March 2012 - Brooke Point High School
Transcription
March 2012 - Brooke Point High School
READING RALLY VISITS LOCAL SCHOOLS ATHLETE OF THE MONTH SHOULD THE WORD “GAY” BE USED? Learn and Serve classes performed for area elementary schools. Senior Tyler Beiswanger discusses Tennis on a Varsity level. Connor Amano and Riley Harrigan debate the appropriateness of using the word ‘gay’. See News 2 See Sports 5 See Opinion 7 The Hawkeye Volume XVIII - Issue 5 Brooke Point High School 1700 Courthouse Road Stafford, VA 22554 (540) 658 - 6080 Fax (540) 658- 6072 [email protected] April 5, 2012 VISIT THE HAWKEYE FUSION PAGE FOR THE ONLINE VERSION (LEFT) Participants grab jugs of water prior to the 3.3 mile walk through Fredericksburg. (RIGHT) Junior Bethany West instructs participants. “Journey to Water” raises awareness BY NICOLE CALIRI PHOTO BY KAYLA HARRIS “Imagine yourself waking up and knowing that today like every other day your job was to find water for your family.” With these words, Learn and Serve teacher Laura Lacey introduced the student body to “A Journey to Water.” Sponsored by Learn and Serve, the fundraiser held on March 24 brought in roughly $12,000 for the construction of two wells in Southern Sudan. Each well will supply water for a village and surrounding areas of 300 to 450 people. Junior Bethany West came up with the idea for “A Journey to Water.” “It’s ridiculous how everything comes down to water,” West said. “The lack of water creates the lack of education which prevents the rise of peo- INSIDE THIS ISSUE CHEERLEADING Ben Shields, Russell Ramsey and Wilbur Rincan begin training to try out for cheerleading in the fall SEE Cheer, SPORTS 4 INDEX NEWS ............................. 2 ENTERTAINMENT .......... 3 SPORTS .................... 4, 5 FEATURE ........................ 6 OPINION ......................... 7 STUDENT LIFE ............... 8 ple to help the nation’s future. With this cycle their future doesn’t look too good.” West became aware of the water crisis through a video presentation at her church last year. “I was reviled by this crisis,” she said. “My heart was fully touched and I couldn’t do anything but think of a way to fix it.” West and her best friend discussed the water crisis in Africa. They were motivated to act. “We saw two sophomore girls from Leesburg who did a similar thing. We were two sophomores at the time and we wanted to be those girls. If they succeeded with their fundraiser, then we could. It reassured us that we could do it,” West said. The girls decided to bring the issue to Lacey. “We made an official PowerPoint and did a lot of research. We set-up a meeting and then pitched it,” West said. West was particularly moved by the number of problems stemming from the absence of clean drinking water in developing nations. “These countries are dealing with war over territory because of the lack of clean water. War leads to the lack of communications which leads to the lack of education. That leads people to fall to poverty and bad guys. It is a cycle and it just continues. Bethany hopes to break that cycle a little bit,” Lacey said. Lacey had full faith in the girls. “If that was what they wanted to do, we [would] do it. I had no doubt that they wouldn’t be able to complete what they had set out to do,” she said. Lacey was familiar with an organization that did something similar. Lacey and West contacted it and found that it wasn’t BY SHELBY RADLOFF revenge. A message with crude remarks sent to the wrong recipient is, in fact, cyber bullying. In some situations, kids who are bullied themselves seek revenge without physical confrontation. Power-hungry children cyber bully merely to torment others or boost their ego. “With normal face-to-face bullying, it’s two people. With cyber bullying, you can have an entire school of people against you,” junior Patrick Shields said. The Counseling Department has initiated a campaign to combat cyber bullying. “We in the counseling department try to be very proactive with the Pause Before You Post campaign to show whatever you do online leaves a digital imprint and is there forever,” Bridges said. “We just need to constantly educate students about it by reiterating and reiterating the effects.” Bullying is not likely to die out anytime soon but being aware of all forms can help educate students on its impact. “I feel like they’re both [cyber bullying and face-to-face bullying] bad in their own way, but you shouldn’t rate one of them as worse because you shouldn’t do either,” sophomore Aaron Dudick said. what they wanted. They chose to work with Water Harvest International. Their plan was a walk through the streets of downtown Fredericksburg. “We began our fundraiser by set-up meetings with the city of Fredericksburg and the [WHI] district coordinator. I couldn’t wait to jump in feet first,” West said. Planning and executing the fundraiser was no small feat. West and Lacey put in between 50 to 100 hours of work. “She [West] and I worked over the summer and we were pretty much ready when the school year began. We walked the walk to see how long it was. We also contacted different organizations and people,” Lacey said. Water Harvest International plans to send Lacey and the Learn and Serve class photographs and coordinates of the well construction. “One of the reasons we like this organization is that there isn’t a huge wait when the well could be built but additionally they sustain the well. It’s not like they just go in and walk away. They teach people in that village how to keep and maintain the well for more than 20 years,” Lacey said. The fundraiser itself was a 3.3 mile walk down the streets of downtown Fredericksburg. Despite adverse weather conditions, approximately 200 students, teachers and community members participated. “There was a positive atmosphere,” West said. “The rain held off till halfway through the walk. When the weather did come, it only was a drizzle. It’s hard to remember what I expected in the beginning stage but I feel that we far exceeded what I could have imagined.” The venue for the fundraiser was chosen with several things in mind. “A good majority of the time when we were walking we could see water. On top of it, when we weren’t close to water, we were right in Fredericksburg, exposing the city to what we we’re doing and likewise exposing Stafford to all the shops in Fredericksburg,” Lacey said. Participants received a t-shirt with the “Journey to Water” logo designed by senior Courtney Shackelford. “It’s a good feeling to have something you’ve done get to be used for such a good cause and have it be the face of their organization,” Shackelford said. The construction date of the wells is not set but Lacey hopes to have them completed by the end of the school year. Cyber bullying survey reveals interesting trends Although cyber bullying happens every day, most people are unaware of its prevalence. Bullying is easy to identify when it happens in school hallways but often also occurs behind the assumed safety of a computer screen. On March 20, homeroom classes took a cyber-bullying survey. Two simple questions were posed. “Have you ever been the victim of cyber bullying?” and “Have you ever participated in cyber bullying?” Thirteen percent of students who returned the surveys admitted to being cyber bullied. Fifteen percent of students also admitted to participating in cyber bullying. On the other hand, thirty-seven percent of students denied being cyber bullied. Thirty-six percent of students denied participating in cyber bullying. Director of Counseling Dr. Marialena Bridges analyzed the results. “Given the many forms of electronic devices and social media and the fact that people don’t tend to report things that reflect themselves negatively, I think the results are less than what they truly are,” she said. There are many reasons cyber bullies emerge. Some are motivated by anger, frustration or Brooke Point Cyber Bullying Statistics 13% 36% 37% 15% Total number of students enrolled: 1628 Number of homerooms: 82 Total number of students in homerooms: 1587 Total number of students absent on 20 March 2012: 90 Number of surveys returned: 975 People who have admitted to being cyber bullied People who have denied being cyber bullied People who have admitted to participating in cyber bullying People who have denied participating in cyber bullying 2 NEWS The Hawkeye April 5, 2012 Reading Rally scores yet again BY CONNOR AMANO PHOTO BY CONNOR AMANO “Reading Rally, What a wonderful day, Reading Rally, For Dr. Seuss’s Birthday, It means no worries, for the rest of the day, It’s our problem free, Phi-los-so-phy, for reading rally. A-reading, a-rally A-reading, a-rally A reading, a-rally, a reading, a-rally, whooo!” The Learn and Serve classes gathered on March 2 in Commons I for their annual trip to elementary schools in the area to promote reading and celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Their choice for this year’s Reading Rally performances was “I Wish I Had Duck Feet.” The classes were divided into eight groups. Each group travelled to three or four elementary schools to perform the play they had created from the book. One group consisted of Bethany West, Mason Ballard, Stephanie Buccola, Brian Quintana, Amy Stout, Alexis Brown and Haley Gregory. Quintana, who starred as “Big Bill Brown,” was nervous before the first performance. “The first one was really bad but it got better as the day went on,” he said. One of the first schools the group visited was Rocky Run Elementary. Reading specialist Bonnie Hall and her teachers had prepared the children for the event by reading the book in class three to four weeks prior to the performance. “[This is] the one thing I know will go great every year,” she said. After each performance, the group gathered on stage and sang the reading rally song with the elementary students. They also sang Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss. Head Start Director Kathy Massie said that Reading Rally is a “very special treat” for a group of 323 “extremely excited” children. Massie and her teachers prepared their 3 and 4 year olds by studying Dr. Seuss, reading stories and making hats. The children enjoyed every scene that involved a member of the group falling down. They applauded Ballard when she was pulled sitting down on a skateboard for a part of the play. After the performance some of the children met the actors. “You could just tell that they were thrilled,” Massie said. Ferry Farm Elementary Reading Specialist Pennie Walker scheduled two shows for the day, one for the school’s younger children and one for the school’s older children. Walker offered the option for teachers to structure their curriculum around preparation for the Rally. Walker believes that Reading Rally is important because “young people look up to high school [students].” She also believes that Reading Rally is ever-improving. “Every year I think ‘you couldn’t top that one’ and then the next year comes,” she said. Reading Rally participants enjoy time spent with their students. Students discuss GOP primary experience Learn and Serve Lead by Courtney Colon, Learn and Serve is sponsoring a new project. They will be assisting the McKinney Vento Program, a federal program that helps children get the basic needs they need to live when they are homeless. This helps children all over the community, to include students right here at BPHS. Right now they are very much in need of such products as soaps, shampoos, toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash and other toiletry items. Boxes will be set up in the faculty lounges and the office from April 16 until April 27 where anyone can drop off toiletries: any size, small and large, will help immensely. BY BOB EDELMAN The battle for the Republican presidential nomination has been going on since fall this year. The whirlwind of activity that is the Republican primary process hit Virginia last month on March 6. Only former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and former House representative Ron Paul made it to the ballot in Virginia in the fight for the Republican nomination. This was due to other candidates Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich not collecting the required number of signatures to place them on the Virginia Republican primary ballot. “I think it was a flaw in the electoral system of the state of Virginia to only have two candidates on the ballot. I know they wanted to make a point by not allowing them since they didn’t get the required signatures, but then again it sort of delegitimizes the electoral process,” said senior Robbie Morgan. Senior Luke Philips exercised his new civic duty and voted in the primary. “Mr. O’Brien told us he had voted in every primary and election since he was of voting age and I figured that was probably my duty as an American and as an eagle scout to go participate in the election process,” Philips said. Philips was not only inspired by O’Brien’s voting habits but also by his proximity to the Capital of the United States. “Ever since I moved here to Washington D.C. I’ve been doing a lot more stuff to get involved in politics and get an understanding of how the political situation works,” Philips elaborated. The voting procedure itself is not as simple as one might imagine however. “The way the process worked, there were only two candidates on the ballot, Ron Paul and Mitt Romney. So the paper they gave us was practically like when you take an AP test except the only answers were Mitt Romney and Ron Paul.” Morgan was not old enough to vote but believes that students are not nearly enough involved as they should be. “Part of the problem is most kids don’t take US government until their senior year. They haven’t had the education yet to be informed as to the significance of voting,” Morgan said. Congratulations to the following students... BAND At the University of Virginia, the Brooke Point Certamen Level 3 team (Chris Bass, Joseph Grant, Yousra Neberai, Nick Marshall, Isaiah Ingram, and Anne Slota) placed third in competition. Chamber Sinfonia students earned straight I’s for a Superior rating at District Orchestra Assessment. This was the third year in a row we have received straight I’s. The Wind Ensemble received a Superior rating on their performance. They are a Virginia Honor Band this year. COLOR GUARD The BPHS Winter Guard competed at AIA (Atlantic Indoor Association) championships in Raleigh, NC. They competed in preliminaries and placed high enough to go on to finals. They ended up placing 5th overall out of 18 guards in their class. Please congratulate them for a fantastic season and for representing our school so well. Winter Guard Members are: CJ Cox MJ Dicello Genna King Juliana Layne Brittany Leonard Kayla Mandell Kelsey Mason Aurora Morrison Caylyn Newcomb Kelsey Owens Dominick Pistorio Haylie Poth Sun. Anna Sammel Sabrina Sammel Adrienne Williams Field and Winter Guard Director: Yvonne Vita DECA Fifteen DECA members traveled to Norfolk on Friday, March 9th to compete in the DECA State Leadership Conference. These students competed in areas of marketing, management, and entrepreneurship. Each student is required to complete a written test and 2 Role Plays for the individual events or a ten to thirty page written manual. The following students were recognized at the state conference on stage. Ivan Ren - Principles of Marketing (Medal for top 10 in written test) Jessica Buckley - Apparel and Accessories Marketing (Medal for top 10 in written test) Deana Hamlin - Apparel and Accessories Marketing (Medal for top 10 written test, top 10 Role Play 2, and 3rd Place Overall State Finalist) Brooke Point was recognized as a Super Star Chapter and a Fortune 500 chapter for our Annual Report. Deana Hamlin will travel to Salt Lake City, Utah on April 28th to compete at the International Career Development Conference. Other great competitors also include: Steve Alvarez - Marketing Management Elizabeth Fauth - International Business Plan (30 page written manual and presentation) Mon. 22 29 The following students attended the Virginia HOSA State Leadership Conference: 1st Place Chapter Newsletter - Carmella Moore 1st Place Basic Concepts of Healthcare Knowledge Test Ashley Williams 1st Place Clinical Specialty (for a detailed project and skill related to career in Surgical Technology) - Sarah Ingold 2nd Place Medical Photography - Gabriella Gomez 3rd Place Career Health Display (on Recreational Therapy) - Joshua Goodrich & Jordan Massie 4th Place Researched Persuasive Speaking - Nicholas Morabito 1st Place Healthy Lifestyles Hannah Bourassa 2nd Place Extemporaneous Tues. Wed. ball vs. N. Stafford @N. Stafford *4:30pm Baseball JV vs. Chancel- *Boys Soccer vs. N. Stafford @BP (JV @5:30, V @7:00) *LAX vs. N. Stafford @N. Stafford lor @BP *Girls Soccer vs. N. Stafford @BP (JV @5:30, V @7:00) *5:00pm Basevall V vs. Chancellor (JV @5:30, V@ 7:00) *6:00pm V Baseball and Softball @ Chancellor vs. N. Stafford @BP 9 10 Spring Break! No school. 15 HOSA 3*4:00pm JV Baseball and Soft- 4 2 8 Wilhelmina Mends -Cole Hotel Lodging Management Jennifer Morgan - Retail Merchandising Lauren Otto and Emily Stanfield - Team Event (Fashion Promotion Plan - 10 page written manual/presentation) Stephanie Passley and Angela Rios - Team Event ( Fashion Promotion Plan - 10 page written manual/presentation) Dianna Qujaino - Principles of Hospitality and Tourism Courtland Thompson - Entrepreneurship Participating Event - Independent Business (10 page written manual/presentation) Jake Thompson - Automotive Services Marketing Jake Shinn - Automotive Services Marketing 16 23 11 Spring Break! No school. Health Writing - Ashley Paige Pruitt 1st Place Extemporaneous Health Writing - Sarah Ingold 1st Place Medical Reserve Corps Partnership (team event covering months of activities that support the health of the community) - Nicholas Morabito (team leader), Paige Donahue, Joshua Goodrich, and Jordan Massie 1st Place Public Health Emergency Preparedness (team event involving a presentation that educates the community in emergency preparedness focusing on the topic of a Zombie Apocalypse): Gabriella Gomez (team leader), Samantha Mockler, Meredith Whitt, and Hannah Bourassa. Eleven students received state eligibility for their Career Porfolios in the National Recognition event. Brooke Point HOSA had the largest number of students to sucessfully earn this recognition in the state and received a trophy for this accomplishment. The students that earned this honor were: Hannah Bourassa, Paige Donahue, Sarah Ingold, Gabriella Gomez, Joshua Goodrich, Jordan Massie, Samantha Mockler, Carmella Moore, Nicholas Morabito, Meredith Whitt, and Ashley Williams. Ashley Williams earned the distinquished Barbara James Gold Level Service Award for her 400+ hours of service to community health care. In addition, Ashley was awarded one of only 5 Virginia HOSA Scholarships and she was elected to the Virginia HOSA State Executive Board as the state reporter. She will serve this term during Thur. 24 25 12 *3:30pm Lacrosse vs. Stafford @BP FBLA Sat. 7 Out (2 hours) *4:00pm V Baseball vs. King George @King George Spring Break! No school. *9:00 am Outdoor Track Varsity Invitational vs. TBA @N. Stafford 14 Spring Break! No School. 20*4:00pm JV Baseball and Softball 21 vs. Riverbend @Riverbend *5:00pm Tennis vs. Albemarle (Boys @ *4:00pm Tennis vs. Orange (Boys BP, Girls @Albemarle) @BP, Girls @Orange) *Boys Soccer vs. Riverbend @BP (JV *9:00am V Outdoor Track Invitational @Robinson *5:30-8:30pm Dance Team Tryouts *5:30-8:30pm Dance Team Tryouts 26 Meghan Hammanwright and Marijane Dicello - 1st - Computer Game and Sim Programming Robert Carroll - 3rd - Introduction to Technology Concepts Raven Benner-Heflin and Emily Montgomery - 2nd - Network Design Chris Baker - 1st - Networking Concepts Rusty Dixon - 2nd - Technology Concepts All of the 1st and 2nd place winners will move on to state competition in Reston on the weekend of April 14th. WORLD LANGUAGES The French and Spanish students participated in the University of Mary Washington’s World Language Day. Here are the results of the participating French teams: 1st place advanced poetry: Kat Rosewitz, Emmanuel Codjoe 1st place advanced spelling: Allyssa Kagehiro, Guadalupe Ayala, Lindsey Bass 1st place intermediate spelling: Jazmin Sanjuan-Bautista, Kaitlin Papenfuss, Michelle Hodges 1st place Intermediate Poetry: Shy Apter, Shea Corpora, Jasmyn Abrams 1st place Poster: Sarah Morley 3rd place Video : Linsdey Bass, Courtney Shackelford, Aurora Morrison The following students placed at the Germanna Region Spring Competition for FBLA: Deana Hamlin - 1st - Business Presentation 13 *5:30pm JV Baseball and Softball vs. *4:00pm JV Baseball and Softball vs. *3:30pm Outdoor Track @ N. Stafford *6:30pm Academic Awards @BP Albemarle @BP Massaponax @BP *Girls Soccer vs. Albemarle @BP (JV *Girls Soccer vs. Massaponax @BP (JV *3:30pm Tennis vs. Colonial Forge (Boys Auditorium @5:30, V @7:00) @5:30, V @7:00) @Colonial Forge, Girls @BP) *6:00 pm V Baseball and Softball vs. *Boys Soccer vs. Massaponax @MasAlbemarle @Albemarle saponax (JV @5:30, V @7:00) *Boys Soccer vs. Albemarle @Albe*LAX vs. Massaponax @Massaponax *6:00pm V Baseball and Softball vs. Mas- marle (JV @5:30, V @7:00) (JV @5:30, V @7:00) saponax @Massaponax 30 The Debate Team has also had some amazing success. The policy team of Justin Parker and Tyshanna Powell came in 2nd and will be moving onto regionals. The team placed 3rd overall. Ariel Blankenship and Deanna Hamilin also contributed in their effort in Public Forum. Fri. Mountainview @BP *4:00pm Tennis vs. Riverbend (B @BP, G Early @Riverbend) *Boys Soccer vs. Mountainview @Mountainview (JV @5:30, V @7:00) *Girls Soccer vs. Mountainview @BP (JV @5:30, V @7:00) *6:00pm V Baseball and Softball vs. Mountainview @Mountainview Spring Break! No school. @5:30, V @7:00) *Boys Soccer vs. Mountainview @BP (JV @5:30, V @7:00) *Girls Soccer vs.Mountainview @Mountainview (JV @5:30, V @7:00) *6:00pm V Baseball and Softball vs. Mountainview @BP *5:30-8:30pm Dance Team Tryouts DEBATE TEAM 5*4:00pm JV Baseball and Softball vs. 6 17*4:00pm Tennis vs. Massaponax (B 18*LAX vs. Colonial Forge @BP (JV 19 @Massaponax, G @BP) *5:30 pm JV Baseball and Softball vs. Albemarle @Albemarle *Boys Soccer vs. Albemarle @BP (JV @5:30, V @7:00) *Girls Soccer vs. Albemarle @Albemarle (JV @5:30, V @7:00) *6:00pm V Baseball and Softball vs. Albemarle @BP her freshman year in college. Hannah Bourassa was also elected to the Virginia HOSA State Executive Board as the Region III Vice President for 2012-2013. Brooke Point HOSA earned several chapter awards including 1st Place Outstanding Chapter. The chapter is now eligible for National Outstanding HOSA Chapter. This is the 7th consecutive year of earning this distinction. The chapter also received the Excellence Award for HOSA Week activities and National Service Project. Several students also received regional awards for their service to HOSA: Nicholas Morabito received the Outstanding HOSA Member Award, Gabriella Gomez received the HOSA Technology Award, Meredith Whitt and Hannah Bourassa received the HOSA Awareness Award, and Paige Donahue received the Hands Making a Better Community Award. @5:30, V @7:00) *Girls Soccer vs. Riverbend @Riverbend (JV @5:30, V @7:00) *6:00pm V Baseball and Softball vs. Riverbend @BP 27*3:30pm Tennis vs. Stafford (B @BP, G @Stafford) *4:00 pm JV Baseball and Softball vs. Orange @Orange *Boys Soccer vs. Orange@BP (JV @5:30, V @7:00) *Girls Soccer vs. Orange @Orange (JV @5:30, V @7:00) *6:00 pm V Baseball and Softball vs. Orange @BP 28 *9:00am V Outdoor Track Invitational @Freedom H.S. April 2 - April 30 Sports Support the Hawks by attending any of the functions and sporting events. Look at the calendar for dates and times. Spring Musical Those selected to be in the Spring production of “Grease” should attend practices set by drama teacher Eva Wehrle. See your schedule for dates and times. Learn and Serve Learn and Serve is hosting yet another service project. Look above for information. The Hawkeye ENTERTAINMENT April 5, 2012 3 “The Hunger Games” is appetizing “The Hunger Games” is not “Twilight.” Jennifer Lawrence’s portrayal as Katniss Everdeen exceeds expectations. She carries the film. Lawrence captivates the audience with a performance filled with heart and ambition as competitors are killed though-out the 142 minute film. The best scene in the film is hands-down the opening bloodbath scene. At the “Cornucopia,” contestants are exposed to supplies which can be used throughout the games. This is where a vast majority of the killing takes place as the more experienced players kill the lesser. This is where reality sets in. Powerful zoom-in shots confuse the scene but the deafening silence is effective. BY CHRISTINA HAINES PHOTO BY ABCNEWS.GO.COM In the post-apocalyptic future of North America, a male and a female between the ages of 12 and 18 are selected by lottery from each of Panem’s 12 districts to participate in the Hunger Games. The competition is an annual event designed to keep the 12 districts in check after a previous rebellion left a thirteenth district in ruins. “The Hunger Games” is the first installment of three in a franchise which is sure to be added to Hollywood’s list of successful book to film adaptations. Developed from Suzanne Collin’s book of the same title, early reviews of the film compared it to the success of the Twilight Series. Although the film has been criticized for the gore, there is nothing too grotesque. The lack of violence leaves more to viewers’ interpretation. The movie stays focused on the growth and struggles met by the central character. Director Gary Ross does an exceptional job at making the malicious who fail to see the value of human life. Unlike the Twilight franchise, the film does not focus on the love triangle between three of the film’s dominant characters. At times the romance between Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark feels rushed and unnecessary. Fortunately, the third member of the love triangle’s lack of appearance keeps the romance from over-powering the main plot. Adele rolling in the dough BY RILEY HARRIGAN PHOTO BY AP IMAGES Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, also known as just Adele, has caused an explosion of interest in soul music with her powerful voice and catchy R&B songs. As a child, Adele listened to The Spice Girls and impersonated the pop group at dinner parties. She cites The Spice Girls as a major influence on her career along with Mary J. Blige and Destiny’s Child. Adele attended the BRIT school for performing arts with class alumni such as Jessie J and Amy Winehouse. Her breakout single “Chasing Pavements” led to a record deal with XL records. She has come out with two albums since then: “19” and “21.” Adele seems to have struck a personal chord with today’s youth. Her songs tell of the heartache and strife she has had to put up with as an artist and in her daily life. Along with “Chasing Pavements,” Adele has struck high on the charts with “Rolling in the Deep” and “Rumor Has It.” Both songs deal with breaking up with a boy. “I love Adele because she doesn’t need to have all the lights and flashiness. She just goes up there and does her thing and she rocks it,” senior Bridget McGlade said. This opinion seems to be a popular one, contradicting the general attitude that many high school students have about music nowadays. Adele’s voice is a refreshing change to the usual hip hop and pop with little singing and a lot of dance music, heavy beats and flashy costumes. Although Adele is still an up and coming superstar, she received the Best New Artist Award in 2009. Also on her trophy shelf are two top five singles and a pair of Year’s Best Album Awards. Adele’s fame boosted in October 2008 when she appeared on Saturday Night Live. Before her visit, her album was ranked number 40 on iTunes. In less than 24 hours after the show aired, her album was up to number 1 on iTunes top chart. facebook vs. twitter BY CALAH JONES Facebook and Twitter have become very popular social networks for the younger crowd. With the click of a mouse or even with the instant touch of a finger on a pad or screen, people all over the world have been able to communicate and socialize with each other through computers and social networks on their cell phones. “I like Twitter more than Facebook because if I feel like reading more, I can go on Twitter and read everyone’s statuses faster than Facebook,” junior Tre Graham said. “Facebook gets old. There is always drama and online fights. On Twitter you can always read something funny and retweet it.” Sophomore Alease Clinton prefers Facebook over Twitter. “I think only famous people should have a Twitter,” said Clinton, “because not everyone wants to know what you’re doing every minute of the day. Personally, I don’t want to update my status every five minutes, either. That’s a waste of my time and my patience.” Junior Marcus Jones Jr. has a different opinion. “I like Twitter over Facebook because I can tweet back to back without feeling like a loser. On Facebook, I feel like I can only post a couple of statuses that people will like,” he said. “Twitter is a lot of work, though. I have to keep logging in and following people on Twitter. So, I’m on Facebook more.” Freshman Miranda Rupp is another Facebook fan. “I prefer Facebook more because more people that I know have it,” she said. “I’ve had my Facebook for two years but I’ve only had my Twitter account for one year. I think Facebook is more personal but I can say more stuff on Twitter.” Spanish teacher Lindsay Kennedy believes Facebook is “more of a network of connecting to other people. I don’t like to use Twitter as much,” she said, “because it seems more like a competition to see who can tweet the most. Facebook is definitely more personal. It’s a way of positively (and/or negatively) representing yourself. It’s also used by a variety of different age groups.” Rewind & Replay: TV lines and favorite characters keep the audience hooked. Parents don’t have to worry about their children watching or hearing something inappropriate. Every episode of these shows had a moral. In these story lines, the girl may not get first place in the talent show but her friends were there to cheer her on. BY KALEIGH SAVAGE-SMITH PHOTOS BY GOOGLE IMAGES Older shows from the 2000s have gradually been replaced by newer, more spontaneous shows. These shows featured every day people with every day dreams. The shows were realistic and family-oriented. More recent shows have shifted their focus from “family-oriented” to “what-will-entertainand-make-money.” What will make the most profit? What can produce the most merchandise? It’s like trading in old fashioned classics for auto tune. Then These shows are family orientated. Teens can relate to growing up with siblings and dealing with life. Ordinary girl doesn’t turn super star. She just stays ordinary. No big twists. Story Now “Lizzie McGuire” follows a preteen/ teenager and her subconscious through everyday escapades. “The Proud Family” follows a daughter who sometimes wishes she wasn’t a part of her embarrassing family. “Even Stevens” focuses on the antics of two siblings from a Jewish family. “Un-fabulous” follows an unpopular girl and her group of friends, with individual aspirations. These are flashy shows with pop stars, glitter and glam that turn into concert tours. Cheap laughs, bad story lines and outrageous stunts fill kids’ channels. Insinuating jokes and innuendo replace classic humor. Instead of following ordinary people’s lives, they follow bigtime-people struggling with fame. Children end up asking their parents for glittery skirts and singing lessons. Added into the mart is all the money spent on the break-off movies from these shows. “Big Time Rush” focuses on a friend-hockey player-boy-band becomes popular and moves to LA. “Shake It Up” follows two teenage girls who get the chance to be “dancing stars” on a popular TV show. “Jonas” is on a brother-boyband trying to manage school, life and all their paparazzi. “Victorious” follows a group of friends including an aspiring singer attend a “high arts” high school 1 17 2 13 3 18 14 _____and out like a lion 12 4 BY SABRINA SAMMEL 9 19 15 5 10 6 11 23 20 7 16 8 Spring Crossword puzzles all 21 22 Down 1. Famous four leaf plant 3. Daylight is equal to darkness on this day 5. Famous Easter flower (comes from “the valley”) 7. Sport played on a court with a green ball and rackets 9. Easter animal that hops around and loves carrots 11. Special day in April for reusing reducing, and recycling 13. Fragrant plant 14. Holiday celebrated with eggs and candy 18. Wet precipitation that occurs in spring 19. Sweet ingredient from which candy is made 22. One week off from school is normally called “Spring_____” 23. March comes in like a Across 1. Baby chickens 2. White bird representing peace 4. Colorful phenomena that appears after a storm 5. Abbreviation for lacrosse 6. 40 days of this Christian season precedes Easter 8. A sport played with the feet 10. Color of sunshine 15. Decorated and dyed for celebrations 16. Before a flower blooms it is _______ 17. Made colorful and stuffed into Easter baskets 20. Famous running sport features(100 yard dash) 21. Month of Easter 4 SPORTS The Hawkeye Cheer season sports new faces BY BRITTANY DECATUR PHOTO BY BRITTANY DECATUR Cheer Coaches Jessica Riddle and Lindsey Kennedy are preparing for the 2012-2013 Varsity Season. Cheerleading season began on March 7 with pre tryout open gyms in the auxiliary gym from 5-7pm. The practices were for any males and females interested in becoming official Brooke Point high school cheerleaders. “I’m striving to have a team with a variety of talents and hopefully we’ll build a family bond,” Varsity Coach Jessica Riddle said. Freshman, JV and Varsity football season tryouts will be held Monday May7-May9 from 6-8:30. Competition season tryouts will be held the beginning of August. In years past, practice couldn’t officially start till the first of August but this year VHSL allowed practice to be held year round. For the first time in a while, more boys have been interested in cheering. Sophomore Russell Ramsey, junior Ben Shields and sophomore Wilber Rincan have been participating in the open gym practices. Ramsey is a varsity wrestler. “Cheerleading is fun but harder than I expected. It’s definitely different then the sports I’ve done before,” Ramsey said. Many of the returning varsity members are excited about the possibility of having male cheerleaders on the teams next year. The varsity team will lose nine seniors. This will make next year’s team have to work even harder to make up for the loss. Male cheerleaders could be the ones to help take this team to another level. “Varsity is going to have to work extremely hard but they definitely have the potential to be amazing especially with the strength and power of maybe having three males join the varsity family,” said Varsity member Paschelle Hall. The coaches make it known that even though they’re males that they have to work just as hard and train just like the girls. The thought of having male cheerleaders on the team next year has begun to excite Riddle and Kennedy. “Having male cheerleaders tryout is always exciting. If they make the team, that will add strength which will advance stunting and tumbling and just completely benefit the team all around,” Kennedy said. April 5, 2012 Softball team hits it off BY SYDNEY ANDREWS PHOTO BY KAYLA HARRIS The 2011 girls Varsity Softball season ended with just one win. The team and Coach Chris Hara are working hard to make a comeback this year. The girls began conditioning in October, six months before the spring season began. “We would do sprints, abs and all that. Sometimes we would go in the weight room, too. I would try to get out as much as possible swinging my bat or just throwing/fielding a ball to get the feel of it,” freshman Devan Carter said. A few girls, along with team conditioning, did some extra conditioning of their own to better prepare for the upcoming season. The season started with three days of tryouts consisting of field and throwing, conditioning and hitting. “The first day we did all conditioning, running, sprinting, agilities. Stuff like that. Then the next two days we did skills,” freshman Lacey Chambers said. The girls are hoping to make a great improvement from last year’s rough scores. “Last season, varsity ended with only one win so our goal this season is to definitely end with more wins than losses,” sophomore Maddy Wroe said. The girls have high expectations for the team as a whole and themselves individually. “My expectations for this season are that we always play our best and never give up,” Chambers said. Sophomore Gabby Palmer has been playing softball for 11 years. “My goals for this season are to get above a .350 batting average and to get more than 20 strike outs,” she said. “I run, do P90X and pitch all the time.” As a new member to the team, Carter hopes to improve as a player. “I haven’t been playing long. This is my third year of playing real competitive softball,” Carter said. “I hope to just become a great softball player as time goes on throughout the season.” The girls all work well together both on and off the field. “As a team, there is a lot of communication in practice and in games,” Wroe said. “Practice is more laid back and fun. We all joke around and just laugh while still working on what we need to work on.” The girls spend time together in school, on the field and outside of school. “Pretty much, we are all really close and it is nice. I love these girls so much,” Palmer said. “To bond outside, we have cookouts, sleepovers, go to the movies and out to dinner.” Hara has been coaching for 10 years. He has coached the Brooke Point girls for two. He hopes to improve from last season’s record. “The team consists of four freshmen, seven sophomores and one transfer 12th grader,” Hara said. “The team is working very hard to improve from last season. The players are bonding well and look forward to playing.” Liz Washington hitting for the Blackhawks Money makes a difference in sports Ben Shields and Wilber Rincan attempt to cheer. Spring Sports Captains BY JACK KOLB PHOTO BY ASHLEY PEARCE Every spring, teens around the country try out for various spring sports. While getting on the team can be a challenge, a harder one lies ahead with the equipment costs. Spring sports equipment has gotten quite expensive to pay for in recent years. Some of this equipment can cost hundreds of dollars. Participating in fundraisers is a common practice of amateur sports teams. This can help raise money to dampen the overwhelming cost that burdens the players. This chart shows the cost of spring sports equipment according to Dicksportingoods. com The Cost of Spring Sports (in dollars) 150 260 BOYS’ SOCCER: Chris Cox, Mauricio Merano, Mikey Meyers GIRLS’ SOCCER: Allie Rayner, Lindsey Harrison Not Pictured: Gigi Gomez & Laura Alfred Baseball 270 100 Soccer Tennis Lacrosse Softball Track BASEBALL:Ramsis Ruiz, Ryan Smith, Ryan Afman SOFTBALL: Rachel Payne, Gabby Palmes, Mikayla Smith 200 320 Dicks Sporting Goods JV Soccer edges toward success on and off the field BOYS’ TENNIS: Robbie Morgan GIRLS’ TENNIS: Jessi Pope & Presha Merrit NOT PICTURED LACROSSE: Matt Rowlands, Ryan Neuhard & Colby Brainard TRACK: Neil DeAbrue, Amanda Patterson, Bryan Quintana BY CALAH JONES The girls’ JV soccer team is looking to improve on last season’s record. Junior Korrine Estrada is one of the captains. “The JV and Varsity teams practice together. I think that that’s a good thing just in case someone can move up or find their place on the team,” Estrada said. “All of the girls have talked about it and we think it’s going to be a really good year for us because we’re all so close.” Freshman Laura Sweet and sophomores Alyssa Bonincontri and Shamara Smith are also captains on the team. “We practice every day from 2:45 to 5:00 in the afternoon. It’s long but it’s really worth it,” Sweet said. Smith is looking forward to a great season. “It’s an honor to be one of the captains. Our team is working really hard and I think we’ll have a great season,” she said. Bonincontri is pleased with the team’s progress. “We are doing so much better this year. There are fifteen girls on the team right now and we’re all getting along well,” she said. “Our first game was on Tuesday, March 13 against Riverbend. The score was 3 to 1. Although we didn’t win, we still worked really hard.” Gerald Caron is the girls’ JV soccer coach. This is his first year at Brooke Point. “I think the team has a lot of potential,” Caron said. “The girls are very competitive. They have a lot of heart and desire to improve, as well. I’d say we’ve got a good, disciplined group.” The girls also played Tuesday, March 20 against Orange County. The Hawks won with a score of 2 to 0. Before the game Caron said, “I think we are going to surprise a lot of people this year. We’re taking things to the next level.” Estrada believes team work holds the key to the team’s success. We have some people on the team who have more experience than others but I’m not going to degrade those who haven’t been playing that long,” she said. “ We’ll all just work together to make the team better as one.” April 5, 2012 Hawks strike home BY ASHLEY PEARCE PHOTO BY KAYLA HARRIS The Black Hawk baseball teams swung into action this season with new players, new coaches and a new form of conditioning. Matt Mallory has coached high school baseball for five years. This is his first season as Brooke Point’s head coach and the first year for the new pro-geared training. “With the pro-style program, we are going to strike interest within the student body,” Mallory said. The team graduated eight seniors. There are twenty-eight members on the roster this season. “We develop into a system each year. The kids have to believe and trust themselves,” Mallory said. The team has accepted their new coach. “He’s really cool and nice and he pushes us to get better,” varsity second basemen and pitcher Nick Trio said. The team works together and practices as one unified team, breaking the separation between varsity and junior varsity. “[My favorite part about playing is that] it is fun to be around the team,” said varsity pitcher and short stop junior Corey Stoneman. “[I like] interacting with my other team mates and working hard and then playing in the games. The coaches prepare The Hawkeye SPORTS 5 What’s in your bag? BY BRIEANNA BOOKTER PHOTO BY BRIEANNA BOOKTER us well,” sophmore Nick Trio said. JV coach Chris Graham has been playing baseball since he was four years old. He pitched and played short stop as a Hawk. After graduating, he attended Bridgewater College. “We have a great group of young boys and I think our future is pretty set. There is a lot of great talent,” Graham said. COACH MAYS’ JERSEY RETIRED & REMEMBERED “I have my Nike soccer bag. It’s got pre-wrap, goalie gloves, cleats, my goalie jersey and my game uniforms. Oh, and water- there’s lots of water. My bag doesn’t smell bad. I only keep clean clothes in it. I always have Welch’s.” - Lauren Harrison BY KAYLA HARRIS On March 27, Coach Brian Mays, also known as “Biggs” was remembered at the Colonial Forge game. Mays passed on December 26th due to complications from diabetes. Not only did the Brooke Point baseball team and crowd remember him that night, they also retired his number 50 jersey. The announcer read off Coach Mays’ many outstanding accomplishments from throughout his lifetime not only with baseball but with his family. Many in the crowd wore ribbons with the number 50 pinned to their chests. As the list of achievements was read, May’s wife Karen held the arm of their son Jason at home plate. She then stepped to the edge of the pitcher’s mound and threw the first pitch to him. This pitch and catch would have surely made Mays proud. Coach Mays was respected and loved by his players. Alex Cox warms up before a game. “I have an Adidas soccer bag. It’s filled with everything I need for soccer like my two pairs of cleats, my indoor shoes, my game uniform and practice clothes. Usually, on a game day my dinner is in there too. It’s sort of smelly. I just throw everything in there and hope it doesn’t get crushed! ” - Nate Beckham Tyler Beiswanger readys for a serve. Athlete of the Month: Tyler Beiswanger Soccer team unites “As one” STORY BY LOGAN RITCHIE PHOTO BY KAYLA HARRIS Math teacher Alex Richett and business teacher Maywo Owalabi have stepped up to coach the boys’ soccer program. The new coaches have brought changes to the team. “They [the coaches] came into the season with a chip on their shoulders and something to prove. They’ve been pretty tough but as the season goes on, I expect they’ll lighten up a little bit,” senior captain Mikey Meyers said. The team started off with an 0 and 4 record. Meyers and the other team captain, senior Chris Cox have high hopes for the rest of the season. “We’ll definitely be able to improve,” Cox said. Meyers and Cox have their own ideas on what to do to see improvement this season. “The team needs to learn to play as a team and not just as individuals. If we can do that, then I know we can play well,” Meyers said. The varsity team has been improving during practice. Their first big test of these improve- ments was their game against the undefeated Colonial Forge. Brooke Point pulled off a 2 to 1 win. Senior Brian Milleson and Cox each scored a goal. “I was ecstatic when we won. It felt great,” Cox said. According to Meyers “the team dynamic has changed. The coaches have backed off a little and have let us [the captains] run the team more than we were able to before. We’ve started to play as more of a team.” Since the captains have gained more control, they have focused on using the teams’ strong points. “We’ve started running a new formation that fits everyone’s personal skill set. The team chemistry has improved as well,” Cox said. “Really that’s the only difference from the beginning of the season to now. The win over the Colonial Forge team has shown that Brooke Point can be one of the top soccer teams in the district. “[The win] proves to the district that we’re real competitors. We’re not going to lie on our backs and take it. We’re going to win!” Cox said. ent pitches derive from the way the pitcher grips the ball. Gripping the ball with seams causes the pitch to sink. Gripping the ball across the seams makes the pitch appear to rise. 2. PIVOT POINT. Pitcher gets body into position to begin pitch sequence. The pitch- er stands square to the target. Pitching is a straight line athletic action. Staying square maximizes power. 3. BALANCE POSITION. Pitcher gathers balance prior to the explosion. Timing is important. A clean pitch sequence starts with proper balance over posting knee. 4. LANDING & START POWER POSITION. Pitcher drives body forward, primarily with back leg. Hands break away from the body at the same time and motion to achieve balance and power. 5. POWER POSITION. STORY BY LOGAN RITCHIE PHOTO BY KAYLA HARRIS Senior Tyler Beiswanger has “been playing tennis on a varsity level for four years.” Beiswanger holds the number two spot on the team and is very excited to be this month’s Athlete of The Month. “I want to be the best Athlete of The Month of the year,” Beiswanger said. Beiswanger is well on his way to achieving this goal with one of the best records on the tennis team. He hopes to be able to keep this up even though he is missing a very important part of his game. His longtime friend senior Bryan Hodge is no longer on the team. “I miss Bryan,” said Beiswanger. Beiswanger’s pre-match rit- ual used to be “chest bumping with Bryan” but now he “cries and listens to sad Adele songs.” Beiswanger has one man helping him through this emotionally tough season, his coach John Montez. Montez is a social studies teacher and has been the boys’ tennis coach for eight years. “Montez is to tennis as the sun is to living creatures,” Beiswanger said. Beiswanger and Montez have shared a caring and joke filled relationship for the past four years. “I like the boy like someone likes a red-headed step child,” Montez said. Beiswanger “loves tennis” and is looking forward to the rest of the season. “It’s fun and it gets me looking ‘swoll’ for the ladies,” he said. The Art of the Fastball STORY BY NICOLE CALIRI PHOTO BY NICOLE CALIRI Each inning of a baseball game begins with the pitch. Freshman Tony Caliri demonstrates the six steps to a perfect pitch. 1. GRIP THE BALL. Differ- 6. 6. 5. 4. Pitcher reaches full stride, at least 80% of his height in length. Glove side arm tucks under chest to provide balance. Pitching arm moves above the shoulder and prepares the pitcher to turn and rotate upper trunk properly. 6. FOLLOW THROUGH. 3. 2. Pitcher ends up over front knee. Hands flow down toward hip side providing proper follow through and transition to fielding position. 1. 6 FEATURE The Hawkeye Pedersen makes history BY CYMBER MARTIN PHOTO BY KENNEDY VEASLEY Social studies teacher Jeffrey Pedersen has experienced more in his first year of teaching at Brooke Point than the normal classroom management and first year jitters. In February, he was named the recipient of the First Year Teacher of the Year Award. “I was pretty much in shock for the next 30 minutes,” Pedersen said. “From my understanding, it was a decision that the administrators made. I was told after the fact that it was one of the easiest decisions they made.” Pedersen wasn’t sure how the results would be received by his students. “I didn’t say anything to my students at first. A couple days later some students came up to me and said ‘Congratulations!’ Apparently another teacher had said something,” he said. “So I started telling my other classes and I got cheers and applause.” Pederson’s students have no doubt as to why he was awarded New Teacher of the Year. “I was happy for him,” said Mikaela Smith, a senior in Pedersen’s Advanced Placement Government Class. “I think he’s a really nice teacher. He uses all of these new techniques like texting polls and all this new technology in class.” Pedersen’s co-worker and fellow social studies teacher Sarah Brown also commends his teaching abilities. “He’s really nice and he cares about the kids a lot. He’s constantly trying to find new ways to reach [students]. Because he is so willing to look in different ways to try to teach, he’s very adaptable to the needs of the kids,” she said. “They know he really cares and he’ll do whatever it takes to help them. Even though it causes him to work harder and do more work, he’s going to do whatever he can to help them succeed.” Pedersen ensures students’ success by interacting with them beyond the walls of his classroom. “I think the biggest thing is I’m an over achiever in a lot of things,” Pedersen said. “I’m never happy just doing what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m always trying to do more. This year, I am teaching AP Government and coaching JV Volleyball. I’m also the sponsor for the Key Club.” Pederson has also been active in teacher development programs. He has made presentations locally and at the national level. The next step for Pedersen is consideration as Stafford County’s First Year Teacher of the Year. “Basically they want us to put together a portfolio,” Pedersen said. “And so one of the first things I did was ask students to write recommendations. The ones that I have gotten have been very positive.” Tolson served staff person award BY CALAH JONES PHOTO BY KENNEDY VEASLEY “I love my job,” said Staff Person of the Year Martha Tolson. “I love getting up every morning to come here and I love the people I work with. I used to be the baker when I first started here and I loved it. I still love what I do, like, greeting the kids every morning and being with my co-workers.” This is Tolson’s fourth year as assistant cafeteria manager. She has worked at Brooke Point for about ten years. Tolson has four children and two grandchildren. “I started in school nutrition in Prince William County when my son was five years old. Then we moved to Stafford County,” she said. “I was a stay at home mom until my daughter started kindergarten.” Tolson was named Staff Person of the Year at a faculty meeting in February. “It was definitely a surprise to be announced Staff Person of the Year. We were all just sitting in the room eating our breakfast and talking and when the an- nouncements came on, I heard Mr. McClellan announce the surprise. That was my first time hearing about it,” Tolson said chuckling. Tolson has participated in several events at the school. She prepared and organized the food for the Fine Arts Department Renaissance Feast in December. She also coordinated the food for the Commonwealth District Gymnastics Meet held in February. “For the Renaissance Feast, we had to order the food and prepare it. We organized and served all the food. It was a lot of fun getting to see all the kids and meeting all the parents,” she said. Tolson is proud to be the second person on the cafeteria staff to be recognized as Staff Person of the Year. Cafeteria manager, Michelle Bresnahan was announced Staff Person of the Year for 2010-2011. “When I first heard that I was announced Staff Person of The Year, I was in total shock,” she said. “It really was an honor to be recognized like that.” April 5, 2012 BPHS 2012 After-Prom Tickets on Sale The following days during all lunches tickets will be on sale: (10:45-12:45) Monday, April 30 Tuesday, May 1 Wednesday, May 2 Thursday, May 3 Friday, May 4 All Pre-Sale tickets are $25. Tickets at the door are $30. FREE TSHIRT WITH ALL PRE-SALE TICKETS! Hawk in the Nest: Senior Luke Phillips BY MEGHAN BERMINGHAM PHOTO BY KENNEDY VEASLEY Senior Luke Philips has already been accepted to one prestigious school, Penn State. He is now awaiting word regarding his acceptance from his top choice, The Naval Academy. “I either want to be in the military or in some intelligence or security agency. I hope when that time comes I am a better leader and speaker than I am now,” Philips said. Philips has grown up in a military family. His passion for America has come from his upbringing. “I just want to do my part to make the world a better place than it was when I found it,” he said. Philips’ goals include “helping keep America safe, helping people to understand how the world works and doing whatever I can to get our nation and our world ahead in space colonization.” He would also like to promote volunteer conservation, find out what it means to be an American and figure out what the human condition is. Family and teachers have influenced Philips throughout his life but he believes that he is the main character in his life. “I don’t mean to sound narcissistic but I believe that as an in- dividual I am the most important person in my life. I am wholly responsible for my own actions and I have complete power over myself,” Philips said. Philips tries to keep his life organized in order to keep his grades up as well stay in top physical shape for the military. “I like to make plans for the various things I do and can do. This process takes a while, but it helps me to stay on track,” he said. Philips also enjoys learning about the ever changing world around him. “I enjoy reading world news and analyzing global trends. I do my best to analyze world affairs,” he said. “I find it fascinating.” Philips holds many things dear to him in his life but one item in particular holds more value than most. “I have a desert camo boonie hat my dad sent back from operation Iraqi Freedom,” he said. “It has been with me on most of my adventures in America’s wildernesses.” Among people who serve as role models in Philip’s life, Benjamin Franklin is the most inspiring. “He improved himself, made friends of all sorts of people, served his community immensely and found wisdom along the way,” Philips said. “I want to do that.” BP-13 Announcements on air for select classes BY HALEY FISHER The hard working students of BP13 broadcast every day during the last ten minutes of second block. However, the broadcasts are not shown in every class. “Playing the announcements is a choice. Although we do encourage teachers to play them every day, it’s understandable if they are in the middle of a test or the teacher is not done with their lesson plan,” Assistant Principal Rita Cavataio said. Video teacher William Leap and his students spend hours every day creating the announcements. “The first block creates the extra content and stories and I spend another thirty minutes writing the script and preparing it. Then the students in my second block spend ninety minutes filming the rest of the show,” Leap said. Sophomore Devin Summer does not get to watch the announcements in his class. “It bugs me because I really like knowing if Brooke Point won the game and it is also nice to knowing the weather,” he said. Students often talk and become disruptive during the time allotted for the announcements. “Listening to the announcements is important but my teacher never plays them because no one will be quiet and listen,” senior Brittany Shaw said. “I like hearing what is going on in the school and being updated on events.” Freshman Erica Drayton watches the announcements often. “As a freshman, listening to the announcements can help [me] and gives [me] a lot of information about what’s going on in the school,” she said. Even those who do often watch the announcements don’t get to see the entire show. They often run over and students miss out on some of the information. “It’s valuable but I wish they wouldn’t put national news on and focus on what’s going on here at Brooke Point,” art teacher Stephanie Athanasaw said. Art teacher Rondall James has a very different view from Athanasaw. “I like the national news part because it keeps them [students] educated on what’s going on since many of them don’t pay attention or watch the news,” he said. There are other times and different ways for the announcements to be presented. History and Learn and Serve teacher Laura Lacey has an alternative option. “The announcements are very important but it’s hard to keep students on task and not just visit. The announcements are our primary source of information here and Mr. Leap does a great job. I just wish they were during homeroom and not the end of second block,” she said. “I think it’s important to get information to students timely. Unfortunately our present system does not do that and takes ten minute out of class time to do so,” chemistry teacher Scott Walters said “Students have school fusion, computer access, newsletters, homeroom and many more opportunities to get this information. How many other reminders do you need? What’s the sense in playing the announcements when students just use it as chat time? I think the announcements should be played during all lunch shifts with closed captioning.” Students have many different ways to find out the information given to them by BP13. “The announcements are also online from about lunch until the next day when the new one is posted. There is also a podcast and a written version online on the school website and also most of the information of the announcements is played throughout the day on the television,” Leap said. “We make it so there are many other ways that students can get this information.” April 5, 2012 Question of the Month Is the enforcement of the yoga pants and leggings policy fair? Senior Paul Abdallah “I think it’s a good thing because it’s a reason of not being appropriate [in school]” Junior Stephen Mandell “I think it’s dumb. Leggings and Jeggings are not hurting anyone or affecting kids’ learning environments.” Sophomore Caroline Whitehouse “I feel that in some instances leggings are ok. It’s when they are overly form fitting, then it’s completely inappropriate, but if it’s not showing anything less than jeans would, it’s ok.” Freshman Mason WIlliams “It’s stupid. They need to bring them back. It’s really pointless and I don’t see any reason in it since kids wear pajama bottoms” to school as well.” 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 Nicole Caliri Bob Edelman News Editor Cymber Martin Entertainment Editor Kaitlyn Beiswanger Sports Editor Connor Amano Assistant Sports Editor Riley Harrigan Feature Editor Logan Ritchie Opinion Editor The Hawkeye OPINION Straight edge fad dies out BY AMANDA RIDELLA PHOTO BY NICOLE CALIRI Deciding to claim ‘edge’ is a lifelong commitment. Being straight edge means no drug use, no smoking, no drinking and can extend to no promiscuous sex, following a vegetarian or vegan diet and not using caffeine or prescribed drugs. It’s not something that can be claimed for a week or year or so to fit in. It’s meant to be lifelong. Straight edge emerged from the hardcore punk music scene in the mid-eighties. Minor Threat first coined the term in their song “Straight edge,” which is why the students who claim edge are mostly in the local music scene or attempt to be. Every year that I have been in high school, there has been a straight edge icon. There was always a guy or group of guys other kids would flock to for advice. This is the first year I’ve walked through the hallway without seeing a “Drug free” hoodie or a shirt with a big X printed across it. Why the decrease in straight edge this year? What does straight edge even mean to the public or to those that claim it or have claimed it? BY BRIEANNA BOOKTER The Stafford County 20112012 Substitute Handbook states, “As a substitute teacher, you are expected to be an excellent role model and utilize the plans and resources made available to you.” Brooke Point is lucky to have good substitutes. They have read the handbook and put the guidelines into action. Student disrespect towards substitutes has been an issue discussed among students, teachers and administrators. However, many substitutes at Brooke Point do not follow the rules established Copy Editor 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. At first, students get the idea they’re doing the right thing or that they’re a positive influence not realizing the real reason they claim straight edge isn’t for themselves. They claim it for fitting in because that’s all high school students want. The reason there’s a decrease is because people who claimed edge, did it to fit in with that group of people in the music scene. Now that the straight edge trend setters have graduated, current students have found no need to wear clothing that is meant to show off what they’ve claimed to be. A majority of students in the music scene have also graduated so that group isn’t as influential on other students. The term “YOLO” (you only live once) has increased in popularity this year in daily use and among social sites. Many students wanted to have an ideal senior year which includes in drinking, smoking and sex. With no one to impress but their friends who do the same thing, students don’t see a problem in these activi- in the handbook and show disrespect towards their students. As students, we are expected to display excellent behavior while our teacher is away and accomplish the objectives our teacher has left for us. But, as a student, I find some substitutes’ unprofessional behavior and disrespect towards the class distracting, making it difficult to complete my work. Substitute disrespect towards students is a problem that needs to be fixed if classrooms are to be productive while a teacher is absent. My problem with some substitutes is their relative inexperience with teenagers. Many can- not relate to teenagers and react to the way high school students behave. They immediately act defensively towards the class and expect the students to misbehave. This quick reaction causes a stir in the classroom that skews the entire time of the class. Substitutes are required to have at least a teaching certificate or an undergraduate degree. But if a school is in need of a substitute and someone is not available with the education requirements someone with less education, will be contacted to teach. I find this disconcerting and somewhat contradicting. The handbook requires substitutes to “Demonstrate appropriate use of written, verbal or other forms of effective communication.” I have had many substitutes who speak incorrectly. It’s often hard to understand what they are saying. I have also been in class with a substitute who made inappropriate comments towards students and the subject that was being studied. Substitutes are not professional teachers. Substitutes are human and are going to make mistakes. It would be helpful if the administrators evaluated the substitute’s ability to teach objectives, manage a classroom and interact with students. Substitutes are adults who have been trusted with the responsibility to monitor, teach and mentor a class for a period of time when the teacher is absent. Some substitutes view substitute teaching as babysitting and do not put forth their full effort into it. Students will not respect a substitute who disrespects the responsibility of leading the class and the students in it. How can students respect a substitute if the respect is not mutual? tive within their culture. They changed the word into something different. The word gay has also taken on a different meaning. While this meaning is not as positive as the “n-word”, it is not meant to be derogatory towards homosexuals. The new meaning of words like gay, fag, or queer is the same as weird or stupid. They’re used as terms when someone is upset, such as “darn” or “dang it” or describing a person who is acting out of character. This usage is reminiscent of the definition of queer. According to eymonline.com, the word queer was originally used to describe something as “peculiar, eccentric, [or] strange.” Then in 1922, the word was first used to describe homosexuality. Words have an ever-changing nature and to attempt to stop this evolution is impossible. Words like “gay”, “fag”, or “queer” were once used negatively against the homosexual communities. Now they have changed into what could also be perceived as a “negative” connotation. By using these terms (gay, fag, etc.) in place of stupid or different a thin line is created. Words like gay, fag, or queer become synonymous with words like stupid or different. But homosexuals are never equated to being stupid, idiotic, etc., because of their differing usages. Words like “gay”, “fag”, and “queer” have unquestionably changed. To pretend or act like they have not is insulting to those who are homosexual, much more insulting than the evolution of a word. Those who are still insulted by these words hang on to the discriminatory definition of these words are hypocrites. They would rather allow a word to continue to discriminate, continue to hold power, rather than let it become harmless. Change is happening, change is inevitable, and change is good. Those who deny this change are monsters, and while all intentions are good, they are doing more harm than good. considered offensive and hateful without even realizing what we are saying. Hurtful words such as fag, faggot and gay are used not always in a hurtful manner, but more often than not, achieve that goal. Fag, faggot and gay are thrown around in the hallways with little or no thought about whom they may be offending. Lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual students, the LGBT community, bear the brunt of the bias from straight students who don’t understand what those hurtful words really mean. As a student body, we need to come together to not only end the use of the words fag and gay, but we need to come together to spread a wider message of peace and understanding. The word fag has been compared to using the “n-word,” an understandable juxtaposition. The nword has been used to demean African Americans and spread a hateful message. The same can be said for the word fag in this day and age. The word demeans and spreads hateful messages against the LGBT community. The use of the word simply has to be stopped if we ever plan to advance past gay discrimination. Nothing can come from using vulgar, hurtful language but hate. The first step to ending discrimination is to cut these words from our vocabulary entirely. To be gay or bisexual is not a choice. The LGBT community lives by a motto: “We were born this way.” Using discriminatory words only contribute to the hatred that already plagues the human race as we know it. As a collective human population, why is it that we go out of our way to pinpoint certain cultural groups? Is it because of a passage in a holy book? Is it because of “morals” that lead some to believe that a certain person is any less a human because they find an emotional connection with the same sex? If so, doesn’t that contradict the very bigoted attitude that most morals tell against? Gay hate must stop. The first step to ending the discrimination is discontinuing the use of fag, faggot, queer and gay. As an anti-gay hate website advertises… “Some dudes marry dudes. . . Get over it.” Editorial Board: Using the word ‘gay’ PRO BY CONNOR AMANO Gay. Fag. Queer. These words were once used to express hate or distaste for homosexuals. The key words in the previous sentence are “were once used.” This usage is no longer the intent of words like “gay” or “fag”, at least not the majority of the time. All words and definitions go through some type of evolution in their lifetime. This change has been happening with former “derogatory” terms since the appropriation of the “n-word” in AfricanAmerican culture. African-Americans were at one point labeled with the “nword.” The use of this word was exclusively to discriminate, express hatred, and belittle black people all over the country. But then something happened that no bigot or racist could account for when they created the “n-word.” Black people everywhere began to use the word as a greeting, as a synonym for “friend”, and as something posi- CON BY RILEY HARRIGAN So often as teenagers, we use words that we don’t truly understand. We use words that are Letters to the Editor Student Life Editor Cymber Martin Two students model their straight edge apparel. ties. Even students who once claimed edge don’t see a problem because once again, they’re doing it to fit in. This year there have been a number of drug related expulsions and long term suspensions. Do students need drugs for themselves or for their friends? Most students aren’t even 18 so they can’t smoke. Even more so high schoolers, being under the age of 21, are not legally able to drink. Claiming edge before being legally able to even do these activities just makes the student a law abiding citizen. Doing drugs is illegal. Not doing them makes the student a law abiding citizen. The need to label oneself with a group of people is ridiculous since the students are just following the law. No one claimed edge for themselves. They claimed it for the image and the friends they received with it. All any student wants in high school is to fit in and have friends. Students will follow any trend that starts as long as they have a leader figure to follow and people to do it with them. Since students will follow anything to fit in, who’s to say what they will do next? Substitutes ‘act out’ towards students Matthew Flanagan Amanda Ridella 7 Dear Editor, Recently the school has enforced a no legging, no yoga pants rule, making the student body clearly upset. To some extent this rule is necessary (tights are not pants) but yoga pants, on the other hand are pants. We understand that yoga pants show a female’s figure but they are very comfortable and easy to maneuver in. Jeans these days are just as tight as yoga pants. Does that mean the school is going to ban jeans too? Some people can’t afford fancy jeans so they buy yoga pants instead. Leggings and yoga pants should be acceptable for P.E. because they are a form of exercise attire. What else should we wear? If you walk into any gym, 9 out of 10 people will be wearing yoga pants. It’s not fair or acceptable that some girl’s P.E. grade drops because all she has to wear is yoga pants. Yoga pants or no pants! - Freshmen Kalan Branch & Caitlyn Hilland Dear Editor, I really enjoyed the article on Black History Month. At first, reading the pro side, I completely agreed. But, the con side made me think. Now I’m not so sure what I agree with. Greatjob! I think the article on interracial dating is a little biased. It says that race shouldn’t be a factor in a relationship when actually, it should. The challenges that come with diverse couples is immense. Our cultures are so different nowadays. Family, friends and onlookers all come into play. Same race relationships have their share of problems, now a entirely new and serious problem has arose. I don’t think that racism is why interracial dating is an issue among communities. I agree that it is still a bit taboo. Not only will the couple be constantly judged but if they decide to go for the long haul, their children will be affected. In the African-American community we’re are a little stand-offish to mixed or lighter-skinned individuals. So yes, there is nothing wrong with interracial dating but, no, racism and hatred is not a part of the main issues they face (although it is an issue). - Freshmen Kiana Thomas Dear Editor, I read the article, “New late work plan turned in late.” I was amazed about what is going on in the AP, IB and DE classes. Sure, I may be a freshman but I know what this means for the students at Brooke Point. I’m in an AP class and am planning to get a full IB diploma. Rather than this policy, yes policy, not plan, helping to “reduce student stress,” it does the opposite and increases stress. I completely agree that it is not fair that you need an excuse for being late or absent. Sure, Mrs.Cavataio is nice and un- derstanding, but how is she to know if we are actually sick? I can’t get a doctor’s note if I’m just vomiting or I have something else. It’s our parent’s judgment stating whether or not we stay home. If we keep this policy/plan, then a parent’s note should suffice. As you can see, this article made me a little mad and I think that the policy/plan is unfair. The school uses the excuse, “that student’s need to ‘reduce stress.’ Well, this plan/policy increases stress. To reduce stress make a “no homework day” or something. I know that people agree with me. If there is a way to prevent this plan becoming a policy, then I bet the student body will respond well to it. Thank you for your time! Letters to the Editor - Freshmen Care to share your opinion with the Hawkeye staff? Send a letter to room 216 or email [email protected]. Please be sure to include your name and grade. Letters without names cannot be published in the paper. Thank you. - The Hawkeye Staff 8 STUDENT LIFE The Hawkeye April 5, 2012 Deutschland kommt zu Stafford, Virginia BY SABRINA SAMMEL PHOTO BY ASHLEY PEARCE On March 21, Johannes Weigel and Elisabeth Griesbauer set foot in the United States for the first time in their lives. Both students were a long way from their hometown of Straubing, Germany. After many weeks of planning, paperwork and constant communication, they flew to Dulles National Airport. The two students are a part of the German American Partnership Program (GAPP) between the Anton Brucker Gymnasium in Straubing and Brooke Point High School in Stafford. The GAPP program specializes in student exchanges between the United States and Germany. The exchange program allows the German students to reside in Stafford for a minimum of three weeks while they attend Brooke Point. Later in the year, their Brooke Point hosts will travel to Germany and spend three weeks at the Anton Brucker Gymnasium. Weigel stayed with freshman Mary Green and her family. “I like Mary. She is very nice,” Weigel said. Griesbauer stayed with sophomore Donyae Johnson. “I like her. She’s funny and you can do fun things with her,” Griesbauer said. Green and Johnson were nervous about their friends’ arrivals. They had never spoken in person only through Skype. German exchange students sit around eating lunch. At Dulles National Airport, Weigel and Griesbauer were greeted heartily and welcomed to the United States. “We waited for them in customs. It was a long time before they came out. I saw her and it was so exciting,” Johnson said. Griesbauer and the exchange students were held up for a while in the airport before they were able to meet their hosts. “We waited in the immigration office for two hours. It was exhausting. I was so happy to get out and go see Donyae.” Griesbauer said. As the hosts waited, Green held up a sign made especially for her German friend. “His [Weigel] face was re- ally red. I had a pink sign and his face lit up when he saw it,” Green said. Weigel and the exchange students were finally released from immigration and allowed to see their friends. “I went out and saw a sign with my name on it and we said hello,” Weigel said. Even though Weigel and Griesbauer have been in America a week, they have done many things that they wanted to do. “I like fast food and different sports like football. High school is very different in Germany,” Weigel said. Both found themselves enjoying American customs. Griesbauer found herself particularly enjoying American shopping. “[I like] the cheaper clothes and the language and the people who are very nice,” she said. “I want to see a basketball game and [go to] Taco Bell,” Weigel said. Green and Johnson have enjoyed showing their friends around Stafford and Brooke Point. “It’s amazing. I’m getting a lot of attention,” Green said. Johnson is excited and nervous to be traveling to Germany with her German host. “I’m so excited to meet her family, visit her farm and eat foods I’ve never eaten before,” Johnson said. Overall both, Weigel and Griesbauer have enjoyed themselves to the fullest in America. “At first I was scared [to leave] but I was really excited to go to the USA. It is really exciting,” Griesbauer said. Music is made “For the Republic” BY BRIEANNA BOOKTER PHOTO PROVIDED BY “FOR THE REPUBLIC” Senior Jake Shinn and sophomore Jake Thompson’s friendship has been forged through music. In July 2011, the two friends formed their band “For the Republic.” Thompson plays bass and sings. Shinn plays guitar. CJ Ballesteros plays drums and Brett Minard plays guitar. Ballesteros and Minard graduated in 2011. Shinn and Thompson named the band “For the Republic” because they used to play Star Wars video games together. “On the game, they would yell ‘For the Republic’ and we thought that would be an awesome band name,” Shinn said. The boys formed the band to play shows. The two were determined to reduce the number of hardcore bands in the Fred- ericksburg area. Their music, described as post-punk, is influenced by Title Fight, Such Gold and (old) Transit. The camaraderie in the band is strong. They love to spoon and drink Arnold Palmers. They even have matching rocket ship costumes. The boys have been friends since middle school. “On a scale from one to ten, Jake’s a man dime. I think he’d say the same about me,” Shinn says about Thompson. Shinn was correct. Thompson said the same about him. “We are seriously the same person. It’s weird. We are like an old married couple. Yeah, we reached that stage. We used to be a new married couple but now we are an old one,” Thompson said. “For the Republic” played a basement show on March 16, 2012 which featured three originals songs and one cover. The original songs that were played were “I’m a homerun hitter,” “I got my bike stolen in Suburbia” and “Obsolete.” The boys covered “Josie” by Blink182. The band hoped for a bigger crowd but were happy with the results. About 30 people attended the show, hosted by Ballesteros. For their next show, the band hopes to plan the event better and put in more practice. They believe this will result in a bigger crowd. Ad paid for by Matthew Flanagan JOSIE UNRUH, WILL YOU GO TO PROM WITH ME?