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the Shield
Nov./Dec. 2010
Vol. 16 No. 1
Laurel High School Laurel, MD
Fall Sports WrapUp & Winter
Sports Preview
pp. 22-27
Homecoming
Recap & Photo
Spreads pp. 13-17
Dancers Perform
During International
Assembly see pg. 8
Nov./Dec. 2010
Editorial
Opinion 2
The Shield
theShield
Keep Spirit Week on a 5-day Schedule!
In the month of October,
Having the hall decoration comLaurel High School engaged in Homecoming
Week, a time when there is
supposed to be lots of fun
activites during the week of
the Homecoming Dance.
To our surprise we found
out that Spirit Week would
include a day of PSAT testing, a half-day Thursday,
and no school on Friday.
The people who were
most dissapointed by this
news was the Class of 2011,
which wanted to go out with
a bang, but now have to
go
out
with
a
spark. petition and separate class com-
petition event canceled and then
only having one competition,
the tug of war, also gave a
feeling of being shortchanged.
At the only Homecoming assembly, the SGA,
the emcee, the performing
groups and the teams did a
great job of cramming everything into the one event.
Although it’s obvious that a weak opponent for
the football game is often
scheduled for Homecomings, one should still consider that maybe a full week
of spirited activities is just as
important as winning the game.
Voice of the Students
Variety of Music Needed
at Homecoming
Dear Editor,
Homecoming week was a blast.
I am glad that our team won on my senior year Homecoming, however the
downpour happens at the dance. I am
well aware that Laurel is between both
Baltimore and D.C. Growing up between
them many students at this school prefer
“Go-go.” I do no share this taste of music, but do not criticize others genres. It
is common etiquette that when a dance
has diverse attendees, the dj should be
playing diverse music, whether it is favored by the majority population or not.
I found the dance upsetting and a great
disappointment. Even so far to ask kindly
if the DJ could play something other than
“Go-Go” the entire night. I am angry that
the DJ was not in charge; it was his job!
He shouldn’t be using a student’s iPod.
I just kindly ask that the next dance we
have, I hope we can be more broad and
fair in the musical selection.
Senior Courtney Slaughter
What Some Students Like
Most About
Laurel High
Dear Editor,
What I like about this school is that
the teachers take their time to work with
you and show you what you need to do
to accomplish the goals that you have set
for yourself. What I also like is the pace
at which the school moves and how the
classrooms are always energetic and how
the students support each other. Also,
how the teachers are cool with their students and straight forward and how the
teachers take their time with the students
to show them what college has in store
for them.
Senior Shevon Donald
Spartan Hour Should
Be Extended
Dear Editor,
There are many issues that
are still unsolved. One of those issues is
that Spartan Hour is yet to be a Spartan
Hour. Although the times are 10:36 to
11:37, those times include the release
to eat, go to dance, then turn in papers
to my teachers, which are at opposites
ends of the school. The solution to this
Spartan Hour crisis is allowing students
to arrive to their third period at 11:40.
The three more minutes added will help.
People like me have many things to do
at Spartan Hour. For example, the lunch
line is a headache to be in. Then after
leaving the line, I have 35 minutes until
the bell and the late bell. This needs to
be fixed.
Sophomore Abisola Akinkuowo
Respect Needed At Laurel
High Towards
Teachers and Property
Dear Editor,
Throughout the years the respect level
in Laurel High School has diminished.
The student body shows no respect to
the school, teachers or even the flag.
Everyday, teachers can find pieces of
balled up paper left in the classroom,
trash left around the courtyard, and
bathroom- all left in a terrible state. Paper towel are left in the sink, toilet and
floor. Such behavior is simply childish
and needs to come to a stop. I have seen
some students yell back at teachers and
even curse at them when the teachers
are simply here to help us prepare for
the future. Also, a lot of students don’t
even have common courtesy to simply
stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. The
lack of respect show that we as students
are taking a lot for granted and we need
a wake up call. It can come in the form
of an assembly needed to address this
and let student know how consequential
such actions are in their life because in
the real world you can’t get anywhere
without respect.
Junior Kevin Laguerre
The Shield is published by the students of Laurel
High School, 8000 Cherry Lane, Laurel MD 20707. It is
sold at the price of twenty-five 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.
Editors
Co-Editors-In-Chief
Malcolm Richardson & Joan Doucette
Managing Editor
Ian Kirksey
Layout Editor
Malcolm Richardson
Photo Editor
Alexie Malloy
Copy Editors
Sheyla Guevara
Alejandra Farias
News
Joan Doucette
Feature
Alvin Abston
Sports
Kayleen Yermal
Entertainment
Sylvana Asante
Opinion
Sarah Jeffries
Clubs and Classes
Ebony Marcus
Exchange
Jennifer Rodriguez
Art
Dominic Mallari
International
Karen Tavarez
Technology Coordinator
Mohammad Khan
Maury Quijada
Managers
Advertising : Mina Thiam
Public Relations : Lakeya Brock
Circulation : Darien Anderson
Patrons : Mina Thiam
Librarian : Selwyn Mendez
Reporters
Olasubomi Adesoye
Adam Block
Darwin Calderon
Marcus Pearson
Victoria Wilson
Karene Winfield
ADVISOR
Robert Giuliani
Principal
Dwayne Jones
The objectives of The Shield are to report all
news pertinent to the interest 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.
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, and are subject to editing. Please
deposit letters in Mr. Giuliani’s mailbox, visit
The Shield website at theshieldlaurelmd.com, or
give them to any member of the staff.
News
Nov./Dec. 2010
News 3
The Shield
School Funding Cut for this Year
Teachers Furloughed but Have Mixed Reviews about Budget
By Joan Doucette
For the year of 2010-2011
the county has been experiencing budget cuts across the
board. All areas have been affected, from the rationing of
copy paper to the decrease in
bus drivers, despite the same
number of students and routes.
Concerning the copy paper
and bus issues Principal Jones
commented, “We’ve had cuts
across every area. If you’ve
read the marquee out front,
the bus lot is looking for more
drivers. We’re having more late
buses to and from school. In addition, this year we have had
to ration the amount of copy
paper teachers receive. Teachers have had to get more creative, instead of handing out
work sheets they’ve had to utilize other tools like the projectors, which is a good thing because they should be creative.”
Due to the budget cuts, the
results are larger class sizes and
some overcrowded classrooms.
“Every class is overcrowded
Sign Erected for
Reggie
Harris Way
“He was just a nice, kind-hearted, chill guy that was like a role
model to us students,” acknowledged Hannah Seibert. In any
type of weather Reginald Harris
moved traffic and greeted the
students and teachers in to the
building. “He was the first security assistant I saw every morning,” commented sophomore
Victoria Pagan. Harris died May
13 of a prolonged illness. Harris
had worked as a security assistant since 2000. We honored
Reggie Harris by naming the
bus wing in front of the main
building Reggie Harris Way.
This made a big impact on the
school because everyone knows
because they had to let teachers
go. It has a very negative impact
to the quality of education students receive. But on the positive side they haven’t cut tennis team or
C h e s s
C l u b , ”
stated Math
Instructor
and Tennis
Coach Karl
Holovach.
As
much
as
these cuts
affect the
students’
quality of
education,
the harder
part comes
upon the
teachers,
as
Sundra Banks,
a Law/AP Human Geography
Instructor
expressed:
“Teachers are continually asked
to be creative. We are definitely
creative. We create doctors, law-
yers, principals, and presidents.
It is one thing to be creative,
however, we’re constantly being
asked to be magicians (without
a wand, no less). Day after day
and year after year, we are expected to do more with less, a lot
less. We’re given a wren’s share
of the responsibility of creating
someone else’s tax deduction
into respectable, productive
members of society. One cannot continue to take key ingredients, i.e., sugar/paper, out of
the recipe and expect it to taste
the same.
Splenda (a
couple of
reams of
paper for
two hundred plus
students at
two grades
per week)
is not sugar. I do realize that
difficult
times call
for difficult
measures;
h o w e v e r,
teachers
should
not
be
measured with a yardstick,
while others are measured
with a twelve-inch ruler. We
are ALL responsible for creating building blocks that will
News Briefs
By Ebony Marcus
him. In addition, the Class of
2010 also dedicated their graduation ceremony to him. Harris
had a passion of wanting to help
kids who were in the middle
with their grades. Even though
he wasn’t a teacher, he will be
a teacher to the school forever.
Poetry Contest
Open to Students
Do you like to write poetry? How about poetry that focuses on International Understanding? If so, World Artists
Experience (WAE) is sponsoring a Poetry Project that is
designed to engage Maryland
Students from grades K-12
about their thoughts and experiences of living in a global
community.
WAE is a non-profit organization that bridges the
international understandings
through cultural and citizen
diplomacy. The poems should
be original and can focus on
any aspect of international
understanding such as interchange, meetings, or friendships with people from other
cultures or countries.
All submissions of poetry
will be accepted through February 1, 2011.
If you are interested and
want more information on the
Poetry Project you can contact
Betty McGinnis at [email protected]. One can also call her
at 410-647-4482.
NHS Sponsors
Food Drive
The National Honor Society
sponsored a can food drive
November 8- November 11
to feed the hungry. All nonperishable items went to
those in Elizabeth House,
located on 308 Gorman Ave.
308 Laurel, MD. All students
were welcomed to participate
in the canned food drive, Yet
the first period A- Day class
that collected the most cans
was awarded a Pizza Party.
The Pizza Party was sponsored
by Ledos and Chick-Fil-A.
The National Honor Society is led by President Frank
Ugboh and Vice- President
withstand the test of time.”
This situation goes hand in
hand with the fact that teachers have had no raise in their
pay over the past three years.”
“Teachers work really hard.
It definitely creates a sense of
under appreciation for teachers.
People want so much, but they
have no idea what we go through.
Teachers, who do a good job, although we do it for pay, do it for
personal integrity and concern
and well-being for the students.
Nurses are not asked to work
with fewer bandages, so why
is it that teachers are expected
to do so much with less?” questions IB English/Yearbook
Instructor Sharon Campbell.
The state of Maryland has
received some money and “We
hope some money trickles
down” states Principal Jones “so
that our budget can increase and
the appropriate materials that
are needed can be available.”
Instead of a raise this year
teachers were furloughed 4
days this 2010-2011 school
year which results in a pay cut.
Sheyla Guevara.
Their club
sponsor is Mr. Hiller.
Spanish Club
Journeys to
Don Pablo’s
In celebration of Hispanic
Heritage Month, members of
the Spanish Club and some
students from Spanish classes
went on a field trip to Don
Pablo’s for lunch on Thursday,
November 11.
The students, along with
sponsor Spanish Instructor
Henrique Vissotto, English
Instructor Robert Giuliani and
Business Instructor Mark Rivarde, walked to and from the
restaurant. Students enjoyed
meals that included enchiladas, tacos, and rice and beans.
No margaritas were served!
Nov./Dec. 2010
News 4
The Shield
Paths Behind School Remain Controversial
Trails Reopened after Long Debate
By Sheyla Guevara
L
aurel High School’s paths behind the school traveled by
many students have always
been the issue of controversy. The
paths were cut off from use for a
brief time but even then the students
seemed to always find a way to use
them, especially through vandalism.
The majority of walkers deemed
the paths’ temporary closure as unjust. The Prince George’s County
School Board declares that the they
no longer find the need to close
down the paths, especially due to the
restraints of the current economy.
When the paths were shut
down temporarily, City of Laurel
Public Information Officer Jim Collins said, “Our main goal is student
safety. It [path’s closure] is not to
make anyone’s life miserable.” He
stated that City of Laurel met with
the School Board previously and
they both agreed on the paths’ closures. Both parties hoped that the
closure would prevent sexual harassment, truancy, thefts, and vandalism
from occurring. Another concern
was the non-students loitering on
the school paths. They appeared to
exacerbate the number of drug, truant, and alcohol-related cases. At
first, the School Board was being
hesitant to enforce the paths’ closure
after several complaints from parents.
Collins expected that with the
next School Board meeting that
both the City of Laurel and Laurel going to stop kids from doing drugs walking feels shorter to him. “It takes
me twenty minutes
High School would
to get to school with
cooperate on a soluthe path, but walktion from keeping
ing the regular way
the paths closed and
takes me thirty minfrom avoiding vanutes. It can affect me
dalism. According to
by causing me to be
a couple of City of
late to school. With
Laurel workers and
the extra ten minutes
Eric Walker, the city
I can go to teachers
and the School Board
for help or use it wisecame together and the
ly,” Hubbard voiced.
paths are now a jointWhen the issue of
project. Eric Walker,
the paths’ discontinuthe Safety Officer
ance was an option,
for Prince George’s
Collins revealed that
County
Public
the City of Laurel
Schools, emphasized
actually conducted a
“We [City of Laurel
study on the differand Prince George’s
ence from traveling
County School Board]
the path and traveling
will continue to colwithout the shortcut.
laborate to make it
“There was a study
a safer environment
done using the school
around the path.” Colpath and the road itlins asserts, “Putting
Users have pulled back the fence to allow passage. self and there was not
up new fences every time
students put them down is a costly or going to stop sexual assaults. It’s a great difference in distances.”
Laurel High’s Staff agreed
expense for the City. “Alternatives stopping kids from going to school.” could include widening the paths
Kevin Bercian and Nancy Vil- on the closures, even if they were
and installing new security cameras,” latoro, both juniors, declared, “It is temporary. Ms. Redfield, a parent
explains Walker, who adds, “make unfair. It doesn’t feel like it’s about liaison, emphasized “[Path] Danger
[paths] it more illuminated, but al- student safety. We can’t stop some- to students. The path being open is a
ways keeping economics in mind.” thing [malicious] from happening. It safety risk, [especially] when there’s
While the paths’ use was is bound to. Our morning routine is snow and ice.” The security staff
suspended there were some students stopped because of the shut downs.” also felt it was a good idea to close
who felt as though the paths’ closures
Tymer Hubbard a sophomore the paths. Mr. Craig, who is a part of
were hindering them from arriving to also expressed that the City should the security team, expressed, “It is a
school on time. Darien Lewis, a fresh- not close the paths, even if it was good thing for everybody. It is safer.”
Officer Lanier exclaimed, “It
man, felt that it was wrong. “It’s not temporary. When he takes the route
is less crime for us.” He also gave
a realistic example of a muscular man following a high school
girl. He stated it would be safer for
girls [and other high school students] to walk where it is public the
where it is not hidden by woods.
People who live in the surrounding area are also troubled by
the path. Joyce Miles, a resident of
the City of Laurel who lives nearby,
voiced her concern when the paths
were still closed, “I think it is good
to have it closed. A lot goes on in the
path even when my daughter went to
school in ’76. Some kids who walk it
even go to the playground, which was
built for small children [not teens].”
Another resident, Cathy Greer,
believed that it was a great idea. “I
don’t want people walking the path.
I remember the little girl who was attacked. I had a daughter who went to
Laurel and I would not let her walk the
path. Even when my daughter went
there in the Eighties there was a boy
who was beaten and hospitalized.”
The paths’ ephemeral closures
faced negative and positive feedback. The solution: Collins maintains
that “The project [the paths’ closure] has come to a complete halt.”
Walker concludes, “It will remain
open since we [the City of Laurel and
Prince George’s School Board] did
not imagine the amount of vandalism that would occur.” Both the City
of Laurel and the Prince George’s
County School Board are collaborating to make the paths safer to travel.
LHS Students Adjust to New Grading Policy
Prince George’s County Schools Change from Alpha Letter Grading to Percentages
By Lakeya Brock
Shocked, perplexed, amazed,
and confused are words to describe
they many students who found
themselves a little uneasy when they
received their progress reports first
quarter. It was not because any of the
student athletes found out he or she
did not make grades. Nor was it the
fact that the students were unaware
of the grades they earned. The reason for this uncertainty was due to
the fact that instead of letter grades,
A= Excellent, B=Above Average,
C=Average, D=Below Average or
E=Failure, the students had numeric
grades ranging from 0-100%.
Although, they were told that this
change was going to occur, seeing
it for the first time was a dramatic
change from what they had been accustomed to since first grade.
According to the Prince George’s
County Public School website, this
new policy was put in place to attempt to “create a report card that
more accurately reflects student
performance.” In addition to new
policies and the new look, it also
changes how grades are averaged.
“Although the numerical
grades will force students to work
harder, it can be a little more challenging for a student who bombs
out one quarter and then improves
the next. The drawback for an improving student is that in the former
alpha grading system, if a student
earned an E first quarter and a C the
next, then that would average out to
a D.
In the new system if a student
earned a 40% (E) first quarter, then
they must earn at least an 80%(B)
second quarter in order to reach a D
for first semester. Of course there’s
nothing wrong with making the student aspire to a higher grade,” stated
English Instructor Robert Giuliani
when he was asked his thoughts on
the change.
Seniors Kalane Abbey and
Stephani Ezirike had a similar view
“I’m not really sure
what the county was
trying to accomplish
when deciding this
policy. Maybe they
wanted us to aim to
get higher grades.
-Senior Stephanie
Ezirike
on the topic when they were questioned. “I’m not really sure what
the county was trying to accomplish when deciding this policy.
Maybe they wanted us to aim
to get higher grades. Nonetheless, changing the way we receive
our grades causes more problems than it solves,” remarked
Ezirike shrugging her shoulders.
“To me an A is an A and a B is a
B regardless of what the percentage
is,” expressed Abbey. “This new policy just adds to burdens of stress that
we seniors already have to endure.”
Psychology Instructor Brian
Wenk and Health Instructor Andrew
Johnson had a different approach
when asked about the county’s decision to use numerical grades.
“I’m actually in favor of it because it raises achievement levels,”
explains Johnson. “I think it’s a
great idea to input numeric grades
instead of letter grades because
it’s more fair when it comes down
to scholarship money,” answered
Wenk confidently. He adds, “Ultimately the person who put forth
the most effort and got the higher
grade would have an advantage
over someone who didn’t put forth
much effort. Now that the numeric
grade will appear on the report card,
students will be more conscious of
their performance in their studies.”
The counties website stated
that the new policy was set to give
a better understanding of how students perform in school. Students
will now know a more precise measurement of what grades the have
earned.
Neighboring private high school
St. Vincent Pallotti has been using
the numeral system for as long as
most teachers can remember.
Laurel students could have it
tougher. St. Mary of the Mills in
Laurel has a challenging grading
scale where 93-100 is an A, 85-92 is
a B, 76-84 is a C, 66-75 is a D and
65 or below earns an E!
Nov./Dec. 2010
News 5
The Shield
The Move to the New Building Is Complete
Teachers Enjoy the Amenities of the Updated Classrooms
By Karen Tavarez
The last groups scheduled
for placement in the new building made their way there as the
new school year arrived.
After some classes moved
in the new building in January
2010, the performing arts building as well as the auditorium
were still under construction.
By the end of February the new
building was completed.
Even though the performing arts classes didn’t move to
the new building until this academic year, the teachers didn’t
seem affected by the decision of
them having to wait a few more
months to finally be in their new
classrooms. All the performing
arts teachers confessed to love
being so close to the auditorium.
“I love it!” exclaimed Dance
Instructor Jaclyn Martin, when
she was asked how she felt
about her new classroom. “Es-
pecially having ballet bars and
the floor made for dance,” she
added. Martin now has a new
office; she didn’t have one in the
old building. “I love the privacy
of the building but more than
having a new room I feel it is a
blessing to have the dance program,” she stated. You would
think that the classes in the new
building would be bigger but as
a surprise the dance classroom
is smaller than the old room!
“We are making it work,” expressed Martin.
Chuck Zimmerman, the
Music Department Director
expressed, “I prefer the new
building [it] is newer, cleaner,
and modern.” Compared to the
old room the new band room is
about twice as big. “Now I have
more space to rehearse with the
band and marching band, ” stated Zimmerman.
Selwyn Mendez, a band
student, specified, “It’s a lot
more spacious so everyone can
play without bumping into each
other. It’s a lot better than the
old band room.”
Child Growth and Development Instructor Neyla Rivera is
in love with her new classroom.
“I feel wonderful; this is a great
classroom not only because it is
new, but mostly because it was
specially designed for Child
Development,” she exclaimed
with an enormous smile.
“It
is a very colorful and kid friendly room. It also has everything
the children will need to learn
and succeed in the room.”
Last school year Rivera was
in a temporary classroom outside by the cafeteria and most
of her classes were too crowded
in the one room especially after
the preschoolers got there.
“It is bigger and way better to be in the new building
now than being in the ‘learning
cottages’ last year,” expressed
Heather Clark, a Child Growth
and Development student for
The Smart Board is a benefit of the new building.
two years. “I’m so excited and
thankful, this year we have
more materials to work with
compared to last year,” Rivera
stated, “Also, so many people
have supported me since I got
here and being in the new room
makes me feel closer to my coworkers,” she added.
Just outside the Child Growth
and Development classroom
there’s a new playground for the
preschoolers.
The new chorus room is
“way better, larger, and spacious,” according to Thomas
Wright, LHS’s Chorus and Music Instructor.
The new chorus room includes a private piano room for
the students who like practicing
in total silence. “Now we are
closer to the auditorium for rehearsal,” states Wright, adding
“I also have my own office and
more storage space.”
LHS Administration Relaxes Uniform Policy
A Variety of Shoes and Belts Now Allowed
By Lakeya Brock
As you enter the front
royal blue doors of Laurel
High one can’t help but notice the sea of students wearing khaki-colored bottoms
and white polo-styled shirts.
Almost midway through the
school year many of these
students find themselves finally getting adjusted to the
new school policies, rules
and procedures.
“Our uniform policy
has come a long way since
they first introduced them,
I remember back when we
had the option of wearing a
blue or yellow polo shirt, but
now we just wear the white
(polo). I like that we can wear
any color shoes though; it’s
always nice to have different options,” explains senior
Stephani Ezirike.
older policy was stricter. So ly happy that they have more
But what exactly made this year, we decided to focus freedom to express their inadministration revamp the on three main things: khaki dividuality. When asked how
uniform
policy?
“We understand
that our
main goal
is to educate the
students,”
expresses
Assistant
Principal
Michael
Dinkins.
“Last year
we
had
too many
infracStudents wear bright and colorful shoes with uniform. -photo by RG
tions relating with people pants, white polo and your they felt about the new polinot wearing the proper shoes student ID badge.”
cy, seniors Michael Akeya,
and disciplining the students
As a result of the changes, Roshni Ravikumar and Eme
took a great deal of time. The most students seem to be fair- Akonawe, all collectively
agreed that they liked it better. “This year’s policy is
much better than last year’s.
In the morning it’s much easier just to throw on any color
shoes and not get in any type
of trouble for it,” states Michael Akeya.
“I like the new shoe policy,”
noted Eme Akonawe. “But I
wish we still had the option of
wearing button downs, A new
shirt color would make our
uniform so much better, but I
really like the fact that we can
wear shoes of our choice,”
adds Roshni Ravikumar.
“I hope that students continue to understand policies are
made to be followed and not
to be taken lightly. It doesn’t
take much work to adhere to
the rules and if you do what
you are told, you won’t have
an issue,” states Dinkins.
Feature
Nov./Dec. 2010
Feature 6
The Shield
LHS Family Provides an Assortment of Unusual Pets
Do Owners’ Personalities Match their Pets?
By Ebony Marcus
M
ommy!
Daddy!
Can I have a puppy? This is the usual cry of a young
child asking their parents for a
first pet. As children get older
some tend to try to be unique
and show their individuality.
This can contribute to teenagers asking for more exciting,
exotic, and unusual pets such as
Hermit Crabs, Hedgehogs, Chinese Water Dragons, and even
a 14-pound French Lop Rabbit! Many people don’t even
know what these pets look like?
Where are they from? And who
are the owner’s of these extraordinary pets?
Nicole Bills is a sophomore
at Laurel High School, and is
the owner of a year
and a half-old hedgehog named
Honey. Hedgehog originated
from Europe, Britain and parts
of Africa. They resemble porcupines, but are much smaller and
their quills feel more like a bristly brush, instead of barbs like
porcupines. When Bills was
asked why she choose a hedgehog as a pet, she exclaimed,“I
saw it on the internet and I had
to get it because it was so adorable!”
Honey eats hedgehog pellets
about 4 to 5 times a day. “It’s
hard to find food for Honey because, there is only one pet store
to get it at,” states Bills. She acquired Honey from Today’s Pet
in Columbia Mall, which since
has gone out of business. Bills
also said that she cleans Honey’s cage once a week. Her pet
likes to play with toilet paper
rolls, a tube and likes to run on a
wheel. Bills explains, “Honey
is independent, sometimes
mean, but a lot of times nice.”
A pet that is a little less maintenance is a hermit crab. According to the website www.
petplace.com a Hermit Crab is
ranked #8 on the Top Ten Unusual Pets. Sophomore Shaiday
Dancy is the owner of a hermit crab named Tahloulah. “I
had an epiphany to name her
Tahloulah,” she says with a
hint of laughter. Hermit crabs
are nocturnal and most of them
come from Florida, and the Caribbean Islands.
Tahloulah eats only twice
a week and eats pellets that
are made out of corn, soybean, meat, and bone meal.
Dancy said her favorite thing
about her pet is that she is very
mischievous;she has climbed
out of her cage before. Tahloulah changes her shell by rotating
a turtle and basketball designed
shell. Dancy was asked, “Do
you think your pet matches your
personality?” She replied, “Yes
she is very unique and awesome
around in the grass or somewhere in the woods or even
seen someone own one for a pet.
Have you ever heard of a French
Lop rabbit? How about a rabbit
that weighs 14 pounds and even
looks more like a dog than a
rabbit? What teacher at Laurel
High School is the proud owner
of this special breed of rabbit?
English
Instructor
Rachael
Rossi
of
Laurel High
School is
the proud
owner of
this
9Year
old
14 pound
French
Lop named
Humphrey.
French
Lops originated
in
France
around the
1800s.
Twix the Chinese Water Dragon
like me!”
They are
Chloe Yarborough a se- also called “meat breed” rabbits
nior at Laurel High School, because they were eaten as food
possesses one of the of the most in France. When asked how did
unusual pets, a Chinese Water she come up with Humphrey’s
Dragon. This animal is common name she said, “I got him from
in the lowland and highland for- the Rabbit Rescue and that was
ests of Northern and Southern already his original name.”
China, India, Vietnam, Laos, Humphrey eats twice a day,
Cambodia, and Burma. Yarbor- and eats kale, hay, and regular
ough acquired her pet from the rabbit food in a bag, and even
Pets Mart here in Laurel. It’s “junk mail and bad paperback
50 inches
novels!”
long, has
Many
a color of
people
probgreen and a
ably
wonder
little bit of
since your
brown. He
pet is a 14
is named
pound rabbit
Twix
because Yarcan you put
borough
a leash on it
stated, “I
and walk it?
like candy
Rossi stated,
bars
and
“I’ve tired,
Twix fit the
but he doesn’t
Honey
the
Hedgehog
most”,
like
it
And tries to
Twix
chew
it
off.
He
hops
once and
eats once a day and eats 3 to 5
wax worms. Yarborough stated, then sits down.” Humphrey has
“Changing his bedding ev- a dog crate as a cage and he usuery month can be a hassle,and ally goes anywhere he wants to
cleaning his tank every week.” in the house. When Rossi was
When asked what is her favorite asked what’s Humphrey’s perthing about Twix and what his sonality like and does it match
personality is like she said, “He hers, she laughed and said, “
is very energetic and I like that
He is really lazy, has arthritis,
he only likes me.”
Many people have probably is spiteful, demanding, stubseen a bunny or a rabbit hop born, and he ignores me.” She
laughed again and said, “We
are both really lazy too.”
I asked Rossi “If you were
your pet for one day what
would you do?” She replied, “I
home with dogs and cats. Some
people prefer reptiles because
they tend to be quiet, do not
shed fur and require less maintenance and space.
Humphrey, Ms. Rossi’s fourteen pound French Lop
would sleep for 20 hours like
him.”
There are so many teens
probably in the world that possess unusual pets. Do you think
you could have the most
unusual pet at Laurel High
School? Although dogs
are not unusual pets, some
people are said to resemble
their dogs and they even
have matching personalities. British researchers in
Brighton, Uk revealed
that almost 60 percent
of dog owners resemble
their dogs in appearances.
Many people have unusul
pets because they think
they are cool and unique.
According to The
American Pets Products
Manufactuer Association
unusual pets are rising in
American households. In
more than 15 percent of
Amerian households there
are 11 million reptiles, 17
million birds, and more
than 18 million small
mammals that share a
The holiday season is a great
time of year to adopt that ‘unusual’ pet from your local Animal Rescue League. Check your
local papers and the internet.
Nov./Dec. 2010
The Shield
Spotlight on New Faculty
Mr. Deitz
By Alejandra Farias
What better person to teach an
Art 1 and Crafts class than someone who has a passion for the arts?
Mr. Kyle Dietz is currently a new
art teacher at LHS. He started at
the end of September. Commenting
on his job prior to coming to Laurel, Dietz says, “I was a substitute
teacher for many different schools
before Laurel.” Before moving
down to Laurel, Dietz lived in
Pennsylvania where he grew up
most of his life, and then graduated from Kutztown University.
When asked why he broke off
from the normality of his usual life
to come down to LHS, he remarked
with a chuckle, “Because they had
an opening for a full time art teacher and it sure beats substituting day
to day!” After being at Laurel and
getting a feel for the school for
about two months now, he said, “I
think, like anywhere, the students
are a bunch of good people. I see
a lot of talent. Some are diamonds
in the rough that just need some
cutting and polishing.” To Dietz,
art is more than just a class or just
a type skill that one may posses.
Art can be or mean so much more.
“I had a lot of fun in my art class
and I would say I was slightly talented,” Dietz said about his skills
in art. He then talked about the lack
of restrictions he felt, saying, “I
found some freedom that I didn’t
have in other classes.” He continued to explain how with art one can
express yourself more freely and
have more flexibility with it. With
hopes of a bright school year, Dietz hopes to enlighten many of his
students with the wonders of art.
New Teachers 7
Ms. Silas
By Kayleen Yermal
Ice staking, tennis, reading,
surfing, traveling, and learning are some of new Spanish
Instructor Sonya Silas’ favorite
things to do in her spare time.
“I’ve been surfing before and I
really like surfing and I would
like to go surfing again sometime soon,” exclaimed Silas.
Other interesting aspects
of Senorita Silas include her
love for people, pizza and
music. Her favorite type of
music is gospel. She enjoys
Marvin Sapp, a current pastor
and singer-songwriter. Silas
also listens to Latin musicians
such as Juanes, a Columbian
performer. Surprisingly, this
Spanish Instructor also has a
fraternal twin sister.
Silas is a graduate of Stanford University, which is located in Stanford, California. It is
a very prestigious college that
has educated young students
for over 100 years. Keeping
with the proper way to address
in Spanish, Ms. Silas’ students
refer to her as Senorita Silas
Currently Silas teaches both
Spanish 1 and Spanish 2. She
adds that she enjoys languages
saying, “I like languages like
Spanish and Portuguese.”
Commenting on Laurel with
a smile, Silas explains, “I love
the atmosphere here. It’s really
fun and exciting here. I also
love the student body. The students here are very nice. I’m always willing to help students.”
Her room is located next to
the library.
Ms. Bryant
By Ian Adams
New English Instructor Delanore Bryant was born and raised
in Silver Spring, Maryland. She
earned her undergraduate degree at Temple University in
Philadelphia. Later Bryant received her Master’s Degree
from Full Sail University, a
technical school located down
south in Winter Park, Florida.
Bryant always thought that she
would be doing something in TV
production for a career. However,
during her years at Temple University, she became influenced by
Sonia Sanchez, an African American poet who was a professor at
the college at the time of Bryant’s
enrollment. She was also associated with the Black Arts Movement (or BAM). This influence
steered her to become a teacher.
In her free time Bryant loves
to film and edit videos for occasions such as weddings, funerals, parties, etc. She had done
freelance work for a non-profit
organization. She is currently
working on a video for an upcoming wedding. Her last “gig”
was creating a video showcasing an old woman’s struggle
with a disease known as Lupus.
When asked about her opinion
of Laurel High after only teaching here for just a few months,
she stated, “I like it; the school is
okay. However, the students are
lazy.” Laurel High School is the
fourth school where Bryant hastaught. She has worked in three
other schools located in Maryland: Forestville Military Academy, Bladensburg High School,
and Gholson Middle School. This
year marks the first time she has
ever taught English class or tenth
graders. One thing to note is that
her students love to bring her food
and drinks during Spartan Hour.
Nov./Dec. 2010
The Shield
International
International 8
Displaying Hispanic Heritage with Pride
Students Perform, Act, and Dance at Assembly
By Jennifer Rodriguez
“I’m very excited that we put
everything together in time for
all the events. It was good to see
all the different groups come together,” stated Mr. Vissotto, who
was in charge of coordinating
one of the three major festivities held on October 15. Traditionally to show school spirit
before Homecoming the three
key events, Spartan Spectacular,
Hispanic Heritage Assembly, and
Pep Rally were set to take place.
But this year instead of having separate assemblies all the
mentioned events were scheduled on the same day, one after
another. The plan was to have
everything done as smoothly as
possible with little to no interruptions. Having a shorter week
also forced the issue.
“Last year we had too many interruptions so this year we’re having all three in one,” stated Vissotto. According to Vissotto as a
result of too many interruptions, a
bank of time would go by and at
the end someone would always be
left ready to perform, but with no
caring who was talking or who
was performing. That all had to
change this year. The Spartan
Spectacular, Hispanic Heritage Assembly, and Pep Rally
were scheduled down to the
minute. Teams were recognized, clubs danced, speakers
spoke from the heart, and music would seep through every
corner.
The Spanish Club did
a particular performance that
caught the attention of many.
They had been practicing for
weeks to perfect their performance. Members from the
Spanish Club danced two
traditional Hispanic dances:
Bachata and Merengue. The
Bachata is originally from
the Dominican Republic. It’s
a simple side step that like
most other Hispanic dances is
Stephanie Villalta recites poem. mostly hip motion and is a fourstep beat. Merengue on the other
audience. As soon as the bell rings hand, is a two-step beat but is also
at 2:25 students would attack the from the Dominican Republic. “It
doors and flee for freedom, not was a lot of hard work but it was
fun and at the end we did a good
job and we showed people our
wonderful Herencia Hispana,”
did a play reenacting how problems with immigration affect our
fellow Hispanics. These problems
were directed towards the
issues in Arizona. Many
Hispanics living there are
being forced back to their
home countries, being
judged and put down for
even having similar characteristics to a Hispanic.
Arizona’s law orders immigrants to carry their alien
registration documents at
all times and requires police to question people if
there’s reason to suspect
they’re in the United States
illegally. The play was the
finale to the Hispanic portion of the rally.
The dances created by
some of the members of
the Spanish Club were
Darwin Orellana and Karina
Rodriquez dance.
- photos by A.Malloy not seen by just the staff
and students at LHS.
said Karina Rodriguez, one of the
The Spanish Club also performed
members of the Spanish Club that
at Laurel Elementary School and
was also a performer. They also
the Laurel Library.
Laurel High Showcases its Diversity
Cornucopia of Cultures Highlighted at Assembly
By Karen Tavarez
“Laurel High School is an
international place,” stated
Henrique Vissotto, coordinator of the International Committee. International Education Month started November
2 and lasted until November
28. This year the teachers on
the International Team, Kenneth Barrie, Henrique Vissotto, Rosalie Ochida, Rima
Grag, and Mercy Olumoya
planned different activities for
every week of November.
The first week students got
the chance to see crafts from
different countries. One day
was dedicated to Indian culture, and students got the opportunity to get Mehendis and
buy different Indian artistries.
The second week would be to rel High especially because the International Committee.
promote interHis response
national food,
shows
his
which would
belief in the
include food
importance
from Italy, Afof
Internarica, Hispanic
tional Month.
countries, and
On Novemother
counber 23 for the
tries. During
last week of
the third week
showcasing
of November,
this month,
teachers, with
some
stuthe help of
dents
and
their students,
staff member
decorated
participated
their
doors
on the Interrepresenting Sara Ibrahimi and Christian Portillo - photo by R.G
national Asan
internasembly. They
tional
counshared with the
try.
“International month we have a diverse student and rest of the LHS body some of
is to promote cultural aware- staff population,” explained their culture by dancing, recitness to the population of Lau- Kenneth Barrie, member of ing poems, and talking about
their countries. LHS is filled
with international students
and programs to promote understanding diversity in our
school.
Every year LHS hosts foreign exchange students. This
year Mauro Taris came from
Italy. When he was asked
how he felt about being an
international student, Taris
expressed, “Good, because I
like trying new stuff. I like to
see how the world is differentnew cities, meet new people,
and make new friends.” International Month increases the
interest of students and staff to
learn about different cultures.
Because of the great diversity in America we don’t have
to travel far to see the many
world cultures.
Nov./Dec. 2010
International 9
The Shield
LHS Says “Ciao” to Mauro from Italy
Likable Exchange Student Follows in the Steps of his older Sister
By Sheyla Guevara
H
including Spirit Week. “I think
that Laurel is fun. I enjoy the diversity. I figured out something
strange… for example this [Spirit]
week. In Italy we don’t have this
stuff. Homecoming was surprising, [like] the kind of dance and
story about a king and queen.” He
was so intrigued by Spirit Week
Sardinia.
Mauro’s typical schedule
in Italy was to wake up at six, take
e is a five foot two,
the bus, and arrive at school by
tall, slim-figured brueight. School starts at 8:30 A.M.
nette who is always
and dismisses at 1:45 P.M. This is
sporting fashionable
one of the differences, since Laushades. You probably recognize
rel High starts at 7:45 A.M. and
him from the hallways at Laurel
ends at 2:25 P.M. For his pastime
High School. He is Mauro Taris, a
he went out with friends
foreign exchange student
during the school week,
from the island of Sardinhe watched TV, especially
ia, Italy who speaks EngCharmed (it’s translated in
lish, Italian, and French
Italian) and he performed
(he also understands Spankarate; he is a brown belt.
ish). He is also the brother
In Laurel he barely has free
of a former Laurel High
time since he has to focus
School alumnae and foron his studies. He feels as
mer foreign exchange stuif America is a quick socident, Diletta Taris.
ety, especially with meals.
Diletta Taris, Mauro’s
In Italy he is served a large
sister, has helped Mauro
lunch and dinner, which
adjust for the trip in many
he feels that in the US the
ways. She provided help
portions here and the time
with his English lessons.
spent eating are not the
She also recommended
same. “I miss Italian cookLaurel High School for
ing some days.” Mauro
Mauro to choose among
admits that he misses
numerous choices of high
Italian Foreign Exchange Student Mauro Taris
his friends, his dogs, Piper
schools offered for his senior
and Pupa, and his forty-one
year.
His experience so far has been that he plans to propose the idea to turtles that he has in his back yard
pleasant. Laurel High School has his principal and his fellow class- (he is a huge animal lover). He
been filled with many surprises, mates in his Italian high school in confesses that he gets homesick at
times. Part of his longing for Italy
is associated with Stefania Porcu,
his Italian sweetheart.
“I am in love with one girl in
Sardinia. She had a boyfriend before so I couldn’t be together with
her. I am sad for this reason. She
no longer has a boyfriend, but she
is in Italy.” Mauro described her as
a five-foot tall girl with short red
hair and brown eyes. He knows
her birthday, her favorite color,
and her favorite artists, which include Nickelback, Eminem, and
Luciano Ligabue. He knows what
she likes and what she doesn’t.
The only connection he has with
her is through the Internet. He uses
Facebook and Skype as forms of
communication. There is a limitation when interacting with Stefania
because Mauro can not actually
see her other than photos uploaded
on her Facebook profile, since she
has no camera, and he can not hear
her voice since she does not have a
microphone. Stefania exclaims that
she misses Mauro and understands
that they have to make the best of
this long distance relationship.
Aside from his Italian love,
Mauro hopes to be able to finish
this year happily. He truly wants
to overcome the language barrier.
“Subjects are difficult [for me].
Many times I don’t understand the
book and teachers during the lessons.” He hopes to maintain his
grades and keep them from falling.
ASSE, the International Student
Exchange Program, which Mauro
is a part of, requires that he pass
all of his core subjects in order
for him to remain at Laurel High
School. He did not wish to join
fall sports since he wanted to dedicate time to his studies. However,
Mauro did want to join the swim
team in the winter and hopes to
pursue tennis in the spring. Apart
from participating in senior activities, he also looks forward to the
ski trip with the Outdoors Club
since he wants to try something
new. He is making it his mission to
visit the most famous cities in the
United States, like San Francisco.
This trip will most likely happen in
February when he will join other
foreign exchange students on the
trip to California.
Mauro hopes to make this
year as memorable as possible,
especially since he wants to share
his experiences with family,
friends, and Stefania.
In our school there are many
people who wear the hijab. Mariam Sheed and Nasima Felder
are two students who wear this
headdress. They both have simi l a r
views
about
t h e
hijab.
They
both
b e lieve
t h a t
w e a ri n g
the hijab is
about
showi n g Freshman Nasima
modesty.
Nasima stated, “They [students]
use to make fun of me when I
was little.” She also stated she
was hated at one point in time not
because she wore the hijab but
because she was Muslim. While
Sheed was in middle school her
fellow students would try to pull
it off and then call her derogatory names. They both believe
that hijab
or no hijab, they
are typical teens,
saying,
“We are
just like
everyb o d y
else.”
Whether
for
religious
reason or
uses for
Felder Photo by R.G. p r i v a c y,
the hijab
headdress has different meanings for different people, but
most Muslims agree that whoever may wear it is just as human as anyone else.
Wearing of the Hijab Demonstrates Modesty
Learn the Meaning behind the Muslim Headdress
By Mohammad Khan
Why is she wearing that?
What’s wrong with her? Is she
sick or something? These are
some questions that people ask
when they see Muslim women
walking down the street or in
their school hallways wearing
a scarf-like head wrap. This
head wrapping or scarf is called
a hijab. The hijab or veil is not
used in the Quran to refer to an
article of clothing for women or
men. Rather it refers to a spatial
curtain that divides or provides
privacy.
The wearing of the hijab started when the prophet Muhammad told the believers that they
should talk to his many wives
behind the headdress. This responsibility was put on the men
and not the women. The men
were to only talk to his wives
if they were wearing the hijab.
But in later times the Muslim
society generalized this practice
to include all women. The wearing of the hijab originated in the
area of the prophet Muhammad
Mica Medina around the year
570-632 A.D.
In Indonesia, notably the
nation with the largest Muslim
population, the hijab is omnipresent. Other countries influenced consist of Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines. The
hijab is still being worn across
the world, but it is referred differently at Medina. The term
jilbab is used instead in Indonesia with a few exceptions. In
some cases, colloquial use of
the term Jilbab may refer to any
pre-Islamic female traditional
head-dress.
The hijab is categorized in
many ways depending on what
kind of Muslim you are. The
Sunni schools of thought hold
that the entire body of the woman, except her face and hands
(though a few clerics say face,
hands, and feet are part of her
awrah) must be covered during
prayer and in public settings.
Some Muslims recommend
that women wear clothing that
is not form-fitting to the body:
either modest forms of western
clothing (long shirts and skirts)
or the more traditional jilbāb,
a high-necked, loose robe that
covers the arms and legs. Many
people have different perspectives on how to wear a khimār
or shaylah, a scarf or cowl that
covers all but the face. Muslims
believe that when in the presence of someone of the opposite sex a woman should cover
her body. They should walk and
dress in a way which does not
draw sexual attention to her.
In nearly all Muslim cultures, young girls are not required to wear a ħijāb. There is
not a single agreed age when a
woman should begin wearing a
ħijāb; however, in many Muslim countries, puberty is the dividing line.
Nov./Dec. 2010
The Shield
Clubs & Classes
Though, the students
and leaders sometime suffer
from internal differences among
them, the organization is proud
that they are one of the few academic, student-run clubs at LHS.
The organization is not
only academic; it also encourages
self-development.
The officers indicated
that they are still looking for
hard-working and determined
members. Visit room 268 during Spartan Hour to sign up!
The club meets after school
on Tuesdays at 2:45 p.m.
Savanna Khoury, Nasima Felder, and Efena Uviovo enjoy the scenes of
“Cinderella” at Toby’s Dinner Theatre.
-photo by R.G.
Outdoors
Club
By Karen Tavarez
If you enjoy plays, musicals and outdoor activities, then
the Outdoors Club is perfect
for you! Sponsored by Director Robert Giuliani through the
City of Laurel, for 21 years the
club has been one of the most
popular clubs in LHS. Its agenda is always filled with fun trips
and activities for all high school
students. This school year Giuliani is planning various trips
including the annual ski trip to
Seven Springs Mountain Resort
in Pennsylvania. “You can bring
your friends...,” Giuliani specified about the weekend trip from
January 28 - 30. He adds, “This
trip is open for all students and
don’t worry if you do not own
skis or do not know how to ski
because you have the option to
rent snowboards, skis, boots and
poles for the weekend and you
can take ski or snowboard lessons. Even if you don’t want to
ski, there is so much to do at the
resort: bowling, miniature golf,
horse-drawn sleigh rides, swimming, snowshoeing, and snowtubing down the slopes! The
hotel rooms are beautiful and
right on the slopes. There are a
few spaces available. See Giu-
liani in room 269 if interested.
During the month of November the Outdoors Club went to
go to see the Cinderella play
at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in
Columbia and students were
delighted not only with the
buffet, but with an outstanding performance. The dancing
and singing were top-notch.
Last week students braved
the cold and visited Ford’s
Theatre to see the Charles
Dickens’play, A Christmas
Carol, and afterwards they journeyed to the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C.
“I want to get students in
the holiday spirit,” expressed
Giuliani with a smile. More
activities are being scheduled such as ice skating and a
camping/canoe trip in spring.
For more information about
the Outdoors Clubs and its
future activities and trips go
see Mr. Giuliani in room 269.
Model United
Nations
By Victoria Wilson
Connected to the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program,
Model United Nations (MUN)
is an academic organization that
centers on world politics and
current events. The IB program
does not just focus on academics; it also includes self-development, the arts, and global views
of education. MUN is a studentrun organization, sponsored by
Mr. Ernst in room 268 located
in the upper commons area of
LHS. The organization is led by
junior IB student Christopher
Noronha, who is the Secretary
General, and junior Maury Quijada, who is the Undersecretary.
The organization has
become more prominent quite
recently. In the 2009-2010
school year, the club ventured to
Virginia’s Garfield High School,
which is also an IB school. The
program enabled students to debate on current events and the
school sponsored workshops
to strengthen the club’s leaders. Before the summer began,
on June 11 the leaders of MUN
and leaders from the county
signed the Charter, establishing the organization as a legitimate club in LHS. This was a
major step for the organization.
“Model UN is constantly evolving now that the
charter is signed and the club is
an official activity.” says Quijada. “Our main focus is to fundraise heavily. We want to make
as much money as possible for
events such as as IBMARC
MUN at Garfield High School
and the conference at Johns Hopkins University in February.”
National Art
Honor
Society
By Sokhna Thiam
“Anyone that wants to go
into art, this is a good place to
join,” stated National Honors
Society’s Co-Sponsor Ms. Everette. The National Art Honors
Society also known as NAHS
is run by the National Art Education Association (NAEA).
The association is one of the
largest professional art associations. To become eligible
to sponsor the students, the
teacher must obtain a membership. The society meets every
Tuesday from 3:00pm- 4:00pm.
Clubs & Classes 10
NAHS has both Ms. Simmons
and Ms. Everette as sponsors. About having two sponsors in the society, Simmons
stated, “We get two different
perspectives and we also have
different backgrounds in art.”
Their projects this year are
the Laurel High School Spartan
mural, IB signs, and a mural for
Prince George’s County Crisis
Center. “Ms. Simmons and I
want the students to reach out to
their communities,” explained
Everette. The society would
also like to paint quotes above
the Laurel High School doors.
“Help support us so we can beautify the school,” stated Everette.
When asked about fundraising and field trips, the two sponsors explained their preparation
of both present wrappings and
the makings of lanyards for the
students and staff. Simmons also
stated, “We would like to go to
some museum, if we can raise
money.” The two sponsors want
the society to be student-led.
Many students such as Courtney Slaughter stated, “ It seems
interesting, and it’s been a while
since I’ve drawn in a group.”
Senior Joan Doucette added, “I think more people should
be interested in the society because it’s a relaxing environment that encourages creativity,
productivity and gives back to
the community through art.”
Nov./Dec. 2010
The Shield
Clubs & Classes 11
African Student Association
Welcomes All Cultures
By Sylvana Asante
Members of the African Student Association perform in the gym for Spirit Week.
Class of 2011 Plans for Major Events
By Olasubomi Adesoye
The Class of 2011, commonly
addressed as “one of the best class
graduating class at Laurel High
School” by Assistant Principal Dr.
Perry, hopes to accomplish much
this school year. The Senior Class
is led by Class President Olasubomi Adesoye and Vice-President
Asia Giles. Other members of the
Executive Board include Treasurer
Brittany Ofori, and Secretary Kalane Abbey. There are many plans
in motion for this class including
upcoming fundraisers, and prom.
There’s also a senior trip in the
works. The Senior Class Sponsors
are Mrs. Ritter and Mr. Rivarde.
Rivarde says that the class needs
“increased participation from the
students.” He spoke optimistically
about the plans they have; he is
dedicated to the class and hopes
that they live up to the hype of be-
ing the “best class to graduate from
Laurel High School.” Senior Class
President Olasubomi Adesoye confirmed that the seniors do plan to
have their prom at the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore and are currently in
the process of booking it now. Adesoye claims that the class plans to
keep raising money so there would
be nothing holding them back from
any plans or activity they hope to
have. Senior Abdullah Hassan said,
“I hope prom is on point. I want to
leave Laurel High with a bang. I
don’t want to be just another graduating class. I want to be THE graduating class.” Another senior, Bukky
Adeyokunnu, said, “I hope there is
an increase in school spirit and that
we can raise enough money to lower the cost of activities that we want
to do such as prom, after-prom, senior trip...” Some seniors right now
are in process of applying to colleges and are too busy to be worry-
Numonic Steppers Shine
At Pep Rally
By Darien Anderson
“We have improved as a group
and I hope we go far in the future,”
exclaimed Co-captain Malcolm
Richardson. “This year’s steppers
have improved from last year,”
exclaimed Ms. Stephanie Walker,
the team’s sponsor. During the Pep
Rally the Laurel Steppers demonstrated their skills while stepping to
the song, “Ready or Not” by The
Fugees featuring Lauryn Hill.
Captain Natauzsha Jones and
Co-captain Richardson had their
own solos in the show. The next
step show is coming up soon and
the team hopes to bring more to
the plate and show how they really get down. “You know how we
do!” Jones says proudly during the
performance. The Steppers wore
all black and their shirts displayed
their nicknames on their back.
During the middle of their pep
rally performance, Richardson
gave a “shout out” to the seniors in
the crowd by displaying a designed
shirt imprinted with “Seniors Class
of 2011.”
“Have fun with it,” shouted stepper Marcus “Dynamite” Cardwell
as the Pep Rally concluded. There
next upcoming show is in January.
ing about prom at the present. Senior Ashla Faulkner says, “I hope
there’s a good prom committee,”
because she is not able to fit in attending the meetings into her busy
soccer, swimming, and basketball
schedule. “Some of the seniors are
focused and hope that they get to
their dream schools and once they
receive that acceptance letter they
would then be able to participate
more in school events,” commented Adesoye. Class of 2011 wants
and hopes to make their graduating
class stand out over the rest.
The African Student Association (A.S.A.) is a student
organization that welcomes all,
focusing on the African roots
“the mother land” while sharing
its culture through performances such as dance, modeling, etc.
and still going beyong the norm.
Club Sponsor and Instructor
at L.H.S. Ms. Mercy Olumoya
coordinates and guides senior
Sylvania Asante and Stephen
Trimnell as presidents.
As A.S.A. Presidents, Trimnell plans events (e.g. field trips
and publications) and organizes
activities while Asante conducts
the modeling and dance team
with the help of others on the
Executive Board. This upcoming year A.S.A. has made it a
point to get as many students involved whether African or not.
They welcome all.
ASA engages in opportunities and surprises such as
field trips, a yearly fasion show,
dance shows and events to not
only get the students involved,
but to attract the community
and faculty. When asked, one of
the dedicated members, Technology Instructor Ms. Cole, had
this to say about the organization: “A.S.A. is a wonderful
organization that brings unity
from different cultures to enhance leadership roles but still
prepares students beyond the
classroom.”
Another dedicated A.S.A.
faculty member, the school
nurse, Mrs. Muriel Crenstil,
when asked about her future
plans for A.S.A., she replied,
“I think it would be a wonderful experience if A.S.A. would
have some type of exchange
program, such as pen pals that
would get to enjoy each others’
cultures.”
In my further conversation with Crentsil she seemed
very eager in teaching students
more about themselves rather
than absorbing what they see
and hear from the TV and other
people. Furthermore, Crentsil
ended our conversation by saying, “This is a very positive
club that brings African students
together and also allows them to
embrace other cultures.”
Holiday Messages
SYLVANA ASANTE
I love you….lol. Merry
Christmas “Girlfriend”
You Know
YVETTE
You look pretty gorgeous from here. I
LOVE YOU:)
Best Friend
LINH
You look pretty
gorgeous too. I love
you too:)
Yvette
RICHAE’ EDWARDS
I love you Lovah.
Happy Holidays.
Alexie
BOB
I love you.
Mary
BRITTANY OFORI
Merry Christmas Bestfriend. I love you buddy.
Now text me that you
love me back.
Your Best friend
ARIA RUCKER
I love you even though I
never see you.
Alexie
MY BEAUTIFUL
DAUGHTER EBONY T.
MARCUS
God Bless you in all that
you do. I am very proud
of you Ebony.
Love Mom
ROSANNE, ANGELICA,& FRANCESCA
How lucky can I get!
IVON FORBI
Have a Merry Christmas
to you Ivon. I love you.
You are the best pal ever.
I will miss you when you
are going to leave this
school after graduation.
Bhakti Nagaria
BENITA
Hi.This is a waste of
money. I love you. Linh
THE SHIELD STAFF
Keep up the good work.
Marcus Pearson
NEWSPAPER STAFF
May you enjoy your
blessings and always remember that nothing
good comes easy.
Mr. Giuliani
Nov./Dec. 2010
Feature 12
The Shield
Spartans Acquire Wings and Fly Above the Clouds
Student And Teacher Enjoy the High
By Sarah Jeffries
Would you like to be in the sky
flying solo in an airplane? You
could feel independent. You could
feellike you are (literally) on top
of the world. You can see miles of
patchwork of different shades on
the ground, the fluffiness of clouds
and the beautiful blue of the sky.
If you are at least 16 years old
and you have a lot of patience, then
you can learn how to fly a plane.
There are a few requirements that
you have to abide by in order to
earn your license and certificate.
According to the Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) website,
the requirements begin with your
age. One must be at least 16 years
old to receive a certificate and 17
to receive a license to fly alone
when you have completed all of
the other requirements. First, you
will need to pass a medical exam
for your eyes and health. Second,
you will have to go to flight school
and then, take a test to see what
you have learned in flight school She flies the Cessna 172 airplane ter below. The land looks like a
and score at least 70% on the test. from Martin State Airport in Es- landscape quilt.” When she rises
After you finish these require- sex, MD. On the days that she above the clouds, this is how she
ments, you will
feels: “I love
be taught how to
flying because
take off, land, and
it is the most
how to drive the
accelerating
plane along with
thing, and it’s
all emergency proan
adrenacedures that you
lin rush and
will need to know.
it is freedom
Flying will inand
peace.”
clude flying with
Her future
an instructor and
plans for her
solo. Also, 3 hours
hobby include
of night flying, a
acquiring her
150 mile trip and
license
for
the performance of
multi-engine
at least three landplanes
and
ings and take-offs.
instrument
Here at Laureading. Coorel High School,
per explains
we have a student
Junior Marcus Pearson expresses no fear of flying.
this by sayand teacher who have
ing, “that’s a
been involved in this training pro- flies, Cooper can describe the code for night and cloud flycess. The teacher who loves to fly landscape and sky by stating, “... ing.” Also, currently she flies
and has acquired her license is the beautiful clouds, the tops of for pleasure, but she wishes
Business Instructor Ms. Cooper. trees and the still or moving wa- she could fly as a profession.
The Shield Celebrates its 15th Anniversary
Adviser Giuliani and Editor Ott Founded Award-Winning Paper in 1995
By Ian Kirksey
It was fifteen years ago in 1995
that the very first issue of The
Shield was published. Newspaper
Adviser and Journalism Instructor Robert Giuliani will never
forget the first issue because the
lead cover story was about the
untimely death of his colleague and friend, fellow
LHS English Instructor
Russ Sellers, who died
from cancer. That first issue sold out 2000 copies.
Giuliani and Chief Editor Michelle Ott started
the paper in the fall of
1995. Giuliani amicably
calls her the “founding
mother” of The Shield.
He describes her as an
”excellent editor full of
energy and dedication.”
The story of The Shield
starts back in the spring
of 1995, when the then
current LHS Principal
Tom Kirby asked Mr.
Giuliani, a University of
Maryland graduate and then
English teacher at Laurel, if he
would be willing to teach a jour-
nalism course and sponsor the
school newspaper. Giuliani had
previously been the journalism
instructor at Friendly High School
and before that the newspaper
adviser at Gwynn Park High.
In the fall of 1995 as a way
to get the entire school involved,
the newspaper staff had a school-
to change the old name, The Tattler, because they felt that over
the years that name had a connotation of yellow journalism like
the supermarket tabloids of today.
From close to 100 choices, including its original title, with the entire school voting, the name “The
Shield” won overwhelmingly.
Giuliani
h a s
s e e n
many
changes
in
the production
of The
Shield.
When
we first
started
w
e
typed
the columns
in strips
and cut
The Shield’s First Issue sold out 2000 copies.
and glued
all the arwide contest for naming the new ticles, headlines, and photos on
newspaper. The students wanted boards that were turned into pho-
tographic plates. Soon we acquired
desktop publishing programs and
used the computer for everything.
We went from black and white to
partial color in 2003 and to full
color in 2008. Our smallest single
issue was 12 pages and our largest issue was 52 pages in 2005. Up
until a few years ago my students
and I would spend entire weekends
at the school during deadline week
and sometimes even during the
week we would stay until 11 pm!
The Shield has earned close to
40 national awards and high ratings throughout the years. These
include Gold and Siver Medalist
awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association at Columbia University, First Place
International Awards from Quill
and Scroll Society, and First
Place awards from the American Scholastic Press Association.
Newspaper Adviser Giuliani has
been invited many times to speak
at the national student journalism
convention at Columbia as well as
the state convention at Maryland
University. He has spoken at both.
Giuliani is proud that many of
his students have been successful in
their journalism career.
One student who is beginning to learn how to fly is junior
Marcus Pearson. He began flying over summer break. Currently Pearson is learning to fly
by spending his extra time going
to flight school aiming to earn his
certificate. He is a student flyer
and flies a Cessna 175. “I always
wanted to fly,” stated Pearson.
Now he gets to live that dream.
When he flies, Pearson describes the landscape in the following manner: “The land does
look like patchwork, and when it’s
hot you can’t see much because
of the smog, and when it’s cold
you can see pretty far.” He also
said that he feels, “achievement
and freedom,” when he is flying.
If you want to experience some
of what both Cooper and Pearson are feeling, they are both
open to give you much advice
and will answer any questions
about flying. They both agree
that instead of flying being a
fear, it has become a pleasure.
The Shield
CHIEF EDITORS
1995-1996
Michelle Ott
1996-1997
Lisa McCue/
Amanda Shearin
1997-1998
Shavonne Mott/
Stephanie Klarman
1998-1999
Brandi Sheppard
1999-2000
Carolyn Desormeaux/
Savannah Laurel
2000-2001
Ryan Gilmore
2001-2002
Neha Bansal
2002-2003
Madiha Siddiqui
2003-2004
Stephanie Gilbertz
2004-2005
Tina Staffieri
2005-2006
Amber Gillette
2006-2007
Justin Cousson
2007-2008
Nachelle Edwards
Ra’neta Oliver/Melita Bell
2008-2009
Caitlyn Raynor
2009-2010
Kevin McLaughlin/
Nikki Lust
2010-2011
Joan Doucette/
Malcolm Richardson
Nov./Dec. 2010
The Shield
2014
Freshman Homecoming Court: Cameron Johnson,
Alexis Ojeda Brown, and Jerome Lee
Homecoming 13
2013
Sophomore Homecoming Court: Raquel Bush
and Tatiana Short
Spartans exude pride
during
homecoming 2010
2012
Junior Homecoming Court: Jade Hill,
Khadija Harvin, and Babatunday Olu
2011
Senior Homecoming Court: Karene Winfield,
Chelsea Joseph, Olasubomi Adesoye, Michael
Akyea, Michael McCoy, and Rachel Appold
Nov./Dec. 2010
Homecoming 14
The Shield
The Shield
Nov./Dec. 2010
Homecoming 15
A HOMECOMING TO REMEMBER
Spartans Rip Eagles
By Darwin Calderon
After losing 12 straight games
since their last win dating back
to last season, the Spartan Varsity Football team captured a huge
win at an opportune time against
the High Point Eagles. The football team, which had not won
a Homecoming game in recent
years, demolished High Point
49-0. It was a convincing win.
The Eagles, who haven’t won a
game since 2007, were defeated
and humiliated both offensively
and defensively by the previously winless Spartans. Star player
of the game was senior running
back, L’Zerek Chapman who
scored five touchdowns. Chapman had a total of 119 yards and
scored touchdowns on carries of
19, 15, 37, and 35. He also scored
on defense when the Eagles fumbled and Chapman recovered the
ball to take it back 70 yards for
his last touchdown of the game.
When asked about his performance for that game, Chapman stated, “Practice pays off.”
Senior wide receiver Michael
McCoy had this to say about the
game, “I think we should have
passed the ball more first and
second quarter of the game and
ran the ball third and fourth.”
Senior Michael Akeay on the
other hand with a big smile of
satisfaction on his face replied,”
We played hard, we played as
a team, and came up on top.”
The Senior Class float
The Eagles who were giving up many points also gave up
a safety by Spartan linebacker
Olasubomi, which added 2 additional points in favor of Laurel.
Third year Spartan’s Varsity Coach and former J.V.
Head Coach Brian Moore,
is a graduate of High Point.
He commented, “We kind of
handled business… a lot of
guys got in and played well.”
Many players on the varsity
roster had a chance to play in
the Homecoming game. Laurel, who has used senior Zane
Carroll as their main quarterback this season, also played
junior Tyler Harmon for the
first time this year after starting for junior varsity last year.
The crowd roars for a score.
Laurel‘s offense and
defense were in high gear
as they overwhelmed High
Point 49-0 to capture a
Homecoming victory.
LHS Spirit Soars at Pep Rally
By Sylvana Asante
As enthusiasm and excitement
filled the gym hallways, students
anticipated their Fall Homecoming Pep Rally. Senior Poms member Brittany Ofori stated, “This
pep rally was most exciting, thus
far, because not only was it enjoyable to the students but also the
staff and faculty.” She also stated
that it was an event that had everyone out of their seats. African Student Association, being the first
performance that day, showed the
crowd a mixture of African and
American movements. The month
of October being “Hispanic Heritage Month,” one of our very own
Spanish teachers, Mr.Vissotto,
took it upon himself to gather a
group of students who demonstrated several dance moves including salsa and they showed
acting skills highlighting the Hispanic tradition.
Teachers from the sideline be-
gan to dance with them encouraging people from the crowd to also
join along making this portion of
their performance memorable.
The weeks leading to the pep
rally the Spanish club familiarized L.H.S with various activities such as serving their cultural
dishes, placing their country flags
in various areas and educating the
student body about their culture
in the morning announcements.
Capturing the actual theme of
spirit week were the poms team,
who chose a unique selection of
songs captivating the faculty and
student attention.
All the members of the fall
sports team were introduced. The
band and drumline gave a great
performance. The spirit groups
(cheerleaders and poms) were excellent.
The perrenial enthusiastic emcee English Instructor Robert
Guiliani got everyone hyped by
saying, “We eat Eagles (High
Point’s mascot) for Thanksgiving,” Our upcoming Homecoming game that weekend gave great
anticipation in hopes of making
that game victorious. Giuliani later announced the members of the
football team with a slight twist
in addition to their actual names
were nicknames the players chose
to be called such as senior Subomi
Adesoye’Nigerian Nightmare, senior Elijah Jambai went by Eli G
5 and senior Chuka Eglue wanted
to be called The Gifted One. After the announcement of the football team Giuliani brought out a
poster which had a drawing of the
Eagles on it and the football team
stomped it out.
Before the pep rally began
Principal Jones said to Giuliani
and Mr.Wenk, SGA Co-sponsor,
“This pep rally has got to be finished by 11:00, with 3 minutess to
11:00 everything was completed.
With little time to spare S.G.A and
Giuliani, with the help of everyone, were able to combine three
activities (pep rally, Hispanic
Heritage Performance, and Spartan Spectacular) into a two hour
time crunch hoping to get students
out of school by 11:00 since it was
a half day. Wenk, a psychology
teacher at Laurel High School
had been a co sponsor for S.G.A
for five years. When asked what
was the main goal for planning
this event, Wenk replied, “There
wasn’t just one goal. There were
multiple,” but the major two he
spoke of was the limited instructional time and gathering the students to increase school spirit. I
asked him what was his highlight
of the pep rally and he replied,
“The various dances and choreography.” Both he and Giuliani were
very pleased with the behavior of
the students. Wenk concluded,
“ Everything flowed very well.”
Chioma Nwogu sings the national anthem.
The Freshman Class float
Spanish Club gettin’ down at pep rally.
The Numonic Steppers moves become a The marching band is ready to perform.
blur at the pep rally.
Parade Displays Spartan Pride
By Marcus Pearson
Senior and Juniors sharing a float
are Jade Hill, Khadijah Harvin, and
Stephani Ezirike.
Cheerleaders march in parade.
Laurel Cheerleaders supporting
breat cancer awareness
Laurel held its annual Homecoming Parade on October 16.
The parade consisted of floats
from the all the classes except the
Class of 2012. This year’s Homecoming theme was “Decades.”
Each of the three classes had a
different theme. Class of 2014
was the Fifties; Class of 2013 was
the Sixties. Class of 2012 had the
Seventies, and the Class of 2011
was Eighties. The decorations of
the floats were not as elaborate as
last year. The majority of them
were cars or pickup trucks with
banners and streamers taped on
them. Also the parade went without city officials and the Laurel
Fire Department representation.
“My only wish is that the
route would’ve been longer,”
stated Drum Major Jordan
McRae, “then we could have
gone through more songs.”
“I felt like there could have been
more supporters to cheer the spir-
its of the Laurel Spartan Football
team,” complained Homecoming Queen Karene Winfield.
The parade began a little after 10
a.m. behind the Safeway on Route
1. The parade included the Homecoming Court for the 2010-2011
school year, POMS, cheerleaders from Laurel and Eisenhower,
Color Guard, JROTC, and the
Laurel High Marching Band. The
group that stood out the most
was the Laurel High Cheerleaders who wore pink to show sup-
port for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. They rented out a
tow truck, covered it in pink and
white streamers to show support
for Breast Cancer Awareness.
Along the route various group
tossed candy and mini footballs. The parade route went
through the Laurel Lakes neighborhood on Oxford Drive and
crossed Cherry Lane to Ashford,
turned right on 4th Street, right
up Cherry Lane to end at Reggie Harris Way at Laurel High.
Nov./Dec. 2010
Homecoming 16
The Shield
Dance & Coronation Ignite the Crowd
By Alexie Malloy
After a spirit-boosting win of 490 against the High Point Eagles at
the Homecoming game, the Laurel
Spartans took their high energy
and danced the night away–well
at least from 7 to 11-at this year’s
Decades-themed
Homecoming
Dance. Music could be heard blasting out the door and when you entered you were greeted by excited
classmates as though they hadn’t
seen you in days. Most of the gentlemen wore button up shirts and
dress pants while the ladies looked
stunning in their dresses made to
impress. And when the music began to pump and the good vibes
set in, shoes were kicked off, and
friends were grabbed and dragged
to the dance floor.
Later, the spotlight was put on
this year’s Homecoming winners
during the Coronation. At around
10 pm the enthusiastic emcee,
Laurel’s own Mr. Giuliani, introduced the Homecoming Court.
Each member was allowed to walk Tanea McCelroy.
the king and queen and after the
down the aisle made by an opening
Homecoming King Michael crowning by Principal Jones with
in the crowd right down the cen- McCoy was escorted by Mariah assistance from Ms. Augustus, he
ter of the dance floor.
organized the traditional
The prince and prinking and queen dance
cesses were introduced
followed by the rest of
along with their escorts.
the court joining in. The
The court of prince and
two had their dance to
princess winners of the
the odd upbeat choice of
Freshman Class were
B.O.B and Bruno Mars
Alexis Ojeda, Maria Sa“Nothing on You.” “It
gastume, Cameron Johnwas a lot better than last
son and Jerome Lee.
year. I think it was the
The Sophomore Class
different music,” says
Princesses were Raquel
Student Tiffany Clinton,
Bush and Tatiana Short
with a smile.
.The Junior Class Prin“It was fun. It wasn’t
cesses were Khadijah
too much Go-Go and
Harvin, Jade Hill and
they came up with a lot
Prince Babatunde Olu.
of new ideas such as the
The Senior Class Prinpicture packages and
cesses included Racheal
the food. I would only
Appold escorted by
suggest making it lonMalcolm Richardson, King & Queen Michel McCoy & Karene Winfield ger,” commented Tyazia
Chelsea Joseph escorted by Amani Baker, and his Queen, Karene Scott.
Watkins, Princes Michael Akyea Winfield, was escorted by Raphael
The music selection and the
escorted by Tolu Okallawon and Zamora. Giuliani built some sus- DJ seemed to be the one big deOlasubomi Adesoye escorted by pense in the announcements of bate among the students. Some
Seniors Areli Morales & Jocelyn
Fuentes show friendship.
Seniors
Malcolm
Richardson
& Harris Khan strike a pose.
Senior Casey Licausi, junior Jade
Hill, and graduate Katie Staub
complained that too much Go-Go
was played and others said that it’s
what made the night. “You know
when a student has to plug in their
iPhone to the dj to hear good music, it’s a problem,” commented
Kadijah Battle shaking her head.
Which is very true since students
climbed upon the stage and did so.
But from the DJ’s prospective he
was just letting the students hear
what they wanted to hear. But not
every student agreed. “Maybe a
better variety of music would have
been good but other than that if
was fun,” Laterria Arizola stated.
Though some students had issues
with the music most would say
they had fun. The night can be
summarized best by the words of
the Senior Class President Olasubomi Adesoye: “The night was
basically what you made it to be.”
And when the lights came on the
students were reluctant to leave,
hugging goodbyes to their friends
while Chris Browns’ “Forever”
pumped in the background.
Sophomore Kayleen Yermal stops
and smiles for a picture.
Junior Alexie Malloy takes a break
from dancing.
Nov./Dec. 2010
Homecoming 17
The Shield
Co
lor
.
ftime
l
a
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t
Gu
ard
ka
s roc
Pom
ma
rch
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pa
Dance 3 woos the crowd.
rad
in h
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jah H
di
Kha
e.
the
ypes
.
team
Chima Ezenwachi and Celina Ara
Hom
ecom
in
gon are spirited.
Tyler Harvin gets big yardage.
g We
Juniors Ready for Tug-Of-War.
Sp
art
yd
elig
hts
cro
ek Ga
l
wd
at
gam
e.
ler y
Kare
ne
Bicke Winfield
rsteth
an
are m d Solomo
ix-ma
n
tched
.
Miek
e All
en h
olds
lose
frien
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iulian
ert G
Rob
ly MC
Live
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joys parade.
Senior Court en
d.
se
Students po
er.
with swagg
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rum
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rade
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ys in
Nov./Dec. 2010
The Shield
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The Shield
Nov./Dec. 2010
Entertainment
Entertainment 19
Holiday Movies Provide Both Joy and Drama
“Tron:Legacy” and “The Tourist” Top List of Offerings
By Victoria Wilson
-onlinemovieshut.com
mugglenet.com
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boostinspiration.com
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage
of the Dawn Treader
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:
Part 1
“The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the third installment in the
Chronicles of Narnia movie franchise. Siblings Lucy (Georgie
Henley) and Edmund (Skander Keynes) return to Narnia with their
cousin Eustace and they must battle the forces of evil. Along the way
they meet their old friend Aslan and Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes). “I
love Ben Barnes. He’s really charming,” said senior Sheyla Guevara.
Harry, Ron and Hermione leave Hogwarts and must find and destroy
magical objects called Horcruxes in order to defeat Lord Voldemort.
As the trio looks for Horcruxes, Voldemort must locate the Deathly Hallows. Who will survive? The Hunt Begins…. “This movie
should be great. I’m in love with Harry Potter,” said junior Maury
Quijada. “I’m going to read all the books before I see the movie.”
Release date: December 12
Burlesque
Release Date: In Theaters Now
onlinemovieshut.com
Release Date: In Theaters Now
Tron: Legacy
Release Date: December 17
Christiania Aguilera and Cher star in this pop-culture film
about a young woman (Aguilera) looking for fame. She
finds it in a Burlesque Lounge in Los Angeles, California where she becomes the star of the show. “I’m excited to
see Burlesque,” said junior Marus Pearson. “I love Cher.”
The action film Tron is a sequel to the original made over 20 years
ago. A young tech-savvy 27 year old must help his father escape the
confines of the word he created for himself in a video game that became dangerous. Will they make it out? “I saw the orginal Tron and
I’m really excited to see this one,” said senior Ian Adams animatedly.
Unstoppable
Tangled
Release date: In Theaters Now
Release Date: In Theaters Now
Denzel Washington and Chris Pine star in this thriller as two engineers who must stop an unmanned train nicknamed the “The
Beast.” If they don’t stop this train, it could destroy an entire city.
“Chris Pine is so hot. I love him,” exclaimed junior Abby Ndzogne.
moviepostershop.com
The Tourist
Walt Disney’s film, Tangled, follows the adventures of young
Rapunzel and her “hero.” In this hilarious comedy anything can happen with a teenage girl with over 70 feet of
hair and her loopy chameleon is along for the ride. “Tangled looks hilarious,” exclaims sophmore Kayleen Yermal.
Gulliver’s Travels
Release Date: December 10
Release Date: December 22
Gulliver’s Travels stars comedian Jack Black who is a journalist and ventures out at sea and meets “little-people”
called Lilliputians who journey along with him. I want to
see this movie. It looks funny,” said junior Dominic Mallori.
The Tourist is about an American tourist (Johnny Depp) who
meets a beautiful woman (Angelina Jolie) who introduces him to a world of espionage and nonstop action. “Angelina Jolie is excellent actress.” said sophmore Alejandra Farias .
onlinemovieshut.com
The Shield
Nov./Dec. 2010
Entertainment 20
Student Band WarheaD Resurrects Thrash Metal
Band Members Inspired to Make Music
By Selwyn Mendez
Russell Brown and Robert
Weber both are two ordinary
Laurel High Students. However, what sets them apart from
the rest of the school population is not only being in a band
but their passion for it. Thrash
Metal is known as a sub genre
of heavy metal with fast paced,
galloping guitar riffs, face melting solos, and intense double
bass drums. Bands such as
Megadeth, Metallica, Anthrax
and Slayer popularized what is
now known to many as Thrash.
Warhead is a thrash metal band
that also happens to be one of
the student bands here at Laurel. I interviewed the Founding/
former Member Joey Nierva
(former rhythm guitarist/vocals), Russell Brown, (current
drummer) and Robert Weber
(current rhythm guitarist) to get
some insight. Currently an unsigned band, WarheaD, brings
back “old school trash” while
combing it with “modern elements” to make it their own
unique style. For the time being they are looking for gigs
and to be signed. You can find
them on Facebook and can listen to their material on Youtube.
WarheaD’s current demo “State
of Emergency” is currently being sold by band members. In a
few months, the band is going
the other founder Alex Adle
(current lead guitarist). They
picked up Osama Qureshi for
This is when they changed their
name to WarheaD; the whole
process took them about four
years. However, Joey recently left the
band and then
the
remaining members
picked up Robert Weber for
rhythm guitar
and
Daniel
Acevedo for
vocals.
The
current line up
is: Alex Adle
(lead guitar),
Andrew Michon (bass),
Russell Brown
(drums),
Robert
Weber
(rhythm
guitar),
and
WarheaD at their photo shoot. From left to right: Daniel Acevedo, Alex Adle, Robert Weber,Daniel Acevedo
Andrew Michon, and Russell Brown.
to re-record the album with the
new line-up.
The origin of WarheaD traces
back to Joey’s first band, “Make
No Sound,” from the 8th grade.
After splitting up the band WarheaD began forming. Their
first attempt was a power metal
band named “Blood Moor.” At
that time it was only Joey and
the drums and Paul Hammond
for guitar. But they left for lack
of effort. That’s when they
changed their band name to
“Killzone.” During the change
they began writing material and
Andrew Michon (current bassist) joined. Russell Brown came
in and then began making drum
parts to the songs they made.
(vocals). Russell Brown “always wanted to play drums.”
He first started playing earlier
this year and in that short time
he managed to play every single song that WarheaD threw at
him. Russell primarily listens to
just metal; his favorite genres
are Thrash, Heavy, and Death
Metal. His all time favorite al-
bums are; Slayer’s Season of
The Abyss, Megadeth’s Rust in
Peace, and The Black Dahlia
Murder’s Nocturnal album.
However his all time favorite
album is “And Justice For All”
by Metallica. His influences
and Idols are The Rev from
Avenged Sevenfold, and Dave
Lombardo (his biggest influence) from Slayer.
Weber started playing guitar
four years ago. Ever since then
he has been playing non stop
and is excited to play for WarheaD. Robert’s favorite genres
are Thrash, Speed Metal, and
Metalcore. His favorite albums
include Megadeth’s “Peace
Sells...But Who’s Buying,” Metallica’s “Ride The Lighting,”
Avegened Sevenfold’s “Waking The Fallen,” and Between
The Buried and Me’s “Colors.”
Weber’s influences are Dave
Mustaine, Zakk Wylde, and
WarheaD’s Alex Adle.
For the new upcoming album
they are working on “adding
more vocal melodies”. Russell
plans on making the drums “fast
and heavy with a lot of double
bass.” WarheaD set one major goal: “We are not stopping
until we’re known in the U.S.
We won’t stop until we surpass
Megadeth and Metallica.”
Cloud 9 Continues to Create Innovative Sound
New Record “Shades of Sound” Set for Release
By Karene Winfield
Join the movement, as the
evolving group “Cloud 9” continues to work hard and put forth
a new kind of sound. This teen
band consists of former Laurel
High School student Michael
Akinlosotu who is lead vocalist, former High Point High
School student, Tim Cruz on
bass¸ Adam Dunbar on electric
guitar, and juniors Jonathon Livas on drums, Jordan McRae on
saxophone, and Raphael Jason
Zamora playing the piano/keyboard.
The band was put together in
April of 2009 and with their
forming at their school talent
talent, they were able to create
show back in ’09, into a band
a unique sound that cannot be
that does live concerts as well
classified into just one categoas staged performances.
ry. Zamora states, “If there is
“We perform pretty much
one thing anyone should know
anywhere we can and we’re
about the band, it’s that our muopen to all types of venues
sic isn’t set in tone.”
considering our precious per“We’re like a mixture beformance,” informs Zamora.
tween soul, rock, and jazz,”
Cloud 9 has done staged shows
informs Akinlosotu. Cloud 9
in hospitals, churches, cafés,
is ultimately referred to as an
restaurants, high school/college
alternative/hip-hop band, but
campuses, and concert venues
they manage to put out hits in
all over the metro area. Every
all genres. “Cloud 9 is like a
two to three weeks the band
brotherhood. Every time we get
performs at Howard University.
together it’s a fun time while
An upcoming band requires
Band members Joanthan Livas, Raphael
playing music,” McRae states.Jason Zamora, Michael TK Akinlosotu,hard work.
The band has merged from per“We haven’t had a paid gig
and Adam Dunbar
in a while, but the reason we do
shows is to get our music out
there as well as to just play our
music. Last year we hadn’t produced music, two people quit,
and then at one point we didn’t
have a bass,” explains McRae.
Cloud 9 performed in late
October at the Everlasting Life
Café for the Midnight Marauders Live Art & Hip-Hop Showcase, which took place in northwest D.C. Their next project
“Shades of Sound” is currently
under construction but will be
dropping soon. One can check
out the sounds of Cloud 9 at
cloud9.bandcamp.com.
Nov./Dec. 2010
Entertainment 21
The Shield
Rihanna Makes It Loud On Her New Album
By Ebony Marcus
Are you ready to
get
Loud? Well, if you aren’t
you better get ready because
the 22-year old Pop/ R&B
singer Rihanna has came
out
with her new flirty,
sassy, and upbeat tempo album
Loud. After, just recently finishing
her tour “Last Girl on Earth”, Rihanna released her fifth album on
November 16.
The first single to be released, “Only Girl(In the
World),”
reached
No.
3
on the Hot 100 and is considered a great success. “I
like the song because it’s
upbeat,” stated Abisola
Akinkuowo. Also, another
single is “Love the Way
You Lie Part 2.” Rihanna
was featured in the original “Love the Way You
Lie” with rap artist Eminem which has held the
charts’ No. 1 position for
seven weeks. Other songs
on the Loud album include
“What’s My Name?” featuring Drake, “Raining Men”
featuring Nicki Minaj, Fading,
Courtesy of www.coverlandia.blogspot.com
California King Bed,
Man Down, Complicated, Skin, and
S&M. Rihanna’s song
“What’s my name?”
featuring Drake was
the second song
released; the music video was released November 12.
Sophomore Deaundrae Howard stated,
“I feel like it’s not
a reggae song, but
it has an island feel
to me. Her voice
sounds better and the
lyrics are beautiful and actually make sense. Also, the fact
that Drake was on it is a plus.”
Howard also addded, “Her
other album seemed like she
was ready to kill somebody, but
“Loud” seems like it’s going to
be fun, happy, and just make you
want to dance with someone.”
“What’s my Name?” went from
# 60 on the Billboard Charts to
#1 in a matter of a couple days.
Rihanna is said to go back on
tour in February of next year. Rihanna is back and she is LOUD!
Taylor Swifts New Album Speaks to Everyone
\
By Sheyla Guevara
Taylor Swift’s new album
“Speak Now” sold over a million
copies its debut week, according to The Boot. Her new album
consists of country pop and even
some edgy rock which appears
to reflect her bubbly personality.
Just like her other albums
such as Fearless and Speak
Now the songs often deal with
boys in Swift’s past as well as
her own past life in other areas.
Taylor Lautner, Joe Jonas, John
Mayer, Kanye West, and Bob
Lefsetz are part of her musical notes. Camielle Belle, Joe
Jonas’s ex-girlfriend, even has
a song attached to her name.
On the cover jacket of Taylor Swift’s Cd she states, “These
songs are made up of words I
didn’t say when the moment
was right in front of me.
These songs are open
letters. Each is written with
a specific person in mind,
telling them what I meant to
tell them in person. To the
beautiful boy whose heart
I broke in December. To
my first love who I never
thought would be my first
heartbreak. To my band. To a
mean man I used to be afraid
of. To someone who made
my world dark for a while.
To a girl who stole something of mine. To someone
I forgive for what he said
in front of the whole world.
Words can break someone into
a million pieces, but they can
also put them back together.”
it’s like the first time.” “Sparks
Fly” is also a catchy tune with
the memorable guitar
sound in her fourteensong album. “Back to
December” is meant
for Taylor Lautner
as a public apology for breaking his
heart. It’s something
Swift said was really hard to do, since
she usually is not
the one saying sorry.
“Dear John” was
a song filled with
blues that appeared
to reveal John Mayer’s dark demeanor.
provided by pinoyteens.net
It embodied Swift’s
heartbreak by an
contains sentimental lyrics such older man, who had tricks up
as “And everytime I look at you, his sleeves. “Innocent” is a
mellow moving harmony dedicated to Kanye West to show
that she forgave him for the infamous incident at the VMAs.
“Haunted” sounds like a
total different girl is singing, with that pop-rock feel.
To many it reminds them of
an Evanescence song. Taylor’s
CD is a bundle of joy, melancholy, passion, and heartbreak.
Taylor Swift always writes
about romance or heartbreak
(teenage platonic love) that many
teens can relate to, but perhaps
is it not about time this 20-year
old should deal with other issues that coincide with her age?
Many compare the melody of
“Never Grow Up” to a lullaby.
But maybe this time, we
can let the numbers of albums
sold speak for themselves.
states Jones on her official website [www.norahjones.
com]. “It takes you a little bit out of your comfort zone when you’re
doing something with
another artist. You don’t
know what to expect—
it’s kind of like being
a little kid and having
a play date.” One of
the songs, “Little Lou,
Prophet Jack, and Ugly
John” gives the mellow
indie sound of Belle &
Sebastian and a smooth
touch of Jones’ jazzy
Picture from Freshngood.com
feel. Another song,
“Here We Go Again,” sung with
the legend Ray Charles focuses
on a romantic feeling and brings
back a taste of the Ray Charles
style. The album also consists
of recordings from Jones’ own
band and other side projects. “A
lot of the people on this record
are people I’ve worshiped since I
was a kid, and some of them are
younger and more my contemporaries,” she said. “Even though
the musicians are so varied, the
vibe of the songs makes sense
when we put them all together.”
Sophomore Alejandra Farias, a
Jones fan, says that her favorite
Jones song is “Don’t Know Why.”
The track list starts with her
catchy new single “Mine” that
Norah Jones Featuring a Decade of Collaborations
By Dominic Mallari
Music is so widely stretched
out that genres are often ignored
by people. Today, a person might
listen to a certain kind of music
and ignore another type and even
look down upon it even though
they haven’t listened to it yet.
Maybe we need more albums
that display a variety of genres?
Luckily, there is one album
that might solve just do this.
Norah Jones and Blue Note
Records release a new album entitled “Featuring.” This is her
first release since the album “The
Fall,” which came out in Novem-
ber of 2009. The new album was
released on November 16, just
about a year from the last album. In this album however,
there aren’t any new songs. It
is a collection of the collaborations that Jones has done in
the past decade. Ranging from
artists such as Ray Charles,
OutKast, and Foo Fighters,
this album is quite diverse.
This album consists of
18 songs, with genres ranging from jazz and country
to hip-hop and rock. “It’s so
exciting and flattering and
fun when I get asked to sing
with somebody that I admire,”
Sports
Nov./Dec. 2010
Sports 22
The Shield
Football Team Finishes Season 1-9
Spartans Crush High Point for Sole Victory
By Darwin Calderon
The varsity football team
had a really tough season
this year finishing with a 1
-9 record. They concluded
their season with a 36-6 loss
against DuVal. Their only
win of the season consisted
of their win over High Point
for Laurel’s Homecoming
game crushing them 49-0.
An overall look at the entire
season isn’t a pretty sight at
all. Losing five straight games
before winning their first game
and losing twelve games dating back to last season as well.
Games would sometimes end
with close numbers. Third
year Head Coach Brian Moore
stated, “The ball just didn’t
seem to bounce our way.”
The first game of the season
was a loss to sports rival Bowie Bulldogs resulting in a 35-6
defeat where the Spartans only
scored on one occasion. The
only score the Spartans had
was an 80 yard fumble return
by senior L’Zerek Chapman.
That loss was followed by another one dealt by rival and one
of the three top football teams
“The ball just
didn’t seem to
bounce our way.”
-Head Varsity Football
Coach Brian Moore
in the county, Eleanor Roosevelt. Despite the 36-0 loss,
the Spartans stopped Roosevelt
from scoring in the 4th quarter.
Next on the list was Oxon
Hill who beat Laurel 236 with Spartans scoring a
Joe Malloy and Demont Cook attempt to break
through High Point’s offensive line.
touchdown on one drive.
Bladensburg, the next
team the Spartans played and
lost to was actually a close
game where the Spartans succombed 24-14. The Spartans
scored in the 2nd quarter with
a 74 yard kickoff return by
Chapman. In the 3rd quarter
senior Michael McCoy scored
on a 43 yard pass from senior
quarterback Zane Carroll.
Even after scoring 2 touchdowns in their close game
with Bladensburg, Laurel had
to face an undefeated Flowers
team and was outscored 49-0.
Parkdale, was another
team the players thought they
might beat, but they fell 3212. The Spartans were the
first to score in that game
with a 14 yard fumble return
for a touchdown by senior
Ishmael Jambai in the 1st
quarter. Later on in the game
Spartans scored again with a
45 yard pass from Carroll to
Chapman in the 4th quarter.
Despite these early defeats, the Spartans were up for
the Homecoming game. Chapman had an outstanding performance with 119 total yards
scoring 5 touchdowns and one
being on defense returning a
fumble 70 yards. Senior Michael Akyea also helped score
with a 16 yard run. Senior
Olasubumi Adesoye forced a
safety also putting up points in
favor of the Spartans. Lastly,
Carroll scored on a 1 yard run
to put up the last touchdown
of the game. “A win erases a
loss,” stated Coach Moore.
Right after their win vs.
High Point, Laurel Spartans
played the Suitland Rams,
who were ranked third in the
state in high school football,
and lost but at least scored in
their territory on their Home-
Laurel Spartans take a knee while Head Coach Brian
Moore gives a post-game talk.
coming on their home field.
Chapman went 85 yards on
a kickoff return to score the
only touchdown for the team.
After the loss to a tough
team, the Spartans went on to
face Northwestern. The Spartans were defeated 44-12 with
the Spartans only scoring twice
while the Northwestern Wildcats had 218 yards running
against Laurel. The last game
of the season was a game to
the Duval Tigers who beat the
Spartans 36-6. Chapman was
the player who scored the only
touchdown for the Spartans in
the second half of the game.
In the beginning of the season, everyone had high hopes
but the team was really thin in
terms of depth due to the lost
of many seniors from last year
and losing seniors this year
due to grades. This year Laurel only has 10 seniors on the
roster who were eligible for
play. This made it difficult for
the team. The team had many
inexperienced rookies who
should have been on the J.V.
but there wasn’t a J.V. team.
The varsity team will be
losing many seniors including
L’Zerek Chapman, Eme Akonowe, Michael Akyea, Zane
Carroll, Myles Chew, Chris
Claros, Jonathan Daniels,
Chuka Elue, Ishmael Jambai,
Michael McCoy, Yves Nguessan, and Olasubumi Adesoye.
Coach Moore, who in
his first year as head coach
of the varsity team finished
the season with a 2-8 record
followed by a 3-7 record, believes they could have finished
5-5 but due to their brawl vs.
High Point last year they lost
key players to suspensions,
cutting their playing potential. This year their record is
1-9 and Coach Moore sees it
as a step back from previous
years. The Spartans have not
had a winning season since
1997 and haven’t made the
playoffs in nearly 20 years.
Nov./Dec. 2010
Sports 23
The Shield
Boys’ Soccer Team Wins 10 Games
Parkdale Eliminates Spartans in Second Round of Playoffs
By Olasubomi Adesoye
Although Laurel High School’s
boys’ soccer team didn’t have a
JV team, they still achieved their
goal of having a winning season;
they finished their regular season
with a record of 10-5. Their winning season allowed them to enter the playoffs. Their first game
was against Dr. Henry Wise High
School in which they won 2-0,
but they were blanked in the next
round by Parkdale by a score of
1-0. The players really believed
in their coaching staff and believed that they could have gone
to States but they felt that they
didn’t capitalize on opportunities.
Head Coach E. Ferguson stated that “the season
was successful.” He is proud
of where his team went and all
the things they accomplished.
Junior Thierry Noumbissi
stated, “Coach Ferguson trained
us very good and made us very
physical. A lot of people are in
shape.” The belief he had in the
coaches is also shared by junior
Valere Songong. Songong respects Coach Ferguson because
he tells the team that after they
score 10 goals they should just
pass the ball among each other
and should not score anymore.
“The soccer team is doing good but we miss a lot of
chances to score goals,” says
Songong. Before the playoffs
he said that he hopes the team
works on it. He feels the team is
going to need every point if they
want to accomplish their goal
of becoming state champions.
This soccer season is going
to be a memorable to most of the
players and the school because not
only did they go to playoffs, but
they also beat Eleanor Roosevelt
High School for the first time in
5 years. The game was a close
one but ended with a score of 2-1
in overtime. Some other influential games include C.H Flowers,
and Oxon Hill. Laurel conquered
Flowers with a score of 9-1. Ferguson’s rule of no more scoring
after 10 points came into effect
at the Suitland game leaving the
game with a final score of 10-0.
The team also had some bad luck
in some games that were very
close such as the Parkdale playoff
game. The score was 0-0 at the end
of regulation time but Parkdale
came out victorious in overtime.
Other close games include Bowie
and Duval where they were tied at
the end of regulation time but both
turned into losses in overtime.
Another future problem that
the soccer team is facing is that
eight seniors will be graduating
this year and leaving this season.
“The team next year will be a
step down. It won’t be as good as
it was this season,” commented
senior Nicklass Kamukuenjandje.
Like every other sport, grades
are a big factor. “We have a lot
of good soccer players in our
school but they don’t have grades
to play,” stated Songong. He
believes that next season will
not be the same as this year unless everyone who is skilled is
able to make grades and play.
Next year’s season holds a lot
of hope to the remaining soccer players and they do believe that they can be great.
The soccer team ended
up being ranked number 6 in
Prince George’s County according
to
The
Gazette.
Boys’ soccer team members acknowledge the cheers during the pep rally.
Golf Members Finish Strong
Fledgling Team Comprised of 3 Students
By Kayleen Yermal
“The last time we had a golf team
was 6 years ago...maybe even longer,”
stated Laurel High School’s Athletic
Director Terry Parfitt. Science Instructor Jeffery Holstine has revived the golf
team. The new team consists of three
members: freshman Matthew Robey,
sophomore Kayleen Yermal, and junior
Zachary Poston.
“Some of the teachers were talking
about a golf team. We asked Mr. Parfitt
and he said, ‘Just get enough interest
and go,’ ” said Holstine.
A 9-hole scrimmage between all the
Northern County Schools started of the
season taking place at Paint Branch,
a very small golf course consisting of
only par 3 and par 4 holes, in College
Park.
“At first, I was overwhelmed when
I got there because there were so many
schools with matching uniforms and
they all looked so experienced,” commented Yermal, the only female on the
team. “However, as the season progressed, we improved.” She finished.
Marlton, the biggest course played by
the team, was the next venue for the
Spartans.
“When we got to Marlton, I didn’t
feel so out of place because I knew
what to expect. The scrimmage really
helped me get a feel for how things
went...that plus we finally had a uniform,” laughed Yermal. The team uniform is a light yellow polo that has the
words LHS Golf embroidered on the
polo’s left chest, and khaki pants.
The Spartans traveled to courses
such as Glenn Dale Golf Course, Bowie, Henson Creek, and Enterprise Golf
Course during the season. Unfortunately, none of the team’s members recorded the best score. “Everyone asks me
constantly if we won, but I always have
to say ‘no’ and that there really is no set
winner because they don’t tell you who
won that day,” Yermal exclaimed.
“Golf isn’t an easy sport,”
Yermal claimed. “The lowest number
of strokes [hits] wins and each individual hole is rated either a par 3, 4,
or 5 [shortest to longest respectively],”
she explained. “Sometimes, the courses
are very long and there are several par
5 holes. I remember walking two par
5’s and being absolutely exhausted afterwards.” Recalled Yermal, “We aren’t
allowed to use golf carts. Only the
coaches are.”
“It was a learning experience for
me this year especially since I started
playing back in August just before the
scrimmage. I hope that we do this next
year and that we get more interest. It
was a fun season. The guys on the team
even gave me a nickname: Lil’ Red.
They called me that because I use hot
pink golf balls that close up look red,”
explains Yermal. “I think we all need
to work on finding a target and fixing
our alignment that way we don’t end up
hitting the ball into water or something.
We also need to work on trying not to
slice the golf ball while we are at the tee
box, hitting our driver.”
When asked if there was a possibility that the golf team will return for
another season, Parfitt replied, “I think
we will have a team next year because
all the members are not seniors and Holstine did a good job with them.”
“We lost about two members this season, but hopefully next year they will
return and play with the team again. I
also encourage people to join the team.
I met a lot of new people and even discovered that I have a love for golf,” explains Yermal.
Hopefully, the golf team will make a
triumphant return with double the members and triple the skill for next season.
“I’m definitely going to practice during
spring and summer in preparation for
next season,” Yermal happily stated.
Kayleen Yermal drives on fairway.
Nov./Dec. 2010
Feature 24
The Shield
Girls .500 Soccer Team Knocked Out in Second Round
By Adam Block
When the beginning of school
comes around most pupils are
looking for their new kicks, uniform pieces, and that fresh cut.
But these select few ladies on
Laurel’s soccer team are running
for miles, perfecting their shot,
and are determined to give one
hundred percent effort for the
LHS name on the front of their
jerseys. This year’s soccer team
tallied a .500 record with seven
wins, seven losses and one tie.
The final game of the season
was a regional second round
matchup between the Spartan
Ladies and archrival Roosevelt
once again. In the first half the
girls put up a good fight, but
could not put one past the Raider
keeper. With a 4-0 score at halftime the Ladies were just trying
to salvage something from the
game in the second half. Although they did not tally a goal,
their defense stiffened up and
they only allowed two more, a
hard fought defeat that ended
in a disappointing 6-0 result.
The first round of the playoffs matched the Spartans with
foe, Northwestern, whom they
defeated handily in the regular
season 5-0. The result was the
same the second time around
with the Spartans downing the
Wildcats 5-0 at the Hyattsville
school. In the final game of the
regular season the stakes were
high when the team was matched
with the Ladies of Charles H.
Flowers, who had held eventual
county champions Bowie to a
2-1 score earlier. The Spartans
stayed in the game through the
80 minutes but fell 3-0. The
girls had lost some confidence
the game before with a 12-0
loss to those same Bulldogs.
But still they had compiled a
record of 6-3-2 through the
season to that point. Victories
included wins over Parkdale,
Suitland, Northwestern, Oxon
Hill, Duval, and Bladensburg.
When asked about
the season Head Coach
Terry
Parfitt
remarked,
“ The team was good in defense,
but overall inexperienced.”
Prolific scorer and Senior
Captain Sarah Alsop led the
way with many game winning
and well-timed goals for the
National Weightlifting Competition
Held at Laurel High School
By Ian Adams
On Saturday Nov.20, The
USAPL (United States of
America Power Lifting) sponsored the 2010 Maryland State
Power lifting and Bench Press
Championships here at Laurel
High School. It was directed by
Dustin Garner, who was directing an event for the first time,
and Laurel’s very own Science
Instructor Mark Daniel. “Oh
the championship went very
well and it was a lot of fun,”
stated Daniel. Daniel is the current USAPL State Chairman for
Maryland, and is a current national Bench Press Champion.
Among the roster of participants were two lifters who were
coached by Daniel, one of whom
was his very own stepdaughter,
Rebecca Myers. Myers had
taken first place in her division
(Women’s 198 pound division).
In the squat event, the heaviest
she lifted was 287 pounds. In
the “dead lift” event, the heaviest she lifted was 320 pounds.
And in the Bench press, she
had pressed 182 pounds. Those
three lifts had also allowed her
to set three new state records.
The other participant that
Daniel was coaching took second place in the Men’s 181
pound division. “This was
just a warm-up for the Nationals that are coming up,” Daniel stated. Surprisingly, a lot of
people turned out as spectators
for the championship, as well
as a lot of students who were
Squatting heavy weights is part of most tournaments.
willing to help out and act as
spotters for the lifters, one
of whom being The Shield’s
very own Mohammad Khan.
Many participants came,
all trying to see who was the
strongest. There was some
definite diversity in the spectrum of lifters who came. One
man was even blind, while another was deaf and some others
were paralyzed from the waist
down. Weightlifting though,
did not just reach out to adults.
In many competitions all ages
and sizes are welcome. For
example, the youngest participant was 15 years of age, while
the oldest was 74 years of age.
The lightest lifter weighed in at
101 pounds, while the heaviest weighed in at 309 pounds.
Not everyone lifts to prove
themselves. “You can lift
weights for any reason,” Daniel adds, “whether it be to get
into shape, or to stay fit, or to
challenge yourself, or to appease any injury you may have,
as long as you have a reason you can keep on lifting.”
Another competition is rumored to be held at the school
sometime in the spring. Daniel will be looking for another win for his mentees.
Spartans. With defensive help
from 1st Team All-County and
All-State Honorable Mention,
Senior Captain and 4 year starter Shaneka Townsend helped
with both the offensive attack
and the defense. As for next
year the Spartans will return 10
players from this year’s squad
including some key players
such as sophomore goalie Chelsea Jackson, sophomore Maria
Llinas, and freshman Tia Craft.
The Laurel High School Girls’ Soccer Team
Football and Soccer Don’t Field
Junior Varsity Teams
By Alvin Abston Jr.
Crowds roaring as you
enter the stadium. Cleats
clanking on the cement marking the entrance of the home
crowd’s favorite players.
These are the dreams of many
who are part of Spartan football and soccer teams. Could
their dreams fade away due
to the fact that there are no
junior varsity teams this year?
Laurel High, along with
several other schools in the
county, didn’t have enough
players to field a junior varsity football and soccer team.
Eliminating the junior varsity
teams this year, has forced
some underclassmen to play
on the varsity squad. These
less-experienced players don’t
get as much playing time on
the varsity compared to if they
were on the junior varsity. The
junior varsity teams serve as
prepping programs designed
to give the younger players
experience as well as act as
feeders for the varsity teams.
Spartan Athletic Director
Terry Parfitt comments that
not having these junior varsity
teams does hurt the program.
He also adds that it is rare for
these teams to not have a junior varsity squad; he says
it’s out of the norm. A major
reason for this mishap is due
to the small number of students who came out for summer practices and workouts.
Soccer player Adam Block
started his first game his
freshman year, but he is different from many other Prince
George’s soccer players; he’s
played varsity since the beginning of his career. Playing varsity all four years is
not an easy task and does not
happen normally in public
schools. For the majority of
the athletes they play on the jv
team first. This can be avoided next year by having more
underclassmen try out for the
teams. This would also add
to the overall school spirit.
Sports 26
The Shield
Nov./Dec. 2010
Winter Sports Previews
Girls’
Basketball
Team: Speedy
Agressive &
Inexperienced
More Participants Gives Wrestlers Hope
By Mohammad Khan
Laurel High School’s
wrestling team is not a very
well-known team because
of its usual lack of members, but this year, thanks to
our third-year coach Irwin
Poelinitz, the team proudly
boasts a roster that includes
20 players. The team can finally fill every weight class.
The captains are Josue
Rodriguez, and Tevon Cotton. There are two seniors
on the team, Rodriguez
and Nick Phillips. There are
six returners from last year.
The team’s strength is
having every weight class
filled. The team believes that
their biggest weakness is that
half of the players are new
so therefore inexperienced.
The Wrestling
Squad Defeated
Central Last
Wednesday
The coach believes that they
will do about average this
season. He predicts that the
team will compile around
a 9-2 record. He rates the
wrestling team as a contend-
er. The coach believes that
the best teams in the league
are Duval and Roosevelt.
According to Poelinitz, the team’s top wrestler
is Josue Rodriguez because
of his leadership and experience. The coach adds that
the team’s most improved
player is Brian Sanders.
The team’s first match took
place on December 15 at
home in Laurel’s cafeteria
against Central High. The
team will also be participating in the The Patriot Classic Tournament at Northern
High School January 7-12.
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Laurel Lake
Hair Cuttery
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Mr. and Mrs.
D. Allen Ennis
Mr. and Mrs.Erase
Jane Eubanks
Andy and Lea
Fitzsimons
Robert Giuliani
Kayleen Zaytoren Green
Ramona A. Greene
Thomas Harrison
Jennifer Jefferies
Michael and
Linda Jeffries
Roberta Jeffries
Joana
Dwayne Jones
Eugene Kaddy
Judith Lambert
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Steven LaValle
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By Ebony Marcus
Basketball Season is here,
and so is Coach Thomas Harrison and the Laurel High
School’s Girls Basketball
team, “The Lady Spartans.”
This is Coach Harrison’s 11th
year at Laurel High and he has
been coaching girls’ basketball for 18 years. “My goal every season is to win one game
more than the last season,”
stated Harrison. Conditioning
started September 15 and tryouts were Nov. 15- Nov. 17.
There are 9 players on Varsity
and 11 players on JV. In addition, there are 7 returning players from last year.
When asked what the team’s
strengths are Harrison smiled
and said, “We have speed and
we are aggressive.” However,
the weakness that the team
struggles with is that some are
young and inexperienced.
In The Gazette, the Lady
Spartans were ranked #10 in
the 4A League pre-season polls.
The girls have a home game on
Team Boasts Close to 50 Swimmers
Large Roster Aids
the Swim Team
By Karene Winfield
With a roster close to 50
swimmers this year, Laurel High
School Swim Team is back and
well-prepared. Seniors William
Hoover, Curtis Rose, David
Carmen, Emily Yeagley, and
Jessica Robey will be among
the leaders this year. Junior Jade
Hill is also a person to watch
for, holding the title of two-time
defending county and regional
champion of the 100 breastroke. Other junior notables include Cameron Ott and Zach
Poston. Swim Coach John Venit comments, “I am hoping that
we will be among the top three
in the county this year.” Last
year the team ranked top three
along with Bowie and Roosevelt. Laurel, Wise, Roosevelt,
Flowers, Duval, and Oxon Hill
participated in the scrimmage
meet on December 4 at Prince
George’s Sports & Learning
Complex. “From the scrimmage
meet I noticed that Laurel will
have some good relay teams
this year!” Coach Venit states.
Returning swimmer Marcus
Pearson states, “I can see a lot
of people on the team having a
good chance at making States.”
With 12 seniors lost from last
year, 18 seniors still remaining on the team this year makes
this year promising. “This is
my second year so I want to
push myself harder this year
to try and make it to States or
Regionals,” Miranda states.
Upcoming meets for the season will take place at Prince
Georges Sports Complex, Fairland Aquatics Center, Prince
Georges Community College,
and States will be held later on
in the season at University of
Maryland College Park. Their
next meet will be against Roosevelt and Crossland on January
8 at Fairland Aquatics Center.
Nov./Dec. 2010
The Shield
Teen Life 28
TEEN LIFE
Texting Highs Can Be Detrimental to Health
Texting Under the Covers Affects You in Many Ways
By Alejandra Farias
“I rely on my phone A LOT.
Texting, calling, e-mail, Facebook,
calendar. I mean, I use my phone
for EVERYTHING,” remarked
junior Justin Martin, while simultaneously checking for his phone
frantically. The latest study done
on the subject of teen texting
showed that 54 percent of teenagers are texting at least every day
and more than half of them are
sending up to 50 messages daily.
Texting has now become one
of the main ways to stay in touch
with people all over and while we
know what text messaging is used
for, do we know how it affects our
health? LHS health Instructor Mr.
Johnson says that texting is a stimulant. He compares it to a drug. It
causes a rise in our nervous system
in our body thus making it harder
for us to concentrate and pay attention to the world around us.
Junior Darien Anderson says that
she’ll stay up till 2 a.m. on a regular
school night just texting and getting on Facebook. When asked if
she’s ever tired
in the morning
she comments
with a laugh,
“No! I usually
sleep in my first
period.” And
therein lies the
real problem.
Not only
does texting affect how your
brain
works,
it affects your
sleep schedule
which in turn
can affect multiple other things.
Did you know that the
less amount of sleep
you get every night can lead to
changes in your mood and person-
ality, cause depression, and one
can even develop a lack of concentration? Now 57 percent of Americans say they sleep with their cell
ing WITH it! If you think about the
damage that can be done because
of a simple late night conversation; is it really worth the trouble?
In addition to
texting, Anderson
mentions that she
not only stays up
texting but also
spends much time
on Facebook. Have
we even begun to
take into consideration what technology in general
is doing to us? In
today’s society, billions of teens can
be found on social
networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Myspace. Some find
this movement to be harmful
and others consider it merely a way
of communication between one an-
Texting Instead of Sleeping?
phones next to them at night and
87 percent of teens admit to sleep-
other, but many do not realize how
it affects teens’ true social lives.
The more time teenagers spend on
the Internet, the less they spend
being outside and communicating
in person. Hence they develop a
lack of social skills which affects
how we as humans communicate
and interact with each other. Social
networks change the way we speak
with one another, complicates or
completely eliminates reading body
language and facial expressions,
and affects social development.
Media and technology influences us in various ways and it also
affects us more than we probably
realize. Reflect on your own use
of technology. Are you overdoing
it? Next time you use your cell
phone or you find yourself glued
to your computer, ask yourself this
question: Do I spend more time
with electronic devices or computers than I do interacting with real
people? This could be a problem.
New Texting Laws Change Teen Driving Habits
Some Teens Fret Over New Texting Laws while Others Support New Guidelines
By Malcolm Richardson
Maryland’s new law outlaws cell
phone use while driving unless a
hands-free device is employed. It
calls for “secondary enforcement”
and fines between $40 and $100.
Enforcement began Oct. 1. Text
messaging is prohibited for all drivers as well as handheld cell phone
use banned for all drivers. Drivers
under the age of 18 and drivers
with learner’s permits or intermediate licenses are prohibited from
using cell phones in any manner.
Since the law was passed, students at Laurel have been affected
and have argued with the law saying that it was pointless. Senior
Reginald Jones is one of those students saying, “It’s stupid because
you can’t catch somebody texting,
because if the phone is in their lap
the people can’t get caught.” During further investigation it is discovered that there is a loophole,
because in order to be caught,
the officer must see the phone
before they can fine the driver.
The law, according to Maryland legislation form SB 321, bans
use of handheld cell phones by
all drivers. Prohibits use of cell The successful handheld cell phone
phones by school bus drivers and ban SB 321 was aliased as the Delthose with learner’s permits. The egate John Arnick Electronic Compenalty for cell phone use is a $40 munications Traffic Safety Act, in
fine (first offense), and a $100 for a memory of the late lawmaker who
second offense. Originally the bill started pushing for cell phone
called for fines of $100 and $250. driving regulation back in 1999.
This law is
known as the
Delegate John
Arnick Electronic
Communications
Traffic
Safety
Act. The bill was
approved by the
Judicial
Proceedings Committee on March
15 and then in an
amended form
by the Maryland
Senate
(24-23
vote) on March
24. It was sent to
the House, where
Texting while driving is deadly.
it won approval from the House His friend Sen. Norman R. Stone
Environmental Matters Commit- Jr., D-Dundalk, is the sponsor.
tee on April 7. It was approved by
Another law that complements
the House on April 9 (125-14 vote) this new law is Maryland’s House
and sent to Gov. Martin O’Malley, Bill 236 which, “prohibits a perwho signed it into law on May 20. son from driving a motor vehicle
in an inattentive manner resulting
in the unsafe operation of the motor vehicle when the inattention is
caused by the person engaging in
specified preoccupying activities,
provides that a violation of the Act
is not a moving violation for the
purpose of assessing points, authorizes a police officer to enforce the
Act only as a secondary offense.”
According to
statistics,
Maryland retailers are
enjoying a boom
in
hands-free
devices for cell
phones as the ban
on using handheld
mobile
phones
while driving has
now taken effect.
Senior
Marlina
Mathi relates to this topic, talking
about the new law, saying, “I’m
for it because [texting] can cause
an accident that can be prevented.
Junior James Bell agreed with
Mathi’s statement explaining, “I
respect it because you’re concentrated on the phone more than the
road, and the main rule for driving
is ‘keep your eyes on the road.’”
Junior Raj Patel adds, “[The
law] is good because otherwise
you’re going to get yourself and
others in a serious accident.”
Many commercials on television show the dangers of texting
and driving at the same time.
Some have real people who
are still alive from the accident
they had caused by texting; the
commercials show how much
it can change life in a second.
English Instructor Robert Giuliani, whose 16 year old daughter
just received her license, says one
commercial stands out in his mind.
It’s when the mother is holding up
the cell phone of her dead dughter
and it shows the last text message
from the victim’s phone which
states, “What’s Up?” He says, “To
think that her daughter was killed
for such an unnecessary comment.”
Statistics show that in the
state of Maryland 28% of car
accidents were caused by texting. Don’t let it happen to you.
Nov./Dec. 2010
Sports 25
The Shield
Volleyball Team Achieves New Heights
Concludes 10-7 Season
.
nior addition Roshni
By Alvin Abston Jr
“Although we may have our arguments and fights at last we all
come together as a team,” says
Bilikis Okoosi proudly. Laurel
Girls’ Volleyball, a tight knit family has had a successful season
this year according to its players.
“Lady Spartans!” “AH-OO” fills
the gym as practice commences with
endless volleys, drills and scrimmages. Head Coach Taren Gray saw definite improvements from last year’s
season remarking that this year’s team
was “well put together.” Focusing on
the fundamentals of the game, Laurel
volleyball has literally built from the
ground up. Working hard every practice and playing harder with every
game, but not taking the fun out of the
game, “We definitely have fun during
practice,” states Roshni Ravikumar.
Laurel Volleyball was somewhat of a veteran squad with four
returning seniors and one se-
Ravikumar.
Junior Varsity has had an outstanding season as well due to their cohesiveness and athleticism. Antonique
“Kill Switch” Johnson, known for
her blisteringly fast serves, kept the
team rolling. Junior Varsity Captain
Kevlyn Moscoso is proud of their
success and sees light for the team
next year. The Lady Spartans made
it to the playoffs and lost in the second round to Roosevelt High 3-1.
A growing team, girls’ volleyball has
definitely shown their adhesiveness
throughout the season putting together a 10-7 winning season record. On
several occasions, Spartan Volleyball
showed their spirit with their greatest feat coming from a hard-fought
win over a decent Northwestern High
team in October. With an also impressive scrapple against High Point, junior varsity and varsity both roasted
the Eagles in the regular season.
Post-season was filled with battles,
with wins against Duval and Wise first
and second round. Spartan Volleyball
crushed the Pumas 3-0 and Duval
in the same. Finally falling to the
Roosevelt Raiders 3 games to 1 Gray
stated to the Laurel Gazette, “We won
the first game, and I was impressed.
Then the second game we just vanished and I blinked and the match was
over. But the girls played well all season and I was really proud of them.”
The team had faced minor setbacks
with injuries to team leaders Jaclynn
Warner and Casey LiCausi. Warner
out with back problems, planned to
rejoin the team as soon as she was
100%. Casey LiCausi continued to
fight, though laced with ankle and
shoulder injuries she lelped to lead the
Spartans to their success. With goals
to get past the first two rounds of the
playoffs they more than achieved their
target. Spartan Volleyball was definitely a force to be reckoned with this
season and they never gave up. The
Spartans Volleyball year-end awards
are as follows: Varsity MVP was
Casey Licausi and she also made the
All-County Volleyball team according to The Gazzette. Varsity Coaches
Award went toJade Hill. JV MVP
was Antonique “Toni” Johnson, and
Coach Award went to Megan Brown.
When asked about her overall out-
look on this year, Gray remarked, “I
was very proud of the season,” and
am “looking forward to next year.”
The team says goodbye to five seniors this year: Shelaunda Hunter,
Jaclynn Warner, Arielle Lima, Casey
LiCausi and Roshni Ravikumar.
rel High School graduate Ryan
Mance at the young age of 21.
Ryan was regarded as a smiling, rising student from his past
teachers at both Eisenhower
and Laurel schools. Ryan’s case
went unsolved for six years until an already- convicted felon
was connected to his murder.
“Due to the assistance and resilience of his mother, the suspects
were found and Ryan will be remembered,” commented Jones.
In 2005, Ryan’s mother, Patricia
Daniels, with
the funds from
an anonymous
donor,
created an educational scholarship at Laurel
High School.
Nevertheless,
Daniels wanted to expand
her
vision
creating more
scholarships
for students
and more assistance with
financial aid.
On
March
15, 2008, the
Ryan Odelle
Mance Memorial Scholarryanomancefoundation.org
ship
Foun-
dation, Inc. was formed. The
foundations’ mission is “to help
increase access to higher education for deserving, talented and
qualified high school graduating
African-American male students
in dedication and deed.” And
with the donations from fundraiser like the Tour De Laurel, it
has and will keep being achieved.
Police officers from various
counties came out to help patrol the streets and keep the race
moving along. Registration for
minors was free but a $50 donation was given by adult participants. Proceeds from this
and many more events will be
awarded to students from Laurel.
The Foundation depends on donations and in the future hopes to
minimize financial difficulty for
students. And by 2011 they hope
to raise enough funds to help students receive an annual scholarship
throughout their pursuit of an undergraduate degree. Donations to
this fund can be given at the Ryan
Odelle Mance website, by mail
or by becoming a founding sponsor of the organization. Ryan will
not be forgotten and his mother’s
dream has furthered his memory.
By Karene Winfield
in several competitions including
meets that were held at Ft. Washington, Roosevelt, and Patuxent.
durance, form work, and
speed,”
explains
Bennett.
“From the looks of it
we’re looking good for indoor
season even though we lost
a couple of our senior runners,” explains Coach Broadhurts. He adds, “For indoor
season, we are looking to
win the state championship.”
The Girls’ Volleyball team poses for a group picture.
LHS Staff Participates in Tour De Laurel
By Alexie Malloy
In all his pink helmet glory,
Principal Dwayne Jones accompanied by Laurel High teacher
Mr. Vissotto biked for a cause in
the Tour De Laurel on September,
18. The 25 mile tour around Laurel and its surrounding areas started at the Granville Gude Park and
Lake House, 8300 Mulberry St.
More than ten years have passed
since the murder of a 1996 Lau-
Mr.Jones and Ms.Davis stop for a picture.
Runners Anticipate Indoor Season
The Cross-Country team pulls
together to overcome a challenging
season. “Cross country has been
a challenging year and I cannot
wait for it to be over,” states senior Oshin Bennett. Bennett holds
the spot on the cross country team
as the number 1 runner for the
team. In addition to praising Bennett, Coach Ken Broadhurst compliments sophomore Justin Lane
on his performance for the cross
country season. He states, “Justin
had a good season for it to be his
first year running cross country.”
“The season was okay, but unfortunately we did not have as
many numbers as we did in the
past but we had to make due with
what we had,” Broadhurst states.
“There were a lot of new faces
this year,” adds Broadhurst. The
cross country team participated
As the cross country season comes to an end Coach
Broadhurts
prepares
the
team for the indoor season.
“During the cross country
season we mainly get ready
for indoor. We work on en-
SPORTS CARD HEROES
SPORTS COLLECTIBLES
AND AUTOGRAPHED
MEMORABILIA
Tues-Sat.
10am-7pm
Closed Sunday
634 Main St.
Laurel MD 20707
301-317-8517
[email protected]
Nov./Dec. 2010
Sports 27
The Shield
Boys’ Basketball Team Looks Promising
New Coach Oxendine Starts Season with a Win over Forrestville
By Alvin Abston
Torrence Oxendine might
be new to the Prince George’s
County 4A League but he is
definitely a veteran of the game.
Former Head Coach of the Potomac Wolverines, he led the
team deep into the playoffs the
last two years. Oxendine brings
a defense and high energy oriented game to the Spartans this
year. A band of new faces grace
the Spartan roster with transfers
from across the metro area. Also
Spartan basketball returns three
seniors, Zane Carroll, Devin
Peyton-Lord and Andre Williams, from last year’s program.
Preseason polls rank Spartan
Basketball sixth in the dominant 4A Division behind rivals
Roosevelt and Henry Wise,
with Roosevelt as a favorite to team definitely up for the chal- from a title, the Spartans are
win the title. Spartan Basket- lenge. Only two years removed used to winning. Thanks to vigball has acquired a lot
of new faces
that can contribute to the
team such as
Largo transfer Carlos
Horne and
KIMA transfer Adrian
Rousseau.
Also compiling a few
more athletic components with
senior additions Tyrone
Cooke and
Amani WatCoach Oxendine gives his team strategy during halftime. -photo by R.G
kins, makes the
orous preseason conditioning
and strength training, the team
compiled a 2-2 record in scrimmages and is showing bursts
of greatness. According to the
players, disregarding preseason
rankings, Spartan Basketball
is expecting to be at the top.
Knocking off their first
opponents, the Spartans took
care of business against Forestville Military Academy. Top
scorer Carlos Horne racked up
an astounding 22 points with
equal efforts coming from
Guard Tyrone Cooke who
added another 11 points. The
team lost to Roosevelt and then
came back to beat Oxon Hill.
Upcoming games include December 21 at Flowers,
Janary 4 at Wise and January 7
at Parkdale.
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