories with these guy the last four years—and those my brothers for life,” Lowe said.
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