The County Chronicle

The online newspaper of Loudoun County High School

Feb
5

By

Looking Back: Old yearbooks provide a window to the past

Category: End Zone, Photo Spreads Tags: ,

Emily Banner | staff writer

One benefit of a year like 2020 is the chance to slow down and reflect. With fewer student activities and a new mascot, we had a chance to learn about the past of our school with librarian Tonya Dagstani. Among the many interesting things in the library archives are yearbooks dating back to the opening of the school. Through these we can see the appearance of the Raider mascot and the history of our school.

The 1955 edition of the Lord Loudoun yearbook. Photo courtesy of Tonya Dagstani.

 

The foreword of the 1955 yearbook, the first year the school was open. Photo courtesy of Tonya Dagstani.

 

Loudoun County High school opened on September 14, 1954. The school was still under construction, and the auditorium, cafeteria, and gymnasium were unfinished. An article predicted that the cafeteria would be ready before Christmas, but that the auditorium would not be usable until late January or early February.

An article about the unfinished construction on LCHS. The school opened before it was completely finished. Photo courtesy of Tonya Dagstani. 

Despite the ongoing construction, basketball and football teams practiced and competed.

The 1955 yearbook includes photographs of the many sports teams at County. There was not yet a mascot visible on jerseys or uniforms, but Raiders and Raiderettes were both mentioned. (Pictures of the football team and the cheerleaders)

The 1955 football team pictured in the LCHS yearbook. Photo courtesy of Tonya Dagstani.

 

The cheerleaders in the 1955 yearbook. Drawings on the bottom of the page would have been made by the art staff. Photo courtesy of Tonya Dagstani.

In the 1956 yearbook, drawings of the early Raider mascot appear. He is shown thinking about class rings and holding up a mortarboard. These hand-drawn cartoons were added to the yearbook by the Art Staff.

The Raider with a mortarboard in the 1956 yearbook. Photo courtesy of Tonya Dagstani.

Jan
5

By

Practicing Through COVID: A look into how athletes are preparing for their upcoming seasons.

Category: Photo Spreads, Sports Tags: ,

Casey Hughes | sports writer

Matt Starchville | sports writer

With this photo feature, seven athletes explain how COVID has changed their practices and caused restrictions. Disclaimer: In compliance with governor’s orders, all school-sponsored activities followed physical distancing and mask requirements, but due to the nature of COVID-19 limiting school activities, the community was invited to submit pictures for the newspaper. Many of these photos occurred on private residential property and therefore may not conform to the regulations binding school-sponsored activities.

Senior track and cross country runner Andrew Abbott: “COVID has a big change in practices, since everyone has to stay distanced and wear a mask at all times. This has made me get used to running alone to work on my mental toughness since I can no longer run in groups and look for motivation from the people I’m running with.” Photo taken during private Nova Athletic Club race at Occoquan Regional Park. Photo courtesy of Andrew Abbott.

 

Senior track athlete Mckenna Giannos competes in the high jump as a junior during the spring track season 2019. Photo courtesy of John Klimavicz. “Practice has definitely been different, our workouts have been changed to accommodate that COVID guidelines, which has definitely made it harder to get back into the swing of things, but being able to see and practice with my teammates again makes it all worth it,” Giannos said.

 

 

Senior forward Kiefer Cummings warms up before a huge playoff game vs Millbrook during the 2019-2020 season .Photo Courtesy of Kiefer Cummings. “Practices have been a lot different because of COVID,” Cummings said. “We are forced to wear a mask and it makes it much more difficult to breathe while practicing. But it is what we have to do in order to stay safe and be able to play our season.”

 

Senior soccer player John Trowbridge plays at Ken Lawrence Park during a private club league game. Photo courtesy of John Trowbridge. “Practice was a lot stricter in how or what we could do,” Trowbridge said. “In the beginning we couldn’t practice at all. Then at first we couldn’t share the balls at practice. But now the restrictions are less than before and we can actually play. COVID affected me biggest with my recruiting process. Because it happened right before my junior season which is where the most recruitment happens.”

 

Sophomore Catcher Braydon Kelman: “COVID has put great emphasis on the players work ethic to make up for the time lost from the reduced practice schedule due to pandemic.” Photo taken at Virginia Sports Complex by team parent. Photo courtesy of Braydon Kelman.

 

Senior wrestler Zach Rios: “COVID has made practices a lot more difficult. It is hard to keep a practice intense at all times when we are wearing masks and washing out hands every ten minutes. Meanwhile, meets are a lot different. We aren’t able to warm up as a team, and we have to stay 6 feet apart at all times, even when we are cheering on our teammates.” Photo taken at Independence High School by a team parent. Photo courtesy of Zach Rios.

Jan
4

By

Photo feature: Students social distancing edition

Category: Photo Spreads Tags: ,

Michaela Scott | editor-in-chief

Over the summer and extended social distance and shelter-at-home mandates, students were forced to isolate with their families, which offered a chance to bond much more than they ever had before the global pandemic struck. Some teens picked up hobbies, like painting, skateboarding, and exercise; others followed safety precautions to travel among their families. Students submitted photos of what they have been doing in their pastime to make up for the things 2020 has restricted.

Junior Riccardo Iasci skates at the Wy’East Mountain Academy in Sandy, Oregon. “I was lucky enough to be able to practice during this time, but we all wore masks and followed COVID-19 guidelines to insure safety the whole time we were in the skating school,” Iasci said.

 

Sophomore John Penberthy and junior Charlotte Penberthy swim with siblings in Arizona during late July. “The highlight of my trip was White water rafting in the Colorado river through the Grand Canyon. Surprisingly, the water was pretty cold, but refreshing from the humid air,” Charlotte said.

 

Sophomores and Juniors, (left to right) Joey Fitzpatrick, Hunter Whitt, Daniel DeLargy, Wilson Kern, Lillian Kern, Maris Kern, Owen Fisher, Payton David, Mason Stuck share their quarantined family vacation in the OBX, North Carolina.

 

Senior Audrey Luhr at her father’s house in Nebraska during the early Fall. “My dad lives in Nebraska, so it was nice traveling a bit over this crazy time. My favorite part of being here was my nature walks around this lake!” said Luhr.

 

Junior Imani Stringfellow stands at Oceanside PIer in Ponto Beach, California. Stringfellow visited her family there for Thanksgiving, making sure to follow strict COVID-19 guidelines. “I was so lucky to visit the beach every day I was here,” said Stringfellow.

 

Junior Isabella Mitchum on a hike in Montana with her sibling. “Over quarantine I visited Montana with my family when they came home from college,” said Mitchum. “It was really great to get out of NOVA for a little.”

 

Junior Stephen Massaqoui celebrates a quarantined birthday with family. “I got to safely celebrate my step sister’s birthday with our cousins during the summertime,” said Massaqoui.

 

Disclaimer: In compliance with governor’s orders, all school-sponsored activities followed physical distancing and mask requirements, but due to the nature of COVID-19 limiting school activities, the community was invited to submit pictures for the newspaper. Many of these photos occurred on private residential property and therefore may not conform to the regulations binding school-sponsored activities.

Nov
16

By

Teacher’s Pets: amidst pandemic challenges, pets bring comfort to teachers during the workday

Category: Photo Spreads Tags: , ,

Karen Cortes | Managing Editor

In a complicated year like 2020, there have been a lot of ups and downs for teachers. One of those few ups is that in teaching from home, teachers get to spend more time with their pets. Teachers submitted pictures of their four legged best friends as they continue to teach virtually.

Jane Yocom has a yellow lab named Tank. Yocom says Tank “Thinks the start of block 4 and 8 are a signal for him to get his dinner.” and that he really enjoys having someone at home all day. Photo courtesy of Jane Yocum. 

 

Teacher assistant Diann Landau has “too many cats,” including Merri, Eowyn, Mikey, Tink and three kittens. She also has a horse named Mithrandir, which she gets to ride more frequently during the pandemic. She also enjoyed seeing her kittens being born. Photo courtesy of Diann Landau. 

 

English teacher Arlene Lewis has a cat at home named Allie who is “forbidden to come in her office” because she walks all over Lewis’ keyboard and will bite Lewis if she tries to remove her. According to Lewis, the cat has gotten naughtier over quarantine. Photo courtesy of Arlene Lewis.

 

Lacey Conrad has a dog named Hershey, two cats called Mini and Peaches, a frog called Diggory, and two leopard geckos named Yoshi and George. Conard’s dog follows her around all day, and she likes to speak back to her cats. She said her geckos really do nothing but, “sometimes Yoshi sits on my shoulder during class.” Photo courtesy of Lacey Conrad.

 

Math teacher Karen Carr has two cats, named Jasmine and Aladdin and a dog called Zeus. Carr said Zeus likes to class bomb once in a while and that Jasmine likes to make frequent appearances while Carr teaches yet, “Aladdin would never lower himself to associate with lowly humans.” Photo courtesy of Karen Carr.

 

Math teacher Jarod Brown has a Chocolate Lab mix named Cashmere, Brown says Cashmere usually lays with him or one of his kids while they get work done, and that he walks more than ever since the pandemic started. Photo courtesy of Jarod Brown.

 

English teacher Melinda Shingler has a cat and a dog. Shingler says Simba, her cat, keeps her company while teaching or planning and that Bella, her dog accompanies her and her husband on their 2.75 mile walk. Bella also helps Shingler’s daughters break from their monotonous routines. Photo courtesy of Melinda Shingler.

 

AP Psychology teacher Nicole Daniel owns a Clumber Spaniel named Porter. Daniel says Porter likes to sleep and hang out with her in her workspace, and they take walks during Daniel’s lunch. Photo courtesy of Nicole Daniel.

 

Math teacher Nicole Kezmarsky has a rescue dog named Louis. Kezmarsky says Louis provides background noise, and that he also has an ongoing fight with a UPS employee that parks outside her house. Photo courtesy of Nicole Kezmarsky.

 

Math teacher Mel Hefty, has a dog called Bo. Hefly says Bo is a quarantine dog. “We drove down to Richmond to get him in April when his former family could no longer care for him because of COVID related issues.” She also says that he hangs out with her while she grades papers. Photo courtesy of Mel Hefty.

Nov
5

By

Summer of protests: younger generation speaks against inequality

Category: Photo Spreads Tags: , ,

Lorenzo Salas | staff writer

This summer was one filled with uncertainty due to the coronavirus forcing many people to stay home. However, the death of George Floyd inspired protests leading the people to become more politically active. The protests happened on a national scale, and on May 29, 1,500 marched in Downtown Leesburg to protest injustice for African Americans.

”I go to protests because I want to stand for what is right,” junior Sabrina Maena said.” If no one is going to stand for what is right, I am going to stand.” Maena believes that older generations underestimate her generation’s involvement in policies.“I feel like teens are active in protests and deserve more credit. I saw as many teens as I did adults during the protest.”

From one protestor to another, junior Sophie Hylton gave her opinion on the protest.

“I am very happy with our community,” Hylton said. “We kept it peaceful and we stated we were unhappy. Although our efforts were noted, not many changes were made.”

While there were many people who supported the movement and came to protest, there were many who did not support the movement. “My sister was told she’s making the country look bad at the protest by an older man and we almost got hit by a car on King Street,” Hylton said. “The people who were mainly against us were older men mainly white and I think that shows the political divide between our generations,” Hylton said.

Protesters in downtown Leesburg

Rows of protesters marching in Downtown Leesburg showing they care. Photo by Lorenzo Salas

student with a protest sign

Junior Gigi Gerrior promote peace and love with a Bob Marley sign. Photo by Lorenzo Salas

students holding signs

Junior Sophie Hylton holds a sign promoting speaking up for people. Photo by Lorenzo Salas

students at a protest

Junior Sabrina Maena holds a sign while listening in on the BLM speech. Photo by Lorenzo Salas

Jan
30

By

NOW AND THEN: HOW OUR BUILDING HAS CHANGED

Category: Photo Spreads

Byron VanEpps | Raider Staff

Every school building has a history, but few come close to the amount of history LCHS does. LCHS is the oldest school in Loudoun County, and, at the time of writing, has been around for sixty-six years. With that many years under its belt, the building is bound to have gone through lots of changes. Old classrooms and hallways being repurposed, new areas being created, and outside areas like the tennis court being built are among the building’s many changes over the years.

A photo from the 1965 edition of the Lord Loudoun yearbook shows that the front of the school has changed very little since the photo was taken fifty-five years ago.

OUR GROWING FOOTPRINT

Much has changed from when LCHS was first built; the surrounding land has been filled with houses and neighborhoods, and the school has expanded, adding parking lots and multiple new facilities like a tennis court and a bus garage, which later became the ROTC building, as shown in this 2019 view from Loudoun County government mapping:

This aerial view from 2006, shows one key difference from the 2019 photo: six small buildings in the parking lot. Before the renovation in 2005, these trailers were used as math and science classrooms:

Students gather in the front yard of the school to form the letters “LCHS” for an aerial photograph appearing in the 1965 yearbook. This photo was taken in 1956, just two years after the school was initially founded:

Everything has to start somewhere; for LCHS, that “somewhere” was a patch of rural land along Dry Mill Road in 1937 (from Loudoun County government mapping). Dry Mill Road still stands today as one of the oldest pieces of history in Loudoun County:

MIDDLE SCHOOL OR HIGH SCHOOL?

In this photo from the Lord Loudoun yearbook, four students sit at a table in the school’s library. These students were the officers and leaders of the eighth grade class that used to attend the high school. LCHS eventually discontinued the eight grade program, along with all other high schools in Loudoun County, and it became part of middle school. Before 2005, the library was located at the far left end of the main upstairs hallway, and began where room 230 is now. During the 2005 renovation, the library was moved and the area it was in was used as a space for new classrooms. You can see this change for yourself by looking for a line of tiles with diamonds on them that mark the beginning of the new classroom section:

FROM BASKETBALLS TO BOOKS

In these historic yearbook photos, LCHS basketball players get into formation and play basketball in the old gym. While this gym is very similar functionally, structurally, it is very different from the one we have today, and was transformed into something students know very well.

The old gym was also used for dances and some assemblies just like our current gym.

In 2005, the old gym underwent a massive renovation and was changed to the library we know today. This renovation cost near eighteen million dollars and was also responsible for the construction of a new gym, the math hallway near the science wing, and the walkway connecting one half of the second floor to the other. A piece of the old gym’s floor was saved during the renovation and was transformed into a table for the library by the woodshop class.

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE…

Not everything changes with time. The main front hallway is a prime example, being virtually unchanged since the school’s creation in 1954. Below: Members of the newspaper staff pose in the same hallway as students from a 1954 yearbook photo (right).

In this yearbook photo from the school’s early years, County students eat food in the then-cafeteria. Today, it has become the hallway that connects to the band and chorus rooms. The cafeteria we know was added in 1990 along with the science wing located directly above it:

Feb
8

By

Winter Wanderlust: Students travel during winter break

Category: End Zone, Photo Spreads

Alex Weber | Raider Staff

Kristin Gettier
“My family and I went to the Bahamas. We stayed on our boat and went paddle boarding and fishing.”

Callie Pellegrino “I went to Philadelphia to spend time with my family for Christmas, I love going to my grandma’s because her house is full of decorations, like an upside down Christmas tree.”

Will Davis
“I went to Miami, Florida with my family over break. We went to the Raptors versus Heat game and spent a couple days on a boat. It was a fun trip.”

Macy Ball
“For break I went to South Carolina. My family and I went to a resort there, made gingerbread houses, and spent time together. It was really nice to have a break and be able to go there.”

Feb
8

By

Holiday happenings: students, teachers dress up for winter spirit week

Category: Photo Spreads

Spirit Week and Winter Pep Rally

Students and teachers dressed up for Winter Spirit week beginning on December 17. Each day featured a different theme, giving students the opportunity to be creative and show their school spirit before Winter Break. Activities included a tree decorating contest and a holiday themed Wellness Wednesday. To end Spirit Week’s festivities, students and staff gathered in the main gym for a Pep Rally. Staff and students faced off in a basketball game, spirit week winners were announced, and the bleachers were filled with students wearing colorful “ugly” Christmas sweaters.

Sophomore Jenna Walker cheered during the basketball game.

Students dressed up as Santa, reindeer, and elves.

Mr. Jarod Brown began the pep rally by announcing spirit week winners.

Ms. Jana Wagoner dressed up as an elf during spirit week.

Senior Aryana Zullo, senior Lucy Wojciechowski, junior Meghan Kirk, and junior Arwen Kaleshefski dressed up as Santa and elves.

Mrs. Lynn Krepich and junior Grace Curtin dressed up for pajama day.

Students reacted to the faculty versus students basketball game.

Mr. Mark Patterson dressed up as Santa, and sophomores Jackson Chinn and Maseel Shah dressed up as elves.

Sophomore Madeline Reece and junior Melanie Vieyra represented the gymnastics team during the pep rally.

Junior Julia Houck laughed during the pep rally.

Nov
20

By

Homecoming 2018 Photo Spread

Category: Photo Spreads

Homecoming Court

The Homecoming Court of 2018 was elected by the senior class. Each senior voted for ten male nominees and ten female nominees, and winners were selected from there. Logan Quinn was selected as Queen, and Derek McCandless won King.

Jenna Wojick and Kyle Towne

Taryn Smithson and Max Barden

Sydney Vaka and Luke Kendrat

Aly Haslet and Derek Mccandless

Taylor Kibble and Asher Freese

Logan Quinn and Dominick Schuerholz

 

The creative costumes and skits were met with cheers and applause from students during the Homecoming Pep Rally. Teachers decked in blue and gold helped to elevate school spirit.

The Homecoming Court dressed as characters from Harry Potter to Pokemon, with one couple, Josi Williams and Nate Rexroad even dressing up as a scientist and chemical element.

Ellen Jones and Cameron Carson

Kayla Ballve and Smith Drupa

Emma Sleeman and Elias Mattar

 

Bryana Lawlor and Nick Barts

Hallways

Seniors celebrated Christmas a few months early.

Students stayed at school until dark to put up decorations for the Homecoming Hallways. This LCHS tradition brings liveliness to the halls on the morning before Homecoming; there was music, dancing, candy, and even a raffle. Teachers voted for their favorite hallway, and the seniors came in first place. The theme for this year’s homecoming hallways was “holidays.”

Seniors celebrated Christmas a few months early.

Freshman got patriotic for the Fourth of July.

Sophomores rang in the New Year.

Juniors decorated for Halloween.

Senior Lucas Hoppenjans dressed up as Santa and rode through the halls on a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

 

 

 

 

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