issue 13, april 2012 - Stafford High School

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the
Stafford High School
Smoke Signal
Volume 67, Issue 13
33 Stafford Indian Lane, Fredericksburg, Va
April 2012
NHS inducts
new members
Valerie Lampert
Staff Writer
Caught in the act: A new policy states that any student who arrives late to school in the mornings with breakfast will have their
Every year, more
breakfast confiscated until the very end of the school day. This new rule is causing controversy among students and faculty.
and
more
high school stuPhoto by Shannon Cooke
dents are inducted into
National Honor Society.
Stafford High School held
its annual NHS induction
ceremony on March 22 to
Tardy policy causes
uproar on Twitter
welcome the club’s new
members.
NHS is a program that helps students
learn leadership and creates a desire for them to
help out in their community. Students in grades 10
through 12 are eligible for
NHS, but that is not the
Students respond to regulations, face consequences
Shannon Cooke
Editor-in-Chief
Principal Joe Lewis
said on the intercom on
Wednesday, March
21, that, due to an
increase in the number of students arriving late to school in the
mornings, any student
who comes in late with
food would have their
food confiscated.
The Free-Lance Star
and ABC News have both
covered the recent events,
but have not satisfied the
several questions that are
unanswered to the stu-
lined up in front of the attendance desk to receive
late passes to their first
block classes.
assistant principal Andrew Bathke said. “The
issue primarily exists
with those who drive to
school. They are responsible for their acYou had time to go to McDonald’s,
tions.
For the majorbut you didn’t have time to show up
ity
of
the
students who
to school on time?
drive
to
school…
being
-Assistant principal Andrew Bathke
late is their choice.”
Bathke walked to the
dents involved.
”You had time to go front lobby and stood on
The story began that to McDonald’s, but you top of a bench to address
Wednesday
morning, didn’t have time to show
Tweets page 2
when the typical crowd up to school on time?”
See
Staying in character: Junior Megan Walton Sophomore Erin
Lottes perform a scene together in rehearsal. Lottes plays
Alice, the main character who finds herself in a strange world.
The costumes reflected the whimsical atmosphere of the play.
Photo by Emily Pearce
Students excel in World Language Competition
Calendar
Spring Break
Spring Sports
Warmer Weather
Spring Break
College Acceptance
Letters
Forensics Team
index
News...............1-2 Opinion..............3 Sports.............5-7
SH
sacrificed
for humor
and
entertainment.
“The announcers cheated and
jumped in the game,”
junior Stevie Luck said.
“The teachers would get
five points instead of two
and got extra foul shots.”
As result of the tireless efforts of preparing
and advertising, Learn and
Serve was able to reach the
goals they had hoped to
meet.
“In the end it all
turned out better then I
had expected,” Freeney
said. “Everyone who
came seemed to be
pretty entertained
and we collected
over one hundred cans.”
Mad
n
e
s
s
what’s hot
Learn and
Serve hosted its
first annual Tribe
Madness basketball
game on March 8.
“Tribe madness was
a student verses faculty
basketball game,” junior
Amanda Freeney said.
“We were also trying to
collect cans of food to donate to S.E.R.V.E.”
S.E.R.V.E. is fighting
the uphill battle of hunger
in our area, and is dedicated to their cause.
“S.E.R.V.E. is a non
profit organization that
provides free food for
families that are
having financial
problems,” junior Victoria
Light said.
Caitlin Green
Staff Writer
The cast of Alice in
Wonderland has been
working to perfect the
play since the beginning
of February in preparation for the upcoming
performances on April
19, 20 and 21.
One of the major challenges of putting on the
play is the iconic characters.
“The big difference be-
ribe
ST
April 7-15
Alice in
Wonderland
April 19-21
Prom
April 28
Dillon Baden
Staff Writer
Preparing for the event was
no easy task. Preparation
required time and hard
work.
“It was a lot of work,”
Light said. “Our class was
split into different groups
and we all accomplished
different tasks.”
Learn and Serve had to
advertise the event to the
entire student body using signs and fliers around
school because this is the
first year this event was
held. They had the difficulty of creating an event
without any knowledge
from previous years.
“Making all of it happen was really stressful and
crazy,” Frenney said. “We
had to track down people
who wanted to play, find
time in the gym to have
the game, and make posters and fliers to actually get
the word out.”
The basketball game
was set up in order to ensure a faculty victory. The
normal rules were
Students prepare for
Alice in Wonderland
See Maddness page 2
Student Life...4, 8-12
tween this play and the
others I’ve been in is how
well-known Alice is,” said
sophomore Erin Lottes,
who will play Alice. “Most
people know Alice from
the book or the Disney
movie, so it’s hard not to
be the same Alice that everyone’s seen before.”
This story is also well
known for being visually
interesting. Some of the
See Alice page 2
countdown
days until Spring
Break
3
days until Prom
24
days until
Graduation
73
days until the
beginning of
Summer
78
Issue 13, April 4, 2012
News
2
www.staffordsmokesignal.com
puts modern
Students resist Drama
twist on classic ‘Alice’
new policies
Continued from page 1
Continued from page 1
the late students.
“Immediately following the time change, there
were many, many tardies,”
Bathke said. “The morning that I stood up was
the third such in a row…
the disconcerting part is
that there were many repeat offenders [that day]”
Several students responded to Bathke’s
speech.
“I thought it was a bit
ridiculous,” senior Tatianna Tonnacliff said. “A
better approach would
have been dealing with
the traffic instead of
punishing the students,
which I think is the real
problem.”
The late students went
about the rest of their
school day.
However, that very
same day, Lewis’s voice
came over the intercom to
make the announcement.
Lewis said that all confiscated food would be returned to the students at
the end of the day.
This announcement
set off a chain reaction.
Some students were confused and angered and
took to Twitter. Over 20
students tweeted about
the new policy, many of
them saying how they believed that it was unfair.
“No one is doing anything to keep trafiic moving,” junior Derek Cunningham said. “An easy
scapegoat would be to
place the fault on the students.”
What the students
didn’t know was that their
tweets were public and
that administrators were
able to see that they were
tweeting during school
hours, and use disciplinary action.
“It’s an outrage that
teachers are going out of
their way to get a student
in trouble,” said Cunningham. “My tweets were humorous, but got my point
across to anyone who read
it, be it a teacher, student,
or administator.”
The
administration
took action and called
down five students who
had been tweeting during
that day to suspend them.
“I was called down
during fourth block and
the administration had
several pages printed
out of students who had
tweeted during the day,”
said one of the students
who was suspended for
using their phone during
school. “They had records
that proved that more
people had tweeted, but
they got to pick and chose
who they suspended and
didn’t, which is really unfair to us.”
The students who were
suspended quickly responded.
“I wrote a letter and
sent it to Mr. Lewis
and my suspension was
dropped the very next
week,” said the suspended
student.
Although several students threatened to meet
up and purposefully arrive late with food in their
hands, no such protest
occurred.
Since
the
policy
change, very few people
have arrived late to school
with breakfast in hand.
“It’s not the food that’s
an issue. It’s not fast
food that’s an issue,” said
Bathke. “The issue is with
people not meeting their
responsibilities and obligations.”
to execute many of the effects,” said Chad Johnson.
The cast has to put in
a lot of time and effort in
outside of school rehearsals to prepare for the play.
“My character is the
white rabbit, so to prepare
for my part I watched
over four hours of rabbit
Gold Patron
Katherine Drumm
Paula Chestnut
Meg & Dave
Bohmke
Shirley Louisor
Tony G. Owens
Felton Family
Lori Yelverton
Shila Patel
Mr. & Mrs. Dwight
Roberson
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Mark & Tracey
Woodyard
Jennette Lock
Kimberly Vaughn
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Baker
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tics
Dana Stonesifer
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The UPS Store
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Stephen Lisco
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Cindy Knutson
Angela Donald
Soon Kim
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Thomas
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Brown
Morgan Silver
Elisabeta Ferruku
Jillian Weisbeck
Patty Fenwick
Shannon Coche
Barbara Humphrey
Todd Nosal
John Romarello
Nancy & Skip
even be a part of the play
I could have gotten any
role and been happy in
it,” junior Megan Walton, who was cast as the
Duchess, said. “My favorite part is all the friendships and experiences
you gain, and that feeling
of accomplishment after
your final performance.”
helping others and the
community.”
Although many newcomers of NHS were inducted at the ceremony,
they were not the only
ones. Junior Rebekah
Kim was inducted as the
new president of the organization.
As president, Kim
will have many responsibilities. She will be in
charge of all of the NHS
membership
meetings
and will lead the officers
of the club. Kim will also
make sure that the voices
and opinions of members
and advisers are well balanced.
“It means quite a lot
[to be president]. I have
been wishing to learn how
to lead a large amount of
members in a club, and
I think NHS clearly can
teach me that,” Kim said.
“Being a new president
of a traditional and honored club like NHS means
working hard, so I’m really looking forward to it.
She also said that the
program has changed the
way she looks at things
around school. Next year,
Kim hopes to make NHS
even more active and attractive to its members.
She wants to show students that NHS is more
than just a club that looks
good on college applications.
NHS now has many
new members that are
willing to help out their
community. These inductees will surely have
great experiences with the
community.
NHS continues tradition
continued from page 1
college applications.
This is a big motivator for
many students who were
inducted into the club,
such as sophomore Jacob
Chance.
“[NHS] will provide
me with a life experience
of helping others and will
improve my chances of
being accepted into the
college of my choice,”
Chance said. He also said
that NHS would give him
an opportunity to better
himself personally.
Another
inductee,
sophomore
Rachael
Dreistadt, is excited for
the community service
she will be doing.
“NHS will benefit me
because of the service
aspect,” Dreistadt said.
“I am looking forward to
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videos,” said senior Michael Musatow. “I can accurately mimic their habits when they are scared,
nervous, startled, and
otherwise.”
All the time and energy that the cast spent on
the play eventually pays
off on and off the stage.
“I am so pleased to
Brandon
Nancy Hames
Kay Braun
Tyler West
Margo & Scott
Jones
Melanie Sutherland
Dan & Judy Dugan
Madi Teaster
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Opinion
Issue 13, April 4, 2012
3
www.staffordsmokesignal.com
Is Twitter worth all the drama?
Shannon Cooke
Editor-in-Chief
Lately, all Stafford students can talk, and tweet
about, is the media attention surrounding the new
tardy policies.
First the Free-Lance
Star covered the issue in
an article on the front
page. You know it’s a dull
week when the front page
news headline is “Student
tweets lead to trouble.”
As if that weren’t
enough, the very next day,
news cameras showed up
outside the SHS parking lot to cover the story.
Needless to say, students
tuned in that night, cell
phones in hand, tweeting
along with the news.
The fact of the matter
is, if a student comes to
school five minutes late
with Chik-fil-A in hand,
it doesn’t take a detective
to figure out why they
were late.
The problem seems to
have shifted from food, to
privacy. Students are angry with the administration for using Twitter to
suspend them for using
their cell phones.
Students on Twitter
have complained that the
Trying to see the big picture
Ryan Hazelgren
Columnist
I remember the day I
realized the world doesn’t
suck that bad. It was a year
and three months ago, on
December 30, 2010. The
only reason I remember
the exact day is because
it was my sixteenth birthday.
My family and I were
eating in a super posh restaurant in downtown DC
called Fogo de Chão. We
were eating lunch because
it’s the type of restaurant
that charges $50 a plate
for dinner. I felt spoiled.
So we sat down to eat
at one of those small, annoying tables right in the
middle of the restaurant,
the ones that make you
feel like you’re constantly
in someone’s way.
Immediately, I noticed
something odd. Right behind me was a huge table
seating
approximately
15 people. They were all
military servicemen, still
in their combat fatigues.
Amongst all the uppity
diners decked out in formal attire, these guys
might as well have been
naked. Heads were turning everywhere.
I immediately as-
sumed that they were being honored for heroism
or something like that.
It’s not every day you see
a small platoon of soldiers eating in a five-star
restaurant.
But then I looked back
again and I notice someone I didn’t see at first.
Sitting in the center of all
of them was an old man
with a patch-covered
black jacket on, hunched
over in his chair.
I kept watching. While
the soldiers were mostly
talking to each other, every once in awhile, one
of them would turn to
the old man, smile, and
start a small conversation
with him, as if out of obligation. I was confused.
Who is that guy? What’s
he doing there?
For the next 45 minutes or so, I kept checking
over to their table to try
and figure out what was
going on, with no luck.
Finally, I watched the soldiers push their chairs in,
figuring I’d never know
they were there.
Then,
something
strange happened. The
servicemen, instead of
leaving for the door as
a group, lined up and
began to shake the old
man’s hand, one by one.
So that’s it, I thought. He
is some kind of honorary
figure.
Even after every soldier had left the restaurant, though, the old man
stuck around. Now I’m
really puzzled. What’s he
doing? Then it happened.
He reached into his
pocket, pulled out his
wallet, and started slapping bills on the table,
paying for every single
one of the soldiers at
his table, in cash. I was
stunned. The total must
have been around three
or four hundred dollars.
I got my parents attention
and motioned toward the
table. Their jaws dropped
as mine had.
I won’t get any sappier
than I need to; the story
speaks for itself. Let’s just
say my faith in humanity
had increased by a couple
of factors. How could it
not? It was like a movie
happening right there in
front of me. Who knew
things like that actually
happen?
Fast forward to April
2012. We’ve just had three
solid weeks of controversy or negativity. First,
there was the whole Challenge Day thing. Then
there was the controversy
surrounding Kony 2012.
Now there’s the tardiness
firestorm. When does it
stop?
Look, I’m not trying
to argue for or against
any of these topics. Well,
actually I am. One is ignorant (why is it that all
the Challenge Day haters
calling for “real education” are the same people
that complain about do-
ing homework?), one is
hysterical (Invisible Children cofounder + public
masturbation = comedy),
and one is a classic case of
a couple scrubs ruining
things for everyone else
(use process of elimination).
But beyond each individual argument, there’s a
real, underlying problem.
More and more it seems,
we are all ranting about
how much everything
sucks. Challenge Day is a
joke. If you really want to
help kids in Africa, stop
calling attention to yourself. Administration can’t
take my food!
Look, we don’t all
have to be cynical media
watchdogs. There used
to be this thing called
youthful optimism and
enthusiasm. Now we all
seem preoccupied with
trying to be that kid that
sees through the master
plan.
Here’s an idea: let’s take
advantage of our ease of
communication for positive, (think inspirational
military veteran stories!)
rather than grumbling
and groaning all the time.
Because one of these
days, you’re bound to
have a story of your own,
one that will reiterate the
fact that life is actually
pretty awesome. Now, if
you’ll excuse me, I need
to go delete all my angsty
tweets before you guys
can see them.
Making the Grade
BC
A++
A+
A
April Fools
Moody
Weather
It’s hilarious when you pull off a great prank, it’s
annoying when it happens to you.
Don’t you wish mother nature would just make up
her mind?
administration is “stalking” them and “invading
their privacy.”
What none of these
students understand is
that Twitter is not private. That is, unless the
account is protected,
which the majority are
not. When you publish a
tweet, you might as well
be holding up a huge sign
with your opinion written on it in the middle of
Times Square.
You can’t really get
upset at anyone for using
the evidence and tools
available to them to enforce rules. Cell phones
have always been against
the rules; the administration is just using relatively new technology to
enforce these rules.
Bottom-line, if you
don’t want to get your
food confiscated, don’t
arrive late to school. If
you don’t want to get suspended for using your
cell phone during school
hours, don’t whip out
your phone every second
to tweet about how boring your classes are.
The fact is, no one really cares and it’s really
not worth the risk.
3
smoke signal staff
2011-2012
Editors-in-Chief
Shannon Cooke
Emily Griffin
Photography Editor
Emily Pearce
Online Editors Rebekah Kim Dani Raymond Design Editor Bridget Phillips
Copy Editors
Emily Byers
Kathryn Lenox
Editors
Leland Brooks
Molly Podlesny
Toni Sorrentino
Page Editors
Katie Brandon
Megan Corsano
Ana Nosal
Kirstin Whiteside
Business Managers
Karri Chestnut
Ashleigh Powell
Staff Writers
Claire Adams, Allie Ahlm, Catherine Alfaro,
Louisa Amenitsch, Dillon Baden, Jacob Barber, Cody Beacorn, Emily Billingslea, Natalie
Bohmke, Luci Braun, Doreen Brindise, Moriah
Briscoe, Kiana Burgos, Kirsten Burton, Alexis
Bush, Travis Byram, Jackson Carmichael,
Shawnail Cavender, Shannon Cocho, Megan
Corsano, Erin Cunningham, Ridge Dodd,
Amber Donald, Elizabeth Drash, Katherine
Drumm, Megan Ebeling, Bradley Elmore, Austin Enfinger, Mariah Erickson, Shannon Fenwick, Ergys Ferruku, Starla Foosness, Tamara
George, Michael Gordon, Caitlin Green, Tyler
Haley, Kimberley Hall, Katelynn Halstead,
Ryan Hazelgren, Hannah Haugen, Alexandria
Hinkle, Patrick Holland, Billy Howell, Maggie
Howell, Megan Humphrey, Taylor Jones, Bonnie Kamei, Eric Kauffman, Russ Kaus, B.H. Kim,
India Kithcart, Valerie Lampert, Jessica Larson,
Taylor Lisco, Courtney Mears, Erin McGraw,
Kyle McGuire, Chris McMillen, Melissa Mercer,
Caelynn Miller-Keyes, Kirsten Mitchell, Maddi
Mixon, Brittany Nealy, Patrick Oliver, Ellie Pare,
Chadni Patel, David Pearson, Kelly Pedigo,
Palmers Pelham, Abbie Pennington, Audrey
Perrine, Marta Perrine, Taia Pollock, Charlotte
Potts, Elizabeth Puckerin, Brynne Reeves,
Isabella Rivas, Julianne Rogers, Rachel Rolando, Anthony Romanello, Hannah Rowlette,
Tori Santiago-Troutman, Sydney Scott, Kayla
Seal, Sheldon Sheinall, Brendan Sherman,
Alyssa Sims, Cara Skeer, Morgan Silver, Bridget
Stadelmyer, Blayne Stine, Marissa Stone, Tyler
Sullivan, Madison Teaster, Justin Thomas, Austin Thompson, Ryan Thompson, Chiann Todd,
Jessica Turner, Chris Vaughn, Kristina Varela,
Elizabeth Walker, Jillian Weisbeck, Taylor West,
Tyler West, Taro White,Taylor White, Brittni
Wright, Matt Yelverton
Photographers
Kerstin Felton, Amber Griffith, Muhamad Khalid, Austing Pearson, Kaitlin Shacklette, Eric
Stapleton, Keana Young
Videographers
Alisa Posey Jordan Reed Taylor Sutherland
Spring Break
Forensics
College
Acceptance
Let’s face it, we’ve been waiting for Spring Break
ever since the temperature reached the sixties. For
those who are traveling abroad this year, we truly
envy you.
The fine arts have done an exceptional job this
year. After the drama department won numerous
awards for A Fable, they coninued to make us
proud in the forensics competition.
Those who applied regular decision finally
heard back from colleges, and the results were
fantastic.
Advisor
Sue Gill, CJE
The Smoke Signal is an open forum for student
expression of the student body of Stafford High
School. Unsigened editorials reflect the collective
opinion of the Smoke Signal staff. Signed editorials represent the opinion of the auther and do not
necessarily represent the opinons of Stafford HighSchool, its administration, or staff. Signed letters to
the editor not exceeding 250 words may be submitted to room W206. Anonymous letters will not
be printed. The Smoke Signal reserves the right to
edit letters for grammar and content and to refuse
advertisements.
Issue 13, April 4, 2012
4
Student Life
www.staffordsmokesignal.com
DECA COMPETITION
10 of marketing students competed
in the State DECA Competition in Norfolk, VA
with 3000 other students from the state. All of the students did a great job in their
respective events. Three of our students placed (the most out
of Stafford County schools!) and earned a
berth to the National DECA Competition in
Salt Lake City, Utah. World Languages scores
big win at UMW contest
Ryan Leake- 1st Runner-Up in Business Services Marketing
Will Jobrack-1st Runner-Up Team Decision
Making
Stafford HS wins poster, spelling,
in Sports Marketing
video and poetry
Mitchell Clark-1st Runner-Up Team Decision
First Place Video First and second
First Place,
Making
place in Poetry
Second Place
in Sports Marketing
James Beavers
Spelling
Hannah Lowery Elsy Castillo
Molly Podlesny Doreen Brindise
Clair Kim
Lexington Bowler Patrick
James Beavers
Joseph Kitchens Siegmund
Tia Harding
Alex Kniffin
Eric Rhodes
Harper
Eric Rhones
Rachel Streib
Lovegrove
Hannah Lowery Patrick Siegmund
Molly Podlesny Shadee Wahdan Adviser
Kendall Wilkerson Myriam Lorenzo
Spanish Teacher
First Place Poster Alaina Nichols
Other competitors:
Mikey Rynders, AJ West, Keith Artis, Justin White,
Christian Belman, Nathan Berlin, Richard Gong
Rebecca Pipette
Jail Pereira
Stafford students compete
in the Virginia Health Occupations
Students of America
Leadership Conference
Zach Schaefer - Stafford and Elijah
Harig - Mountain View
SECOND PLACE in the state
CPR/FIRST AID competition
Ben Raines - Stafford and Lauren Pinkston Mountain View
FIRST PLACE in the state
EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN competition These are the first students to win state HOSA competitions for
both Stafford and Mountain View High Schools . Ben and Lauren
were the first Stafford County students to compete in the EMT competition and also competed against students that have completed
the course and are certified.
Stafford students compete
at Model UN Competition
at the University of North Carolina
in Chapel Hill
Rebekah Kim, Tiffany Kornegay,
Daniel Reitwiesner, and Allie Ahlm were
awarded with two Outstanding Delegation
Awards.
Nick Jacobs, Jack Harding, and Helga Purnell
Model UN Club Sponsors
Julian Garcia and Megan McCain competed in the Poster
conference The second and first place winners are eligible to compete
at the National Conference in June in Orlando Florida - Forensics places third
at the VHSL State Championship
FIRST PLACE:
Ragon Dickard (storytelling
FIRST PLACE:
Analisa Wall (Serious dramatic interpretation)
FOURTH PLACE: Grace Mick and Aiden Isaac-Harrington
(Serious Dup)
SIXTH PLACE:
Makenna Shaver (Poetry)
SEVENTH PLACE: Michael Musatow (Prose)
Chad Johnson, adviser
Issue 13, April 4, 2012
Sports
5
www.staffordsmokesignal.com
Spring Sports!
5
Practicing for his next tennis match, sophomore Chris McMullen lines up his racket with the ball. The boys tennis team practices every day to improve their
skills. Their current record is 4-2. photo by Moriah Briscoe
Teamwork is key for jv boys soccer. sophomores Colby D’Lugos (left) and Colton Englman (right)
worked together to uphold that. Holding off their opponent, D’Lugos passed the ball the Englman.
Their record is 1-3 with 3 tied games. photo by Shannon Cocho.
Doing her best to keep the ball in bounds is junior Erin Reiley. Tennis
may be an individual sport, but the girls tennis team is working as one
this year. Their record is 4-2. photo by Austin Pearson
Keeping North Stafford on the defense, varisty lacrosse goes for the ball. Lacrosse has the goal of winning, but their number one goal has been to
get senior Alex Sypolt back on the field with them. Their record is 0-6. photo by Amber Griffith
Pitching form: Justin Thomas, junior
Wind Up: “My wind up isn’t like most others. My leg lift is
higher. I’ve almost kneed myself in the jaw mutiple times.”
photo by Emily Pearce
Stride: “My arm usually goes out further than others. Instead
of turning the ball towards the short stop, I turn the ball inward. It’s just more natural for me. ” photo by Emily Pearce
Follow Through: “This is a main focus for me because
when I miss, I miss high in the strike zone and the follow
through is key to keeping in that zone.” photo by Emily
Pearce
Issue 13, April 4, 2012
Sports
6
www.staffordsmokesignal.com
Making the leap:
A step by step look at pole vaulting
1. Start with dominant hand on top with other hand one or
two feet below.
2. Run anywhere from 30 to 50 meters to build speed. Drive
with your knee.
3. Plant the pole into the box and jump off left foot. Drive
your right knee into the air.
4. Invert your body by swinging your left leg above the pole.
5. Row through with your arms. Throw yourself off the pole
6. Fall down, making sure you arms and legs are pulled in so
they don’t hit the crossbar.
5. Row
4. Invert
3. Plant
Q&A:
Senior Patrick Davis
Pole vaulting coach
BY MARTA PERRINE
Staff Writer
Senior Patrick Davis helps a
vaulter prepare at a meet at
North Stafford High School on
March 27.
Photo by Kerstin Felton
6. Fall
2. Run
1. Start
A broken back did not keep senior Patrick Davis
away from the matt.
After months of backpain, the doctors discovered
that his lower vertebrae was fractured in two places.
The injury was due to repeated vaults, stressing his
back.
After wearing a backbrace for six weeks and attending physical therapy twice a week, Davis is finally
able to run again, but vaulting is off limits.
Although he can no longer vault, he returns this
year to coach his former teammates and vaulters. He
attends practice almost every day, and follows the
team to the meets.
What exactly is pole vaulting?
It’s a track event. In a nutshell, it’s using a fiberglass pole to clear heights that
steadily increase until you can no longer clear them.
Number Vault:
A look at the data
Number of Stafford Vaulters:
7
Boys District Record:
15’3
Stafford Girls Record:
11’
Average Pole length:
13’
Event Lenth:
6hrs
{The team consists of 4 boys and 3 girls}
{Set by Stafford’s Matt Hazelgren in 2010}
{Broken by Ashley Hinton this last winter season}
How has pole vaulting been in your family?
My dad vaulted in high school and was second in the state of Idaho. My older
brother Vinny started in eighth grade and continued all through high school. I started in eighth grade, and so did my younger brother Liam, who is vaulting here at
Stafford. It’s kind of a tradition. I’m glad that I stuck with it, because I like the feeling
of flying, and winning doesn’t feel too bad, either.
Can you tell me about your injury?
I injured my lower vertebrae, it’s two fractures. It is a permanent injury. I’ve had
to have an MRI, CAT scan, bone scan, physical therapy twice, multiple trips to the
masseuse and chiropractor, and I wore a back brace for six weeks. I’m not entirely
sure how it happened, but I may have injured it when I first started and never noticed and just kept working. It might have been a regular vault that hardly impacted
me, and over time worsened with out me knowing. It could’ve possibly been a stress
fracture, but like I said, I’m not sure.
How do you help coach our vaulters?
I don’t really have an official title, I’m just a student with a great deal of knowledge about pole vaulting. I’d say that I’m respected by the students and the coaches.
Our vaulters practice five to seven hours a week. They run sprints to keep their stamina and stay in shape, and just practicing in itself keeps vaulters in shape. They’ll
run a mile to warm up, stretch, core, then they’ll come over and do a specialized
warm up. We don’t have a lot of time in the season, so we don’t have work out days.
They aren’t guaranteed a practice every day because I’m a student, I can’t be there
all the time. So on days when I’m not there, it’s not safe for them to practice without
someone constantly watching them. Weather also affects their chance of having a
practice. If it’s rainy or windy, then they can’t do it.
How is our team doing this season?
Ashley Hinton was district champion, regional champion, and second in the
state, so that’s definitely good. Palmers Pelham is good, Liam Davis has the ability
to be good, and with practice, I’m sure will be. Justin Garrett, Alisha Coffey, will all
be good with practice.
What happens at track meets?
Track is heavily segregated. Sprinters, long distance, long distance cross country,
throwers and vaulters are all their own groups. There could be 10 minutes between
vaults, so you have to rest up in between, which is a reason why you need to be in
shape.
{Skilled vaulters are able to use longer poles}
{From warm-ups to the final jumps, pole vaulting
events usually span throughout the entire meet}
Average Price of a Pole: $500
{Prices depend on the brand, the weight, and
the heights. Poles are constructed from
fiberglass and only weigh a couple pounds}
Practice Hours a Week:
10
Boys Starting
Height:
9-10’
{The team focuses on dissecting the vault, and
looking at each step individually}
{Boys typically start three feet
higher than the girls}
Sports
Issue 13, April 4, 2012
7
www.staffordsmokesignal.com
Finding the right shoe
7
Q&A:
Clay Murray
VA Runner Co-Manager
What elements go How do these factors to review, test, and decide
into crafting shoes for contribute to shoe on the best running shoes
currently offered by the
athletes?
prices?
Factors that go into
the manufacture of running shoes include fit,
feel, support, cushion,
breathability, weight, and
all around comfort.
Why are these factors
important?
Each of these factors
are important to different
runners for different reasons.
At VA Runner, once
we can take a look at the
shape and structure of
your feet and analyze your
bio-mechanics through a
test run, we can recommend shoes that would
work for you.
Then, based on the
importance of the factors
to each client, we can increase the cushion, firm
up the cushion, snug or
loosen the fit, find a lighter shoe, or anything that
the foot is really wanting
to feel.
The feedback of our
customers is very important for us to help find the
exact fit that will work for
each person who comes
to see us.
Clay Murray, Co-Manager
VA Runner, Inc.
1993 Carl D. Silver Parkway
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
540.548.1566
Shoes that are made
and sold in the run specialty market are on the
cutting edge of what
brands are researching
and developing.
Being such specialized shoes, composed of
specialized and technical
materials, can bring the
price higher than something found at a department store.
The quality of materials is important to making sure the shoe will have
a long life for runners
as they put these shoes
through continuous intense training. And being that these brands are
using these shoes to learn
about quality of materials and new technologies,
there aren’t as many made
and normal supply and
demand effects happen
from time to time.
What is the shoe
manufacturing process?
That’s more of a question for the manufacturer.
Different brands use different crafting processes
to make their shoes.
Some use air to cushion while others may use a
special foam composite or
a type of gel. Our craft is
best running brands and
then apply our knowledge
to each person’s gait and
specific needs once we
perform our assessment.
Why is it important
that athletes find the
right shoe?
What difference does it
make? Well, again, these
shoes aren’t exactly custom made for each person
who walks in here, but
our fitting process helps
narrow down over 200
possible shoes to about 3
or 4 that would actually
work for you.
Then based on the
feedback given we can
find the right one for you.
As far as the difference
made by these shoes, once
the fit is dialed in and the
proper amount of support
is given, any one can run
with little to no pain.
To be able to perform
well in any sport without
having to think about
what you are wearing on
your feet is vital.
For me in particular,
there are plenty of shoes
that I can’t run in because
of my bio-mechanics, but
once you find the right
one, running can be pain
free and endlessly rewarding.
Track Snapshot:
What Shoes do you wear?
Nike
Asics
Adidas
Brooks
Saucony
Reebok
0
5
10
15
*of 50 track runners
20
Who’s Shoe? Match each shoe with its owner
Zaynah Hildabrand, 10
?
Julianna Rogers, 10
?
Katherine Frano, 10
?
Issue 13, April 4, 2012
Student Life
8
tumblr.
Dashboard
Text Photo Quote Link
Popular
Swatches
of the
Rainbow
Directory
Text Audio Video
Just as many colors there are in the
rainbow, there are also in nail polishes. With unusual names like Senorita
Rose-alita instead of the predictable
name of ‘red’, or Pros and Bronze instead of ‘copper’ is what makes nail
polish unique. It is customizable,
whether going monochromatic on one
hand and adorn nails with crazy colors
the next. It’s an open
In only a few years, Tumblr has blown up the
blogosphere with its posting ease and the charm to
make people feel accepted. The pros of Tumblr are
that it serves as an open book for thoughts and is a
place where one won’t be judged. Tumblr is a place
for teens to come together. With so many different
people from every walk of life joining together, this
site invites different views, insight into cultures, and
hilarious memes to become a part of every Tumblr
user’s life.
tumblrguest47956
www.staffordsmokesignal.com
Dani Morio likes the ‘Y U NO...’ guy.
Between red,
gold, green, and
white
of girls like blue
nail polish.
58% of girls
46% like
the O.P.I nail
Rage Guy Comic Memes
• 40 like the FUUUU Rage
meme.
• 35 like Challenge Accepted meme.
• 24 the ‘Y U NO..’ meme.
•
Out of
green, pink,
and white,
of
girls like red
nail polish
the least.
polish the best
brand out of Revlon, China Glaze,
and Ulta.
34% of
girls like
Crackle
nail polish.
16%
..............1% like Forever Alone.
Jazmyn Dove likes the ‘Y U NO...’ guy.
Harper Lovegrove likes the Forever Alone meme because
it’s the story of her life.
I CAN’T WAIT FOR
COLLEGE!!! Seriously.
-B.H. Kim, 12
Don’t wanna go to
math.. Everyone is so
odd!
-Meredith Burcher, 11
What the heck! Why
are the hallways so
crowded?!
-Keana Young, 10
Okay, I love my 4Y class.
Everyone is so funny
and the teacher lets us
do whatever we want!
-Qarima Anbiya, 12
School stresses me out
so much. I have too
much work!
-Allison Frank, 12
Thoughts
about
Stafford?
Three more months
until graduation. I can
do this.
-Shey Sheinall, 12
2:15. 2:15. 2:15. I have
to make it to 2:15.
-Bailey Mixon, 12
I’m so pissed I have to take my cap & gown pictures with two black eyes. This sucks.
-Dan Jobrack, 12
What electronics do you own?
44
132
users of
the iPad,
Android,
or Kindle
tablets
users
of the
iPhone
124
117
Windows
Desktop
users
Android
phone
users
309
231
XBOX or
PlayStation
users
users of
Macbooks,
HP, or
Windows
Laptops
Student Life
Issue 13, April 4, 2012
9
www.staffordsmokesignal.com
What
Movie
Are You
Excited
To See?
9
The Amazing Spiderman- 30
American Reunion- 26
Men in Black 3D- 32
G.I. Joe 2- 38
The Hobbit- 39
Silent House- 30
The Avengers- 39
Titanic 3D- 53
The Dark Knight Rises- 46
40%
What’s your favorite fast
food restaurant?
30%
Check out this poll of studdents gainster
your comput9ions of food.
20%
10%
0
Burger King
Chick-Fil-A
KFC
McDonald’s
Taco Bell
Wendy’s
=5
Have you ever
cheated?
10 =
Have you ever
been caught?
Cheating at SHS
Issue 13, April 4, 2012
Student Life
10
www.staffordsmokesignal.com
From Wanderer to Worker:
How to get a job!
Find places that are hiring.
Look oneline, in a job listing
secion in the local newspaper,
or ask at local businesses if they
currently have any open positions. Be sure to consider distance from home and school,
hours you can work, and pay.
1
2
Go to the business and
politely ask for an application. (They will either tell you
about their online application
or hand you a paper copy.) Go
home and fill out your application. Depending on the company or area, the application
will call for either professional
or personal references. Professional references are people you
have worked with before such
as babysitting employers or coworkers. Personal references
are family friends, teachers, or
coaches. Once you have filled it
out, ask to speak to a manager
and turn it in to them.
REMEMBER:
Even if all of these steps are followed, you are not guaranteed a position on staff. Apply at more than one business, keeping an open mind, and do not become discouraged if one or more businesses do not hire you. There are
employment opportunites all over the place!
4
Call within two or three
weeks and ask to talk to a manager. Ask them if they have
looked over your application
and if they are still interested in
hiring. Be sure to be polite and
do not push them towards anyting. If they are interested, they
will tell you.
When interviewing, make
sure to dress nicely (do not
wear anything revealing), be
polite, and be confident. Before
you answer each question, be
sure to think it through thoroughly. Be aware that they may
be paying attention to expressions and body language to determine the kind of person they
are considering hiring.
3
Are you in a clique?
Do You Hang Out With Your Group Outside of School?
“I’ve only hung out with them right
before Lacrosse season begin’s.”
Do You Consider Your Group A Clique?
“Lacrosse isn’t really a clique.
I tend to hang out with guys
on the team though.”
Justin Reichard,11
“I would say were a flexible
clique we let anybody in and
we have the coolest name,
Drama Kids.”
“We go out and usually hang out
in subcliques at the mall or
Hyperion in Fredericksburg.”
Michael Musatow,12
“I don’t really hang out with
the drama group.”
“I don’t really think drama is a
clique but more like a really funny
family.”
Will Garnett,9
“I’m not a fan of cliques, but
I would say yeah drama is a
clique.”
“I don’t hang out with them
all the time.”
Lindsay Earnhart,10
“They took me out a couple
times and it’s really fun.”
“I guess the basketball team
is a clique.”
Tim Lucas,10
Student Life
Issue 13, April 4, 2012
11
www.staffordsmokesignal.com
FOREVER 24/7
New Arrivals: TALENTS
11
TEMPLE
HAMMEN
LEXINGTON
BOWLER
SKYLA
BAILEY
DEVIN
GERAGHTY
For: Riverside Dinner
Theatre
For: the band Serenade
the City Scape
For: Being coached for
pageants
For: Youth Symphony Orchestra of Prince William
Price: gets paid $20 per
show
Price: $0; play for shows
and charity shows around
Fredericksburg area
Price: $100-$200 per hour
Price: $400 for registration
(year-round)
“I started because music
is my life, and being able
to have this wonderful opportunity in town
is amazing. I would be
happy to do it for free.”
“I love being able to play
with my friends, and I
hope to support myself
off of music one day.”
“I enjoy being a role model for younger and sometimes older girls and I love
meeting new people from
around the world. I hope
to be Miss Teen USA or
Miss America.
I usually win about $350$50,000 in prizes and
scholarships.”
“It is something i want to
do for the rest of my life,
and it allows me to meet
with people of similar
interests.”
HOW TO LOOK PRODUCTIVE IN SCHOOL
Step 1: Have papers;
Step 2: An agenda
doesn’t matter if they are loose leaf papers, class notes, computer papers. Any
paper in orderly fashion is good.
must be opened to a monthly
calendar page. It is crucial
that you have a pencil, too.
Step 3: It is necessary that a
Step 4: Have your back-
book or two is also placed
on the desk. It does not only
make you look like a diligent
student but also a smart one.
pack nearby so that when a
teacher comes by, you will look
like you were looking for something, not daydreaming.
Issue 13, April 4, 2012
Student Life
12
www.staffordsmokesignal.com
He said .....She said
1. How long does it take you to get ready in
the morning?
“I spend about 15 minutes.”
2. How long does it take to you pick out an
outfit?
“It takes no more than 30 seconds.”
1. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
“I spend at least 2 hours and 15 minutes to get ready in
the morning, I have to do my hair and put on
my face.”
2. How long does it take to you pick out an
outfit?
“15 to 20 minutes.”
3. What do you do after school?
“I go to lacrosse practice.”
3. What do you do after school?
“Ballet.”
4. How often do you get your
hair done and how much does
it cost?
“Every two months for about 10 dollars.”
4. How often do you get your
hair done and how much does it
cost?
“Usually every 2 to 3 months for
20 or 25 dollars.”
5. Who is your favorite artist?
“Kanye West, he pumps me up.”
5. Who is your favorite artist?
“My favorite is definitely Fun, I don’t
like Taylor Swift.”
6. If someone asked you out and you
weren’t interested, what would you
do?
“Well I’d say I’d have to decline her
wonderful offer.”
6. If someone asked you out and
you weren’t interested, what
would you do?
“Say no politely.”
7. Who do you go to when you’re
upset?
“I go to my bros because they’re always
there for me.”
7. Who do you go to when
you’re upset?
“I go to my best friend John because I trust him and I’ve known him
for so long.”
8. Where’s your favorite place to shop for
clothes?
“Definitely Pacsun because they
have many different varieties of
clothes and they look the best.”
9. How much time do you spend on video
games a day?
“About an hour.”
10. What do you want to be when you grow up?
“I want to be a business man or something like that.”
11. What do you look for in a friend?
“I look for a funny friend who’s fun to be around, has
common sense, and is respectful.”
12. What do you like to do with your friends?
“I like to play lacrosse with them and make country
strongs, which is a waffle sandwich with cookie cake,
syrup, and bacon. Super good.”
8. Where’s your favorite place to
shop for clothes?
“Charlotte Russe because their clothes are
fancy.”
9. How much time do you spend on video games a day?
“None.”
10. What do you want to be when you grow up?
“A neurosurgeon: a doctor who operates
on the brain.”
11. What do you look for in a friend?
“I look for someone who is trustworthy and funny and
kind.”
12. What do you like to do with your friends?
“We shop or stay up really late until we don’t know what
we’re doing anymore.”
3.
6.
5.
2.
7.
1.
4.
SHS Library--What’s in it?
2.
1.
This section is consisted of books of the reference genre. There are an assortment of dictionaries, encyclopedias and other books used to
find information on various topics.
The check out desk of the library are where books
are checked out and lent to faculty and students.
Students can volunteer to work at the library chekcout desk. The people that work there check for
library passes and keep things in check.
3.
5.
The balcony of the library is home to mezzanine left
and right. The balcony holds desktop computers
that can be reerved by teachers for their students
to work on.
4.
6.
This section is filled with fascinating fictional books.
These books bring the reader to many different
worlds. If you are looking for adventure, or something different, the fictional section is for you.
In the back of the library there is the “Rock and
The non-fiction section of the library is availale
Read” section. This part of the library has many
to anyone looking for books on histrical events,
wooden rocking chairs set out in front of a TV
biographies, or any other non-fictional material.
which shows movies every monday at 2:30. after
school.
The COW carts, which stands for “Computers On
Wheels” can be reserved by teachters that need
their students to do work on laptops. The COW
carts can me rolled into classrooms or can stay in
the library.
7.