Giving Back to Grimsley Grimsley Goods finds ways to create a better Grimsley. By Carter Watson April 4, 2024 All throughout Grimsley, a spirit of engagement develops as students come together to create a positive impact within Grimsley and throughout the community. Grimsley Goods, a student-led organization, focuses on the food and clothing insecurity in our school’s community. From food drives and clothing donations to teaming up with local organizations, students work together to ensure that every Grimsley student has access to nutritious food and winter coats. This club reflects the dedication and empathy of Grimsley students who understand the importance of assisting and supporting one another. “Grimsley goods is a simple way to help others in a significant way by providing food security and support for those in need,” said Allison Lunsford, a sophomore and an active member of Grimsley Goods. “This club is significant to me because it provides an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on Grimsley.” With the Grimsley Goods Club service learning has become a popular way for students to give back to Grimsley. Service learning not only gives back to the school, but also allows students to enrich their own experiences. Whether it’s volunteering at a soup kitchen, participating in a cleanup service, or even tutoring underclassmen, Grimsley students continue to explore ways to engage in their community and contribute to making a difference in the lives of others. As Grimsley students continue to find and research ways to give back and contribute to our community and our school, the future of Grimsley looks brighter than ever. With each act of service and moment of kindness, students are not only making a difference but also laying a foundation for future students and a caring society. In the halls of Grimsley High School, the spirits of activism, service, and compassion are thriving, inspiring each and every one of us to strive for a better tomorrow.

Ramadan: My Perspective as a Grimsley Student Ramadan is a time for increased worship, charity, and prayer. Photo by Kevin Massey What does this holy month mean to Muslims and what is the purpose of fasting? By Lana Illikkal April 4, 2024 You might have Muslim friends who are fasting during this month called Ramadan, and you might ask the question: what is the actual reason for not eating from sunrise to sunset? I want to share with you my personal experience as a Muslim fasting during Ramadan and how significant it really is. First off, I see a lot of people answer the question above with the answer: Muslims fast to show compassion for the poor and less fortunate. And while gratitude is certainly something we can attain through fasting, that is not the central goal. Ramadan is the special month in which the Quran was revealed. It’s a time for increased worship, charity, and prayer. Muslims also observe fasting during Ramadan. According to the Quran, our holy scripture, fasting is prescribed to us so that we may acquire god consciousness. While fasting, I am constantly aware that I cannot eat and this in turn makes me more aware of my actions because consuming food is not the only way we can break our fast. Our fast can be invalid if we do things such as lying, backbiting, or being disrespectful to others. Fasting also grows our spiritual discipline by stopping ourselves before commiting a sin or doing something that may displease God. Ramadan shows Muslims that every extra step to better our faith, we can do it outside of Ramadan too. Magical powers aren’t sent upon us at the beginning of the month that suddenly give us the ability to go to the Masjid, our place of worship, every night, or finish the entire Quran, or to stay steadfast in our prayers. We prove to ourselves that we are capable. My favorite part of Ramadan, though, are the bonds I build and the oneness I feel among the other Muslims in my community. At my local Masjid there’s an Iftar, a meal that breaks the fast, every Friday. There are also group discussions and trivia nights that the Girls Youth Group hosts. All of this leads to show that Ramadan is a month for reflection. It’s a month for me to look back on myself, correct myself, and come out as a different better person who has strengthened her faith.

Ms. Jennifer Brockett is a new art teacher at Grimsley. Photo by Kevin Massey Meet Your Teacher: Ms. Brockett Jennifer Brockett, a new art teacher, loves the diversity at Grimsley. By Juliet Fisher December 17, 2024 This school year Grimsley High School welcomes several new teachers, including a new art teacher, Ms. Jennifer Brockett. Ms. Brockett teaches Art I and Art III honors. Even though Ms. Brockett is new to Grimsley, she is certainly not new to teaching. This is her 21st year teaching. In previous years she has taught art at all different levels including IB and AP art. In her free time, you can see her running, traveling, or trying new restaurants with her husband. “My husband and I love to eat. We love to try new places and foods,” Ms. Brockett said. As a kid, Ms. Brockett was really into art and still is to this day. Her main medium is painting, but she likes doing a little bit of everything. Her experience in many art mediums allows her to bring diverse projects to her students. Ms. Brockett used to teach in Tennessee and Texas. She discovered Grimsley when she and her husband moved to North Carolina because of her husband's new job. “I knew I wanted to teach at an IB school,” Ms. Brockett said. “Grimsley was highly recommended, so I knew it would be a great fit.” Ms. Brockett knew she always wanted to work with kids. In some of her earlier jobs, such as a snowboard instructor and a daycare worker, she knew she wanted a teaching aspect in her job. “I love being around kids and their positive energy,” Ms. Brockett said. “I knew ever since my early jobs I wanted to work with them in my future.” Ms. Brockett loves to teach because she likes getting to know all different kinds of kids and discovering their personalities. “Every student is unique,” Ms. Brockett said, “which makes Grimsley such a fun and diverse place to be.”

Grimsley Senior Alexander Carpenter poses for a photo. Photo by Kevin Massey Film By Grimsley Student Wins State Competition Golden Dawn director and Grimsley senior Alexander Carpenter aspires to be a successful filmmaker. By Ashley Crowell April 4, 2024 Many people dream of being famous one day, becoming a successful musician, athlete or actor. One Grimsley student is already well on his way to achieving his dream “to become a renowned filmmaker, a name that everybody knows,” said Grimsley senior Alexander Carpenter. Carpenter’s latest project is Golden Dawn , a post-apocalyptic style film that was recently named the winner of the NC Filmworks competition. His project has been shown in several film festivals in the state and also will be featured in the Grimsley Playmasters Film Festival on May 17. As part of the competition, the filmmakers are given a required prop, line of dialogue and a selection of film genres from which to choose. Golden Dawn follows three characters in a post-apocalyptic world who are going to steal gold from a cult. “It’s a pretty wild story, but it works well,” said Carpenter, laughing. Carpenter created the film for the competition with some of his classmates in the IB Film class taught by Mr. Matthew Ringrose. “Some of the crew I had worked with on other projects, making films and acting,” said Carpenter. “Some of the crew were working on The Haunted Tour at the time and so I was able to ask them.” Carpenter and his crew had just one week to create the film as part of the competition. “The filming process was kinda tough because there were so many other productions going on, like The Haunted Tour and a bunch of testing…so scheduling was really hard.” Despite having many challenges during production, including microphone malfunctions and restricted shooting times, the team managed to finish in time. “My favorite part of the production was how smooth everything came together,” said Carpenter. Carpenter has had lots of practice putting together film projects and working to have everything come together. “I used to make short little films with a GoPro camera that I had and a couple of other cameras,” said Carpenter. “I was always interested in how people made films and made special effects for films, and that got me interested in editing and putting things together.” Carpenter is well on his way to becoming a successful filmmaker, having won this competition the previous year, yet he continues to seek opportunities to grow and learn more about his art. “The inspiration for this film was kind of an improvement on my project from last year…and I wanted to do a better job of storytelling and creating a more fully designed set.” Storytelling remains the foundation for Carpenter’s films, and he continues to use all of the different elements of filmmaking to tell that story. “Since film is a mostly visual medium, the ability to tell a story through what you’re seeing on the screen, and not necessarily just some dialogue, is something that I really look up to.”

What Happened to the School Newspaper? Join us as we dive into the history of the High Life. By Heidi White Jan. 29, 2024 Have you ever heard of family members getting school newspapers or have you seen them on TV shows? The high school newspaper is a popular fixture of American culture. “The newspaper is a greater treasure to the people than uncounted millions of gold,” said Henry Ward Beecher, an influential clergyman of the 19th century. Many students may not know that Grimsley once had a newspaper called High Life. It ran in the school from 1920 to 2013 and would include school events, sports, local news stories, stories about athletes, and the issues students cared about. Several editions featured letters to the editor concerning Vietnam War protests, illegal drug use, and even opinions on the student dress code. A special edition was dedicated to the graduating seniors and included popular features such as the senior class's will. Ms. Lynn Rozelman, a fixture at Grimsley from 1998 to 2021, taught Yearbook, Newspaper and English. Yet as Grimsley grew, more core classes were needed, and Ms. Rozelman was assigned to teach additional English classes. The elective newspaper class was cut, causing the High LIfe to cease publication in 2013. Ms. Rozelman attempted to bring back the High Life digitally with a creative writing class in 2015, but after that school year the creative writing class was cut as well. For many years, Grimsley was without a newspaper. Newspapers serve an essential role in communities, and have done so for hundreds of years. As Thomas Jefferson said, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” School newspapers serve an important role by providing information about clubs and extracurricular activities, events happening at the school and building community among the students by sharing ideas and personal stories. After several years without this integral part of Grimsley, a new newspaper, The Whirlie Post, will take up the mantle of the High Life and continue providing the essential services of a school newspaper. Though it is not yet a class, The Post is a club that desires to grow more and more through new members and more influence, to truly embody the spirit and community of Grimsley. Participating in a school newspaper provides an outlet for self-expression, and a way to “be a part of history,” said Ms. Rozelman. She remembers “the camaraderie of the students” as one of her favorite parts about teaching the newspaper class. If you are interested in being a part of building a community at Grimsley High School, contact Ms. Hunt-Ward in room 217, or Mr. Sharpnack in room 200. Ashley Crowell contributed to this article.

Anxiety Is Real I struggle with anxiety in high school. Do you? By Ashley Crowell Feb. 29, 2024 “Toughen up buttercup!” “Boys don’t cry!” Has anyone ever said something like this to you when you were feeling anxious? Often anxiety gets dismissed as unimportant or weak, when actually, anxiety is a real issue for many people. Most people feel slight anxiety every now and then, which is normal. Some people feel anxiety so acutely that they develop something called “panic attacks,” which are sudden and overwhelming feelings of anxiety. Anxiety can be debilitating and prevent people from participating in everyday activities to avoid triggering these feelings. When this happens, it’s time to ask for help. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concerns in the United States. More than 40 million adults in the U.S. (19.1% ) have an anxiety disorder, according to The National Alliance on Mental Illness. To many, these people are just statistics, far off numbers that don’t really affect their lives. But anxiety can affect all of us when we least expect it. It happened to me. I had just started a new year in high school, and everything seemed to be too much, but I was handling it. Then suddenly one morning, two things happened in quick succession that crumbled my careful facade of composure. I was so shaken, I couldn’t keep going. I sat in my car and breathed deeply for a few minutes, praying for peace. After calling to mind several of my favorite Bible verses, I was able to work through what I was feeling and return to the regular routine. Yet I was affected for the rest of the day. This is just a very small example of how debilitating anxiety can be. Anxiety can come in many forms, with a variety of symptoms ranging from emotional to physical. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, symptoms can include: Feelings of apprehension or dread. Feeling tense or jumpy. Pounding or racing heart and shortness of breath. Sweating, tremors and twitches. Headaches, fatigue and insomnia. Susan B. Marsh, a guidance counselor at Grimsley, notes that for many teens, anxiety can be caused by academic pressure to be successful, which can be from parents, or even from themselves. Yet not all anxiety has an obvious cause. “Sometimes people are anxious and they don’t know why they’re anxious,” Ms. Marsh said. How do teens cope with all of the anxiety in their daily lives? Along with spiritual practices like prayer, here are some additional coping strategies from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America: Take a break. Eat balanced meals. Exercise regularly. Breathe. Accept that you are not perfect. Set small, achievable goals instead of broad expectations. Yet sometimes these strategies are not enough. Sometimes you may reach a point where you need more—where anxiety continues to affect how you live your life on a daily basis. If you are struggling with severe anxiety, there are people at Grimsley, like the guidance counselors, who will walk beside you through this struggle, and resources that are available to help. Please remember this: you are not alone. Continue reading "Overwhelmed": Grimsley Senior Charlotte Williams overcomes her anxiety.

Ellie (left) with twin sister Gracie Ellie preparing to dive during a relay Athlete Spotlight Swimmer Ellie Hunt speeds her way through the water to a successful season. By Katherine Medina Jan. 29, 2024 Thanks to our amazing athletes, sports are one activity everyone can enjoy here at Grimsley, whether through participating or watching games. It takes a lot of dedication to balance a sport on top of schoolwork, so the Whirlie Post regularly will recognize a special athlete for their commitment and accomplishments. Swimmer Ellie Hunt is an obvious choice, having absolutely killed it so far this season following the announcement of her commitment to attend the College of William and Mary and compete on their Division 1 swim team. Ellie is a senior here at Grimsley, and with one year left, we are excited to see all the great things she will achieve! Q&A: Q: What got you into swimming? How long have you been swimming? A: My parents signed me up for swimming when I was 4 and I just never stopped. Q: What are your plans for the future regarding swimming? Do you plan on swimming in college or professionally? A: I am committed to swim D1 at William and Mary in the fall next year and I can’t wait!! Q: What are your hobbies/interests outside of swimming? A: I love to read and I recently learned how to crochet. I also play Fortnite! Q: How has your season gone so far this year? A: My season has been pretty great and I’m super excited to see what I can accomplish by March. Q: What are some ways you balance the demands of being a student athlete? A: I try to stay hydrated and eat somewhat healthy so I am energized everyday. I also go to sleep fairly early because I have to wake up for 5 a.m. practice everyday. Q: What do you believe are your major achievements in your sport? A: Continuing to get better each year and never giving up hope even when I’m struggling to compete at my best. Q: What are your pre-game and post-game rituals/routines? A: I tend to eat muffins before swim meets and I’m pretty exhausted after, so I usually get food with my family and go straight to bed! Ellie has had a great swim season, leading the Grimsley Women to an undefeated record so far. She also has qualified in two individual events, the 100 yard freestyle event with a time of 54:47, and the 50 freestyle event with a time of 24:76, for the 4A Central Regional High School Swim Meet in early February at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. She has an amazing future ahead of her, and we wish her the best of luck finishing off her last season with us at Grimsley.