Reporting & Writing
The feeling of your nerves jittering before you open the door. The sound of your voice as you greet your interviewee, gripping the armrest as you sit in the chair across from them. You gather your thoughts, introduce yourself, and gently step into a deep and dark pool of knowledge as you begin your interview. In the world of journalism, there wouldn’t be any of the parts that I enjoy (photojournalism, design, editing) without the basic necessity of reporting. Reporting is a personal connection you create with your subject, and writing is how you transform their story for others to digest. In the past it was something that I feared, but that scary-looking building block has transformed itself into one of the things I’m bravest at.
Feature: Rocket-scientist-turned-teacher joins FFHS
Note: This was the first story I had ever written on staff for Nighthawk News Magazine. I was a bundle of nerves as I went up to the classroom of Kathy Cooper, the subject of my story assignment. What I thought would be a 10-minute interview turned into 30 as she told me about her past, from being the younger sibling of a successful older brother to watching the Twin Towers fall on 9-11 while drinking coffee on her couch. Mrs. Cooper was the reason I stayed on staff that year - her story and willingness to share her life with a timid sophomore fed my hunger to pursue the stories of other people. She was only at First Flight for a year, retiring due to health complications that arose unexpectedly. I still think about her and her story and doubt that I will ever forget the courage she gave me when she opened up.
​Publication date: October 2022
Cooper soars into new role at First Flight
By Kat Gregg
Staff Writer
A rocket scientist, a landscaper, a church administrative assistant, a teacher and a married mom. It might be difficult to imagine all of these roles intersecting.
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Until you meet Kathy Cooper.
Cooper is the newest addition to the FFHS science department this year, bringing with her a passion for teaching and a fascinating life story. In fact, her first “dream job” was fueled by a sibling rivalry.
"I have a brother who's 15 months older than I am,” Cooper said. “He's a math genius, and he wanted to be a pilot. So I wanted to - of course - one-up him. I wanted to be a fighter pilot."
Women were barred from entering military combat positions in the 1970s, but that did not stop Cooper from pursuing a career in aviation.
"I said, ‘Well if I can't fly them, I'll make them,’” Cooper explained. “So I went into aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech and that's where the ‘rocket science’ comes from."
When looking at job prospects after college, Cooper had two rules: stay east of the Mississippi river, and don't work for the federal government. Her two job offers broke both rules: one job was based in Texas working on fighter planes and the other involved Tomahawk cruise missiles for General Dynamics in San Diego.
"It was completely opposite of what I said it was going to do,” Cooper said. “I went all the way to California to work for a federal government contractor."
After having her second child, Cooper and her husband made the decision to move their family back East, where the rest of their relatives were.
After sending in applications to various companies, Cooper began working for the Defense Information Systems Agency. However, her time in that position was short-lived when the government signed a treaty agreeing to stop using ground-launched cruise missiles. Cooper was then transferred to the Pentagon, where she worked as a black box data analyst for eight years.
Cooper was living the typical American dream. She owned a house, she had a young family, and a job she loved. But in 1991 during the Iraq War, Cooper had a realization.
“I sat there that night watching those rockets take off and blow up buildings, realizing there were people in those buildings that were getting killed because of what I did,” Cooper said. “I sat there and cried that night and realized, ‘My job is to kill people.’ ”
Cooper decided that she wanted to use her mind for a new creative venture.
"I'd been taking a course in landscape design on the side, just to keep my brain going,” Cooper said. “So, I opened my own landscaping business for two years and mostly did designs. I did the drawings, then I would sell the drawings to people and they would do their own landscape part."
However, as her daughter was accepted to Elon University, Cooper recognized the need for a stable flow of income. As a result, Cooper became an administrative assistant at a church where a friend gave her some insight on her potential.
“A friend of mine said, ‘You know, you work great with the kids at the church and you love science: Have you ever thought about being a teacher?’ ”
She had not.
But the result of that conversation has been a 21-year teaching career along the East Coast.
“Fortunately, there was a brand new high school that my younger son was attending, and they needed a one-period chemistry teacher,” Cooper said. During the rest of the day, Cooper worked as a substitute teacher for the Exceptional Children's program.
At the same time, her husband got laid off from his job and struggled to find something else in the Washington area. As a result, they had to widen their search. Cooper taught science at the Early College at Guilford in the Greensboro area, but once their son graduated from school, she scoured the job listings for the Outer Banks.
"Every spring I would scroll through the Dare County listings to see (if there were any open positions),” Cooper said. “We love the beach and wanted to live out here. “Some days (it is difficult), but I love teaching because I am building up the world instead of designing things that break it down or destroy it."
Sophomore Kat Gregg can be reached at 25greggka46@daretolearn.org.
Feature: creeping around the rumored 'third floor'
Note: I co-wrote this story with one of the other writers on staff during my junior year. With two older sisters and a parent who used to teach at First Flight, I had heard my fair share of 'third-floor' rumors. We were discussing it as a group in newspaper class one day when our adviser Steve Hanf said: "Why don't we find out for ourselves?" Long story short, seven staff members, Mr. Hanf and then-assistant principal Joe Tyson ventured around dark hallways and dusty stairs for over an hour and a half. We found gold trophies, green putty, discarded technology, graffiti, and access to the roof - all while taking pictures and writing down quotes as we listened to explanations of the school's history. It was an experience I will never forget (because who doesn't love a bit of good ol' detective work?).
​Publication date: October 2023
Mysteries await on the famed 'third floor'
By Lana Walters and Kat Gregg
Staff Writer/Photo Editor
If you’ve been to First Flight High School or had older siblings to pave the way for you, it is likely true that you have heard at least one rumor about the FFHS “third floor”.
Some say it's a secret teachers lounge, or possibly a teacher bar. Maybe you heard that it is home to a pool or another training room. Or, like most people, you’re just too busy with math homework and sports practices to do anything but wonder.
The theories have gone on and on, but what is actually on the third floor? A small group of the Nighthawk Newspaper Staff decided to figure it out themselves.*
*By themselves, we mean with assistant Principal Joe Tyson leading the tour.
Auditorium
We start in the auditorium, weaving our way through the scene dock that holds large moving furniture pieces used in various theater productions. Trying not to trip over or bump into any half-made props, Tyson led us to a door, up a staircase, and opens another door to reveal a room crammed with clothes.
Dresses and hats, shirts and pants and shoes galore hung on racks or in metal cabinets or draped across boxes shoved underneath everything else.
“We try not to throw anything away because costume stuff gets really expensive.” Tyson says as he guides us to the door on our right, around the costume racks and prop carpets stacked by the wall.
The suspense is building as he unlocks the weighted door. We rush inside with excitement to find a massive, odd-looking gray machine. Metal pipes and shiny foil air ducts weave their way through the room, coming through and going out of the brick walls.
Leading us around the room, Tyson explained that this machine is actually the air conditioning unit for the entire auditorium.
“I need to know how this stuff works so if it breaks we know what to do and who to call.” Tyson explained.
Leaving the AC room, our guide opens another door and patiently waits as our group tries to not get knocked silly by a rogue carpet. As we crossed the threshold, multiple gasps were uttered by our party as we began to lay eyes on just what this room held.
Behind this door, stacked to touch the ceiling a few times, was enough furniture to put an IKEA warehouse out of business.
Desks on wheels were stacked upon tables with chairs sandwiching them on top. Stage lights collected dust in a corner, either unusable or only suitable for extreme emergencies. At the far end of the room was a slatted window that the lacrosse team had obviously been using as target practice for a few years.
“Some say there’s a ghost up here, but at the end of the day, when I’m up here, I’m so tired I could care less.” Tyson said.
Taking a sharp right out of the prop room, our group is led single-file past the rows of costumes to a door almost swallowed by clothing. Up the staircase it held to another door, our class was suddenly setting foot 20 feet above the stage, held up by thick metal grating and the expertise of whoever built the auditorium 20 years ago.
The catwalk overlooks the rows of metal bars that hold up the curtains on stage. It also serves as a bridge, connecting us to a second prop room containing mostly shrubbery pieces. This second prop room takes us to a smaller set of stairs, leading us up to the highest point in the auditorium.
As we turn the corner on the staircase, our small band is greeted with the sight of thick rows of insulation and a plethora of large stage lights. Each light serves a different purpose and is directed towards different parts of the stage.
Gym
Traipsing down the gym hallway, excited to see the other mysterious places, Tyson unlocks a door leading to a narrow concrete staircase. As we travel up the staircase, some members of our group take notice of the red “2 HOUR FIREWALL” spray painted on brick walls. Tyson explains that this means if there was ever a fire upstairs, the walls could burn for 2 hours straight without a fire ever getting through.
When we reached the top of the stairs, our efforts were greeted with the sight of another large AC unit, multiple boxes, paint cans, piles of unorganized pieces of hardware and a large collection of old trophies.
“We’ve won so many trophies we don’t have a place to put them.” Tyson explained.
This section of the “third floor” is home to the gymnasium AC unit and the water lines that connect to the locker rooms. On days where the temperature isn’t too hot and not too cold, the lines of the AC unit can become blocked up and flood. The results of this are a maintenance call and an aggravated janitorial staff.
Above the D Wing
We then went to a random door on the second floor that led to (surprise!) another concrete staircase. Up the stairs and to the top, a ripple of shock went through our party as we took in what we saw.
Although the room held another AC unit and various collection of water lines, the space around the unit was ginormous. Maybe not enough space for an entire pool, but the room could have easily fit three practice lanes in there with room to spare.
“I’d say eighty to ninety percent of our problems come from this unit,” Tyson explained. “The same blockages happen up here but on a way bigger scale. This is for this whole wing, so it’s a huge area. It will clog up and the whole thing will be flooded and the air conditioning will be out.”
As our eyes began to wander, Newspaper Advisor Steve Hanf pointed out the green putty that had been sprayed along the seams of the walls. Tyson explained to us that when the school was constructed, the builders sprayed a fire repellant putty to some places in the walls to stop a fire in case of emergency.
“It’s just really cool how they constructed this,” Tyson said. “I’ve known about this place since 2008 and it looks the exact same. Nothing has changed other than some parts and pieces, obviously.”
Taking it all in
As we return from our journey, our minds are not the slightest bit preoccupied with our newspaper assignments. Our group bids Mr. Tyson goodbye as we walk down the hall, excitedly discussing what we found.
Unfortunately, there is no secret bar or lounge for the teachers, nor a pool or second training room. There is, however, an abundant amount of history hidden behind staircases or next to a foil air duct. Our old hidden trophies and overstocked costume rooms are the guardians of all the successes and failures our school has seen.
Every time we win at regionals or put on another play, students of the past and present unite under one common fact: we all have left our mark on First Flight, in some form or another.
Sophomore Lana Walters can be reached at WaltersAl8586@daretolearn.org.
Junior Kat Gregg can be reached at GreggKa4446@daretolearn.org.
Feature: Girls (and guys) get glam with this local project
Note: Project Glam Girls and Guys was started by an Outer Banks resident after she had seen some of her daughter's classmates struggle to afford the cost of attending prom. Quinn Capps-Wartenbe, the founder of the project, was a joy to work with. We emailed back and forth for almost two weeks as she answered my questions, updated me with details, and inquired about the spring edition. Due to her efforts and the multitude of support from around the community, Project Glam Girls was able to dress and take care of over 200 students from across several northeastern North Carolina counties in 2024, and they are gearing up for an even bigger year this year.
​Publication date: March 2024
Glitzy prom gear is available at a discount
By Kat Gregg
Photo Editor
As April begins its fast-paced approach, many students on the OBX begin making plans. There are hair and nail appointments, dinner reservations, and picture locations to establish on the calendar. Outfits and accessories must be planned. Who will pick up the boutonnieres and corsages?
April means the largest and most important social event of a high schooler’s life: Prom.
Because of its importance in the average student's life, prom can take up a lot of time, energy and another important commodity – money. Prom attire alone is expensive, with most dresses costing upwards of $300, while suit and tuxedo rentals average $150 or more.
With prices that high just for a dream dress (not including any accessories like jewelry or shoes), many students can't afford to have a high-fashion prom experience.
But, in true Outer Banks fashion, there is always a solution. For some teens and their families, the solution to prom costs is a pop-up boutique in Manteo called Project Glam Girls.
Project Glam Girls (and Guys) was founded nine years ago by Quinn Capps, a long-time OBX local who came up with the idea of holding a free boutique for teens who may not have the means to have a glamorous prom experience.
“Prom is so expensive, more now than it was when I was a teenager,” Capps said. “I wanted to be able to provide every student that wanted or needed things for prom to have them.”
Hundreds of students and a multitude of community-driven donations later, Capps has been able to do just that. With drop-off locations in Barco, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, Buxton and Manteo, Project Glam Girls is able to collect almost anything prom-related.
“We are always looking for age-appropriate long gowns, men’s suits, tuxedos, shoes, handbags, jewelry, bow ties, full-length mirrors, hangers, dress bags, restaurant gift cards, salon gift cards and floral gift cards,” Capps said.
Project Glam Girls also accepts monetary donations to purchase things that may not be donated, like plus-size prom attire or accessories.
“This event has grown over the years and we (now) serve students from all across northeast North Carolina,” Capps said. “We have students who come from not only Dare County and Currituck, but Colombia, Ocracoke, Creswell, Edenton, Elizabeth City and more.”
But even with all of its success, running Project Glam Girls hasn’t always been glitz and good times. A few years after it started, the event was close to shutting down after losing its storage unit due to lack of funding.
“Storage has been a task every year,” Capps said. “For the first several years we paid for a controlled storage unit in Currituck with the donations we received. Then a year came when we didn't have the funds and it was almost the end of Project Glam Girls.”
But their Outer Banks community didn’t let that happen. After hearing the rumors that the project could be shut down, Manteo Faith Baptist Church reached out to Capps to offer storage space in the church’s attic.
Since then, Project Glam Girls has continued to support the community by helping teens and their families build positive memories in a special prom-shopping experience. When a student enters, they have the option to shop alone or have a volunteer shop with them. Volunteers are also available to hold any attire you pick up to later place in your personal dressing room.
“It's literally hundreds of dresses, suits, tuxedos, shoes, accessories and so much more,” Capps said. “Everything to set up a full-blown boutique for three days.”
For someone who may not have the means to visit an established boutique, Project Glam Girls brings both the professionalism and the uplifting environment that can only be created by a community of people that cares about local students.
“I cannot describe how many times I have seen students come in looking defeated before they ever begin to shop. By the end of their venture they leave with their heads held high and feeling confident,” Capps said. “I can't tell you how many parents come in and are in awe of what they see and are truly grateful.”
Through all of the ups and downs and everything in between, Capps has never been let down by the endless support she has received from the people in her community.
“It takes a village to pull this event off every year, and we have an amazing village,” Capps said.
Junior Kat Gregg can be reached at greggka4446@daretolearn.org.
Opinion: Time to nerd-out with Kat's favorite video games
Note: I had never written an opinions article bigger than a Point/Counter-Point up until this edition, so I was a bit skeptical about my abilities when I pitched the idea to my editors. However, they trusted me and my writing ability enough to run it in the Senior Edition - and it was a success. I now have two other game review articles under my belt, along with a First Place award from NCSMA for a Newspaper Review article. Moral of the story is to trust your editors, because their faith in you might lead you to great victory later on.
​Publication date: May 2024
Kat's Coolest Games
Kat Gregg COLUMN MUG, NO BYLINE
Now that summer is almost here, you may be panicking at the realization you have no personality outside of selling your soul to the American education system and/or the labor industry. Now that you have free time, you have no earthly idea what it means to relax for more than a 25-minute lunch break.
Fear not, fellow soldier! My name is Kat, and I love getting to play low-key, self-paced video games that let me escape from my (undiagnosed) seasonal depression. Gaming is something I enjoy, which is why I decided to play and review three of my current favorites for your consumption.
Each game will be rated on a KAT scale (a spin on a CAT hurricane measurement) with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest rating possible. Each game referenced can be found on Steam, a free app and platform that primarily lets you buy and download games to play on your computer of choice.
Arctico
Arctico is a slow, peaceful game about exploring the arctic with your team of sled dogs. Backed by beautiful skyscapes, you explore the wintery expanse of nothingness in search of the remnants of your late predecessor and the writings they left behind.
When I say that Arctico is slow, I mean that quite literally. This is not a game you should get if you like action-packed, storyline-fueled games about base building and conquering the world. Arctico is a game you need to evaluate based on its emotional themes and messages.
The notes you find are written like poetry, touching on themes of loneliness, longing, contentment, acceptance and change. The point of Arctico isn't to build the best empire or make the most money – it’s to explore the feelings of humanity reflected in the writing you find and the world you live in. The game is supposed to make you feel peaceful and content without having to constantly fight to survive.
On a normal day, Arctico costs $10. However, I snagged the game while it was on sale for $2. Sales are quite common on Steam, so it would not be too much of a challenge to buy this game for less than full price. There is also no additional in-game content to buy, either.
This game definitely separates the people who play games for the constant stream of plotlines and quests to feed their craving for virtual validation, and the others who enjoy games for their emotional depth and hidden meanings in regards to self awareness and humanity. Arctico scores a KAT 3 from me. This is a fantastic game, especially if you understand beforehand that it is not meant to be played like a hardcore survival game.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a pixelated role-playing game where you upgrade, renovate and live on a farm you inherit from your grandfather after his passing. You leave your boring office job in the city to arrive in the quiet community of Pelican Town. Once there, you begin to build relationships with the villagers as you settle into your new life as a farmer.
Stardew Valley is a very well-developed game. The graphics, music and plotlines you can share with each character are beautiful and carry an attention to detail unlike any game I have seen before. As I played, I began to care for and enjoy my little pixel-life.
One of the more convenient parts of Stardew Valley is that once you buy it, you don’t have to keep buying parts of the game to enjoy it more. The game itself costs $15. If you’re smart or just lucky, you can find it on sale around holidays or during random Steam platform events.
I haven’t been able to find many downsides to this game. Development updates take a long time, but the content they add never fails to make up for the time it took to be published. The cost is a bit high, but for the quality of the gameplay and storylines, it is absolutely worth it to me. I would rate this game a KAT 5. Stardew Valley is wonderful in both the gameplay and the community that enjoys it. In the gaming world, you really cannot top a great game and good people who play it.
The Sims 4
The Sims 4 is a free single-player life simulator where you can design, build, create and play as almost anything. From large multi-generational family groups to a lone and reclusive person, The Sims 4 gives users the freedom to escape into a life much different from (or similar to) their own.
All of this comes for a price, of course.
Although the game itself and the content you start with is free, the ability to enhance your creative skills (through either the Character Creator or Build Mode) is limited. By purchasing extra add-on packs, you can expand your ability and the variety of the things you create.
Depending on the additional content packs you buy, you have the power to create, edit and control creatures from vampires and werewolves to horses and cats. These packs can also include building items like wall and floor patterns, fences, doors, windows, staircases and furniture galore.
One thing you will learn quickly in The Sims 4 is that content packs can get expensive, fast. If the pack you buy simply adds on a few Build Mode items, that’s around $6. However, if you are adding in animals and/or magical creatures you can design and play as, and build items that match their theme, the cost of these packs can get as high as $60. Although there are sites that you can download free content from, you have to reinstall them every time the game updates, which can become tedious and annoying after some time.
I would rate this game a KAT 3.5. The Sims 4 is a great game for anyone who likes being able to design, build and create stories from their imagination. However, the high cost of additional content and constant reinstallation of other content you may use is a common setback while playing.
I hope my recommendations can help you discover a new interest. Enjoy your break and remember that if you find joy in doing something, keep doing it. Have a great summer, and feel free to email me with any games you enjoy as well!
Junior Kat Gregg can be reached at greggka4446@daretolearn.org.
Feature: Senior Billy Berryman knows a lot about lights
Note: I had proposed this article in class for our fall edition Artist In The Spotlight because I knew the student personally. Billy had been involved in theater my junior year, and we reconnected after the summer when we found out we were in a math class together. We'd been working together for a month before I interviewed him in the First Flight High School auditorium. I needed photos for his article, so he lowered a wench with lights attached to it and turned it into a photoshoot.
I think it was at that moment - watching him work with the medium he knew best, listening as he described his experiences, and laughing while recalling some of his most epic fails - when I fell in love with him.
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I won't give all the credit to journalism for bringing us together, but I will say that it definitely helped speed up the process. We have been dating for almost six months now, and I really do think there is a future for us past graduation (knock on wood, of course).
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Journalism has taught me that asking questions doesn't need to be invasive - it can be the way you begin to know someone best. In this case, it was exactly that.
​Publication date: November 2024
Berryman lights up the stage, without being on it
By Kat Gregg
Editor-in-Chief
It's summertime as you pull up to a Vusic concert to see your favorite artist. You and your friends worm your way through the crowd toward the stage, where the band is warming up against a backdrop of blue lights. The energy heightens as the lights start strobing and the bassist kicks off the show. While dancing your night away, you wish you could relive these feelings for more than a few summer nights.
Senior Billy Berryman doesn't have to wonder about what it would be like to work at a local concert – his reality is doing so professionally (and for fun) as a lighting technician.
What began as an interest in audio engineering three years ago led to a more “colorful” option after Berryman realized his passion could cause his health to decline. Due to their high exposure to loud music for extended periods of time without protection, 30% of the sound engineers tested in a 2021 National Library of Medicine study reported constant tinnitus (a loud, high-pitched ringing in the ears) and 41% showed a reduced tolerance to sounds they were previously fine with.
With the similarities of lighting and audio, Berryman decided to switch paths. Since then, he has continued working with lighting in various places around the Outer Banks, including the wildly popular Vusic shows on Roanoke Island, the Tap Shack and the Outer Banks Forum.
“I really like the community-building aspect of working on a stage, and doing lights is similar to sound with the technology parts of it,” Berryman said. “It’s still nerd stuff, so I like all the problem-solving and all that.”
Being able to solve issues when they arise is one of the key skills a successful lighting technician needs, along with handling the stress that comes with a malfunction. It’s all part of a challenging learning process that only gets easier with time.
“One time I didn’t know how to control the light effects properly, so instead of strobing, it would go the color I had programmed it to and then strobe lime green. I had that go on for like 40 minutes until I found out how to fix it,” Berryman said. “It's pretty funny now, but I was stressing because the other guy was like, ‘You need to make it go black.’ I was like, ‘Dude, it wants to go green, let it!’ ”
Although the lighting programs can be difficult to bend to your will, the struggle makes it that much sweeter when something goes right.
“Theoretically, (lighting) should be a really easy gig, but then something goes wrong and you have to spend two hours finding out how to fix it, and it's like, ‘Oh, well, that's why I showed up early,’ ” Berryman said.
Long workdays are a downside to any job, but dedication pays off in the form of a good reputation and tons of experience with lots of different programs, people and events.
Fellow lighting intern for the OBX Forum (and FFHS alum) Joey Kepler trained Berryman on the light system for the David E. Oaksmith Auditorium, teaching the ins and outs of the board and helping him advance his lighting skills. Over the course of two years, Kepler got to know Berryman and saw his passion for lighting grow with his experience.
“Billy has always, and I mean ALWAYS, had his foot on the gas,” Kepler said. “He's always ready to go, ready to work, and so eager to make the team succeed. So many times I would show up to the booth where he had already set up and eagerly had a list of ideas ready for the session.”
Showing passion as you pursue your interest is part of the recipe for a successful career, and after high school, he plans to go to college to learn even more about the job he loves.
“I enjoy the camaraderie that stagework and lighting builds,” Berryman said. “You go on tour, you get to see the world, then settle down and watch a bunch of free shows and make that community tighter.”
Kepler has no doubt that Berryman will make that community a better place.
“I don’t think there's a single place in the tech industry where Billy wouldn’t be absolutely adored,” Kepler said. “People with a passion like him can go anywhere, especially since there aren’t many like him, either.”
Senior Kat Gregg can be reached at GreggKa4446@daretolearn.org.