The ECHO, March 2024

ECHOEast’s student-run news source

March 2024 Volume XXI, Issue 4

By Linda Li

Staff Writer

New therapy dog brings comfort and joy to students at East

Meet Ozzy, an 80-pound furry

golden retriever who is the

school’s new therapy dog.

Ozzy and his owner Stephenie

Grey volunteer to come to East

every other Thursday from 10:30

a.m. to 12 p.m. in social worker

Melissa Breaden’s office located

in lower Quad B. Students and

staff can sign up through Breaden

or any of their teachers to book a

visit with Ozzy.

The initiative aims to provide

mental health support for students

and staff during the school day.

You can cuddle, snuggle and

scratch Ozzy to enjoy some oneon-one

time with him.

“It's really beneficial because

schooling is just so stressful. And

then you have this period of time

where you can just sit with a dog

to just recharge and not think

about school for five minutes,”

“We’re going through the motions:” On

classified worker pay in Durham Public Schools

By Suna Erdim

Staff Writer

This past January and February,

Durham Public Schools faced a number

of closures due to teacher sickouts

regarding compensation for classified

workers. Last October, classified staff—

the district’s office workers, nurses,

custodians, and other non-teacher

positions—received letters outlining

their new salaries, which contained

a higher raise than what had been

implemented in years. The news first

led to widespread excitement, but the

tides quickly turned when the district

announced a change of plans.

Durham Public Schools (DPS)

classified worker Ethel Clark, which is

not her real name, remembered the joy

of receiving that first letter.

“Work was just phenomenal,” she

said. “It was a beautiful day in the

neighborhood. And then, in January,

we got an email that said to be here

on Friday at 11 a.m. for this meeting.

We were told there was an issue with

the pay.”

Linda Li/The ECHO

Grey and Ozzy during a break in their volunteer hours. He is a very good boy.

The district, after receiving results

from a salary study, determined that

there had been a mistake with the raise

and that it wouldn’t be sustainable for

the budget. As a result, classified worker

salaries would no longer be reflective of

any years they spent working outside of

the state. The raise had shifted to a pay

cut for many.

While Clark was initially unaffected,

as she has always worked in North

Carolina, that changed on Feb. 22,

when the board made a new vote. They

opted to go back to the old system with

all years of experience being taken into

account, employing an 11 percent raise.

But that was still significantly less than

what workers were promised in the fall.

She lost a considerable amount from her

paycheck and had to change her thinking

around prospects for the future.

“I was already trying to make plans,

because my husband and I are so close to

retirement,” Clark said. “We wanted to

get a lake house and little things like that.

All that’s been put on the backburner.”

Continued on page 4

said sophomore Ash Palmer, who

has visited Ozzy three times so far.

East tries to provide all kinds of

different mental health support.

By Avery Tortora

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Is there anything morally wrong

with acts of cruelty toward video

game characters who don’t actually

exist? Do we have a duty to abide

by the terms of a dead person’s will

or living trust if doing so comes at

some cost to the living? These are

Other than the mental health

specialists, counselors and social

workers support, Breaden thought

fluffier canine support would be

helpful.

“In our high school, we look a

lot at mental health because the

rates of teen mental health issues

are increasing every year, which

is of course concerning to us. We

want our students to be feeling

well and doing well,” Breaden

said. “So [a therapy dog] is one

of many different types of things

that can be helpful for students.”

After each visit, Breaden surveys

students to share feelings about

their visit with Ozzy, and so far,

Breaden says all the results have

been positive.

Continued on page 5

just a few of the questions that the

East Ethics Bowl teams discussed

at the 2024 Regional Ethics Bowl

Competition.

Ethics Bowl is a series of

competitions beginning state-wide,

to regionals, then nationals, where

teams of up to five defend a position

they hold or think is reasonable.

The East Ethics Bowl team is on a

East

Chapel Hill

Observer

Featured this

issue...

“Equity. Compensation.

Respect. Value. And I feel none

of that right now…. We’re

going through the motions, but

none of us want to be here at

this point, just because it hurts

so bad.” - “We’re going through

the motions,” page 1 & 5.

“Donkey Kong not only

deserves the world, he deserves

to have hair as well.” - “Top

10 people who aren’t bald but

should be,” page 10.

“Either grant me the bliss

of the ignorant or give me

the strength to bear the

knowledge.” - “ECHO spring

reads,” page 7.

Ethics Bowl makes Southeast regionals

Photo courtesy of Dr. Rivas

winning streak, taking first place in

the state competition held at UNC’s

Parr Center for Ethics Jan. 27, then

recently winning the Southeastern

Divisional Playoffs Feb. 7. In April,

they’ll aim to extend their streak

in the National High School Ethics

Bowl competition.

Continued on page 5

Find us online!

echhsechoonline.com

@echhsecho

tinyurl.com/2r3ps8dw

“I wanted the team to push themselves because I knew their talent

and skill level. I wanted them to be the best versions

of themselves.” - Read this story on page 11

Opinions..............................................2

Features...............................................4

Arts & Culture......................................7

Satire..................................................10

Sports.................................................11

OPINIONS

ECHO

Our Staff

Co-Editors-in-Chief

Graham Jones

Avery Tortora

Staff Writers

Juman Alyousif

Samantha Benton

Grayson Casey

Gabe Deel

Mischa Dorn

Evan Elk

Suna Erdim

William Helser

Jordan Huang

Linda Li

Camden Lauver

Keira McArthur

Clara Mast

Cornelia Nisbet

Elise Owre

Jackson Polish

Clara Wolfe

Hannah Wright

Adviser

Neal Morgan

ntmorgan@chccs.k12.nc.us

Our Address

500 Weaver Dairy Road

Chapel Hill, NC 27514

919-969-2482 ext. 27260

The ECHO is a forum for

student debate. We invite you

to submit any opinions, op-ed

pieces or responses to anything

published in the ECHO. Please

send letters or comments to

echhsecho@gmail.com.

View our full op-ed policy:

The ECHO is published by the

students at East Chapel Hill

High School for the student

body and is supported by the

school. Letters are encouraged

but must be signed by the writer

to be considered for publication.

Names may be withheld

from publication upon request.

The ECHO staff reserves the

right to edit letters for length,

clarity and for other ethical and

legal considerations.

Advice: Don't say bye to Felicia

By Avery Tortora

Co-Editor-in-Chief

“Hey Avery, it's the

same guy who was called

‘Fluffy Cheeks.’ I have

gotten myself into a bit of

a pickle. There’s a girl I

like at a different school

(let’s call her Felicia) but I

don't know how to ask her

to prom. Our conversation

has been limited, but I

think she likes that I play

basketball. What do I do?

I don’t want to end up

saying, ‘Bye, Felicia.’”

Hi there again, I see

you’ve run into a common

problem. Striking up a

meaningful conversation

can be hard, especially if

you don’t go to the same

By Jordan Huang

Staff Writer

On Friday, Feb. 2, the Chapel

Hill Youth Council (CHYC)

held a small, casual forum with

a handful of the recently elected

Town Council members. For

an hour and a half, I sat in a

circle of 20 attendees, directing

questions to three individuals:

Theodore Nollert and Melissa

McCullough, first-year council

members, and Amy Ryan, a

veteran council member serving

as Mayor Pro Tem. Despite

the casual setting and youthful

audience, each council member

expressed a strong passion for

Chapel Hill’s future and left me

with several valuable insights.

Our discussion began on the

subject of the town’s budget,

specifically, the areas that the

school. I would suggest

inviting her over to watch

a movie before popping

the question. “Sharks of

the Corn” is a great first

date movie. What’s more

interesting than great white

sharks swimming in a corn

field eating up unsuspecting

victims? You’re right.

Nothing. She’ll be taken

aback (in the best way

possible) by this movie and

its complex and interesting

plot of a cult attempting to

revive a Shark Goddess

via a connection from

Stonehenge. After you

guys watch (and love)

the movie, you’ll take

her out to go show her

how amazing you are at

basketball. That’s when

five of your friends come

Photo courtesy of Gizmodo

out dressed as basketballs

holding up letters that spell

“PROM?” It’s guaranteed

to work, and trust me,

nobody will be saying:

“Bye, Felicia.”

“A boy asked me out,

but he's a GINGER! He's

been a close friend for the

past few years, but I can't

imagine ever going out

with a GINGER! Please

help ASAP!

Sincerely,

Gingers on my Mind”

I’m so sorry I couldn’t

get to this urgent matter

sooner. I would urge you

to go to page 10 of the

ECHO’s last issue, and

read my “Top Ten Gingers

of All Time” piece. Maybe

that will convince you

of all the amazing things

gingers have done for our

society. Try to focus less on

the color of their hair, but

instead the color of their

soul. Or the color of their

heart. Or maybe even the

color of their blood. I don’t

know what that means, but

it sounds deep. Hope this

helps.

Town council mini-forum takeaways

Town Council was planning

to bolster through increased

funding. Although they said

that the council had not yet

come to a final consensus, they

touched on a broad range of

subjects, including sustainable

development, environmental

stewardship, parks and

recreation, and educational

initiatives. However, when I

asked about potential areas for

cuts, all three council members

exchanged glances before Amy

Ryan responded,

“In all of my time here, I don’t

believe we’ve ever had to make

budget cuts,” Ryan said. “You

have to understand, Chapel Hill

is very wealthy.”

They explained that property

tax rates are determined by

assessed property values,

and because of Chapel Hill’s

continually rising housing costs,

the town has consistently seen

an increase in property taxes.

According to Redfin, our town

has experienced a 27.5 percent

year-over-year rise in the median

sale price of its single-family

homes over the past five years,

which bodes well for the town’s

What do you think?

February student survey results from

127 responses:

40

30

20

10

How would you rate East on a scale of 1-10?

1 = horrible, 10 = amazing)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Is Gypsy Rose an icon?

Other

5.2%

Who is Gypsy

Rose?

41%

I don't care

18.9%

No

15.6%

budget.

Another thing I learned

was that the taxes paid by

Chapel Hill’s residents are the

result of separate rates set by

each of NC’s three levels of

government. For example,

the final property tax rate is

determined by a combination

of the municipal property tax

rate, county property tax rate,

and state property tax rate.

Further, the county and state

are both of higher precedence

than the town, as they have a

larger burden of responsibilities.

Because the town primarily

focuses on local management

activities it, commands a smaller

share of taxes.

“Some people get mad when

they see that their taxes are higher

than the previous year, but that

often isn’t because of [the Town

Council],” McCullough said.

Nollert echoed this sentiment:

“There’s nothing we can do

about county or state tax hikes,

but that’s not worth explaining

to most people. All they see is

a bigger number,” he said. “We

always field a number of angry

emails when taxes increase.”

Yes

18.9%

Beyond taxes, a significant

portion of our discussion

revolved around ongoing debates

concerning the most effective

approach to development.

McCullough was particularly

passionate about the subject,

being the former director of the

U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency’s Sustainable and

Healthy Communities Research

Program. Expressing strong

opposition to sprawl-based

development, she advocated for

creating additional affordable

housing options, building

upward rather than outward to

encourage density, and reducing

the necessity for long commutes.

“I’m an empty nester. I don’t

need a big, single-family home

anymore, but it’s hard to find

other options like townhomes,

condos, or co-ops in Chapel

Hill unless they’re full of college

students,” McCullough said.

She also shared a desire

for walkability, likening the

construction of additional roads

to alleviate traffic congestion to

“using a band-aid for a bullet

hole,” and emphasizing that

the largest cause of pollution

What's the

best dinosaur?

- “Stegosaurus”

- “Velociraptor”

- “T-rex”

- “Brontosaurus”

- “Barney”

was fossil fuel emissions from

automobiles.

Both Nollert and Ryan

shared McCullough’s general

philosophy, and Ryan said that

the biggest opponent to sciencebased

sustainable development

was the Chapel Hill Alliance for

a Livable Town, or CHALT. She

also mentioned that only one out

of the five candidates they put on

the ballot was elected.

The topic shifted when

a member of the CHYC

inquired about the day-to-day

responsibilities of council

members, revealing a multitude

of engagements beyond their

standard meeting schedule.

These included attending

conferences, participating in

professional development,

conducting constituent outreach,

and more. Despite this, Nollert

said that their positions were

considered part-time, so council

members receive only a modest

annual salary of $25,000. To me,

this illustrated that those who

serve on the town council do so

out of genuine care for our town

and community—my biggest

takeaway from the evening.

By Avery Tortora

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Outwit. Outplay. Outlast. This

is the motto of CBS’s hit show,

“Survivor.” Quarantine had me doing

daily soul searching, purpose finding

and boredom killing and “Survivor”

gave me all three. Many people don’t

believe in reality TV, but once you start

to watch “Survivor,” you’ll see that it’s

more than just crappy reality TV— it

mimics the society we live in today.

No matter the batch of contestants or

setting they’re put in, power, greed

and deceit always come into play,

and now you get to watch real life

dynamics magnified and simplified

into a 15-episode season.

There are three components to

“Survivor” that one should covet in

order to have a successful game: 1)

social game, 2) physical game, and 3)

mental game. Some contestants make

By Clara Wolfe

Staff Writer

It’s 9 p.m. on a Tuesday

and you’re craving a

cookie. Would you reach

for a warm, chocolatey

cookie with crisp edges

and a soft center, or would

you rather have a cold,

underbaked block of dry

cookie with overly sweet

frosting and overwhelming

flavors. If you’re like me,

you prefer the first cookie,

which is why Insomnia

Cookies is the perfect

place to go when you’re

craving a late night sweet

treat.

When Crumbl cookies

opened, I was excited

at first. I had seen their

unique treats all over my

TikTok “for you” page,

and I have a major sweet

tooth. You can imagine

my disappointment when

I spent $5 on a single

cookie that was cold,

saccharine and barely

cooked, yet somehow also

stale. Crumbl’s so-called

“gourmet” menu changes

every week, which means

that even if you can find

a good cookie there, it

won't be there for long.

And news flash, omitting

vowels in your brand

name does not make it

automatically cool.

Insomnia Cookies,

on the other hand, is a

20-year-old business

serving mastered classics

with a modern twist.

Their doors stay open

until 1 a.m., and they

have delivery every day

up until 3 a.m. This is also

what makes Insomnia

a perfect addition to

UNC’s campus. They

serve cookies, brownies,

ice cream, cookie cakes

and even frosting to

dip cookies in if you're

looking for something

even sweeter. Crumbl

only serves cookies and

the occasional brownie

or cake in their weekly

rotation. Gross cookies

in pretty pink boxes are

still gross. In short, if you

have any actual taste, go

to Insomnia Cookies.

OPINIONS 3

What “Survivor” has taught me

it to the final three fully relying on their

physical game but rarely ever win.

(Exhibit A: Ozzy Lusth in “Survivor:

Cook Islands” who won a whopping

five individual immunity challenges,

but in the end, although praised for his

athleticism, didn’t win because of his

lack of strategy). Others play a strong

mental/puzzles game, but can’t hack

it physically or socially. (Exhibit B:

“Chaos” Kass McQuillen, who made

unforgettable comebacks by speeding

through puzzles, but her flakey social

game led to her elimination). Lastly,

those who play the social game.

(Exhibit C: Adam Klein, although

not stellar physically, his ability to

make big moves yet stay under the

radar was unmatched). All three of

the contestants mentioned made it far

in the game, but the only one to win

was Klein.

You usually do need all three factors

to win, but undoubtedly the most

important one is a player’s social game.

Except for rare scenarios, a respectable

social game almost always involves

hefty amounts of manipulation. The

irony in it is that if you’re savvy

enough to subconsciously instill fear in

your fellow players and control them

without deeply offending anybody,

the jury will love you all the more.

(Exhibit D: Charismatic and deceitful

mob-leader adjacent, “Boston” Rob).

The “good doers” and people who

let their outside life morals get in the

way of playing the game rarely ever

make it to the end because they're not

willing to lie or betray. They may think

that this will make them look good,

but when everybody around them is

lying and deceiving, they run the risk

of looking stupid and naive.

Something that stays true to every

single season of “Survivor” is the

pecking order and power dynamics.

Somebody will always be on top,

somebody will always be on the

bottom. Showcased in challenges like

“Parang Swing,” where contestants

answer questions and get to chop

down other players’ ropes. Last one

with a rope wins. Made to reveal the

order of power in a tribe. Long story

short, nobody is ever on equal ground.

No matter how chaotic the group of

contestants are, at least one person is

always an outcast, one person always

comes out to be some sort of a tribe

leader, and at least three people are

sheep. Riding on a stronger player’s

coattail is also a big no no. (Exhibit

F: Laurel Johnson, who made it to

the final tribal council mainly thanks

to powerduo Domenick Abbate and

season winner Wendell Holland, but

received no winning votes). Getting

carried might get you far, but out of

the 32 seasons I’ve seen, I’ve never

seen a player like that win.

Head to head: Insomnia vs. Crumbl

Avery Tortora/The ECHO and courtesy of Nappy Images

Photo courtesy of CBS

By Cornelia Nisbet

Staff Writer

There’s something

special about a homemade

cookie, just like there’s

something amazing about

a bowl of buttered pasta.

But if you’re going to

go out of your way and

spend money on food,

you want something extra

amazing. Something that

can mark a fun occasion

or create a memorable

day. Something more than

a plain, small Insomnia

cookie, which is simply a

homemade cookie minus

the fun of making one.

Crumbl cookies, on the

other hand, are the perfect

example of an exciting

take on everyday foods.

The large, rich cookies

are perfect for splitting

with a friend or even,

let’s be honest, enjoying

all of it by yourself over

the course of a day or two.

Each visit feels as much an

experience as a purchase,

allowing you to debate

which rotating flavor you

“Survivor” reminds me of a real

life “Lord of the Flies.” The true

motives and characters of humankind

are revealed in this dilated simulation

of society. So after spending

approximately 500 hours of my life

watching “Survivor,” here’s what it’s

taught me.

“Survivor” has taught me that you

can either play an honest game, or a

deceitful game, but it’s a hell of a lot

easier getting to the end playing the

latter. “Survivor” has taught me that

the most powerful thing in this world

is fear, and that fear can cause people

to do virtually anything. “Survivor”

has taught me that life is so far from

fair, and that true equality will never

actually be reached. “Survivor” has

taught me that you don’t need to be

an intellectual or an athlete to succeed

in the game of life, but it’s nearly

impossible to get anywhere without a

network of people, or allies, and that

being charismatic is a shortcut to great

fortune. “Survivor” has taught me

that in order to outwit, outplay, and

outlast, you can’t be afraid to make big

moves, and make sacrifices, because

when you boil it down, it’s all just

gambling. Life is one big gamble, and

“Survivor” can teach you a lot about

how to play the game of life, but it all

depends on the kind of game you’re

willing to play.

should try. Stick to the

classic favorite, chocolate

chip? Try Crumbl’s take

on your favorite birthday

cake flavor? Pick two and

taste test them to rank your

favorites?

Personally, if I want a

simple cookie, I would

prefer to make it at home

with my friends, so when

I go buy a cookie, the

elaborate choices make the

trip worth it. The flavors,

many of which I would

have never dreamed of

on my own, lead me to

look forward to a visit

to Crumbl, knowing that

the delicious flavors will

stay in my mind long after

finishing it.

Instead of offering long

lists of cookies, cakes and

ice cream, Crumbl carefully

perfects each offering,

down to the distribution

of chunks of chocolate or

drizzles of lemon icing.

While the cute pink boxes

don’t hurt their business,

there’s a reason (or six

every week) for the hype

around Crumbl.

By Graysie Casey

Staff Writer

FEATURES

CHCCS school district in defense of LGBTQ+ students

On Jan. 18, 2024, the Chapel Hill-

Carrboro City School district defied state

law by leaving out two clauses concerning

LGBTQ+ youth and education in Senate

Bill 49, better known as the Parents’ Bill

of Rights.

Passed by the North Carolina senate

in August of 2023, the Parents’ Bill of

Rights lists a number of legal rights

parents have in regards to their children in

the school system. Public school districts

were required to implement the policies

by Jan. 1, 2024.

The first clause excluded, which received

the most pushback, requires teachers or

administrators to notify parents if a

student wishes to use a different set of

pronouns or go by a different name.

During a meeting in November, the

policy was met with concerns of being

discriminatory as well as confusing in

wording.

“The law requires that everything be

reported to parents, unless it's going to

endanger the life of the student. That’s

such a fuzzy kind of thing to say and to

interpret, so what the board felt was we

don’t need a law that ties the hands of

our staff,” said George Griffin, a board

chairman who has served since 2022.

Due to how the clause is written,

parents of a student who want to go by

a nickname would have to be notified as

well. While the clause does not explicitly

state that it applies to LGBTQ+ students,

the policies within it can directly affect

those who identify with the community.

“It's better for us to address student

concerns and issues with nuance,

empathy and sensitivity to what's

going on in a young person's life at that

moment in time,” said Andy Jenks,

Chief of Communications for CHCCS.

East junior August Nunn, who uses

a different name than what is listed in

PowerSchool, attested to the dangers

that parent notification can stir up for

LGBTQ+ students.

“I've always been very open with my

parents about the different names that I

go by. But for many students, this could

pose not only awkwardness, but actual

safety concerns. You don't know how

parents will react,” Nunn said.

In light of the decision, the school

board developed written protocol for

what educators should do in the event

that a student wishes to keep their

name and pronouns private from their

parents. The board calls this “written

guidance,” a plan that details the steps

taken in order to not only keep students

safe, but to also uphold the involvement

of parents.

“We want to work together with

families, our staff wants to collaborate

and the guidance that we're sharing

allows for a more effective means of

doing that,” Jenks said.

The second clause that the board

defied includes prohibiting the teaching

of gender identity and sexuality in

kindergarten through fourth grade.

According to Griffin, the board found

this part ironic, given that neither topic is

part of the district's curriculum in those

grade levels. The teaching of such topics

don’t start until students reach fifth grade.

CHCCS is the only school district

in North Carolina that refused to

pass these two portions. Currently,

there are no written consequences for

districts that don’t comply with the bill.

However, provisions in the law allow

any parent, even those without children

who are affected, to challenge the way

in which the board has responded by

filing a complaint.

“As of today, nobody has,” Griffin

said in February.

Griffin added that the community

reception of the bill has been more

positive than negative despite the

legality of the situation. In theory,

retribution could also arise from the

General Assembly. Despite the risk

involved, the board plans to stay true

to its values.

“That’s the big unknown. Is there a

consequence? But here's the thing. We

have a mission statement. We have a

set of core values in this district. We

value every individual student as a

unique individual student, and we

value families and engagement with

families. We’ve been trying to uphold

those values,” Griffin said.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro area is

known for being more liberal than its

counterparts, which would explain

not only the board’s decision, but the

Streetview of Lincoln Center from Google Earth.

community’s support of it as well. As

a LGBTQ+ student, Nunn expressed

how they feel privileged to live in an

area where their identity is accepted,

yet challenges the community to look

beyond the city’s “bubble.”

“I think that it's important not only

to look within our districts, but look at

the troubling trends we’re seeing across

the country. And think not only about

the ways that we can continue to find

spaces like our district, but how we can

do things to help support other school

districts to make important decisions

like this across the country, because

this senate bill doesn’t just stop in

Chapel Hill,” Nunn said.

Continued from page 1

Ever since the pay cuts first began

in mid-January, Clark has backed and

stood with her colleagues, helping to

make protest signs and speaking at

board meetings. Many teachers in the

district have joined the effort as well, as

shown in the photos, demonstrating in

Courtesy of Elena Paces-Wiles/The Pirates’ Hook

“We’re going through the motions”

front of Durham Public Schools Central

Services.

Some DPS students have also

attended protests and many have

grown passionate on the issue of

staff compensation. Riverside High

School senior Elena Paces-Wiles

published a photo gallery from one of

the demonstrations in her own school’s

newspaper, “The Pirates’ Hook.”

“Everyone was talking about it,”

Paces-Wiles said. “It was impacting us.

It was impacting our teachers. It was

impacting our classified workers. There

was no way we could not cover it.”

Attending the protest was an

enlightening experience for her, and

she was impressed by its environment

of collaboration and unity.

“There were a lot more people than

I thought there’d be and there were

lots of teachers….There were even

elementary school kids, which I thought

was interesting. The whole community

came in support of these classified

workers,” Paces-Wiles said.

East chemistry teacher Kelly Allen,

who emphasized the importance of

promises, financial or otherwise, being

kept in the context of a workplace,

draws attention to the monumental

impacts of the initial raise’s sudden

revocation:

“If that happened in this district,

what happened in Durham, there

would be a lot of very angry folks, and

I could potentially see a similar thing

happening here….” Allen said. “We’re

talking about people not being able to

pay their rent anymore or [not] having

enough money for food in addition to

their rent. That’s huge.”

East social studies teacher Deborah

Yamauchi, who has four children

attending Jordan High School, also

empathizes with classified staff and

believes their compensation has

long stood as something that can be

improved.

“I think I would respond in a similar

way if that happened in Chapel Hill….”

said Yamauchi, referring to the issues

with salary. “I think that classified staff

are very important.”

She believes the issue also goes

deeper than the district and should be

examined at the state level, because it’s

a matter of state budget decisions that

determine how much money school

districts are left to work with.

“This is downstream of that,”

Yamauchi said. “Durham wouldn’t be

in this situation if they hadn’t siphoned

off money from vouchers and charter

schools and, in general, budget cuts

from the school system.”

Because North Carolina is a “right

to work” state, it’s considered a

misdemeanor for public workers

to go on strike, making teacher

sickouts a point of legal contention.

Republican member of the N.C. House

of Representatives Jon Hardister, in

a WRAL article, refers to a sickout

as “a de facto strike.” The article

anticipates the possibility of more direct

restrictions on teachers’ abilities to take

personal days because of this sentiment

among Hardister and other Republican

lawmakers.

However, the issue of worker

compensation isn’t likely to dissipate

without a different response from the

district. Clark says she expects a mass

exodus of DPS workers if salaries don’t

change by the end of the year.

Finally, when asked what she found

most important when it came to rights

around her job, she responded with the

following:

“Equity. Compensation. Respect.

Value. And I feel none of that right

now…. We’re going through the

motions, but none of us want to be

here at this point, just because it hurts

so bad.”

echhsechoonline.com FEATURES 5

Ethics Bowl makes Southeast regionals New therapy dog brings comfort

and joy to students at East


Prior to the competition, teams

are given the 16 cases that they are

in charge of creating a stance for.

The preparation takes weeks of

team members thinking critically

about what view they want to

take. But contrary

to popular belief,

it’s not at all similar

to the structure or

nature of the debate

competitions that

many are familiar

with.

“In debate, you're assigned a

stance that you might not agree

with, and there's a lot of outside

research that goes into it. But in

ethics you do minimal outside

research,” sophomore Adeline

Delafield said.

Because ethics competitions are

structured so teams are arguing a

position they believe is most ethical,

personal beliefs and values come

into the discussion, providing a

challenging aspect for competitors.

“I think logic only goes so far,

and at some point you have to bring

in values─that can get pretty tough

because you can’t really argue with

someone’s values… you can all

be thinking perfectly logically; no

“You can’t really argue with

someone’s values… you

can all be thinking perfectly

logically; no one's wrong

or right, but everyone has a

different stance.”

one's wrong or right, but everyone

has a different stance,” sophomore

Mizell Hassel said.

Judging can also become a tricky

task because of the ambiguity and

subjective nature of the cases.

So when it comes to judging,

teams are scored solely off of their

argumentative and presentation

skills, and judges

must keep their

personal views

separate from the

scoring of teams.

“All of the judges

are somehow

affiliated with the

UNC Parr Center for Ethics, so you

get grad students who are actively

writing PhDs. They’re the ones

who are in charge of pushing your

thinking, so you get this unique

experience of talking to experts in

the field,” Delafield said.

The preparation process for the

cases is an extensive dive into the

repercussions of each side and may

take many weeks for team members

to come to a proper stance and

conclusion.

“Generally for each case we will go

through looking at the consequences

of each action, the autonomy each

person has and their rights and duties.

Then from that we will create our

stance,” junior Henry Brodey said.

There is also no lack of opposing

takes or views when it comes to

members of the Ethics Bowl Club.

Although the competing team is

comprised of only seven students,

anyone is welcome to join the

club at East and attend the weekly

meetings where they prepare for

these cases.

“I really like that our club has

a good amount of diversity of

opinion. For almost all of the

cases there’s a good amount of

disagreement about our stances,

and that creates some really great

discussion…. The cases are hard,

these questions get really deep,

and so it's really fun to talk about

these things with people who you

might not necessarily agree with,”

Hassel said.

With a bracket structured

competition, “the stress can ramp

up during the elimination rounds”

according to Delafield. But the team

has an effective tactic to combat the

nerves, with Brodey highlighting

how although “[the competition]

can be stressful, snacks help.”

Discussing ethical standpoints

at competitions can seem niche

or unknown to many, but Hassel

highlighted the universality of

ethics, and how it “plays into

everything and anything that one

can do in their life.”

By Camden Lauver, Linda Li &

Clara Mast

Staff Writers

Technology was originally brought

to the classroom to enhance learning

– but according to many teachers it

is destroying learning at the same

time. Students’ personal devices are

becoming obstacles to a productive

use of classroom time, and according

to several East Chapel Hill staff

members, it might be too late for a

solution.

“It’s not worth the fight anymore,”

math teacher James Kelly said. “It’s

gotten to the point where I don’t know

how to handle it.”

An ECHO student survey conducted

in January supports Kelly’s sentiments.

It found that 73 percent of students use

personal technology in class, yet only

8 percent of the students face any kind

of consequence. Teachers interviewed

said this is in part because of a lack of

support for teachers who try to limit

personal device use.

Nowadays, according to Kelly,

students and their personal devices

are inseparable. It's almost like half

of teaching now is getting students to

pay attention.

Even when they’re not on cell


“Students who participated

already have expressed that they’ve

really enjoyed the experience,”

Breaden said. “You're sitting there

petting the dog and getting loving

attention from the dog. It can be

very soothing and comforting for

students, and it helps them when

they’re feeling stressed.”

Ozzy got certified to be a therapy

dog in 2022 through PetPal, a

healthcare platform providing

pet services. What inspired Grey

towards the path of training Ozzy

into a therapy dog started with

Grey’s grandmother, who has

Alzheimer’s.

“[My grandma] is not really

functioning. She doesn't remember

people. She often has mood swings,

but Ozzy does really well with her,”

Grey said. “So even before he was

a therapy dog, I knew he was going

to be really good at this because he's

really great with her.”

Other than volunteering at East,

Ozzy also works regularly in the

WakeMed Children’s emergency

department in Raleigh.

“I've gotten feedback from

parents that it really impacted

The effect of tech in East classrooms

Camden Lauver/The ECHO

phones, “It’s almost like only they're

half listening, like losing part of their

hearing,” said social studies teacher

Heather Burek.

Whether it’s listening to music

under their hood or scrolling through

social media platforms beneath the

desk, tech use runs rampant in East’s

classrooms. Although teachers rarely

enforce consequences or voice their

concerns, it doesn’t go unnoticed.

“The problem for some kids is that

they’re addicted to their phones, and

it’s hurting their grades,” said social

studies teacher Hans Hiemstra, who

has been teaching at East for the past

20 years. “Students are becoming

more attached to their phones these

days, and I’m becoming more and

more attached to mine. It’s not an ‘Ok

Boomer’ thing.”

Generation Z is the first to be brought

up in the age of cell phone-driven

instant gratification, and the effects

are beginning to show themselves.

After discovering the convenience

of technology, they’ve had to face

the downsides accompanying that.

Though many blamed COVID for the

overreliance on tech, some teachers

believe the wheels of this problem

were set in motion years before.

“Over the past five or six years,

their kids' stay in the hospital. He

distracted them from the pain that

they were feeling or the anxiety of

being in the hospital,” Grey said.

In June, Ozzy will start working

at the airport to see Marines when

they land in Raleigh, to provide care

and support before they go to camp.

Service dogs in school can have

many benefits for students of all

ages. Grey envisions Ozzy will also

do more activities with younger

students in the future, for example

helping them to learn how to read.

“[Some younger students] are

hesitant to practice reading in front

of their teacher or their parents

because they're insecure. And

when I've taken him to events, the

kids will actually practice reading

in front of the dog which is great

because they get that practice,”

Grey said.

Although Ozzy’s journey at East

had just started, according to Grey

and Breaden, it won’t end anytime

soon.

“I hope that we can continue this

for a long time. There are already

a lot of people giving a lot of

positive feedback, so I anticipate

us to continue doing this not just

this year, but in future years too,”

Breaden said.

[phone usage] has gotten worse

every year,” Hiemstra said. “It was

happening pre-COVID–COVID just

solidified it.”

Teachers are rendered helpless

because they aren’t provided with the

tools to solve the epidemic of phone

usage. The combination of limited

solutions and student apathy creates

an environment counter-intuitive to

learning. According to Hiemstra, he

could only beg his students to put their

phones away.

“The only way I’ve really been able

to do anything is through a meeting

with the parents, but I’ve also had

parents say, ‘Oh, well,’” Hiemstra said.

“If the parent is fine with them using

the phone, there’s nothing really that

you can do.”

Hiemstra highlights that in the end,

it's about giving teachers support

when it comes to enforcing classroom

integrity around personal devices. This

is the main way to limit screen time

in school.

“It comes down to respecting

who's spending time to prepare for

you, respecting the authority in the

classroom, respecting yourself.” Burek

said. “And the fact that you're learning

for the sake of learning and not just

wasting away.”

6 FEATURES echhsechoonline.com

Graham Jones/The ECHO

Young Leaders in Music Club forges bond

between East and Phillips students

By Juman Alyousif & Suna Erdim

Staff Writers

The Young Leaders in Music Club’s

mentorship program recently returned

from its post-COVID hiatus. This

program provides East students with

knowledge in music the chance to

mentor middle schoolers in their

instruments.

The music mentorship program

between East and Phillips Middle

School has long existed as a way to

bridge the two music departments and

By Avery Tortora

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Criminal Investigation and

Forensic Science Club (CIFS)

inspire continued engagement in the

arts. Originally, high school students

carpooled from East to Phillips, but the

program was transferred to a remote

setting during the 2020-2021 school

year. It became inactive for the two

years succeeding the pandemic, due

to transportation and social distancing

concerns.

In the fall of this year, the former

band and orchestra director at Phillips,

Ann Daaleman, worked to revive the

program by contacting the district

transportation department to arrange

middle school students to be taken

to East by bus every Tuesday after

school. She worked with the support of

Ryan Ellefsen, the band and orchestra

director at East, and senior Matilda

Foureman, the president of the Young

Leaders in Music Club.

“It just felt natural, and I feel

like I have a legacy to prevail,”

said Foureman, a bass player, about

continuing the program.

Foureman’s older sister had led the

mentorship program in its previous

years, which instilled in her a lasting

enthusiasm for its benefits. All the

while, she’s embraced the fact that the

version of the program she’s leading

now has its differences from the older

structure.

“I like how it’s changed,” Foureman

said. “I remember back before COVID

it was very stressful, and I saw former

leaders having to figure out car rides….

Having it here at East is really nice. It’s

just easier and I think it allows middle

school students to see what they have

to look forward to and feel more

comfortable around East.”

For middle school mentees and

high school mentors alike, being

able to learn and teach an array of

skills on their instruments has been

an enlightening and educational

experience.

Seventh grader Polk Greer, who

plays baritone and alto saxophone,

appreciates the strong and

conversational bond that he’s forged

with his mentor William Weis, due to

their relative closeness in age.

“[With] my instructor and private

teacher, we’re like 10 years apart,

and my [mentor]’s four or five years

older than me, so I think that definitely

makes a big difference,” Greer said.

Maslan Bushnell, a sixth grader at

Phillips who recently switched from

flute to saxophone, similarly values

the relationship she’s established with

her mentors, Rithika Bandaru and

George Wang.

“We’re friends,” Bushnell said. “I

always become very good friends with

people [when] one-on-one practicing.”

Bushnell hopes to audition into jazz

band in high school. According to her,

the opportunity to learn from students

who participate in smaller ensembles,

and have had a number of years with

their instruments.

“I think it’s really cool to learn

Club Spotlight: CIFS & Be Loud! Sophie

According to YouGov, over half

of the American population says

they “enjoy” true crime, and with the

already abundant presence of true

crime media, more and more people

indulge in suspenseful and chilling

true crime cases every day.

The Criminal Investigation and

Forensics Science Club at East aims

to teach students about not just

forensics and criminal science, but

also criminal psychology, the criminal

justice system, DNA data testing, and,

of course, famous true crime cases.

Co-president Gulinky Lu

highlighted how these days,

documentaries and news do a great

job depicting and retelling the cases,

but says a lot of the “behind-thescenes

things” can be boring, like

the technical and scientific side of

analyzing a crime scene.

The club has made learning about

criminal investigation and forensics

interactive by hosting guest speakers

in the field and throwing an annual

“murder mystery” themed party

where students can act as detectives

and solve their own mysteries.

Although true crime can be a

grim subject, Lu expressed how the

club aims to keep things “relatively

exciting” while still informing

students on everything true crime

related.

To join, you can reach out to gklu@

students.chccs.k12.nc.us or awang1@

students.chccs.k12.nc.us.

Be Loud! Sophie Club

When East student Sophie Steiner

passed away from cancer in August

Left to Right: CIFS Club and Be Loud! Sophie Club

of 2013, the Be Loud! Sophie

Foundation, and affiliated Be Loud!

Sophie Club at East was formed to

“speak out and have a voice for people

like Sophie,” according to senior copresident

Laura Aycock.

The club’s other co-president, senior

Simone Kornbluth, also highlighted

how the teen-care facilities in hospitals

can be a tricky situation.

“Adults need less supervision,

and the kids are kind of content with

anything, so Steiner felt like the teens

didn’t have as much to do and it could

get lonely at times.”

The club’s main event is the

showcase they host twice a year,

where they invite local bands and a

cappella groups to perform at the Cat’s

Cradle in Carrboro, to raise money for

from the high school kids because

they’re so much more experienced and

they’re people who have done their

instruments forever,” Bushnell said.

Meanwhile, East senior and

violin mentor Brooke Harrison said

mentoring middle school students has

transformed the way she thinks about

her own technique.

“It’s made me more aware of

my mannerisms,” Harrison said.

“Teaching someone else has made me

more aware of what I need to improve

on myself. When I see someone doing

something wrong, I realize that I do the

same thing and need to correct myself.

It reminds me of the lessons I had in

middle school.”

Desta Fisseha, senior and trombone

player, talked about her experience as a

mentee when she was in middle school

and how that inspired her to become

a mentor herself once she reached

high school.

“I was a student at the mentorship

program in middle school and I loved

having the high schoolers help me out

into becoming a better player. We did

these things called castles where it was

like playing tests and the vendor actor

would have you play a little passage

from your book,” Fisseha said.

The skills and teaching experience

gained from the mentoring process are

vital to ensure success reaching higher

education and self-improvement.

“I was kind of slacking off about

it, but then my friend and I got into

competition with it,” Fisseha said.

“We kept fighting for the first chair.

The best way to do that was to go to

mentorship after school, because the

high schoolers can sign off on your

pass offs. I loved being there every

Tuesday. I just couldn't wait until I got

to high school and I got to help kids

out like that.”

Avery Tortora/The ECHO

the teen cancer wing at UNC Hospital.

“It's crazy to see how much our

little club at East can bring so many

people together for a good cause, like

the Be Loud! Sophie Foundation,”

Kornbluth said.

To join, you can reach out to

laaycock@students.chccs.k12.nc.us

or spkornbluth@students.chccs.k12.

nc.us.

ARTS & CULTURE

Fire or Retire: Country music edition

We asked over 200 East students to rate country music on a scale from one to 10. If the average is below six, it is retired.

Anything above, and country music is on fire! The verdict is in, country music is…

Compiled by Camden Lauver,

Clara Mast, Elise Owre &

Hannah Wright

Staff Writers

“Brings me back to my

roots of country Texas

and hunting.”- Holden

Krueger, senior

“I ******** hate that ****.

Where's the rap.” - Quadry

Parker, sophomore

“Depends on the vibe; I like old

country music.” -

Livia McIntyre, sophomore

“I’ve never heard a good country song

in my life. They are all horrible.”- Elyse

Cole, junior

“Could be better, could be

worse.”- Floriana Sueldo,

junior

“It is not my preferred genre.”-

Brian Link, teacher

“I hate it.” - Sylvia Mast,

junior

“It can be misogynistic.”-

Faith Lamichhane, senior

“I don't love it, but I don't

hate it. I definitely don't

listen to it voluntarily.” -

Luke Ligon, senior

“It feels really sweet – I'm pretty

open to it.”- Sophie Stanley, senior

“I think Zach Bryan is

the best.” - Ella Michael,

junior

“Only if it's Beyoncé.” -

Taniya Rogers, senior

ECHO staff spring reads

“Wayward Children” book

series by Seanan McGuire -

Fantasy

“For us, [the] places we went

were home. We didn't care if they

were good or evil or neutral or

what. We cared about the fact

that for the first time, we didn't

have to pretend to be something

we weren't. We just got to be.

That made all the difference in

the world.”

“Wayward Children” is one of

the best book series I have ever

read. Short and well written, the

books place diversity at the center

of their stories. The books center

around a boarding school for

children who have returned from

portal adventures (think “Narnia”

or “Alice in Wonderland”). Each

world is as unique as the character

who visits it, allowing character

contrasts to drive the plot. This

makes the stories feel less scripted

and much more natural than a

Courtesy of New Directions

typical work, with events seeming

to result purly from the natural

tendencies and motivations of the

characters.

Over the course of the series,

many characters get their time

in the spotlight, making their

entrances and exits as the flow

of the story requires. Some of

the more noteworthy characters

include: Nancy, who visited an

underworld of silence and stillness

based off Greek myths where

people work as living statues;

Sumi, who visited a nonsense

world made of dessert, and is now

destined to defeat an evil queen

who rules there; Kade, a boy exiled

from a fairyland for breaking its

ironclad rules; and twins who

grew up in a world themed around

Dracula and Frankenstein, one the

apprentice to a mad scientist, the

other adopted by a vampire.

The books make you question

the nature of stories and what

they leave behind when they

finish. Who does someone become

“The Setting Sun” by Osamu

Dazai - Fiction

“To be alive. An intolerably

immense undertaking before

which one can only gasp in

apprehension.”

If you’re looking for a translated

classic that’s brief and readable,

yet penetrating and powerful,

“The Setting Sun” is all of the

above. Set in the backdrop of

a turbulent postwar Japan, it

follows the story of Kazuko, the

daughter of a once-aristocratic

family now living a simple life

in the mountains. The tide takes

an ominous turn for her when

after they come home from their

adventures, and can they learn to

live without the world they came

to love? — William Helser, Staff

Writer

Courtesy of Tour.com

one day she finds a dozen snake

eggs in her garden and decides

to burn them. She then goes on

to grapple with the return of

her estranged younger brother,

Naoji, who was said to have

disappeared in the war, as well

as their aging mother, who she

idolizes as the epitome of a

fading, older era. Overall, it’s an

optimal story to accompany the

changing of the seasons and the

malleability of one’s outlook on

life, relationships and ideals. —

Suna Erdim, Staff Writer

“Tom Lake” by Ann Patchett -

Fiction

“The rage dissipates along with the

love, and all we’re left with is a story.”

Based on the cover art alone, Ann

Patchett’s “Tom Lake” emulates

spring. As you delve deep into

Patchett’s newest world, set in front

of cherry trees and daisies, readers

can be comforted by her tale of young

love and self discovery. “Tom Lake”

follows Lara Kenison and her three

daughters, Emily, Masie and Nell,

as they work together on their cherry

farm during the pandemic. As the

daughters beg for details about Lara’s

youth, Patchett untangles the past,

describing Lara’s journey as a young

actress and her summer romance with

the famous Peter Duke. Through the

pandemic’s isolation, Lara’s story

provides an escape for the family,

“The Bastard of Istanbul” by Elif

Shafak - Fiction/Magical Realism

“Either grant me the bliss of the

ignorant or give me the strength to bear

the knowledge.”

Set between San Francisco and

Istanbul, this story follows the

intertwining tales of two families and

the budding of a complex friendship

between their daughters. Asya, 19 years

old and living in Istanbul with her single

mother and three eccentric aunts, finds

an outlet in discussions with her circle

of creative and idiosyncratic adults

in a small cafe at the center of town.

Armanoush, a young woman raised in

America with family who survived the

Armenian Genocide, is determined to

travel to Istanbul in order to uncover the

past of the brutality faced by her family.

Armanoush believes the journey will

help her to view her identity in a clearer

fashion; however, both girls end up

challenging and questioning what they

tracing her path from girlhood to

motherhood. My only bone to pick

with this novel is it’s a bit slow to start,

but as it progresses it’s impossible for

readers not to dream of owning their

cherry farm one day. — Mischa Dorn,

Staff Writer

Courtesy of Harper Publishing

know to be true as they uncover more

secrets about their families and insights

about themselves. This story serves as

a perfect companion for when spring

arrives and the school year shows

its early signs of winding to a close,

and we’re sometimes inclined to look

within and analyze our sense of internal

direction. — Suna Erdim, Staff Writer

Courtesy of Viking Adult

8 ARTS & CULTURE echhsechoonline.com

By Avery Tortora

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Aries (March 21 - April 19)

March is an exciting month for

Aries, as Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and

the Sun will enter this constellation.

Remember not to second guess

yourself; you’re a great leader and

your methodic decision making

speaks for itself. Your dreams are

also expected to carry meaningful

messages for you this year.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20)

A big shift in your energy will come

soon, and your work or productivity

goals will soon be met. As one of

the more stubborn signs, remember

to be patient because your wishes

won’t come automatically. Stay

conscious of your emotions; maybe

try journaling to release some of

those pent up feelings.

By Avery Tortora

Co-Editor-in-Chief

In a world filled with

unbelievable media, overthe-top

superhero movies

and irrational plots, it’s

refreshing to see an interesting

storyline with characters that

truly reflect normal people.

“Normal People,” directed

by Lenny Abrahamson and

Hettie Macdonald, is a show

adaptation of the book by Sally

Rooney. What makes “Normal

People” special is that the

character development, choices

and plot is so realistic, it really

could happen to anybody.

When watching the show, I

found it hard to separate myself

from this fictional universe;

the show mesmerized me, and

I fell in love with being able to

see what it means to be human.

The characters face common

problems and deal with them

in seemingly normal ways, but

the way it’s portrayed made me

2024 horoscopes: What does your future hold?

Gemini (May 21 - June 20)

Gemini’s ruling planet, Mercury,

goes into retrograde April 1. This

retrograde may cause confusion,

but as a sign ruled by the planet of

communication, you should be able

to express your thoughts or issues

clearly and work through these

emotions effectively.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22)

One of the six negative signs,

Cancer is a water sign ruled by the

moon. Like the moon’s power to

change tides, you have the power to

change your paths. When things feel

out of your control, remember that

only you are in charge of yourself,

and you have the power to turn

things around.

Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22)

Like Aries, you’re a natural leader.

You may think the year hasn’t started

off too hot, but there’s plenty of

time for things to get better. You’re

passionate about your interests, and

you excel at the things you love, but

remember to show love and interest

in the people around you, too.

Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22)

As an Earth sign, you’re reliable

and responsible, and lucky for

you, between now and April it’s

forecasted that you will be able to

find clarity in your relationships.

You may find yourself pulled in two

different directions, but closure or

clarity is there, you just have to look

inside yourself to find it.

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22)

Libra, you’re chill and laid

back, but sometimes that leads to

indecisiveness. Your ego may get

in the way of change, but there’s no

doubt that your confidence will turn

heads. So as new problems come

your way, try to remember how to

stay calm and approach them in the

most effective way.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21)

Your assertiveness may make it hard

for you to see other perspectives, so

remember to make it a goal this

year to keep an open mind. You’re

a great motivator for others and

a determined soul. Your hot-head

might dictate your bickering with

people, but your answers may be in

the stars as to what battles to pick.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21)

You have an expansive imagination,

and your thoughts are beginning to

run wild. Your optimism is shining

through, but if you have a partner,

their stability and your free spirit

could clash. But your manifestations

are predicted to pay off this year, and

luck or opportunity is predicted for

Sagittarians.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19)

Mars just left the Capricorn

constellation Mar. 15. It’s unsure

Hulu’s “Normal People” will change you forever

never want to stop watching it.

The show stays true to the

book in many ways, bringing

main characters Marianne

and Connell to life as they

go through their last years

in grade school into their

lives at university, where they

both go to Trinity College in

Dublin. They form a romantic

relationship, but experience

many common, coming-of-age

obstacles, which follow them

as they mature into adults.

Connell and Marianne, with

their own distinct personalities,

navigate how to love each

other and themselves, and no

matter the situation, they are

always brought back together.

With an episodic narrative

style, we get to experience

both Connell’s and Marianne’s

point of view separately. The

audience is able to understand

their lives individually just

as much as their romantic

life together, making them

feel much more approachable

and human, rather than

simply fictional. Not only

is their complex relationship

expressed in a beautiful way,

but every episode is filled

with stunning landscapes

and settings. Even in an

environment distinctly foreign

to me, the show provides

comfort in a strange way.

As somebody who consumes

an ungodly amount of media

in the form of movies and

shows, it’s refreshing to see

a story unfold that resembles,

in some way, what every one

of us experiences. Within

Marianne and Connell’s

beautiful and complicated

love story, the audience can

understand the struggle of

being comfortable in your

vulnerability. We see these

flawed individuals love each

other in this pure and raw

way. Sometimes they make

mistakes and act irrationally,

but that makes them normal

people all the more.

as to whether the departure of this

planet will have positive or negative

effects, but expect minor change to

come. Your ruling planet, Saturn,

will also go into retrograde this year.

Take this time to reflect on who you

used to be and how you’ve changed.

Romance is also forecasted for

Capricorns in 2024.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18)

Pluto has entered the Aquarius

constellation since January and is

staying until September, bringing

new energy into your life. These new

forces can encourage you to reach

out and expand your comfort zone in

a new way, whether that’s changing

your sleep schedule or innovating a

new work schedule. Change for the

better is just on the horizon.

Pisces (Feb. 19 - March 20)

2024 is reportedly the most

fortunate year yet for Pisces.

Pisces is a sign of love governed

by Neptune, and February was an

exciting month for you. Don’t forget

to reserve some love for yourself;

take some time for self-care and

start 2024 off with your best interest

in mind.

Photos courtesy of Hulu

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March 2024

ARTS & CULTURE 9

March Crossword: “Spring is in the air”

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18

19 20 21

22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

34 35 36

37 38 39 40

41 42 43

44 45 46 47

48 49 50

51 52 53 54 55 56

57 58 59 60 61 62

63 64

65 66 67

20 __

4

Day;

environmental

1 1

1

celebration 4

4

1 11

in

1 1 1

April

1 1 22 1 Fun meal

1 1 1 1 during the

spring

1 1 1 1

23 Japanese car

1 company

9 24 Said

1 27 UNC was top

seed in this

1 1 1 1

tournament

1 1 129 1 Prefix for wine

1 1 130 1 Allow

31 Docked, as a

1 1 1 3

ship

32 Egg hunt

holiday

33 Missed, as

This issue’s answers

expectations

Scan 35 Land the QR down code

to see the answers

to visit under, the Puzzles for short

& Answers 38 Mrs., page in France of

our website. If you

have any puzzle

related concerns

please email

atortora@students.

chccs.k12.nc.us or gdjones1@

students.chccs.k12.nc.us

1

4

39 Same

2

140 Countdown

1

1

4

1

night 1

45 Justice symbol

46 Equally speedy

47 Fast __

49 Wouldn't hurt

___

51 Breathing

organ

52 A toi opposite 6

53 Early computers

54 TV room

55 ___ and gloom

56 ___ uncertain

terms

58 Slowing, in

music: Abbr.

60 MLB official 8

61 "Squid Game"

character Kang

___-byeok

62 Bye! The __

6

By Cornelia Nisbet

Co-Editor-in-Chief

ACROSS

1. Gene editing location

7. That'd be _ __ (absolutely

not)

10. Smear, like a cream

14. Very uncommon

15. Italian countess

17. __ up; got together

18. Branch

19. Popular spring sport

21. __ Day

22. Returning soldier's

diagnosis

25. Turturro of "The Sopranos"

26. Tiny bit; not one __

27. Braz. neighbor

28. Springtime cause of sneezes

34. Later, in text

Puzzle #1

35. Standardized test for high

schoolers

36. 2023 Best Picture winner,

briefly

37. What's up response

39. Cavity expert

41. Things in a cart

42. DC villain in Arrow

43. German racing

series, in short

44. ROTC students

2 6 9

4

3

4 5

3 9 7

9 4 3

2

1

5 1 2

5

9

4

2

3

75

4

4 8 9 6 5 1

5 3

46. Did well, in slang

47. Fit to _ __

48. Broken bone solution

50. Categorize

51. China's Zhou En-___

54. Yellow spring flower

57. Needed during spring

showers

59. Can't reuse, as plastic

63. Possible Oscar winners

64. ___ band,

65. Main idea

66. Alternative to 35 across

67. Cleaned the floor

DOWN

1. Spring time change

2. San Francisco's ___ Valley

3. Constellation near Scorpius

4. Wavelength symbol (λ)

5. Length x width

6. Queens, kings, or twins

7. Pretend to be large

8. Defense organization with a

Santa Tracker

9. Quarter of a mile, on a track

10. Dover's state, abbr.

11. "___ sure you know ..."

12. West Point inits.

13. Bieber song ft. Ludacris

16. __ Aviv, Isreal

20. __ Day; environmental

celebration in April

Welcome to the ECHO Sudoku and Nonograms!

SUDOKU - The rules are simple, a 9×9 square must be filled in with numbers from 1-9

with no repeated numbers in each line, horizontally or vertically!

NONOGRAM - The goal of the puzzle is to fill in the cells of the grid to match the clues

for each row and column. Each clue represents a sequence of adjacent cells of the same color.

Fill in the puzzle so that every row across, every column down and

Each sequence of cells must be separated by at least 1 blank space

every 9 by 9 box contains the numbers 1 to 9.

2

57

9 1 8

7

6

9

2

5

8

4

7

9

22. Activity with a blanket and

basket

23. Japanese car company

24. Said

27. UNC was top seed in this

tournament

29. Prefix for wine

30. Allow

31. Docked, as a ship

32. Egg hunt holiday

33. Missed, as expectations

35. Land down under, for short

38. Mrs., in France

39. Same

40. Countdown night

45. Symbol of justice

46. Equally speedy

47. Fast __

49. Dog inhabitor

51. Breathing organ

52. A toi opposite

53. Early computers

54. TV room

55. ___ and gloom

56. ___ uncertain terms

58. Slowing, in music: Abbr.

60. MLB official

61. "Squid Game" character

Kang ___-byeok

62. Bye! The __

Overheard at East

Various utterances caught in passing

“Darn it, we

didn’t print out a

picture of wiener

schnitzel!”

“I've never had

a big idea and

I'm not about to

start.”

"I love washing

machines. I'd

love to own one

someday."

“Stanleys are

like legalized

weapons.”

“I could have

space herpes,

and you wouldn't

even know.”

“Horror movies

make me want to

sleep with guns

in my bed.”

“I went fishing

once with my

grandfather. I

caught a fish and

I ate a fish. But

I can't do that

anymore because

since then, I

became allergic

to fish and my

grandfather has

died.”

“I would be

interested in

eating glass”

“I could marry

Donald Trump if

I wanted to”

“Trump's 'bout to

die”

“... I could marry

his son if I

wanted to”

“The ECHO isn't

funny.”

SATIRE*

Top 10 people who aren’t bald but should be

By Graham Jones

Co-Editor-in-Chief

We at the ECHO have heard

the studentry’s very helpful

and very asked-for feedback

on our “Top 10 Gingers” story

from last issue. To rectify the

issues that you all had with the

story, we have decided to make

a list that can offend no one and

could not in any possible way

be controversial. Welcome to

the “Top 10 People Who Aren’t

Bald Who Should be Bald.

The origins of this image are unknown

10. Batman

I think Batman’s ears make

him look a little goofy. To

remedy this I think he should

shave them off. I think he would

look much more intimidating to

all of Gotham’s baddies.

9. Cousin Itt

I just want to know what he

looks like under there. Would

he serve? Would he slay? We

will only know if he shaves.


8. The clown emoji

I believe this emoji can now

be classified as hate speech

with how much vitriol is

behind those oval eyes. The

clown emoji was never used

in the Bible, the Torah, the

Qur'an, the Dead Sea Scrolls,

or the Necronomicon. The

clown emoji was born in the

pits of Detroit and continues

to terrorize silly gooses

nationwide…. Shaving his

head would be funny though.

7. All the Founding Fathers

I’m tired of seeing their

powdered hair and receding

hairlines—frankly I don’t think

they deserve to be memorialized

on our money and mountains

with how boot nasty their hair

(and actions) were. Picture this:

You’re getting robbed by me.

I tell you to give me all your

money and you pull out a few

crumbled up dollars, WITH

BALD MEN ON THEM! I

feel like it would give that

situation a little levity. Give

me bald white men on the

$100 bill or give me death…

or Harriet Tubman, that would

be cool too.

Courtesy of @yourfavisbald2 on X

6. Donkey Kong

I want to preface this

ranking: Donkey Kong not

only deserves the world, he

deserves to have hair as well.

That being said, he should

go bald as a bit. I say this

because he looks really funny

bald. In the first episode of

the animated series “Donkey

Kong Country,” the titular ape

and child of God gets his head

shaved by a robotic version

of his girlfriend, Candy

Kong, making him lose all

his strength. This is of course

a nod to the Biblical story of

Samson and Delilah. When his

head gets shaved it is revealed

to the viewer that his signature

hairstyle is actually just part of

his skull. In conclusion, when

bald, DK looks like a flaccid

version of the Coneheads from

“SNL,” and that’s kinda neat.

5. Lauren Boebert

As someone who had a

scare with rabies earlier in

the school year, I can spot a

rabid sister from a mile away.

As it seems that my sister

in suffering has completely

lost her mind as of late, fully

embracing the fact that she is

a feral mole rat in a pantsuit, I

feel it would be best for all of

us if she disappeared shaved

her head and went back into

her natural habitat, the goon

room.

Courtesy of the pits of detroit.

4. Timothée Chalamet

Chalamet has a weird face.

From one angle he looks

angelic, like a meticulously

crafted sculpture of a Greek

god, but from another angle

he looks like a washed up drug

dealer. I think we as a human

race will better understand this

anomaly and why he looks like

Dobby the house elf from a 45

degree angle if we just shave

the Frenchie’s head.

3. The Minions

The yellow bastards have had

it too good for too long. From

infesting Facebook memes,

doing irreversible damage to the

overalls community and being

horrible pilots, these bananaloving

beans don’t deserve hair.

The goggle-wearing terrorists

have served countless villains

like Vlad the Impaler, Margaret

Thatcher and Papa John. Now,

the minions don’t have a whole

lot of hair (unless they become

purple, evil-er freaks, then they

have a lot of hair), but the fact

that they have hair in the first

place disgusts and disturbs me

so deeply and frankly- I can’t

sleep at night knowing they

are still out there, non-hairless.

Courtesy of u/Mobeamers on Reddit

2. Elmo

With his gingerness highly

debated, I think it would be

beneficial for Elmo to shave

his entire body. It would send

a message to the haters, telling

them to keep Elmo’s name out

of their filthy mouths. Very

2007 Britney Spears. Elmo

knows that you’re toxic.

1. You: do it…

ECHO exclusive: Hot new couple stuns with

potential baby names

By Graysie Casey & Clara Wolfe

Staff Writers

Movie star Bob Scott has just announced he is

expecting twins with wife Zara Hellman. These

will be his first kids with Hellman, and his 19th and

20th kids total. After months of global speculation,

they gave the ECHO an exclusive interview

revealing the potential names for the newborns.

Although Scott has gone through the babynaming

process a little more than once, he still

makes sure to carefully create each name to mean

something significant. The couple has reportedly

spent hours upon hours creating lists of names that

are close to the heart.

“We really like Slim, middle name Jim, for the

boy. It’s a family name,” Scott said.

Jim is the name of Scott’s great-great-great

grandfather who helped build the Trojan Horse.

Scott explained that he is a fan of long,

empowering names that turn heads. For his

daughter, he hopes that such a name will be a

source of confidence and pride.

“I want my kids to have names that stand out.

When GirlBaw$$ Matriarch is called out in the

McDonald’s drive-thru, everyone will know

exactly who it is.”

GirlBaw$$ Matriarch is just one of the many

names in the running for their baby girl.

Hellman also expressed her love for

experimenting with alternate spellings. She’s

been taking common names and putting her own

twist on the letter order to make the names more

personal.

“We’re thinking XAE_A781. Which is

pronounced as Thomas. I’ve always loved those

unique spellings that teachers butcher on the first

By Avery Tortora

Co-Editor-in-Chief

“I can’t believe they would put us through that,”

one anonymous senior said.

On March 6, East, along with other public

N.C. schools, administered the ACT WorkKeys

assessment for students with at least two CTE

course credits. The ACT website describes

the assessment as a way to “measure essential

workplace skills that can affect your job

performance and increase opportunities for career

changes and advancement,” but many students

have different sentiments about the three-hour test.

“It was tortuous. I couldn’t answer one question.

They were asking questions that were way

beyond my knowledge…. It was quite literally

impossible,” said senior Lura Mann.

Many students expressed their extensive

preparation and studying for the test, but that no

amount of studying made a difference due to the

unexpected challenge of the questions.

“Every night I was up until 3 a.m. studying,

but when the test started asking me questions like

converting 7.5 to a fraction, I froze up. We never

even learned that in class,” said

senior Shirly West.

West, along with many other

students, was “taken by surprise”

when sent the email stating the

day of school. It gives a person so much power,”

Hellman said

Baby names aren’t the first tribulation the couple

has had to tackle together. With a 46-year age gap,

Hellman and Scott were immediately met with

backlash from the public eye.

“At first I was a little worried by the age gap. My

friends and family kept warning me not to marry a

63 year old at 17. But I just told them love is love,

and it truly is,” Hellman said.

The couple was introduced by Hellman’s best

friend, Celery Ann. Convinced it was love at first

sight, Hellman and Scott got married six days later

in a cemetery down the street from the gas station

where Scott was born. That was two years ago,

after Scott met his 11 other wives.

“I like her the most, I think,” Scott said. “Of

course my 11th wife wasn't too happy when

she found out Zara and I were dating, but she

understood that I was getting a little bored with

her after a long 28 days of marriage.”

The couple has taken some inspiration from

their unique love story in their baby naming

process. One name they’ve been enamored with

is Carcass Rhubarb.

“Carcass, of course, for the place where our

love was bonded, and Rhubarb as an ode to our

dear friend Celery, who introduced me to my

Bobbyboo,” Hellman said.

The process of choosing baby names has been a

hard one for Hellman and Scott, yet one they have

expressed gratitude for.

“We want to take extreme care in choosing the

name which our child will have for the rest of their

life. Thankfully, if their name doesn't fit them once

he or she is born, we can always change it three

years later,” Scott said.

East students quit school after

“impossible” ACT WorkKeys testing

mandatory participation in this test.

“I took one year of photography my freshman

year and now I’m forced to sit through hours of

this…. What does photography have to do with

identifying the total on a shopping receipt…”

said West.

The frustration many seniors experienced has

driven a small population of the class to drop out of

school or miss significant amounts of school days.

“Every time I come back to school, I get

stressed and I end up just turning around and

leaving,” Mann said. “I’ve been waking up in

the middle of the night with cold sweats because

my dreams are filled with test questions. Like

last night I had a dream about which cats prefer

certain cat foods according to a graph. Absolutely

terrifying.”

East administration refused to comment on the

topic, but the students are determined to make their

voices heard anyways.

“I will not stand for this anymore. I never want

to be asked questions like how to multiply five by

three, or how many quarters make up a dollar. It

was traumatizing. It was embarrassing,” said the

anonymous senior.

*The stories on this Satire page are works of fiction,

intended as commentary on events and issues at East.

The quotes and details are entirely made up.

By Mischa Dorn & Cornelia

Nisbet

Staff Writers

The East swim and dive team

recently finished off the team’s

best season in years, with the boys’

team placing sixth overall and the

girls’ team placing ninth in the 4A

State Championships Feb. 10. The

meet included 11 broken school

records, with seven swimmers

medaling in at least one of their

events.

“I wanted the team to push

themselves because I knew their

talent and skill level. I wanted

them to be the best versions of

themselves, and they easily rose

to the challenge and surpassed it. It

was just truly amazing to see how

well they did,” head coach Greg

Cain said.

However, the team’s success at

states came to nobody’s surprise,

as both the boys’ and girls’ teams

won conference championships

for the first time since East started

competing in the 4A division in

the 2021-2022 season. The boys’

team, which won regionals and

went undefeated during the regular

season, was successful in many of

the events at states.

The girls’ team, which placed

fourth in regionals out of 27

By Cornelia Nisbet

Staff Writer

East’s swim team’s incredible season, the athletes behind the success

Despite being a club sport, East’s

fencing team has been beating

some of the best competition in

the state. Twelve of East’s fencers

qualified for the state individual

championships Feb. 10, and at the

team championships Feb. 24, the

team placed second in boys’ foil,

fourth in girls’ foil and fourth in

mixed épée.

The team, coached by biomed

teacher Michael Walker, has seen

incredible growth over the past

few seasons, with many incoming

freshmen and sophomores,

including sophomore Matthew

Rothman, who placed second

in men’s foil in the individual

championships.

“Our goal is always to do better

than we did last year. We have

some pretty young fencers this

year that are doing really well,”

Walker said.

Although fencing is an

individual sport, the team has a

strong sense of community, with

schools, used their experience from

last season to continue to improve.

As a captain, senior Audrey Wolk

worked to create a focused team

with a clear goal to win states.

“Compared to last year, we were

a little more focused and we knew

that we could do it. We had a little

more confidence because last year

was one of our first years in 4A. We

weren't really used to winning and

we were just happy to be in states.

This year, though, we set some

goals and we said, ‘Yeah, we’re

at states, we want to do better. We

want to drop time in our relays,’”

Wolk said.

Wolk’s leadership helped create

a comfortable environment for

new teammates, especially Hannah

Drecktrah, who moved to Chapel

Hill at the beginning of the year

and quickly became a crucial part

of both the larger team and her

relay teams.

“We had a really positive relay

team environment. We were all

supportive and we got better every

time. I think we dropped time every

single race,” said Drecktrah, who

swam one breaststroke race and

three relays.

Senior Cooper Nicholson, who

led the boys’ 400 freestyle relay

to fourth place at states, believes

the culture of East’s team helps

teammates supporting each other

and even supporting fencers from

other schools.

“Since it's a bit of a smaller

sport, it’s a really tight community.

At larger events, I will run into the

same people over and over and

eventually get to know them,”

Rothman said.

The inclusive environment has

led to more talent on the team, as

well as a more flexible and wellrounded

group of fencers.

“Our team has definitely grown,

and with the variety of people

growing, there are more styles

to engage with. That helps us

motivate ourselves as a team and

motivate each other. We’ve seen

massive improvements since last

year, and especially fencers who

started this year,” Rothman said.

Seniors Abbie and Zoe Falk,

who finished 12th and 13th in

girls’ foil at states, have helped

the team grow since COVID,

encouraging people to try the

sport and creating a welcoming

culture.

“If you're interested in a sport,

SPORTS

Courtesy of Maya Larrabee

Sophomore Sylvia Tong has been swimming since 2016, earlier this year completing a

new personal best in her breast stroke.

encourage new swimmers to join

and adds to the depth of the team.

“I really like how connected

everyone is and how welcoming

the whole community is. All the

coaches talk to all the swimmers

and it's just a very welcoming

environment,” Nicholson said.

Despite losing key seniors, such

as Nicholson and Wolk, the team

hopes to continue their success

going into next season.

“I think we have some really

good potential with some of our

younger swimmers and how far

they can go,” Nicholson said.

Freshmen Colton Chaires and

Max Halpern, who are ranked third

and eighth respectively among

you should try it. Even if it's

not the most common sport, you

should try it because it can't

hurt, and can even end up being

something you love,” Zoe said.

Junior Marni Kim, who started

fencing because her mom had

previously, enjoys that fencing

is a sport for anyone, and there

is no need to have fenced before

high school.

“Compared to a sport like

lacrosse, where you have an

advantage if you’re really strong,

fencing relies more on technique,”

Kim said.

One of the hardest parts of

learning to fence is becoming

familiar with the rules of

competitions and the differences

between events.

Fencing refers to three events:

foil, épée, and saber fencing.

East competes in épée, which

is the simplest of the three, and

foil, which has more nuanced

scoring. In épée, if you touch the

other person, you get a point. In

foil, when the referee calls ‘halt,’

ending the round, only one person

North Carolina freshmen, and

Isabel Wolk, ranked third among

sophomores, will all be “names

that people are going to be talking

about for some time,” according

to Cain.

Cain hopes that the team will

continue to be successful, and

above all, fun. He also hopes to

encourage more attention to the

athletes, in a sport where there are

rarely fans.

“One of the things I wanted to

do this year was to show people

how good our swimmers and divers

are, and not just good, but really

good. We’re clearly in the top 10

for several swimmers in the state,

and nobody knows.”

En garde! A look into one of East’s most unique sports clubs

The fencing club poses for a photo in the Cafe Commons

can earn a point.

“Your movement, your blade

work–all of that affects whether

you get the point if you score,”

explained Rothman.

Each fencer competes against

others in a round robin-style

competition, which then

determines seeding for the single

elimination round. The specific

process varies on the type of


Freshman Max Halpern at a meet last

November. So far in 2024, Halpern has been

a finalist eight times.


Head coach Cain has been coaching for 30

years and has countless throphies to show

for it. As a teacher and as head coach he is

incredibly proud of all his athletes.


competition and the number of

fencers, but regardless of the

event, East prioritizes encouraging

each other while they fence.

“At the state championship, I

nearly lost. It was tied at nine.

Coach Walker was there on the

sidelines, coaching and saying

words of encouragement. Without

his faith in me, I don't know that I

would have won,” Rothman said.

echhsechoonline.com SPORTS 12

Gallery: The best of East’s spring sports

Featured: Boys’ Golf, Boys’ Lacrosse, Girls’ Lacrosse, Baseball and Girls’ Soccer

Athlete Spotlight

Graham Jones/The ECHO and courtesy of Itza Espinosa-Porras and Phil Stapleton

Griffin Galloway

Boy's Lacrosse

Hannah Johnson

Girl's Lacrosse

Kate Hylton

Track & Field

Atali Shaw

Softball

Junior Griffin Galloway has

been playing lacrosse since the

second grade, starting his love

for the sport nine years ago,

advancing with many different

club lacrosse teams including

his current one, Team America.

Galloway’s first interest

in lacrosse started as just an

opportunity to have fun and

compete with his friends, but

now as a third-year varsity

athlete, he is planning on

continuing his athletic career

in college.

Galloway's proudest athletic

accomplishment was winning

offensive MVP his previous

season as a sophomore. That

year he scored 27 goals along

with 55 assists.

“Our season is off to a good

start; we are expecting to win

conference championships and

make it to the playoffs. We

have a lot of new guys and I'm

looking forward to the rest of the

season,” Galloway said.

Varsity girls’ lacrosse player,

junior Hannah Johnson, has

had a passion for lacrosse since

she was five years old. Inspired

by the long line of lacrosse

players in her family, she was

brought up with the sport as an

active part of her life. Johnson

committed to William &Mary

University in September.

“My proudest moment in my

entire career was committing.

I put in a lot of hard work and

training, and now it feels like

that's been recognized,” Johnson

said.

Johnson also plays for the

East girl’s lacrosse team, which

has helped her take a leadership

role and guide new girls on the

team.

“Teaching the new girls

on the team has helped me to

become more like a leader and

be patient,” Johnson said.

The East girls lacrosse team

has had a strong start to the

season and is 5-0 as of March 18.

Jake Kent

Boy's Golf

For varsity golfer Jake

Kent, golf is more than just a

sport, it’s a community.

“Within the team,

community is everything,”

Kent, a junior, said. “Coach

Snyder in particular has a lot

of passion for the team.”

Growing up, golf was a

family sport for Kent. He

looked up to his dad who

started Kent on golf very

early in his life. However,

he didn’t get serious about

it until last year. Since then,

he’s won several tournaments

in the 4A Conference, with

an average score of 37 for

9 holes.

“I’ve placed first in pretty

much all of them,” Kent says.

“I’m excited to continue the

season.”

Claire Parker

Girl's Soccer

Girls’ soccer player and

co-captain, Claire Parker,

has been playing soccer for

12 years. As a senior, this is

Parker’s fourth year playing

for East’s varsity team.

“I love the team aspect of

it because it helps you form

really great connections

with people– it’s a really

positive atmosphere and

everyone on the team is

super encouraging,” Parker

said.

Parker plans to continue

playing soccer beyond high

school and has committed to

Haverford College to play

and attend in the fall.

“It’ll definitely be a big

jump but I’m excited,”

Parker said.

After starting to run with her

mom during her quarantined

sixth grade year, sophomore

Kate Hylton has seen an

abundance of benefits from

continuing track and field in

high school.

“There's a lot of ways that you

can train yourself physically as

well as mentally, and both of

those are super important to be

successful,” Hylton said.

Hylton runs the 800 and 400

meter race. Between different

grades, events and levels of

experience, Hylton has been able

to build important relationships

on her track team.

“We all get to train together

and because of that, there's

really no boundaries between the

different grade levels,” Hylton

said.

Hylton hopes to continue

track throughout her high school

career, as well as in college at a

Division III school.

Softball player and senior

Atali Shaw has been playing

the sport since eighth grade,

Shaw is now the captain of the

East softball team. In the first six

games, Shaw’s batting average

was .438.

During practice, it’s easier

to fix mistakes than during

stressful games. Shaw notes

the significant change in

atmosphere.

“Tensions get high and you

make an error and it costs you

a point. Then it's hard to come

back from that as a team,” said

Shaw.

Being captain helped Shaw

navigate these situations.

“It’s helped me improve my

leadership skills and learn how

to work well in a team. It’s also

helped my communication skills

in helping my teammates feel

better about themselves, just

forgetting about the bad parts,”

Shaw said.

By Samantha Benton

By Keira McArthur

By Clara Mast

By Elise Owre

By Graysie Casey

By Juman Alyousif

The ECHO, March 2024

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