here - The Shield

Vol.11
No.2
February/March 2006
Laurel High School
Laurel, MD
25 cents
LHS Considers Adopting Uniform Policy for Next Year
Overwhelming Favorable Vote by Faculty and Community Meeting Set Uniform Initiative in Motion
By Amber Simmons
Laurel High School is currently taking steps in the direction of having a
uniform policy in place for the upcoming school year. Although it is not definite at time of publication, several
events have occurred which indicate the
stage is being set. At this month’s faculty meeting on March 1 the faculty
overwhelmingly voted 126-7 in favor
of uniforms for students. The faculty
and Northwestern – uniforms are already a part of their high school experience. These schools are the only four
of the more than twenty high schools
which have adopted a uniform policy.
The question of whether a uniform
policy would be adopted at Laurel has
been a hot one for awhile. The fact
that some local elementary and middle
schools have a uniform policy in place
encourages even more speculation.
Results of a recent Shield survey
indicated that 63 percent of LHS stu-
Students protest uniforms at March 7 community meeting.
also voted against uniforms for the
teachers 84-45. Last week an information session was held in the Media Center to address the uniform topic among
parents and members of the Laurel
community. The administration is also
in the process forming a uniform
policy committee.
For students at four Prince George’s
County High Schools – Charles Herbert
Flowers, Forestville Military, Suitland,
dents oppose wearing uniforms, and
most of those who oppose it are freshmen – a majority of whom were students at Eisenhower Middle School,
one of the fourteen middle schools in
the county to implement uniforms.
Oddly enough, the percentage of students opposing uniforms decreases by
grade: 94 percent of freshmen, 69 percent of sophomores, 65 percent of juniors and 63 percent of seniors. “I think
it’s because ninth graders see it as an
attack on individuality; twelfth graders
see that after four years it can help,”
explains Laurel High Principal
DwayneJones.
Many students prefer to wear namebrand clothing to school, which is an
idea that is recognized by the
Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing
Company, also referred to as Dickies.
The company is one of the many that
manufacture school uniforms. On their
website (www.dickies.com) the brand
lists benefits of school uniforms:
[Makes] Students Safer – No more
“gang colors.” There’s no reason to rob
a kid to get his/her expensive clothes.
Plus, people who don’t belong are easy
to spot on school grounds. Do uniforms
make kids safer? Seventy-five percent
of schools with uniforms say “Yes.”
[Influences] Classroom Discipline – Almost 80% of schools with uniforms say
classroom discipline has improved.
Uniforms promote good behavior and
provide an improved environment for
learning.
[Curtails] Peer Pressure – Uniforms
usually reduce the competition among
students to wear certain (and nearly always expensive) brands of clothing.
Over 75% of schools in uniform noted
reduction in peer pressure among students after adopting uniforms.
[Increases] Parental Participation –
The added responsibility of the parents
making sure that their children wear
their uniforms to school could lead to a
stronger working relationship between
school and home.
Improves] the Learning Environment
– Teachers surveyed say that uniforms
promote a “down to business” approach. Kids view uniforms as work
clothes and take school more seriously.
Fifty-two percent of principals surveyed said that uniforms had a positive
effect on student achievement.
[Bolsters] Self Confidence – Many stud-
ies have shown that kids with high selfforms, but how do the teachers feel?
“[Uniforms] would cut down on a lot
esteem perform better in school. By
eliminating a reason to feel self-conof unnecessary priorities. Students may
scious, uniforms can help improve be able to better focus on what they
should: academics,” states LHS English
children’s self-confidence and may lead
Instructor C. Jackson.
to greater class participation.
Will LHS students be required to wear
With uniforms, it would be more difficult for students to leave school once
uniforms? If so, when? “If I have my
they get off of the school bus because
way, it will be within the next two
they would easily stand out in a mall or
neighborhood if
they were wearing a uniform.
Those are the
benefits,
but
what are the disadvantages? According to various
sources,
there are many.
For
example,
forcing students
to follow a uniform policy –
which, according
to 66 percent of
the LHS students
polled, diminishes
their
chances to be
unique and expressive – sends
a message to students who praise
conformity and
reduces the importance of creativity. Although (Photos by T.Staffieri)
uniforms would
Everyone was provided an opportunity to express opinions.
make it easier to
identify intruders to the school, it would
years,” said Jones. He adds, “[Uniforms
make it harder for parents or faculty to
are] becoming more of a necessity.”
identify a student because everyone is
From the looks at the speed and
literally wearing the same thing. Even
progress of the uniform initiative,
though disadvantages do exist, “The changes may occur much sooner. Our
positives outweigh the negatives,” acnext issue will feature updates and recording to Jones.
sults of voting as well as an in-depth
look at student opinion on this controversial topic.
Students feel one way about uni-
New York Background Helps Mr. Dinkins Acclimate to LHS
New Assistant Principal Who Loves LHS Students Recently Becomes a Proud Father
By William Asiedu
Michael Dinkins. That’s exactly
what the nameplate reads on the desk
of Laurel High’s new vice-principal.
One would suspect that the vice-principal of the school would be able to
enjoy the luxury of his brand new office, but not in the case of Mr.
Dinkins. He smiles as he describes his
job as “constant.” He is constantly
on the go.
This man of action was born in
Brooklyn, New York, where he experienced the “best of both worlds,” as
he describes. “It was great growing
up. I enjoyed every bit of it. There
was nothing but love in the house.”
Dinkins attended college at Virginia State University, where he majored in and received a degree in Business Information Systems. He later
went on to graduate school at Cambridge University where he earned a
Masters Degree in Education. When
asked why he decided to become a
teacher, Dinkins explains, “I always
had a desire to educate…teaching was
just a natural progression for me.”
Although he is new to the Laurel
High staff, Dinkins is not unfamiliar
with Prince George’s County. He has
been in P.G. County for five years; he
worked as a math instructor at
Thurgood Marshall Middle School and
served as the math chairperson. How
did Dinkins end up at LHS? He received many offers to become viceprincipal from many schools because
he appeared to have the necessary credentials. Along with being impressed
by the LHS administrative team,
Dinkins was also influenced by two
of his principal friends to accept the
position at Laurel. Dinkins describes
his first week as being “interesting because it was about establishing respect, being the new guy with such a
high title.” Although the job is often
stressful, Dinkins contributes his success as vice-principal to his background as well as the neighborhood in
which he grew up.
“Growing up in Brooklyn, I had
seen a lot of negative things in which
many others have not even dreamed
of,” he explains. “I can relate to every
aspect, from those who have nothing,
to those who have it all. I have seen
and dealt with both sides of the fence.”
Although his job is strenuous,
Dinkins loves the students at Laurel
High. He explains that the “staff welcomed me with open arms.” Dinkins
understands that there are a lot of dynamic youth coming out of LHS and
he is looking forward to directing them
as well as all Laurel students in the
right direction.
Although he is the vice-principal,
that doesn’t necessarily mean he
doesn’t have a life. Dinkins has a wife,
as well as a newborn baby son who
arrived in January. In his free time,
Dinkins enjoys weightlifting, fishing,
golfing, and also football. He coached
a high school football team in New
York and was also a former assistant
but constraints as the vice-principal,
produces a conflict.”
When asked where he could see
himself in 10 years, he answered, “I
coach at C.H. Flowers here in Prince
George’s County.He explains, “I
would like to help the football team,
imagine myself being the principal of
a middle or high school, in P.G.
County.”
IN THE NEXT ISS
UE
ISSUE
UE:: The MYSPACE, XANGA & FACEBOOK ADDICTION !
Wha
t are the dangers
hat
dangers??
t are the benefits
hat
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The Shield
PAGE 2
February / March 2006
Voice of the Students
don’t have time to eat breakfast, you
are happy when lunch comes around
COMPREHENSIVE OR AP because you know you’ll have a long
time to eat as much food as you want.
DOESN’T SEEM FAIR
Thank you for taking the time out to read
Dear Editor,
I want to address the situation my letter and maybe you’ll consider it.
Freshman Jamilla Rountree
about class offerings. Why did they just
get rid of all of the IB classes? If they
WE HAVE TALENT TOO!
weren’t going to have the classes, why
did they offer them again in the first PROMOTE STUDENT BANDS
place? It confused a lot of students and Dear Editor,
I really enjoy the school
messed up a lot of people’s schedules.
newspaper.
I think it gives interesting
Also, for eleventh grade why are there
only two choices-comprehensive and up-to-date information. The
English or AP English? Some people Shield is not only good for students
are not ready for the AP English and parents, but also for others who
challenge, but don’t want to be stuck want to learn more about our school.
in the slow class either. Where is the However, I do feel that The Shield
does not promote school talent enough.
middle course?
I noticed that there is always a review
Sophomore Nachelle Edwards of a famous CD in the newspaper.
What about promoting CDs or bands
HEALTHY WATER
that involve the students at Laurel High
SHOULD BE INEXPENSIVE School. A lot of students here have a
band and want to be recognized.
Dear Editor,
Senior Malcolm Brown
Everyone is trying to teach us *Editor’s Note: Our next issue
how important it is to stay healthy in features a story on student bands.
this school. Why is water as expensive
ESTABLISH A SCIENCE
as a bottle of soda at the vending
machines then? I think a bottle of water
& TECH PROGRAM?
should be cheaper than a bottle of soda Dear Editor,
in a learning environment like a school.
I want to ask the administration
Junior Christoph Lohrengel and faculty of Laurel High School to
look into establishing a science and
LUNCH TIME NEEDS
technology program. Those of us who
are interested in science would find it
TO BE EXTENDED
useful to have a designed program to
Dear Editor,
help us prepare for college. I was
The lunch lines are incredibly transferred from a school mainly based
too long. There are way too many on science and technology. When I
people in each line. I wish that the came here, I was disappointed to hear
lunches were longer so that students that there were no similar programs for
had more time to get their lunch and science and technology. A program
actually eat it.
like this could do a lot of good for this
Sophomore April Williams school and all of its students. It would
be a terrific benefit to the student body
Dear Editor,
and the school’s reputation.
I think that Laurel High School
Freshman Raven Proctor
is a very good school. It has lots of
OUR SCHOOL SHOULD
things to do and has good things to
offer. However, when it comes to my HAVE A WINNING SPORTS
favorite subject, lunch, I feel that there
PROGRAM
could be some improvements. I feel like Dear Editor,
there is never enough time for lunch. I
I want the students here at
think that most people would agree that Laurel High School to be more involved
there needs to be a longer lunch period. in the sports teams. Laurel High School
People come in the cafeteria, get in has the potential to be one of the best
those long lines, try to hurry and get athletic schools in the county because
their lunch. By then, they have to leave. our school has about 2,300 students.
We should be able to do all those things I propose that we should have, at least,
and still have time to talk and walk a fourth of the students here involved
around. Class shouldn’t be shorter, but in sports. The main reason that our
a longer lunch would be better. When sports teams are so unsuccessful is that
you go to school in the morning and they do not have enough athletes that
YOU’RE EITHER
COMMENTS?
The Shield
February/March 2006. Volume 11, Number 2.
are willing to put in the effort or have
the eligible GPA. Laurel has many
athletes who are gifted but don’t have
the grades to play sports. Fellow
students, if we truly want to become
an athletically successful school then we
have to start changing the way we
approach both learning and athletics.
Freshman Wesley Jackson
SCHOOL NEEDS A
COMPUTER LAB
CONCERNS?
COMPLEMENTS?
Dear Editor,
There once was a lab of computers
Once useful, now
Downsized on scooters
No printing for us
Library or bust
Poor students now
Need full-time tutors!!
WE NEED A COMPUTER LAB!!
Stewed Seniors,
M. Allen
A. Branch
N. Ryals
UNIFORMS ARE A
GREAT IDEA
Dear Editor,
I am for uniforms because it
would take away the fashion competition and worries of what to wear .
My priority is to get an education. Uniforms will also ease on our parents’
pockets.
Sophomore Ra’Neta Oliver
COMPLAINTS?
QUESTIONS?
*Editor’s Note: See page 1 for
related story.
SUPPORT TRACK
Dear Editor,
I feel that the administration is
doing a good job. Keep up the good
work. Go Spartans! But, I feel as if the
school does not give enough support
to other teams, especially the track
team. Please support the Spartan track
team.
SEND A LETTER
TO THE EDITOR!
Junior Henry Ekisola
PROUD OF THE SHIELD
Dear Editor,
I love what you guys are doing!
The fashion show article was great and
we really need support form the school.
You guys gave us that.
Senior Rakeeda Wellman
Dear Editor,
I want to thank all of the
members of The Shield staff for the
great newspaper they produce. They
make our school proud.
Sophomore Dina Ramirez
[email protected]
The Shield is published by the students of
Laurel High School, 8000 Cherry Lane, Laurel, MD 20707. It is sold at the price of twentyfive cents per issue. The Shield is a member of
the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the
Maryland Scholastic Press Association, the
American Scholastic Press Association and the
International Quill and Scroll Society.
Staff
Editors
Editor-in-Chief
Tina Staffieri
Managing Editor
Justin Cousson
Assistant Editor
Antonio Quick
Layout
Tina Staffieri
Megan Bancroft
Melita Bell
Photography
Tina Staffieri
Copy
Amber Simmons
Asley Hanavin
News
William Asiedu
Feature
Krishna Dalsania
Sports
Brian Lentz
Entertainment
Amber Simmons
Asley Hanavin
Opinion
Nachelle Edwards
Exchange
Justin Megaughey
Managers
Advertising: Nancy Barboza
Public Relations: Darien Daniels
Jeslyn Miller
Business: Krishna Dalsania
Circulation: Kayla Williams
Patrons: Eva Kiourkas
Unclassifieds: Nachelle Edwards
Librarians: Amber Simmons/Melita Bell
Reporters
Alysha Brown
Lolade Bokini
Ra’Neta Oliver
Rodrigo Ortega
Taneisha Thomas
Justine Wheeler
Wesley McMillan
Advisor
Robert Giuliani
Principal
Dwayne Jones
The objectives of The Shield are to report
all news pertinent to the interests of students
and staff in an objective manner, to heighten
awareness in the student body, to increase involvement in student affairs, to provide entertainment, and above all, to provide a medium
of support and encouragement of the ideals
expressed in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. The
newspaper is run without any censorship from
administration or faculty.
Editorials in The Shield represent the views
of the editors. They do not necessarily reflect
the views of the administration, faculty, student body, advisor, or other members of the
staff.
Letters to the editor are welcomed and encouraged. Letters must be signed and written
in good taste. They are subject to editing. Please
deposit letters in Mr. Giuliani's mailbox, or
give them to any member of the staff.
The Shield
PAGE 3
February/March 2006
The Centre at Laurel Is a Hit for LHS and Community
Laurel Students and Staff Enjoy Many of the Establishments at New Shopping Center
By Ashley Hanavin
“This has been my best job so far,
which is exactly what my employees
predicted for everybody. Time goes
by so fast, and it doesn’t even feel
like work. Singing nonsense to popularized songs is fun and to be able to
work with Laurel High students and
other wonderful individuals makes
Coldstone feel like a home with family,” exclaims senior Jaymes Gabourel,
a shift manager at Coldstone Creamery, one of the stores that opened recently in Laurel’s newest shopping
center.
The Centre at Laurel Shopping
Complex on the corner of Route 1 and
Contee Road has only been open for
three months, but it is already a hit among students
and teachers here at LHS.
The center’s first stores
opened during the first
weekend of December after a two-year battle between outraged citizens
and the Prince George’s
County Council. In
2003, a Pittsburghbased company tried
to develop the land
into a shopping
center, but angered citizens argued that the
city did not
need another
shopping precinct or the increased traffic that would definitely come with it.
The plan was thus dismissed. In early
2004, Petrie Ventures proposed its
plan to the Council and it was approved in December of 2004.
The numerous stores that have
opened or are preparing to open in
the new center include Coldstone
Creamery, Starbucks, Eckerd Drugs,
Nextel Communications, Shopper’s
Food Warehouse, California Tortilla,
Longhorn Steakhouse, Beauty Connection, Petsmart, Three Brothers
Pizza, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, and
Chik-Fil-A.
The shopping center was seen as a
positive improvement by Mayor
Craig Moe and four other members
on the City Council.
“It’s
very
nice,” remarked Coldstone Creamery
Manager April Bolling in reference to
the new shopping center. “It’s almost
like when they renovated the Michael’s
Shopping Center [Laurel Lakes]. It’s
definitely gonna help out [the
economy]. We’re really busy [here at
Coldstone].” Senior Richard Tillery,
who also works at Coldstone, felt the
same way. “I think [the shopping center] will have a positive effect because
now some of the residents of [the more
rural parts of Laurel] have a place to
go.”
Coldstone held singing auditions
here at LHS for interested students.
Gabourel and Tillery were benefactors of the auditions.
Even though some of the storefronts are vacant at the present, they
won’t be for long. The stores and restaurants that have already opened are
inundated with customers already, including Bolling who is good friends
with the other managers in the
shopping center. She says that
she is already eating at Three
Brothers and California Tortilla.
English Instructor Robert
Giuliani has taken his family to
several of the restaurants and is
quite pleased with both the service
and the food. His only complaint is
that his young daughters, Angelica
and Francesca, always talk him into
going to Coldstone after each meal.
He explains, “This definitely hurts my
waistline!!”
Stores in the shopping center have
been organizing different events in order to attract more customers. On February 11,Coldstone held a “Family
Fun Day” complete with Laurel
our faculty meetings, Chik-Fil-A donated enough chicken sandwiches to
give each member on the staff a sandwich,” explains Principal’s Secretary
Chris Wenchel. She added, “Periodi-
Laurel Acting Deputy Police Chief Rich McLaughlin, Deputy
Chief David Crawford, and Laurel Mayor Craig Moe enjoy dinner
(Photo by Tina Staffieri)
at Three Brothers Restaurant.
High’s Principal Dwayne Jones as a
guest ice cream scooper. Jones was
trained by Coldstone employee LHS
freshman Ladeena Alexander. “We
had facepainting, Dora and Boots in
costume, and we had people making
balloon animals, and considering it was
snowing, it was full; we had a lot of
customers,” senior and Coldstone employee Toni Scott elaborated. She
added, “Everyone was happy.”
In addition to hosting family
events, several stores have been helping out the school as well. “For one of
cally they come in and give teachers
coupons for free sandwiches.”
Local Laurel resident Melinda
Ittenbach also agrees that the shopping center will be a financial plus for
the area. “It will boost the economy
because there are a variety of stores
and now people won’t have to travel
to go to the specialty stores,” she commented and added, “I may try out the
new grocery store.”
“[Working in the shopping center
is] great; it’s really good,” stated
Tillery.
Leaders of Promise Organize Red Cross Blood Drive
Forty Three Members of LHS Family Donate
By Nancy Barboza
“I do it to give back to the community,” replies Rakeeda Wellman.
“It’s for a good cause and it’s a
good learning experience,” explains Keba Baptiste. These are
just a few of the reasons why Laurel students and staff volunteered
to work and to donate blood for
the annual Blood Drive which was
sponsored by the American Red
Cross under the organization of
Laurel High’s Leaders of Promise.
The all day long event took
place on February 24 in the Media
Center. Leaders of Promise Sponsor Michelle McQuillan and her
club, Nursing Assistant Instructor Melissa Pumphreys along with
her students, and many other student and staff members volunteered for the good cause. All the
nursing assistants were patiently
greeting and signing in every person who was ready to donate
blood.
Rakeeda Wellman,Ogochukwu
Nwagbo, Keba Baptiste and
Ashley Francis were in charge of
registration. Porsha Taylor,
Shanice Downie and Shardel Thomas escorted the donors. Judith
Harmon, Oluwakemi Dada, Fekicia
Akyea and Miranda Richardson
were in charge of the Canteen.
The length of the procedure
consumes about 30 minutes, but
since the donor may feel a little
weak, an hour is more likely.
After donating about 1 pint of
blood, the donor is congratulated,
takes a rest and is given a drink
and a choice of cookies. When he/
she feels better he may go back to
class. The process is very organized with the nurses doing what
they are supposed to be doing and
the donors not exhibiting any
complaints.
Not everyone can be a donor. Some of the requirements include being 17 years or older; sixteen year olds may donate with
permission from parents. Also, the
donor has to weigh over 110
pounds, and be healthy which
means that he/she feels well and
can perform normal activities.
The donor may have conditions such as diabetes or high
blood pressure, but the condition must be under control. He/she
cannot have had a tattoo within
the last 12 months and cannot
have lived in the United Kingdom
or Europe since January, 1980 be-
cause of the diseases (such as
Mad Cow) which have existed
there since that time.
McQuillan described the event
as “very successful.” She explains, “Our goal was to acquire
40 pints, but
we ended up
with 43.” This
means that the
3 extra pints
that were collected is good
news for the
persons
in
need.
The
event
was
seemed more
organized
than years before thanks to
the American
Red
Cross
sending extra
people
to
help.
This
made it possible to schedule donors for
different times
to
prevent
overcrowding.
“I am proud of
the students
willing to help others. Proves how
wonderful Laurel High School
students are,” explains McQuillan.
Senior Joseph Adams, who is
a member of Leaders of Promise
was donating blood for his first
time. Last year he had tried, but
was unable to because he had a
temperature of 104 degrees. He
described the process as “very organized.” He further explained,
“More things like this should be
done to get [people] more involved.”
(Photos by Tina Staffieri)
The Shield
PAGE 4
February/March 2006
How Do We Stop Young People from Killing Each Other?
2005 Record-Breaking Murder Rate Compels P.G. County to Dig Deeper for Solutions
By Ra’neta Oliver
In recent years crime has been a
powerful issue for Prince George’s
County. Although crime is already
on the rise for 2006, it was last year
that proved to be an eye-opener.
The county broke its own record
for murders with close to 180
victims, almost one every other
day. This is a tragic milestone for
the county. According to NBC
New, murder is not the only violent
crime that is occurring; rape,
robbery, aggravated assault,
burglary, larceny, and motor
vehicle thefts are growing in
numbers as well.
Many of the perpetrators and
victims of crime are teenagers.
How do we stop young people
from killing each other?
Prince George’s County plans
to hire 200 new police officers each
year for the next few years
according to a Washington Post
report. New police plans aims at
developing harsher punishments
and better probation policies,
especially since most crimes are
committed by repeat offenders.
Police have met with many
community leaders to see how they
could help. Both leaders and police
recommend that neighborhood
parents take responsibility for their
own children since crime often
stems from misbehavior at a young
age.
According to an essay entitled
“Turning
the
Tide
in
America,”written by Robert
Moffit, Edwin Muse,and Patrick
Fugan, the real
root cause of
crime is the
breakdown of
the family. A
passage from
the essay
explains
o
n
e
potentially
bad situation
that can lead
chidren astray:
‘Regardless of
socioeconomic and
racial background,
the
essay
continues,
fatherless
children are
most likely to
c o m m i t
v i o l e n t
crimes as
teenagers and adults. And
because of the rising rate of
illegitimacy in the United States,
teenage crime will continue to
rise.’ If the rate of family and social
youth population also contributes
to the statistics. The Census
Bureau predicts that the number
of people in Maryland between
the ages of five and 17 will reach
more than one million by 2025.
Some glimmers of hope exists.
According to
state and local
officials, local
P.G. County
law enforcement
Teen Crimes officers have
already adopted
s e r i o u s
measures to
drive the crime
rate down, such
as the “do the
crime, do the
time” policy. In
Prince George’s
County, dating
back to 1996,
police initiated a
program
to
target streetlevel
drug
dealers using
computer
generated
incidence of
another large wave of youth crime maps to crack down on hot
offenders committing violent spots. The police department spent
crimes. Crime rates are cyclical and $640,000 on the project in the first
youth crime will probably increase year and made 703 arrests. Crime
this year. The huge increase in the fell in almost every category.
problems continues to rise in
Prince George’s County, it seems
that crime increase will follow.
The number of Maryland teens
tried as adults may be down, but
according to safety experts, the
state should begin preparing for
Local radio station WPGC 95.5
aired a special show discussing
D.C. violence in a state of
emergency. One of Laurel High
School’s own students, senior
Greg Jones, was featured on the
show, along with Congressman
Orange discussing revitalizing
D.C., rebuilding schools, and
other issues. Jones believes the
real root cause of crime is “schools
in general, [the fact that there are]
no good teachers and [an]
overflow of D.C. population into
other counties.” He concludes by
saying, “The rising crime rate
affects me as a student because
some of my friends are getting
shot!”
If you would like to learn more
about crime statistics in both our
area and in the country, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
publishes Uniform Crime Reports
(UCRs), a series of reports from
law enforcement agencies dealing
with murder and non-negligent
manslaughter. The Bureau of
Justice Statistics of the
Department of Justice conducts
the National Crime Victimization
Survey (NVCS), a collection of
information on rape and sexual
assault, robbery, and aggravated
assault.
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The Shield
PAGE 5
February/March 2006
In The News
Students Participate in Leadership Academy
Sponsored by Maryland Senator Giannetti
By Megan Bancroft
Nine Laurel students were
accepted into Maryland
Senator John A. Giannetti’s
Leadership Academy, along
with four students from High
Point, and two from Pallotti.
Titilope Akinlose, Daysha
Baker, Megan Bancroft, Hilda
Boateng, Alisha Brooks, Sernika
Catholic, Allisha Hemingway,
Aven Houston, and Mark Valle
were selected after being
recommended by several
teachers and office personnel
for their outstanding leadership
skills. Students had to go
through an application process
similar to college acceptances.
Senator Giannetti, Executive
Director Danyelle Thomas, and
Director of Curriculum Dr.
Victor Emerson chose students
who were active leaders within
their schools and communities.
“To make our final decisions we
had to look to the peer and adult
recommendations” stated
Thomas.
The first meeting took place
on December 10 at Hampton
Inn, in College Park, Maryland,
where students stayed
overnight and went though
several different introduction
activities, to learn their names,
and to build a stronger group.
Another activity took
place on University of
Maryland’s campus at the
Outdoor Recreation Center.
Students took part in several
different activities which helped
the students learn each other’s
names and personality.
Activities such as the rope and
climbing course challenged
each student to test their limits
and trust those around them
who spotted for them. “I made
it to the top!” exclaimed
Hemingway.
The academy was not at all
what the students expected. “I
thought there was going to be a
lot of writing,” stated Valle.
Hemingway and Catholic
agreed with Valle
“I would do everything
over again, given the chance”
said Akinlose.
In late January students
presented ideas for a
community service project to be
completed by the end of the
program. The academy has
planned to meet one Saturday
a month until May 20 when the
students will graduate.
Thomas explains, “The
staff hopes to have enriched the
students in a way that they feel
they have grown as leaders
having participated in the
academy.”
“We plan to continue the
Leadership Academy well into
the future,” concluded Thomas.
Board Hires New Superintendent
(photo:PGCPS website)
After a meticulous search, last month the
Board of Education approved Dr. John E. Deasy
as Chief Executive Officer of Prince George’s
County Public Schools. Deasy comes from the
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District
in California. His effective start date is May 1.
(in-depth feature story forthcoming)
School Newspaper Earns Silver Medalist from Columbia
Recently Laurel High School
received notice that last year’s
editions of their school newspaper, The Shield, won a “Silver
Medalist” award in a national
journalism contest sponsored by
the Columbia Scholastic Press
Association which is based at
Columbia University in New
York. The paper scored 870 out
of a possible 1000 points in the
scruitinizing critique. This award
was the highest of any school’s
paper in our county. The paper
also earned All-Columbian Honors for “Business Operations”,
which includes advertising and
finances. Other national results
are pending.
Last year’s paper was led by
Chief Editor Amber Gillette (who
is now the chief editor of Howard
Community College’s newspaper), Scott Barasch, Lindsey
Carmen, Mo Jaffri, Alvin Smith,
and Tina Staffieri. The newspa-
per has captured a variety of
other national awards since its
beginning in 1995.
Despite mostly a new, inexperienced staff, students aim to
make the 2005-2006 editions of
our school paper the best ever.
In the eleventh year, The Shield
staff is striving to continue to
have a professional look and high
standards.
Filled with school news,
sports coverage, student fea-
tures, letters to the editors, club/
class news, entertainment features and lots of photos, this tabloid-sized newspaper is now under the leadership of Chief Editor Tina Staffieri and Assistant
Editors Justin Cousson and Antonio Quick. The paper is guided
by Journalism Instructor and
Advisor Robert Giuliani.
Students do the writing,
typesetting, and complete page
design including advertising. Last
year the staff published over 150
pages.
Because the paper aims
to be self-sufficient, it relies
heavily on advertising and patrons to help pay for printing and
photography costs. If you would
like to place a tax-deductible ad
in the paper or become a patron,
please contact the newspaper
sponsor, Mr. Giuliani, at 301497-2050. We also appreciate
your input of ideas for stories.
LHS Presents... and the Talent Show
LHS Science
Fair Winners
Biological Science
THIRD PLACE - WHITLEY CLARKE AND RYAN ZAMORA
SECOND PLACE - BABAJIDE ADESOYE
FIRST PLACE - PHILLIP HAYES AND JENNIFER HAMMER
Physical Science
THIRD PLACE - HEAVEN SAKYI
SECOND PLACE - JESSICA GARSHELL
AND WARIN DEORNELLAS
FIRST PLACE - AMY FOWLER AND ASHLEY HANAVIN
By Krishna Dalsania
On the Monday evening before
the winter break the Junior Class
sponsored a winter showcase which
features a variety of performing
groups from the school. The LHS
Presents...event was organized by
Class Sponsors Tom Miller and
Andrea Nelson and assisted by
Foreign Language Instructor Henrique
Vissotto.
The clubs and groups that
performed included ROTC, the Step
Team, Cheerleaders, S.W.A.T. Dance
Team, Drill Team, Poms Squad,
Gospel Choir, and Drumline. Poetry
readings by a few students also took
place.
The emcee for the night was the
enthusiastic Mr. Robert Giuliani, a
Laurel High instructor of English,
Journalism, and television production.
He introduced each performance.
The step team, known as the
“Blaque Stallion Steppaz,” is
sponsored by Eraena Seymore and
Stephanie Walker. The Gospel Choir
is sponsored by Ms.Andrea Nelson.
The Presentation of Colors and
Retirement of Colors were presented
by the ROTC.
Juniors Candyce Martin and
Queen Esotu presented the national
anthem. The cheerleaders are
sponsored by Ms. Monique Lamar.
Drumline is sponsored by Master
Chief Sargeant Jimmy Jackson and
Colonel Douglass Hole.
“Better turnout than expected,”
said Kiara Wagener and Tylisha
Jackson, two of the helpers for the
showcase. This fundraiser for the
Junior Class helped others also. The
ticket for the night was a toy worth
$5 or a $3 entry fee. The toys were
donated to Toys for Tots; the money
went to the Junior Class. They also
had a concession stand available for
the audience and participants.
If one had walked in
one probably encountered the
courteous and artistic members of the
National Art Honor Society, who
provided free face painting for the
event. Art Instructors Miss Jones and
Miss Lee also assisted.
THE TALENT SHOW
Under the direction of Business
Instructor Mark Rivarde, a Junior
Achievement Class called the
Innovative Entrepreneurship Minds
produced a talent show which was held
on January 27. Tickets were $3 in
advance or $5 at the door. Before being
part of the show, the performers had
rehearsals and auditions. At least one
performer of each performance had to
be an LHS student, so people from
outside the school did perform in the
show.
Rivarde commented, “I think it
was a huge success.” The president
of the Board of Directors is junior
Yesenia Villena. Rivarde adds, “It
was a huge crowd of teachers,
students, and proud parents.”
The Shield
PAGE 6
February/March 2006
Weekend Ski Trip Provides Spills and Thrills
Annual Visit to Seven Springs Mountain Resort Always Creates Lasting Memories
By Wesley McMillan
A
fter a four hour ride on a
luxury bus, a beautiful
white mountainous landscape with speckled lights greeted
members of the Outdoors Club who
traveled to Seven Springs Mountain
Resort on the weekend of January 2729.
At first glance the Pennsylvania resort is a beauty. The sky-high hilltops
accompanied by ski lifts created a
breathtaking atmosphere.
Leaving
the
bus, luggage was
gathered
a n d
taken
to the
r e spective
hall-
(Photos by Tina
Staffieri & Seven
Springs Mountain
Memories)
ways as all took in the luxury of their
slopeside dwellings in the main lodge
where they would be staying for the
next two days.
Once settled in, students took full
advantage of Seven Springs’ many activities, including the arcade, skiing,
snowboarding, snowtubing, swimming, bowling, and miniature golf.
Many hit the slopes immediately on
Friday evening.
The morning brought new energy,
so all took action. With breakfast set
to begin at 7:30 am, some decided to
eat early and hit the slopes. The slopes
were powdery white, and by around
8:10 a.m. a line had already
began to build at the ski
lift
with
eager
snowboarders and skiers.
Each slope is rated with an
easy to learn system: green
circles usually point to the
easier courses while black diamonds take the interest of the
more masterful rider. Blue
squares appease the adept rider
who wants a challenge while still
knowing his limits.
Although some participants will
deny the fact, falling was no stranger
to anyone. Thankfully the falling
did not seriously injure any
students.
On the contrary, some
spills provided long
spells of ridicule
via
pointing and
laughing.
Overall, the
snowboarding/
skiing experience was what each
person made of it. Some took
lessons while others ventured on
their own. Many felt the need
to keep trying despite the falls
(although
some decided
the
falls
were enough
incentive to
cut short
their dream
of being in
the winter
olympics).
Others
perse-
vered enough to make it
on the expert slopes.
For those who did
stick with the “practicemakes-perfect”
method, much improvement was shown and
dismay found when
they realized the trip
would end before they
could perfect their art.
Snow tubing was
the pinnacle of the
Seven Springs experience, as our group was
given free passes for the
10:00 pm to midnight
Saturday session. Flying down an icy set of
hills, alone or bonded to
others, is thrilling and
as each student who experienced it will tell
you it is a must-do. Half the fun is the ride
back up.
The weekend temperature at the resort
ranged from a low of 10 degrees to a high of
45 degrees. A few were as bold to venture
down the slopes in bikini tops or t-shirts.
A planned group photo at noon on Saturday brought on much enthusiasm. Post
group pictures of individuals and friends
turned into delightful scenes. The Spartan
spirit was alive at Seven Springs and will
forever be illustrated through the enthusiastic
group photos taken there.
The phrase “My butt hurts” was said
by just about every snowboarder, including
senior Franklin Meyers, commenting on gaining much skill after much practice: “I can’t
fall anymore!”
Seven Springs also sported a varicontinue to behave, then
ety of professional-type hills and
he’ll continue to do the
halfpipes to satisfy the daring
trips. “The resort treats
snowboarder as well as the skier who
my groups right because
likes to get air.
we are organized and beBad news descended on the skier/
have properly.” In addition
snowboarder spirit as a report of posto student groups, Giuliani
sible rain for Sunday was spread for
organizes two family and
Sunday morning. Some rain did fall
singles group trips during
lightly, but it wasn’t enough to
the winter. Giuliani also
dampen the spirits of the diehards who
mentioned that he enjoyed
continued to enjoy the outdoors.
taking Coach Jones down
Spartans still found the bravery and
a black diamond slope.
love of skiing/snowboarding to go out
Principal Dwayne Jones
for one last ride. For those who opted
also chaperoned the trip
to stick with the indoors there was
as well as the two represtill much to do at the resort. The
sentatives from the City of
chaperones presented a prize to the
Laurel’s Parks and Recremost clean boys and most clean girls’
ation, Program Specialist
room. As time drew near to leave
Robin Cooch and Assistant
Seven Springs Mountain Resort evDirector Joanne Barr.
eryone was treated to pizza (courtesy
Giuliani added that all the
of the chaperones)as a reward for such
adult chaperones did an
good behavior and
outstanding job.
upholding the SparThe Outdoors
tan way of excelClub has a variety of trips
lence. Each teen took
planned for the spring.
one last look at the
Members of the club will be
mountainside and reattending Medieval Times at
called all the fun that
Arundel Mills and will venwas shared.
ture to Toby’s Dinner TheThe trip was orgaater to see Thouroughly
nized by the Outdoors
Modern Millie. Ice skating
Club Director Robert
and camping and canoe trips
Giuliani. This was his one
are also planned. S ee Mr.
hundred and third group
Giuliani in room 269 or contrip that he has organized
tact the City of Laurel
to the resort. Giuliani
Parks and Recreation at
stated that if the students
301-725-7800.
The Shield
PAGE 7
February/March 2006
German Lennart Buda Finds His Country Schools Tougher
Soccer Player Still Considers Attending College in America
J
amming to his oh-sofavorite hip-hop song,
German
foreign
exchange student Lennart
Buda fits right in with the LHS
crowd. One might be intimidated
by Buda’s handsome looks, but
there is also a friendly personality
underneath it all.
If one ever needed to locate
Buda after school, chances are you
will find him hanging with friends,
listening to music, or playing
soccer – one of his favorite
pastimes.
“I’ve played it [soccer] for 10
years in Germany and it’s my life.”
This is clear; last fall Buda played
for Laurel’s varsity soccer team.
When asked why he decided to
come to America, Buda
commented, “I wanted to better
with my English and one of my
friends decided to go and then I
just decided to go.”
Buda fully plans on taking this
experience to heart and has even
considered going to college in
America. “I plan to enter college
here and it’s completely different
than going to school in Germany.
It’s easier, I think.”
Observing the American
culture, Buda comments, “It
[America] is a different world. All
the slang and how Americans act.
With school, there are no snow
days in Germany and there aren’t
any school buses, just public
buses.”
“School
in
Germany is harder.
The classes are very
different. You can’t
talk in class. Your
parents get a letter if
you do something bad
and there aren’t any
excuses if you are late
to school or class.”
With his favorable opinion of
America, Buda claims, “Yes, I
would choose to visit America
again; it’s different. The people
are nice and it’s just the culture.”
How does Buda summarize his
American experience? “Great!” he
exclaims.
On any school day one can see
Buda walking down the hallways
with his friends in tow. Although
he is from another country, he is
just like any other teenager. Some
would be nervous or scared when
it comes to making new friends in
a new school, but try doing it in a
country that is unlike your own in
so many ways. Buda has made this
transition successfully and isn’t
outside looking in.
Even though Buda is pleased
with the new life he has created in
Laurel, he still misses his native
country. “I miss my friends,
school, and soccer,” he comments.
Being in America has had its
positive effects on Buda. “Before
I came here [America] I was
dependent and now I’m a lot more
independent,” he says.
Students at LHS feel as though
the policies are too strict. Buda,
on the other hand, is enjoying the
freedom. “School in Germany is
harder. The classes are very
different. You can’t talk in class.
Your parents get a letter if you do
something bad and there aren’t
any excuses if you are late to
school or class.”
Weiterführende Schulen,
which means continuing school
in German is a lot different than
schools
in
America. In
Germany, there
is a thirteenth
grade and in
eleventh grade
a student is
required to take
12 subjects and
33
lessons.
Each lesson is
about
45
minutes long.
For the German
male students,
they also must
either join the
army for 10
months
or
work
in
government
s o c i a l
businesses
for a year.
Although
coming to a
place where
the school
systems are totally
different from which you are
familiar is somewhat staggering,
the adventure of traveling to a
new land, experiencing new
(PHOTOS BY TINA STAFFIERI)
By Melita Bell
activities,
meeting
n e w
people
a n d
starting a
new life
temporarily
have been
reewarding.
Some would
find
the
experience
overwhelming,
but for Buda,
it’s
just another
challenge to conquer.
Brazilian Rodrigo Ortega Seeks to Broaden American Experience
Shows Love for both Native Country and Soccer
By Melita Bell
B
razil is the largest
country in South
America. Despite
the millions of people
in Brazil, only a few become
students at Laurel High School.
Among those chosen is senior
foreign exchange student,
Rodrigo Ortega.
As one can guess, life is
different when it comes to
Brazil and America. Ortega
notices the differences and
comments, “The culture is
different, but I like it.”
Being in a different
environment brings out
the positive in Ortega.
He has big plans for his
future. “I would like to
visit America again,
but visit different
states. I plan on
going to California
later this year.”
As one may already
know, Brazil is well-known for
the citizens’ love for soccer or
futbol. Ortega said, “People
know Brazil as the soccer
country, especially during the
World Cup. Ortega shows much
pride when it comes to his
country. His love for
soccer was evident
this fall as a member
of Laurel’s varsity
soccer team.
Ortega is trying to
soak in as much
of the
(P
HO
TOS
American
BY
TINA
STAF
experience that
FIE
RI)
time will allow. Faculty,
staff, and students at LHS have
positively
affected
his
experience. “I have came from
Brazil to a new place. I had to
try and make
friends. I have
become
more
talkative and outgoing.”
Ortega is a very kind
person. One can see him
in the hallway very
focused and willing to
answer any questions you
might have. Ortega is also a
very modest person who has
a hard time describing himself
in one word. “Uhh, ‘organized’
because I am always organized
and neat. My mom and my host
mother also say I’m organized.”
Along with his organization
skills and his love for
soccer is Ortega’s school
spirit. He is a member of
Laurel High’s newspaper,
The Shield, and is also a
member of Laurel’s
swim team.
Ortega enjoys pop/
rock music and one of
his favorite artist is
American artist Jack
Johnson. Ortega also
enjoys hanging out with
friends, his exchange
student
brother,
Christoph Lohrengel, and with
his host mother, Cathie Mott.
Having all of this fun doesn’t
stop Ortega from thinking about
home, which is Dourados, Mato
Grosso do sul. He says that it is
very warm in his hometown and
he solemnly admits that, “I miss
my family, friends, and Brazilian
food.”
Being an exchange student
can be difficult. One has to leave
everything behind to come to a
strange place where almost
everything is different. Ortega
wasn’t always sure about
becoming an exchange student.
“I was thing of about it
[exchange student program] last
year, but I was unsure. My friend
wanted to go and it was my last
“I have came
from Brazil to a
new place. I had to
try and make
friends. I have
become
more
talkative
and
outgoing.”
year of being in the program, so
I decided to go.”
Ortega said that making his
decision is one that he will never
forget. He has learned much
from his amazing adventure and
he said that he will cherish this
experience and remember it
forever.
The Shield
PAGE 8
February /March 2006
Soccer Is a Way of Life for Senior Krystal Krpan
All-County Player Overcomes Injuries; Looks Forward to Softball Season
By Eva Kiourkas
Since she was four years old
she has been playing soccer
every year. It was almost certain
that her long-lasting love for the
game would have led her to
success in the sport. Seventeen
year old senior Krystal Krpan
started all four years of her high
school career and was named to
The Gazettes’All-County Girls’
Soccer Team.
Krpan was nominated by a
series of coaches and reporters
who had watched her
throughout her seasons. Former
Laurel High Soccer Coach
Terry Parfitt informed her of
making the team back in
November
during
a
Renaissance assembly.
“[I was] excited! I
couldn’t stop smiling,” stated
Krpan, reflecting on her
reaction to the news.
After the announcement, the
proud Spartan did what anyone
would do in this situation; she
called her mom to share her
excitement.
“Very agressive” and “
good ball skills” states Parfitt
about Krpan’s soccer skills.
Parfitt adds that Krpan is a good
player because she has a good
knowledge of the game since
she has been playing for so long.
One highlight of her career was
when she scored five goals in
an 11-0 victory against
Central.
Nevertheless, Krpan’s road
to All-County was not an easy
one for her to make. At the
beginning of her sophomore
year, Krpan went through a
transition in coaches from
former Coach Terry Parfitt to
current coach, Yolanda Cooper.
She explained that both ran things
differently and that the transition
was a big adjustment for her.
Then, during a game in
her junior year in October of
2004, Krpan tore her anterior
cruciate
ligament (ACL)
by landing wrong . The
following month, Krpan
underwent surgery.
“It was the worst feeling,”
exclaims Krpan, who had to take
an 11-month break from sports
following the surgery. She had
to go through a series of
physical therapies three days a
week, each lasting three hours,
to strengthen her leg muscles
again. In total, she has had 3
knee surgeries.
After recovering, Krpan
returned to soccer for her senior
year and plans to play
another sport this spring
– softball. Krpan defines
soccer as her serious and
life sport and softball as
her fun sport, but insists
both are a blast to play.
However, while playing
sports Krpan wears a knee
brace to help prevent reinjury.
Krpan is finishing up her final
year at Laurel High while
playing sports, working, and
hanging out with friends. She
is also an active member of
the Outdoors Club.
After her senior year comes
to a close, Krpan has been
accepted to West Virginia
Wesleyan College, a private
division two college that has
offered a scholarship to Krpan
to play soccer starting fall 2006.
Keeping soccer in mind, she has
chosen to major in Athletic
Training following her extensive
physical
training
after her
injury.
Krpan
expressed
t h a t
“Being in
P
T
(physical
training)
so much
a f t e r
surgeries
made me
interested
in how
the body
moves
and heals
a f t e r
injuries”
In the
future she
w i l l
continue
to play in
hopes to
earn
a
p o s i t i o n (Photos by Tina Staffieri)
on a women’s professional
national team.
The Shield
PAGE 9
February / March 2006
A Look at Pioneering Women In Black History
Celebrating Walker, Dandridge and Winfrey in Honor of both Black History and Women’s History Months
‘colored’ women. Walker
noticed that a great number of
black women were losing their
Yes, it’s the new millennium hair and created her company
and while we continue to look in Indiana to address the issue.
to the future, we must learn to
Oprah Winfrey, born
reflect on the past to better
understand what our future
may hold. With the month of
February celebrating Black
History and March being
dedicated to women, it is fitting
that we take a look at a few
African-American women
who have made an impact on
not only just women’s lives, but
on society itself.
By Justine Wheeler
and Jeslyn Miller
Madame C.J. Walker is
best known as the creator of
many of the hair products used
today. Perms are one of her
creations. She was the first
female millionaire, and her
contributions to society include
some of the first hair products
specifically designed for
Oprah Winfrey
January 29, 1954, in
Kosciusko, Mississippi, has
impacted society and the
economy in various significant
ways. She uses her powerful
position as a daytime talk show
host to help promote social
change. She started her on-air
reading club in September of
1996 to promote literacy and
she established Oprah’s Angel
Network in 1997, which raised
$3.5 million to fund college
network scholarships for
students with financial needs.
Winfrey has made milliondollar contributions to society,
varying from giving to
individuals or to entire
organizations – especially to
colleges such as Spelman and
Morehouse.
Now to all the females in
Laurel High who aspire to
become actresses, there would
be no hope for you if Dorothy
Dandridge hadn’t paved the
way for young, AfricanAmerican females. Born on
November 9, 1922 to Cyril
and Ruby Dandridge, Dorothy
was a successful actress since
her early days. Moving from
church to church with her older
sister and only sibling, Vivian
Dandridge, the pair took their
talent across the country to
meet their third partner, Etta
Jones. Collaborating with the
Madame C.J. Walker
thirteen-year-old, the traveling
act became the Dandridge
Sisters.
Like all traveling groups,
the Dandridge Sisters didn’t last
forever and Dorothy eventually
left to act solo. She continued
traveling around the U.S. and
eventually starred in the movie
Carmen Jones. Dorothy was
then nominated for an Oscar
for Best Actress and became
the first black women to be on
the cover of Life Magazine.
Unfortunately, Dandridge fell
victim to a long battle with
depression and died in her
West Hollywood apartment in
1965 due to an overdose of
anti-depressants. She was only
42 when her life came to an
abrupt end.
Although when many think
of Black History Month they
automatically think of civil rights
leaders such as Martin Luther
King, Jr. and Malcolm X, one
must remember that behind the
strength of many a black man
lies a strong, influential black
woman such as Walker,
Winfrey and Dandridge.
The Shield
PAGE 10
Retirements, transfers, and career moves continuously change
the face of Laurel’s staff. This year
alone, over thirty new faces have
come aboard. Let’s take the opportunity to meet some of the newest members of Laurel’s family.
Throughout the entire year, we will
highlight new staff members for
our students.
MRS. BANKS
By Justin Megaughey
“Start off doing your very best
so that you don’t have any
regrets.” Who spoke these wise
words-Plato,Aristotle,
Michelangelo?
This quote
came from Laurel’s own LSN
and US History Instructor, Mrs.
Sundra Banks. Banks is one of
the many new additions to our
faculty and is someone who is
very keen on finding the best in
everyone. “My mother always
said, ‘I want your best’.” It is a
quote that she lives by, and if you
have Banks as a teacher, you
know that she also teaches
according to this philosophy.
Banks is the eleventh of
twelve children and grew up in
the small town of Chatham,
Louisiana. “I’m proud to be a
little southern girl,” Banks stated.
After graduating from high
school, Banks decided to stay in
the South to attend college. She
attended Louisiana Tech and
majored in political science.
After college, Banks had many
jobs before she finally became a
teacher. Such jobs included
manufacturing
engineer,
librarian, and working at the
Environmental
Protection
Agency and the Department of
Labor
for
the
federal
government. So why did she
decide to become a teacher after
majoring in political science?
Banks simply states, “Teaching
is not a job for me, it is a calling.”
Prior to coming to Laurel,
Banks taught at Annapolis
Alternative Middle School,
Greenbelt Middle School, and
most recently, Suitland High
School. When asked what the
biggest difference between the
two schools was, Banks said
“Laurel is closer to home.” She
added, “Laurel is not as big as
Suitland and is more organized.”
Most new teachers feel like the
new kid on the block, but that
was not the case for Banks:
“The staff was very receptive
and I felt very welcomed. I felt
as if I have been here for 42
years already.” Banks leaves the
students, especially the seniors,
with this piece of advice:
“[Students should] have a work
ethic that is tantamount to their
sense of entitlement.”
MS. GEISSLER
By Antonio Quick
“I think teaching is a
profession where you learn from
your students and about
yourself,” states Erica Geissler,
a new addition to Laurel High
School and the Laurel
community in general. Coming
to us from Michigan, Geissler is
spending her first year teaching
English 10. Geissler was born in
Erie, Pennsylvania but was
raised outside of Detroit,
Michigan. She attended Western
Michigan University where she
earned a Bachelors Degree in
English and speech.
“I love English and I love
writing,” Geissler says smiling.
“Instead of using my English
degree to do independent work
I wanted to help students
become successful. I wanted to
do a service.” Geissler has an
older sister who also teaches
special education. “She’s a role
model to me. She did a lot of
things people thought she
couldn’t do. She went to college,
she married in college, and now
she’s a mother and a teacher.”
Just moving to Laurel in
August, Geissler seems to be
adjusting well and seems pleased
with Laurel High School. “I think
it’s a great place to teach.” She
adds, “I’m grateful for the
support I’ve received from
people in my department. I don’t
think I could have asked for a
better group of people to work
with.” She also seems fond of
her students. “I learn a lot every
day from my students. It’s a
challenging job [teaching], lots
of responsibility, but when
students give back, that’s when
you know.”
In high school Geissler
enjoyed two subjects which one
often does not find paired.
“English was my favorite subject
but the subject that challenged
me the most – that I enjoyed –
was math. I would definitely
describe myself as hardworking
and self-disciplined, but it’s hard
for me to be mean,” She believes
that not being able to be mean
“makes teaching a little
challenging.”
What are Geissler’s goals for
this school year? “To walk out
of the doors on two feet,” she
jokes, “but really to be the best
teacher I can be to my students,
my colleagues, and myself.”
MS. ROSSI
By Brian Lentz
“Students should always
hold on to hope.” That is Ms.
Rossi’s advice for not only her
students, but for every other
student in Laurel High School.
Ms. Rachael Rossi was
born in the windy city, Chicago,
Illinois, and later moved to
Kansas, Texas, and North
Carolina, where she attended
Grimsley High in Greensboro.
She then graduated from Florida
State University with a major in
Secondary English Education.
Her parents originate from
Pittsburgh. Rossi’s ties with the
city make her a Steelers fan.
Rossi has taught English 8
through 11, drama, journalism,
and creative writing in both
North Carolina and Florida.
Rossi then moved to Baltimore,
and now treks to LHS every
morning to teach English 11
UHS and Research 1 UHS.
“I have always wanted to
live in the Washington
Metropolitan area, so I applied
to school systems all over the
area. This location is convenient
because I could live in either
Baltimore or Washington and still
get here,” explains Rossi. She
enjoys teaching her students
February/March 2006
and family, discussing politics,
and playing with her rabbit,
Humphrey. Humphrey is a 16pound French Lop. Humphrey
enjoys being petted and eating
pears.
MR. SMITH
By Eva Kiourkas
Reading, watching movies,
playing videogames, and hanging
out with friends may sound like
regular everyday activities to the
average Laurel High School
student, but it’s also how new
first-year teacher, Matthew
Smith, enjoys spending his free
time.
Smith was born and raised
in Birmingham, Alabama. He
attended Chelsea High School
and
participated
in
extracurricular activities such as
soccer and track.
Smith described himself as
a “good student” and “goofy”
when he attended high school.
After graduating, Smith enrolled
at the University of Missouri
where he majored in journalism.
He chose journalism as a
major for many reasons. “It
seemed the coolest as a senior,”
exclaims Smith, “[and] I liked
writing.” Smith then went on to
say that journalism was the best
way to write and see the world.
Currently, Smith teaches
ninth and eleventh grade English
as well as Research on the
second floor in room 237, and
so far he seems to enjoy Laurel
High School. He explains,“It’s
good so far; the people are nice.”
In one word, Smith
describes his teachings as being
“conversational.” He also states
that he enjoys the variety of ages
that he has in his classes.
Mr. Wenk
because they are both curious
and interesting.
In her spare time, Rossi
enjoys reading, cooking,
spending time with her friends
By Darien Daniels
Mr. Brian Wenk, a new
Social Studies instructor here at
Laurel High School, is a native to
Maryland, born and raised in
Prince George’s County. He is not
unfamiliar to teaching, for he
previously taught for five years at
Largo High School and at Benjamin
Tasker Middle School for two
years.
Wenk attended undergraduate
school at Bowie State University
and later attended McDaniel
College in Carroll County, taking
off-campus courses. His major at
McDaniel College was history
education, and his major at Bowie
State was political science.
In addition to teaching
government, Wenk also teaches
law. He also finds the time to assist
Mr. Rooney with the Mock Trial
team.
Wenk has positive feelings
towards Laurel. He states that he
is very happy to be here, that other
schools are not as organized as
Laurel and he likes how things in
the school run smoothly. He also
feels that the administration is very
supportive.
In general, Wenk has no
problems with his students. He
feels that they are good kids. He
explains, “In order to be an
effective teacher, you have to
connect [with students] in some
way.”
What inspired Wenk to become
a teacher? He explains that he
originally aspired to be a lawyer.
Before law school, Wenk took
some side jobs as a substitute
teacher. After a few days of being
a substitute, Wenk decided that he
wanted to teach. He felt that
teaching could “fill an inner need”
of his. In addition to his passion
for teaching, Wenk enjoys
reading, singing karaoke, playing
pool, and playing volleyball.
Wenk feels that the most
difficult aspects of teaching are the
long hours and the dedication that
is put into it, along with the volume
of work. He goes on to explain that
teaching is definitely not a “nine
to five job.”
The most rewarding part about
teaching – according to Wenk – is
when a student understands and
grasps a concept. He states, “The
moment when a student gets itthat’s the rush. It’s like skydiving.”
The Shield
PAGE 11
BEAUTIFUL
I love you. I am pressed. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Always and forever
February/March 2006
“CLYDE”
I hate Valentine’s Day, but I love you!
Bonnie
Hot
MY NEISHA BEAR
Girl I freaking love you…wow, your like
so…Awesome! I’ll always be there for you and I love
you to death. Take care of Malcy.
Pookie-beans
LIZ
Happy Valentine’s Day chicka! And don’t be
sad, we can be single together. Thanks for
being there and chillin’ with me all these
times. XOXO
Nachelle
PHILSTER
Road Trip defiantly happening! I don’t want to
leave! Sorry for not talking but it will get
better! Quality time at the nursing home! OOF
in effect!
Me!!
MY BUDDIES
My girls for life you know who you are.
Jeslyn
TO ALL THE GIRLS WHO HAVE BEEN
DUMPED
Sorry…um…at least you don’t have to buy
anything, right?
John Michaels
MY ALEX AKA THE GUY NOT IN
SCHOOL
You’re everything to me, babe. I love you with
all my heart. I don’t ever wannna let you go!
Your lil baby girl
EVERYONE
Hugs for everyone, because Valentine’s Day is
for love.
Anonymous
ALL MY FRIENDS IN LHS
Happy Valentine’s Day to you! And I hope that
special someone, whether a boy or girl, I want
you to be theirs. Good Luck.
“Unique”-Elizabeth
ALL MY BUDDIES
Hey everyone! Happy Valentine’s Day. Hope
you’ll find love someday. LOL
Krishna
EVERYONE
Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope someone special
will find you, so good luck. Who knows, that
person may be around you.
KD
DI AKA BOOTS AKA PANTS
You’re my boo for real and I love you to death.
I had so much fun with you this year. Happy
Valentine’s Day!
Kay
MY BOO BOO
You’re the best, Boo Boo. Don’t know what
I’d do without you. Love Ya! *muah*
Jen
MY BABY
I love you so much. You’re my everything.
*muah*
Jen
ALL THE 2006 CHICAS I KNOW
Happy Valentine’s Day! May god help you find
a dude, and give you people someone else to
complain to. Love you all!
Shishi
MR. GIULIANI
Congratulations- The Shield is making raves
all over. Keep it up
Lolade B.
CALISA
1. That’s all I can say. You are the only one for
me.
Wesley
TIFF
Yes, you are still my best friend ever!! (I need
to get them to make them legal words)
Sunshine
EVA KIOURKAS
Happy Valentine’s Day babe. Kind of hard to believe
it’s almost 2 years.
Brandon Thomas
EVERY GIRL I KNOW
You’re all beautiful, so Happy Valentine’s Day and
stay lovely.
John Michaels
CHERRY LANE HONNIES
Shanae, Sally, Christina, Haja, and Breanna, I love
yall!
Flying Solo
NANCY
Have fun being single and mingling. Drink water and
nothing else. XOXO
Nachelle
KATIE
Hi! I love you!!
Megan
SENIORS
Go O6!
Fellow Senior
ESTHER HEMING
Happy Valentine’s Day Mom. I love you!
William Asiedu
JESUS
Thanks for loving me, no matter what I do. You are
love.
Me
MR. GIULIANI
Thanks for dedicating so much time to the newspaper.
You are the best. Keep being the best.
Nancy
MY HOMIE
Thank you for being there for me. Thank you for
making and keeping me happy. Thank you for
listening and understanding. Thank you for loving me.
Your baby
ANG, PHIL, JO, ASH
Hey, I love you guys! Good Luck with the play and
you guys are so wicked Awesome!
Hugs and Kisses!
Melly Belly
TO ALL THE LADIES
Do not fear the Brad. He comes to spread the love.
Brad Lust
GREG
The season of love ‘tis the season of Greg! Obey the
dance Commander!
Greg
AMBERLYNNN!
Well lookie at you Miss EIC of HCC’s Newspaper!
Don’t worry, I’ll be there next year. Then HoCo peeps
can see what a REAL newspaper looks like, PGC High
School style.
Tina
CALISA
I hope you like reading these. I just like telling you
how much you mean to me, and it’s printed 1500
times! That’s a lot of Love!!
Wesley
JOY WASHINGTON
Happy Valentine’s Day to my split image, you are one
of a kind.
Michael Johnson Jr.
DANIELLE JONES
To my sweetie, be mine on this Valentine’s Day.
Michael Johnson Jr.
NYEAKA HARROD
To the best dressed girl out there, here’s a message to
show I care. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Michael Johnson Jr.
MY SOULMATE (MUSIC)
Love is patient, Love can be blind, but with you, Your
Love is true and you’ll always be mine. As long as
Father Time is on my side, I’m going be there, until
the two of us dies.
Karlese
MY POOKIE BEANS AND HER SEANY POO
I love both of you guys so much! I wish you the best!
Stay together forever!
Neisha Boo
MY HONEY BUNCHES (OF OATS)
Baby remember: Love is better shown than told…and I
see “Love in your eyes” (When there open) LOL!!!
Sweet Thang
ALYSHA BROWN AKA SMART MOUTH
Happy Valentine’s Day. Hope your smart mouth finds a
real smart-mouthed valentine. Love Will
William
MEGAN
Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you get your ipod
fixed! LOL.
Eva
THE LETTER V
If I were in charge of the alphabet, I’d put you and I
together!
The Letter D
RONALD BONILLA
Baby you’re the best!!! I can’t see me with anyone
else. I hope we stay together forever and guess what?
“Nobody ever made me feel this way, I’m going to
stick with you”…I love you mucho mucho!
Rosenda Ramirez
GREG
You are the shining light during my dark days. I love
you man!
Greg of the Hood
JANEE’
I have no idea where I’d be if it wasn’t for you, Thank
you for everything you’ve ever done. You’re truly one
of a kind!
Megan
Reggie
Hey Baby, I love you!
Anonymous
SOAP
IPLLU4E
Bubbles
BUBBLES
IP2LU4E
Soap
JEREMY K
Even though you almost killed me, I forgive
you. BTW Elvish hot.
Kylle
MY ANGEL OF MUSIC
I love you so much. Thank you for being an
awesome friend.
Marco
THE FLUTE SECTION
I know I can be a tyrant at times, but I truly
appreciate and love your work and efforts. All of
my love.
Marco
B
Hey baby. I’m glad that we’re alright. I love you
so much. Be mine forever! Happy Valentine’s
Day. I couldn’t love you more.
Poohda
ROSIE, DIANA, JENNY, ADRIANNA & LIZ
Thanks for always being there for me. I love you all,
don’t change.
Nancy
SNUGGLEBUNNIE
Baby I love you more than you will ever know. I
appreciate you always being there when I need you.
You truly are my knight in shining armor. Happy
Valentine’s Day Hunny!!
Your Little Booba
MR. BURNS
You are fly! Real fly cuz! Stay cool man! Heck
yes.
Felicia
NACHELLE
Thanks for always being there for me, you are the best.
Nancy
VIREN PATEL
Yarr, we’ve been through so much, and have so
many memories. Don’t ever forget me!
Tuba
MA
Awww, I love you so much. Thank you for always
being there for me.
Your Kay Bear
TOLANE BELLI
Happy Valentine’s Day. Save me some chocolate.
Lolade B.
DY AKA HATIAN BEAN AKA TATOR TOT
I know you don’t have a Valentine! LOL so in case
nobody tells you that they love you, know that I do!
Your best friend in the whole world
BRANDON THOMAS
I’m proud of you babe! You did it! I love you B-rand!
Eva Kiourkas
TO MY BIG SISTER, TRISHA
You’re so nice to me! And you give great advice!!
LYLAS for ever and always!
Rina
THE THREE MUSKETEERS
Valencia, Cedric, and Mike, You guys are great friends.
I can always count on you guys for a smile
Lil Rina
TO MY BABY
Happy Valentine’s Day. Thank you for being my best
friend.
Me
MY BIG BROTHER, BANCLAY!
You’re the best at everything, especially at being my
XO! You’re the best! Love you a lot!
Rina
ROMMIE
“Assumptions!!” LoL
T-Staff
ALEX SCAFIDI
Je t’aime plus qu’hier moins que demain.
Ashley
ALEX SCAFIDI
I hate Valentine’s Day but I love you.
Ashley
JENNI
Happy Valentine’s Day! I love you Jenni J. I am
smarter than you; it’s official
Your ex-cell mate
MY LUNCH TABLE (ESP MEL & PHIL)
I love you guys! *smile* for many lunches to come!
Mel, Phil, you are the best!! J
Jes
THA BOY I HATE!!! (WILL)
At first I hated you but now I don’t… (lol) PSyou’re a good friend, one day you’ll make some
lucky girl happy!
Smart mouth (neisha)
HUBBY
Thanks for always being there for me! You are the
best hubby anyone can have!
Wifey
WESLEY AKA HOTTNESS
Well I just want you to know that I care a lot
about you. You make me so happy and I love the
time we spend together. Happy Valentine’s Day
Hotness with so much love, Creamy
Calisa Carter
ROSANNE (Mama Jama)
Happy Valentine’s Day. Thanks for always being
there.
Robert
FRANCESCA & ANGELICA
You always wanted to see your names in a high
school paper. I love you. Happy Valentine’s Day
Pretty Kitty and Honey Bunny.
Your Daddy (Floppa Papa)
SWIM TEAM
Great regular season guys/gals! 3rd and 5th in
states! “Laurel Be Wreckin’!” I’ll miss all of
you so much next year! Best of luck!
T-Staff
SCOTTY-POO
“Scotty can’t you see you’re just not the guy for
me, I know it might be wrong but I’m in love
with Scotty’s mom.”
T-Staff(ie), Ketchup , and Rommie
ILIANA
GREEN OLIVES!! The food of the devil, they’ll
kill you! Don’t eat anymore Ili, even if someone
dares you!
T-Staff
R
eal men don’t cry…or do they?
This question, based upon sensitivity and compassion, has been pondered
by many. Throughout the years, some have
found that sensitivity, compassion, and
guys just do not add up.
Some girls find a guy’s sensitivity to
be an attractive quality, saying is it all they
have ever wanted. Others feel it shows
a sign of weakness. From the male perspective, many find it okay to be sensitive under certain circumstances; however, others find it completely unnecessary and view it as a
feminine trait. So…can
I remember one year I rented a hotel room with a kitchen so I could
guys be sensitive? A resurprise my boyfriend. I spent all day cooking and preparing everything. I made
cent survey has shown
sure everything was nice for him and I put so much effort into everything. I was
how the student body
so excited about what he was going to give me. When he showed up, he gave me
of Laurel High
a teddy bear and some balloons, one of which said “I love you.” When he
School feels about
looked at the balloon again, he said, “Oops! I didn’t mean to get that one,
sorry.” I was so mad. I put so much effort into everything and he showed up
this notion.
with a teddy bear and some balloons he didn’t even mean to get me! We are still
As one
good friends, but he still tries to contact me.
might assume,
100 percent of
memorable moment was in eighth
Ms. C. Jackson
the females surdating my first boyfriend for 3
told me he couldn’t go to the
veyed felt that
In eighth grade on Valentine’s Day, I really liked
Dance at school because he said
yes, males can
ething to do. Tickets were sold this girl named Alexis, so I bought her a bouquet of flowers.
be sensitive.
w he really wasn’t going to come. I gave them to her during lunch so a lot of people would see.
Junior Diane
e, he showed up and surprised She loved them, but later on she told me something I will
Placide says, “It
e dance, we went to see movies never forget. I asked her out and she said she had a boy.
is
okay for males
friend.
a lot of fun
to
be sensitive,
Sophomore Darien Daniels
Sophomore Aaron Washington
although it does
depend on the
emorable Valentine’s Day memory for me was back to the fifth grade when I
situation. He must
ush a secret admirer letter in his locker. When I checked my locker, I had a
know how to
rer letter in there too. Lee Lee and I always played with each other and
he playground. I even invited him to my Valentine’s Day dance. We had the
handle situations and
lives. We finally told each other about each of our secret admirer notes
move on.” This is an
me to find out that we sent the ones to each other. That night after the party,
opinion that is shared by
hat I liked his enchanting voice and personality too. Since then, we still
various Laurel High School
other’s back.
students.
Freshman Shade Oyekoya
Freshman Tyesha Winfrey
agreed with Placide, believing that
ment was when I went to the movies with
morable to me because we shared laughs
some food. We do so much together and
ne then we always have each other. She
y I love her!!
Sophomore Shamika Johnson
ay, my mom set up
y brothers, sisters
on and candy with
everything up and
school, she suring on the table.
However,
many LHS students
consider
Valentine’s Day to be
yrhica Stanley
strictly a day for couples, and
bemoan the rapidly approaching
‘Singles’ Awareness Day.’ Indeed,
LHS students living the single life are
quick to cast off Valentine’s Day as just
another day, some preferring not to be reminded. Senior Eunice Cho, ironically a former
Hallmark employee, doesn’t see the appeal of the
holiday, stating, “It’s a day where people who don’t
have a significant other suffer, but I think people should
use every day to show their love. It’s kinda pointless
as a holiday.”
Senior James Brown is on the fence on the subject, but notes it’s a great opportunity for couples to do
something special for each other, “It’s cool if you have
“if he’s sensitive 24/7 and can’t take jokes and takes
everything personal, he’s unattractive. But females like
guys who are not afraid to be sensitive or express their
emotions.”
Senior Tina Staffieri is also in agreement with this
general consensus. She states that, “If he’s sensitive all
of the time, then that’s a problem, but there is nothing
wrong with a guy who shares his feelings. Being openminded or “sensitive” is a good quality.”
Surprisingly, seventy-seven percent of LHS males
surveyed by The Shield affirm that they can be sensitive. Yet, overall they had ambivalent views.
Senior Brandon Coleman took a stance similar to
that of Winfrey stating, “I think in most cases that’s
true; males feel weak if they show emotions. Some females don’t like men that are too sensitive. They think
the male might be too soft.”
Freshman Dimitri Jordan believes, “Different girls
like different things,”
Junior Paul Alston said, “If you don’t have a sensitive side, you are not a real man.”
As one would suspect, there were those few males
who just can’t understand male sensitivity, no matter
what the circumstances.
“I think dudes are bad if they act soft,” explains
freshman Brian Burke.
Senior Nia Benjamin feels, “it’s okay for guys to be
sensitive when necessary. As long as they don’t cry
and whine for everything, it is acceptable. For example
the death of a loved one or if they lose their ‘first
love’[are acceptable reasons to cry].”
When guys show sensitivity it is nothing more than
expression of emotions. Some are afraid to show this
side because they feel as though they must maintain a
tough exterior.
Whether or not a male decides to be openly sensitive remains his personal preference. A guy can keep a
tough exterior or show his emotions. Not being fake
and being true to yourself is the right path.
In the end, whether or not makes can be openly
sensitive is for an individual to decide. Know that they
are just like everyone else and underneath the tough
exterior they have feelings too.
(Flor Orellana-Diaz and Janee Phillips
contributed to this article)
someone to spend it with because you get to show
your feelings and get all affectionate. If you don’t have
anyone, it’s just another day.”
Many people who consider themselves “alone”
on Valentine’s Day see that as something to be
ashamed of, but that is why many people celebrate
Valentines Day with their friends. “Friends are just as
good as celebrating with a boyfriend and girlfriend,”
freshman Jordan Megaughey explains.
The most common gripe among LHS students
when it comes to Valentine’s Day isn’t about being
alone or about cheap trinkets sold wherever you look,
but about love itself. A majority of students interviewed
has shown that when it comes down to it, love shouldn’t
be something that you save for just one day. “I’m…for
it, but Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be the only day of the
year that you show love for those you care about,”
senior Roquois Clarke exclaimed, “I think that you
don’t have to save your love for one day.”
(Headlines/Design by T. Staffieri)
Senior Babajide Beckley doesn’t think that love
should be a once-a-year thing. “If you’re creative and
open-minded, any day could be Valentine’s Day,” he
explains.
Ultimately, Valentine’s Day wasn’t created to make
people miserable, but rather as a reminder of the feeling of love that usually swirls around the spring season. Valentine’s Day is full of opportunities for everyone; if you’re shy about approaching a crush, it could
be the best opportunity to get through to them. If things
are starting to go stale in your relationship, it could be
just what you need to inject some life back into your
union. If you miss your beloved stash of Halloween
candy, you’ll know that Hershey’s kisses are cheaper
than ever. Valentine’s Day is a perfect opportunity to
remind the people special to you (and even yourself)
that they’re loved and appreciated.
V
alentine’s Day is the day of the year that is asso
ciated with love. It is a day not only meant for
sharing intimate feelings with a partner, but communicating and expressing the love that is shared between two
individuals. Many people often associate love with sex;
however, should sex really be the main focus of Valentine’s
Day? Should sex even be the focus of any teenager’s life?
Many answer an emphatic “No!”
According to Wikipedia, ‘sexual abstinence’ is defined
as the practice of voluntarily refraining from some or all
aspects of sexual activity. Abstinence may seem to be
hard to find among teenagers, but there are however many
who do choose to practice it. When certain students were
asked how they felt about abstinence, a variety of answers
were received. William Asiedu of the Junior Class commented, “There’s really no girl worth losing your virginity
to right now, regardless of the reasons.”
Others feel that waiting just feels better. Junior Julian
McCormick stated, “I don’t really practice abstinence per
say, it’s just that every time it has almost come to sex, it
doesn’t feel right.”
On the other hand some feel that it’s just the safest
way to go. Senior Tiffany Caternor states, “People should
practice abstinence to avoid things like pregnancy and
STDs.”
The issue of sexual activities is one that is often talked
about among teenagers. Birth rates, along with abortion
rates seem to have skyrocketed along the East Coast. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System,
statistics show that 46.7% of all high school students report that they have participated in sexual intercourse at
least once. A survey was conducted by The National
Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and the results were
jaw dropping. Maryland had some of the highest teen
birth rates in the country. Out of 458 counties nationally,
Baltimore City ranked 457, which is the second highest rate
in teenage pregnancy, while Howard County ranked a low
eight. Anne Arundel County ranked 119, Montgomery
W
ith a new year comes new beginnings, and if
you’ve become too distracted thinking of big
plans for 2006, you might not have even noticed that
you’ve ran straight into Valentine’s Day. Only a few
weeks after you made your resolutions and planned
to focus on school, work, or your families, you may be
stuck in line at a Wal-Mart surrounded by heart-shaped
outlines, Cupid cutouts, boxes of chocolate, and Barry
White resonating in your ear. It’s as undeniable as it is
unavoidable; when January turns to February, the season of love erupts, and Laurel High School is hit as
hard as anywhere else. Valentine’s Day is a hot topic
among LHS students, but is it cherished, or dreaded?
The allure of Valentine’s Day is far from lost on
several LHS students, who are more than eager to
County ranked 21, and Prince
George’s County ranked 184.
The National Campaign to Prevent
Teen Pregnancy conducted another
study on the country’s statistics
Everyone remembers the elementary school days when one would
of teen pregnancies in difspend much of the class decorating a paper bag or shoebox with
ferent states during the
red hearts, and everyone in your class would come around and
year 2000, ages 15-19. Here
drop
a Valentine card and some candy in your bag or box. These
are all the percentages of
are
the
good memories that we sometimes forget. The moments we
teen
pregnancies,
tend to talk about and remember most are the times when one gets
based on all age preg‘dumped’ on Valentine’s Day, or we ‘ll never forget that ritzy
nancies: Baltimore
expensive restaurant that we went to on our Valentine date. When
City County, 21.5%;
one really thinks about it, some of our most memorable moments
Howard County,
were
simple things that showed you how much you were appreci3.3%;
Anne
ated.
Here are stories from teachers and students reminiscing
Arundel County,
My most m
about their special VALENTINE’S DAY MOMENTS.
8.1%; Baltimore,
grade. I was
8.2%; MontgomMy most memorable Valentine’s Day was my first Valentine’s Day with my months. He
ery County, 4.5%;
husband as newlyweds. My husband took me for a walk around Georgetown Sweetheart D
and
Prince
and then to a very nice restaurant called Philaminas. It was memorable to me he had some
George’s County, because it was the first time I knew my husband was capable of being romantic.
out so I knew
10.2%.
English Instructor Kari Rea At the dance
The National
me. After the
On the morning of February 14, I found out that my dog Mikey had fallen down
Campaign to Preand we had a
the stairs because he was going blind. It was 2004 and I had to go to school anyway.
vent Teen PregThankfully, he did not break his neck, but at 1:00 pm a vet was going to come and
nancy conducted
put him to sleep. On February 21, he was cremated and most of his ashes were
another study on the
The most me
sprinkled in the lawn so I could always remember him.
country’s statistics of
gave my cru
teen pregnancies based
secret admir
Freshman
Dylan
Williams
on total teens giving
played on th
birth in different states
In sixth grade, this boy had the biggest crush on me and
time of our
during the year 2000, ages
here came Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, we had to give
and we cam
15-19. Washington had 2,410
Valentines to everyone. I mistakenly gave that boy a ValenI told him t
births. Delaware had 2,540 births.
tine that said “Be my Valentine.” After that, he thought I
have each o
Maryland had a total number of
liked him, but I really gave him that Valentine by mistake.
15,910, ranking the sixteenth highest in
the country. Virginia had a total of 16,920
Sophomore Lauren Keim
births and Pennsylvania had a total
My most memorable Valentine’s Day mom
my best friend Georshele last year. It was mem
and had fun at the movies. We also went to get
I love her to death. If we don’t have a Valentin
is always there for me and that is exactly why
join in on the season of love. Junior Alisha Ladenburg
is annually ecstatic about the rapid approach of February 14. “I love it. It’s a chance to show your love
and go out of your way to make someone feel special.
It’s just designed for romance.”
Senior Anthony Andoll can’t help but notice the
changes apparent in people around him around
Valentine’s Day, noting, “Everybody’s in love,
everybody’s lovey-dovey.”
To some students, Valentine’s Day is not just a
day to celebrate love, but also a day to finally release
pent-up feelings. Senior Gary Hawkins, Jr., a confessed
fan of the holiday, insists, “[Valentine’s Day] gives you
a chance to express how you feel about people. It
really helps shy people to get their feelings out.”
Senior Randolph Johnson IV added, “It’s one of
those times you get to express your love to the max.”
Some LHS students are not quite so quick to embrace Valentine’s Day, decrying it as a clever market-
One Valentine’s Da
Valentine’s Day stuff for my
and I. She gave us a balloo
cute cards in them. She set
when we came home from
prised us and had everythi
ing tool for companies to make a quick
buck off people’s emotions. “It’s a stupid, overSophomore Ay
rated card company holiday,”
declares sophomore Ashley
Hanavin adding, “people
shouldn’t need a day to tell their
loved one that they love them.”
Senior Erin Marshall also refuses to
buy into the media hype, but notes “At least
chocolate is on sale.”
Junior Oyinkansola Akintan thinks that the
commercial merchandising of the holiday cheapens the premise of love itself explaining, “I think it’s
overrated; it’s a waste of money for teenagers. You
buy her flowers and candy, but flowers die, candy gets
eaten, and people break up.”
The Shield
SOPHOMORES
By Krishna Dalsania
Fresh doughnuts and juice
were the driving force behind
the Sophomore Class’s last
fundraiser.
In the early part of winter
Class Sponsors Kari Rea and
Sid Stark made an effort to sell
donuts and juice every morning.
Class officers and other class
members assisted in the
fundraiser..
The sponsors worked hard
alongside the members of the
class and other representatives
to make the sale a success. “It
was a pretty good sale and we
may continue to do it,” Stark
commented. “The doughnuts
were always fresh and they are
even better than the vending
machine food,” exclaims
sophomore Nancy Barboza.
Stark also mentioned to
appreciate Ms. McCormick’s
help with the fundraiser.
Future meetings of the
Sophomore Class will be held
in room 256 as needed. The
class hopes to accomplish more
in the reamining year. Leading
the class this year are President
Victoria Epps, Vice-President
Melita Bell, Secretary Krishna
Dalsania, and Treasurer
Cymone Hylton.
JUNIORS
By Justine Wheeler
DRUM LINE
The Class of 2007 or
Double 07 as they like to be
called is working hard towards
a perfect senior year as a
grand finale to their four years
here at Laurel High.
This year’s sponsors include
Mr. Tom Miller and Ms.
Nelson.
The class is led by President
Alicia Landenberg, VicePresident Patience Ownwanne
and Treasury Lauren Minor.
During the week before
winter break the class
sponsored an LHS Showcase.
This winter display featured a
variety of acts including the
cheerleaders, steppers, and drill
team.
The showcase was both a
financial and humanitarian
success raising money for the
Junior Class as well
as toys for tots.
The ‘spring’ dance
scheduled for Feb.
24 was cancelled
due to a calendar
conflict.
Every Tuesday
sponsors and class
representatives
meet to discuss
class plans.
Currently the
class is selling items
through a brochure.
This fundraiser
features a variety of
items including
cookie dough and
The Drumline practices for competition. candy.
SENIORS
By Nancy Barboza
“Dynamic!” is how senior
Ebosetale Okojie describes the
Class of 2006.
The Senior Class has been
quite busy with a variety of
activities. In addition to
organizing last Saturday’s Step
Show, the class has been
focusing on details about the
prom.
The prom will take place on
Saturday, May 6, at the
University of Maryland Inn and
Conference Center from 7:0011:00. Tickets will cost $60 per
person and $110 per couple.
Class representatives
have also been selling Cinnabon
cinnamon rolls after school for
$2 each in order to raise the
much-needed funds for end-ofthe-year activities.
Who selects the prom
decorations? Senior Class CoSponsor Stephanie Walker
replies, “Senior Class officers
pick decorations and themes
with the school’s input.”
Different types of decorations
are shown to the senior officers
who then ask random seniors for
their opinion. But Senior Class
is not all about prom; it’s also
about paying senior dues
($150.00 as of Mar.1) in order
to graduate. The last day to turn
in dues will be on May 23.
Graduation will take place on
May 30 at the Comcast Center
at the University of Maryland in
College Park. Rehearsal will be
on May 25 at 8 a.m.
The Executive Board and
Office of the Senior Class meets
Tuesdays and Thursdays after
school in room 252 or 261. The
members
include
Joy
Washington, Ashlee Green,
Jennifer Tillery, Crystal Ebanks,
Justia Cox, Roquois Clarke,
Amber Simmons, and Disha
Patel. All seniors are invited to
join in at the meetings.
“Love them, great kids,”
stated Walker in reference to the
seniors.
Senior Zainab Samura
comments, “There’s so much
diversity-not in terms of
ethnicity, but in terms of
individuality. You can’t
stereotype us.!”
CREATIVE WRITING
By Antonio Quick
The snare line rehearses a cadence.
(PHOTOS BY TINA STAFFIERI)
February/March 2006
The Creative Writing Club
serves as a place of expression to
Laurel High School’s potential
writers and poets. Club Sponsor
and Librarian Jan Davies explains
Art Club members paint banners and decorations for International Night.
ART CLUB
PAGE 14
(P
HOTOS
BYStaffieri)
TINA STAFFIERI)
(Photos
by Tina
the purpose of the club: “We focus
on helping students improve their
writing by giving positive,
constructive criticism..” The
writers range from freshmen to
seniors with stories and poems
covering such topics as
seduction, action, sci-fi, and tenfoot canines. “I think many of them
have the potential to become
professional writers,” Davies
explains.
With the responsibility of
publishing the school’s literary
magazine transferred to the literary
magazine class, the club now has
more time to focus on the countywide Write-A-Book literary
competition. The club encourages
their members to submit their
stories to the magazine and is
always looking for new members.
Anyone interested in the club
can come on Tuesdays after
school. Davies says, invitingly,
“Feel free to drop in Tuesday
afternoons and please bring poems
and short stories.”
ROTC
By Rodrigo Ortega
With veteran cadets returning
and new cadets joining this year,
AFJROTC features a great group
that strives not only in Laurel
High’s classrooms, but in the
Laurel community as well.
ROTC has been involved with
Back-to-School Night and Color
Guard Performances for a
variety of school activities. “I
predict that we are going to be
more successful this year. The
ROTC staff is doing a really good
job,” says Colonel Douglas Hole,
one of the teachers of ROTC
classes. This year Colonel Hole
is teaching the fist year cadets
while Chief Jimmy Jackson is
instructing the upper level
cadets; they switch every year.
The students of ROTC class
have to wear their uniform once
a week, on Wednesday or
Thursday.
First quarter cadets this year
were Wing Commander
Alexander Scafidi, ViceCommander Klystan Barclay,
Valencia Chambers, and Narima
Hassan. In class, the ROTC
cadets are learning about the
Constitution, drill and
ceremonies, history of air power,
science of flight, and leadership
in order to be prepared for
upcoming activities. Drill meet
competitions are scheduled for
February in Delaware and
March 4 at the University of
Maryland. March 17 marks the
date of the Military Ball and the
annual Wing Parade is scheduled
for April. “The class hasn’t won
any of the competitions yet,”
says Colonel Hole.They will
have many future opportunities
to win during the spring.
The Shield
PAGE 15
February / March2006
Spirit Groups Experience Season of Competition
Spartanettes, Cheerleaders and Step Team Go for the Gold
By Ra’neta Oliver
The Laurel High School
cheerleaders, step team, and pom
squad finds themselves in the
middle of their 2006 competition
season. Each team is practicing
dance moves, new techniques,
and effective uniformity for their
routines.
The high-spirited cheerleaders
compete throughout much of the
winter and enter a variety of
competitions including the Prince
George’s County Classic. Their
new coaches will be bringing a
fresh style to their performances.
The coaches for the cheerleaders
this season include Danielle
Chadler, Amata Johnson, Monique
Lamar, and Karissa Jones. All four
coaches have had experience
cheerleading at Morgan State
University and are using a variety
of their ‘old’ techniques to form
new dance moves for the Spartan
cheerleaders.
“I believe the cheerleaders’
abilities and motivation to cheer
will continue to help them have a
productive and winning season,”
states Coach Chadler.
“We have a solid routine for this
competition season and I feel as
though we will do extremely well
in our upcoming competitions. I
am confident in our squad,”
explained Cheerleading CoCaptain Porschia Brown. The
other co-captains include junior
Allisha Hemingway and senior
Julia Offiang.
“We’ve come a long way as a
squad since last year. We have a
good routine for competition and
I’m very confident about this
season,” replied Offiang.
Another of Laurel’s competing
squads is the Blaque Stallion
Steppaz sponsored by Miss
Stephanie Walker and Miss
Eraena Seymore. The group’s new
name originates from the ancient
Spartan warriors who rode black
stallions into battle as a hopeful
symbol for victory. Their
upcoming competitions will be
(PHOTOS BY LAUREN KEIM AND TINA STAFFIERI)
held on March 11and April 21. The
judges at the competition will be
looking for enthusiasm, originality,
precision, and appearance while
observing the time limit for the
routine.
The Spartanettes pom squad is
another of Laurel’s competing
spirit groups. This year’s squad
is demonstrating new techniques
and new dance moves for their
competitions. On March 4 at
Bladensburg High the squad
placed first in Jazz and Hip-hop
and earned third places for Prop
and Short Pom.
The squad also has a new look
in appearance with new outfits.
Earlier in a competition won two
first-place routines including the
Jazz and Prop routine. The Jazz
award was given to Co-captain
Ymani Staton, Prop was given to
Camri Jeter, and the Short Pom
was awarded to Safiya Allsop. The
squad has also captured several
other first place awards throughout
the season.
“Overall, I feel as though we did
well in our last competition, but in
order for us to continue bringing
home trophies we need to sharpen
up our moves,” said Allsop. The
Spartanettes are coached by
Kianna Marzett, who was a
member of the pom squad here at
Laurel High between 1995 and
1997.
Jeter stated, “I want the girls to
stay in school and maybe later on
if they want to, pursue a career as
a dancer.”
“Being on poms is a great
experience. Not only do we dance,
but we share a sisterly bond that
makes being a Spartanette
worthwhile,” said senior Shardel
Thomas. Many Spartanettes are
stating that they are making the
most of their competition season
by keeping a positive attitude.
Senior Adaia Johnson
explained, “I just joined the squad
this year and it has been amazing.
It’s challenging, but also fun.”
The Shield
February / March 2006
PAGE 16
Jamie Foxx’s Unpredictable Does Not live Up to Its Name
Lack of Originality in both Love Themes and Style Prevent CD from Standing Out
By Lolade Bokini and
Wesley McMillan
Born Eric Morlon Bishop on
December 13, 1967, in Terrell
Texas, the southern-bred
crooner-turned actor-turned
singer again, better known as
Jamie Foxx brings the South to
his music in a blend that is refreshingly new. Foxx learned to
play the piano from the age of
three and credits his musical
abilities to his grandmother who
worked with him with rigid persistence that put him in the boy
scouts and church choir.
Foxx attended the prestigious
Julliard School where he studied
classical piano. He changed to his
androgynous stage name during
his stint in stand-up comedy
when the actor/ producer learned
that women were given preference for mic time during open
stage nights.
Foxx received acclaim for his
role in the Oscar-winning movie
Ray, in which he plays the blind
legend, Ray Charles, a role that
scored him the award for Best
Actor. He has also earned high
marks for his appearance in
Kanye West’s hit, “Gold Digger,”
which topped the Billboard
singles charts for eight straight
weeks. His newly released album, “Unpredictable,” is making
waves nationwide and features
the best of music and rap, including Ludacris, Mary J Blige, Kanye
West and Snoop Dogg.
“Unpredictable” by Jamie
Foxx is a CD that straddles the
line between singing about love,
and just singing about sex. The
CD consists of 15 tracks, with
only the final track straying from
the Foxx and a woman formula.
The slower tempo tracks include Unpredictable, With You,
Can I Take You Home, Extravaganza, VIP, Storm (Forecast),
You Still It (Interlude), and Wish
You Were Here. Each of these
songs deals in the same theme
of sex and love with the exception of Wish You Were Here,
which speaks about Foxx’s love
of his late mother.
Other tracks on the CD include Warm Bed, DJ Play a Love
Song, Love Changes, Three Letter Word, Get This Money, Do
What I Do, and Heaven, all of
which alternate between the
themes of physical and romantic love with the exception of
Heaven, which seems to stray
away from the subject slightly.
When giving the CD a complete
spin, it is only Wish You Were
Here and Heaven that break up
the monotonous theme of the
bulk of the CD.
Foxx’s singing style is slow
and easy-going (which seems to
appeal to an older audience, but
also some younger listeners), but
this style has been ‘done to
death’ by many other artists. Although there seems to be a lack
of ‘real’ and ‘original’ singers in
today’s world, Jamie Foxx in no
way proves to fill the void.
An
overall synopsis of the
CD is that
if your personal tastes
favors a
love song
theme both
romantic
and physical, then
this album
is for you.
The few
standout
tracks beg
the listener
to be under
emotional
stress or
happiness,
to be involved in
physical romance, or
to miss a
loved one.
For most
listeners,
because of its strongly repetitive
nature, Unpredictable would only
appeal to a specific audience of
die-hard Jamie Foxx fans.
Yellowcard’s Lights and Sounds Delivers Thoughtful Lyrics
Driving Sound along with some New Instrumentation Makes CD Succeed
By Megan Bancroft
Featuring such instruments as
the cello, piano, viola, and violin
gives the listener a look at the Jacksonville,
Florida
band,
Yellowcard’s growing musical
maturity. One can listen to this
array of instruments on the first
track (Three Flights Up) of this
young band’s highly-anticipated
third album, Lights and Sounds,
which was released on January
24.
Following Three Flights Up
comes the title track of the album,
Lights and Sounds. This song is
about Los Angeles, California and
about how people in LA tend to
be phony. Lyrics such as painted
faces help to get the point across
to the listener. The song has very
catchy background beat.
Down On My Head is about a
average person who gets frustrated with what the world is
throwing at them and wishing it
would all go away. The song has a
slow beginning, but as it progress
the song moves to a faster tempo.
Sure Thing Falling is a strong
song about how nothing is ever
what it seems, and how nothing is
ever a hundred percent certain. For
example the lyrics, we use to get
so high, it didn’t work at first, is
about how getting high is not what
it is all hyped up to be.
The first slow song on the album was City of Devils. This song
is about the band’s hard times
while they were in LA. The song
begins with a soft guitar solo followed by a soft drum beat.
Rough Landing, Holly is a classic lost love story about a boy who
lost a girl he truly loved and is having a hard time getting over the
girl. Anyone who ever lost a love
could relate to this track. With a
very upbeat opening with strong
violin and guitar that overwhelms
all the other instruments.
Two Weeks From Twenty is a
song written for anyone who is an
anti-war supporter. The song is
about a boy who joins the army,
and gets killed in the line of duty
two weeks before he was supposed to turn twenty. This song is
sure to resonate with anyone who
sees war as a pointless fight.
Waiting Game is about a long
term relationship that through both
partners have changed, yet they
have grown so dependent on each
other that they can’t live without
each other. Violins introduce this
song with a very upbeat sound
that spills out emotion.
Martin Sheen Or JFK is about
drinking sorrows away, and about
how many people relie on other
people too much in their lives. An
upbeat guitar solo kicks off the
song that screams passion.
Space Travel is about a guy
who realizes the girl he is with only
cares for his money. The song begins with with drums and guitar in
a very moderate tone that is offbeat for Yellowcard’s usual style.
Grey is clearly about how how
uncertain a job in the music business is-- how it has it high points
and low points. This track leads
with strong guitar play.
The next song, Words, Hands,
Hearts, is another track written
about the war in Iraq, and how in
these times, people are confused
With thoughtful lyrics and a
and no one can figure out the truth
unique sound, Yellowcard’s Lights
from the lies.
The second to last track on and Sounds is guaranteed to grip
Lights and
Sounds is
How I Go.
Singer Ryan
Key tells a
story about
how his dad
used to tell
him stories
that instilled
many life
lessons.
How I Go is
a very slow
song that
deviates
from the
b a n d ’s
style, but remains very
catchy.
The final
track
is
Holly Wood
Died, which
starts out
with strong
lyrics and a
g u i t a r
sound that Yellowcard performs for fans at the 9:30 Club.
is typical of
listeners and keep them entranced
that of a modern rock band.
and wanting for more.
The Shield
PAGE 18
February / March 2006
The Strokes’ First Impressions...Sweet and Unique
The New Album By New York’s Finest Buzz Band Tops the Charts
By Justin Cousson
F
ive years ago, The
Strokes were un
leashed on the mu
sical world as a
barrage of hype
proclaimed them as the future
of rock n’ roll. Singer Julian
Casablancas, guitarists Nick
Valensi and Albert Hammond,
bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and
drummer Fabrizo Moretti’s
‘60s and ‘70s-influenced sound
first surfaced on their threesong EP, The Modern Age,
which was released in late
January 2001. The release led
to a monumental record label
bidding war and a deal with
RCA Records. Is This It, the
band’s first full-length album,
followed in October 2001.
Thanks to glowing reviews
from the likes of SPIN, TIME,
BLENDER, and Rolling Stone,
and an MTV hit with “Last
Nite,” Is This It crashed into
the Top 40 and sold over 3 million copies worldwide.
The band’s success, along
with the emergence of other
retro-minded bands such as The
White Stripes, The Vines, and
The Hives made the New York
fivesome the de facto leaders
of the garage rock trend that
took over rock radio that summer. The band’s sophomore album, the new wave-inspired
Room on Fire, followed in fall
2003 to tepid reviews and lukewarm sales. The 33-minute album, despite debuting at #4
with over 100,000 copies sold
in its first week, was crippled
by a lack of radio support and
ravaged by the press, who had
found new bands to champion.
Denounced as has-beens
by the critics who once sang
their praises and abandoned by
a fickle public, the band retreated into the studio. They
have now returned with First
Impressions of Earth, an ambitious and ferocious record that
has the potential to win over
even the most hardened ears.
David Kahne, whose eccentric
resume includes work with Sublime and Paul McCartney, produced the majority of First Impressions. Andy Wallace, best
known for his work on Nirvana’s
Nevermind, then mixed the album. Weighing in at 14 songs
and 52 minutes, First Impressions… dwarfs the band’s pre-
future single) “Heart in a Cage,”
that recalls an influence that’s
more Van Halen than The
Beatles. The singer perks up in
the unexpectedly happy
“Razorblade,” which illustrates
a failing relationship through
clever lyrics both complicated
(“Oh the razor blade, wish it
would snap this rope, the world
is in your hands, or it’s at your
throat”) and delightfully simple
(an extended refrain of “Oh, my
feelings are more important
The Strokes delve into the past to create a new sound.
(Photo: Frank Ockenfels; Courtesy RCA Records)
vious albums, both of which
clocked in at less than 40 minutes.
Casablancas’s cynical lyrics
often undermine the band’s upbeat sound. “I want to be forgotten, and I don’t want to be
reminded…” memorably kicked
off Room on Fire, and album
opener “You Only Live Once”
seems like a continuation of that
attitude as Casablancas repeats,
“Shut me up, and I’ll get along
Ou r S
av ior
Sa
Lu t h er
an C
h u rch
era
Ch
T utoring and
Child Development Center
Tutoring is offered for all grades OSL
Youth program is a great place to meet
new people and make friends. Join Us!
T u e s d ay s
6:30-7:30pm
a n d 7:30 - 8:30
with you.” The pace is picked
up with first single, “Juicebox”,
which demands to be turned up
loud. While Casablancas croons
about how “old time grudges
will die so slowly,” the true stars
of the song are Fraiture’s rumbling bassline and Valensi and
Hammond’s dueling guitars.
“I don’t want what you want. I
don’t feel what you feel. See,
I’m stuck in a city, when I belong in a field,” continues
Casablancas’s audio therapy in
For mmor
or e iinn fo ccaa ll:
O f fi
ficc e: 301.776.7670 or
Ca t h i e M
Moo t t:
301.725.9776
the blistering third track (and
First Impressions of Earth
is in stores now.
Watch
The
Spartan
Review
(produced by television
production students)
on Laurel Cable
Channel 71
Tuesday Evenings
than yours”). The band’s
rhythm section, once viewed as
the Achilles’ heel of their sound,
takes over in the jazzy stomp of
“On the Other Side,” where
Casablancas sounds more than
happy to declare, “I’m tired of
everyone I know, of everyone I
see, on the street, and on TV.”
First Impressions of Earth
makes a sharp turn into the
melancholy with “Vision of Division,” where shredding guitars
become the backdrop to the
singer’s frantic vocals in a song
that sounds like an emotional
breakdown. “Electricityscape”
and “Ize of the World” are solid,
if unspectacular, new wave
tributes that recall an era of bad
hair and neon clothes a little too
well. The low-key and slowburning “Killing Lies” and
“Fear of Sleep” seem to represent the hangover after the
drunken revelry and excess that
began the album.
“Ask Me Anything” and
“Evening Sun” prove to be quiet
highlights of the album, as the
former features the band’s first
venture into strings and orchestration, and the latter is another
platform for Casablancas’s lyrics (“They love you or they hate
you, cause they will never let
you be, they thrill you or sedate
you, but they will never let you
see”) to take center stage.
First Impressions of Earth,
which hit stores on January 3
and debuted at #4 on the Billboard album charts, shows The
Strokes moving away from ripping a classic rock fan’s record
collection, and more towards
their own distinctive sound that
mines the past to create something new. As the closing track
“Red Light” bounces along with
a newly optimistic light, you
can’t help but feel that the
album’s glass is, in fact, halffull. “Can’t you see that the sky
is not the limit no more?” could
be about the relationship described in the song, or maybe
just about the band playing it.
THE VERDICT:
AKasabian, Kasabian
[RCA Records; 2005]
Razorlight, Up All Night
[Universal Records; 2004]
Supergrass, Supergrass
[Island Records; 2000]
Share your American life!
Share the
culture!
yd
Share the
Experience!
b
Travel the world!
Host a foreign exchange student
Call (301) 908.6136 / (301) 725.9776
The Shield
PAGE 19
A. Nonymous
All The Redskins Fans!
Jack Adami
Mary Armbruster
Angel Ball
David Bancroft
Erin Bancroft
Nancy Barboza
Francine Barnes
Deola Bell
James W. Bell Sr.
Thelma B. J. Bell
Adrinne Bello
Bashido Betts
Connie Binder
James Blunt (Homies!)
Mrs. K. Boyer
Caroline Boyette
Charnita Brown
Shawnee Buckner
Dominic Buckner
Teresa Butler
Tiffany Caternor
Julia Cousson
Sherry Cyrus
Krishna Dalsania
Mrs. Davies (library)
Cheryl Davis
Class of 2006
Mr. Dinkins
Rebecca Dubiel
Denise Dunn
Arnetta Durham
Nachelle Edwards
End Time Band
G-Eunice(Cho)
Brandon And Eva
Myra Exum
Andy and Lea Fitzsimons
Rev. Carolyn Fredericks
Erica Geissler
Holiann Haag
Jennifer Hammer
Reggie Harris
Mr. Harrison
Douglas Hayes
Susan Hayes
Lenore Hayes
Henry the Mummy!
Charles R. Hiller
Dr. Greg House, M.D.
Jacqueline Isabelle
James and Melinda Ittenbach
Ms. Christina Jackson
Tylisha Jackson
Dwayne Jones and Family
Anita Katial
Lauren Keim
Leslie Kight
Kiourkas Family
Francois Kuou
Marlon Lampkin
Brian Lentz
The LHS Fight Club
Christoph Lohrengel
Lola
Ryan Macaulay
Charles Manson & Family
Sra. Marlene
Deloris Massey
Aaron “Fireball” Mathenkeri
Mrs. McCoy
Eric McPherson
Karen McPherson
Collin McPherson
February/March 2006
Steve McQueen
Robin Miller
Nan Miller
Yavatta Morris
Cathie Mott
Mrs. Mykytyn
Chuck Norris and his Karate
Kommandos
The Oliver Family
Patsy Oliver
Mrs. Randy Orton
Kaira Oweth
Our Senior Lutheran Church
Youth Group
J.P. Passino
Melissa Pumphrey
Antonio Quick
Mandana Reed
Keri Rezac
Saleno Rivers
Ian Rodriquez
Rachael Rossi
Alister Rush
Andrea Segada
Mr. Sellers
John Shearin
Amber Simmons
Anthony Simmons
Jayda Simmons
Tony Simmons
Mrs. Kim Simmons
Mrs. Jesse Spencer
Nancy Stanton
Nicole Stanton
Mr. Stark
Cathy Strine-Adams
Kylle Summers
Mr. T and “Blingy”
Mr. Festus Tagyen
The Taylor Family
Dr. Phillip Terry
Virginia Tracy
Benjamin Tubbs
Henrique Vissotto
Denise Waters
Justine Wheeler
Daron Williams
Dawn Williams
Kamali Williams
Kayla Williams
Ask Any Member of the Shield Staff or Pick Up a Patron Form in Room 269.
The Shield
PAGE 20
February/March 2006
Girls’ Basketball Team Finishes with 14 Wins and 9 Losses
Improved Team Knocked Out of Playoffs by Suitland
9 overall record. This was a complete
turnaround after starting the season 03 and an improvement over last year’s
Laurel’s girls’ basketball season
came to an end in the playoffs as the losing record.
“We had two 6-game winning
Suitland Rams trimmed the Spartans
streaks,”
declared Harrison. “We were
59-54. For the Spartans, Randall
Marshall was named player of the game a team; we were a unit. Because of this,
everyone had a responsibility. And every
with nne points and seven assists.
player was named Player of the Game
at least once.”
(Photo Lifetouch)
This year’s
team consists of
Captains Kandace
Davis and Felicia
Kelly.
Randall
Marshall, Brittany
Jackson,
Angel
Saunders, Kendra
Gustus, Tiffany
Fails,
Lakisha
Williams,
India
Bell, Tiana Ray and
Breona Woods are
the
remaining
athletes on the
team.
Davis and her two
triple-doubles and
the breaking the
Laurel High shot
block record were
highlights.
Let’s take a look
at the season. The
girls started out the
season with a
disappointing loss
to rival Eleanor
Roosevelt 80-36.
The next
opponent for the
Lady Spartans was
Parkdale
High.
Kandace Davis scores high over the Raiders.
After a close battle,
Despite losing in the first round of the Laurel succumbed to Parkdale, with a
playoffs, Head Coach Tommy final score of 54-42. Once again Laurel
was on the road, venturing to Largo
Harrison described the season as being
High.
Even though both Davis and
successful.
Jackson had 16 points each, the Lady
This year the team compiled a 14-
By Brian Lentz
Spartans fell to the Largo Lions, 6348.Laurel then returned home to square
off against Northwestern. The Lady
Spartans were able to trounce
Northwestern, 53-46.
For the final game before the winter
break, Laurel trampled on neighbor
High Point, 56-43.
During the break, there is an annual
winter tournament at Paint Branch
High. Despite losing the first game to
Glenelg, 39-35, the Lady Spartans won
the tournament as they toppled over
Long Reach, 70-54.
On the first day back from winter
break, the Lady Spartans played Bowie
High. Davis had 20 points and 16
rebounds and Marshall scored 16. This
paved the way for Laurel’s victory,
over the Bulldogs 64-54.With their
record at 3-3, the Lady Spartans’ record
went uphill. Laurel tiptoed past the
Jaquars of Charles Flowers, 60-57 and
squeezed by the Surrattsville Hornets
45-41.
In another close game the Lady
Spartans narrowly defeated their next
opponent, the Rams of Suitland, 5149.
Next up for the girls was Frederick
Douglass. The final score was 56-44
over the Eagles. Jackson scored 13 and
Davis 11. Davis also racked up 20
rebounds, 9 blocks and 7 steals.
It was now time to play Eleanor
Roosevelt in a return match. Again the
Raiders overwhelmed the Spartans,
snapping their seven game winnng
streak and punishing the Lady Spartans
69-22.
It took awhile for Laurel to recover
from this setback. They came close to
defeating Parkdale, but in the end they
lost by 1 point.
When the buzzer sounded, the score
was 40-39 as Davis scored 19 and
Marshall scored 10.
Still in the slump, Laurel again fell
to Largo 70-57, despite Davis’ 23
team the squad also visited colleges,
points and Marshall’s 10.
but as a team preparing for games and
In
the return game against
Northwestern the Spartans fell to the the playoffs the squad focused on game
Wildcats 52-48.
Laurel finally
got back in the
groove and on
the
winning
track
by
annihilating the
Eagles of High
Point, 64-37.
Returning
home to play
Oxon Hill, the
Spartans won by
20 over the
Clippers 61-41.
On February
(Photo Lifetouch)
10, which was
dedicated
as Randall Marshall sets for her jumper.
Senior Night, the
girls pummeled the Mustangs of preparation.
For next year, only Brittany
Bladensburg, 51-37. The player of the
Jackson and Tiffany Fails stated that
game was a senior herself, Kandace
they would return to the team.
Davis, who scored 15 points and racked
up 15 rebounds.
On Valentine’s
Day, February 14,
the girls also
defeated
the
Hornets
of
Surrattssville 4433.
For the last
regular season
game of the
season, the girls
were able to
cruise by the
Cavaliers
of
Crossland High
(Photo Lifetouch)
70-28. Felicia
Kelly was the JV player Petroula Koumides protects the ball.
player of the
“Next season will be young and
game, with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
small,” commented Harrison, adding,
All throughout the season the Lady
Spartans tried to balance education, “it all depends on how many girls come
back.”
practice, and fun. As a
Young Spartan Wrestlers Experience Growing Pains
New Rookie Coach Clark Guides Team To 2-7 Record
By Brian Lentz
With a variety of hardships to
overcome, the Spartan wrestlers
compiled a 2-7 regular season
record this year. With a team
consisting of only six players, the
team was forced to forfeit matches
at times throughout the season.
Before the season began,
the team didn’t have a coach. Last
year’s coach, Al Feldblum, had
transferred to Howard High. This
search didn’t take long. The new
coach, Sean Clark, has a vast
amount of wrestling background.
He had been a NCAA National
Runner-Up college wrestler.
Coach Clark was born in
Pittsburgh, PA, so naturally he is
a Steelers fan. He graduated from
Elderton High School, which is
located in Elderton, PA. He then
decided to stay in-state to attend
Thiel College, which is located in
Greenville, PA.
It was at Thiel where in the
2001-2002 season, Coach Clark
placed second in the NCAA
Tournament, making him a
national runner-up.
At the beginning of the season,
Clark stated that being a national
runner-up should inspire the team.
“I think that it gives them
something to strive for, to be what
I was and to have what I had.”
Jonathon McGiver, sophomore
Martin Mitchell, sophomore Jose
Najarro, and freshman Wesley
Jackson.
“This is my first year and it is
going pretty well,” declared
Najarro. “We don’t give up.”
Jose Najarro intimidates his opponent.
Low numbers hurt this team. By
the end of the season, this year’s
team only consisted of six people:
Captain Devon Gilmore, who is a
senior; junior Calvin Lofton, junior
“The team isn’t doing well,”
acknowledged
Clark, “but
individually we have some guys
that are shining. We haven’t done
so well because of numbers.”
Let’s recap the season. The first
match of the year was against
Oxon Hill. Laurel was unable to
overcome the odds, and fell to
them 52-26.
The next match for the Spartans
was against Suitland. The
Spartans were able to rack up a
huge win, 60-6.
Parkdale was the Spartans’ next
opponent. The Spartan wrestlers
succombed to the Panthers 4230.
Following Parkdale was a loss
against Bladensburg.
Because of people leaving the
team, the team seem to fall into a
slump. They were overwhelmed
by the Northwestern Wildcats 6118.
The grapplers headed to
Flowers for their next match. The
Jaquars triumphed 39-18.
The team went back to Flowers,
but not to face them. Forrestville
was using Flowers’ gym for the
meet.
In a close match, Forrestville
edged the Spartans 24-18.
With two matches until the
County Tournament, the team was
finally able to revive itself. The
Spartans devastated the Central
High Falcons 36-18.
Laurel was unable to wrestle
against their next opponent,
Largo, due to transportation
problems.
.Before the County Tournament
wrestlers persevered. “We are
going to stay dedicated, and show
perseverance,”
declared
sophomore Martin Mitchell. “We
won’t give up.”
The Spartan Wrestlers stayed
dedicated all throughout the
County Tournament. Mitchell,
who placed second in the 103
lb.class, and Gilmore, who placed
fourth in the 140 lb.class, qualified
for the Regional Tournament.
McGiver placed fifth in the 119
lb.class, but did not qualify.
After a tough season, Devon
Gilmore was able to advance from
the Regional Tournament to the
States.
As the Spartan Wrestlers
prepare for next year, Coach Clark
raps up this season with the same
phrase he started it with: “It’s not
how you start the season, but how
you finish it.”
The Shield
February/March 2006
PAGE 21
Spartan Swimmers Capture Fifth in County Tournament
Boys and Girls both Beat 10 Teams throughout Regular Season
By Tina Staffieri
L-A-U-R-E-L… L-A-U-R-E-L… LA-U-R-E-L…GOOOOOOO LAUREL!
YOU KNOW! If you have been to a
swim meet during this past season, you
DO know what that chant means to
every member of the 2005-2006 Laurel
High swim team. Before every meet,
the team gathered in a circle, hands in
the middle, and shouted at the top of
their lungs, so everyone knew that
Laurel was on the deck and ready to
swim.
The Spartans’ winning season
resulted in a 10-2-1 record for the girls
while the boys posted a 10-3 record.
Along with the usual dual and single
meets (meets against two schools or
one), the Spartans also participated in
the Maryland State Invitational, (a
meet usually held the same weekend as
the prestigious Metros) and the Prince
George’s County Championships. At the
invitational the girls placed third and
the boys fifth. At county, both girls and
boys placed fifth overall.
Twentieth-year Head Coach John
Venit has created a winning program.
“I enjoyed the swim team so much in
high school and I didn’t want to leave
Coach Venit or the swim team behind. I
had Venit as a coach since I was a
sophomore at Laurel and he is the best
coach I ever had,” expressed Class of
2005 graduate Lindsey McPherson, who
returned this year to help Venit.
Sophomore Nancy Barboza
comments, “The coach is a great
instructor and teaches you at your own
pace. Everyone on the team has helped
me learn new things.”
Senior Captain Carolina Villegas
explains, “The coaches try to make
sure that we know it is not all about
winning, but more about finishing the
race.”
Venit added a personal trainer and
nutritionist to this year ’s team.
Personal Trainer Cecilia Jordan,
(mother of swimmer Matt Jordan), is a
certified trainer who assisted the team
throughout the season.
Karen
Passmore (mother of swimmer Jeff
Passmore) served as the team’s
nutritionist.
Scoring at swim meets is often
confusing for those not familiar with
the team sport.The place in which the
swimmers finish in each heat is assigned
a point value and
at the end, the
team with the
most points wins.
Here is the scoring
for dual meets.
For individual
events:1st Place,
6pts; 2 nd, 4 pts;
3rd, 3 pts; 4th, 2pts;
and 5th,1pt.
In
relay
events1stplace
receives 8pts; 2nd,
4 pts; and 3rd,2 pts.
Let’s take a
look at some of
the highlights of
the season. In the first meet of the
season in December against undermanned Crossland and Gwynn Park,
the Spartans triumphed . The boys
scored 100 to Gwynn Park’s 20 and
104 over Crossland’s 14 points. The
girls scored 114 points to 33 for Gwynn
Park and Crossland’s 21.
In mid-December the Spartans won
against Parkdale and Surrattsville. The
boys accumulated 102 points to 24
points against Parkdale and 95 points
to 42 for Surrattsville. The girls scored
113 points to 41 for Parkdale. Against
Surrattsville, the Spartan girls scored
131 to 10 points.
In the first meet of the new year,
the Laurel Spartans faced the rival
Bowie Bulldogs in a single meet. Two
events (100 backstroke and 400 free
relay) were not completed due to a lack
of time, however the Spartans still lost
to the Bulldogs 98-35 (boys) and 92-49
(girls). Some top boys finishers include
200 medley relay team(R. Heavener, J.
Megaughey, A. DeLuca, J. Passmore),
Scott Tyree, Adam DeLuca, Jordan
Megaughey, and the 200 free relay team
(same as 200 medley). Some of the top
girl finishers were the 200 medley relay
team (S. McCray, E. Fitzsimons, I.
Rosa, C. Villegas), Elizabeth Fitzsimons,
Sarah McCray, Tina Staffieri, Brittany
Darling, and the 200 free relay team
(same as 200 medley).
In the next dual meet, Laurel won
against Largo and Forestville with scores
of 125 to 11 and 134 to 8 against Largo
(boys/girls) and 127 to 10 and 134 to 5
against Forestville (boys/girls).
The following home meet at
Fairland pitted Laurel against Fairmont
Heights and another area rival, High
Point High. The boys won against both
High Point and Fairmont Heights, 100
to 57 and 116 to 21, while the girls tied
High Point 82 to 82 and won against
Fairmont Heights 125 to 16. A few top
placing boy swimmers included Scott
Tyree, Adam DeLuca, Matt Jordan, Jeff
Passmore, Jordan Megaughey, Ryan
Heavener, Christoph Lohrengel, the
200 medley relay team (S. Tyree, M.
Jordan, A. DeLuca, J. Passmore), the
200 free relay team (A. DeLuca, R.
Heavener, S. Tyree, J. Megaughey).
Some top placing girl swimmers
included Kara Rutherford, Carolina
Villegas, Sarah McCray, Iliana Rosa,
Elizabeth Fitzsimons,
Tina Staffieri, 200
medley relay team (S.
McCray,
E.
Fitzsimons, I. Rosa,
C.), 200 free relay
team (K. Rutherford,
A. Mills, C. Villegas,
I. Rosa), and 400 free
relay team (A. Mills,
K. Rutherford, E. Fitzsimons, S.
McCray).
At the next meet, against C.H.
Flowers and Duval, both boys and girls
fell to C.H. Flowers, 114 to 48 and
109.5 to 59.5 (boys/girls), but won
against Duval 86 to14 and 129 to 13
(boys/girls).
The Spartan girls closed the regular
season with wins over the Oxon Hill
Clippers and the Central Falcons. They
scored 124 points to 44 against Central
and clipped the Clippers 117 to 47. Top
placing girl swimmers were Sarah
McCray, Carolina Villegas, Elizabeth
Fitzsimons, Iliana Rosa, Kara
Rutherford, Shayna Myles, Alisha
Ladenburg, Andrea Mills, the 200 medley
relay team (E. Fitzsimons, K.
Rutherford, S. McCray, I. Rosa), 200
free relay team (K. Rutherford, A. Mills,
C. Villegas, I. Rosa) and 400 relay teams
(S. McCray, E. Fitzsimons, A. Mills, C.
Villegas and T. Staffieri, S. Myles, L.
Ennis, A. Dauteuil)
The boys lost to Oxon Hill 97 to 67
and won against Central 108 to 10. Top
placing boy swimmers were Jordan
Megaughey, Adam DeLuca, Jeff
Passmore, Scott Tyree, Matt Jordan,
Ryan Heavener, the 200 medley relay
team (S. Tyree, M. Jordan, A. DeLuca,
J. Passmore), 200 free relay team (A.
DeLuca, R. Heavener, M. Jordan, J.
Megaughey), and the 400 free relay
team (S. Tyree, J. Megaughey, R.
Heavener, J. Passmore).
As the team reflects on the past
season and looks forward to next year,
senior Norman Jones’s closing
comment seems to sum up the reasons
for the team’s success.
“Swimming is not as easy as most
people think. It requires a lot of
strength, endurance and cooperation
among team members!”
Spartan Indoor Track Team Grows in Numbers
Despite Lack of Wins Individual Times Improving
By Krishna Dalsania
A bright spot for indoor track this
year was that fact that the numbers
increased dramatically from the fall
cross country season, going from a
handful of fall runners toa group close
to 20 in the winter. The track team is
often seen practicing their running in
the hallways of Laurel High. This year
the team has recruited many new
members. At the beginning of the
season, Coach Corey Harris explained
that he was “excited about the season
and that there was more talent this
year.” Harris, who was a teacher at
Suitland High last year, now teaches
physical education here at LHS.
At the 4A/3A Regional
Championship, which was held on
February 8, some on the team had
done an exceptional job in order for
them to qualify for the State
Championship which was held on
February 21. The qualifiers for the
States included Dayvon Anderson,
Jerome Pyuzza, Hans Colglazier, and
Charles Piccioni running the 4x800
Meter Relay and Justin Campbell
running and jumping in the 55 Meter
Hurdles. Laurel’s 4x800 meter relay
team was disqualified due to a lane
violation. The State Championship
was held at the Prince George’s Sports
and Learning Complex.
Some of the returning members
this year are Dayvon Anderson,
Raymond
Lewis, Shanae
C h a r l e s ,
J e r o m e
Pyuzza, and
Raynel Gibson.
Anderson and
Pyuzza are this
year ’s team
captains. The
team
lost
s e v e r a l
members due to
injuries.
The team
competes in
running events
that include the
55, 200, 300,
400, and 800
meter dashes,
the two mile
run, the 55 meter hurdle, and field
events such as shot put, long jump,
triple jump, and high jump.
The track team’s first meet was
held on December 8 at the Prince
George’s Sports and Learning
Complex and was an open meet to give
the team an opportunity to see their
individual position and evaluate their
Diaz explains, “I think the track team
is better this year and they work
hard.”
Anderson also states, “The team
is better this year.”
What keeps them together is “their
determination
to be the
b e s t , ”
according
to Harris.
Later in
the season,
H a r r i s
explains
that
the
members
had shown
improvement
from the
P r i n c e
G e o r g e ’s
Invitational
which was
held
on
January 12.
(Photo by Tina Staffieri) H a r r i s
stated that
strength. Harris felt that the meet the “majority of them got faster, and
“was a really good experience.”
few showed key improvements in
Harris feels that “this year’s team most areas.” Gibson and Andre Sams
is still growing.” Sophomore Alfonzo
showed improvement in the 55-meter
dash along with Justin Campbell in
the 55-meter hurdle.
At the Prince George’s County
Championship, which was held on
January 19, Eleanor Roosevelt
snatched the team championship titles,
with their girls scoring 151 points to
Largo’s 132, and the boys scoring 88
to Oxon Hill’s 68 ½. Laurel Spartans
Steven Cleland and Gibson showed a
great effort at the P.G. County
Championship.
Earlier in the year on January 6,
several of the team members competed
at the University of Maryland Eastern
Shore in an invitational meet against
teams from other states such as New
York and Florida.
The invitational on January 26 was
another event where the individual
team members showed improvements
in their efforts. Although senior Zainab
Samura was injured during this event,
the team managed some victories. The
boys came in first place in the 4x800
and the girls came second in the 4x800.
Campbell came in second in the 55meter hurdles. “They could have even
done better if the meet was organized
well,” explained Harris.
PAGE 22
The Shield
February / March 2006
Boys’ Basketball Team’s Future Looks Bright
Team Finishes Regular Season 10-11; Many to Return for Next Year
focus on building their confidence.
If they believe they are good, then
they will play like they are good.”
aurel’s boys’ varsity
Let’s recap on the highlights
basketball
team’s and low points of the 2005-2006
season came to an end in season. In the first game of the
the second round of the playoffs season, Roosevelt overwhelmed
as the area’s tenth ranked team, Laurel, 69-38. Laurel came back on
Charles H. Flowers, defeated the December 12, conquering
Spartans 63-54 on February 28.
Parkdale, 51-38, with Brandon
In their first game of the Simpson being the lead scorer,
playoffs February 24, the Spartans gaining 12 points and three assists.
celebrated with a victory against Christopher Tolson followed close
the Bowie Bulldogs 47-43. behind with 11 points and five
“Because it was the playoffs, we assists.
played harder. We were determined
Laurel played an intense game
to go all the way,” comments December 13 against Largo but
senior Marcus Jones.
succumbed 72-67. Milade LolaLaurel finished the regular Charles led with 19 points and ten
season with a 10-11 record. “The
blocked
shots; Tolson
followed with
17 points and
five assists.
“There was a
lot of hype
surrounding
(the Largo)
game. We
couldn’t
adjust to their
offensive
flow first half,
but
we
played better
ball
the
second half,”
comments
Tolson.
Laurel
redeemed
themselves
once again
December 16,
edging by
Northwestern,
(Photo Lifetouch) 58-55. “It was
Boys’ JV hopes to provide even more punch for next
a close game
years’ varsity team.
and a little
team does need to work on some unorganized. I just felt like I had to
areas of their game, particularly step up,” explains Simpson.
offense, but overall they have Simpson was once again the
improved. The season was good. leading scorer with 15 points and
All we can do is work hard to make two assists; Tolson followed with
next season great,” reflects Head 13 points and four assists. Marcus
Coach Keith Coutreyor. The Jones also proved to be a valuable
emphasis this season was player with 12 points, four assists
teamwork and developing and eight rebounds.
confidence. Director of Basketball
Operations LaTonya Black states,
On December 20 in a low scoring
“I think as the season progressed, game Laurel defeated High Point,
they began to develop more and 34-31, improving their record to 3more confidence on the court. 2. Lola-Charles scored 11 points,
They also began to work more like had 3 blocked shots and 6
a team instead of individual rebounds, leading the team in
players. Next year, we just want to scoring.
By Alysha Brown
L
In the Spartans’ last game before
the winter break, on Dec. 22 the
Rams of Suitland beat Laurel 5542. Suitland challenged Laurel’s
offense forcing many turnovers
which cost Laurel the game.
Laurel fell to Bowie on January
3, 48-55, putting their record at 34. Sophomore Reginald Young
comments, “We tried to key in on
(Eric) Henderson but we had a lack
of execution in the fourth quarter.”
Young led the team with 22 points
and 4 three-point shots and states,
“I had a lot of open shots.”
Charles Herbert Flowers
trounced Laurel 53-40 on January
6. Tolson pulled through and
scored 17 points and 2 assists.
Brandon followed with 11 points
and 2 assists. “We had a lot of
turnovers,” states Simpson.
Tolson comments, “Our
mentality was just to shoot, to go
after the points. Points come easier
when you let the game come to
you.”
Laurel stepped up on January 9
and beat Surrattsville 56-48.
Young led scorers with 15 points
and 4 rebounds while Simpson
followed close behind with 12
points and 5 assists.
With renewed confidence, the
Spartans defeated Frederick
Douglass 65-58. “We played smart
and played together as a team,”
reflects Tolson, “we had limited
turnovers and a lot of open shots,
but mostly we developed
teamwork.” Tolson led the team
with 20 points while Jones
followed with 18 points and 4
assists.
Roosevelt ended the Spartans’
winning streak but the Spartans
didn’t fall without a fight. With a
final score of 58-49, Laurel played
harder than their previous game
against the Raiders. Simpson lead
as scorer with 15 points and 2
assists.
On January 20 the Spartans
vanquished the Parkdale Panthers
for the second time in the season,
edging them 46-44. Simpson, with
15 points, 4 assists, and 3
rebounds, led as scorer. “This time,
when we played Parkdale, the pace
was fast. We almost let the game
slip away because we had more
turnovers but we pulled through
with a victory,” reflects Simpson.
On January 24 Largo defeated
the Spartans for the second time
this season 50-45. Laurel came back
and demolished the Wildcats of
Northwestern 63-49 on January 27
and on January 31 the Spartans
triumphed over their neighbor
High Point 42-36.
Laurel played an intense game
against Oxon Hill on February 3,
but
the
Clippers
edged the
Spartans 7974.
“We
should have
won
that
g a m e , ”
reflects
C o u t r e y o r,
“we went into
a
double
overtime and
we played
h a r d ,
(Photo T. Staffieri)
however with
Christopher Tolson prepares to shoot over defenders.
T o l s o n
absent,
it
really hurt our game overall.”
The Spartans celebrated on players for next year’s roster
February 7 with a victory against including Christopher Tolson,
the Bowie Bulldogs 57-50.
Reginald Young, Milade-Lola
Laurel lost on February 10 Charles, Robert Suggs, Justin
against the
Mustangs of
Bladensburg
50-46, but
regained
confidence
defeating the
Hornets of
Surrattsville
58-46
on
Valentine’s
Day for their
s e c o n d
triumph of
the season
(Photo T. Staffieri)
over
the
Marcus
Jones
launches
a
3-pointer.
team.
On the
final regular season game of the Redfield, and Benny Iko.
season on February 17, the Courtreyor comments, “With
Spartans were beaten by the returning players instead of an
Cavaliers of Crossland, 50-45.
entire new line up, we will have a
This year the Spartans slight advantage. The players
added three new players to their already know what to expect for
roster: Justin Redfield as forward, the most part. If we work harder
Derrick Ware as guard, and Benny and smarter, next year we have a
Iko as center. “I’m glad I came to chance to go farther.”
Laurel,”
states Ware
a d d i n g ,
“ b e f o r e
C o a c h
C o u t r e y e r,
there was one
way to play
ball for mestreet. Coach
changed me
as a player.”
The team
also has quite
(Photo T. Staffieri)
a
few
Christopher
Tolson
sets
up
the
play.
returning
Reggie Glascoe’s
mommie
LOVES HIM!!
The Shield
PAGE 23
February/March 2006
Popular USB Drives Create Limitless Storage Space
Most Flash Drives Can Hold Hundreds of Various Types of Files
By Wesley McMillan
Flash drive, thumb drive,
jump drive-all these terms have
something in common: data
storage. USB (Universal
Serial Bus) flash storage has
quickly swept the nation in a
mass phenomena of file
transfer. It’s simply a wonderful
thing these days. With
USB flash drives being
slightly larger or the size
of an average stick of
gum, it is plain to see
why they caught on so
well. While walking
the halls of Laurel
High School, it is
common to see
students and even
teachers wearing
the flash drive
around their
neck as both a
fashion statement
and a technological lifesaver.
More often than not, these
devices will hold essays,
presentations,
amongst other files
that must travel
from one place to
another, making
the “my disk
doesn’t
w o r k ”
complaint a thing of
the past.
The USB ports are
commonly located in the back
and front of computer. On
laptops and Macintosh
computers, they are located on
the sides and on the keyboard
(Macintosh keyboards).
When a flash drive is plugged
a port it shows up as
lettered (usually E-I)
“removable drive” in My
Computer (windows) or
on the desktop as
“Untitled” (Macintosh). This
quick recognition by the
Expires 4/4/06
computer is technically known
as ‘plug and play’. Once the
drive is recognized the user has
the ability to drag , drop, and
save any files they
wish up to the
capacity of the
drive.
However, no
matter how stylish
or seemingly useful
a device is, there
must be functionality
and affordability in order to
draw a crowd. The USB flash
drive usually sells for a minimum
of $20 and a max of up to
$400 depending on the size
you purchase. Among the sizes
are 32, 64, 128, 256, and 512
MB (Megabytes) as well as 1,
2, and 4 GB (Gigabytes).
Megabytes are a term used to
describe the size of a computer
file (along with KB
[Kilobytes] and GB). A
(Photos by Tina Staffieri)
Expires 4/4/06
floppy disk holds 1.44MB
about 40-50 Microsoft Word
files (average file
size
25KB).
So if
o n e
thinks
about it,
a 64MB
jump drive
can hold
about 2,500
W o r d
documents,
well over the
basic needs of
an
average
s t u d e n t .
Nevertheless, for
the
more
computer-savvy
consumer,
the
higher-end flash
drives would suffice for music
storage, program downloads,
and installation purposes.
Expires 4/4/06
Many companies including
Lexar Media Inc.,
Sandisk, Memorex,
and
PNY
Te c h n o l o g i e s
manufacture USB
flash drives, and
they are readily
available at most
electronic outlets
including Circuit
City, Comp
USA, and Best
Buy. All in all,
no matter
what the
task, with
prices
starting at
$20 for
256MB
(Lexar
Jumpdrive
Sport – tigerdirect.com), it
is a useful and affordable
device for many consumers.
Tina Staffieri contributed to
the writing of this article.
The Shield
February/March 2006
PAGE 24
New Auditorium Slated for Laurel High
A Variety of Benefactors Excited about Construction Scheduled to Begin in Early 2009
By Justin Cousson
A
s the very first high
school in Prince
George’s County,
Laurel High School
has seen a lot of
changes since it first opened its
doors to 59 students and four
teachers in 1899. Within the first
decade of its existence, in the
building now known as the Phelps
Community Center, students
lacked running water. In 1916,
Laurel students rejoiced as their
school gained indoor plumbing,
eliminating the long lines at the
outhouse. In that same year, the
first “Studebaker bus wagons”
saved many LHS students from
long morning walks. In 1963, Laurel
students found themselves at the
new home of Laurel High, the
building that students today know
and love (or dread, depending on
whether it’s Monday or not).
However, one upcoming change
could be one of the most notable
in Maryland’s oldest high school’s
history: for the first time since the
move to the building on Cherry
Lane, Laurel High School will be
sporting an auditorium on its
campus.
The plans for a new auditorium
were first formally announced on
November 29 by Prince George’s
County Councilman Tom Dernoga
at that night’s LHS PTSA meeting.
Details, while still preliminary,
hope for an auditorium of roughly
800 seats, featuring a wing that
would feature enough classrooms
for 400 students. The auditorium
plan, which would cost $23 million
(of which $17.8 million of county
money has already been put
aside), arrived thanks to an
agreement between the County
Council, County Executive Jack
Johnson, and the Board of
Education.
The design of the auditorium
will not be finalized until June at
the earliest, but it has been
established that it would be similar
to the auditoriums at Bowie High
School and C.H. Flowers. Principal
Dwayne Jones hopes to include
LHS staff and students in
selecting the final design, insisting
“it’s not my auditorium, it’s not the
city of Laurel’s…it’s all of ours.
The
students
should
be
involved.”
The new auditorium looks like
the final blow to Laurel High
School’s infamous ‘annex,’ a
former elementary school that
houses about 400 students. If the
auditorium plan goes through, it’s
likely that the annex, as well as its
linking tunnel, will be torn down
entirely
in
order
to
accommodate
more parking
s p a c e s .
Dernoga notes
that while this
would allow
the
new
project to be
sited in the
most beneficial
way,
there
would be a
loss of seats
for
an
extended
period of time. Keeping the entire
annex would possibly jeopardize
the project as the new auditorium
would have a very limited amount
of space to fit into. The new
auditorium, as well as an addition
to make up for the classrooms lost
with the demolition of the annex,
would likely be located behind the
main school building. Jones hopes
that an agreement could be
reached that would allow at least
parts of the annex — such as areas
rebuilt after the tornado that hit
LHS in 2001 — to remain intact.
“[Tearing down the annex] would
only cause more disruption,”
Jones states. “I’d rather not see
more trailers out for the students.
Hopefully we can attach it to parts
of the annex. The key is what we
have, we don’t want to lose. If the
annex is torn down, there has to
still be space in the new building
for
the
w e i g h t
room, the
offices, and
the
ins c h o o l
suspension
rooms as
well as the
classrooms.”
At the
tail end of
the annex,
one will
find Sellers
Theatre,
named in
1996 after the late former Drama
Department Head, Russell Sellers.
It was previously known as simply
“the Little Theatre,” a very fitting
name
that
borders
on
understatement. The home to LHS
drama productions for years, the
stage in Sellers Theatre, a
multipurpose room with the walls
and stage painted black, struggles
to adequately handle plays with
larger casts (musicals in
particular), while audience
members are crammed into folding
chairs to meet the room’s 150-200
person capacity.
Principal Jones recognizes how
a new auditorium could enhance
the image of Laurel High’s drama
program. “[The auditorium] would
really give us something to brag
about. Think of the difference
between seeing a play in the ‘little
theatre’ and being able to see a
Laurel production in an auditorium
with room for an orchestra and
good lighting. It would show what
the students could really do and
put a positive spin on what goes
on in Laurel High School.”
Drama Instructor Sid Stark
shares Jones’s enthusiasm over
the news. “We eagerly anticipate
the opening of the new
auditorium. We’re very grateful for
the investment the community is
making in the school.”
Other groups will also benefit
from the new auditorium. Laurel
High’s Band Instructor explains,
“The Music Department will
benefit significantly from an
auditorium. Along with a new and
much better performance facility,
it would likely give the department
new classrooms and rehearsal and
storage facilities. This would help
create a more conducive
environment for the department
and for students. I am really
excited about having the
possibility of rehearsing and
performing in a space that is
designed for music; it is such a
plus. Not only will the bands and
choirs sound better, but we will
also have more room to perform
different kinds of music. An
auditorium will impact the Music
Department so greatly I can hardly
imagine the possibilities.”
Laurel High Choir Director
Salone Clary is also excited about
the possibilities a new auditorium
will provide. He comments, “The
Music Department is in dying
need of an auditorium. Playing in
the school cafeteria has never been
an asset. It has very poor
acoustics,
bad
seating
arrangements and that dreadful
stage. I can imagine having the AllCounty Honors Chorus and
Honors Band practicing at Laurel
High instead of Roosevelt or
Suitland. Week-end activities
would also be a plus for the
community: churches, civic
leagues,
county
executive
meetings, and programs.”
Reaction to the news has been
overwhelmingly positive all
throughout the school, as
students, staff, and parents have
been ecstatic to hear about the
auditorium. “Maybe we can get
some bigger [theatre] productions,
see some better shows,” muses
Senior Adam Deluca, “like
Foghat.”
LHS English and Journalism
Instructor Robert Giuliani explains,
“The auditorium will enhance our
academic program in a variety of
ways. Providing a professionalquality venue for our Drama and
Music Departments is a definite
plus for their productions. Any
academic class or organization
should be able to use the stage to
display their talents. The
auditorium will also serve as a
great public relations tool for both
the school and the community.”
Local community theater groups
unexpected funding became
available after the Springhill Lake
Apartment project in Greenbelt
took the reconstruction of
Greenbelt Middle School off of
the county’s hands (and wallet).
Dernoga, who had already been
discussing the new auditorium
with Mayor Craig Moe and
Delegate Brian Moe, is confident
that the new auditorium will be a
boom for the community. “The
hope that school leaders and I
have, is that the auditorium will
serve as a focal point for the city
of Laurel,” explains Dernoga. He
adds, “I have a commitment that
the school system will work very
closely with the Laurel School
community [and] this is very
important to me. The people in the
school know the most about what
is needed and how the new parts
would probably relish the
opportunity to use the stage of a
new auditorium.
There is at least one person
who is against the idea of a new
auditorium. Senior Sam Scheddel,
who has appeared in a number of
Laurel High plays expresses her
opinion: “I think the small theater
is quaint and not overbearing. I
hate the idea of building a new
one.”
Much of the praise after the
announcement has been centered
around Dernoga, who has been
working on the auditorium project
for several months, and found a
perfect
opportunity
when
will work with existing parts. The
best result will come from a
collaborative process. My only
role, after obtaining funding, is to
ensure that everyone is engaged
and Laurel gets the best project
possible.”
Awaiting approval from the
State of Maryland is 5.2 million
dollars; this would give the project
all the funding required. A longignored objective of the Prince
George’s
County
Capital
Improvement Plan since 1989,
construction
of
the
new
auditorium is expected to begin in
February of 2009, with the building
likely finished in time for the 20092010 school year.