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VOLUME 26 ISSUE 1 NOVEMBER 2020

theGAZETTE est. 1995

Fontainebleau High School Phone: (985)892-7112

100 Bulldog Drive, Mandeville, LA 70471 fontainebleauhigh.stpsb.org

Bulldogs battle toughest opponent

The revolving door of Covid-19 cases this season has been a frustrat-ing factor for not only the football players but coaches, as well as fans. Members of the team have been quarantined periodically through-out the year, and some more than once. With all the missed practices and cancelled games, performance

of Coronovirus cases, and the numbers continue to grow. At one point, the entire offensive team was quarantined, and then, shortly afterwards, a number of the defen-sive team was out. The virus may have affected the team physically, but it did not take a toll on their passion to play. When Coach Banko was asked about the situ-ation, he responded, “They chose to be here, so they gotta act like it and love the sport they committed to no matter what.” Besides sickness and few-er practices, players have been missing the influence of the fans, however. The team has continued to make practices when they were allowed to and have played even with obstacles in their way, but not having support in the stands is one disadvantage that has made a dif-ference “Having only 50% capac-ity in the stands is draining during the games without the extra fans to cheer for us,” said senior Colin Gagnon, #34. Zane Ridgley, se-

nior, #93, had this to say to all of those who have been monitoring FHS football, “Thank you for sup-porting us in this turbulent time.” FHS football has never failed to excite students and will continue doing so even with the recent set-backs. Headcoach Chris Blocker has continued to push the team to be their best, despite the obstacles. “We must face adversity and stick together as one family and over-come the uncertainty of this sea-son,” he said. It was clear on Friday night that the team could stick to-gether in adversity and play as one team.

After missing several practices, the Bulldogs took on Mandeville High October 30 at home. The team lost to Mandeville High, but they ended the season on a high note, winning their last game against Archbishop Hannan on November 20 in the Dawg Pound. Photo courtesy of Katie Miller

has been greatly affected. Neverthe-less, with only a handful of games in the season, the Dawgs ended on a high note Friday night , Novem-ber 20, against Archbishop Hannan in a 24-13 win and only narrowly lost the week before to Slidell with a 21-20 score. Louisiana has had no shortage

by Grace NeumanEditor

Priebe takes on challenge as acting principalby Eli Elliott Staff writer

The year 2020 has been a long, eventful one. Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, school communities have had to adapt to difficult times and power through an economic demise, school closures, the deliberation of distance, hybrid, or in-presence learning, and student/faculty quar-antines. At Fontainebleau High, the school envi-ronment has been affected greatly. One of the most important changes has been the extended leave Principal Johnny Vitrano has had to take to protect himself and his family. Ms. Mary Priebe, a graduate of Emporia State University in 1986 and University of New Orle-ans in 1991, taught English and French at Fon-tainebleau High before becoming the assistant principal here. Already involved in caring for the school, her leadership skills have been very proactive: monitoring students to see that they social distance, making sure others are wearing

their masks correctly, and even giving a helping hand in the cafeteria during lunch time. When asked what her biggest challenge was this year, she answered casually, “If COVID-19 was not here, my job wouldn’t be that different. Dealing with social distancing, contacting parents, and ensuring students are coming to school have

been the only challenges we’ve faced.” Priebe’s change in position from vice prin-cipal to interim principal may not have, in fact, changed much in some ways. Her devotion to the campus and students has remained the same since Fontainebleau opened. All administrators have a particular style of leadership and express that leadership different-ly in the ways they manage. While Mr. Vitrano uses a more direct and hands-on approach, Prie-be describes her leadership style as “laid back.” She went on to explain that the term implies a lack of strict expectations to some people, but she feels that “sometimes it is better to step back and expect others to do the job they were hired to do.” When asked what she enjoys most about the school, Priebe answered, “the people. I have enjoyed seeing the students and teachers’ inter-actions.” It seems as though, despite the chal-lenges, she is still enjoying what counts the most.

As acting principal, Ms. Mary Priebe works at her desk, taking care of daily tasks required to manage the school. Photo courtesy of Shelby Serpas

Among Us the perfect quarantine game

page 7

Google Classroom takes over traditional learning

page 3

Lady Dawgs Volleyball goes to State

page 6

HAS NOT HAVING FANS IN THE STANDS AFFECTED YOUR

PERFORMANCE?

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YES NO BETTER WORSE

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theGazette Fontainebleau High School’s

Community NewspaperTo contact the Gazette staff,

you may email us atfhsgazette@gmail.comAdviser: Rebecca Paul,

Room 610Editors: Cadence Lowery,

Grace NeumanStaff Writers and Photographers:

Gabrielle BushEli Elliott

Karissa GarrettRyleigh McCoy

Gabriel MonahanSophia Rossignol

The Gazette is a public forum for dis-cussion. The staff and editors determine the content. However, the editorials are the opinions of the authors. The Gazette welcomes contributions from all mem-bers of the school community. Articles must be signed and submitted ten days

prior to publication.

Newest supreme court nominee grabs attention of the nation

by Gabrielle Bush Staff writer As the country faced the loss of Ruth B. Ginsburg, associate justice of the Supreme Court, a new nom-inee, Amy C. Barrett, came into light with Presi-dent Trump’s recommendation just days before the election. Our nation has been through much in its time, but, as of late, this has to be one of the most upsetting developments. At just 48, Barrett has been a long-time favorite of the administration. A graduate of Notre Dame Law School and first in her class at Rhodes Col-lege, Barrett has impressed the Senate and Trump and was already quite far into the vetting process. On October 22, Barrett was approved by the Sen-ate Judiciary Committee, clearing the way for a full Senate vote in the week before the election. However conflict arises between Demo-crats because of her heavily conservative views and her strict interpretation of the constitution. Those with more Republican views are thrilled to see her join the Court. Barrett’s addition to the courts was an absurd pro-cess that could very well hurt the country in more ways than one. She has made it clear where she stands on many positions and does not hide her conservative views. Looking at her past rulings, one can find a con-sistently conservative record concerning abortion, gun rights, discrimination and immigration. Bar-ret has openly stated her religious beliefs, stirring up mixed emotions with the public which she at-tempted to calm, stating, “I would stress that my personal church affiliation or my religious belief would not bear in the discharge of my duties as a judge.” However, her record of favorability toward conservative religious groups does not support her claim. Barrett’s nomination has stirred division across the country, so close to the election. Many Dem-ocrats are deeply upset by the idea of her addition

right before the presidential election. When former president, Barack Obama, proposed a nomination eight months before the election, he was crucified for months. This inconsistency in pivotal times for our nation is dangerous. Senator Schumer ex-pressed great concern about this, reporting, “The nomination of Amy Coney Barrett is the most ille-gitimate process I have ever witnessed in the Sen-ate. And her potential confirmation will have dire, dire consequences for the Senate, for the Supreme Court and our entire country for generations to come,” Now with the Supreme Court heavily con-servatively based, the country faces a fewer bal-anced decisions in a nation that desperately needs balance. While this overwhelmingly Republican court is unfortunate, it is survivable. However. what is not survivable is Barrett’s concerning record and the way her harsh beliefs may make their way into the courtroom. Her addition to the Supreme Court is a cause of fear for the women of this country to say

the least. Her lack of feminist belief ’s, while that may be fine for her in her own life, are unaccept-able in the courtrooms of a nation trying to prog-ress. Her bias can be seen in new regulations she wrote governing how colleges and schools handle sexual violence, tilting proceedings in favor of men accused of rape and sexual assault. She sits in the same bench RGB once sat in and single handed-ly attempts to undo all of RGBs work with no re-morse. As Amy Coney Barrett settles into her new role, some look on with excitement and some with dread. But for many, the nomination process was ill-advised and is a threat to the unity of a nation unwilling to bend on either side.

After a swift nomination and Senate Judiciary Committe vote, newest Supreme Court member, Amy Coney Barret, is sworn in on October 22, 2020. photo courtesy of MinnPost

Same-sex marriage and the new Supreme Court Justiceby Ryleigh McCoy

Staff writer Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito recently released a statement detailing their concerns with the high court’s 2015 ruling on the topic of same-sex mar-riage after denying to take the case of a Kentucky clerk who was sued for refusing to issue marriage licens-es to same-sex couples.

While the Justices both agreed with the court’s decision to not take the clerk’s case, they took the oppor-tunity to list their concerns with the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling of 2015. The case granted same-sex couples the ability to marry on the grounds of the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law. It awarded equal marriage rights to couples who had been overlooked by the government for far too long. The notion that those with the power to deny those rights are still debating the decision is troubling, to say the least. The legalization of same-sex marriage had an impact far beyond marriage rights— it granted mil-lions of people a choice, which is one of our most fundamental freedoms as American citizens. However, Thomas and Alito did not agree. Having both dissent-ed the original ruling due to con-cerns about “religious freedom”, the Justices stood their ground and claimed that Kim Davis, the former county clerk, “may have been one of the first victims of this court’s cavalier treatment of religion in its

Obergefell decision.” They still maintained their deci-sion to not take Davis’ case, stating that it failed to “cleanly” present the issues in the Obergefell ruling.They continued on to say that the case “provides a stark reminder” of the consequences that have arisen as a result of the 2015 decision. “By choosing to endorse a novel consti-tutional right over the religious lib-erty interests explicitly protected in the First Amendment, and by doing so undemocratically, the court has created a problem that only it can fix. Until then, Obergefell will con-tinue to have ruinous consequences for religious liberty.” Thomas and Alito further pushed the issue by saying that the court’s ruling made it easier to “label them bigots merely for refusing to alter their religious beliefs in the wake of prevailing orthodoxy.” Their remarks sent a wave of con-cern rippling through the LGBT community and concerned allies. Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign LGBT advocacy group, proclaimed that

“these comments made clear that the war on marriage equality, against the lives of same-sex couples, is alive and well.” Furthermore, Amy Coney Barrett, the recently-appointed Supreme Court Justice chosen by President Trump, repeatedly dodged the ques-tions she received about the Oberge-fell case. She also served three years as a board member for a coalition of private Christian schools that open-ly and effectively barred children of same-sex parents or LGBTQ facul-ty from gaining admission to their schools. It raises the questions: now that Barret has been confirmed by the Senate, what does that mean for same-sex couples in America? How will the 6-3 conservative lean affect the rights of LGBT people in this country? Is there any solution? It’s easy to argue that when it comes to freedoms in the U.S., the freedom of marriage equality can be coun-tered by religious freedom. After all, that is the core argument of Thomas and Alito. When it comes down to it, which one holds more weight?

Marriage Equalitya timeline of the legislation of same-sex marriage

President Clinton signs

the “Defense of Marriage Act” barring federal

recognition of same-sex

marriage

California voter-passed

ban on same-sex marriages from 2008 known as

Prop 8 is declared unconstitutional

The US Supreme Court declares same-sex marriage is legal in 50

states.

Maryland becomes the first state to

ban same-sex marriage.

The Massachu-settes

Supreme Court hands down a de-cision that makes

them the first state to legalize gay

marriage

The US Supreme Court finds Section

3 of the DOMA unconstitutional

by Ryleiigh McCoy

PAGE 2 EDITORIALS NOVEMBER 2020

THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE STUDENTSTHE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE STUDENTS The concept of the Seven Habits is based on Stephen Covey and has been utilized by millions of people, young and old alike, to make life more rewarding and productive. Highly proactive students recognize that their behavior is a product of their conscious choices. The following is a brief overview of the Seven Habits:

1: Be Proactive- Take the initiative and the responsibility to make things happen. 2: Begin With The End In Mind- Start with a clear destination so as to understand where you are now, where you’re going and what you value most. 3: Put First Things First- Manage yourself. Organize and execute around priorities. 4: Think Win/Win: See life as a cooperative, not competitive, arena where success is not achieved at the expense of exclusion of others. 5: Seek First To Understand, Then Be Understood- Build the skills of empathetic listening that inspires openness and trust. Habit 6: Synergize- Apply the principles of cooperative creativity and value differences. 7: Sharpen The Saw- Preserve and enhance your greatest asset-yourself- by renewing the physical, spiritual, mental, and social-emotional dimensions of your nature.

Organization in the time of

Google Classroom

by Ryleigh McCoy Staff writer

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, FHS and many other schools have begun using Google Classroom. This substitute for in-person learn-ing has become a vital part of the hybrid-style schedule many schools have adopted. While it’s certainly convenient to have everyone’s assign-ments available from anywhere, transitioning to hybrid/online learning may be troublesome for some students, especially those who have never experienced it before. Junior Cora MacIntyre said “It’s hard not being able to ask questions for assignments I’m confused about.” This frustration is shared by many students who are also experiencing this same struggle. With very limited class time, teachers are inca-pable of covering every topic and explaining ev-ery aspect of an assignment. So what do you do?Emailing is a reliable option for staying in con-tact with your teachers. However, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get an immediate response.One of the more effective strategies is to imme-diately review your assignments as soon as you get them. If extreme organization stresses you out more than helps you, it’s okay to just contin-ue doing what you’ve been doing. While stay-ing organized is important, this year more than ever, it is a tool that’s meant to assist students. Go with what works for you personally. Also, keep in mind: while your teachers ask for your patience as they learn a whole new system, you should ask for that same patience from yourself. Do your best, and be kind to yourself. We’ll all make it through this together.

Bringing her one step closer to the rank of Eagle Scout, Olivia Stewart (red mask) and her troop work on the completion of her hammock stand project at Fontainebleau State Park in early October. Photo courtesy of Olivia Stewart

On campus there are nearly 2,000 students all with unique stories and aspirations, however, se-nior Olivia Stewart is one of the few making big enough waves to land her attention from local media. On October 3, Olivia with the help of a number of other troop members, cemented her position as a future Eagle Scout when the final planks of her hammock stand were put togeth-er at Fontainebleau State Park as a reporter with WGNO watched at the scene. Last year the Boy Scouts of America un-derwent a rebranding to include all genders in scouts. Olivia, having followed along on her brother’s scouting adventures, was eager to fi-nally join. Once her brother began Eagle Scouts, she was disappointed that she was no longer al-lowed to tag along, so Stewart decided to make the move toward Eagle Scouts for herself. A male-dominated venture, it was obvious that challenges would be likely, however, these obstacles did not intimidate Stewart. Instead, she insisted, “I’m an overachiever, so I love the motivation and challenge.” Although females inducted into the ranking of Eagle Scouts will not be recognized until February 8, 2021, Stew-art received news of her acceptance into the pro-gram at the end of October. Olivia’s scouting achievements are impres-sive in themselves but what is particularly re-markable is her participation in National Honor

Society as a Public Relations Officer, robotics, horseback riding, achieving a black belt in Is-shin-ryū karate, and last year holding the title as Senior Patrol Leader for her troop, when offered the position again she turned it down to allow someone else to have the opportunity.Scouting offers a wide variety of benefits, Olivia shared, “Scouting reignited my love for the out-doors and made me want to protect it.” It also provided the opportunity of bonding with other troop members, where they learned important lessons that will translate into their adult lives, such as teamwork. Olivia put these skills into play when she raised over $800 to fund the ham-mock project that gained her admittance into the Eagle Scouts. When it comes to leadership skills Stewart is an exemplary individual to represent the first generation of female Eagle Scouts. She encour-ages those looking to join, “You definitely should [join]! There are some great people in troop 8720, and we hold meetings every Thursday from 6:30-8 at VFW Post 8720 in Abita Springs”. Many assume incorrectly that after age 18 there is no place for you in scouting, this is un-true. After graduation, Stewart plans to become an adult leader and stay active in troop 8720. Because she has enjoyed Scouts so much, she is even hopeful that her future children will partic-ipate in the tradition as well.

Stewart flies with Eaglesby Cadence Lowery

Editor

Using Google Classroom on Chromebook during Biology class, seniors Savannah Guidry and Lily Daniels discuss questions with Ms. Burg. Photo courtesy of Vivian Hale

Is Google Good Enough?

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GoogleClassroom

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PAGE 3 FEATURES NOVEMBER 2020

Climate Crisis and Waste Emergency By: Sophia Rossingol

Staff Writer

According to cnbc.com, plastic pollution has increased by 40% over the quarantine period. This is a time when environmental concerns are at an all-time high. While the US was starting to work to-ward more reusable options, this set back has reversed all the progress being made. Students around FHS are concerned about the amount of waste being produced as well. For example, in the caf-eteria, they are using throw-away trays and utensils. Ju-nior class treasurer, Yumnah Siddiqui said, “It makes sense why they are doing this, but they could wash the dish-es so it’s not as much waste. Many restaurants switched to curb side and drive through, so they have to use throw-away options.” Even around Mandeville, dine-in restau-rants have switched to to-go boxes instead of plates. Readers might wonder what they can do to help the envi-ronment and the waste being

How to start a compost:1) Find a container to store your compost in, it could be a simple plastic container,

or one specifically made to hold compost.

2)Know what type of foods to put in your compost.

3) Use materials to start your compost like straw and dry leaves.

4)Add food scraps to your compost and stir occasionally, and keep in a warm climate.

Ways to start living more

sustainably

-Turn off water when you’re not using it

-Switch to reusable water bottles

- Make sure to turn off your lights when you’re not in a

room

-Switch to plastic containers instead

of Ziploc bags

-Invest in reusable straws

-Start a compost

-Buy locally

Source: Ms. Poore’s 9th Grade Civics ClassesPie chart courtesy of Josie Lasaicherre

Students from Ms. Poore’s 9th grade civics class voted on who they would have voted for in the 2020 Presidental Election if they were of age to vote.

produced. Junior class secre-tary, Lily Rabalais, shares her ways of being green around the house, “At home we try to use less water, use reus-able containers, recycle, com-post, and we have chickens so we don’t buy eggs. We reuse egg cartons and use silicone straws instead of plastic.” When asked if Lily had any advice for readers who want to start living more sustainably, she said, “You don’t have to redo your whole life, just start small and work your way up.” The climate crisis is warm-ing the oceans, so hurri-cane season has been a busy one. The population has al-ready seen 29 named storms, while the average is 12, and 6 storms have made landfall in Louisiana. These natural disasters bring flooding and power outages, so there have to be changes made to help the planet. This is why living sustainably is so important. This is the only Earth we have and we need to protect it.

Hurricanes of 2020There have been 6 named storms to hit Louisianaby Sophia Rossignol - Staff Writer

Tropical Storm Cristobal June 7-8 2020, the third named storm to hit Louisiana. There

was around 665 million dollars in damage. There were 4 fatalities in this storm

Hurricane Laura August 27th is when Hurricane Laura made landfall. It was a category 4 hurricane and damage costs were up to 25-30 billon dollars. There were 77 fatalities

Hurricane MarcoMarco made landfall the evening of August 24th and was a category 1 hurricane. Damage costs were less than 35 million dollars and there was 1 fatality.

Hurricane SallyHurricane Sally made landfall on the morning of September 16th and was a category 2 hurricane. Damage costs ranged from 1-3 billion dollars in damage and there were 8 fatalities.

Hurricane DeltaHurricane Delta made landfall on October 9th and was a category 2 hurricane. Damage costs ranged around 0.8- 1.5 billion dollars and there were 3 fatalities.

Hurricane ZetaHurricane Zeta made landfall on October 24th and was a category 2. Damage costs ranged from 4.3-4.4 billion dollars and there were 6 fatalities and two million people without power.

FHS ELECTION POLL RESULTS

CIVICS CLASSES’ 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CHOICE

41%

59% Trump

Biden

PAGE 4 FEATURES NOVEMBER 2020

FHS Fights Covid-19

by Karissa GarrettStaff Writer

STPSB students returned to school on September 14, marking the end of a nearly six-month-long can-cellation. The outbreak of COVID-19 disrupted rou-tine life in St. Tammany parish, closing many busi-nesses and services, in-cluding public schools. As of November 9, a total of 8,002 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in St. Tammany Parish. Now, school staff are taking steps to prevent the spread in St. Tammany Parish schools, and grappling with students who test positive. Mary Priebe, previous-ly assistant principal, has stepped up to the position of interim principal. As the current acting principal, Ms. Priebe oversees COVID-19 prevention procedures at Fontainebleau High School. She, along with school and district administrators, be-gan planning how to safely reopen FHS in July.

Following social distancing guidelines, students in Ms. Paul’s journalism class sit in every other desk and wear masks while working in Google Classroom. Photo by Karissa Garrett

Originally slated to reopen in August, parish schools pushed start days to Septem-ber, allowing for school-is-sued Chromebooks to be distributed. The use of digi-tal assignments is one meth-od of minimizing surface sharing and contamination. Though Fontainebleau’s student population nearly doubled when all students returned on November 9, Priebe is confident that FHS will be able to keep students safe. She assures those wor-ried that “to the best of our ability, we will keep kids so-cially distanced.” Priebe explains that FHS will continue with preventa-tive measures, like the con-traflow system in hallways, sanitization, and proper social distancing when pos-sible. The interim principal is counting on FHS staff and teachers to “continue with what needs to be done” to keep our community safe.

Pandemic TimelinePandemic Timeline

A pandemic is declared when a dis-ease spreads quickly and affects regions across the world. Since societies have built cities, illnesses have spread within them. In the current “Corona-Age,” individu-als may feel that this has never happened before, but that is simply not the case. Within the past century, five pandemics have been declared, excluding COVID-19. These include the following: the Sixth Chol-era Pandemic, the Spanish Flu, the Asian Flu, the Hong Kong Flu, and AIDS. Thank-fully, as mankind develops new ways to fight and prevent disease, pandemics will run their courses more quickly, and with fewer effects.

by Gabriel MonahanStaff Writer

PAGE 5 FEATURES NOVEMBER 2020

LET’S KEEP STTPS HEALTHYthe Simple Steps

STOP the Spread of Covid-19

WEAR A FACE MASK OR COVERING

Sixth Cholera Pandemic 1910-1911

Spanish Flu Pandemic

1918

Asian Flu Pandemic1956-1958

Hong Kong Flu Pandemic

1968

AIDs Pandemic at its peak 2005-2012

1910-1911

1918 1956-1958

1968 2005-2012

The Sixth Cholera Pan-demic killed over 800,000 people world-wide, mostly India.

One of the dead-liest, the 1918 Flu Pandemic infect-ed over a third of the world’s pop-ulation, killing 20-50 million.

Originating in China, this flu

affectedSingapore,

Hong Kong and the US, killing

2 million.

This pandemic killed 1 million.

However, 15% of the Hong

Kong popula-tion died.

Since the pandemic began in

Africa, 35.4 million have died from AIDs related

illiness.

PAGE 6 SPORTS NOVEMBER 2020

Volleyball wraps up at state playoffsby Gabrielle Bush Staff Writer

Making it to the state playoffs for the 15th year and the 5th consecu-tive year for quarterfinals or better, the Lady Dawgs volleyball team competed on November 11 at the Ponchartrain Center in Mandeville. The team won the bi-regional match against Byrd High at 3-0 and a close set against St. Amant at 3-2 but lost

in the quarter-final round to St. Jo-seph Academy 0-3. Besides the obstacles presented by the pandemic this year, the team has had other considerations to contend with this. When asked what the team’s greatest accomplishment for the season was, Coach Mule’ said, “We lost eight seniors this year and

still managed to make it to state.” She went on to say that the Lady Dawgs exhibited quite a bit of growth by “being able to compete together as a team without having an off season to prepare and bond more.” Despite the challenges, however, a couple of last year’s juniors have stepped up to the net. According to junior Katy Holling-sworth, seniors Isabela Schilleci and Caroline Forest have contrib-uted a great deal to the team’s suc-cess. Schilleci is a setter and Forest is libero. Hollingsworth explained that the two “did particularly well because they were involved in basi-cally every play, and they had a big part in winning games.” Although, as Coach Mule’ point-ed out, the girls did not have much off-season time to bond, senior Regan Foil feels that what she has enjoyed most about her volleyball career is “playing with my team-mates and getting closer with them off of court. “They have become the

best network of friends I could have asked for,” she said. As far as any wisdom she would pass down to her younger teammates, Foil said, “Be coachable, as well as warm and ap-proachable. Bonding with the older girls as freshmen really helps a lot when you’re at a new school and in a new environment.”The team’s goals for next year are almost a given: “to win the state championship and be undefeated in the district,” said Hollingsworth. The junior Lady Dawg explained the frustration she felt after coming so close to a win, “The most disap-pointing part about missing the state title would definitely be coming off an amazing five set game against St. Amant, and then immediately los-ing in 3 sets against St. Joe’s.” The team is hoping for another shot next year. Senior Regan Foil put it simply, “In terms of the suc-cess of the team, I would credit the hard work and dedication of each player. Us putting the work in deter-mines how good we become.”

After completing their last game at the state championships on November 11, seniors Isabela Schilleci, Regan Foil, Caroline Forest, Emma Berget, Sophie Stanchec, and Celeste Guidry of the volleyball team celebrate. Photo courtesy of Coach Mule’

Swimmers dive into seasonby Gabrielle Bush

Staff Writer

Because the swim team doesn’t compete on campus, their accomplishments sometimes don’t get as much notice as they should, but the team has had an excellent season. On November 21, the boys team took 6th place in the state cham-pionships, and the girls team won 10th. Individ-ually, Gabby Chautin came home with 2nd place in state for the 50 free and came very close to breaking the school’s record. Cruse Wycoff, a junior team member, felt good about the season from the beginning. “The season has gone great with wins against Lakeshore and other schools. . . and we have everyone well-trained and ready.” Earlier in the season, Wycoff ’s hard work paid off when he made district champion in the 500 free. The swimmers took on their meets eagerly, trying to put their hard work to use and reach personal goals. Senior Gabby Chautin explained that she had “a goal to break the FHS women’s 100 free record. I’m about .6 off of it.” Chautin came close to realizing that dream on November 20 at the state championships. Each chance to swim brings great enthusiasm to the swimmers. For many of them, swimming has been a sport they have participated in from a very young age. Gabby Chautin stated, “I’ve actually been swimming since I was about eight years old, and I just fell in love with it. I love the individuality aspect of it, and, of course, my teammates keep me inspired and going.” Preparations for meets, however, are no small feat and take lots of practice and focus. Fresh-man, Allison Badeaux, a newer addition to the team, explained, “For the physical side, you have to put in hours of effort in the pool and the

weight room, while still allowing your muscles to recover with lots of stretching and eating plenty. “ While the effort and time put in may be gru-eling, the members of the team find themselves more than happy with the results. Talking about her favorite part of the team so far, Badeaux said, “So far I really love how welcoming every-body has been. Everyone is so nice and is easy

to have fun with and talk to.” Chautin expressed her love for the team as well when asked what her favorite part was. “Being able to lead, en-courage, and inspire my teammates! We have a great group this year, and seeing them all im-prove has been a great thing to see!” Considering their accomplishments, the team seems to have been well-trained and ready. Now they can enjoy the strides they have made this year.

Swimmers line up on the starting blocks to compete at Franco’s Athletic Club against Jesuit High School. Photo courtesy of Shelley Serpas

crewmates’ job is to travel the spaceship in which the game takes place and to complete “tasks,” which are mini-games the player must accom-plish. Crewmates win the game once all of their tasks are completed. In addition, the imposters must travel around the map to kill crewmates, while also sabotaging the ship. They win once the number of imposters and crewmates are equal, or if the crewmates fail to fix a sabotaged area of the ship. Freshman Laura Kingston exuberantly exclaimed, “I love playing as a crewmate! It feels as if I’m a real-life detective!” The most enjoyable part of the game for many, however, is the “group meeting” section, which is initiated once a body of a crewmate is discov-ered, or if an “emergency meeting” is called by a crewmate. This section of the game allows play-ers to discuss, or argue, about who they think the imposters are. The discussion ends after a set amount of time, and everyone either votes for who they think the imposter is or votes to skip. The player with a plurality of votes is eject-ed from the spaceship and dies. It is here where the main action appears and is a key point of the game, providing a fun debate which both the crewmates and imposters can enjoy. The crew-

mates attempt to figure out what happened, while the imposters try to throw the blame on someone else and avoid being caught. “Pretend-ing I’m not the imposter and blaming someone else is my favorite part of the game,” professed Noah Gould, 12. Among Us can be played with strangers whom gamers meet online, or players can com-pete with friends and create a private lobby in which meetings are carried out via calls. The latter provides an entertaining way to hang out with friends, especially during quarantine. Cus-tom settings can even be created for the private lobby, such as a time limit on how long it takes for an imposter to kill another crewmate, or how much time players are given for discussion in a group meeting. “Talking with my friends is much easier and way more fun than just looking at the game chat...it’s just really easy-going and relaxed” said Alyson Tyrrell, 11, with a smile. The recent success of Among Us is well deserved. With the story of the cult-classic Alien combined with the gameplay of Mafia, it pro-vides the perfect online-gaming experience for quarantine. Whether you are a crewmate or an imposter, Among Us is sure to be a fun, suspense-ful experience.

In the past few months, Among Us has taken over the gaming world, and for good reason. The Mafia-inspired game places players in the shoes of a group of space-travelers, or “crewmates,” where there are either one or two imposters among the group. The imposters attempt to kill off the crewmates without being discovered, while the crewmates must finish tasks before the imposters eliminate them. This unique scenario, combined with the mul-tiplayer social dedication and easy gameplay, makes Among Us an extremely fun, and border-line addictive, game. The success of Among Us was heavily due to the support of online stream-ers. When originally released in 2018, the game received little mainstream attention; however, in July 2020, the game exploded in popularity when many Twitch streamers and YouTubers began playing it. The game has over 100 million downloads as of September 2020. Among Us can have a maximum of ten players per lobby, with a maximum of two of these play-ers being imposters; the rest are crewmates. The

In the latest quarantine entertain-ment, the video game, Among Us, utilizes space-travelers, or “crewmates,” among which there are imposters. The imposters attempt to kill off the crew-mates without being discovered, while the crewmates finish tasks before the imposters eliminate them. This video game receives a big

Among Us: The Perfect Quarantine Game

Q. What life lesson did you have to learn the hard way?A. Jessica: “Not everyone is your friend.”A. Guy: “Pick a lighter instrument.”A. Thomas: “Study for your exams.”

Q. Could you think of something that we could all agree on despite this craziness? A. Jessica: “Sleep is life.” A.. Guy: “Hawaiian t-shirts bring the world together.” A. Thomas: “Don’t lick electrical outlets.”

Q. What is your favorite time period?A.A. Jessica: “A time before I was born.”A.A. Guy: “Sixties, because I really like the techno logical advances, the lifestyle, and the cars.”A.A. Thomas: “Sixties, because that’s what Guy said.”

Jessica Pitre,

12

Guy Pitts,11

Thomas Migliore

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by Grace Neuman Editor

by Gabriel Monahan Staff writer

PAGE 7 ENTERTAINMENT NOVEMBER 2020

Photo courtesy of steam.com

Meet The Staffby Grace Neuman

Editor

Ryleigh Mccoy, 10 Karissa Garrett, 11

What’s one misconception about high school?

Karissa: “It’s easy.”Ryleigh: “It’s just like the movies.”

How has covid affected your life?Karissa: “I can’t go anywhere.”

Ryleigh: “We have to be separated constantly.”

If you suddenly came into money, what’s the first thing you’d buy?

Karissa: “A house in a different country” Ryleigh: “Lirika Matoshi New York

Strawberry Midi Dress”

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PAGE 8 ENTERTAINMENT NOVEMBER 2020

December HorocopesDecember Horocopes by Cadence Lowery by Cadence Lowery

Editor