By Alexandra Rouse, Salem High School

Recently, I had the opportunity to sell merchandise at a musician’s show in downtown Roanoke. More than ecstatic, I couldn’t refuse the offer. How many teenagers can say that they sold merch for one of their favorite artists?  It wasn’t until after I said yes that I realized that the venue was at a local bar.

I immediately assumed that being younger than 21 would result in many complications. But after getting my situation cleared with the establishment, everything was fine as long as I was with the band.

Sitting behind the merch table the night of the event, I wondered why live music is so often limited to an audience that is strictly over 21.

“Live music has become an adult thing to attend, mainly because teenagers don’t have the time, money or transportation to attend the shows,” said Allison Raines, a senior at Salem High School. “By the time people are over 21, most of them have cars and jobs, so they can buy tickets for live music.”

Raines, a music enthusiast, has seen a number of shows live in a variety of genres. In the Roanoke area, she has seen Old Crow Medicine Show, The Lumineers, the Avett Brothers and James Taylor, along with numerous artists that she has seen out of town, including Bruce Springsteen and U2, to name a few.

“In the past, my parents have literally helped me get into live shows because in most cases they’ve provided me the money and transportation. It wasn’t until last summer at the Old Crow Medicine Show concert that I drove myself  to the Civic Center,” said Raines. “But, my mom still paid for our tickets, thankfully.”

Michael Drougas, a junior at Salem High School, believes that instead of money, technology plays a larger role in the lack of teens at live shows. Read more »

By Jessica Wiegandt, Lord Botetourt High School

Small sounds of dings and rings are audible from smart phones and tablets may be due to a game called Ruzzle.

Ruzzle is a new application available for handheld devices that allows users to connect with their contacts, Facebook friends or random opponents to play the word game.

Ruzzle was created by MAG Interactive in March of 2012. The game seems to have since skyrocketed into popularity, and I’ve noticed  students at Lord Botetourt High School have become avid players.

The app consists of a board of letters, each contained within a small box. The player drags their finger around the screen to create words out of the letters. It’s like a jumbled up version of Boggle.

The player is on a two-minute time limit to get as many points as possible to beat the opposing player. (The longer the words, the better, and some letters can even earn a player extra points.)

The app is a game for iPhone and Android owners who are players seeking a new word game to play.

Cave Spring High School students lounge on the sofas in the Knight ‘N’ Day Cafe while enjoying some snacks before the bell rings last week. Photos by Roshni Lalchandani, Cave Spring

Olivia Nepper stops by the Knight ‘N’ Day Café for an iced tea before heading off to class last week.

Photos and story by Roshni Lalchandani, Cave Spring High School

Students used to walk into school every day with a signature coffee cup in hand.

While the caffeine may have helped them get through their early classes, the extra stop on the way to the school could be a hassle.

It’s one of the reasons Cave Spring High School created the Knight ‘N’ Day Cafe, an on-site coffee shop developed by students for students.

The cafe was conceived last year by teacher Terena Hale’s culinary arts class. It started off simple. Each student focused on  a different priority, from making posters to designing a menu.

In addition to chatting over drinks, students can play foosball in the cafe, which is open from 7:45 to 8:20 a.m. on school days.

“It took months of preparation. First we started off slow, buying our ingredients from Kroger. After our first year serving from the indoor concession stands, we were relocated to a large empty classroom,” said Selena Salazar, a junior who works at the cafe.

The move to a classroom took all summer to prepare, but the students agree the more professional and colorful store was worth it. The coffee shop is now filled with couches, student’s art, and room to fit equipment that provides more menu options. “It’s really taken off. We have a lot of drinks and a monthly signature drink, as well,” said Salazar. Read more »

North Cross student Madison Macher won the state Miss Teen International pageant in February. Photo by Adam Mullins Photography

By Mehreen Imam, North Cross School

Madison Macher, a junior at North Cross School, won the state title of Miss Teen International in February. She will go on to compete for the national title in Chicago in July. The pageant helps promote young women’s accomplishments and to help them to become positive role models, according to its website. We sat down recently with Macher to find out more about her success on the pageant stage.

Q. What inspired you to join these competitions?

A. To be honest, I didn’t know much about pageants, or what they were all about. Once I researched about the International system, I fell in love. You meet so many young inspiring women and so many people who support you. You learn about so many organizations, and help those who need your help.

The International system is based on a platform. This is what helped grab my attention. I have been working with Healing Strides for a while, and I wanted to promote this organization. With competing for the title of Miss Teen International, I wanted to raise awareness to therapeutic riding programs across around the world.

Q. What do you think your biggest achievement in competing is?

A. My biggest achievement is raising awareness, educating, and fundraising for my organization Healing Strides Therapeutic Riding Program, and PATH International.

Q. Who are your biggest supporters?

A. My biggest supporters would have to be my family. My mom and dad support me in everything I do, and without them, I would not have the drive to compete. My brothers also support in a way that gets me through those stressful days, with the workouts before school, and the SAT prep and going up to Lexington to ride my horse Julio. I love staying busy, but my brothers support me when I’m stressed, and they keep me grounded and laughing. Read more »

Sailing is Hidden Valley senior Morgan Firing’s favorite sport. Illustration by Alexis Holland, William Byrd High School

Morgan Firing

By Lauren Maddox, Hidden Valley High School

Morgan Firing places her sails and gear into the car. She goes to her room and slips into bed early, knowing she has a long day ahead of her.

Morgan and her dad, Darrin, make the hour long drive in the morning. When they arrive at Smith Mountain Lake, she unloads her boat and pieces it together. She then attends a skippers meeting. After the meeting, they go over strategies and pray, and Morgan heads out to participate in her favorite sport: sailing.

The Hidden Valley senior has been competitive in the world of sailing since she was eight. Her father and grandfather were both competitive sailors, and they inspired her.

“My grandfather placed in worlds competition for a boat type called a “Flying Dutchman,” and I wanted to be as successful as him,” Firing said.

Read more »

By Alex Moore, Lord Botetourt High School

At some point in the past ten times I have turned on the radio, “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore featuring Wanz has played.

Most of the time, creepily enough, it’s the very first song.

I don’t listen the radio very often. Mainly because it seems like the same 20 songs play over and over again.

There may be a song I’m fond of, but after I hear it so many times in a short amount of time, it gets extremely old. And I cannot seem to understand why nobody else finds this as annoying as I do.

If the song is on constantly, why do people want to hear it even more by requesting it?

But back to “Thrift Shop.”  Thrift shopping seems to be the “cool” thing to do now. And I wonder if it’s because the song has been number one in the charts multiple times.

Just as most hits do, I believe it will simmer down and gradually stop being played as much. Radio stations are notorious for playing the top music all the time. But as of now, “Thrift Shop” is extremely popular and is showing no signs of making its way down the charts.

By Amber Montgomery, Glenvar High School

Monograms have been around for decades but recently have been making a major comeback as a fashion trend.

Marking your territory has never been so popular — or cute.

On sweat shirts, towels, beach bags, or even rain boots (yes, rain boots…), the trend has expanded well beyond the traditional backpack or shirt. With this trend in great demand, more people have flocked to the Internet for anything and everything monogrammed.

Etsy, a website with thousands of vendors, has many who specialize in selling monogrammed goods. Other websites, such as Marley Lilly and L.L. Bean, sell personalized items, as well.

Though the prices can get steep, the look is always original and never goes out of style.

Patrick Henry juniors Sam Roller (from left), William Merten and Kian Khalilian tune in between songs during a practice. Roller, Merten and Khalilan are three of the five members of Starfish Prime, a local alternative rock band. Photos by Jessica Wiegandt, Lord Botetourt High School

Submitted by Starfish Prime

By Jessica Wiegandt, Lord Botetourt High School

Alternative rock is the category, and Starfish Prime fits the bill.

Patrick Henry High School juniors Sam Roller and Kian Khalilian are credited with starting the group four years ago. Soon after, sophomore Nick Anguiano and juniors William Merten and Sam McGhee joined.

“I played guitar and Kian played the guitar and we thought it would be cool to start a band,” Roller said. “Then I called up Nick one day and he came and played drums. I didn’t start Starfish Prime, but I put together what eventually became Starfish Prime.”

Roller said there were many variations of band member line-ups before the all of the current members were in the band. Starfish Prime wasn’t formed until Merten jokingly signed up.

Merten chose the name off of the long list of possibilities and Starfish Prime was the one the members like the most.

And when the original bass player quit the band, McGhee decided to join.

“I didn’t even know how to play bass,” McGhee said. “I played trombone in band. But when they mentioned it, I thought it would be cool; so now I play bass.”

Over the years, there have been new members to join and others that have dropped out. But these five boys have stuck together for the past two and a half years.

Read more »

Designers presented fashion-lovers with a wide variety of trends during Fashion Week. Illustration by Alexis Holland, William Byrd High School

By Alexis Holland, William Byrd High School

It’s that time of year again.

Beginning on February 7, Fashion Week seems like it has just passed by. And now that we are overwhelmed by the abundance of beautiful clothes from couture and ready-to-wear lines, it’s time to start planning our wardrobes for fall.

Designers everywhere from Alexander McQueen to Marc Jacobs to Louis Vuitton had phenomenal shows.  And somehow, in all of the chaos of eyelash curlers, glitter and frantic models, the designers managed to present fashion-lovers with a wide variety of trends.

In fall 2013, keep a lookout for harem pants, chic silhouettes, flannel jumpsuits, loud colors and prints, leather and an abundance of embellishments and embroidery.

Mostly every trend will trickle down from previous trends, so items that were bought from previous seasons can be used in the fall, too.

On the runway, magazine editors and celebrities took extensive notes, and are probably already planning how they want the designers’ looks to translate into their own taste.

Though spring collections have just been displayed in area stores, fashionistas have to be one step ahead of everybody else.

That’s what makes fashion week so unique. Everyone watches the same shows, but they created different looks based on their own taste.

Spring is quite early to begin planning outfits for the fall, but there are so many trends that it’s necessary to find out which you adore and which items you wouldn’t dare own.