Volume XXV, Issue 2

NO WAY to PDA! Page 12

Spring sports preview. Page 3

An inside look at Adderall. Page 6

Providence ProwlA Publication of Providence High SchoolVolume XXV, Issue 2 • April 2014

News1-2 Odyssey of the Mind New tablets Additional AP courses CMS saves spring break

Sports3-4 Half Panther, half fish Spring Sports Winter Olympics Recap Fast & Fleury-ous

Features5-8 Harvard acceptee Winterguard pioneer Adderall Investigation Quizbowl

@ProvidenceProwl

@ProvidenceProwl

Entertainment9 Drowsy Chaperone Review

Editorials10-13 Study Hall The “Other School” Dress Code Shaming PDA: Providence Horror Story Next Generation of Politics

StaffMadeline WhiteEditor-in-ChiefRyan HerreraEntertainment EditorNikki Van LanenSports Editor

Sasha RogelbergStudent Life EditorJenna GardnerStaff ReporterEmma HankinsStaff Reporter

Editorial Policy The Prowl is governed by the First Amendment guidelines and those established by the Supreme Court in interpreting the First Amendment for school publications. While the newspaper is responsible to the principal as its publisher (Hazelwood School District v. Khuhlmier), the content reflects student thinking and may not be in agreement with adminstrative policy. The Prowl welcomes signed letters. We edit for brevity, grammar and clarity. Letters should not exceed 150 words and may be submitted to the staff in room 236.

www.providenceprowl.com

April 2014 Page 1

NewsOdyssey of the Mind ventures to state tournamentStory and photo by MADELINE WHITE, Editor-in-Chief

Tablets to the teachersStory and photos by JENNA GARDENER, Staff Reporter

Providence teachers received Hewlett-Packard Re-volve Tablets from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in late December. This CMS-wide distribution provided all high school teachers, except Career Technical Education and Exceptional Children teachers, with a device. These new HP Revolve tablets feature a screen that can be used as a tablet, or folded out to become a laptop with a keyboard. These machines also run on Windows 8 and operate with the internet. The tablet’s retail cost is roughly $1,500 but CMS was able to make a deal to buy them for just $950 a piece. They can connect to displays and acces-sories through USB ports. The 11.6 inch screen is able to turn for easy viewing and the screen is made of Corning Gorilla Glass (a scratch-resistant glass). “Perhaps giving a teacher a piece of technology will

enhance the student’s ‘real-life’ experi-ence in the class room,” said Pamela Mann, Providence’s Media Specialist. The tablets can create an interactive experience for students through the touch screen function it provides. “These teaching devices are provided as a tool to help teachers perform dialing task such as grades, attendance and checking email,” said Brandon DeLeeuw the Director of the Information Systems and Support Department of CMS. Many teachers received iPads from CMS two years ago. “An iPad is an Apple, Inc. product with a different (info on operating system coming) operat-ing system,” said Mann. “We wanted to

provide a more robust tool that runs on Windows 8,” said DeLeeuw. “And very few iPads were distributed to middle and high schools by the district offices.” Teachers have begun to utilize their Revolve Tablets in class. “I love the features on the revolve,” said Lindsay Len-dyak. “Espeically since it uses the new Windows program, which I use at home, so it’s easier for me to use the

program.”

The Hewlett-Packard Revolve

On Saturday, March 8, Providence High School’s Odys-sey of the Mind teams placed first and second in the Central Region Tournament at Wingate Univer-sity. One of Providence’s teams was coached by parents Robyn Abel and Mitzi Lynch and included freshmen Wes Abel, Rachael Davis, Wil DeCramer, Noah Hunte, Devin Lynch, Luke Wil-liams and seventh-grader Kyle Warford. The team placed first in problem one, in which the students designed, built, and operated a vehicle in an attempt to com-plete tasks necessary to pass a driver’s test. The vehicle had to move forward and in reverse using a different propul-sion system in each direction. The problem also needed to have an overall theme for its presentation that involved the vehicle, a driving test, the student, and a talking Global Positioning System (GPS). The second team, coached by parent Deanna Keithly, had placed third for the last two years and had not yet advanced to the state competition. The team is made up of freshmen James Rucker, Bryson Getz, juniors Andrew Yount, Meredith Gaines, Valerie Keithly, Erica Hennes, and senior Lucy Keller. The members decided to complete in three problems this year: problems two, three, and five.

Problem two involved creating and presenting a performance that included a pop-up haunted house in which four special

effects would take place. The special effects would attempt to scare others, but in-stead create another effect. Problem three involved recreat-ing a king’s court and making another royal court set in a different time and place. The historical court would issue a decree that reflected historical accuracy, while the royal court would issue a decree

that altered its people’s everyday behavior. Problem five prompted the teams to create a performance about a community threatened by something in a place it has never visited to which they would creatively send the travelers to explore. The travelers would then communicate home to tell the community that there is nothing to be afraid of. The team competing in three problems had to invest extra time to learn the all of the problems’ requirements in addi

tion to discovering a way to incorporate all the requirements into one solution. The members first worked on problems two and five, creating one skit that worked for both prob-lems. For problem three, the members wrote a separate skit but were able to use many of the same set pieces, props, and costumes used in problems two and five. The team spent its final two weeks creating a Marie Antoinette wig, dress, backdrop of Versailles, pop-up book, and a giant puppet, among other props. Ultimately, Keithly’s team placed second in all three problems, which allowed them to advance to the state com-petition where they will again compete in all three events. The team also won two Ranatra Fusca Creativity Awards, which are presented to Odyssey of the Mind teams who exhibit extraordinary creativity either through a part of the problem solution or an idea beyond the solution. By winning two of the possible three RanatraFusca Creativity Awards, the team set a precedent in North Carolina’s Odyssey of the Mind history. The judges for problem five, in which the team changed costumes in front of the audience five separate times, submitted the first RanatraFusca. The judges awarded the second RanatraFusca for part of the solution to problem three, in which Providence’s team was the only one to turn a team member into a musical instrument for the problem. Both of Providence’s teams will advance to the State Finals Tournament. The competition will be held at Wingate University on April 5.

Keithly’s team members celebrate with their awards (from left: Bryson Getz, James Rucker, Lucy Keller, Meredith Gaines, Erica Hennes, Andrew Yount, and Valerie Keithly).

Dr. Robert Van Lanen, DDS 2428 N. Sharon Amity Road Suite 301 Charlotte, NC 28205 704-537-9475

As President Obama continues to push for the extension of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) programs in public schools, CMS schools, including Providence, have taken action to extend these opportunities to students. Providence has expanded Project Lead the Way and Advanced Placement classes to offer them to underclassmen. Project Lead the Way has been a relatively new addition to the CMS cur-riculum. The program is similar to AP in that the classes are worth two extra quality points and keep a rigorous pace throughout the year. Teachers for these new classes train extensively for two weeks over the summer. This training culminates into a fi-nal test after the two weeks, nearly identical to AP training. While this program has been in place since 1986, it has only focused on STEM courses in the past 16 years, and CMS has only incorporated it in the past four. In addition to Project Lead the Way, CMS has advocated for the expansion of AP classes. Providence has added AP Human Geography and several online courses like AP Art History, AP Mandarin, and AP Computer Science just this year. Principal Tracey Harrill is optimistic about these new op

portunities. She explained there was a new body of research stating that individuals who took at least one AP class in high school were more prepared for college. Providence has extended some AP classes, such as Human Geography and Psychol-ogy, to underclassmen. Underclassmen seem just as enthusiastic. Sophomore Hope Bynum believes taking AP classes throughout one’s high school career will prevent upperclassmen from taking too many their last two years of high school. “Junior year, if you have a lot of AP classes, you’ll just be overwhelmed,” she said. However, these new opportunities

bring logistical drawbacks. Harrill explained that classes must have at

least 20 students in the physical class. She is checking to confirm there is enough student interest to have balanced classes. “I can’t put 50 kids in Mr. Ramsey’s Sociology class so Mrs. McCanless can have 10 in Comparative Govern-ment,” Harrill said. Harrill is also concerned about the steep transition fresh-men are taking. She says there is a “big leap” between middle school classes and college-level courses and hopes rising freshmen are prepared for this transition.

While underclassmen are excited about their new op-portunities, upperclassmen have concerns of their own. “First priority should go to the upperclassmen,” junior Anna Gormley said. Classmate Maya Gray agrees. “Everyone can benefit from AP classes, but it’s not fair that they’re just

now letting underclassmen in,” she added. Both juniors would have taken AP classes if offered to them as freshmen or sophomores. Regardless, Harrill seems confident that the implementa-tion of Project Lead the Way and new AP courses will be beneficial to the student body and provide opportunities to become better prepared for college.

April 2014 Page 2

NewsNew AP courses expand student opportunity Story and photo by SASHA ROGELBERG, Student Life Editor

Engineering students construct a model. An example of what Project Lead the Way students are

learning.

School board saves spring break Story by MADELINE WHITE, Editor-in-Chief

On February 25, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board voted unanimously to omit the April 14 and 15 makeup days that would have shortened spring break. Due to inclement weather on February 12, 13, and 14, CMS students did not attend school for three consecutive days. Students had additionally missed school on January 29 and 30 the previous month. As a result of the January school days missed, the possible makeup day options became lim-ited, putting the school district’s spring break dates at risk. This school year’s spring break will begin April 14 and last until April 18. April 14 and 15 had originally been planned as the makeup days for the February 13 and 14 snow closings. Superintendent Heath Morrison knew that atten-dance for the spring break makeup days would be low, but still faced the issue of completing the required number of in-structional days and hours. The state requires that schools be in session for a minimum of 1,025 hours or 185 days. CMS had initially scheduled 180 days of school and 1,080 hours in school, but the two snow days left only 1,068 hours. As a result of the probability of low attendance during the spring makeup days, Morrison suggested the revision to the

school calendar. The altered calendar allowed CMS to pass the state minimum of 1,025 hours of instruction. Many students were pleased with the school board’s deci-sion. “I’m grateful [for the revision] because no one wants to lose spring break,” said freshman Helena Barley. “It would be like losing summer break.” Freshman Shana Katz agreed with Barley. “They shouldn’t be able to take away the days we have off because we need a break.”

“[The makeup days] would be like losing summer break.”

This year, CMS lost five school days as a result of snow, in addition to two early dismissals and three two-hour delays due to inclement weather. Additionally, hourly workers, including bus drivers and cafeteria workers, lost paid hours during the snow days. CMS will hold two days of paid sum-mer training to allow the workers to gain back the lost wages. A measurement of the snow accumulated

during one of the snow days. Photo by Emma Hankins.

April 2014 Page 3

Sports

The Providence swimmers dive into the pristine water, quickly completing their lengths. The Providence Swim and Dive Team completed their season with a splash early February. Their season ended with the women finishing 8th and men finishing 12th at the state championships. “We had a great group of very fast swimmers who were competitive at the state meets,” said Bill Davis, Providence’s Swim and Dive Team Coach. Former coach Sandra Martin retired before this season. Davis took the reins and coached along with Edie Carter. “Coach Davis has been outstanding for his first year here at Providence,” said senior Pierce Bradshaw. Davis ended his first season with remarkable results. The women’s swim team finished 5-1 in the season and 3rd in 4A conference. The men’s swim team finished 4-2 in the season and 3rd in 4A conference. The dive team also came in 4th, 7th, and 11th at the state finals. “I expected to make it to states and designed our season around the last three big meets,” said Davis. Davis was faced with the challenge of getting to know the new swimmers. “I knew a few swimmers already from Swim-MAC (Mecklenburg Aquatic Center) and other local clubs,” he said, “ I also knew quite a few from summer league as well.” Davis conducted sessions prior to the season where the team could get to know him and his teaching style. “Another big factor in getting the trust of the swimmers is to continue many of the great traditions of the previous coach,” said

Davis. “The PHS Boost-er Club and Athletic Director Charles Lansing made the transition for me quite smooth and were always willing to help.” Along with gaining the team’s trust, there was also the challenge of successfully work-ing with swimmers that swim year round and simmers who only swim for high school. “Coach Carter and I agree that our greatest achieve-ment this year was fully integrating the team, both year rounders and non year rounders,” Davis said, “We had significant success in placing swimmers on successful relays and individual events.” 14 students swam at the state championship this year. While many students only swim for Providence, there are a few who also swim at competitive clubs outside of school. “High school swimming is more of a team effort versus club

swimming which is more individualized,” Mary Weinstein, a MAC year round junior swimmer, said. Year round swimming sometimes requires over nine practices a week that are over two and a half hours long. “High school swimming is all about representing your school and team as a whole while club swimming is very in-tense and more focused on the individual,” said Pierce Bradshaw, a year round senior swimmer. Looking ahead, Davis said, “My goals next year are to increase the size of the swim team somewhat and increase the dive team as much as possible. I aim to train the team so we strongly compete for the conference, regional, and state title.” Some seniors are leaving with scholarships to top universities for swimming. Pierce

Bradshaw signed with West Virginia University, Olivia Bear (swimmer) signed with Florida Atlantic University, and Han-nah Croxton (diver) signed with University of North Carolina Wilmington. “We will greatly miss our senior leaders but they have left the team in good shape, from both a leadership and swim-ming perspective,” said Davis.

Half Panther, half fishStory by JENNA GARDNER, Staff Reporter

Providence’s Swim & Dive qualifiers in Raleigh for state championship. Photo provided by Pierce Brad-shaw.

Spring sports season The sun is sunnier, shorts are shorter, and the outdoor bleachers of Providence are filled up once again. This can only mean one thing: the spring sports season has begun.Opening the spring season with their first game on Febru-ary 18, baseball is coming off of a 9-5 conference record last year. They finished the year with losses to South Meck in conference finals and then again in the first round of state playoffs. The team appears to be playing with a new-found

desire to return strong this year with seven returning starters and all but one experienced pitcher. “Our kids work hard and believe they can win against any opponent,” Coach Daniel Hignight says. They won their first two games beating Hough 11-1 and a 16-1 smashing of East Meck. They are currently undefeated with a record of 11-0. Men and women’s track both are expected to win the South Meck 8 Conference Championship. With sixteen returning standouts between the two, it does not look to be a

problem. Women’s coach Jewell Abbott raves about return-ees, Bianca Bishop, Grace Sullivan, Emily Lucero, Kayla Glova and Lindsey Lanier. “These girls rise to the top of their events,” Abbot says. Men’s coach Steven Touranjoe has set another lofty goal: have several athletes qualify for the 4A West Regional Championship as possible. Returning cross country State Champion Wyatt Maxey, sprinter Brian Mattar, and hurdler Will Dejesus are just a few of the contenders Touranjoe hopes to accomplish this. Track is not the only team looking successful this year. The golf team has also held their own this season. “We have a very talented team. The strongest in the past 10 years or so,” says men and women’s golf coach Carl Church. Yet, this year’s team is inexperienced, with only two starting seniors out of six. His hope for the season is to win the Conference Championship and finish in the top three of the region to qualify for the state tournament. Golf is also undefeated. The Lady Panthers are off to an undefeated season, return-ing from a 13-7-1 record last year. Coach Timothy Long says, “Our hopes are the same every year.” The goal to win their nonconference, conference and playoff games. “We are always confident in our team and abilities so we set our ex-pectations high,” he continues. A number of returning play-ers, including starters Elizabeth Moshier and Megan Gray, are being depended on to advance the team to victory, along with some up and coming new players. The men’s tennis team is currently 4-2 with losses against Marvin Ridge and Myer Park. They were undefeated in conference last year and are facing some hardships this season after their previous coach Daniel Dodson left. Fortu-nately for them, Coach Lansing acted quickly and found

replacement coach Art Abbott, former United State Tennis Association affiliate. “It is just so hard having to adjust to a new coach while also getting started with the season,” senior ten-nis player Michael McGowan says. Men’s rugby is part of the reason Ms. Harrill complains about the crowded trophy case. They are returning from an undefeated season with a current record of 5-1, having lost to Concord. Men and Women’s lacrosse season is in full swing. The men’s team had their first loss against Lake Norman Charter to bring their current record to 5-1. The women’s team is 1-3. Freshman Maria McDowell says her favorite part of Provi-dence softball is “getting to be part of a team.” She also speaks highly of varsity Coach John Reid. Women’s softball is 5-4. Regardless of records, PHS spring sports de-serve the support of every student and faculty member.

Photo by Rusty Transou.

Player Tommy DeJuneas. Photo by Rusty Transou.

Story by NIKKI VAN LANEN, Sports Editor

April 2014 Page 4

SportsWinter Olympic RecapStory and photo by RYAN HERRERA Staff Reporter

The XXII Winter Olympics took place Sochi, Russia through February 6-23, and though many people tuned in to view events such as Bobsledding, Speed Skating, and even Curling, some might have missed out on the international sporting event due to homework or even polar vortexes. For students who may have been too busy hitting the books to vicariously hit the ice, The Prowl staff has outlined a general recap of the United States’ performance at the 2014 Winter Olympic. Twelve new events were added to the games, and as such, the competition began a day before the opening ceremony. On this first day, defending champion Hannah Kearney of the United States came in first place in the qualifying round of the women’s moguls of Freestyle Skiing. The competition resumed on February 8th after the Opening Ceremony, during which the United States figure skating pair of Meryl Davis and Charlie White advanced to the final day of competition in third place with 34 points after the Russian and Canadian pairs. In the finals of women’s moguls in Freestyle Skiing, Hannah Kearney earned a bronze behind Canadian sisters Justine and Chloe Dufour-Lapointe. In the preliminary round of Ice Hockey, the United States beat Finland 3 to 1. In Men’s Slopestyle Snowboarding, Sage Kotsenburg of the United States took gold with a score of 93.50 on his first run. On February 9, female snowboarder Jamie Anderson of the United States took gold with a score of 95.25 in Women’s Slopestyle Snowboarding. The following day brought dual tournaments in Men’s and Women’s Curling, where the United States male team lost 4-7 against Norway and the female team also lost 4-7 against Switzerland. The next day continued the Men’s and Women’s Curling competitions,

during which the male team lost 4-9 against China and the female team lost in two separate draws to Russia and Great Britain. On this day, Erin Hamlin of the United States took bronze in the women’s singles of the Luge. February 12 brought better news for the United States when snowboarder Kaitlyn Farrington won gold in Women’s Halfpipe Snowboarding with a score of 91.75. The United States dominated Freestyle Skiing in a sweep the following day, with Joss Christensen taking gold with a score of 95.80, followed by Gus Kenworthy with silver and Nick Goepper with bronze. In the Women’s Skeleton event, Noelle Pikus-Pace of the United States took Silver behind Lizzy Yarnold of Great Britain. The United States did not earn another gold medal until February 17th, when American pair Meryl Davis and Charlie White became the first Americans to win Gold in Ice Danc-ing. The United States was eliminated from the Curling tour-nament on this day, with the male team losing 3-6 to Switzer-land and the female team losing 2-11 against South Korea. February 20 was a particularly important day for the Unit-ed States with the widely anticipated event of Ice Hockey. In the finals of the Gold Medal game, Canada beat the United States 3-2 by scoring two goals to force overtime. The male United States Ice Hockey team met a similar fate two days later, losing 0-5 against Finland in the Bronze Medal game. At the end of the Sochi Olympics, the United States team of 230 athletes took home 28 total medals with a distribu-tion of 9 gold, 7 silver, and 12 bronze medals. This earned the United States a rank of 4 in terms of gold medals earned behind Russia (13), Norway (11), and Canada (10).

“Curling is very unique and is something that we’re not re-ally exposed to here in the United States, so it’s just some-thing different. The only time we are able to really watch it is every four years.” –Sharath Rama

“My favorite sport to watch during the Winter Olympics is between the Luge and Slopestyle Snowboarding, but I think it would be Slopestyle Snowboarding because they have cool tricks that you see in animation and on the Wii. When you watch it on TV, you realize that people can actually do those tricks.” –Marisa Rank.

“My favorite sport was the Luge, because I liked the amount of skill required to ride a sled at that speed and intensity as [competitors] go around the curves.” –Brandon Jocher

(Left to right) Seniors Sharath Rama, Marisa Rank, and Brandon Jocher.

Student Perspectives

The fast and the Fleury-ousStory by NIKKI VAN LANEN, Sports Editor

Junior Meghan Fleury seems to be unstoppable on the basketball court. She is ranked second in North Carolina in rebounding for 4A teams and leads the conference in rebounds. Fleury started her basketball career in third grade in the Upwards youth league then changed to Yes I Can basketball years later. In middle school, at Jay M. Robinson, she only played her 8th grade year, “I didn’t make the team in 7th grade, but then I got better and tried out again,” Fleury admit-ted. Starting on varsity as a freshman center, Fleury averaged 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Going into her junior year season, she’s improved to 13.3 points and 13.9 rebounds per game. She has also acquired eight double-doubles this season (reaching double digits in points and rebounds in a single game). Head coach Bill Smith acknowledges her improvements, “Meghan has done a great job developing as a varsity player…she has become a stronger physical player each season.” Smith speaks highly of Fleury’s leadership on and off the court. In addition to leadership, Smith says her “strengths are physical presence down low in every game and her scor-ing indicates how strong her play is inside.” He also men-tions a weakness of hers is tending getting in foul trouble. The team is currently 3-10 in conference play, but despite

the seemingly unfavorable record, “that doesn’t reflect how close a lot of our games have been,” Fleury says. The Charlotte Observer selects high school basketball players for their “Players of the Week.” In late December, Fleury was chosen for her seventh double-double in 10 games highlight-ing the 15 points and 10 rebounds in a game against Phillip O. Berry High School that week. “Getting recognized in the paper is definitely cool because it is almost like a reward for your hard work,” says Fleury. Her individual stats have given Providence and the basketball team additional recognition in the area. Even with all the limelight, she manages to stay humble confessing that she “couldn’t do any of it without [her] teammates.” Junior guard Michaela Daniels was also recognized in the Observer for leading in the county with 4.6 assists per game. Fleury does not have a favorite team other than her own, but tends to watch more men’s basketball than women’s. What many people, besides her close personal friends, may not know about Fleury is her love for everything Disney. She has been on three Disney cruises and her family plans to attend another one this spring break. Her black Saturn Vue can be identified by the pink Mickey Mouse head sticker on the rear window. “I love Disney so much because it makes me feel like a little kid,” Fleury says, this might be why her

favorite Disney character is Peter Pan, the kid who never grows up. As of this season Fleury does not have definite plans to play basketball in college, but don’t be surprised if you see her working at Disney one day.

Meghan Fleury looks for rebound against Phillip O. Berry. Photo by Emma Hankins.

April 2014 Page 5

FeaturesOne-on-one with a Harvard accepteeStory and photo by RYAN HERRERA, Entertainment Editor

Every year, students and faculty anticipate the days when the mall display cases are decorated in honor of the graduating class. Sporting a long list of colleges from all over the country and colorful insignia to match, it’s a tell-all on the future of many Providence seniors. This year, how-ever, the display case may contain the name of an institution that has been absent for four years: Harvard University. On December 13, Providence senior Sarah Fellman discovered that she had been accepted to Harvard University after applying for Single-Choice Early Action Admission. Single-Choice Early Action Admissions meant that Harvard would be the only private school Fellman applied to early, but she would not be bound to attending. This was a feat that would not go unnoticed by the student body and faculty, so the Prowl sat down with Sarah to talk about the college application process and what this acceptance means for her future.

Herrera: Why did you apply to Harvard?Fellman: When I visited, I really liked the feel of the cam-pus. Everyone seemed like they were having fun. I want to study government and political science, and they have a really good political science program.

How did you feel when you received your acceptance?I was really excited and definitely relieved. I even started dancing around and saying crazy things.

Do you think you are going to end up attending Har-vard?I think there’s a good chance. It’s a pretty good school for me, and I think that I would fit in there and enjoy it. Its early action and nonbinding, though, so I’m not going to make any decisions until I have all of the information.

How do you think that your experiences at Providence and with extracurricular ac-tivities aided in your admis-sion? How do you think these experiences will help you in the future?I think that my extracurriculars in particular are really strong, especially with the swim team and my involvement with BBYO, my Jewish youth group. I’ve also been on sum-mer programs in BBYO and a service program in DC where I got to lobby Senator [Richard] Burr about education funding. Providence itself has a lot of great extracurricular opportuni-ties like Peer Mentoring and honor societies. Academically, Providence is pretty intense. We have a lot of work, and I have to juggle a lot of classes. When I go to college, it will have prepared me, especially with the AP classes offered.

Has there been a lot of pressure for you and other stu-dents to get into good schools?I think there is a lot of pressure, and it comes from a lot of different places. There’s a lot of peer pressure, like if your friends are getting into good schools, you don’t want to be the only one who isn’t. There’s pressure from the school, especially from the administration and from the guidance, [who] always want to get students into good schools. I think that there’s pressure in general, not just from Providence, but in the country from more and more people attending college and with Common Application making it easier to just click

send and apply to more colleges. With more people, it’s harder to get in, and it makes the process more stressful.

What do you think of the college ap-plication scene today?There are some things going on that aren’t necessarily beneficial to students, such as restrictive early ac-tion and early decision. While a lot of people participated in it—I participat-ed in it—it limits students and makes it harder for them to pursue opportunities that they might otherwise have been able to. With conflicting academic and financial wants and needs, it’s really hard for students to go to the college

that they want to.

What advice do you have for juniors and underclassmen who want to shoot for good schools and Ivy Leagues?I think that in order to get into the college that you want to go to, the most important thing to do is to do what you’re passionate about. Ultimately, you want to end up at a school where you’ll be happy. If you’ve been working all of high school to end up at a college that society says you should [attend], you might not be happy. With regards to admis-sions, it’s important to focus on your grades and extracur-riculars both, but if you don’t have enough time, you need to make the time to focus on what’s personally important to you. With regards to essays, it’s definitely helpful to get them edited by people that you trust like parents, friends, and people in college. You’re writing about yourself. It’s your essay, so make sure that you own it.

Pioneer for winterguard guysStory and photo by THERESA JONES, Guest Reporter

Ian Trott is a typical band nerd; he plays alto saxophone in wind ensemble, participates in marching band and spends a good chunk of his time in the band room. But Trott has a passion that extends further: winterguard. Trott, along with senior Zach Goudy, took part in the first male involvement in winterguard at Providence High School last year. “Winterguard may seem like a feminine sport because of the dance aspects, but it requires strength and an ability to try new and sometimes scary things,” says Merrily Lyons, a senior guard captain. Trott took this challenge head on and hasn’t looked back. In winterguard choreography, males must learn to blend in with the group as well as perform male-specific tasks. “It depends on the part of the show,” says Karla Katibah, a fellow guard member. “The goal of guard is to look as one cohesive unit when we are all doing the same choreography.” Trott cites this as the hardest part of winterguard, but says he is working on being graceful. On the other hand, “Guys natu-rally have more upper body strength, so they are better suited to perform lifts and high tosses,” says Lyons. This advantage makes males a valuable asset to any winterguard team. Progress is always on Trott’s mind. “He’s brought a

determination to be the best he possibly can be and that’s something I admire about him,” says Lyons. Trott has joined the weapon line this year, which consists of rifles and sabres. “Last year I was always on flag, but I’ve been practicing working on weap-ons,” says Trott, who has a rifle solo in this year’s show. Trott says the most valu-able thing he has gained from winterguard is teamwork. “If someone needs help with something, I can help them, and if I need help with something, they can help me,” says Trott. “That’s my favorite part: the atmosphere.” Though Trott is the only male on the team this season, he feels just as accepted by the group. “We aren’t divided by gender in mindset because we are just a team,” says Katibah. The team’s support has helped Trott to overcome peer

adversity due to his involvement in a stereotypically femi-nine activity. He says he hasn’t been insulted, but has been questioned about his reason for participation. Trott says, “It [bothered me] at the beginning because I wasn’t mentally ready for it.” However, he has become more confident and says, “I think that they should respect my idea of fun.” Trott encourages any males thinking about trying out for guard to join the team. “Do it because you’ll get stronger and meet some amazing people,” says Trott. The other members of guard are looking to increase male participation as well. “We plan to showcase the masculine part of winterguard,” says Lyons. Trott isn’t shy about the love he has developed for the sport over the past season. “As soon as the winterguard season ends, I am already thinking about what next year’s show will be,” says Trott. He even says he frequently devotes break time during marching band to practicing with the guard in the auditorium. Katibah says, “Ian has brought an incred-ible energy to the guard.” This energy translates into Trott’s performance and hopefully to the winterguard teams of years to come.

Fellman poses with a fellow Harvard acceptee.

Trott in his winter guard attire.

While many Providence students are familiar with the recreational usage of Adderall and other ADHD medications, few are aware of what this drug really is and the repercus-sions it can have on the body. Adderall, like many ADHD drugs, is an amphetamine, a stimulant that causes the release of epinephrine and dopa-mine, “the happy drug.” While it may seem counterintuitive to treat hyper-active behavior with a stimulant, Adderall actually has the opposite effect, calming a patient if the correct dosage is given. Given the wrong dose of this drug, individuals can become paranoid, jittery or agitated. But despite these potential side-effects, Adderall has be-come a popular recreation drug for teenagers. According to Dr. Michael Beuhler of the Carolinas Health Center, Adderall has multiple recreational uses. First, it increases focus. For students in a competitive academic environment, working ef-ficiently holds great appeal. But its uses span beyond that of education. “People do get a little bit of a rush with it,” says Beuhler. While the “high” does not resemble a high of marijuana, the use of Adderall releases neurotransmit-ters that make one feel euphoric. Adderall has also recently become popular because it is associated with weight loss. According to Beuhler, Adderall “does suppress appetite.” Amphetamines have been used for weight loss for years, and Adderall has this same capability. Not only does this drug have appeal to teenagers, but it has recently become prescribed more often, making it easier

to acquire. Beuhler believes this increase in diagnosing and prescribing is due to a change in how society views ADHD. “It seems so many children are carrying ADHD diag-nosis,” says Beuhler. This may be because society wants an answer to seem-ingly abnormal behavior. The decrease in overall attention spans, due to the increase of video game and technology use could be another cause. The confu-sion over the increased use of Adderall extends to all parts of the scientific community. Beuhler says doctors are only moderately aware of Adderall abuse, and “not all doctors are going to be aware of all the different faces of Adderall abuse.” Adolescent pediatricians, college adminis

-trators, and the average physician all have different expo-sure to the uses of Adderall.

Until all demographics are sufficiently edu-cated on this danger-ous drug, how can its use be regulated and reduced? Adderall is indeed dangerous. Beuhler insisted that amphet-amines have addictive properties, and those who use them can experience both physi-cal and psychological withdrawal. In ex-treme cases, Adderall abuse could result in depression or strokes. Beuhler describes the early uses of

amphetamines such as Adderall to “build a ‘super soldier’ in World War II,” helping soldiers focus and act efficiently in battle. However, students are not soldiers, and the abuse of Adderall holds its share of potential dangers. Weighing the risks and benefits of its use is ultimately up to its user.

April 2014 Page 6 Investigative Feature

The Adderall dilemma: an overviewStory by SASHA ROGELBERG, Student Life Editor

The future of AdderallStory by RYAN HERRERA, Entertainment Editor

With the increasing prevalence of the abuse of drugs such as Adderall, many school administrators and medical profession-als alike are worried about the future of this trend. According to the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future Study, “the past-year non-medical use of Adderall among American high school seniors has been increasing since 2009 when abuse rates were 5.4 percent.” In 2013, that rate had climbed to 7.4 percent.

Steve Pasierb, President and CEO of The Partnership at Drugfree.org, reports that even though the true rate of increasing Adderall misuse is difficult to calculate precisely, “the abuse of all prescription medicines is an immediate threat to the health of America’s teens.” While this crisis increases to near epidem-ic, many doctors and professionals are taking a stand to “address the issue of intentional medicine abuse,” said Pasierb.

Worth the edge? An inside look at the increasing rate of Adderall abuse amongst students

Side effects of Adderall• Fast or irregular heartbeat

• Dry mouth

• Lack or loss of strength

• Stomach pain

• Bladder pain

• Anxiety

• Difficult or painful urination

• Lower back or side pain

A map of the per-centage of children currently diagnosed with ADHD by state from 2011-2012.

Source: Centers for Disease Control

April 2014 Page 7

Investigative FeatureStudent perspectivesStory by NIKKI VAN LANEN, Sports Editor

When people hear the word enhancement drug, most tend to think of athletes that abuse steroids or hu-man growth hormones. However, enhancement drugs can come in the form of little blue pills packaged in orange bottles that sit on top of high school students’ counters. The rate of prescriptions for ADHD medica-tions in ages 10 to 19 has risen 26 percent according to a 2012 report by The New York Times. More and more often students are turning to drugs such as Adderall and Vyvanse to help them in school. These medications are specifically designed for people with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) who need assistance settling down so they can concentrate. Neither of these drugs help students copious amount of information in a short time period like in the movie Limitless, but they do help students focus more on the tasks at hand. To really understand how these drugs affect Providence students, many were interviewed. Both prescribed and non-prescribed users were asked on their perspectives on the drugs they take. A non-prescribed Providence junior says she acquires Adderall and Vyvanse from her older brother who is prescribed. “I take it so I can concentrate and get all of my work done,” she admits. One senior talks about how easy she believes acquiring Adderall is. “If you wanted to find it within a week, it’s very easy to do,” she explains. A study by the Journal of American College Health shows that 84 percent of teens who have legal prescriptions have been asked to share with their peers. Reportedly, at Providence, people will sell their medication for roughly $3 a pill. “All you have to do is ask around, and you’ll find someone who is will ng to sell their pills,” the senior said. Why do students go through the hassle of illegally

obtaining the pills and not go get a doctor prescription? “Cause I know I don’t have ADHD, and it’s really expensive to go through all the tests,” one junior said. Another student said she has asked her parents repeat-edly to go get tested, but for her and her brother the testing would cost around “$7,000” total. “Even with the testing, you’re not guaranteed the medication,” she explained. Not all students who take the medication report the same results. One sophomore says she’s been prescribed to Ad-derall since she was nine. “It makes me feel dead, like a zombie,” she says. This side effect is contradictory to non-prescribed users who report not only having increased concentration but also reduced hunger and jitters. “When you’re prescribed to Adderall, it makes you feel like you’re calmed down not hyper,” she says. “You get your work done, but it doesn’t make you happy.” An upperclassmen reports that when she takes her brother’s prescribed Vyvanse, “the everyday distractions like social media and my cell phone go away.” Another study by the Journal of American Col-lege Health in 2008 showed that 70 percent of students who take the stimulants without a prescription found the effect was positive. Much of the pressure on students to strive for greatness academically that they feel using their own natural methods does not measure up to the drugs. “I do feel the stress school puts on us causes students to take these medicines to earn good grades,” another ju-nior says. Most students said that the reason they take non-prescribed Adderall or Vyvanse was to get better grades. Even though studies do show that there is not a direct correlation between intelligence boost and these drugs, the effect of concentration gives students these feelings of being “smarter” on the drugs.

Adderall: a college student’s study buddyStory by MADELINE WHITE, Editor-in-Chief

Students diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have a wide selection of medications to choose from. Ritalin, Concerta, Vyvanse, Strattera, Adderall, and Focalin are just a few of the drugs that can be used to combat ADD or ADHD. Two of the most common medications used by students are Vyvanse and Adderall. Lisdexamfetamineor, better known as Vyvanse, is a relatively new drug on the market. Although the drug has only been released for a short period, the number of prescribed patients has grown exponentially. According to the Food and Drug Administration, since Vyvanse’s release in 2007 the users have grown to 4.1 million in the USA. Vyvanse is a slow release drug and is known to be less addictive than Adderall. It is taken daily, usually in the morning, and dosage varies from 30-70 mg. Vyvanse is a 100% d-amphetamine, meaning it contains only one substance and usually has less side effects than Adderall. Vyvanse is released via digestion allowing the drug to be released slower into the body without a “crash” at the end. A crash is usually characterized by a sudden feeling of exhaustion along with headaches. The drug typically lasts for 14 hours (exceptionally long for a drug of its type). Unfortunately, since Vyvanse is so new, it is very expensive, costing around $200 for 30, 30mg pills. Negative side effects of Vyvanse include decreased appetite, addiction, anxiety and inability to sleep. Adderall is an older, less common ADD/ ADHD medication that is a mix-ture of amphetamine salts, including Dextroamphetamine, Levoamphetamine, and 25% is inactive L-enantiomer. This unique mixture of salts is usually taken orally (10-30 mg taken 2-4x daily) and is released very quickly into the body with a hard “crash” at the end. Because of this fast release, Adderall is typically considered a stronger drug than Vyvanse although it only stays in the body for only 4-6 hours. Adderall is known to be more addictive than Vyvanse because of the euphoric feeling usually felt while on the drug. Unfortunately, Adderall’s effectiveness can sometimes vary depending on the food eaten or activities performed that day, etc. Since Adderall is a much older drug (released in 1996), there is a generic version that is much more affordable than Vyvanse ($25 for 30, 20mg pills). Side effects of Adderall are similar to Vyvanse, and both drugs are owned by the same drug company, Shire. Both drugs are alike, but taking either drug without being diagnosed with ADHD/ADD can leave students with more severe side effects.

Vyvanse vs AdderallStory by JENNA GARDNER, Staff Reporter

Since his first year of college, John* has tried to keep up with his competitive peers. When he really needs an edge for an upcoming exam, he turns to Adderall for assistance. John says that the popular study drug is not something he only stumbled upon in his recent college years. “I’ve had pretty easy access to it since junior year high school,” he says. According to researchers, similar stories are happening across campuses nationwide. In a 2012 study published in the Journal of American College Health, researchers found that two-thirds of college students are offered Adderall and other prescription stimu-lants by their senior year. About half of that group reported saying yes to the stimulants. The study also discovered that 74 percent of all college non-prescribed users get the drugs from a friend who has a prescription. The rate of students using stimulants non-med-ically with a prescription rises from 3.1 percent of freshman year to 8.1 percent by senior year, due in part to the easy availability of obtaining a prescription. The tests administered to determine if a patient has

ADHD are self-reported checklists, mean-ing that they can be easily faked. A 2008 experiment involving undergrads in a psy-chology course revealed that up to 93 percent of students success-fully gained a positive diagnosis. In another experiment, University of Kentucky researchers discovered that stu-dents could get a false positive diagnosis with merely five minutes of researching ADHD symptoms. Although Adderall is classified as an amphetamine and can be habit forming, many college students do not realize the effects of their drug use. “The way I see it is that I could

always be on something worse,” says Bailey*, a college freshman. “If it’s not something like molly or mushrooms; I don’t feel guilty about it.” While Adderall may seem harmless to students looking to get an edge on the competition, in the long run there are significant prob-lems that go hand in hand with the drug. In addition to dozens of side effects, including psychosis, un-controllable shaking and stomach pain, misuse of Adderall leads to legal problems. Taking a drug

without a prescription and buying a controlled substance is illegal and non-prescribed users can be prosecuted.

Spread Photos by EMMA HANKINS, Staff Reporter

In the midst of wrestling season, exams, and reverse homecoming, a team like no other has been practicing right under Providence’s metaphorical nose. Every week, this team has been investing time and energy into studying geography, reading up on classic literature, and binging on homemade pastries. Providence’s first year quiz bowl team has achieved early success and has been preparing rigorously for the upcoming competition season. Freshman Mark Schachner, the president of the new team, loved academic competitions in middle school and wanted to carry on this passion into high school. He was on a National Academic League (NAL) team in the eighth grade. After going to the national tournament later that year, he felt invigorated to continue his NAL experiences later in his high school career. After Schachner found out there was no high school “ana-log” for NAL at Providence, he decided to take the initiative and start his own team. He proposed the creation of a team, not a club, and took the steps necessary to have Quiz Bowl come to fruition. He recruited physics teacher Adrian Jones as a supervisor and asked Tracey Harrill for approval. Schachner succeeded in having his group approved and began recruiting members for the team. Schachner was look-ing for “kids who like[d] learning and competing,” and that was what he got. Over 60 students applied and 26 attended try-outs. Schachner was surprised by the attendance. “We weren’t sure we were going to get very many applicants,” he

said. Leah Mell, the vice president of the team, took interest right away. “It seemed like a good way to meet people who were like minded,” she said. Mell has always been attracted to academically-minded groups, and quiz bowl quickly became one of her favorite extracur-riculars. After the team of about 15 was assembled, practice began in the fall. Most of the team did not know each other and were from all different grade levels. As the year has progressed, a great camaraderie has been formed, and the teammates are much more comfortable with each other. The team has also become more comfortable with the logistics of quiz bowl competitions. Every Wednesday, the team holds practice. Team members file into Jones’s room after school and set up two buzzer systems. Schachner and

his mother, who helps organize the team, try to coordinate creative practice games. Sometimes they have students go face to face, and the loser trades his or her spot with another competitor. Other times, mock tournaments are held, and the team competes four-on-four in the same format as the regular tournaments. One person reads a question, and a team buzzes in to answer it. Schachner would set up a bracket at the beginning of practice, and the winner of that practice’s tournament would receive a gift card or prize. The questions asked in competition, according to Mell, “cover the entire academic spectrum” and include math, literature, science, and history. Mell explains that the team has become more focused, effective and cohesive since the beginning of the year. The team knows a diverse spectrum of topics that has led them to an early victory. During the team’s kick-off novice competition in October, Providence “nearly slaughtered the competition,” Mell said. The two Providence teams (four on each team) won every round by at least 100 points, taking them both to the final round where they faced-off against each other. The quiz bowl team began their regular season this Febru-ary and have experienced both wins and losses. They won the regional tournament, placed fifth in the state and qualified for the national tournament. Both Schachner and Mell are excited for the future of their team. Mell sums up the team’s consensus very well: “I freaking love quiz bowl.”

April 2014 Page 8

Features Quiz bowl is anything but trivialStory and photo by SASHA ROGELBERG, Student Life Editor

Teams ‘desks’ versus ‘chairs’ face off in a mock competition.

April 2014 Page 9

EntertainmentStory by SASHA ROGELBERG, Student Life Editor

While many students are familiar with the Prohibition Era and stories like “The Great Gatsby,” few are acquainted with the Jazz Age tale of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” which the Providence theatre department performed in early March. “The Drowsy Chaperone” is “a musical within a comedy” about a quirky group from the 1920s. However, the entire show is narrated by the on-looker, Man in Chair (Jon Walls). Man in Chair is essentially the love child of Mr. Rogers’s wardrobe and Tyra Banks’s personality. He makes quips and commentary about the show that clarified the plot and provided informative details. The show itself tells the story of a married couple-to-be, Robert Martin (Andre Egas) and Janet VanDe Graff (Emily Trainor). Janet, a popular performer, plans on retiring after marriage, much to the chagrin of her agent, Feldzieg (Taylor Smith). Confusion, conflict, and coitus ensue, mostly in part to the irresponsibility of the title character, the Drowsy Chaperone (Meredith McNairy). “Drowsy” was written to be the epitome of a campy musical, and Providence succeeded in keeping that tone. The entire lead and supporting cast was energetic from opening number to curtain call. Walls had incredible comedic timing, and his enthusiasm and honest delivery made the audience feel comfortable and engaged as he blended seamlessly into the show he was narrating. McNairy truly embodied the character of the Drowsy Chaper-one (without the ditz and alcoholism in real life, of course). Her rich voice suited the songs, and her nuanced facial expressions and reactions fit the uninhibited, but incredibly inebriated, character

she was portraying. Along with the rest of the supporting cast, Kitty (Rachel Kowadlo) and Adolpho (John Paul Zalaquett) shone. Their ac-cents, New Jersey and Hispanic respectively, were consistent and clear, and they were just as easy to understand as any other character. They embraced the characters they were playing and made them their own. There was rarely a dry moment while they were on stage. However, while the supporting cast was incredibly strong, the ensemble lacked in energy. The dancers were occasionally a step off or kept blank expressions on their faces. The majority of the time, they were on-point, but on occasions, they dragged the energy of the show down. The most glaring issue with the musical was not with the directing, but with the show itself. The second act opened with “Message From a Nightingale,” and the majority of the supporting cast emerged dressed in traditional Asian garb. The song satirized Chinese dialect and language and caricaturized Chinese culture. While the song itself served as a transition, it held no purpose in the plot of the show. It could have easily have been removed or replaced, making the show considerably less offensive. Minor technical errors (at least on Saturday night) provided another distraction. The microphone system seemed muted or filled with static at times, making it difficult to hear lines. While moving set pieces, the tech crew seemed slow and even clueless at times, shuffling on stage to help one another. The audience could frequently see uncertain hands fumbling with the curtains, which proved to be a distraction during the musical numbers. “The Drowsy Chaperone” was certainly not a profound or thought-provoking musical. It did, however, serve its purpose in being a high-energy and light-hearted performance that was simply joyful and entertaining.

“Drowsy was written to be the epitome of a campy musical, and Providence succeeded...”

(Clockwise from left) Ensemble catches their breath during intermis-sion. Junior Jon Walls waits backstage. A standing ovation on Saturday night. Photos by Ken White.

“Drowsy” is no bore

April 2014 Page 10

Editorials

Story and photo by MADELINE WHITE, Editor-in-Chief

For as long as I can remember, fourth quarter has brought three things: a desire for summertime, increasing procrastination, and, since freshman year, exams. As most students know, midterms and finals are the most stressful of these ideas. With the completion of each exam comes a greater peace of mind, but sometimes the most difficult part of these tests is effectively managing one’s time to study for them. Many students juggle a packed schedule year-round, whether working, taking several Advanced Placement courses or playing sports. Although nothing can motivate students to study but themselves, the addition of a study hall to students’ schedules could offer additional time to make their school days more effective. Like most of my fellow students, getting into the right mindset to study for exams is more difficult than the test itself. The list of reasons why I procrastinate would be long, but the top contenders would have to include frequent use of Twitter and Snapchat. Although learning about the Kinetic Molecular Theory is just as interesting as it is useful to ev-eryday life, having a contest with your friends to see who can fit the greatest number of chins into a Snapchat seems more appealing. Because of the numerous distractions cell phones create, it would be best if they were not allowed in study hall. If the disruption of texting were gone, students would be more capable of focusing on their studies, whether they are reviewing notes for a test the following block or asking a teacher for help about the previous night’s homework. In addition to allowing students more time to study for their upcoming classes and to receive clarification on questions regarding their schoolwork, the addition of study hall would give students a lesson on efficient time manage-ment. Similar to any other class, it can’t be expected that all students will become focused at the ring of the bell. Students may not take the time seriously and could choose to goof off. But in the end, those students have made the decision to put themselves face to face with more stress and additional work. The students who slack off could be reprimanded separately so those who actually do what they are told still manage to get their work done. Like most things in life, students could get out of study hall what they put into it. Teachers and students could simultaneously gain from the free period. Like their students, teachers could use study hall as a bonus planning period to grade or catch up on recording assignments into the system. They could also make use of the time to tutor and answer questions for students, allowing

teachers to have fewer interruptions outside of school. A brief, 25-minute period would profit students and staff alike. Although the idea of study hall brings with it several advantages, a few issues would also come with it. The first problem would be finding the time for this fifth period during the school day. One way the administration could find time is by slicing off seven or eight minutes at the end of each class. Though this loss of time may seem significant to some teach-ers, the majority of classes have at least 10 minutes of dead time per block. The re-moval of this time would not drastically alter the class’s schedule, and students would now have 30 minutes of free time. A perhaps greater ques-tion that comes with the invention of this bonus time would be finding a place to put more than 2000 teenag-ers. A possible resolution could be designating study hall as the official fifth period of the school day. This free period could begin immediately following the end of fourth block at about 1:45. This way, students would already have all of their materials and teach-ers would not feel like babysitters because they would keep the same class. Nationally, some high schools have already implemented required study halls. In a study by the University of Notre Dame on John Paul II Catholic High School in Tallahas-see, Florida, the effectiveness of a mandatory study hall was evaluated. Out of the high school’s 120 students, 74.2 percent of students played at least one sport. With practices beginning immediately after school, students were not able to attend after-school activities, such as tutoring. As a result, the high school mandated that all student athletes participate in study hall for the 2011-2012 school year in hopes of improv-ing the student athletes’ academic performances. The University of Notre Dame conducted surveys and focus groups with the students to reveal the effects the man

datory study hall had on their academic performance. Seven-ty-one percent of students believed the study hall enhanced their school performance and 69 percent of students agreed that the study hall assisted them in completing homework assignments. The mandatory study hall also gained favor

with the high school’s athletic coaches, as 90 percent of coach-es believed the study hall helped students complete their assign-ments. Additionally, 80 percent of the coaches agreed that the implementation of the study hall was a good use of time. However, in some cases, required study halls have posed issues for schools. In Oregon, the Portland public school district added required study halls to seven of its biggest high schools in 2011. In the same year, the district also cut 70 teaching jobs, leaving campus security guards to monitor the 90 minute study halls packed with anywhere from 50-200 stu-dents. While this method may

be cost-effective for the Portland public schools, it seems in-effective for the students involved. A student would be better off academically by learning from a certified teacher. Instead, the schools’ campus monitors seem to function as slightly higher-paid babysitters and more so assist the students with their homework. While several disadvantages to the creation of a study hall do exist, the number of benefits is greater. The time would offer students the ability to review for future tests and quiz-zes in addition to the ability to ask their teachers and peers questions about the material. A free period could also allow students to have some downtime to read or channel their inner Buddhist with some meditation before continuing their hectic daily schedule. Whether it is used for cramming or cooling off, the addition of study hall to our schedules would achieve the seemingly impossible: adding more time to a student’s busy day.

Study hall could stamp out teen stress

Panther voices: “Promposals”As prom season quickly approaches, students are preparing to ask and be asked to the most anticipated event of the school year. These four stu-dents expressed their own thoughts of ideal “promposals”.

“I think a scavenger hunt would be really cute.”-Junior Cheyenne Gest

“You have a cupcake that says, ‘Will you go to prom with me?’ and another one that just says, ‘Yes.”’-Senior Sarah Ragon

“I would love to be asked by email, prefer-ably not in my spam box.”-Senior Robert Pyles

“Honestly, if they just got me a taco, I’d be pretty content with life.”-Junior Meghan Fleury

Students use the media center as a make-shift study hall to get ahead in their work.

April 2014 Page 11

Editorials‘Other School,’ other problems Story by SASHA ROGELBERG, Student Life Editor

About 20 minutes up Providence Road there lies a school that Providence students don’t dare speak the name of. For those passionate about high school sports, this school is known as “The Other School”. For the rest of the world, it’s simply Ardrey Kell High School. Ever since freshman year, I have been confused as to why we refuse to speak the name of our supposed rival school. It seemed like a rather juvenile custom, and as I have become more immersed in Providence’s extracurriculars and culture, I have realized how much of a misnomer it is. This rivalry began before Mrs. Harrill was the principal of Providence. After Ardrey Kell was established in 2006, Providence’s old principal and several of our teachers left to join AK’s administration, taking along with them several of Providence’s strong academic and competitive values. Thus, a rivalry was born. But maybe this butting of heads does not extend to the student body. Senior Iain Smith believes “teachers and ad-ministration are more of rivals than the students.” Regardless of this past, the current competitiveness seems unnecessary. In fact, it seems to keep the focus on Provi-

dence’s athletic spirit, while taking away from our academic competition. Certainly athletic competition is important for school spirit, but the unbalanced focus on athletics over academics because of this rivalry is contradictory to the val-ues on competitive academics this school has instilled upon students from day one. Some students believe this rivalry shouldn’t be scrutinized so quickly. “I don’t think [the rivalry] is about necessity,” says sophomore Samantha Claypoole. “Cursing your arch nemesis’s name is relieving and enjoyable, especially since we all know that the hate is utterly pointless.” Harrill empha-sized a similar message. While she wants to remain superior to AK and “beat them in every way,” she says, “we believe it’s a healthy kind of rivalry.” The student body hears bi-weekly about the heated match between Providence and “The Other School.” But frankly, I don’t see much competition there. Our football team beat Ardrey Kell 31-13 this past fall and had a superior season of 8-5 compared to AK’s 6-6 record. Providence’s varsity soc-cer team finished their season with a 24-1 record and was the conference champions this season. Given the fact that we’ve consistently established our-selves in the realm of high school sports, it seems as though we’ve maintained this competitive streak as a crutch and means of bragging to our student body. It’s wonderful that our sports teams have so much success, but is it really neces-sary to obsess over a clear victory against our “competitive” rivals? While so much emphasis is being placed on athletic rivalries, academic rivalries often seem to be understated. We are neck-and neck with Ardrey Kell in standardized test scores. Our opposing test scores are rarely brought up during the morning announcements, most likely because this information does not resonate with students. But for most academic extra-curriculars, AK trails behind Provi-dence. If anyone is to be our competition, it is Myers Park High School. Our investments in Advanced Placement courses keep acedemic tensions high. Even our competi-tive academic teams are struggling to keep up. The Sci-

ence Olympiad and Odyssey of the Mind students return most years from competition with stories of the rigor and discipline Myers Park employs when competing. And MP has some of the best public forum debaters in the nation. If Providence High School is as engaged in academic competi-tion as I hope it is, why aren’t we dubbing the monstrous Myers Park our rivals? Harrill says that the AK rivalry makes us better, but in or-der to truly maximize our efforts to improve, we need to rec-ognize competition beyond Ardrey Kell. Certainly tradition is tradition, and our history with Ardrey Kell hits a nerve for a lot of our staff, but for the next generation of Providence students, this rivalry is senseless. The rivalry is not inher-ently negative, but its focus on sports as opposed to acedemic endeavors seems to contradict Providence’s values. If we don’t consider our real rivals to be one that has maintained its academic prowess for several decades, we have bigger things to worry about.

The Providence and Ardrey Kell rivalry in action. Photo by Rusty Transou - Providence Sports Photo.

Providence blocks a goal by Ardrey Kell.Photo by Rusty Transou - Providence Sports Photo.

Story and photo by EMMA HANKINS, Staff Reporter

A few months ago, I was caught for violating the dress code by wearing yoga pants. I was annoyed and embarrassed by this, but not necessarily surprised. I had, after all, broken a school rule, and though I did not like the rule, I would accept the consequences. I was not surprised when I was told to sign into SMC. I was not surprised when I was told to call my mom to bring me jeans to wear. I was surprised when, after explain-ing my situation to an administrator and asking to use the office phone, she looked me over, smirked and gestured dismissively to the phone. I was even more surprised when one teacher laughed at me and commented on my obvious anger and embarrassment.

I had expected the school to punish me, not shame me. Shame is more personal than punishment. A student being punished is being told that what he did was wrong. A stu-dent being shamed is being told that he as a person is wrong, a counterproductive message that only serves to lower the student’s self-esteem. The tricky part about dress codes is that this distinction between behavior and identity is more difficult to make. Clothes are essential parts of a person’s identity and self-image, especially if that person is a teenager who is still determining his identity and self-image. Thus, “Your clothes are wrong,” becomes “You are wrong.” This attitude can be seen in responses to dress code viola-tions. The smirks and laughter I saw were directed at me, not my clothes. No one’s body language implied, “Your pants are wrong.” Everything I saw said, “You, as a whole person, are wrong.” I firmly believe that this was not the message anyone was

consciously trying to send me. I also believe, as I hope all teachers believe, that though sending this message may limit dress code violations in the short-term, shaming students is not a long-term solution to any problem. And though I may not al-ways like or agree with the dress code, I recognize the amount of thought the Providence administration has put into it and that it is necessary for effective instruction. But if administra-tors want to end the destructive practice of shaming dress code violators, they need to make a conscious effort to break the habits that encourage shaming. Stop being dismissive of dress code violators and simply let them carry out their punishment as you would any other offender. By simply being cognizant of shaming, faculty can change the message they send from “You are wrong” to “You have done something wrong.”

Taking the shame out of dress code violations

Back stair corridor:You get props for at least trying to be discreet. However, this location has a different host of problems. Students who take this route to class are often upperclassmen or are trying to make a be-line to class. People are impatient, and trying to snag kisses in a high-tension area is a flat out bad idea.

Alternates to PDA• Walk to class• Chew on gum (No sharing)• Keep hands in pockets• Hold back tears from that physics test you failed• Hold your own hand• Cram for that psychology test you didn’t study for• Talk to platonic friends• Find Waldo• Trip casually (or not casually, if you’re a klutz)• Check out that person’s butt• Get caught checking out that person’s butt

April 2014 Page 12

Editorials

Valentine’s season has long been over, but the month of February has left behind a fresh batch of new couples. These twosomes are hormonal and eager to express this through their infamous public displays of affection. Everyone seems to have an opinion on public displays of affection. Students and administration either find the young couples endearing or nauseating. Assistant Principal Jovana Edwards articulates many people’s thoughts, saying, “EW!” Popular opinion suggests that PDA should be saved for after school, and this is certainly understandable. Aggressive or intimate activity can make people uncomfortable, especially if they are observing it. “I’m working here; I don’t need to see that,” says Coach Daniel Hignight. Teachers are not the only ones who find PDA uncomfort-able. Junior Helen Griffiths says, “It’s disgusting. It should be private.” She further adds that high school couples are “too young” to be so intimate in public.

Many couples argue that they simply enjoy being with their significant other and cannot help but show their affection. For couples that are too busy to see

each other much outside of school, the hallways offer a place to be together. Some couples, like the ones shown in these pictures, try to be more considerate by limiting PDA to more appropriate forms such as holding hands or hugging. Students and teachers who observe these displays are more likely to describe them as “cute” than “disgusting.” Junior Clarissa Rainear says she “loves it.”

A staff editorial on ‘Public Displays of Affection’Hormone Control: Appropriate examples of PDA

A poem on PDA: An artistic look at this issueBy Nikki Van Lanen

I walk the hallway surrounded by PDA. I ask myself, is this okay?My conscience screams “no way!”The front stairs, the back stairs, Take your pick. Wherever you kiss, I’ll still say “ick.” Can you not control yourself?Do you have that many hormones? Save it for your house, No one wants to hear your groans. Is your mouth not dry? I’m about to lose my lunch. Yes, your faces I want to punch. Put down the chap stick and swallow that breath mint, I pray.Do us all a favor and throw your PDA away.

Front stair landing:Debatably the most annoying PDA spot. Not only is it very exhibitive, but it’s also the most dangerous. The front stairways are the busiest area of the school dur-ing class transitions. If you show affection here, you will probably run late for class or run the risk of being pushed off the railing. Tragic love.

What PDA hot spots say about the couple

Narrative by RYAN HERRERA, Entertainment Editor

It began on a cold, dreary Tuesday morning on the way to third block. The usual ebb and flow of person-on-person traf-fic cluttered the hallways. One particular corner appeared to be jammed—this was nothing unusual; perhaps an underclass-man had dropped a book. But upon approaching the obstacle, I realized that something was amiss. The flow of traffic pushed me towards the obstruction and try as I may, I could not escape my impending doom. I stared straight ahead of me with bated breath, silently praying that some CMS god would look favorably upon my poor soul. I kept moving, and out of the corner in my eye, the abominable scene unfolded a mere two feet away. I have almost become accustomed such atrocities over my four years at this school. I consider myself privileged to have survived. But I fear for the children, the innocent, whose exposure to such events is enough to shatter their fragile states of mind and make them convulse in fits of disgust. But even I, hardened through my years of witnessing, fell weak at the knees once I saw the vile battle of tongues occurring between two dastardly culprits. The scene was almost too much to bear; fortunately, fellow Prowl staff members Sasha Rogel-berg and Maddie White were in the vicinity and rushed to my aid. I was lucky enough to survive this traumatic experience, but at what cost? My dignity, my innocence? Through this in-cident, I have one advice for the students of Providence High School: stop this horrendous PDA, lest we lose any more civilians to your revolting tongue-hockey action.

Close-Up on PDA

“I’m working here; I don’t need to see

that.”

April 2014 Page 13

EditorialsBusiness Owner

Teacher

Governor/ Mayor

Salesperson

- Male student- Female student

The time is approaching for many of Providence’s students to register to vote. In the midst of this newfound political freedom, many factors are actually deterring students at Providence and all over the country from becoming more politically involved. Richard L. Fox, a professor at Loyola Marymount University, and Jennifer L. Lawless, a professor at American University, recently wrote an article entitled “Turning off the next generation of politicians” for the Washington Post. In this article, the pair conducted a national survey of thousands of high school and college students to determine not only their politics views, but their potential political ambitions. The results of the survey found that only 11% of respondents would ever consider a political career; this is not surprising, as it is becoming increasingly evident that political interest is declining in younger generations. Sarah Fellman, a senior who is going to study political science at Harvard University, is aware of this trend. “There is an active effort to keep our generation from being engaged in politics,” Fellman said. “For example, here in North Carolina, early registration and same-day voting have been illegalized, making it harder for kids to sign up to vote.” In another attempt to analyze the political background of Providence, The Prowl staff issued another survey similar to the one conducted by Fox and Lawless to determine career aspirations of various students in all grades. Four options of potential careers were provided, one of them being a career focused in politics. The results of the survey are indicated on the right. The option for Governor or Mayor ranked third above only Salesperson, with only 14 respondents saying that they would ever consider this career. Even though it is refreshing to hear that our students have diverse ambitions, the general absence of political ambition is alarming.

As the generation that will be shaping the development of society in the coming years, there is a great pressure to make informed decisions. Regardless of whether a person is liberal or conservative or belongs to one party over another, the most important aspect is that the student generation not only remains politically aware, but actively participates in politi-cal processes. Sharath Rama, senior, agrees with the idea that students should be more involved in poli-tics. “Because older people tend to be more involved in politics, their views often overshad-ow ours,” Rama said. “Politicians can pass laws that harm young people without a lot of us even noticing since many kids don’t follow politics that closely. For example, last year the Republican majority in the legislature voted to stop allowing high school juniors and seniors to pre-register to vote.” Among the decline in political ambition, there is a stark contrast between males and fe-males noticeable both in the Providence and Washington Post survey. The Post article writes that the political gap between males and females may come from a variety of factors ranging from wage inequality to family influences. “It is especially important for young women of our generation to consider political careers because they are vastly underrepresented in the highest levels of government,” Fell-man said. “The gap in proportion between female political officeholders and females in the country is not just shocking, but it has real impacts for women.” While it is not necessary that every Providence student go out with the hopes of being the next senator, our society would benefit from an increase in political interest. Whether by reading the Washington Post, registering to vote, or even taking AP US Government and Politics at Providence, getting more involved would shape the next generation of politics for years to come.

Next generation of politicsStory and graphics by RYAN HERRERA, Entertainment Editor

“It is especially important for young women of our generation to con-sider political careers because they are vastly underrepresented...”

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Sai Gudla, Sawyer Blalock, Aaron Toney, and Quincy Kroeschell are recognized at Reverse Homecoming Ceremony.Photo by Emma Hankins

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