NEWS
Francis Howell High School - fhhstoday.com - Vol. 50, Issue 2 - May 2021
On Thursday, April 15, the school board voted to cancel second semester finals, making this the fourth semester without them. Having finals cancelled for two years is something Howell has never seen before. But students haven't been complaining. I'm really happy about it. Less pressure at the end of the year," sophomore Teagan O'Donnell said. Finals can be an extremely stressful time, especially at the end of a pandemic when everybody is burnt out. I'm happy about having no finals. It allows me to focus on more important things like AP exams and other school projects," junior Megan Gluck said. COVID-19 and quarantines played a huge role in the board vote. Being quarantined caused many students to fall behind in their classwork and miss quizzes or tests that were unable to be taken at home. With the number of students who have had one or more at home quarantines this semester and the general rise in absences, many questions about students' preparedness and fairness contributed to my opinion about this decision," Principal David Wedlock said. Even with COVID-19 restrictions, seniors will still able to have their traditions, just with changes. The 4.0 Luncheon and Senior Awards will be combined into an event held May 21, during first hour in the gym, as well as a live streamed celebration held two days before, May 19. This idea came from there being no 4.0 celebration luncheon with seniors from all three of the high schools at Old Hickory. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, it is not possible this year," Principal Dave Wedlock said. The grad night celebration will not be the typical overnight lock-in, but an event from 6-11 p.m., held on the football field, June 5. Parents will be putting on a prom for the seniors after graduation. The theme is "Light Up the Night" and it will be held at Old Hickory, June 11. We want the seniors to be celebrated. They have been robbed of a year and a half," parent Ria Wilson said. "Celebrating with friends and creating memories is a huge part of high school. We want seniors to be able to make memories that will last a lifetime." The senior parade will occur June 8. Seniors will be able to drive through the parking lot and say goodbye to their friends and teachers. This tradition started last year. It's very disappointing that we aren't able to get together and have our normal events, but it's very heartening that we can still gather in a way and cheer each other on and celebrate all things Howell," Wedlock said. The Class of 2021 understands, even if they don't like it. I wish that it was a regular year," senior Colleen Faucher said. "But having something is better than nothing."
Lillie Morisaki Sports Editor
FHSD Board of Education cancels finals (again)
Mariah Schaffer StaffWriter
No Visits. No flights. The pandemic has changed my application process in tons of ways," senior Tatum Kaup said. The Coronavirus outbreak restricted seniors from applying to colleges in the way they imagined. It's affected me being able to visit schools in person, I can't feel a school's vibe because pretty much everything's been online. I also have to think about how far away I want to go if COVID-19 is still affecting us," Kaup said. Some seniors relied on their pre-pandemic research. I actually was able to go on a visit before COVID-19, so the application process was pretty simple," senior Carson Subbert said. I've had the schools that I want to apply for picked out since the end of my sophomore year, so I already had my plan on where to apply," senior Whitney Hatz said. Applying for colleges went like normal. I applied through the Common App, so it wasn't really that bad. It also didn't really take long to find out that I got accepted to the colleges," senior Paige Greenfield said.
COVID curtails college prep
Alex Tolan-Hoescht StaffWriter
Four seniors claim National Merit
Grace Sutton StaffWriter
One-point-nine million students take the ACT. Annually, about 3,700 get a perfect 36. Juniors Austin Frazier, Madeline Agee, and senior Natalie Althof all scored 36 on the ACT. I don't remember the test much itself except that I hadn't studied, had a cold, and was cramming in the basement with friends 15 minutes before the exam," Althof said. "I got my letter the next month when my friend dropped me offat home, and I screamed when I saw my score. It was an amazing feeling to see that all my effort in school had finally paid off." ACT scores can make or break scholarship and college applications. I hope it will serve as a testament to my academic abilities for any colleges I apply to," Althof said. "Hopefully it will be the key to opening doors I never thought accessible- to worlds and possibilities that seemed too far away." Along with the three Howell students with perfect ACT scores four seniors Rachel Curran, Ella Palutis, Ashley Wunnenberg, and Natalie Althof also became National Merit Finalists. The National Merit Scholarship is based on PSAT scores and it provides students with $2,500 towards their education. Only about 7,600 students become National Merit Finalists every year.
Sophocles meets social distancing
Libby De La O StaffWriter, with reporting by Alex Tolan-Hoescht StaffWriter
The Limelight Theatre performed Antigone as its spring production April 22 and 23. Antigone is an ancient Greek play written by tragedian Sophocles was first performed over 2400 years ago in 442 BC. as the third edition of Sophocles' Theban plays. Antigone provided a different experience for the audience, complying with the county mandate, the Limelight Theatre required audience members to socially distance and purchase tickets ahead of the performances. It was surprisingly close to a regular production, all things considered, the masks were always on and everyone tried to maintain social distance, but other than that it was a pretty standard performance with everything considered," senior Benjamin Finchamp said. The actors had to socially distance during rehearsals and performances by wearing masks and staying six-feet apart for a majority of the production. It was pretty hectic, but we were all able to still get ready together in the dressing rooms just like last year before COVID, but this time with masks of course," senior Morgan Osman said. Antigone is made up of long monologues, scenes, and speaking in unison. The real trouble came with memorizing our lines. A lot of Grecian theatre is people giving long-winded monologues. It was no small feat to remember all of those lines," Finchamp said. Seniors decided to perform a classical play rather than the modern productions done in prior years. I loved doing this show. I am so used to being set on doing these shows that everyone else has done and has heard of, but doing a Greek theatre production really took me out of my comfort level and allowed me to explore this type of theatre and really grow to love it. We all worked so hard on this show, and that work really paid off," Osman said.
Actors perform fall play with masks
Senior Jale Evans plays Antigone, begging for Creon, played by Ben Finchamp, to take her life. (Photo by Meredith Downing)
Althof, Frazier, and Agee score perfect 36
April 16, seniors gather of the football field for the Senior Meeting. (Photo by Carl Wayne)
Seniors replace old traditions to combat COVID-19
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