February 2012 - Brooke Point High School

LEARN THE
HISTORY OF
MARDI GRAS
STUDENTS
EMBRACE
HACKY SACK
NEW LATE
WORK PLAN IS
FLAWED
The details of the holiday’s past are explained.
Fans of the sport push to
create an official club.
Bob Edelman voices frustration with the new IB,
AP and DE late work and
absent work plan.
See Entertainment 3
See Sports 5
See Opinion 7
The Hawkeye
Volume XVIII - Issue 4
Brooke Point High School
1700 Courthouse Road
Stafford, VA 22554
(540) 658 - 6080
Fax (540) 658- 6072
[email protected]
FEBRUARY 24, 2012
VISIT THE HAWKEYE FUSION PAGE FOR THE ONLINE VERSION
Payne reveals struggle with cancer
BY NICOLE CALIRI
PHOTO BY KAYLA HARRIS
Principal Wendy Payne has
taken a leave of absence to rest
and to rebuild her immune system. Scott McClellan will serve
as Acting Principal during her
absence.
Principal Wendy Payne’s
chest hurt. The pressure in her
lungs began last spring and
seemed to come out of nowhere.
She was rarely sick, exercised
regularly, ate a healthy diet and
didn’t smoke. Concerned there
was something wrong, she went
to the doctors where she had an
x-ray of her lung. The doctor
diagnosed her with bronchitis,
an inflammation of the mucous
membrane in the bronchial
tubes.
The pain remained even after
a month of taking a bronchitis
prescription.
“I was treated six weeks
for that with medication and
it didn’t get better. I was still
having difficulty catching my
breath,” Payne said. “I went
back to the doctors and they
gave me another chest x-ray to
follow up with my ‘bronchitis’
and they found a small non-cancerous mass in my lung.”
Payne was attending her doctoral program class one night in
early July when pain suddenly
grew intense spreading to her
shoulder and tricep. “I knew
something wasn’t right. I first
thought it was pneumonia,” she
said.
She immediately went to the
emergency room where the doctor ordered another x-ray. “They
found a 3 ½” mass in my lung.
I was then diagnosed with cancer,” she said. “It grew in 28
days. It’s that kind of cancer,
non-small cell cancer. It’s the
lung cancer that non-smokers
get.”
On July 7 at 1:30 pm Wendy
Payne was diagnosed with stage
four lung cancer.
According to the National
Cancer Institute, lung cancer is
the second most common cancer and is the primary cause of
cancer-related deaths in both
men and women in the United
States. Lung cancer progresses
in four stages, stage four being
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
ONE ACT PLAY
“
There are
valleys and
peaks in
life. I just
have to
keep plugging along.
It’s not my
time yet to
go.
”
the most severe.
Payne’s diagnosis of stage
four cancer was not unusual.
Forty percent of people have
already progressed to stage four
lung cancer at the time they are
first diagnosed with lung cancer.
“I never even thought about
cancer. I never smoked and I
always have had good health,”
she said. “I was completely
shocked. My immediate though
was, ‘Where else is it located?’”
Not only was Payne worried
about where else the cancer was
located, but the doctors were
concerned as well. “I had a PET
scan done that scanned the rest
of my body and it found that the
cancer had spread to my lymph
nodes and liver.”
To treat the cancer, Payne first
went through chemotherapy
and radiation. “The doctor told
me that the treatments would
make me lose my hair and gain
weight. I told him that I’d prefer
it the other way around. He responded saying that ‘you don’t
have any control over it’ and we
laughed,” she said.
On the first day of Payne’s
treatment, a port was inserted
into her left chest. “Basically,
it’s a tube where they can insert
medication and take blood test
out of. I didn’t feel a thing because they place numbing medication onto it before they insert
any needles,” she said.
She currently takes oral
chemo every night before bed.
INDEX
NEWS ............................. 2
ENTERTAINMENT .......... 3
SPORTS ....................
4, 5
FEATURE ........................ 6
OPINION ......................... 7
STUDENT LIFE ............... 8
“I have had the max amount
of radiation treatments allowed
so I am off that now and I take
oral chemo pills. But when I
was receiving radiation, I went
to Stafford Hospital for my radiation treatments. It was really
convenient because it is so close
to Brooke Point.”
One of the many side effects
of chemo radiation is burns
to the skin. “The doctors were
surprised when I never got third
degree burns like most patients
get. I think it’s because I grew
up in the sun and I loved the
sun. I did get burns inside my
esophagus and I couldn’t even
swallow my saliva.”
Another side effect of chemotherapy is hair loss. “Before
I shaved my hair, it was very
straw-like. Just like the end of a
broom,” she said.
She had her neighbor and
former student from Stafford
High School shave her head. “I
just told him to go ahead and do
it. I was nervous that my head
was fat or I had moles on it or a
receding hair line. I constantly
asked him if I looked okay every couple seconds. I first saw
my head when I was walking
down the stairs and I could see
my reflection in a baseball picture hanging up at the end of my
stairs,” she said.
History teacher and gymnastics coach Sarah Brown offered
to dye her hair blonde and cut
it off for a wig for Payne. “I’ve
known Mrs. Payne since I was
14. She was my assistant principal and gymnastics coach at
Stafford High School. She was
actually the reason I went there.
Even after I graduated, she
called me while I was at college
to see how I was doing. She is
literally my second mother and
has done so much for me in my
life offering to donate my hair
to her was the least I could do
in return.”
Payne refused Brown’s offer
but was very grateful. “It was
very nice of her to offer her hair,
but I would much rather have
her keep her hair and just put on
a ball cap,” she said.
“I’ll probably never wear a
wig again once my hair really
starts to grow back. I have only
had short hair once in my life
and that was for a punishment,”
Payne said. “My friend and I
in 8th grade decided to dye my
hair really light blonde without
my mother knowing. It wasn’t
a good idea. I came home and
my mother was furious. She
made me cut off all my hair into
a pixie cut and I wasn’t allowed
to re-dye my hair. So when the
blonde was growing out my natural hair line still showed.”
Instead of wearing wigs,
Payne wears a wide variety of
hats. “I have thirty different
hats. A lot of them I received
from friends, students and family for Christmas. I don’t really
have a favorite one. They are all
unique,” she said.
Payne’s family has been compassionate throughout the whole
process. “My husband was with
me when I was getting all of my
tests done and he has been really supportive,” she said.
SEE PAYNE, FEATURE 6
BiPii comes to life
Payne congratulates Letkiewicz.
Senior Kayleigh Wagner provides the BP
Players with their first
student written play.
SEE HELLO, I’M A PLAYWRIGHT, NEWS 2
Payne has been Brooke Point’s principal for three years.
Club members work to perfect their newest member.
BY HALEY FISHER
PHOTO BY KIM WHITEHOUSE
Brooke Point High School
has its very own robot. A member of the Robotics team, her
name is BiPii. The team was
formed in 2010 when former
student Robert Emerson asked
business and computer science
teacher Kim Whitehouse to
sponsor the team.
“I’ve always been interested
in robotics. When I learned that
one of my friends had started
the team, I joined. It was so
much fun last year and it’s been
a lot of fun this year too,” senior
Lindsey Anderson said.
Junior Marion Lerner joined
the Robotics team last year.
“FIRST is the best gateway
club, so to speak, to pursuing
engineering in college. They offer many generous scholarships
to excellent in-state schools
they’re already heavily present
at,” she said. “Also, robots will
take over the world. It’s better
to know how to dismantle one”
According to USFIRST.org,
the mission of First Tech Challenge is to “inspire young people to be science and technology
leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs
that build science, engineering
and technology skills, that inspire innovation and that foster
well-rounded life capabilities
including self-confidence, communication and leadership.”
“Every year First Tech Challenge comes out with a new
challenge and we build a robot to meet the challenge. We
build our robot so we can score
as many points as possible,”
Whitehouse said.
BiPii and her team made it
to the championship match in
their December competition
this year.
The team competed in the
FTC Northern Virginia Qualifying Tournament in late January.
SEE BIPII, STUDENT LIFE 8
“Mr. L” is named
teacher of the year
BY HALEY FISHER
PHOTO BY YBK/COVINGTON
English and Creative Writing teacher Larry Letkiewicz
has been chosen as 2011-2012
Teacher of the Year.
“Mr. L” has been teaching
for twelve years. He earned a
double Bachelors of Arts degree in English and Secondary
Education at Mary Washington
College.
“I worked my way through
college as a pizza delivery man.
After college I worked in construction and then with the U.S.
Forrest service,” he said.
Letkiewicz’s first teaching
job was at Brooke Point. He
taught for one year and then
left to teach at a middle school
in Florida. Two years later, he
returned to Brooke Point where
he has remained for the past
nine years.
“I have taught every level
of tenth and ninth grade English and have been the Creative
Writing I and II teacher for the
past three years,” Letkiewicz
said. He has also been the sponsor for The Collective Mind, the
arts and literary magazine, for
the past three years.
SEE LETKIEWICZ, NEWS 2
2 NEWS
The Hawkeye February 24, 2012
Hello, I’m a Playwright
BY CYMBER MARTIN
PHOTO BY YBK/COVINGTON
Drama Director Lisa CoverTucci led the BP Players to the
One Act Play competition with
a piece written by senior Kayleigh Wagner titled, “Untitled:
The Constant Struggle of Being
Anonymous.”
Wagner’s inspiration for the
plas was a poster project in Larry Letkiewicz’s Creative Writing class.
Letkiewicz was so impressed
with the play that he showed it
to Cover-Tucci who requested
a longer version. Wagner then
spent her summer perfecting
the one-act. By the time school
started in September, she felt
a strong sense of accomplishment.
“It was better than I ever
could have imagined,” said
Wagner. “It just kept getting
better and better.”
Wagner then had to get used
to the feeling of seeing her play
come to life.
“It’s weird but it’s a good
weird,” she said. “Best feeling
in the world. I get nervous every
time [they perform] and I shake.
But then it just turns out really
great.”
Wagner was not the only one
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
who had to do some adjusting.
“It was weird sitting there
with the person who wrote the
play,” said Cover-Tucci. “I
could actually ask [the writer]
where [her ideas] came from.”
The play itself is “a powerful piece,” said Cover-Tucci. “It
makes you think about how we
treat people.”
The judges, however, did
not feel that the play deserved
to win the district competition.
The Players walked out of Stafford High School with the fifth
place trophy.
Although they didn’t win,
Cover-Tucci never doubted using a student-written piece.
“It is really amazing to do a
student written piece. It’s good
enough to be able to help Kaleigh realize her dream,” she
said.
On February 8, the BP players performed their fifth place
VHSL One Act Play in front of
the entire school. It became an
immediate hit with a powerful
message to the student body.
Senior Ashley Williams
“thought it was encouraging.
It made me think of Biblical
verses and how even in times
of struggle, God will always be
with you.”
Junior Caitlin Mac Millan
was on fire at the District Tournament in Albemarle. Overall, Brooke
Point took 3rd place. Five
out of six competitors will
be going to the Regional
Tournament. The following students are going on
Mira Golmant placed
1st in Original Oratory.
Jack Parker and Richard Deleon placed 2nd
in Humorous Duo Interpretation. Marion Lerner
placed 2nd in Poetry.
Jessica Alonso placed
2nd in Serious Dramatic
Interpretation.
This year marks the
first year for Brooke Point
to participate in the Latin
Oriented academic tournament known as certamen.
Joseph
Grant,
Yousra
Neberai,
Chris
Bass, Isaiah Ingram and
Anne Slota took 4th place
and received a trophy.
Congratulate these students on their efforts and
wish them luck on their
next certamen which is
February 25th at Thomas
Jefferson School for Science and Technology in
Fairfax.
Sun.
19
26
really proud of them. I can’t believe they only got fifth place.”
Despite the ovations, Wagner
isn’t very sure about her play-
Bald is the new beautiful
The Forensics Team
to regionals:
also enjoyed the play.
“I thought it was very inspirational,” Mac Millan said. “They
did a really good job and I’m
BY KAYLA HARRIS AND
AMANDA RIDELLA
PHOTO PROVIDED BY FACEBOOK
The iconic Barbie doll has
been the definition of beauty to
girls for over fifty years. For
years, girls have compared their
beauty to Barbie’s perfect body
and long golden hair.
Rebecca Sypin and Jane
Bingham, women who either had children dealing with
baldness or were dealing with
it themselves due to chemotherapy, have come up with the
unique idea of “Bald is Beautiful” Barbie dolls. The Bald and
Beautiful Barbie doll would
show that girls who have had
hair loss due to Cancer, Alopecia, and or Trichotillomania are
still beautiful.
Sypin and Bingham created
their Facebook page after hearing about a four year old girl
who had lost her hair after treatment for cancer. The little girl
missed having her “princess
hair” and motivated another
patient’s mother to talk to the
CEO of Mattel about creating
the bald Barbie doll for the little
girl.
They created the Facebook
page petitioning to toy maker
Mattel to create a bald Barbie.
The Barbie would stand for
Bald And Really Beautiful Is
Extraordinary.
“I think it was a good idea in
the sense that girls get to see
that they don’t have to look or
be perfect as long as they stay
true to who they are,” freshman
Shane Ice said.
Sypin and Bingham hope to
redefine beauty with the use of
the Barbie doll. They hope that
the doll will not only serve as
a role model for girls with hair
loss but also a way for family
members to deal with the hair
loss.
“I think is a good idea because it’s more special to girls
with cancer or hair loss. It gives
them a chance to feel a little bit
of normalcy again,” senior Jessi
Pope said.
Sypin and Bingham intend to
name the Barbie “Hope” and
dress her in pink. The women
want a portion of the proceeds
to be donated to St. Jude’s Research Hospital.
The Facebook page already
has over 40,000 likes and is
growing. This bald Barbie
movement has been so overwhelming that a bald GI Joe is
trying to be created for boys suffering with hair loss.
The women contacted Mattel
through formal letters. Mattel
sent a reply saying “he [ Mattel’s CEO ]does not accept requests from outside sources.”
“I can see where Mattel is
coming from but he needs to see
that it’s for a good cause,” Ice
said.
Sypin and Bingham do not
plan on giving up. To get involved visit www.facebook.
com/BeautifulandBald.
writing future.
“The first step would be to get
this play published,” she said. “I
guess I’ll just see how it goes.”
LEARN AND
SERVE PROMOTES
THE JOURNEY FOR
CLEAN WATER
Water affects everything in African communities. It affects their families, health, community, economy, government and education. Everything comes back to water. It’s
the source of life.
•The lack of clean water and sanitation kills more people
every year than all forms of violence combined, including
war.
•Every day 1.1 billion people have to wash with, bathe in,
and drink dirty water…that’s the same as the population of
North America and Europe combined.
•Half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients
suffering from diseases associated with lack of access to safe
drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.
•A child dies of waterborne diseases every 20 seconds.
Another 2,500 will be dead in the next 24 hours.
•Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death among children under five globally. Nearly one in five child deaths (1.5
million each year) is due to diarrhea.
Join Learn and Serve in a walk around Old Town
LETKIEWICZ: Involved teacher is awarded teacher of the year
FROM FRONT PAGE
“My uncle, George Warner,
was a French teacher at a high
school in Kilmarnock, Virginia.
I really looked up to him. The
idea of becoming a teacher had
always bounced around in my
head but he showed me how it
can be a rewarding job that can
be enjoyable at the same time,”
he said. “My uncle passed away
in the fall of 1997 and about
that time is when I decided to
change my major to become a
teacher.”
Letkiewicz was sitting in
lab 348 when the phone rang.
Assistant Principal Scott McClellan called to confirm that
Letkiewicz would be at the
faculty meeting that afternoon,
February 6th, when Teacher of
the Year would be announced.
Letkiewicz said it was then that
in dawned on him that he might
be in the running.
Mon.
Students, parents and faculty
members had all had the opportunity to nominate teachers
for Teacher of the Year. Besides
Letkiewicz the finalists were
health and medical sciences
teacher Susan Baitis, math
teacher Julie Brahler, drama
teacher Lisa Cover-Tucci, math
teacher Craig Giles and English
teacher Dewey Reynolds.
“I had been nominated a few
times before so that wasn’t a
shock,” he said. “I do think
that the other four teachers
who were nominated are better teachers than me. In fact, I
voted for Mr. Giles.”
Letkiewicz’s students have
nothing but praise for him.
“He likes to have fun with the
students and his classes are always entertaining and challenging enough so that I get a lot out
of it without it breaking me or
being too hard,” junior Andrew
Lewis said.
Tues.
Wed.
Fredericksburg to help end the water crisis.
Saturday March 24, 2012
Senior Helen Smith has Letkiewicz for Creative Writing II.
“He keeps class interesting
and funny, so that you don’t
even realize how much you’re
learning. He’s very clever.”
Letkiewicz is unsure if he
plans to continue teaching until
retirement.
“As an English teacher I
would love to be a writer but I
love teaching and the joys of it.
I mean look at this…” Letkiewicz said as he looked around
at his Creative Writing class,
“but if the opportunity to be a
writer ever came up, I think I
would have a hard time turning
it down.”
Letkiewicz loves his job and
expresses himself through it.
“Teachers don’t teach because
we want to. We teach because
we need to. It’s who we are,”
said Letkiewicz.
Thur.
Fri.
Old Mill Park
2401 Caroline St.
Fredericksburg VA
Starting at 9:00 am.
$15 registration fee.
Sat.
11
Feb. 19 - Mar. 24
21
22
23
24
25
No School!
Happy Presidents Day!!
*Forensics Varsity Regional
*2:30 pm Spring Play Auditions @ Tournament @ Stonewall Jackson
*2:30 pm Spring Play Auditions @ *2:30 pm Spring Play Auditions @ Auditorium (Monologue)
(Manassas)
Auditorium (Dancing)
Auditorium (Singing)
*3:00 pm Debate Varsity District
Tournament @Massaponax HS
Sports
Support the Hawks by attending
any of the functions and sporting events. Look at the calendar
for dates and times.
27
28
29
1
2
3
9
10
Spring Musical
Those selected to be in the
Spring production of “Grease”
should attend practices set by
drama teacher Eva Wehrle. See
her for dates and times.
20
*07:30 am-12:45 pm NJROTC event @Gym
*7:00pm Band Concert @
Auditorium
4
Wagner has been accepted
into the Leadership Program at
Christopher Newport University.
5
6*4:00 pm Tennis scrimmage
vs.Freedom (Girls@BP, Boys@
Freedom)
*4:30 pm Boys Varsity Soccer
*4:30 pm Softball scrimmage
scrimmage vs. Forest Park @BP vs.Chancellor (V@BP, JV@
Chancellor)
*5:30 pm Lacrosse vs.Culpeper
@BP
7
8
*4:30pm Baseball scrimmage vs.
Courtland (V@Courtland, JV@BP)
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
*7:00pm-10:00pm Fine Arts
Festival @BP
*5:30pm & 7:00pm Lacrosse vs.
Stafford @BP
*7:00pm Athletic Booster club
meeting @Commons
*4:00pm Tennis vs. Riverbend
(G@BP, B@Riverbend)
*5:30pm & 7:00pm Lacrosse vs.
North Stafford @BP
*4:00 pm Boys Tennis vs. Massaponax @BP
*4:00 pm Parent Conference Night *4:00 pm Girls Tennis vs. Massaponax @Massaponax
*3:00pm-11:00pm Fine Arts
*2:30pm-8:00pm Carnival
Festival set up
*4:00 pm Girls Tennis vs. Or*7:00pm-11:00pm Fine Arts
*6:00 pm-9:00 pm County Driver’s ange@BP
Festival @BP
Ed. Meeting
*4:00 pm Boys Tennis vs. Orange
*7:00pm-8:30pm DARE Basketball
@Orange
Tournament @Gym
*3:30pm Track vs. North Stafford,
Orange County, Stafford @ North
Stafford High School
*3:30 pm Tennis vs. Stafford (G@
BP, B@Stafford)
Learn and Serve
Learn and Serve is hosting a
walk for clean water. Look
above for information.
The Hawkeye ENTERTAINMENT
February 24, 2012
3
Davis takes talent to YouTube
BY HALEY FISHER
SCREENSHOT FROM YOUTUBE
Junior Madison Davis made
her first stop-motion video her
freshman year. She now posts a
new one on Facebook and YouTube every few months.
“I was watching a special on
how the Simpsons series was
produced. I didn’t think it would
be that hard to make a moving
imagine one picture at a time. I
was wrong,” she said.
Davis puts hours of effort into
her videos.
“I work on my videos whenever I have free time. I love to
be on the computer but a person
can only handle so much Facebook and Twitter,” Davis said.
The first few videos only took
about four to ten hours with 459
photos. Since that first video,
Davis has worked to make her
videos more complicated. She
recently completed her sixth
video.
“My last video took me well
over 20 hours to complete and
has exactly 2674 photos. It has
an average frame rate of 4.5
frames per second,” she said.
“[It] has an average of 16 frames
per second. I often go back to
my first video for a good laugh.”
Davis goes through a long
process to create her videos.
“First, I make the soundtrack,
so I know exactly the length
of the video. The hardest
soundtrack was my Hands
video which showed me every
song that said “put your hands
up,” she said, “Next, I just go at
it with the pictures. I only have
iMovie and Photobooth. I try to
use as many random items as I
can.”
Davis’s videos include a
variety of objects.
Among
the more unusual objects are a
snare drum, a jug of sweet tea, a
stuffed unicorn, post cards and a
sock monkey. At one point she
had on 20 shirts at once.
“I also write words on myself
letter by letter in every video.
That’s fun for the final product but sharpie takes forever
to come off of my stomach,”
she said, “although washable
Crayola markers have been very
good to me.”
Davis plans to post more videos in the future.
“I have the sound track for
about four more videos. Picking out which songs and lyrics
I want to utilize is my favorite
part of the process,” she said.
Davis holds up a piece of paper during the song “Good Feeling” in one of her popular YouTube videos.
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” underwhelms
BY CHISTINA HAINES
PHOTO BY AF3TV.INFO
“The Girl with the Dragon
Tattoo” was adapted from Stieg
Larsson’s book of the same title
belonging to the massively popular, “Millennium Trilogy.”
Expectations for “The Girl
with the Dragon Tattoo” were
set high for the fans of the series
but they, along with newcomers
just looking forward to a new
Fincher film, may feel the film
a bit underwhelming.
David Fincher’s two hour and
40 minute adaptation is too long
for the typical viewer’s taste as
the film has a relatively simple
plot.
The plot centers on Mikael
Blomkvist who is hired by a retired, wealthy business tycoon
to un-riddle the mystery behind
the disappearance of his teenage grand-niece 40 years prior.
Blomvkist is accompanied on
his search by the animalistic tattooed bisexual, Lisbeth Salander. The story slowly unravels
into a search for a serial killer
who likes to, well, kill women.
The acting is commendable
with Daniel Craig as Michael
Blomkvist but it’s Rooney
Mara’s electrifying portrayal of
Lisbeth Salander that deserves
the credit.
The technicality aspect of the
film is great. I enjoyed the filmmaking much more than I did
the actual movie. The camera
angles were interesting. The
dark tone of the Stockholm setting was satisfyingly eerie. The
opening of the film is intense
and easily one of the most enjoyable parts of the film as Trent
Reznor’s and Karen O’s cover
of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant
Song” blast through the theater. Reznor’s thrashing score
throughout the film sets an exciting mood but it just plays a
tease to a film which never really takes off.
“The Girl with the Dragon
Tattoo” has the recipe of a typical Fincher film. It’s edgy, has a
great choice of casting, stunning
shots and it’s long, a little too
long. The adaptation remains
faithful to the book. The film
would have been quite compelling had Fincher cut a good half
hour of the film off.
The film is rated R for its
brutality. The easily offended
and weak-stomached probably
shouldn’t plan on watching this
film.
“The Girl with the Dragon
Tattoo” is still showing in Muvico theaters.
Dress it up for date night
BY BRIEANNA BOOKTER
PHOTO BY KATIE BEISWANGER
A cute outfit suits the perfect
date. Whether going to a nice
dinner or taking a stroll in the
park, it’s simple to dress appropriately for the activity but still
wow a date.
Planning to spend some casual time with your special-someone? Be sure to dress cute and
comfortably.
Ladies, wear a flattering pair
of skinny jeans with an embellished tank top. Finish the look
with a cozy hoodie or cardigan
and some comfy Toms.
Men, impress girls over a fitted pair of jeans and a catchy
tee. Throw on some awesome
Nikes and a super cute smile.
For a more formal dinner, pull
out all of the stops and dress
fancy.
Ladies, try a fit and flare dress
that accentuates the body in a
fun, flirty print. Pair the dress
with tights and small-heeled
patent shoes.
Men look striking in straight
leg corduroys and a button
down in a girl’s favorite color.
Finish the look with a favorite
pair of shoes.
Feeling a little lonely? Take
some time to focus on yourself.
An outfit is the perfect way to
express your feelings.
Ladies, try a black bandage
skirt with a red winged sleeve
top and tights. Finish with a pair
of flats and a necklace with a
quirky pendant.
Men, try skinny jeans, Vans
and a favorite graphic tee.
Complete the look with a chill
beanie.
Discover what makes you likeable
BY ASHELY PEARCE
Teenagers often wonder what
makes them likeable.
Take this survey. Answer each
question truthfully. Follow the
line to the next question. Follow
the questions down until you
reach the conclusion revealing
What Makes You Likeable.
START
It’s Friday night. Where can
you be found?
Spending time
Hanging out at
with your family
the mall with
friends
If you had one
million dollars, what would
you do with the money?
Give some of it
Spend it on new
to a charity
clothes
How would your friends describe you?
Fun and
free spirited
Nice and
kindhearted
Your favorite band
is coming. You have an extra
ticket. Who do you take?
Your best
friend
Your
sibling
What is your favorite movie
genre?
Classic Horrors
What do you look forward to
about the summer?
Suspensful Action
You just got a 100% on a big
test. Who do you tell first?
Vacations
Time to relax
Facebook
Your best
friend
How would you describe
your style?
Blends in and
normal
On top of trends
and standing out
You are given a project in
class. What is your first
priority?
Picking your
Thinking of a
partner
strategic draft
You aren’t feeling well about
something. Who do you talk to?
Your
friend
Junior Becca Bryant, sophomore Chandler Cowell, junior Forrest Deal,
junior Katie Beiswanger, sophomore Sydni Olbon and sophomore Josh
Mayen model date outfit ideas.
Your crush had a bad day.
How do you cheer
him/her up?
Tell them a good
Give some
joke
advice to cheer
them up
What is the first thing you do
when you get to school?
Anyone willing
to listen
Find your
friends
Your Loyalty
Your Sense of
Humor
Friends who have problems know that they can
come talk to you. You
always know the right
thing to say and follow
through when you make a
promise.
You have a way of making people laugh no matter
what mood they are in. You
can cheer someone up with
just your presence. With
just a smile, you can change
some ones whole day.
Hit the bathrooms for touch
ups
Your Style
An outfit says a lot about a
person and you know how
to make your clothes speak
about who you are.
Mardi Gras history is unmasked
BY SABRINA SAMMEL
Laissez les bons temps! “Let
the good times roll,” is the official Mardi Gras motto.
Mardi Gras officially began
as a day of festivals and food
before the serious season of
Lent began. It originated in Ancient Rome as a festival called
Lupercalia.
“[Lupercalia] was a Roman
fertility festival. Februa, meaning February, means goatskin
and goatskin was used in the
festival to inspire fertility in
flocks and humans,” Latin
teacher Chryse Davis said.
When the Romans adopted
Christianity, they gave the festival a new meaning. It became
the last day of merriment before the respectful and serious
time that was Lenten season.
The Romans partied between
Epiphany and Ash Wednesday.
The custom quickly spread
throughout Europe during the
Middle Ages. In Great Britain, the day became known as
“Pancake Tuesday” due to the
numerous pancake races and
pancake eating competitions.
France, known for throwing
the wildest of parties, gave the
holiday the name “Mardi Gras”
translated to “Fat Tuesday.”
Freshman Emily Guercio attended a Mardi Gras party in
Stafford.
“[It was] filling. We ate a lot.
It was very fun…there were a
lot of cheap costumes and fattening food,” Guercio said.
Historians believe that Mardi
Gras was brought to America
in 1699 by Sieur D’Iberville,
who was said to have brought
the holiday up the Mississippi
river from the Gulf of Mexico
to what is present day New Orleans, Louisiana.
The celebrations in New Orleans began as schoolchildren
dancing through the streets
wearing strange and colorful
costumes. The people quickly
took to the traditions and between the years 1827-1833,
began making the holiday more
and more elaborate to the point
of several, annual Mardi Gras
balls.
Senior Lexi Whitehouse has
never been to a New Orleans
Mardi Gras although she’d like
to go.
“I really want to go to one.
It’s seems like so much fun because there are brilliant colors,
crazy floats and lots of exciting
people,” she said.
On the other hand, fellow
senior Laine Korn has been to
Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
“Mardi Gras is amazing…one
thing is there are a lot of misconceptions about the parades,”
Korn said. “While there are
family oriented parades, most
night parades have certain areas
of the city that they go through
that are clean and others not.”
The Mardi Gras parade was
introduced in 1857 as a torchlight parade with a theme of
“Paradise Lost.” During those
years word spread over America of the festival. Many other
locales started to celebrate using many ideas from New Orleans. The holiday evolved into
the popular celebration of Mardi Gras known today.
“It’s just a time of joy,” Korn
said.
Mardi Gras season ended Feburary 21st.
Music soothes the
break-up blues
BY CHRISTINA HAINES
February, the month of romance, is home to some of the
happiest and saddest feelings
related to love. For those who
are mending broken hearts and
looking to the future, the following playlists:
1. “Don’t Think Twice it’s Alright” - Bob Dylan
2. “Vegabond”- Wolfmother
3. “Call it Off”- Teagan and
Sara
4. “Everything Will Be Alright”
- The Killers
5. “Wish You Were Here” - Pink
Floyd
6. “When We Meet Again” - Nicole Reynolds
7. “New York I love You, But
you’re Bringing Me down” LCD Soundsystem
8. “Fell in Love With out You
(Acoustic)” - Motion City
Soundtrack
9. “You Don’t Understand Me”
- The Raconteurs
10. “Don’t Forget Me” - Red
Hot Chili Peppers
11. “Don’t Come around Here
No More”- Tom Petty and The
Heartbreakers
12. “Pictures Of You” - The
Cure
13. “How Come You Never Go
there” - Feist
14. “Worn Me Down” - Rachel
Yamagata
15. “Lost Cause” - Beck
16. “I’m Gonna Find Another
You” - John Mayer
17. “Skinny Love”- Bon Iver
18. “You’re Ex- lover is Dead”
- Stars
19. “If You Leave” (OMD Cover) - Nada Surf
20. “Another Little Hole” Aqualung
4 SPORTS
The Hawkeye February 24, 2012
Scoreboards
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Varsity
RHS 11.29 HOME 36 - 45
CDHS 11.20 AWAY 41 - 62
MHS 12.2 AWAY 42 - 48
OCHS 12.06 HOME 69 - 39
CFHS 12.13 AWAY 40 - 85
SHS 12.16 AWAY 56 - 69
NSHS 12.20 HOME 39 - 56
MVHS 01.03 AWAY 41 - 55
AHS 01.06 AWAY 52 - 46
RHS 01.10 AWAY 50 - 49
CHS 1.11 HOME 24 - 73
MHS 01.13 HOME 45 - 52
OCHS 01.17 AWAY 66 - 41
SHS 01.31 HOME 61 - 47
L
L
L
W
L
L
L
L
W
W
L
L
W
W
Junior Varsity
RHS 11.29 HOME 20 - 42 L
CDHS 11.20 AWAY 15 - 29 L
MHS 12.2 AWAY 20 - 36 L
OCHS 12.6 HOME 29 - 46 L
CFHS 12.13 HOME 28 - 32 L
SHS 12.16 HOME 27 - 18 W
NSHS 12.20 AWAY 24 - 32 L
MVHS 1.03 HOME 16 - 40 L
AHS 1.06 HOME 4 - 57 L
RHS 1.10 AWAY 26 - 53 L
MHS 1.13 HOME 20 - 38 L
OCHS 1.17 AWAY 18 - 42 L
CFHS 1.27 AWAY 28 - 27 W
BOYS BASKETBALL
Varsity
Hockey is a sport with a difficult future.
CDHS 11.30 HOME 58 - 59 L
MHS 12.2 HOME 68 - 42 W
OCHS 12.6 AWAY 80 - 77 W
RHS 12.07 AWAY 80 - 77 W
CFHS 12.13 AWAY 66 - 42 W
SHS 12.16 AWAY 80 - 83 L
NSHS 12.20 HOME 0 - 1 FORFEIT
MVHS 1.03 AWAY 53 - 55 L
AHS 1.06 HOME 69 - 58 W
RHS 1.10 HOME 52 - 41 W
MHS 1.13 HOME 62 - 53 W
OCHS 1.17 HOME 65 - 55 W
SHS 1.31 HOME 54 - 50 W
Junior Varsity
CDHS 11.30 HOME 57 - 62
MHS 12.02 HOME 40 - 55
OCHS 12.06 AWAY 44 - 46
RHS 12.07 AWAY 42 - 46
CFHS 12.13 HOME 42 - 34
SHS 12.16 HOME 45 - 26
NSHS 12.20 AWAY 46 - 49
MVHS 1.03 HOME 34 - 25
AHS 1/06 HOME 27 - 60
RHS 1.10 HOME 43 - 54
MHS 1.13 AWAY 43 - 63
OCHS 1.17 HOME 39 - 30
CFHS 1.27 AWAY 40 - 48
SHS 1.31 AWAY 47 - 35
DISTRICT TRACK
L
L
L
L
W
W
L
W
L
L
L
W
L
W
Future in pros is a daunting task
BY LOGAN RITCHIE
PHOTO BY AP IMAGES
Although the number one
spot in the top fifty highest paid
athletes in America is held by
golfer Tiger Woods with an annual salary of $127, 000, 000,
more than half (twenty six) of the
fifty top paid athletes in America
are in the NBA. There are ten
baseball players, seven football
players, three Nascar drivers,
three golfers and one boxer in
that category.
Where are the other major
sports? No matter the talent
level, some athletes have much
higher hopes of a professional
career than others just because
of the sport they play.
In some sports like football
and basketball, a talented college
athlete can move straight to the
highest level of play, the NFL or
the NBA.
In sports like baseball and ice
hockey, talented college athletes
must struggle through years of
minor leagues gathering low pay
and low recognition.
Senior Colby Brainard plans
to play both lacrosse and hockey
in college.
“There is a pro league for
lacrosse but the thing is that it’s
extremely low pay. Even the
very best and most talented players [pros] have second or even
third jobs,” he said.
Brainard believes that hockey
is his best shot at a professional
career.
“In hockey, there are tons of
pro leagues: European leagues,
Canadian leagues and the American Hockey League. Just like
in baseball’s minor leagues, you
have to work your way up to the
NHL,” he said.
Senior Erika Bienline sees herself “playing four years of field
hockey in college” and hopes
to “coach and continue playing
whenever she can after college.”
Bienline “would love to get
onto the US training squad for
the Olympics but out of all the
colleges in America, only twenty
two people can make it on per
BY CALAH JONES
PHOTO BY MATT FLANAGAN
Girl 4x800 Meter Relay:
Brooke Point - 6th
Boys 4x800 Meter Relay:
Brooke Point - 5th
Girls 55 Meter Hurdles:
Bethany West - 2nd
Liz Washington - 7th
Sarina Dadson - 9th
Boys 55 Meter Hurdles:
Rasheed Powers - 2nd
Matt Hottle - 5th
Matt Olimb - 7th
Girls 55 Meter Dash:
Tiana Hughes - 6th
Samia Jones - 12th
Kiah Spradley - 13th
Girls 4x200 Relay:
Brooke Point -2nd
Boys 4x200 Relay:
Brooke Point-2nd
Girls 1600 Meter Run:
Brett Peterson- 14th
Matt Garlington-15th
Bobby Ratway-17th
Boys 1000 Meter Run:
Michael Knaus - 8th
Donovan Baker - 9th
Girls 300 Meter Dash:
Kiah Spradley - 13th
Charly Mcnair - 14th
Boys 300 Meter Dash:
Neil Deabreu - 6th
Jeramey Manuel - 7th
Manual Reyes - 10th
Boys 3200 Meter Run:
Robert Walker - 5th
Brian Quintana - 12th
Girls 4x400 Realy:
Brooke Point - 4th
University in college next year.
“I plan on being the man
around campus and showing how
superior I am to these lames who
call themselves football players.”
Perdue had a ready answer for
a future after college ball.
“The NFL, obviously. Is that
even a question?”
Professional athletic careers
are dependent on the specific
sport an athlete plays but Brainard believes that shouldn’t affect
the choice of sport.
“Play the sport you love to
play no matter where you think
it will take you,” said Brainard.
Spring athletes warm up for season
Boys Shotput:
Joe Cline - 11th
Boys 55 Meter Dash:
Manuel Reyes - 5th
Alec Brodeur - 8th
Clarence Sims - 9th
year.”
A wrestler, sophomore Russell
Ramsey’s athletic goals are “to
place high in the state during
high school and then hopefully
get a scholarship and go on to
wrestle in college,” he said.
After college there aren’t many
venues for a wrestler.
“I guess you could become a
coach, but other than the Olympics, there are no professional
leagues to join and continue
wrestling,” Ramsey said.
Although it takes a combination of skill and hard work to
succeed in all sports, some reap
greater rewards.
Senior Josh Perdue is going
to play football as Salisbury
Spring athletes prepare for track practice.
Students are getting pumped
for spring sport tryouts. Several sophomores have been
conditioning outside of school to
physically prepare themselves to
try out for sports other than the
ones they usually play.
Shelby Karr is preparing for
spring track.
“I prep myself for track by
conditioning in winter track. I
also take dance classes outside
of school and I’m on the school
Varsity Dance team, so that helps
a lot,” Karr said. “I just started
winter track but I’ve been doing
dance ever since I was five years
old. I enjoy track and dance
because they keep me busy and
physically fit. It’s a lot of fun.”
Glenn Duncan has a similar
routine. “I prepare myself for
track by jogging a lot and exercising. This is my first time ever
doing track, but I think it will be
a lot of fun because I’m fast and
I love running.”
Maddy Wroe is trying out for
the school’s softball team.
“I go to conditioning on Tuesdays and batting on Saturdays.
My mom played softball all her
life. It’s just something I grew
up around,” she said. “I have
been playing softball for eight
years and I plan to go to college
and play.”
Laurel Thoreson is interested
in playing tennis and used winter
sports to prepare for her upcoming spring season.
“To help myself prepare for
tennis tryouts, I am doing winter
track for conditioning and soccer
and karate outside of school as
well. I want to try out for tennis
because it’s different and not a
lot of people like it,” she said.
“I’ve been playing tennis with
my dad since the sixth grade. If
I don’t make the team this year,
I want to try out for the girls’
soccer team.”
Administrative Assistant to
the Athletic Director and girl’s
tennis coach Karen Miller is
looking forward to tennis tryouts. She is expecting “the girls
to come physically fit and to be
committed for the entire season.
This includes coming on time
and ready for all practices and
matches.”
Females strive to succeed in male dominated culture
BY MEGHAN BERMINGHAM
According dictionary.com
sexism is the “discrimination or
devaluation of a person solely
based on that person's sex.”
Sexism is exhibited most widely in athletics. Women do not
receive the same kind of financial
and psychological support males
receive in professional sports.
The opportunities for men when
it comes to sports are broader
and more significant than those
offered to women.
Talented Brooke Point basketball player junior Cees Carter
feels it is easier for males to
get more opportunities because
“males get more exposure and
are usually looked at more by
scouts.”
Carter’s sister, sophomore
Tykera Carter is also a star basketball player at Brooke Point.
“I feel that my future is just
as bright as my brother’s. I plan
to make it big and play college
ball. Hopefully I will continue
to be successful in the sport after
college,” she said.
Cees agreed. “My future is no
brighter than my sister’s,” he
said. “We both work hard and
are dedicated to the sport. We’ll
both make it.”
Even though males may receive better opportunities due to
the hype that circulates around
males sports, females can be just
as successful. Hard work and
dedication can take any person
far regardless of gender.
The differences in salaries of
female and male pro athletes and
the amount of exposure widely
contrast. According to Financial Edge by Investopedia.com
the average salary of a female
professional basketball player is
between $46,000 - 60,000 while
her male counterpart averages
$3 million.
There is more emphasis on
male athletics because male
sports are viewed more widely
by the public.
Ty Carter is optimistic
about the publics reception of
women’s athletics.
“Women work just as hard as
men, if not harder,” Ty Carter
said. “If the ratings for women’s athletics do go up then
the work ethic of women will
show that anything men can do,
women can do just as well, and
we, as women in sports, will
persevere until we get as much
recognition as men do.”
Did you know?
Not only must you pass the required number of classes
to be eligible to play sports or participate in VHSL activities at Brooke Point, you must also have taken and be
taking the required number of CREDITS. Stop by the
Activities Office if you have any questions.
The Hawkeye SPORTS
February 24, 2012
Raczynski lives on the dance floor
BY SAVANNAH MEDINA
PHOTO PROVIDED BY RACZYNSKI
Raczynski performs lyrical genre at a competition.
Sophomore Kimber Raczynski has been dancing for 13 years.
This year she will perform at the
Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics in London with
Studio Bleu of Washington,
D.C. The studio is ranked nationally 3rd best overall.
“We were all really excited
when we found out that we
were the only studio performing at the opening games at the
Olympics,” Raczynski said. “It
is very rewarding because of
all the hard work we’ve put in
since we were all young. So it’s
finally paid off.”
Raczynski’s mother enrolled
her in ballet when she was only
three but never thought her
daughter would keep dancing.
Her mother was wrong. Raczynski absolutely loves it.
“I’m really good at ballet
which is the first style I did,”
she said.
Raczynski travels to Washington every Wednesday after
dance team practice for rehearsals at Studio Bleu. She does not
return to Stafford until close to
midnight. She also attends rehearsals in D.C. on Saturdays.
In addition to studying at Studio Bleu, Raczynski attends the
Avery Ballet in Fredericksburg.
Since Avery Ballet is not a competing studio, she dances in the
senior ballet class strictly for
technique.
Raczynski is able to balance her dedication to the art
of dance with her school work.
She maintains a 4.1 GPA. She
is happy to have such a great
group of friends and be able to
perform with them for the entire
school.
On varsity dance team since
her freshman year, Raczynski is
a lieutenant captain.
“I’m the youngest officer so
I don’t have as many responsibilities but I get to learn which
teaching methods work best for
when I have more responsibilities junior and senior year,” she
said.
“She’s [Kimber Raczynski] a really hard worker and a
role model for the team. I love
dancing with one of my good
friends,” senior dance team
member Lauren Otto said.
Raczynski enjoys all forms of
dancing but she does have a favorite genre.
“Lyrical because it’s a more
modern style dance. It has a lot
of leaps, kicks and turns which
makes it fun to watch and to
perform for others,” Raczynski
said.
She plans to head to New
York after she graduates to audition for a company.
“In five years, I see myself
living in New York, going to
college as a dance major. I’m
going to apply to all colleges,
the big ones, to see the best one
I can get into,” she said. “I want
to choreograph after I finish
performing in a company like
the Rockettes or the contemporary companies such as MarInspired.”
Hacky sack club juggles for position
BY BOB EDELMAN
PHOTO BY NICOLE CALIRI
A game once thought to have
gone the way of tag and hopscotch is now set to make a
comeback. Hacky-sack has enjoyed a recent surge in popularity around the halls of Brooke
Point. This new trend has
largely been accredited to seniors Corey Waters and Felipe
Alvaes.
Waters and Alvaes, the driving forces behind the call for
creation of a hacky sack club in
the building, have been playing
for some time.
“We started bringing them to
school two years ago,” Waters
said referring to himself and
a group of fellow hacky sack
players. “Recently we’ve been
playing at lunch.”
Waters speculated that this
exposure during lunch is what
interested some. He also noted
the appeal in the diversity in
members stating that “everyone
can join. It’s not just a certain
types of people.”
“We’ve definitely attracted
more people by playing at
lunch,” Alvaes said.
Whatever the reason, interest
in hacky sack has indeed been
growing in Brooke Point.
“I do a little hacky sacking
myself,” senior Bryan Hodge
said. “I’m not a member [of
the club] per say but I do enjoy
kicking balls around.”
The potential club has garnered support from lunch time
hacky sack players.
“Of course [I’ll join the club
when it’s created],” senior Trevor Stoneman said. “I started this
year and have progressed pretty
well. I’m hacky sacking while
I’m talking to you so that says
something.”
According to Waters, around
thirty five students have indicated their interest in the creation
of such a club. English teacher
Corey Fitzgerald is the prospec-
tive sponsor of the yet to be created hacky sack club.
“We just need Mr. Fitz to turn
in a paper and the club will be
official,” Alvaes said.
The club, if created is slated
to meet at 2:15 to 2:55 after
school. Members of the club
can expect to practice their
skills and play in hacky sack
circles among other activities.
“We have a game we’ve made
kind of similar to Carolina football,” Waters said.
Even though the club has not
been officially created, hacky
sack has already established a
dedicated following in school.
“I do it every day. I pretty
much just skate and hacky
sack,” Stoneman said.
The trend has noticeably
spread from the original core
group of hacky sack players.
“I see people carrying hacky
sacks everywhere,” Alvaes said.
Tariq Felder hangs off a rim.
4x400 Meter Relay:
Brooke Point - 6th
WRESTLING
Patrick Henry - Away - W - 56 - 9
Stone Bridge - Away - W - 37 - 36
Cosby - Away - W - 44 - 34
Brentsville Invitational Brooke Point - 5th
District Duals Stafford - L
Albemarle - W
Massaponax - W
Culpepper Invitaional Brooke Point - 4th
Battle At the Bridge Brooke Point - 2nd
District Dual Mountain View - 35 - 34 - W
North Stafford - 41 - 21 - W
District Dual Riverbend - W
Colonial Forge - L
Orange - L
Eastern View Brooke Point - 6th
Mountaneer Classic Brooke Point - 2nd
Districts Logan Ritchie - 4th
Russell Ramsey - 4th
Billy Ramsey - 2nd
Shawn Scudder - 2nd
Dorian Bryant - 4th
Regionals Billy Ramsey - 3rd
Russell Ramsey - 6th
GYMNASTICS
Stafford Meet Brooke Point - 4th place
BPHS Meet Brooke Point -3rd place
North Stafford MeetBrooke Point - 3rd place
Winterfest Invitational Brooke Point - 1st place
SWIMMING
12 - 13 - 2011
Girls Riverbend - 200
Brooke Point - 80
Sophomore Tariq Felder
Sophomore Tariq Felder,
power forward for the Brooke
Point High School basketball
team, has become a stand out
star on the court the past two
years. “T.T.” started playing
basketball at age four. His inspiration came from his father’s
success in the sport.
“I started to truly enjoy the
sport around age thirteen. I feel
that my determination came
from my dad being a basketball
superstar growing up. His success fueled my desire to be better than him,” Felder said.
Mookie Felder was named a
high school All-American and
was listed in the top 100 high
school basketball players in the
nation.
Continued from page 4
Mountain View Meet Brooke Point - 2nd place
Athlete of the Month
BY MEGHAN BERMINGHAM
AND BRITTANY DECATUER
PHOTO BY MEGHAN BERMINGHAM
Scoreboards
Wild Cat Invitational Brooke Point - 1st place
Seniors Casey Horstkamp and Joe Gurcio play
hakey sack during lunch.
Felder made varsity his freshman year at Brooke Point. A
sophomore, he started at forward averaging 10.2 of points
per game, 4.6 assists and 7.3
rebounds.
Felder dunked for his first
time in a regular season game
against Colonial Forge.
“As I was driving in to dunk
all I could think about was
even when if I missed everyone
would be so excited that I tried,”
Felder recalled.
After Felder’s successful attempt, the crowd and team went
wild.
“It gave me the confidence
that we were going to destroy
the other team,” Felder said.
Even though Felder has the
ability to score from anywhere
on the court, he prefers distributing the ball to his teammates.
“When it comes to scoring or
assisting I have to say I like as-
sisting more,” he said. “It is so
much fun because everyone on
the team gives you high fives
and you and the person you
helped score have a mutual
bond the rest of the game.”
Felder enjoys the bond he
shares with his teammates.
“We all look out for each other and come together as a family out on the court,” he said.
“The bond we share as a team
really helps us to defeat our opponents.”
Felder’s future plans include
going to a Division I college for
basketball and attending three
years. He then plans to go overseas to play until he is 29 before coming back to the U.S. to
coach college basketball.
Felder’s motto is “Ball is
life,” one he plans to continue
to live by for the rest of his life.
Yearbook News
Don’t forget to order a copy of
“The Spectator” before April 2nd.
The cost is $65.
5
Boys Riverbend - 220
Brooke Point - 55
12 - 2 - 2011
Boys Colonial Forge - 196
Brooke Point - 76
Girls Colonial Forge - 193
Brooke Point - 92
6 FEATURE
The Hawkeye February 24, 2012
Hawk in the Nest: Junior Vinuth Kumar
BY NICOLE CALIRI
PHOTO BY NICOLE CALIRI
Vinuth Kumar came to Virginia in August 2011.
In August, Vinuth Kumar
hopped onto an airplane armed
with two suitcases and began
his 8.5 thousand mile journey
from India to Virginia. Once
here, he enrolled as a junior at
Brooke Point.
Kumar’s reason for coming
to America was to get a better
education.
“In India, there are roughly 70
kids per class and that makes it
hard to get one on one time with
the teacher, “he said. “Here in
America, classes are smaller
and I feel that gives students a
better education.”
Kumar lives with his aunt and
uncle. His parents still live in
India.
“I am very grateful for my
aunt and uncle. They took me
in and gave me a great education, food, shelter. They teach
me important life lessons and
show me the difference between
what is good and what is bad,”
he said.
Kumar attended boarding
school in India where he had
classes every day of the week.
Students in India go to boarding
schools to get a better education
versus the public school education.
“The education here is more
practical. In India, they mug up
the education because we don’t
ever apply it anywhere. Here,
I can apply a lot of the stuff I
learn especially from Physics
and Chemistry,” he said.
Even though Kumar came to
America for a better education,
he admits that students in India
are more self-driven.
“India’s education is better
because people in India give
more importance to education.
The colleges in India are more
competitive to get into because
there are so many people that
live in India. There are roughly
1.25 billion people living in India, but it is three times smaller
than America.”
Kumar has always excelled
in academics. He scored an A1
on India’s national exam called
CBSE, among the top 1/8th
percent of students who take
the exam. It’s the highest score
achievable.
“The CBSE is pretty much
a large test on all the subjects:
English, Social Studies, Math,
and Science. It’s not just one
branch of each subject such as
Algebra or Geometry or Biology. It’s every branch in one
exam,” he said.
Outside of studying, Kumar enjoys playing cricket and
hanging out with his friends.
“Since I moved here and there
is no cricket, I had to find
something else to do. I bought
an Xbox because I heard a lot
of kids talking about it and it
sounded like fun,” he said. “I
also bought Halo 2. I play it for
fun when I get bored.”
He also enjoys spending his
free time reading books at the
library. “I love the public libraries here. I go to them every day
for at least an hour,” he said.
“There is so much to read and to
learn and I love it.”
Fluent in his native language
Telugu, Kumar learned English in kindergarten as well.
“Americans use too much accent while speaking,” he said.
Because he is fluent in English, he can engage in American
television. His favorite shows
are “Dancing with the Stars”
and “Jeopardy.”
Although he finds American
television entertaining, Kumar
is not fond of American music.
“I don’t like the rap and screamo music. It’s really hard to understand what they are saying,”
he said. “I much prefer Indian
music.”
Although Kumar is enjoying
his time in America he admits
that he misses his parents.
“I talk and video chat with
them every day. It is sad that I
don’t live with them but I love
my aunt and uncle and they are
as close to me as my parents,”
he said.
Kumar plans to graduate and
to attend the University of Virginia.
He said, “I don’t know what
I want to study or be when I’m
older. I think I want to be a doctor,” he said.
Kumar currently owns a
green card and is working on
full American citizenship.
“I think America is a superior country and as an American
citizen I can do so much and
achieve so much. We are given
numerous amounts of opportunities,” he said.
Payne: Principal Wendy Payne leads by example in her fight against lung cancer
FROM FRONT PAGE
Payne is not the first one
in her family to be diagnosed
with cancer. “My father passed
away with pancreatic cancer
one year before I was diagnosed
with lung cancer and that really
made it hard on my family to go
through my diagnosis.”
Outside her family, Payne
struggled to tell friends and
peers. “I just recently told my
friends from high school about
my cancer.”
Not only did Payne struggle
to tell her old friends but she
admits that the hardest part in
the whole process was figuring
out how to tell the students at
Brooke Point.
“How was I supposed to tell
all my students that I had cancer? I remember coming back to
the school the first time after I
had shaved my head and I could
hear kids talking about my head
being bald. They were saying
things like, ‘Is that Mrs. Payne?
Does she have cancer?’ Some of
the students knew I had cancer
because their parents knew, but
most did not. I couldn’t think of
a way to tell you guys I had cancer. I didn’t want the sympathy
because I am okay.”
Payne’s goal as a principal
is to lead by example. “I want
to show kids who have family
members who have cancer that
someone with cancer can live
a normal life. Going into the
beginning of the year meeting
with each of the classes, I had
no plan on how or what to tell
you guys about my cancer. I just
went up there and said whatever came out. I tried to make
a joke when I felt it was needed.
I didn’t want to seem standoffish,” she said.
Payne believes in being open
and honest with her students.
“I don’t care if people ask me
to talk about it. I will. So many
kids in our school have family
with cancer. A lot of kids talked
to me about it and I think that it
was good that they could.”
In previous years, Payne
could be found walking the halls
and socializing with the students. “Sadly due to my cancer,
I am not as visible in the halls
as I used to be because I really
need to stay on top of my white
blood cell count. The halls and
students carry a lot of germs. I
sanitize my hands as much as
possible to prevent myself from
catching any sicknesses. Catching an infection is the biggest issue for me right now,” she said.
Payne’s liver has recently
been cleared of cancer. “I was
pretty happy when I found out.
I asked my doctor if that means
I no longer have stage four cancer, he replied with ‘no, you
can never decrease the stages of
your cancer’. But I like to think
I have stage three. It sounds a
lot better, and in my heart I feel
it can go down.”
Principal Wendy Payne models one of her classic baseball caps.
“She cares about her students and she shows interest in the school and
“I admire her for coming here every day even though half the time
always wants to better us.” - Junior Caitlin MacMillen
she doesn’t feel very well.” - Senior Mandy Lloyd
“I love Mrs. Payne’s spunki- “I think it’s good for Mrs. Payne to
ness and positive attitude.” take this time off so she can come
back even happier and healthier
“Mrs. Payne does a lot to help the school. Cancer
- Senior Bridget McGlade
than she was before.”
really hits all the good people. It’s horrible that she “She seems like a strong woman without being in your face
“Mrs. Payne is the greatest principal ever. She’s the only
- Sophomore Nick del Toro
has to suffer.” - Sophomore Caroline Whitehouse about it. Shes not overbearing to all the students 24/7 and
one I haven’t hated.” -Sophomore Christian Roman
she seems really nice.” - Junior Courtland Thompson
“Mrs. Payne stayed
“Mrs. Payne is a very
longer than anyone
nice lady. We all love
else would have. It’s
her. She does a lot for
good she stayed for
the school and she
“Interviewing her for the yearbook story “I think that Mrs. Payne taking a
“It’s not Mrs. Payne’s fault that she’s absent. I “Mrs. Payne is a good
her students.” - Lindsay
cares for the band
leave is a good thing. She really
about her getting cancer brought us all
Gunning
think that we should start a fundraiser to help leader. She is great at getprogram.” - Junior
needs her rest. What she’s going
to tears. We were so moved by everyher
cancer.
All
the
kids
can
help
pitch
in
to
“I really love Mrs.Payne
Kaija Lidd
ting involved.”
through is not something that the
thing shes been through. She still has
help her. Kids can donate some big bucks.” - Sophomore Brooke Tracy because of how she has
“I think that Mrs.
positive spirit and words of wisdom and average person has to endure.
pushed through for her
- Freshman Austin Sharrett
Payne is a wise prinGetting rest is what she really
advice and it really made me respect
school and hasn’t let anycipal and she needs
needs, especially with her treather. More then almost anyone I know.”
“She’s really nice and she shouldn’t have to go through that. I love
this time to get better.”
thing get to her.” -Senior
ments.” - Senior Colleen Bozzell
- Senior Meghan Foley
- Ryan Flippo
Mrs. Payne. Nobody deserves cancer.” - Callie Johnson
Brittany Shaw
What do students love about Mrs. Payne?
Alumni explain their decisions to attend HBCUs
BY CALAH JONES
Historical Black Colleges and
Universities, also known as HBCUs, are institutions of higher
education in the United States
that were established before
1964 with the intention of serving the black community.
Three BP teachers are graduates of Virginia State University.
“Historical Black Colleges are
just like any other University,”
Art II teacher Randall James
said. “VSU was predominately
a school of ‘color’ for a while
but it crossed out with different
ethnicities.”
James “never considered it an
all-black University, anyways.
However, I do think you get a
cross of different nationalities
of people. It’s not just one race,”
he said.
CTE Teacher June Prim doesn’t
believe that because a school is
an HBCU that it makes a difference in the type of education
students get.
“Education itself is important,” she said. “I did not belong
to any fraternities or sororities
or any clubs like that. I went to
school to finish my education.
VSU had the courses I wanted
to take, the curricular I needed
and it was close to home,” Prim
said.
Business teacher Patricia Roberts went to VSU for a different
reason. “When I went to college, it was much different than
it is now. Black women didn’t
have the options they have today,” she said.
Roberts’ three children could
apply anywhere and had a better
chance of getting into any college than she did in 1967.
“They didn’t choose an
HBCU,” she said.
People assume that just because a school is a Historical
Black College, only African
Americans are allowed to attend. That is not the case. Anyone of any race can be accepted
into a Historical Black College.
There are 105 historically
black colleges and universities
in the United States today, including public and private, twoyear and four-year institutions,
medical schools and community
colleges.
Five Historically Black Colleges and Universities are located in the state of Virginia. They
include Hampton University,
Norfolk State University, Saint
Paul’s College, Virginia State
and Virginia Union University.
“I do not think it matters where
you go to get your education as
long as you do what you have to
do and get what you went for,
your education,” Roberts said.
February 24, 2011
Question
of the
Month
What do you think
of Brooke Point’s
enforcement of the
PDA policy?
Senior Anna Sammel
“Well, I think the policy is a little
too strict. I don’t mind couples
showing affection as long as it’s
not too inappropriate. ”
Junior Keelen Mann
“I’m kinda neutral on it. I’m not
for or against it. I do say the love
is pretty high.”
Sophomore CJ Cox
“I think it‘s wrong that teachers are supposed to enforce a
no kissing rule, but I think it’s
justified not to allow students to
slobber all over each other.”
Freshman Haylie Poth
“I think it’s good that they enforce
it, but they don’t at the same time,
because that stuff happens all the
time. Personally, I don’t like it.
The Question of the Month is a monthly survey taken by the Hawkeye Staff among the
Student Body of Brooke Point High School.
The Hawkeye
Brooke Point High School
1700 Courthouse Rd.
Stafford, VA 22554
Editor-in-Chief
Bob Edelman
Nicole Caliri
News Editor
Cymber Martin
Entertainment Editor
Kaitlyn Beiswanger
Sports Editor
Connor Amano
Assistant Sports
Editor
Riley Harrigan
Feature Editor
Logan Ritchie
Opinion Editor
Matthew Flanagan
Student Life Editor
Amanda Ridella
Copy Editor
Cymber Martin
Photographers
Nicole Caliri
Amanda Ridella
Staff Writers
Megan Bermingham
Brittany Decatur
Jack Kolb
Kennedy Veasley
Business Manager
Kennedy Veasley
Adviser
Mary Catherine Hornung
The Hawkeye is a cross-section of the news
and opinions of the student body of Brooke
Point High School. It is a forum of student
expression published seven times a year
by The Free Press in Edinburg, Virginia
Editorials represent the views of
the writers and are not necessarily the
opinions of Brooke Point High School, its
administration, or staff. Unsigned editorials
represent the majority of the Editorial Board.
The Hawkeye OPINION
7
New late work plan turned in late
BY BOB EDELMAN
PHOTO BY MATT FLANAGAN
A new, unnecessary layer has
been added to Brooke Point’s
already overly bureaucratic system of programs and policies.
The absent work and late work
plan which now applies to all
Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Dual
Enrollment courses is misguided and was implemented with
what appears to be little regard
to appropriate timing.
My initial question in regards
to this “plan” is why the administration will not admit that
it is in fact a policy. Teachers
have been sure to stress the fact
that this is indeed a plan not a
policy. These teachers received
an email specifically directing them not to refer to this as
a policy, but instead a plan. It
raises the question as to whether
official policy must be approved
by the Stafford County School
Board and if this misnomer is a
way around that.
Another criticism is directed
specifically at the memo given
to all AP, IB and DE students
that outlines the new plan. Sitting at the top of each memo
are the official logos of IB, Germanna Community College and
College Board (the AP governing agency). The use of these
logos is misleading. The new
plan is not officially attached
to any of these entities. This is
not official AP, IB or DE policy.
This plan was created within
this building.
One of the bigger issues with
the plan is written in a box in the
bottom right corner of the memo
announcing the plan. It notes
that “Absences and/or late work
due to illness will be handled
on a case-by-case basis.” Upon
further questioning, teachers explained that Assistant Principal
Rita Cavataio would decide if a
student was truly sick or not.
How does the administration
plan on carrying this out? By
visual inspection? If this is the
case, what medical authority
has been vested in Mrs. Cavataio to allow her to do so?
Teachers also mentioned the
need for a doctor’s note to prove
sickness. Does this mean that I
have to go to the doctor to get
a note saying I have a common
cold? This insults a parent’s
good judgment. It is also impractical. I cannot simply arrive
at a doctor’s office and demand
a note justifying a one day illness.
The confusion doesn’t stop
there. According to the memo,
“Missed tests must be made up
within two calendar days.” As
the memo currently stands, students who miss a test on a Friday would have to make up that
test by the following Sunday.
No updated memo has since
been issued.
This plan is also redundant.
Every AP, IB and DE class already had a late work policy. In
fact all teachers are required to
include one in their syllabus.
Why take away that control
from teachers?
This new plan actually has
created a more lenient policy
than last semester in my AP
English 12 class and served to
raise my grade on a piece of
work turned in late. How does
this fit in line with “helping
[me] develop a strong work
ethic, personal responsibility and acceptance of consequences?” The administration
ripping away more control and
undermining a teacher’s already
established late work policy involves no respect for a teacher’s
sovereignty over his class.
The biggest problem with
this plan is numbers. No raw
data was collected before the
implementation of this plan. No
studies were done on late work
occurrence rates, no surveys
were taken. Nothing quantitative was gathered that will allow
for reflection on whether or not
this plan affects anything in a
positive manner.
What is the purpose of putting in place a new late work
and absent work system if the
administration didn’t even do
the prep work to find out if it
will be effective?
I am four months away from
graduation. Was the issue of
late work so pressing that the
administration felt the need to
throw a new policy at me as I’m
walking out the door?
At the beginning of the year
both my parents and I signed
syllabi for my two AP classes
acknowledging among other
things that we understood
the late work policy for those
ers based on the color of their
skin. There is so much to the
interior of a person that many
people never discover due to
someone’s outer appearance.
The past is the past and there
is no way people can live in
peace and grow together if we
keep living in it. If we continue
to teach our children with hate
from the past, we will face mass
self-destruction. Racism is an
infectious form of hatred that
continues to live on because it
is being passed down through
generations.
Gregory Mendel, the father of
genetics, believed that if a black
and white person reproduced
the dominant genes from both
races would go into their offspring, creating a superior person. If we take this a step further
and apply it to humans, we can
deduce that the more diverse the
gene pool the better the chance
classes. Changing these policies
mid-year effectively renders
portions of the syllabi invalid.
The administration should
have assumed the responsibility of informing parents of this
change. As this paper goes to
press, parents have neither been
consulted nor have they signed
off on this new policy acknowledging its effect in classrooms.
They have been unfairly left out
of the loop.
It would be easy from an
administrator’s stand point to
write this entire editorial off as a
student griping about having to
now turn work in on time. This
is not the case.
My dissatisfaction does not
stem from a desire to do work
late but rather at a policy that is
redundant, was introduced hastily without research, takes control away from individual teachers in their classes, left parents
uninformed and ultimately raises more questions than solves
problems.
This plan was developed to
“reduce student stress.” If the
administration actually believes
this and it is not simply PR spin
to justify the plan, they are mistaken.
of producing a genetically superior being.
Interracial reproduction creates a stronger human race that
will continue to grow in vigor if
the mixing of races continues.
Interracial reproduction does
nothing but benefit society and
future generations.
No one should suffer or be
punished because of who they
choose to love. If we continue
to let our elders live in the past
and pass down their views of
hatred and ignorance upon our
children, the disease of racism
will never be cured.
It may be legal to date any
race, but the cruel, harsh discrimination a person faces when
making the decision to mix races is unacceptable. Race should
never be a factor in a relationship. A person’s character no
matter the color of the skin
should speak for itself.
Interracial dating continues to be taboo among society
BY MEGHAN BERMINGHAM
When it comes to dating,
many feel that races should not
intermingle. Children are still
being taught that “you stick with
your own race.” This is one of
the most ignorant ways a child
can be raised. Those raised with
hate become hateful people.
Nothing good comes from
racial discrimination. Only illinformed individuals judge oth-
Black History Month: Should it continue?
PRO
BY JACK KOLB
Black History Month is a way
to remember black American
culture and history. It would be
pointless to eliminate this celebration of our diversity.
The inception of Black History Month was through the
sweat, blood and tears of millions and dissolving it would be
ludicrous.
“Negro History Week” was
instituted by Carter G. Woodson
in 1926 but was extended to a
full month in 1976.
Its purpose was to inform
people about the history and advancements of black Americans
at a time when white historians
wouldn’t take the subject seriously.
The observance of Black History Month today now serves
that purpose and more. It allows Americans to never forget
the harsh years of battling for
racial equality.
We are a people from different cultures and ethnicities.
Once referred to as a “Melting
Pot,” America is rich in many
cultures.
Today America is more commonly referred to as a “salad
bowl,” highlighting the idea that
Americans no longer “melt”
together to form society but
instead keep close ties to their
cultural background while remaining American.
It is important that we know
different cultures and celebrate
our differences. Turning a blind
eye to racial differences creates
more ignorance.
Why get rid of the chance to
celebrate one of the many great
cultures of America when it
is important we remember all
American history?
Getting rid of Black History
Month would be a slap in the
face of those who fought hard
to preserve the history of black
Americans. Equality wasn’t always the luxury we have today.
People fought and died to
attain the “unalienable rights”
guaranteed to all by the Declaration of Independence.
The fight for racial equality
in the United States was a dark
time indeed, but now that we
have overcome it, we shouldn’t
try to bury the past but remember and learn from it.
History provides us the opportunity to learn from the past,
especially from the mistakes
those who came before us made.
Some people argue that we
are over racial equality and that
“Black History Month” is useless but there are still people
fighting for equal rights today. If we don’t learn from the
past that people shouldn’t be
oppressed based on race, religion, culture background and
sexual orientation then we can
easily slip back into an era of
discrimination and hate.
CON
BY CONNOR AMANO
The twenty-eight days a year
devoted to African-American
history has served its purpose.
School systems nationwide now
recognize African-Americans in
textbooks and in general education. The exclusivity given to
Black history must end.
Black History Week was established in 1926 to make sure
African Americans were recognized for their achievements in
American History. This week
became Black History Month.
The significant achievements
of African-Americans should
not be confined to twenty-eight
days out of 365. Instead of allowing black history to be integrated into American history,
this month away from “regular”
history makes it seem as if African-Americans and their historical achievements are separate
from American Culture.
Black History Month integrated black history into American society. It has garnered attention for black figureheads in
American history. This was the
original intention when Black
History Month was started. We
now understand the message
that has been delivered for some
eighty-six years.
Black History Month serves
as a reminder of the conflictive
past between whites and blacks
from the early 1600s. It no longer allows blacks to integrate
their history into American his-
tory but separates the two, causing each to take on its own entity. The two must become one
history.
American school systems
teach about African American
figureheads and contributions
to America outside of the month
of February. American television programs air daily show
casing the contributions African-Americans have had and
continue to have in American
society.
Is it necessary to put aside
one month of the year to make
sure that Black History is recognized? No. Black history is almost completely amalgamated
with American history. The only
factor from stopping it is Black
History Month.
Eighty-six years ago America
changed. Black History Week
evolved into Black History
month allowing for the recognition of African-American
achievement. Eighty-six years
later we are at a cross roads. Do
we allow the month that we began to honor black history act
as a cancer to the equality for
which we all strive? Or do we
discontinue away “Black” history month and allow “American” history to become the lesson taught?
It is time for a change and
the answer is clear. Teach history by the nation in which we
reside, not by the color of the
skin of its citizens.
Letters to
the Editor
Care to share
your opinion
with the Hawkeye staff?
Send a letter
to room 216
or email TheHawkeyeEditors@gmail.
com. Please
be sure to
include your
name and
grade. Letters without
names cannot
be published
in the paper.
Thank you.
- The Hawkeye
Staff
Romeo and Juliet set a bad example for love
BY KALEIGH SAVAGESMITH
PHOTO BY GOOGLE
“The Tragedy of Romeo and
Juliet” is often glamourized as
the perfect love story. Romeo
and Juliet to me is a mockery of
love and suicide.
Romeo instantly falls in love
with Juliet when he sees her at a
party. He kisses her before they
even know each other’s names.
Then he follows her home
where they exchange their vows
of love.
In less than 24 hours, noon
of the next day, they marry. Romeo’s love is based on “love
at first sight.” What is love at
first sight? Being immediately
attracted to someone’s looks
without knowing their personality? Perhaps it’s just lust.
But wait. Romeo was already
in love with Rosalie. Right be-
fore the party he was down in
the dumps about not being with
her. He completely forgot about
Rosalie when he set eyes on Juliet.
What does that say about
Romeo and who says it won’t
happen to Juliet? For every fish
there’s a bigger fish. For every
good-looking woman there is
a better looking one. Does Romeo even know what love is?
It sounds a little like Romeo is
mistaking every girl he likes for
the girl he’s madly in love with.
Look around. Teenagers mistake love for like all the time
and a week later they break up
over petty stuff.
Juliet is thirteen almost fourteen when she and Romeo fall
madly in love. That’s the average age of an eighth grader.
Middle school relationships
usually last what, a few days?
People in this age group sel-
dom understand love and even
more are seldom mature enough
to handle it. You have to know
what love isn’t to know what
love is or you can mistake small
feelings for large ones. Chances
are that in 1500s, Juliet hadn’t
had much freedom to try out the
dating game.
“The Tragedy of Romeo and
Juliet” happens over three days.
Romeo and Juliet aren’t even
together for that whole time.
One overnight stay and a few
hours is all they had before they
took their own lives.
Is three days with a stranger
worth killing yourself? Barely
knowing each other, barely
adults, barely enough reason to
do such a serious thing?
It takes a lot longer than a few
hours to decide if you want to
be someone’s friend, much less
decide if you love them and
want to spend the rest of your
life with them. You can put on
a show for someone and be their
“Mr. Perfect” for a few hours.
Only after time do true colors
come out and annoying habits
surface.
I’m pretty sure Romeo and
Juliet could have lived without
each other. “The Tragedy of
Romeo and Juliet” presents suicide as the only answer for this
short lived romance. Suicide is
never the best or only answer.
Was Shakespeare trying to
make a mockery of teenage lovers?
8 STUDENT LIFE
The Hawkeye Senoiritis infects seniors
BY LOGAN RITCHIE
PHOTO BY NICOLE CALIRI
The first semester just ended.
For many members of the class
of 2012, this also means the
end of their already declining
and decaying work ethic; i.e., .
senioritis or “the slacking disease.”
Senioritis consists of laziness,
not coming to class prepared, an
inability to show up to school
on time or at all, an inability to
do homework on time or at all,
falling asleep in class, and an
overwhelming feeling of apathy
towards grades and high school
in general.
For many
se-
niors, each successive day
of school makes it harder
and harder to overcome
these symptoms. Now
that seniors are receiving acceptance
letters from college,
many
wonder why
they should
continue
to devote
themselves
to high
school.
“I’ve
b e e n
h e r e
t o o
long. I
need
t
o
get-
out,”
s e n i o r
Mitchell
Connolly said. Senior Billy
Ramsey is sick of high
school as well.
“School’s for fools,”
he said.
Seniors think
that
been going downhill,” he said.
Most seniors think that slacking off second semester
is harmless, but it’s
not. Many a
high school
graduate
h a s
college admission’s boards don’t look at
seond semeter grades, or that
they just don’t care about them
as much as all the other semesters they’ve worked so hard
through, but second semester
grades are taken into account.
“Being in school after second
semester is the hardest thing in
the world. I graduate in four
months and I have all my credits. “Why am I here,” senior
Erika Bienlien said. “It’s so
bad [that] I changed my whole
schedule, just so I don’t have
a fourth block. Graduation,
please come soon.”
Mikey Meyers agrees with
Bielien.
“It’s really hard to do work
now, one, because I’m a senior
and it doesn’t matter and two,
because this school is and has
been
shocked
and disappointed
when acceptance into the
college of choice
was “rescinded” or
taken away after letting
GPA’s slip in the final semester of high school.
How can senioritis be
stopped? Is there a vaccine? Is
there a pill? No. The only cure
is graduation.
There are some things seniors
can do to try to slow it down.
One good idea is to plan out
when work should get done.
Try to get most work done before senioritis sets in—at the beginning of the year. That way,
when there’s very little drive
left, there’s also very little work
to do. Another tip is to get a
partner to remind each other to
do the work. Keep your partner
on track while you do the same
for him or her.
Using a combination of planning and teamwork, it may be
possible to fend off senioritis
until that so looked forward to
graduation day in June.
Senior Logan Ritchie day dreams about anything but school
Healthy habits equal a healthy lifestyle
BY AMANDA RIDELLA
PHOTO BY GOOGLE
Weather might not be ready
for the upcoming spring season but that doesn’t mean bodies should stay in the cold.
Working out alone isn’t going
to be enough to shed the extra
pounds. Eating healthy is also
necessary. Keeping up with
what you eat will make or break
the weight loss.
First, decide on a workout
program and schedule that’s
easy to keep. The suggested
workout is cardio for 30 minutes
on Monday, arms on Tuesday,
abs and oblique on Wednesday,
lower body on Thursday, cardio
again for 30 minutes on Friday
then rest over the weekends.
Soda and other high sugary drinks should be avoided.
Try diet and sugar free drinks.
Drinks like soda have unecesary, unhealthy calories. Water should always be the first
choice in drinks. Bodies need
it to function. Water keeps us
hydrated. Eight glasses are required to drink daily.
Energy drinks are high in cal
ories and sugars and not worth
the caffeine buzz. Instead try
coconut water which is a natural
energy drink and low in calories.
Milk contains calcium and
vitamin D to help make bones
strong. 2% is the healthiest
choice to support the body and
keep in shape.
Snacks are hardly healthy
when it comes to a choice of
chips, candy, and other snack
with low fat. Potatoes and bread
are carb loaded which isn’t always bad but will not help with
weight loss. They are good in
moderation like everything else.
Being healthy equals to being
in better shape, living a longer
life and just all around feeling
better. After the desired goal of
weight loss is met, don’t stop.
Keep a workout schedule and
keep eating healthy or all that
work and time will amount to
nothing. The weight will be
gained again and in a faster
amount of time.
February 24, 2012
TOMS gives back
BY SYDNEY ANDREWS
PHOTO BY CHRISTINA HAINES
After traveling to Argentina
in 2006, TOMs shoes founder
Blake Mycoskie realized that
children didn’t have anything
to protect their feet. Since
Mycoskie’s trip, his organization has given over 1,000,000
pairs of shoes to kids in need all
around the world.
“When you buy a pair of
TOMS, they give a pair to a
child in need,” freshman Meredith Ballard said.
Mycoskie also organizes a
day every year called “One Day
Without Shoes” to raise awareness of the impact a pair of
shoes can have on a child’s life
by going without them.
Last year, people went without shoes at over 1,000 events
in over 25 countries around
the world. The next “One Day
Without Shoes” will be held in
April.
TOMS can be purchased
in stores such as Nordstroms,
Journeys and vegan shops.
They can also be bought online
from the TOMS website.
“I actually have seven pairs
of TOMS,” sophomore Lyndsay Jozsa said. “Most of them
I’ve gotten at Saxon Shoes. A
few pairs I have ordered online
from the TOMS website.”
While TOMS sells a wide
range of shoe styles, they also
sell clothing, accessories and
sunglasses. Their prices range
from a classic $44 shoe to $100
vegan boots.
“I bought mine online. One
cost $44 and the other ones
were $54,” Ballard said. “They
are very good quality, comfortable and stylish.”
TOMS’ most donated shoe is
their black canvas slip-on shoe
with a sturdy sole. This shoe
works best because many families cannot afford to replace
broken shoelaces.
“Overall, the TOMS shoe
quality isn’t necessarily the
best, but the cause makes up for
that,” Jozsa said. “I don’t think
that $44 is too expensive for
shoes compared to other brands
like Uggs, Coach, or even Nike.
Therefore, you can’t expect
them to be the best quality of
shoes.”
While Josza thinks the quality could be better, she loves
the cause. “It’s honestly an
awesome idea and it’s so great
how fast TOMS are spreading,”
she said.
Students show off their TOMS.
BiPii: Team advances to states
FROM FRONT
The team finished 6th out of
25 teams in the Qualification
Rounds. This advanced them to
the Championship Rounds.
The team was honored with
the Connect Award given to the
team that most connected with
their local community and the
engineering community. This
earned them an automatic bid
to the FTC State Competition in
Richmond on March 3.
“One of my favorite things
about Robotics is watching the
evolution of the robot and seeing the students initial ideas attempted and worked on, changing over time as they learn new
things,” Whitehouse said.
Each year, FIRST issues a
new challenge for all of the robotics teams competing in this
particular league, First Technology Challenge – FTC Robotics.
The goal is to essentially stack
the most crates and collect the
most balls better than the other
teams.
“We took a defensive approach to designing BiPii. She
goes for the big money, basically pushing crates and the
coveted bowling ball into highscoring regions. We’ve kept her
overall programming, both autonomous and tele-op, simple,”
Lerner said.
The team aim for few but
significant maneuvers. BiPii is
built like a tank, just in case of
some incident with another robot on the field.
“So far, we’ve designed, built
and competed with one version
of BiPii. Needless to say, we’re
tweaking furiously now that our
team is in the middle of competition season,” Lerner said.
“The next [few days] will be
full of just that, fixing hiccups
from the last match and getting
our act together. We may even
practice with other teams nearby. It will certainly be hectic.”
foods. According to the Lays
website online, one serving size
of potato chips (only about 15
chips) contains 160 calories, 90
calories from fat. Baked chips
contain 120 calories, 20 from
fat. A serving of popcorn contains only 31 calories, 3 from
fat. Peanuts are a good snack
choice. They are high in protein
and fiber. Fruit and vegetables
should be in everyone’s diet.
Seasonal vegetables include
Brussels sprouts, collard greens,
squash and sweet potatoes. The
fruits in season are grapefruit,
tangerines, cactus pear, passion
fruit, and kiwis.
It’s healthier to eat six small
meals a day rather than three
large ones. Dinner is one meal
which they eat until they feel
stuffed. Instead of frying foods,
bake them or grill them. Tofu is
a versatile food with high protein that can be put in multigrain
pastas, soup, or even eaten by
itself. A 4 oz. boneless grilled
chicken contains fewer calories
than a bag of chips and contains
protein, low fat, and no carbs.
Steak is also a high protein food
periment with mixed media.
Sierra William’s drawing was
drawn from observations of a
live model in the classroom.
She used delicate lines to create
the form of the model.
Selena Beckford’s painting
was completed as part of her
summer work for IB Studio Art.
“The IB Art Students show
tremendous growth in their first
year because they get to experiment with a variety of media
and research artists that interest them,” art teacher Stephanie
Athanasaw said.
“Bloom” by junior Gabby Beckford
“Circles of Death” by junior Sierra Williams
“Foreshadowing” by senior Shane Embrey
“Helen’s Dock” by senior Wessley Hampton
The robot 4080 moves a 6 lb bowling ball.
IB Art projects reflect student creativity
BY BEN MORRISON
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY
STEPHANIE ATHANASAW
The aim of IB Art is to provide opportunities to develop
the aesthetic, imaginative and
creative faculties as well as to
train visual, perceptual and critical awareness of arts of various
cultures.
Wessley Hampton’s piece is
based on family experiences
while Shane Emery’s reflects
his passion for art.
Gabrielles Beckford is an ex-
“Day at the Beach” by senior Selena Beckford