May 2010 - Brooke Point High School

The
Hawkeye
Brooke Point High School • Stafford, VA • Volume XVI • Issue 1 • May 28, 2010
Seniors Sign Off to Promising Athletic Futures
News »
By Brittany Webster
African-native Kelly Simons reveals
some of the unseen struggles of
foreign-born students on page 2.
Sports »
From left to right: Johnny Daughetry, Trevor Shannon and Kelly Clark sign contracts for athletic scholarships to their future colleges.
Learn more about Brooke Point alum
Patrick McGlade’s cross-country run
from the Pacific to Atlantic in Yvonne
Eber’s excluxive interview on page 3..
Student Life »
In early May several more Brooke
Point Athletes signed letters of intent
with future colleges. Trevor Shannon, John Daughetry and Kelly Clark
signed in the school library with coaches, family and teammates present.
John Daughetry, first in the District for
most goals this season, signed with the
College of the Holly Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. “It feels good. I’m
really excited to keep playing Lax,” he
said about playing in college next year
Daughetry has played lacrosse
since fourth grade. He remembers
always having a stick and ball to
By Natalie Shunk
Get the inside scoop behind YOVASO’s
safety message to Brooke Point
students on page 4.
Entertainment »
Courtney Karr reviews downtown
Fredericksburg’s popular vegetarianfriendly restaurant on page 5.
Feature »
Genvieve Bee disspells some common
misconceptions surrounding
Mormonism on page 6.
Opinion »
thrown around with his dad. His
long term goals for this season were
to win districts, regionals and states
with the Brooke Point lacrosse team.
Trevor Shannon signed to play with
Ferrum College next year in Ferrum, Virginia. “I’m stoked man. I
like the Ferrum coach. He’s down
to earth. It’ll be interesting playing against more experienced guys.”
Shannon quit football his freshman
year so that lacrosse could become
his main focus. One of his long term
goals was to make it to the state finals
with the Brooke Point Lacrosse team.
The 2010 Junior-Senior Prom was
held May 1, 2010 at the Fredericksburg Expo Center. This year’s
theme was “A Night in Atlantis.”
The Expo Center was decked out in
colorful decorations. Each table kept
with the theme by having a fishbowl
as its centerpiece, each featuring a live
goldfish. Sophomore Ali Whitehouse
thought the decorations were nice, but
was a little disappointed. “I expected
it to be more undersea themed, but
I thought the fish were kinda neat.”
Sarina Padilla enjoyed her senior
prom, even though she didn’t attend
the event for long. “I was only at prom
for an hour. Prom was good, but I
had a lot more fun on the party bus.”
From 8 PM to 12 midnight, a DJ
blasted all the latest in music. Senior Tara Buckley was crowned prom
queen with Senior Connor Blake as
prom king. Buckley was given her
own tiara and a trident was bestowed
upon Blake to follow the theme of the
evening. Buckley admits she “wasn’t
expecting to win [prom queen.]”
Senior Kaitlyn Brown was happy for
the two. “They’re both really nice, so
it was exciting.” “I’m glad they got it
– they deserve it. A good award went to
good people,” Said senior Eric Moscoso.
After Prom was held in Brooke Point’s
gymnasium and cafeteria. The theme
Connor Blake and Tara Buckley have their first dance as Prom King and Queen.
Photo compliments of The Spectator.
was Mardi Gras. The hallways were
decorated like the streets of New Orleans and beads were handed out at the
door. There was free food and drinks all
night. The gym was filled with blowup games like the Bungee-Run and the
Adrenaline Rush. Junior Dylan Hall
even achieved hanging upside-down
on the Velcro wall for a split second.
“I almost broke my neck. I had fun.”
Junior Tori Hayden had fun and
By Zachary Byrum
Assistant Principal Roger Pierce
was recently named Brooke Point
Athletic Director. The decision was
approved by the Stafford County
School Board on April 27. He will
be replacing Greg Margheim who
has been named Athletic Director at
Mountain View High School. Pierece will assume his duties on July 1.
Pierce has been an educator for twenty
eight years. He worked one year in Suffolk City County, six in Fauquier, four
in Tappahannock, two in King George,
two in Newport News and the remaining thirteen in Stafford. Before coming
to Stafford County, Pierce was athletic
director at Essex High School in Tappahannock. During his thirteen years
in Stafford County, he spent one year
at Brooke Point, four years at Rodney
Thompson Middle School and eight
years at Stafford Senior High School.
Twenty-three of those years have been
spent in extracurricular activities, making him well qualified for the position
of athletic director. He coached track
Margheim gives Pierces a few pointers on the position of athletic director.
May 2010 Lockdown
minutes Brooke Point
was in partial
lockdown
440
“thought it was good, but I was
too tired to enjoy [the games.]”
Toward 3 A.M. attendees began lining up for the ever-popular hypnotist
show. Once the show began the hypnotist, Jimmy Gibson, asked for volunteers. The group was hypnotized into
believing their tongues weighed 5 lbs.
and that their shoes were their favorite pets. Senior Jasmine Abney was a
favorite of the crowd. She went from
being an opera singer to having 20 lb.
feet. Abney says she “pretty much remembers everything.” She had a hard
time staying in her seat when Gibson
commanded the group to sleep. “I
knew what I was doing, but the more
I tried to stop, the harder it was to. I
couldn’t control what I was doing.”
Junior Meg Robinson described the
feeling as “when you’re just waking up
from a dream – a really realistic dream.
I remember hearing everyone else, but I
don’t remember doing anything myself.”
At one point during the show, all
the male volunteers were asked to
strut their stuff as Victoria Secret
Models from all over the world. Junior Roderque Gray got the biggest
laugh as Consuela from Cambodia.
Throughout the evening, parent volunteers cut students bracelets at random
in exchange for gift cards. The most
desired prizes were given out at the end
of the night, after the hypnotist show.
Senior Zachary Karr won a brand new
42” TV and junior Carmen Yourko won
a snazzy three-month gym membership
to Sport & Health. Other prizes included
money, gift cards, an iPod, GPS, college
dorm baskets for seniors, a hard drive
and a membership to Tan-D-Monium.
“Everyone looked so great.
It was so much better than last
year,” said junior Jackie Trahan.
Pierce Named Athletic Director
X»
11
she knows where she will be going. “I feel like I am worry free now
and can just have fun with whatever
whether it’s soccer or having fun this
summer without having to worry
about what I’m doing next year.”
According to recruitingme.com
over 126,000 student athletes receive
athletic scholarships each year from
Division I and II schools. Varsity lacrosse coach Michael Seymour encourages students who want to play
at the next level “Work hard, always
have your stick in your hands. Stick
skills will get you a long ways.”
“A Night in Atlantis” Comes True
Chantelle Polite gives her take on the
effects of the glamorized images of
teenage pregnancy page 7.
Looking at another boring summer?
Jazz up your calender with some plans
for exciting local festivals on page 8.
He participated in summer league, fall
ball and winter league but took a break
in the offseason to be part of cheer.
Kelly Clark who has played soccer since she was seven has signed
to play with the University of North
Carolina, Charlotte. Her long term
goals for college would be to play
all four years and maybe try out
some coaching. “I’ve worked so
hard for this. Not just with improving my soccer skills but with emailing
coach after coach and visiting countless schools since sophomore year.”
Clark is more relaxed now that
26
minutes until the
first trespasser was
apprehended
The
Lockdown
in Numbers
minutes Brooke Point
was in full lockdown
23
32
Stafford County
law enforcement
officers responded
minutes until the
second trespasser was
apprehended
500
and field, boy’s basketball and football and girl’s volleyball and track.
Pierce’s current duties as assistant
principal include overseeing students
with last names starting with O-Z
and supervising the English, Special
Education and Fine Arts Departments.
As athletic director, Pierce will be
responsible for supervising all athletic
teams, clubs and activities. He will
be working alongside these groups to
organize extracurricular schedules,
maintain playing arenas and provide
transportation for travel. He has no
plans at the moment to make any
changes. He is focusing his attention
on upholding his main responsibilities.
“I want to help maintain the high standards that Brooke Point has established,”
commented Pierce. “I enjoy working
with kids in education and athletics
and I enjoy the job of athletic director.”
Pierce’s wife teaches Psychology at Stafford Senior High School.
Their triplets Nick, Paul, and
Russ are ten and in fourth grade.
Index
News .................. 2
Sports .................. 3
Student Life ......... 4
Entertainment ... 5
Feature ...............6
Opinion ............... 7
X-Page ................. 8
News 2
May 28, 2010
ESL students strive to fulfill their dreams
By Kelly Simons
Bright young minds from
around the world with different
backgrounds come to America to
achieve their lifetime dream. For
some this is becoming a cosmetologist, a doctor, an entrepreneur,
a lawyer, or an engineer. Knowing that English is essential to
successfully meeting their goals,
many strive to perfectly learn the
language. In Brooke Point High
School these students, whose native language is not English, are
enrolled in a program called ESL,
English as a Second Language.
Public schools are required to provide ESL to any student whose
primary language is not English.
The program helps students with
reading, listening, and enhancing
their comprehension skills. Furthermore, it improves their verb
tenses, vocabulary, grammar rules
and English skills so that they
can use these tasks in the classroom and in their surroundings.
Teaching multiple languages
from different backgrounds is the
greatest challenge. ESL teacher
Linda Burke is from Austria. “I
love the English language and all
subjects. As ESL teacher I can
teach all subjects. I know how it
feels to come, from another country
and not know what’s going on and
I want to help these kids,” she said.
According to ESL tutor Adrianne Bouloy, “[closing] the gap
between English and their own
languages,” is difficult. “There
are many languages so you
have to figure out a way to communicate so each student can
get most of their education”.
Most of the students motivate
themselves to strive for their goals.
Maria Sarwari of Afghanistan,
Senior and President of ESL club
said,” I guess the opportunity you
get here, part of Afghanistan and
Pakistan you don’t get the chance
to go out to world and they lack ed-
ucation. I came to America when I
was 10 years old, studied English
and got higher in education. I feel
lucky that I am in America, can
go to any colleges and am capable
to choose several majors of my
choice. I still have my culture.”
“I love to come to school to
learn more. I promise my grandmother that I will graduate
from high school,” senior Fatima Giron of El Salvador said
Some ESL students lose their
confidence reading aloud in public “My pronunciation, grammar, accent and they [students]
misunderstand me. Sometimes
I get shy. A teacher tells me
to read a paragraph, I get nervous, because the others student
make funny of my accent, “said
junior Nizal Mir of Pakistan
“Listening to people, I just pick
up the words. Ms Burke [the instructor] helps me with grammar
and improves my English. I just
Students from all around the world come together in ESL classes.
watch TV and movies and keep
speaking English with family and
friends. I pick up words fast,” junior Fatima Nir of Pakistan said.
Senior Ahmad Sarwari Pakistan has big plans. “I am determined to work hard in school, to
go off to college, to either become
a businessman and translator for
Photo by Nicole Caliri
the U.S Marine Corps from English to Pashto–native language”
ESL brings hope and opportunity
to students from around the world.
It is a multicultural activity that
helps students feel comfortable
and warm–hearted to know they
have a helping hand on their side.
Wars wage while society looks away
By Kelly Simons
A great deal has been happening in the world, largely
ignored by society as a whole.
Today the world is full of miserable and unstable wars where
people pay attention to words
rather than the people affected.
Mali:
Beginning in the year 2009 conflict arose between Mali and Algeria. The cause was Islamist groups
on Malian territory for Mali’s rich
soil. “Malian authorities (police)
announced that they would embark on a “merciless fight against
all terrorist groups on their soil.”
Sudan assembled and killed 55
people in Darfur over cattle grazing land rights. “About 85 tribesmen were wounded. There was
movement from the Rezeigat
and from the SPLA (Sudan People’s Liberation Army),” said
Mr. Aliou, leader of the Darfur
Rezeigat tribe of Arab nomads.
Nigeria:
Tuesday April 27, 2010, Muslims in Nigeria suspected that
a Christian had executed one of
their fellow members. The Muslims are now seeking revenge by
murdering other Christians in Nigeria. Africa Program Coordinator Tom Rhodes said”CPJ urges
local authorities to double their
efforts and bring the perpetrators of these murders to justice.”
Sudan:
South Sudan has a great deal
of rich natural resources that the
people in Darfur lack. A man from
Rezeigat tribe in Darfur stole
cattle and crossed the boundary of the Sudan. A battle arose
between those countries. South
Guinea-Bissau-Senegal:
In Northern Guinea-Bissau, between 4 and 19 years old children
are taken from their families to
work in the cotton fields of Senegal. In the dark night leaders
knock the doors of the children’s
parents and promise them for a
better future. “In the cotton field
they experience brutality and revert of the tears of mercy for a
miracle to survive their life. They
don’t have schools. They don’t
have access to healthcare. They
sleep 40 or 50 to a room. They
spend all day on the street getting
money that they have to hand over
at night,” Jean Dricot, the head of
UNICEF in Guinea-Bissau said.
Somalia:
“Harsh War, Harsh Peace by
Al-Shabaab. The Al-shabaab is
an Islamist group. They want
the South Somalia land in order
to expand more of their resources
and to force the civilians in South
Somalia to leave the land. Tension has arisen between those
countries which has resulted in
a cruel punishment for the people of South Somalia including
amputations, execution, threats,
beaten to death, and stabbing
women who are pregnant. “There
is no easy, obvious way to solve
the crisis in Somalia, but outside
powers should address abuses
by all sides instead of ignoring
those committed by their allies.” said Georgette Gagnon director at Human Rights Watch.
Ivory Coast:
President Laurent Gbagbo’s party
interfered with elections and debated who should vote or not to
vote. This practice has moved to
parts of Cote d’Ivoire where conflict has expanded and war has begun. “There is a real danger to the
peaceful coexistence of communities who now glare at each other
with hostility, ready to pounce at
any given moment. These are the
seeds of a civil war. Everyone is
sharpening their blades; machetes, knives,” said Sidiki Konate
spokesman of the Forces Nouvelles.
Picture by moonbeamcqueen.com
PE students greeted by roaches
By Taylor Valencia
Everyday, Brooke Point High
School girls prepare for physical education class in their locker room. While they get ready,
another group of beings have
begun their day: cockroaches.
Brooke Point physical education teacher Desiree Panyard believes students contribute to the
presence of roaches in the locker
room. It is common to see high
school girls eating breakfast and
socializing there. While Panyard
shows no fear about the roaches,
others have a different outlook.
“It’s scary,” substitute
teacher Signe Simering said.
“I though they were kidding [about the roach issue.]”
According to physical education teacher Vanessa Austin, anyone who uses the locker room contributes to the
presence of roaches, including
students and athletic teams.
Not only are there roaches,
but mice as well. Austin said,
“Sometimes we have to wipe our
desks down [due to mice feces].”
According to Brooke Point assistant principal James Ralph,
exterminations are done during Christmas break and at
the end of the school year.
The exterminations, to an extent, have been successful. Brooke
Point freshman Samantha Mockler was unaware that roaches even
lived in the locker room. Other
students have been exposed to the
Brooke Point roaches. Sophomore
Lauren Daney knew of their presence and said, “They’re gross!”
How to solve the roach problem?
“Clean
up
after
yourself!”
said
Panyard.
Although roaches continue to
live in the girls’ locker room, students can hope for their elimination. Brooke Point physical education teacher Jill VanHook said,
“We stomp out roaches as one.”
limit raised for VA
Efforts continue to stop Gulf oil spill BSpeed
C
K
y
By Ryan Artze
On April 20, an oil rig in the
Gulf of Mexico off the coast of
Louisiana blew up, killing 11 people. It was soon discovered that
thousands of barrels of oil were
leaking from an underground
pipe into the ocean. Initially it
was thought that about 1,000
barrels were leaking into the gulf
each day but as scientists studied
images of the leak, that figure
skyrocketed. It is now estimated
that about 70,000 barrels of oil
are leaking into the gulf each day.
Seventy thousand barrels of oil is
equal to 2,940,000 gallons of oil.
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said,
“This is an environmental disaster of gargantuan proportions.”
British Petroleum or BP drilled
the well and has been trying to
plug the leak. The problem is that
no one really knows how to contain the leak. BP’s recent attempt
to plug the hole with a four story
containment dome failed when
natural gas crystals clogged the
outlet hole at the top of the dome.
They are currently in the process
of digging an alternate well that
would take the pressure off of the
first well and stop the oil leak.
This approach however, could
take weeks. In the meantime, the
oil that has already gotten out is
killing thousands of fish in the
Gulf of Mexico. This is not only
an environmental disaster but an
economic one as well. The fishing industry is a huge employer of
people living along the coast. The
loss of jobs and income because of
Picture by crazationsicke
the oil spill is going to be devastating to an area that is already one
of the poorest parts of the country.
A congressional committee recently met with executives from
the three companies involved in
the disaster. BP drilled the well.
Transocean owned the rig and Halliburton cemented the well. Each
company blamed each other for
what happened and have refused
to take responsibility for their actions. President Barack Obama
said he didn’t appreciate the “ridiculous spectacle” and vowed to
end the “cozy relationship” that
exists between the government
and the oil companies. The ques-
tion of who will pay for the oil
spill has still not been answered.
The government and BP have
been scrambling to stop the spill
from reaching the coast and further damaging the fragile wetland
ecosystems. They have set fire to
parts of the oil spill, deployed 280
miles of protective boons, skimmed
four million gallons of oily water and pumped 400,000 gallons
of chemical dispersants into the
ocean. BP has recently managed
to insert a siphon that is sucking
up about 1,000 gallons a day. The
cleanup efforts can only go so far.
These efforts will not pay off until
the well can be shut off for good.
ourtney
arr
The Virginia House and Senate
Senior Diana Ayala agrees.
passed a bill in February allowing “I actually think people will go
the speed limit in certain areas of faster because the posted speed
Virginia to be raised from 65 miles limit is only a minimum. I think
per hour to 70. Starting July 1, the it’ll cause more accidents.”
new speed limit will take effect
Another change Virginia drivon certain stretches of highway, ers can expect in the near future
four-lane access road and high-oc- is the attendance of parents at
cupancy vehicle lanes. Currently, school-sponsored driver’s educa32 states have a speed limit of 70 tion classes. Beginning September
and 13 others allow drivers to go 1, it will be mandatory for a par75. Texas and
ent to accomUtah even allow
pany
their
speeds up to 80
child to a 90miles per hour.
minute class
Virginia Goveron responsinor Bob McDonble driving. If
nell believes that
a parent fails
the
increased
to attend the
speed limit will be
class,
the
beneficial to comchild will not
muters.
“This
be
allowed
slight increase in
to receive a
our speed limit
license. The
will be safe for
purpose
of
motorists
and
the class is
help get Virginto
remind
ians to their desparents and
tinations a little
students of
quicker
each
the “rules of
day,” he stated in
the
road,”
Photo by shorlinespeedingticket.com
a press release.
including
Some students disagree with the texting and driving policy
McDonnell. “There’s always traf- which has presented a problem
fic in Virginia, so I don’t think for young drivers in the past.
it will help. But I do think fewOver the next few months, stuer people will get pulled over,” dents will be encouraged to pay
said junior Laura Thompson. extra attention to road signs
The new speed limit is also and police warnings. It is still
considered fuel-inefficient and unclear as to which portions
dangerous, especially for newer of Virginia highway will be afdrivers. The change could also fected by the speed limit and
increase the number of traffic which schools will be offering
accidents and related deaths. the parent/student driver class.
Sports 3
May 28, 2010
Brooke Point Graduate Runs Cross Country
By Yvonne Eber
Two-thousand, five hundred, fiftythree miles is a daunting number by car,
train, or even by bike, but 2553 miles
by foot is just plain mind boggling. To
do this feat in less than four months
is even more so. Brooke Point 2006
graduate Patrick McGlade did just that
In order to raise money for juvenile
arthritis McGlade ran 2,553 miles,
through nine states in four months. “I
wanted to run across the country but I
wanted it to mean something more. I
wanted to do a charity that wasn’t well
known. 300,000 kids have it and no
juvenile arthritis foundation receives
federal funding. It’s kind of hard to
look at a kid and know that every joint
in their body is deteriorating. So I did
something about it,” McGlade said.
He has now raised $21,000 for the
cause and is still receiving donations.
Not much of a running enthusiast in high
school, McGlade truly found his passion in college. “I never ran cross country in high school or did much running
at all for that matter. I was a band geek
actually. I only fell into long distance
running three years ago in college.”
McGlade runs ultra marathons, races
that all are over the typical 26.2 mile
marathon length and typically range
between 50-100 km or 50-100 mi.
As McGlade pushed himself through
a 24 hour race he came up with the
idea of running across the country. “If I could run a 24 hour race, I
thought ya know what? I bet I can
run across the country.” So he did.
In order to get ready for his trip McGlade trained in a series of different
“I wanted to run across
the country but I wanted it
to mean something more.”
~ Patrick McGlade
ways. “I would go to the gym and tire
out my legs until I felt like I couldn’t
walk anymore and then I’d jump on
the treadmill.” Aside from the gym,
McGlade went on long runs including runs from Richmond to Stafford.
After months of training he was finally
ready and set out from Huntington
Beach California on January 2,2010.
McGlade ran through nine states and
five pairs of running shoes. “The hardest part for me was trying to eat 6000
calories a day. It sounds great at first
but really turns into a chore. I didn’t
lose a single pound though or get
hurt once! I also kept all 10 toenails
which is a pretty big accomplishment for an ultra marathon runner.”
McGlade kept an ongoing blog
throughout the four months on his trip.
He posted photos as well as video footage of his runs constantly keeping fans
and loved ones updated on his adventures. As he ran, people invited him
into their homes as well as bought him
hotel rooms in his upcoming towns.
He found overwhelming welcomes
from the towns he ran through and
even had a day named after him in
Prattville, Alabama. “I really enjoyed
meeting people. It shows a lot about
the people that helped me out along the
way that I only had to stay five nights
out of the four months in my tent.”
McGlade finished his run to cheering
applause in a race to benefit juvenile
diabetes on April 23 on Tybee Island,
North Carolina. Although he has no
immediate plans to do something
similar, he definitely is not saying no
to the idea. “I don’t want to write off
the idea of running across another
country or doing something similar, I had an absolute blast this trip.”
He is, however, gearing up for the
Western States Race in June, a 100
mile race that ascends over 18000
ft and must be finished in 30 hours.
Where does McGlade gets his inspiration? “There are a lot of different
people who are inspirational to me.
Dave Snipes because he’s just the
toughest guy I’ve ever met and my
sister Bridget for always keeping my
spirits up. Really anybody who works
hard and anyone who does something
for someone else is my inspiration.
The biggest piece to a dream is just do
it. If you’ve got something you want
to do, do it. It’s well worth the work.”
* Donations can be made to
http://
w a y. t o / P a t r i c k s r u n 4 a r t h r i t i s .
Athlete of the Month:
Jayson Dunn
Dream Season for the Hawks
http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=bphslax
Compiled By
Katie Tate and Natalie Shunk
The Brooke Point Lacrosse Team
finished the 2009 season with a close
shot at making it to state. This year
those high expectations came closer.
The team finished the 2010 regular
season as the only undefeated team
in The Commonwealth District.
“This year a lot of our key players returned. Last year we made it
to states, a first for Brooke Point Lacrosse so we had high hopes for this
year. We beat Albemarle High School
for the first time in school history and
there were kids from all over Stafford
at the game. Once we beat Albemarle
we pretty much locked up the regular
season victory. We ended the season at
14-0, the only team undefeated team in
Virginia,” senior Alex Williams said.
At the end of the regular season, the
team was ranked third in the state
behind Saint Anne’s- Belfield, a private school located in Charlottesville
and Langley High School located in
McLean. The district tournament was
scheduled to start on May 17, 2010 but
was rescheduled to May 19 due to rain.
Williams credits their success this season to pre-game rituals. “Before games
we did a lot. A lot of the kids went
fishing or just hung out,” before their
5:30 arrival at school. The evening before games, the team met at someone’s
house and enjoyed a team dinner where
they relaxed and played cock ball, a
game where participants stand in a circle passing around a ball then throwing
it at another player. “The team dinners
were always a blast and the parents
are awesome cooks,” Williams said.
The team walked down to the field at
about 6:20pm for a 7:00pm game. A lot
of players used their iPods to become
pumped for the game. They then went
to the practice field and stretched. “We
would get into the stick line where we
would pass the ball around. 20 minutes before the game we walked over
to the game field. Our warm up CD
got us hyped. We had this way of going on the field and meeting each other.
We had a line on each corner of the
end zone and then they’d [the team]
run to half field and intersect and hit
sticks. Then we’d come together and
chest -bump and yell. Right before
the game starts we have a chant that
Alex Goodman started,” said Williams.
As for next year, Athletic Director Greg
Margheim confesses that he “can’t predict the future.” However, his hopes are
high for the team next year and would
be “surprised if they didn’t [win].”
Respected by the varsity lacrosse team for his high energy and
skill, junior Jayson Dunn revs up Brooke Point with his spirit
and enthusiasm in goal.
By Nicole Caliri
Q
A
How long have you been playing lacrosse?
Q
What is your favorite part about playing
lacrosse?
Q
A
I’d have to say beating Albemarle for the
1st time. It was a great achievement and it
was awesome because I was the goalie.
Q
Yeah, a guy was going for a shot and
the ball flew and hit my hand. It actually ended up being broken.
If you could switch sports for a day
what sport would you choose? Why?
A
It’s just something fun to do and I enjoy
hanging out with everybody on the team.
Most memorable moment?
Have you ever been injured during a
game? How?
A
I’ve been playing lacrosse for 3 years
and this is my first year being on varsity.
A
Q
Q
I would definitely choose to play on a
luge team. It looks like a lot of fun and
I want to be able to go that fast.
Do you have any pregame rituals? If so,
what?
A
Yeah, I actually wear the same pair of
boxers backwards the day of the game.
I believe that it gives me good luck.
Run Benny, Run! Stafford Schools’ Mascots Race for the Gold
By Brittany Decatur
Benny the Blackhawk took home the
gold at the first annual Mascot Footrace
held on March 17 at Colonial Forge
High School. Benny did everything he
could to prepare for the race. “I trained
with my personal trainer for three weeks
just to be ready for the major race.”
Benny’s friends and family gathered
to watch him go head to head in an intense obstacle race with other mascots
from Stafford County’s elementary,
middle and high schools. Benny had
many competitors in the race, but his
biggest rival was the Mountain View
Wildcat. According to Benny, “The
Wildcat may have professional skills
but Benny will always be number one.”
The race was meant to be a fun entertaining way for the mascots to
compete with one another but in case
things got a little too intense, a few
rules were established. The mascot’s
head or costume could not be removed. Each mascot had to do a little
bit of everything from running, dancing, riding scooters, and jump roping.
After the mascots took their marks,
the whistle blew. Benny bolted off and
flew by all the other competitors. As
he took the lead, the BP crowd roared
with excitement. “I was very proud of
my favorite mascot Benny the Black
Hawk!” freshman Jessica Johnson said.
“As I crossed the finish line surprisingly only one thing ran through my mind
and that was that I knew I was the BEST
mascot in Stafford County,” said Benny.
The judges declared everyone a winner but it was obvious who the true
winner was. Benny the Blackhawk!
May 28, 2010
Student Life 4
Ap spanish students learn to dance
By Natalie Shunk
After AP exams, advanced classes
take on a relaxed state. There are
“slow” class periods where not much
work is done, and if there is work, it’s
usually word searches or crossword
puzzles that relate to the subject. In
Senora Meghan Stone’s third block
AP Spanish class, it’s a different story.
After AP exams are over and out
of the way, Stone teaches her students the cultural dances of the Spain.
Students’ partner up and Stone quickly
explains the dance for them, counting out the steps. They practice for a
few minutes and then try their new
moves to the music. Stone explains
that she’s done this “every year with
the AP kids, after the exam.” She
tries out different dances like the
merengue or salsa. “Sometimes I’ll
teach them the cha-cha, but [the merengue and salsa] are the most common.” Their “homework” is to practice the steps they’ve learned in class.
Most students haven’t tried salsa dancing before, but junior Itzel
Santana has some experience over
her classmates. “I [dance] when
I go to Panama for vacation, my
mom taught me when I was little.”
Though Santana has some skills
over her partners, senior Bryan Rivera admits to have “never
danced any cultural dances before.”
Students rotate partners at some
point throughout the class period.
“At first it was a bit awkward, but
it’s getting fun. It’s a lot better than
the AP work,” according to Rivera.
AP Spanish students practice salsa dancing.
BP Students Open Up
to free expression
By Matthew Flanagan
Student Expression Night took place
on April 28. English teacher Larry
Letkiewicz ran the event for The Collective Mind, the student publication which spotlights creative writing
among the student body. “The Literary Magazine here at Brooke Point
promotes the creative mind of students at our school,” Letkiewicz said.
The event ran for over two and a
half hours. Sophomore Bryan Lambe
performed a very impressive rendition
of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” Other performers read
original poetry compositions. “This
poem really captures the feelings toward me and my boyfriend. He’s so
far away and we always talk about
him driving up to see me,” junior Kim
Portwine said of her piece, “Drive.”.
Junior Fred Rogers performed a powerful poem dedicated to the real friends in
his life. “True friends are hard to come
by. Depending on the type of person you
are decides who you can count on. If
you’re straight, true friends are easier to
come by. But if you are bisexual or gay,
you can easily weed out who the true
friends in your life are,” Rogers said.
Other unique performances of the
night were given by senior Jessica Carrington and sophomore Laine Korn.
They performed “New Soul” by Yael
Naim. Korn used a pair of chopsticks
to keep the beat while Carrington sang.
Another very unique act by senior JC
Little, junior Brett Minard and junior
Aidan Stewart captured the attention of
the audience. Little with beat boxing,
Minard on guitar and Stewart on an instrument called the “Didgeridoo” make
up the group “Light Versus Noise.” After starting on the Didgeridoo, during
the middle of the song Stewart switched
over to drums. “We’re really just an experimental group,” Stewart said. “We
practically just do whatever we want.
The whole performance was improvised. We had no setup beforehand.”
Proceeds from the event went towards
the production of “The Collective Mind.”
YOuth of Virgina
Speak Out
Chemistry Mole Projects
By Chantelle Polite
Student mole projects on display.
While many students are familiar
with the famous “mole project” BPHS
Chemistry teacher Scott Walters assigns every school year, there are other students who aren’t very familiar
with the project or know its purpose.
“The purpose of the project is to
get students to understand the unit of
measurement in Chemistry called a
mole,” Walters said. The idea for the
project isn’t exactly an original one
from Walters. “Mrs. [Rita] Lysher
came up with it and I copied her. And
it’s all just a lot of really bad puns,” he
said, “such as “The Molenator,” “Troy
Palamoleu,” “CineMole,” “Grandmoler Clock,” “Moleio and Luigi.”
After having assigned this project for
a few years now, Walters has seen a
variety of mole ideas from his students
along with the origin of their inspirations. “I see Disney a lot. Disney is
one of the most of the biggest inspirations. Some of the weirdest inspirations
usually come from everyday events
like riding in a car, everyday life.”
Walters says that this year’s mole
projects have been much more creative
than those in previous years. “They’re
much more creative. The main reason
is they’ve seen last year’s and raised
the bar. Students get very excited about
this project. They usually come in on
the first day of school asking when
we’ll get to the mole project,” Walters said. “They’re excited because it
gives them a chance to be creative.”
The project was one that excited
junior Justine Hilliard. Hilliard developed a “Molear” Eclipse for her
assignment. “The project was awesome,” she said. “I liked the creativity
and seeing other people’s projects.”
Senior DeVante Johnson had different feelings about the project. He
created “J. Mole” after the rapper J.
Cole. “The project wasn’t hard. But
I didn’t like doing it,” Johnson said.
On the other hand, junior Cassie Salyers
enjoyed project. “I liked how I could
decide what I could do to it myself and
not be assigned a certain project,” she
said of her creation “Hannah Moletana.”
By Travis Cole
YOVASO, the acronym for Youth of
Virginia Speak Out, held a fundraiser
to promote awareness of distracted
driving during the week of April 26
leading up to May 1. “Smash-A-Car”
was designed to make students aware
of the hazards and distractions while
driving. Typically, when people think
of distracted driving, they focus mainly
on drinking and driving, but Brooke
Point Deputy Carolyn Burgess was
quick to correct this thought. “Distracted driving covers many topics,
such as texting, eating, applying make
up, and reading.” YOVASO primarily
aims its target at texting while driving.
A totaled car was placed out of
front Brooke Point High School.
Students paid $1 for 3 swings with
a sledgehammer. The car was donated by Liberty Mutual and was delivered on Monday April 26, 2010.
YOVASO is planning to get another
car for the week before graduation
to help raise attention to the fact that
the number of car crashes increases
during graduation and the summer.
YOVASO’s main purpose is to teach
teenagers through teenagers. YOVASO
educates their teenagers who are in the
program so that they may go out into
the community and inform other teenagers about the dangers on the road.
Five YOVASO students attended the
“X the Text” event in Washington,
D.C. American Idol winner Jordin
Sparks was there to support the cause.
On April 30, 2010, they attended The
Oprah Show. The students were on TV
multiple times to promote “No Phone
Zone,” an ongoing pledge by Oprah to
get students to eliminate cell phone usage while operating a motor vehicle.
http://dradjust.com/clients/3577/images/car_crash_0164.jpg
Ear stretching gains popularity
By Beverly Orloff
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.noisecreep.com/media/2009/05/mychildrenmb_a050509eb_200.jpg
Look at the earlobes of every few students at Brooke Point and you may see
a tunnel, a taper, or a plug, instead of the
usual earring. A growing trend among
today’s teenagers and young adults is
ear stretching, also known as gauging, the process of gradually stretching
the pierced ear lobe hole to a desired
size. While this was once a practice
more commonly thought to be used in
tribes than high schools, it’s not nearly
as bizarre or far out as it once was.
Sizes of gauges range from 18 to
1½ inch, at least in manufactured
gauges. Although some people stretch
into sizes like 3 inches, Hot Topic
for example only sells gauges up to
1½ inch. Although it is possible and
less popular to stretch above that
size, most gauged ears in Brooke
Point are around 1 inch or smaller.
Opinions on ear stretching are as
greatly varied as the sizes in which
gauges come. Junior Michael Carpenter has one size 0 tunnel in his
left ear.“[Gauging] is just something I’ve always been interested
in. I always thought it was unique.”
“I used to have gauges and I liked them
cause I could put my finger through
them”, Junior Nicci Mickls said laughing.
Not everyone has a positive view
of gauges. “Personally, I don’t like
them, cause I’m an old guy who
can’t get used to it,” U.S Government
teacher Pete Ortiz said.junior Tony
Merz agrees. “They’re not worth it.
I don’t want a big hole in my ear.”
Some people may be surprised to
know that not all gauging is permanent.
It’s possible to gauge up to about a size
2 to 00 and usually after a few months
the ear lobe will shrink back to an
18g, which is the normal earring size.
The most common and painful mistake that people who gauge their ears
tend to make is rushing. Gauging up
a size too quickly will result in what’s
called a blowout, when the lobe is
ripped rather than stretched. This
causes bleeding, swelling, infection
and a lot of pain. The ear is more likely
to form scar tissue which appears as a
permanent tag of skin around the hole.
Those who are considering gauging must take it slow. Experts recommend waiting at least 3 weeks between
stretches to avoid blowouts. They
should also remember to turn the taper
or other jewelry often to avoid sticking,
and clean the area daily with warm salt
water or Bactine to prevent infection.
Ear stretching, love it or hate it, is amazingly popular and doesn’t appear to be
dying off anytime soon. Just like boat
shoes are the new Nikes and nerd is the
new cool, gauges are the new earrings.
Entertainment 5
May 28, 2010
Rewind And Replay
the 1980’s and 1950’s
Compiled by Yvonne Eber and Aidan Stewart
Hello Again (1987)
Living a seemingly idyllic life
Lucy Chadman seems in want
of nothing. She is happily married, prominent in New York
high society, and very well to
do. Hoever, she gets a very rude
awakening when she accidentally chokes on a piece of chicken and dies. The story however,
doesn’t end there. Fascinated by
the supernatural “arts,” her sister attempts to resurrect Lucy
The African Queen (1951)
from the grave and succeeds!
After her resurrection Lucy
must find true love within three
months or she will yet again
“die.” Little does she know this
will be more of a challenge then
expected. Her husband has been
remarried, her job taken and
her legacy essentially forgotten.
This is a story about betrayal,
love, and the challenge of truly
finding your place in the world.
The African Queen is a 1951
film starring Humphrey Bogart
and Catherine Hepburn. The film
depicts a Canadian boat captain
and a British missionary trying
to flee German occupied Africa
during World War I. On their
journey, the characters encounter
rapids, German gunships, flood-
4’33” (1952)
Slippery When Wet (1987)
Bon Jovi’s 1987 album was released by Mercury Records and
by everyone’s standards was an
instant success. It spent eight
weeks in the number one spot on
Billboard 200. It is said to hold
some of Bon Jovi’s best songs
including “You give love a bad
name” and “livin on a prayer.” It
sold 28 million copies world wide
making it Bon Jovi’s best selling
album. Be sure to check it out!
ing, and many other perils. The
African Queen was the first and
only movie to ever earn Bogart
an Oscar and was also nominated
for best actress, adapted screenplay and director. The movie is
considered such a classic, that it
has been selected by the National
Film Registry for preservation.
4’ 33” (pronounced four minutes,
thirty-three seconds) is a 1952
musical piece released by avant
garde (meaning “ahead of the
times” using unorthodox or experimental methods) composer, John
Cage. What someone with an antrained ear would call a “silent
song,” the piece is actually built
around the sounds of the environ-
ment. If someone were to listen to
the piece in the city, for example,
the sounds of traffic, commuters,
etc. would be considered part of
the song. This concept makes
4’33” one of the few songs that is
different every time it is “played.”
Over the years, 4’33” arguably became John Cage’s most important,
famous and controversial pieces.
Two Forks Up For Sammy T’s
By Courtney Karr
Sammy T’s, like most businesses
in downtown Fredericksburg, has
a history reaching back hundreds
of years. After surviving the Civil
War, the building served as a
post office, auto supply shop and
another restaurant before becoming Sammy T’s in 1980. Since
then, the restaurant has become
a popular hangout for those looking for a friendly, inviting atmosphere and of course great food.
When I arrived at Sammy’s on
April 24, 2010, the first thing I
noticed was the friendliness of
the servers. Even on a slow day,
every single table at Sammy’s is
packed, and the waiters really
work to make sure that all the
patrons are served efficiently and
sammyts.com
with respect. I was seated quickly
and my order was taken with a
smile. Sammy T’s is known for
its vegan and vegetarian menu,
but there are still plenty of “normal” options for picky eaters. “We
make it a point to eat here when-
ever we’re in the area. The food
is to die for,” stated Mark Schaffer, a Woodbridge, VA resident.
My entrée was brought out to me
after about 15 minutes of waiting
and I must say, I was quite impressed. My club sandwich was at
least five inches thick and took up
the entire plate. Talk about chowing down! The bread was still
warm from the toaster. The lettuce
was fresh and crisp. For vegetarians, I would recommend the “hot
veg” or perhaps an apple ched-
dar melt for their main course.
Overall, I was very pleased
with the quality of the restaurant. My order was taken in
a timely manner, the servers
were welcoming and the dining area and bathroom were
kept in pristine order. No health
hazards, I can assure you! There’s
even an outdoor dining room if you
decide to bring a furry friend along
with you. If you’re a vegetarian, or
just want to try something new,
the next time you’re in the downtown area, I suggest you check
out Sammy T’s, which is located
at 801 Caroline Street. A word of
advice: bring plenty of cash with
you. Most menu items are pretty pricey. I give it two forks up!
Feature 6
By Skylar Bartley
May 28, 2010
Teacher in the Nest: Jina Han Price
Point for helping him become so
successful in college!
Jina Han Price, beloved Biology and Anatomy and Physiology teacher, has been through
a lot these past few years. She
battled breast cancer and came
out on top, got married and gave
birth to a beautiful baby girl,
Sarah Elizabeth. She’s a colorful and truly amazing individual.
Q: Would you like to teach any
other subjects other than Anatomy and Biology?
A: I’m terrible at math and history. So I figure if I teach those
subjects, I’ll be forced to become
better at both!
Q: Who are you closest to in the
building?
A: My imaginary friend, Flavia.
Where I go, Flavia goes.
Q: How has life been since returning from maternity leave?
A: Busy, but good! Being a mom
and a teacher are definitely 2
VERY full-time jobs.
Q: When were you diagnosed
with breast cancer?
A: I was diagnosed the summer of 2007. I felt a lump
around June but put off getting
it checked until August. The
threat of breast cancer was the
last thing on my mind, so the
diagnosis came as a huge shock.
Q: What did the school and your
family do during that time to
support you?
Q: What’s your biggest fear?
A: Hmm….fear itself?
Mrs. Price after chemo
A: My mom and dad held my
hand through every dreaded
chemo treatment. Friends and
family threw a shave and scarf
party so I could have some
control over my hair loss from
chemotherapy and score some
amazing scarves. My BP family
visited me at the hospital, sent
gifts, gave hugs, and cheered
me on. Students encouraged me
through each step of treatment: I
received a ton of prayer along the
way when I didn’t think I could
go on. My support team was my
plish before you die?
A: Run a marathon, give more
than I receive, re-learn how to
play the piano, skydive, travel to
Australia, love others more than
I do myself…just to name a few.
Q: What made you decide to
become a teacher?
A: I went to college thinking
I would go into medicine. But
after working at a hospital for
a year and feeling unsatisfied,
I realized that all the years of
being involved with youth and
kids made teaching the natural
choice. Looking back, I know I
made the right choice.
Q: What is one of your proudest
moments as a teacher?
A: I have a former student who
sent me an electron micrograph
of a bacteriophage that he discovered and is currently in the
process of having his research
published. He emailed to thank
his former teachers at Brooke
Q: Who is your biggest inspiration?
A: I’d say my biggest inspiration
is my mom. She’s been the greatest demonstration of patience,
kindness, compassion, grace, and
unconditional love in my life. I’d
be proud to be half the mom and
wife I’ve seen in her.
Sarah Elizabeth smiles for the camera
healing.
Q: How long was your battle with
cancer?
A: My treatment which included
surgery, chemotherapy and radiation lasted about two years….
but every now and then, I still
battle the thoughts of cancer
returning.
Q: What did you think when you
learned you were pregnant?
A: I thought, “WHOA.”
Q: What do you hope to accom-
Hello, I’m Mormon
By Genevive Bee
When people ask me what its like
to be Mormon, I sometimes think
they expect to hear tales of secret
societies and strange rituals, perhaps even a story of a Salem-esque
witch trial or an underground
dungeon. I have had people ask
me if I am allowed to use spoons,
demand to know how many wives
my father has, and even wonder if
they might see my horns. The answers to those questions are “yes,”
“one,” and “what do you think?”
As far as the basics go, there isn’t
much about Mormonism that sets
it apart from the other Protestant
Christian religions. We believe in
Jesus, go to church on Sunday,
and read the bible. However, there
are a few little known facts or
unique practices that set us apart.
Mormons are not actually Mormons. The real name of our church
is The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints, but that is
quite a mouthful, so we some-
times abbreviate it as LDS. We
are often called “Mormons” because we have the Book of Mormon, an additional scriptural
text unique to the LDS church.
I get up at 4:45 every morning
before school so I can be at our
aptly named “early morning seminary” by six. Seminary is basically a theology class where students
study scriptures, religious his-
tory, and church doctrine. Despite
the ungodly hour of the morning,
most of us at least partially enjoy
going to seminary and attend regularly. Luckily, there is no seminary on the days when there is no
school, so we still get to sleep in on
the weekends and during breaks.
“We,” by the way, are the Aquia
Ward. There have been a few
snarky people who have asked
“You mean like a psycho ward?”
but it is actually just an organizational term. A “ward” is the
term for the congregation contained within certain geographical boundaries, sort of like a country. A group of wards is called a
stake. Stakes are further grouped
into temple districts, missions
and areas. A ward is headed
by a bishop. A stake is headed
by a stake president, neither of
whom is paid. In fact, the LDS
church has no paid clergy at all.
As a side note, Mormons are
allowed to have caffeine. If we
weren’t, we also wouldn’t be allowed to eat chocolate or broccoli,
both of which have caffeine in
them. Some people simply choose
not to drink sodas with caffeine
because they object to stimulants,
but that is a personal choice.
However, church doctrine does
specifically prohibit tea or coffee.
We believe they are unhealthy.
There is a lot more to being
Mormon than waking up early
and being limited to coffee-less
frappaccinos and hot chocolate at
Starbucks. They best way to learn
more about Mormons is to ask one.
If you’re curious, feel free to ask
any of us about our religion. We
promise not to try to convert you.
Nayeka of the Caribbean
By Chantelle Polite
Nayeka Charville at Brooke Point High School
By Ryan Artze
Some individuals may think
of the Caribbean and associate
it with palm trees, sunny skies
24/7, beaches, the ocean and more
importantly, a summer vacation destination. Junior Nayeka
Charville thinks of it as home.
Charville is from St. Maarten, a
tropical island in the northeast
Caribbean. She was just thirteenyears-old when she moved from
St. Maarten to Stafford, Virginia.
“Most people are told like three
months before they have to move.
My mom told me three days before.
I was crying my butt off. I felt sad
‘cause I was leaving my home.”
Charville’s expectations about
the states have changed since
coming to Virginia as a freshman.
“I’m going to be honest. I thought
Americans were weird. I would see
you guys get all happy over sixtydegree weather in the spring, but
in St. Maarten 60 degrees is cold to
us. We’re used to the heat.” Charville explained. “When I came here,
I started to have to wear sweaters.
But America’s just how I expected
it. There are big roads, big cars,
and big houses. Big PEOPLE.”
After being in the states for almost
four years, Charville’s distinct
islander accent has faded somewhat. When she first moved here,
communicating with such a strong
accent was a bit of a challenge for
her. “It was frustrating because
I could understand other people,
but they couldn’t understand me.”
Aside from what Charville was
aware of about America, she also
came to notice things she wasn’t
aware of until moving here. “Our
summer breaks are shorter. We
get like a month, unlike here in
America. And in the islands, there
are mostly European cars. The
animals in St. Maarten are different too because we have more
tropical birds. The people are different, too,” Charville explains.
“The students are more dedicated
to school because people want to
graduate and get off of the island.”
Though St. Maarten is a tropical island, Charville likes to
stress that it’s not the stereotypical island that is seen on TV. “St.
Maarten is different and it makes
me mad when people lump us
together with the Bahamas or
Jamaica because there is a difference. They’re just two different
islands in two different locations.
And we’re one of the lamest islands! We have no rivers, no volcanoes. But we got all the money.
We’re the richest island. Some islands are really poor. Like Haiti.”
During summer break, she will
be returning to her home in the islands for six weeks to reunite with
family and old friends. “When I
go back home, the first thing I’m
gonna do is go to the beach. Even
though a lot of people think in St.
Maarten we live on beaches and
only eat coconuts. The beach I go
to is, like, fifteen minutes from
my house there or,” Charville
explains, “they ask if we have
cars, computers, roads and movie theatres. We have everything
America has. Our island has only
one McDonald’s, though. And
like, ten Subway restaurants.”
Charville will be back at
Brooke Point next year with
many tales from the caribbean.
Brooke Point Says Goodbye to 2007 Salutatorian
“I really thought he was going to
grow up and change the world.”
Julie Stemple
Focus teacher
On Tuesday, April 27, Ian
Smith Christmas was found dead,
an apparent suicide. He was 21
years old, a junior at William
and Mary and the Salutatorian
of the Brooke Point Class of 2007.
Ian didn’t fit the profile of someone who might commit suicide.
He was outgoing, smart, successful and had many close friends.
Those who knew him were shocked
when they learned what had happened. At the funeral, friend
after friend stood up and spoke
about the camping trips they had
taken with him, the clubs that
they were in together or just the
good times that they had had.
The people I interviewed talked
about how smart Ian was and how
certain they were that he would
have grown up to do great things.
“I really thought he was going to
grow up and change the world,”
focus teacher Julie Stemple said.
I never really knew Ian, but I
felt that the death of a young man
who was described as someone
who could have changed the world
should not go unnoticed. Ian had
an incredibly quick mind and
could internalize with ease what
he learned. During his junior year
he taught himself Russian, one of
the hardest languages to learn,
as an Independent Study. Ian
learned to speak it fluently, something extremely difficult to do on
your
own,
without a teacher. He was also
a star player on the Academic
Team and one of the highest
scorers for the Team his senior
year. He missed out on the Valedictorian status for his class by a
couple of thousandths of a point.
In the minds of many of his
teachers and classmates, Ian’s
intellect was second to none.
Ian excelled in every subject
and participated in numerous
afterschool activities. A life-long
Scout, he loved nature, hiking
and camping. He was a good
friend to those who knew him;
a kind and generous person. He
was well liked by his peers and
admired for his modest attitude.
“He was just an incredible student
whose brilliance was matched
only by his humility,” English
teacher Dewey Reynolds said.
Ian’s death is a tragic loss for
all of us. For his short life to
have meaning, we all need to
take heed. When life’s problems
seem to be too difficult to handle
on our own, we must reach out
for help. All I want to know is,
why didn’t he just call one of us?
Suicide is not an answer. A
tragic death like Ian Smith
Christmas’
touches
more
lives than can be imagined.
Opinion 7
May 28, 2010
Question
of
the
m o n t h
What was your
experience like when
you first learned to
ride a bike?
“I was nervous, also a
little scared but
excited at the
same time.”
Michael Adusei
Senior
“I remember, my
grandma was
holding the bars
because I hadn’t
learned how to
steer yet. And
all my neighbors
were outside at
the same time.
And it was a bit
awkward. But it
was fun.”
Itzel Santana
Junior
“I decided to
race when I
first rode. I slid
under a car, and
cut my eye open.
I was under the
tire, but it was a
parked car.”
Kayla Harris
Sophomore
“I was five
and I was in a
bank parking
lot. That’s all I
remember.”
Does MTV’s “16 and Pregnant” Glamorize Teen Pregnancy?
By Chantelle Polite
When the MTV reality show “16
and Pregnant” aired last June,
I was one of many who tuned in
to watch the lives of six teenage
girls and how they dealt with
their underage pregnancies. I
was especially excited to watch
the show because I could tell it
would not be one of those TV
programs that glamorize teen
pregnancy and teen parenthood.
“16 and Pregnant” does an excellent job of showing the true
realities of teenage pregnancy.
Some who have seen “16 and
Pregnant” feel that it promotes
teens having sex and that it sways
opinions about abortions whether
they’re good or bad. The show does
a good job of showing, and actually proving, to viewers that being
a teenage mother and/or father is
definitely not an easy job. “16 and
Pregnant” gives insight into what
comes with being teen parents
like, the fact that in most cases, the
teen father does not always stick
around once their baby is born.
In Season Two of “16 and Pregnant,” a high school senior, Chelsea becomes pregnant by her boyfriend Adam who neglects Chelsea
constantly during her pregnancy.
He does not come around to attend to her needs for both her and
their baby afterwards. Adam lat-
Photos by examiner.com and bloginity.com
er calls baby Aubree a “little mistake” through a text message sent
to Chelsea. This is one example of
a teenager father’s failure to play
a part in their life of their child.
Unlike Adam, most of the teen
fathers on the show do stay and
support their children, but for the
girls left to do it on their own, “16
and Pregnant” makes it known in
the best way possible that being
a single teenage parent changes
one’s life completely. Every decision a teenage parent makes has
to be done with her child in mind.
Some think that the show promotes teen pregnancy because
AP Tests Could Not Have
Come at a Worse Time
Courtney Colon
Freshman
Compiled by
Chantelle Polite
Introducing
the 2010-2011
Hawkeye Staff
Brooke Point High School
1700 Courthouse Rd.
Stafford, VA 22554
Krysten Marshall
Editor-In-Chief
Aidan Stewart
Asst. Editor-In-Chief
News Editor
Travis Cole
Sports Editor
Chantelle Polite
Student Life Editor
Skylar Bartley
Entertainment Editor
Joanna Newcome
Feature Editor
CJ Ballesteros
Opinion Editor
Matthew Flanagan
X-Page Editor
Zachary Byrum
Copy Editor
Natalie Shunk
Business Manager
Nicole Caliri
Photographer
Genevieve Bee
Staff Writer
Jordan Biscardo
Staff Writer
Courtney Karr
Staff Writer
Mary Catherine Hornung
Adviser
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 Lance-Star.
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.
and Pregnant”’s creator to do so.
Same Old, Same Old?
By Aidan Stewart
What has the movie industry
come to? In today’s era of technology, audiences should expect a
constant flow of original and creative movie ideas. Sadly, this isn’t
the case. With no less than seventy-five remakes planned for this
year, along with twenty-three TV
shows headed for the big screen,
a lack of originality within the
movie business is obvious. I can
maybe understand remaking a really old movie that our generation
wouldn’t be familiar with, but the
majority of the movies being remade aren’t even 30 years old yet.
Movies like “Red Dawn,” “Clash
of The Titans,” “The Poltergeist,”
and “The Karate Kid” all came out
in the 1980’s and are still relevant
enough that they do not need to
be remade. Virtually every horror movie of the past few years
has been a remake of a Japanese
original, such as “The Ring,” “The
Grudge,” and “One Missed Call.”
I really don’t get it. Even “Avatar,” one of the most successful
movies ever, loosely stole its plot
from the 1992 film, “Ferngully.”
There are millions of original
ideas out there as well as books
that are perfect for movie adaptations, but Hollywood chooses to
ignore them and go with remakes.
The reason for Hollywood’s
lack of originality is because the
industry is afraid of losing money
with an original idea. With a remake, film companies don’t have
to pay writers to come up with new
ideas because the plot has already
been created. This way, if the
movie bombs less money is lost.
While I don’t see an end
to it any time soon, I truly hope
that Hollywood can get over its
fears of losing money and start
releasing original films. It would
be a smart move and would
more likely than not, bring in
revenue for the movie industry.
By Taylor Valencia
The 2010 Junior-Senior Prom
began at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday,
May 1 and ended at midnight.
After-Prom began at midnight
and ended at 5:00 a.m. When I
crawled into bed after attending both Prom and After-Prom
at 6:30 a.m., the last thing on
my mind was an AP Government
exam on Monday at 8:00 a.m.
On Monday morning, AP Government students entered their
exam locations many dressed
in sweat pants with the glamour of Prom gone. Eyes silently
screamed the same thing. I’m tired
and don’t want to take this exam.
Since elementary school, students have been told to get a
good night’s sleep before a test.
With prom right before an AP
exam, this much needed rest
was thrown out the window.
Instead of having Prom and
AP exam dates intertwined, it
would be better to have them
separated. Having an AP exam
right after Prom is a setup for
students to receive a low score.
It is a reprimand for having too
much fun over the weekend.
According to Brooke Point high
school Office Manager Charlotte
Parish, the Prom date for Brooke
Point high school has always been
the first Saturday in May. Is this
date impossible to change? Will
the world come to an end if Prom
is held on another Saturday?
Students pay eighty six dollars
for an AP exam. Students do
not get their eighty six dollars
worth when they are exhausted from Prom and After-Prom.
Instructors might suggest not going to Prom to focus on the exam,
but why should students be forced
to choose between one or the other? Both events are important.
I understand that high schools
choose their Prom dates and that
the College Board determines the
AP exam dates. I understand the
small time window in which all
of these important things have to
take place. I wonder if those who
choose the dates understand how
their decisions impact students
who went to Prom and After-Prom
and took the AP Government exam.
Staff Writer
Will Chang
the parents of the teenagers on
“16 and Pregnant” aren’t seen
disciplining their children after
finding out that they’re pregnant or after their grandchildren have been born. However,
after the child is born, what
can the parent do? Once a teen
girl is pregnant, she’s pregnant.
In Season1, after Farrah’s
mother learned she was pregnant, she didn’t yell and scream
at her. It was obvious that she
was very heartbroken that her
daughter was pregnant. When
Samantha of Season Two became pregnant, the show showed
her mother constantly speaking
of how her parents talked and
talked to her about teen pregnancy, yet she still became pregnant. The way a parent deals
with their teenager becoming a
parent doesn’t necessarily mean
the parents don’t care or aren’t
disappointed in their children.
Another reason some don’t condone “16 and Pregnant” is because
they feel teen pregnancy is glamorized through letting the teens
star in a TV show on MTV. These
girls are brave for showing millions of people on television their
struggles and how their lives have
been completely changed. Samantha underwent a painful and
emotional C-section when giving
birth to her daughter Jordynn.
This was shown by MTV. “I made
the decision to have sex,” she told
the cameras after the birth of her
daughter. “It had consequences.”
Teenage pregnancy is hard,
whether you’re a single teenage
mother doing the job or have family friends to help. All aspects of it
are seen in both “16 and Pregnant”
Nothing is glamorized, sexual or
promiscuity is not promoted and if
thoughts and opinions about abortion and/or adoption are swayed
or changed, I don’t believe that’s
the intensions of MTV or “16
Letters to the Editor
Got an opinion about something?
Submit a Letter to the Editor to rooms 220 or 213.
http://www.schmidmichael.de
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 Lance-Star.
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.
This issue of The Hawkeye is a joint effort of the Production
Staff and the Journalism 1 class. We thank Senior Ryan Artze
for his contributions to our newspaper this year.
Doth thou havest an opinion?!
Then submit a letter to the
Editor to rooms 220 or 213!
X-Page 8
May 28, 2010
X-Posed: Summer FesTIVALS
Compiled by Joanna Newcome
Summer’s quickly approaching! That means about eleven weeks
free of early mornings, teachers and monotonous homework assignments. Beach trips, lazy days and vacations are highlights of any
summer, but why not try out something different this year? Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia are filled with numerous affordable festivals and events throughout the summer months. Check
out a few of these out of the ordinary ways to spend a day of your
vacation!
Spend a day at the Eastern Market!
7th Street & North Carolina Avenue, SE
Washington, DC
(202) 544-0083
The Eastern Market is one of the few surviving public markets in America today. Fresh produce and gourmet goodies are sold throughout the week. There are art
vendors on the weekends. Every Saturday, May through
October, free concerts are held. Check their website at
easternmarketdc.com for a complete schedule.
Watch some classic movies on the National Mall!
Screen on the Green
Mondays July-August
Classic movies are shown all summer long at
dusk. Crowds begin gathering around 5:00, so
bring your blanket and picnic and enjoy an evening
under the stars. Keep an eye out in the Washington Post for movie listings.
Take a trip back into the Medieval Age at the Virginia Renaissance Festival
May 15- June 13
Lake Anna Winery
Spotsylvania , VA
The Renaissance Festival will
take you back to Elizabethan times
with a full staff of actors decked
out in authentic garb. There will
be no shortage of entertainment
during the five different themed
weekends. At $8 a ticket, this
is the most affordable attraction
around town! Check out ww.varf.
org for more information.
Taste the flavors of the National
Capital Barbeque Battle
June 26 and 27
Pennsylvania Avenue (Between
9th and 14th Streets)
Washington, DC
All the proceeds from this annual
event sponsored by Safeway go to
the Boys and Girls Clubs of the
Greater Washington Area. There
will be fun for the whole family
including over 25 musical guests,
attractions and of course lots of
food! Tickets cost $10 and can
be ordered in advance at www.
bbqdc.com.
And of course there’s always the
fair!
2010 Agricultural Fair
July 30- August 8
2400 Airport Ave, Fredericksburg, VA
The Fredericksburg Fair is
back! As always locals have the
opportunity to participate in live
stock, motorsports and home and
arts competitions. Always a favorite, the pageant will as well
return. Of course there won’t be
any shortage of fair food or thrilling rides. Tickets range from $5$7. Check out www.fredfair.com
for more information.
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN INTEGRATE?!
See if you have the skills to solve this math problem contributed by A
certain calculus teacher at BP.
Three men go to stay at a motel, and the man at the desk charges
them $30.00 for a room. They split the cost ten dollars each. Later the
manager tells the desk man that he overcharged the men, that the
actual cost should have been $25.00. The manager gives the bellboy
$5.00 and tells him to give it to the men. The bellboy, however, decides to cheat the men and pockets $2.00, giving each of the men only
one dollar.
Now each man has paid $9.00 to stay in the room and 3 x $9.00 =
$27.00. The bellboy has pocketed $2.00. $27.00 + $2.00 = $29.00 - so
where is the missing $1.00?