 Kill ‘em with Kindness: If you Google kindness, it is a noun that is “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.” However, in reality kindness can mean different things to different people. That’s why I decided to ask our students and staff what it means to them. As you read their answers, think of the commonalities and differences. What do your peers think kindness is?
“Kindness to me honestly means standing up for what you believe in,” Spanish teacher Zoe Mullins said, “and giving other people the kind of treatment that you would like yourself.” Mullins seems to think of the Golden Rule. Who better to ask about kindness than our beloved Director of Student Life Stephen Belderes? “The first thing that pops in my head has got to be the golden rule.” Hmm, this sounds familiar does it? “That’s what overall kindness is. (...) The golden rule. Period. That’s what it is.” Well, it seems that some people have made up their mind: The golden rule, no question about it, but some students found different ways to define its meaning. Freshman class treasurer George Lugar 28’ “Kindness means respecting others and treating people how you want to be treated.” Maggie Bibby ‘27 says, “Kindness is being honest and thoughtful.” Huw Wente ‘28 thinks kindness is: “Greatness, because I think it brings all the world together.” So kindness is a way we can all connect? A way for us to be unified in trying times? Kindness and unity go hand in hand. Touching on this fact, DEI Director Debbie Taylor thinks it’s important to celebrate World Kindness Day, “Because the world we live in right now, we’re so self-absorbed, and so many people are doing so many unkind things. It’s just one day everyone can stop all around the world and just focus on kindness.” So, how have these people that shared with us their definition of kindness see it around them? Well, let’s see. Wente thinks “It’s huge when people open the door for other people at this school.” “Recognizing that people exist. The smile, the wave,” Acknowledgement is key for Mullins and it seems like she agrees with Wente, it’s “the simple things.” Sharmithaa Bhaani Maheswaran 26’ “People here, cause I just moved here and people have been really nice to me.” This ties in with Mullins' idea of acknowledgement, so is that the real act of kindness? History teacher Dr. Daniel Hood “A major act of kindness I like to see is when there is a student sitting by themselves, or all alone and another student goes up to them and invites them to join in the activity.” Now we have a picture of what kindness means, treating others how you would want to be treated and a sense of unity. And a picture of acts of kindness, acknowledging others and the little things that let them know you care.
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Our school starts promptly at 8:00 am in the morning. Roanoke city schools now start at 8:45 am, and the county schools start roughly at 8:30 am. This feels very early for most, if not all of us. This does not take into account that the information being taught to us this early in the morning is important. Our lives depend on the grades we get from the information we retain from the classes we take. But do they need to start so early? We all know that sleep is important to our overall health, but did you know according to Teens and Sleep, An overview of why teens face unique sleep challenges and tips to help them sleep better, “Experts recommend that teens between the ages of 13 and 18 get 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night?” Let’s dive deeper into why sleep is so important.
We all know as students and educators that grades and our performance in school is important, and we also know that extracurricular activities look great on our college applications and enrich our lives. So, we’ve been encouraged to do some, and then some turn into a lot, and then next thing you know you're getting home at 11:00 pm exhausted. The worst part is you still have homework, oh yeah, eating too. You need to do that. It all piles up and sleep goes on the back burner. After all, we can sleep when we’re old, after we get into our dream school. What I’m here to tell you is the more you sleep the more likely you are to get into that school. In 2022 the Columbia University Department of Physiatry did a study on “How Sleep Deprivation Impacts Mental Health.” They found that “Sleep helps maintain cognitive skills, such as attention, learning, and memory.” Therefore, if you get more sleep you will be able to pay more attention in class. More sleep will also help you retain the information you learn. Not only will it help your grades but it will also help your mental health. The CDC statistics say that 40% of highschool students are feeling sad and hopeless. Just for context there are 25.7 million teenagers in the United States and 40% of that is 10.28 million. That’s a lot a lot of people at risk for suicide. 8% of teenagers have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder. Anxiety can affect how students learn. Sleep is directly connected with mental health. According to the same Colombia study, “Poor or insufficient sleep has been found to increase negative emotional responses to stressors and to decrease positive emotions.” This does not directly relate to school though. Well it can. Inside Higher Ed released an article in 2022 discussing student suicides and the impact grades have on their mental health. In this article it was stated that, “(…) we have strong evidence to suggest that grades are making students physically, emotionally and psychologically unwell.” Not only that but also, “the stress children, teenagers and college-age students feel about grades along with the pressure they experience from parents and teachers are directly linked to the widely reported mental health crisis in these age groups.” As a student I can confirm, whether they mean it or not, there is pressure from our family and teachers. They want the best for us and we want to make them happy. However, that could just be my opinion, so I asked Emma Votta ‘26 and she said, “Yes, definitely.” Not only do we feel it in our own school but, according to Inside Higher Ed, “88 percent said they (13- to 17-year-olds) feel either “a lot” or “some” pressure about grades.” Now all of this is just statistics, just numbers. They don’t mean anything to you specifically. Right? Wrong. So I asked Headmaster Armistead Lemon and Upper School Counselor Sarah Cocowhitch about their views on mental health, sleep, and extracurriculars. When I asked her how important it is for students to get the required amount of sleep, Cocowitch replied, “Sleep is not only critical for mental health, it's also critical for learning. It not only directly impacts our mood, frustration tolerance, and emotional reactivity, but it also affects our ability to focus and retain new information. So, yes, I think getting the recommended amount of sleep for teenagers should definitely be a priority!” So how important are extracurriculars really? “Extracurricular activities are important for many reasons: building social connections and friendships, allowing for creative or artistic expression, and having a physical outlet to move and expend energy after a long day of sitting in class.” Is she saying we should give up our outlet for better cognitive skills? Not necessarily, “The challenge is finding the right balance and managing time well so that sleep isn't sacrificed in the process.” Are we as a student body succeeding in balancing our sleep with our sports practices or art or music classes? “Too many North Cross students are trying to ‘do it all,’ in my opinion,” Cocowitch said, “sometimes risking their health and well-being due to lack of sleep and stress.” So, no. We have not found our balance. All of this being said, does she think starting school later would help students finish their extracurriculars and get the recommended amount of sleep? “I think the research shows that later start times for high school students are a good idea in that it improves sleep, academic performance, and attendance,” the Upper School Counselor said.”But I wonder how that would work for our sports teams that have to travel at length to play away games. Would they have to miss more class time if the day runs longer? Would they just get home later and stay up later as a result?” There are many other options that might help but none that make as much sense as starting school later.  Viktoriia Iarkova ‘25 receives appreciation from her coaches, teammates, and host family on Senior Night. Iarkova has been playing volleyball for two years, this is her first year receiving a varsity letter. “Viktoriia has developed into a great blocker over the last year,” Michela Hendrix, assistant coach, said, “and currently leads the team in total blocks for the season.” Going into the conference playoffs, Iarkova had 12 blocks and 10 kills. Iarkova is dedicated to her team and wants the best. “She keeps positive energy on the team,” Kamen Petkov ‘25 said. “She cares about her teammates and tries to be the best for her team.”
 Senior Indira Weed receives recognition for a well played career. Her parents join her on the court for pictures and words from her coach. She has been playing volleyball for five years. Of those five she has earned a varsity letter for three of them according to coach Emily Gaston. “She is a wonderful teammate,” Faith Johnson ‘28 said. “Indira is so uplifting and always has high spirits on and off the court. Her smile is contagious and we will miss her so much next year.” Weed makes time for volleyball while leading the Compass yearbook staff.
 Students or actors? In the session, Baskerville Mystery - Dramatic Group to solve a case, nine students are asked to act out a mystery of their choice. English and history teacher Brett Odom, our session leader, gave us two options: “The Hound of the Baskervilles” or “The Purloined Letter.” Fortunately, we had enough time to do both mysteries. Pictured above Odom showed our group the props that were provided. “You all are such good actors,” Odom said with a touch of sarcasm.
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I am miaI'm in the class of '28.I enjoy volleyball, reading, and spending time with my friends. I really enjoy making contributions to the school paper. Nothing can explain the feeling of seeing the finished product of hard work. Archives
January 2025
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