Issue 4 final version.p65
Transcription
Issue 4 final version.p65
The Climate change, page 3 moke ignal Monday, 1 Nov. 12, 2007 Stafford High School 33 Stafford Indian Lane, Falmouth, VA 22405 By Justin Graves Opinion Editor (And why you’ll probably be fine...) In response to a well-publicized scare several weeks ago, Stafford High School is making several changes in order to combat the potentially deadly staphylococcus, or staph, bacteria. The superintendent sent home a letter with all Stafford County Public Schools students Oct. 18 detailing the situation in two schools, Stafford High and nearby Conway Elementary. The letter stated that there were two confirmed cases of staph in county schools, but many interpreted this as an outbreak of the much more deadly Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (or MRSA), which killed a Bedford County football player earlier that month. “Just to confirm, there are no reported cases of MRSA at Stafford High School,” said school Volume 63, Issue 4 County meeting allows teachers to voice opinions Staph! By Nick Magrino Editor in Chief Childhood cartoons! page 4-5 nurse Gail DeWitt. “Many people seemed to have gotten this idea from the letter, but it’s not true.” Around the same time the letter was sent out, sophomore football player Anthony Terrini suspected he had a staph infection. “A nurse practitioner said it looked like staph, but they never did a blood test,” said Terrini. “Just to be safe, I stayed home from school for a day and took a bunch of antibiotics.” As a precaution at the time, the football team cleaned and disinfected all of their gear, and the locker rooms were all thoroughly cleaned. “After we found out Anthony might have had it, we had to clean off all of our pads and SEE STAPH, PAGE 4 A middle and high school teacher roundtable meeting was held for Stafford County in late October. Elementary schools have their own meeting. Teachers are invited by the school board to represent their respective high and middle schools. The meeting was held at the Professional Development Building at the Bandy Complex on Oct. 25 at 6 pm. Each school presented the teacher’s needs and the concerns of the building. Topics presented included whether or not students were thriving in certain schools, or whether all of them were funded well enough to maintain success for both the students and administration. This yearly meeting allows representatives the schools to speak directly to the superintendent and school board regarding various concerns. They can be teacher-specific, such as pay increases, or student-specific, such as technological needs in the classroom. The suggestions can also be building-specific, such as broken water fountains or malfunctioning restrooms. One teacher from each middle school, and two from each high school were present. English teachers Mrs. Theresa Storke and Mrs. Sue Gill attended the meeting for Stafford High School. They were asked as experienced members of the faculty, who were also interested in helping out the schools. “It was helpful to hear other schools describe the needs of their buildings which were similar to ours,” said Storke. The format of the meeting was unique, because the School Board members didn’t ask questions. It was simply a roundtable so that the represenatives could voice their concerns. “We were there to tell the school board what teachers’ concerns and needs were. Each school took a turn telling the board members their school’s concerns,” said Gill. The goal of the meeting was for the county to listen to some of the pressing concerns and problems that the teachers felt the schools had. Stafford High School’s suggestions and concerns centered on the age of the building. Other concerns were the number of functioning water fountains and the condition of the carpeting in classrooms and some hallways. There were also technological parity when compared to what other schools have. Dilapidated desks and chairs, some of which are original to the building in 1975, along with faulty electrical outlets and nonfunctioning wall clocks were also brought up. Physical plant concerns aren’t all that were brought up. “Mrs. Storke and I thanked the board for sending us Mrs. Holder, and for the way they handled the situation here at Stafford,” said Gill. Health concerns were also discussed. Storke felt that these were most important. “Both the middle and high school teachers are concerned about school safety – both physical and medical, such as the recent staph infection issue,” said Storke. “Stafford High’s concerns were about the carpet for mold and staph infections, as well as SEE OPINIONS, PAGE 4 Historical Society digs up Indian Legend, Stafford’s Time Capsule Smoke Signal, Lit By Nina Gonzalez Staff Writer Thirty-two years ago the class of 1977 buried a time capsule near the pond at Stafford High School. Nearly 25 years ago, Stafford High School alumni Glenn Ackermann began thinking about the time capsule on Stafford High School’s grounds. It was not until Ackermann was flipping through the 1975 yearbook that he recalled a familiar sight. A yearbook picture of the burial of the capsule brought back familiar landmarks that helped him trace back the burial location. “In the picture I saw the lights for the field in the background and from there I got an idea of where it could be,” said Ackermann. “I had looked before but I could never figure it out.” After some time, the spot was found and history teacher Eric Powell and special education teacher Tom Summers dug around the spot and found a concrete slab in the ground. Powell, sponsor of the Historical Club, had the members take part in the much anticipated digging and recovery event. “Mr. Powell mentioned it last year and I was really excited to do it. We talked about it a lot last year, but weren’t able to so it since it stuff to the reunion,” said Newhouse. The reunion surrounded the whole event, “It’s great and hopefully it will bring back a lot of memories,” said Newhouse. “I wasn’t in the group who buried it but I remember it,” said masonry teacher Robbie Phipps. Before the first shovel broke ground, Ackermann said, “I’m pretty comfortable saying that music, magazines, and newspapers are probably in it.” Photo by Tom Summers One of the features of the time The Historical Society and several Stafford alumni dig up a capsule was a picture of Gerald time capsule placed by the Class of 1977. Unfortunately it Ford, the president at the time. sustained a considerable amount of water damage. Ackermann had written to the wasn’t approved. This year is great since it’s 30 President and asked him to sign a letter for the years after it was buried,” said senior Andrew time capsule. “We got a picture and a signature. Tonnacliff, Historical Society president. All I did was write him a short letter addressed The event captured the Free-Lance Star’s to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and he actually attention as well as former students of Stafford. responded,” Ackermann said. Robin Stefaniga Newhouse and John “Bunkey” Photographers, teachers, current and former Gayle of the class of 1977 came out to see the students crowded around the site as Ackermann, unearthing of the memories they put together along with Glenn Ackermann. SEE TIME CAPSULE, PAGE 4 “I’m excited and I hope we can bring the Senior class orders new outdoor cafeteria tables Wendy Cole Staff Writer Fun with chemicals, page 8 Index Entertainment. . . . . . . . . 2-3 Feature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-8 News.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1, 4 Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Sports.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Student Life. . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 When Cynthia Holder walked into Stafford, on her first day of being principal, she noticed that Stafford needed a little work done. During her stay at Stafford, Holder plans on doing the best she can to make Stafford a better place for the students and staff. One thing she has planned to do to help the students is order tables for the courtyard. She doesn’t want the students to have to sit outside and eat their lunches on the ground. “I noticed that Stafford had a beautiful courtyard,” said Holder. “I saw that the students liked going outside during lunch and they had to sit on the ground to do so.” Holder decided to order six tables to be assembled in the courtyard. They will have four benches to each table, sitting about two per bench. Holder plans that the tables will take care of about 48 students during each lunch shift. The tables will be painted a royal blue, one of Stafford’s colors. Each table will weigh about 400 pounds. The money for the tables didn’t come from any of the classes’ budgets. There was money left over from the past senior classes, 2006 and 2007. The tables have been ordered by Ms. Watts and will be assembled as soon as they have arrived. “I’m glad that Holder has taken an interest in helping Stafford,” said senior Michael Croachman. “I think there should be a couple more out in the courtyard.” Holder intends to keep improving the school to the best of her abilities. She wants everyone to enjoy her stay her at Stafford as much as possible. “I’m doing the best that I can to make Stafford a better school, I want them to be the best in the county,” said Holder. “I am very proud of the students and teachers.” Mag win state awards By Dawnthea Price Staff Writer Stafford High’s yearbook, the Indian Legend, received a Trophy Class evaluation from the Virginia High School League. Each year, the VHSL evaluates yearbooks according to six criteria. The categories for criteria include design, writing, and photography. Each category can receive a “Superior,” “Excellent,” “Good,” or “N/I” (Needs Improvement). There are four award categories; Trophy Class, First Place, Second Place, and Third Place. To qualify for a Trophy Class award, each category had to have been evaluated as “Superior.” The yearbook advisor is Mrs. Linda Keefer, and last year’s editor was graduated senior Ellen Stodola. “We put in a lot of time and hard effort,” said senior John Sharp, this year’s editor in chief of the yearbook. The Indian Legend also received a First Class rating from the Scholastic Press Association. This year the yearbook is creating a full-color process yearbook. “This year’s will be better because we have made all the recommended changes from the VHSL evaulation,” said senior editor Caitlyn Smolinsky. Orders for this year’s yearbook are due by Dec. 3. After that date, there is no guaranteed that a student will be able to get a yearbook in the spring. The literary magazine, The Mirage, received a First Place evaluation from the VHSL as well. Using materials from Mr. Andrews’ Creative Writing classes, student-taken photos and student-made art, the magazine was put together for evaluation by Andrews and sophomore Nina Gonzalez, along with graduated seniors Kelcie Carr and Katie Yohman. “It’s like a sport,” said Andrews. “The students had to do it; the stories, the art, the graphics.” The Mirage was entered in the magazine category, which is evaluated under two large categories, then divided into sub-categories like art selection, layout/design, and general appearance. “I started working on it at the end of the year,” said Gonzalez. “I came during the summer and worked on it. I’m looking forward to this year, because I know so much more.” Gonzalez was credited as “Editor-inChief and Graphics Wizard” on the back cover of the Mirage. Finally, the Smoke Signal also received a First Place evaluation from the VHSL. Newspapers are evaluated using criteria such as writing and editing, content and coverage, and layout and design. “The judging was not a competition against other papers,” said advisor Sue Gill, “but against criteria.” The Smoke Signal received four “Excellent” and one “Good.” Graduated seniors Lindsay Cain and Heather Bartholomew were the editors in chief. “I think it’s cool beans,” said senior Nick Magrino, one of this year’s editors in chief. “We worked really hard, and I’m happy we got an award. We’re working even harder this year, so hopefully we’ll get a better award.” Three issues of last year’s Smoke Signal were sent in to show a progression in ability. Other than the senior issue, all of last year’s Smoke 2 ntertainment Nov Nov. 12, 2007 Stafford High School 33 Stafford Indian Lane, Falmouth, VA 22405 Queen Elizabeth:Golden Age movie artistic, intricate By Jessica Scatchard Staff Reporter Elizabeth: The Golden Age takes place in the 1580’s when religious turmoil and the Spanish king were threatening England. Elizabeth, who is played by Cate Blanchett, had fallen for the charming Sir Walter Raleigh, played by Clive Owen. Sir Walter Raleigh showed up at the beginning, back from the New World with gifts for Queen Elizabeth. Elizabeth immediately fell for him after he laid down his cloak in the street over a puddle so she doesn’t get her feet wet. Elizabeth struggled against herself and against a country bound for change. Elizabeth had bound herself “body and soul” to her country and the unexpected love had come at a bad time. The Spanish king, Philip II (Jordi Molla), was planning on using his armada to restore England to Catholicism, while Elizabeth’s treacherous cousin Mary Stuart or Mary, Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton) was plotting to have Elizabeth killed. Queen Elizabeth dodged not only assassination attempts but the passes Sir Walter Raleigh made to her all at the same time. Elizabeth: The Golden Age shows one of the greatest monarchs of all time in a more human light. We watch her suffer as she realizes she can never be with the man she loves and struggles with beheading her cousin Mary. This movie puts more emphasis on art more than actual history. The costumes and sets are extremely intricate and illustrate the grandness of her world. There is a lot of material in a movie that is less then two hours long. It’s only 114 minutes long, but it covers a lot of ground, so it can be hard to follow. If you lose track of what you’re watching, just sit back and enjoy the backdrop of this semi-historical love story. O m Baseball meets comedy on DVD By Mandy Sullivan Staff Reporter The movie “Benchwarmers,” directed by Dennis Dugan, is a comedy great for everyday sports fans. “Benchwarmers” is about a group of three friends who grew up in the shadow of bullies. After being sick of it, they decide to play baseball against some of the toughest teams in honor of all the kids that have been made fun of. “Benchwarmers is one of my favorite movies of all time,” said junior Ashleigh Ward. “Benchwarmers” stars Rob Schneider “Tommy Boy,” and Jon Heder from “Napoleon Dynamite” and “Blades of Glory.” These actors have worked together in at least one movie before “Benchwarmers.” Th an ba firs alb Famous Transformers made into movie, 1.8 million sold The summer of 2007 was supposed to be the summer of the sequels. “Spider-man 3”, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”, and “Shrek 3” were all expected to be the most popular movies of the year. But one movie blew all of those others out of the water. “Transformers” grossed over $155 million in its opening weekend, setting the record for the biggest non-sequel release of a movie ever. The movie revolves around the Allspark Cube, an alien power source capable of creating life. There is a war between the good Autobots and the evil Decepticons, both of whom are battling for the cube. The Autobots flee their home world Cybertron after launching the Allspark into space to keep it out of the hands of the evil Megatron. Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots discover the Allspark on Earth and go after it. But they are followed by the Decepticons who are also after the cube. The “Transformers” DVD was re- Accepted brings fun to college decisions The movie release “Accepted”, directed by Steve Pink, is a comedy focused directly on high school students. “Accepted” is about a high school senior named Bartleby who has been rejected from every possible college he wanted to attend. He invents a fake college with the help of some friends so he doesn’t let his family down. It turns out more college bound students find out about the fake college and Bartleby and his friends are stuck with a whole campus of people with tuition checks! Instead of not letting all the students down, he tries his best to set a curriculum, while keeping everyone happy. “When I heard of “Accepted,” I really wanted to see it,” said senior Matthew Sullivan. “It turned out to be a Sta rec By Ben Dunbar Opinion editor By Mandy Sullivan Staff reporter “After watching this movie on TV, I went out and bought it,” said junior Adam Brown. “It was just that good.” Throughout the movie, the humor kept increasing and kept the audience laughing. “Benchwarmers” received five nominations, for its comedy and chemistry. pretty funny movie.” This movie stars Justin Long, from the recent movie Dodgeball, Jonah Hill, Lewis Black, Maria Thayler, and Blake Lively who plays in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. “This movie was pretty funny,” said critic Mark Simms. “I loved the acting and the storyline was pretty good. Overall, it’s just good for pure humor that can be compared to Old School, Waiting, Orange County and all those other teenage comedy flicks.” The main thing a viewer is supposed to get out of this movie is the concept of “Reject Rejection.” “I like to watch it all the time,” said junior Adam Brown. “I laugh harder each time!” “Accepted” is a good movie, filled with hilarious scenes one right after another. Justin Long steps up his game and shows it through his acting skills. “Accepted” was also given four stars by various critics. leased on Oct. 16 on both regular and HD DVD format. The DVD sold 1.8 million copies, making it the fastest selling DVD this year. The HD DVD version also sold 190,000 copies, making it the biggest debut for that particular format. The DVD version is offered in both single and two disc versions and comes with feature commentary from “Transformers” director Michael Bay. The Wal-Mart edition comes with an animated prequel comic book called “Transformers Beginnings,” which goes into greater detail surrounding Cybertron and the war between Autobots and Decepticons. The HD DVD format offers much more in the way of special features and bonus content than the regular DVD versions. They include multiple documentaries on things ranging from how they brought the giants robots to the screen, to the type of cars General Motors allowed them to use. But the “Transformers” is highly recommended regardless of which format you purchase. It is an amazing film and the special features and commentary from the director make the DVD a must own. Ne Staff r i 15 makes new CD By Rafael Dueno Staff reporter Musical groups are a dime a dozen, but i15 proves to be differ- ent. R&B is a difficult music to get into with bands such as B5 and Pretty Ricky receiving the most recognition, but the up and coming i15 is aiming for the spotlight. They strive to bring something that has been missing in R&B for a while now. This is content. The group consists of a lead singer, Castro; a backup singer, Das; a rapper, Flash. i15 sings on the hook of Soulja Boy’s latest single‘Soulja Girl’. The LA born trio released their single, ‘Lost in Love’ while continuing to work on their self-titled freshman album. ‘Lost in Love’ shows how they choose to respect the women they talk about. It is a story about a girl who isn’t sure about who she truly loves. The song compliments and glorifies the girl, giving each member his point of view. Their style is reminiscent of mid-nineties R&B with a contemporary feel. The group makes good with the addition of Flash, allowing for a wider audience. “I think they’re awesome.” said junior Corey McAllister. The group doesn’t exactly fall into the R&B genre. Production is done be label mates under Zone 4 inc. owned by super-producer, Polow Da Don, who gives it the Pop/Hip Hop element. But no matter the genre, their look is as important as their sound. “I think they’re trying to be hardcore but I bet they’re not.” said junior Kate Dryden. The group gives its own style and feel to the music, but fans are unsure if they are a hit. “They’re all right but unpopular and need to work on their stuff,” said junior David Washington. It’s hard to earn the approval of listeners with so much diversity in musical tastes, but with i15’s range from upbeat R&B, ‘Lost in Love’ to the soft sounds of ‘Soulja Girl,’ they’re destined to get fans. N ntertainment Nov. 12, 2007 3 Stafford High School 33 Stafford Falmouth, VALane, 22405Falmouth, VA 22405 Stafford HighIndian SchoolLane, 33 Stafford Indian Inglesias shows Spanish culture through new CD By Hailey Eutsler Staff Reporter Insomniac- the state of mind where one becomes addicted to the deprivation of sleep caused by an epic revelation of joy. Enrique Inglesias just released his new CD, Insomniac, and that is exactly how he feels, with sleepless nights and an obsessive artistic persona. Inglesias is a Madrid born, Miami raised boy who has sold over 40 million CDs in less than 10 years. He is one of the most successful artists in the history of pop music. It took Inglesias a little over three years to produce Insomniac. “I wasn’t really sure of the specific sound that I was looking for, with other records I would always start with a dozen ideas,” said Inglesias in an interview in Beverly Hills. “This time, I wrote between 40 and 50 new tunes,” said Inglesias. It took him three years of writing, recording, traveling, and trying to find that certain tune he was looking for. This is one of the reasons it took him so long to produce Inmix. Insomniac has catchy beats with a little bit of Spanish lyrics. The last three songs on the CD are actually full Spanish translation songs. One of his songs even has rap superstar Lil’ Wayne singing with him for a catchy slow song with rap in some parts. Most of the songs on the CD are love songs. The songs go from breakup to seduction to hurt to obsession songs, all in some way connected to love. The CD has a perfect mix of fast, catchy songs and slow, mellow songs. The only down fall with this album is understanding some of the lyrics in a couple of the songs, but only due to his accent and spanish heritage. Inglesias started selling albums in Spanish under an alias name, but then his second album, Vivir, was under his real name. After he enjoyed 16 number one Billboard Latin hits, he officially made an English album which went platinum. Inglesias has either a gold or plati- Jelen expresses emotion with CD num status in 32 countries. He is the best selling international artist of all time in India and has a number one album in the U.K. With several honors on his shoulder, Inglesias sure has stress to create top chart songs. Insomniac was just released, therefore it hasn’t had a chance to crawl up to the top like many other albums recorded by Inglesias. “I’m not gonna claim that this is my best album ever, or the one with the best production or the best songs. One thing is for sure, though, I gave myself completely into the making of this one record—heart and soul,” said Inglesias. One man produces upbeat, energetic music that keep listeners happy By Christina Sullivan Staff Reporter “Do You Feel,” the new album from The Rocket Summer, is a definite hit. Bryce Avary, the songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist of this one-man band from Dallas, shows his talent in his first major label release and third full-length album. “There’s a common theme on this record,” said Avary, “Wanting to do greater things for the world and not just trying to be a rock’n’roll star. I think we all have that desire but our issues and daily life get in the way. These songs are about trying to overcome that.” This theme of wanting to make a difference is visible in Avary’s lyrics in the first track, “Break It Out.” “I’m done with ignorance is bliss and for this/I’m going to hurry and get up, get out/Make this be for something/Or else it’s just for nothing.” Avary wrote and performed “Do You Feel” by himself. This record is energetic and extremely upbeat, with a mix of guitars and pianos, in a feel-good, pop-rock sense. The first single from Avary’s record, “So Much Love,” has a happy, upbeat sound and catchy lyrics, such as, “You got so much love in you/I’m amazed that I’m talking to you/You look like the songs that I’ve heard my whole life coming true.” One track on this album, “Run To You,” is a slower, more personal song with lyrics that many listeners will be able to relate to, such as, “Do you see me?/Because I think I see you/I’ve been some other place/the wind that I chase/it all just leads back to you.” While “Do You Feel” has a very similar sound to Avary’s previous albums, “Calendar Days,” and “Hello, Good Friend,” it’s a sound that makes the listener feel good and want to sing along. Avary himself listens to all types of music. “Originally, all I listened to was bands like Superchunk and Built to Spill, indie rock,” he said. “Over time, I found myself just loving anything that’s a well-written song, anything that touched my soul. It could be indie, Brit-rock, country, it didn’t matter.” Avary expresses his want for making a difference through his music and also his participation in the charities Invisible Children and To Write Love On Her Arms. This record was co-produced by Jim Wirt, who has also worked with popular artists such as Incubus and Jack’s Mannequin. With inspirational, original lyrics and catchy, energetic beats, the album, “Do You Feel,” from The Rocket Summer is a mustlisten. New music icon becomes very popular By Rafael Dueno Staff reporter Most producers hide behind the scenes but Timbaland is more than just famous; he’s an icon. His current success with Justin Timberlake on his albums and Nelly Furtado is testament to his standing as a producer today. He’s worked with a variety of artists such as Jay-Z to Mary J Blige, and came back from a short break to release his newest project, Shock Value. The album was created under the label Timbaland made himself, Mosley Music Group, in Virginia Beach. Shock Value was released March 27. The album starts off fast paced with the only song with no collaborations, Oh Timbaland. Timbaland released two singles, ‘Give It to Me’ and ‘The way I Are’, both songs doing well on Billboard charts. Timbaland collaborates with many on the album, most notably Justin Timberlake, Keri Hilson, Nelly Furtado and Elton John. He gives the listener his trademark style on Release and Bounce, both upbeat dance songs. ‘Come and Get Me’ shows how Timbaland can change his style with a darker sound complementing the voices of G-Unit. Board meeting reveals how well Timbaland and Magoo work together with this smoothly synthesized piece. Fantasy is dominated by Money’s vocals, and both Scream and Miscommunication show Timbaland’s romantic side. With the songs Bombay, Throw it on Me, Time, One and Only and Apologize, Timbaland proves his versatility by collaborating with rock bands such as The Hives, One Republic and Fall Out Boy. He ends the album with 2 man show with Elton John on the piano and Timbaland on the drums. Shock Value may have been heavily collaborated, but success depends on the fans; faithful fans of Timbaland are pleased with the compilation. “Timbaland is a good beat-maker, has a lot of good songs and works with a lot of talented artists,” said junior, Morris Chu. “His entire album sounds like the great music he always makes.” Despite his widespread fame, large number of successful hits and influence on producers, Timbaland still has critical views about his album. “I think it’s crappy,” said junior, Patrick Silsbee. “It’s just too repetitive.” The album received mediocre success, but the students reflect a different take on how well the album was crafted. “Timbaland is a good producer but when it comes to putting together his own CD, everything ends up sounding the same,” said junior Anna Gatewood. “Plus he doesn’t speak with proper English.” Still, some believe Shock Value is an exceptional album, repetitive or not. “I like the whole album,” said junior Jessica Plummer. New Rivals burst onto music scene By Sierra Abaie Features Editor Singer and songwriter, Ben Jelen, has just released his second album, ‘Ex-Sensitive.’ This new album is about the love of the planet and the people on it, rather than a girl like his first released album. Jelen traveled to India, the UK, and the American South to re-discover himself and his talents as a musical artist. He hoped to catch up with the changes in his life since the release of his first album. Jelen inspiration for “Ex-Sensitive” not only came from huge bands like Jet, Pink Floyd, and the Beatles, but also from sounds and physics of nature. The first track of his album is called, “Pulse,” which urges the listener to “feel the rhythm pulsing in them,” said Jelen. The first lyrics in the track tell the listener to “recreate new beginnings” and “from the static comes new meaning.” It gives this listener an upbeat feeling. Also at the end of the song, it gives the listener more of an optimistic look on life by saying, “We’ll learn to curve before we break.” The whole album has an uplifting sound with a different emotion and care into ev- ery track making the Ex-sensitive relatable to anyone. He was influenced to record this album during the times he spent working on humanitarian causes. He said, “I can’t ignore what goes on around me. World events affect me as much as personal ones do.” He has also donated charity tracks too. He protests war and participated in the march against global warming. Jelen uses his music to express things that happen within his own life, which helps the listener relate more to his sound. For example, the song Vulnerable is dealing with his personal struggles with his demons, face-toface. Wreckage is another song that Jelen puts his emotions into. Even though Jelen wrote the song based on global warming, it is the most romantic song on his CD. Jelen has preformed at many charity events, and has shared the stage with other popular musicians like Wyclef Jean, Marc Anthony, and Maroon 5. His music can affect the listener both physically and emotionally. The new album represents the beginning for this new, talented artist. Rue Melo rises in popularity, new CD shows Latin tastes By Tamika Williams Staff Reporter Rue Melo. Sounds like a fruit, but in reality it is a new self-titled Latin based album new to the music scene. Rue Melo was the first artist signed to Fighter Records, which is distributed by Universal Music Group’s premier independent company, Fontana Distribution. Rue was born and raised as a child in Paris, but ended up in California. She comes from a vast, artistic, and multi-cultural family. Her mother is a dancer from French descent and her father who is an accomplished singer and guitarist is from Uruguay. Her brother Manny also produced “Thank You”, one of three songs tracks on her album that she collaborated on with her family. Experiencing music at a young age, she found singing and dancing a natural way to express herself. Rue writes her own lyrics and melodies, as well as making her own beats. Her music reflects her taste for many genres and artists from Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill, and Edith Plaf, to Sublime and Biggie. As she worked hard with her producer and co-writer Bernd Burgdorf, 2005 paid off to be a good year. With the chemistry of guitarist Martin Estrada, bassist Bryan Bush, and drummer Idris al-Mutaz Tate, their rehearsals became natural. Each before joining the band, they all had their music experiences. Estrada graduated with a Bachelor degree from the Berklee school of Music, Tate was a producer and a DJ, and Bryan has played with legends such as Stevie Wonder, John Legend, and many others. On the self-titled album “Rue Melo”, the CD has 13 tracks of a wide variety of songs from Latin taste to a Reggae vibe. The song “This is My House”, has a nice beat, sounds like Nelly Furtado meets Joss Stone. On the other hand, “Check It”, has a calypso beat intertwined with a pop vibe. The three bonus tracks, “Tomber”, “Esta Es Mi Casa”, and “Cayendo” are written and sung in Spanish. In the track “Enamorada”, Rue is singing in French, Spanish, and English, which shows her diversity and bright customs. With the overall acceptance from the Billboard charts and the Top 40 charts, Rue Melo has done exceptionally well with a newfound popularity and fans. Fans continue to tune into them because they feel that this new artist is the next big thing. By On their popular Myspace, The New Rivals want everyone to know that they are out to “screw all that wistful emo crap”. They are known for their aggressive, hard-hitting sound that is constantly fast paced, and never loses the listener’s attention. Three guys, Toby Bevis, Johnny Husdon, and Kenny Anderson, randomly decided to start up a band in their home town of Long Island. The three had been friends since middle school, and after adding bassist Paul McEvoy, the band began to tour the city. It didn’t take much time for the band to get signed to their first major record label, SoBe Entrtainment, which is the home to many other newcomers, such as Brooke Hogan and Lola. Students have quickly picked up this new sound. It’s on the personal play lists of many, and some students were eagerly awaiting their self-titled debut, which hit stores on Oct. 23. “I like them. I’d probably download a copy of their CD if I could,” said senior Billy Petre. “It’s definitely worth adding to my music collection.” Many students feel the same way. The different tempos that are throughout their new CD also keeps their listeners interested. Senior Rita Daniel said, “I think they’re pretty sweet. Their songs aren’t all just fast paced or slow, there’s a good variety.” The New Rivals’ popularity on social networking sites such as Myspace and YouTube has made it easy for high-school students to find out about them. They can introduce new music quickly, and are also spread my word of mouth. Senior Katie Latendress said, “I like the band because they’re different. I’ve seen them online a lot, but I haven’t really heard a lot about them. I probably will in the near future.” More recently, the band has added a new drummer, Joe Merrione. With this addition, the band’s sound is slightly different than it was in their first independent label release “Fire for Effect,” which only had four tracks. Their new twelve-track full-length album is sure to delight all of their current fans, and maybe even round up new ones. 4 ews CAPSULE: ARTIFACTS ON DISPLAY FOR CLASS OF 77 REUNION FROM PAGE 1 Kids spend too much time on computer, web By Emily Smith Staff writer The capsule was encased in cement to prevent damage, but all the artifacts were water damaged. Gayle, Powell, Phipps and Historical Society members dug up the ground around the concrete and brick box built by shop class students at the school in 1977. After digging, prying and chiseling, the top of the sealed box was soon lifted to reveal an array of black plastic bags. Under the layers of plastic was a rusted bucket half-way submerged in water. Concern made its way around the group, as the water damage was clearly evident. Once the bucket was lifted out, the contents of the capsule were clearly visible and revealed a grade print out, the Guinness Book of World Records, a cassette tape, Gerald Ford’s picture, a 1952 Stafford High School yearbook and several Washington Post issues dated November 2, 1974 and January 12, 1975 with headlines about Nixon’s resignation. Thirty years took its toll on the articles situated near the lake. All the articles were warped and wet. Some of the newspapers were still legible and every article in the capsule was identi- Nov. 12, 2007 Stafford High School 33 Stafford Indian Lane, Falmouth, VA 22405 fied. “It’s a little disappointing that it’s wet, but you can still read almost everything,” said Tonnacliff as he examined the articles. “I am surprised that it made it,” said English teacher Jim Andrews at the sight of the articles made entirely of paper. The graduates of 1977 found relief that everything was still in good enough condition, “I’m going leave the out and see if they dry,” said Powell. The class of 1977 was the second class to graduate from the current Stafford High School building. Stafford had formerly been at the current Drew Middle School. “It was big, it was so overcrowded at the old building, it was great to come here” recalled John “Bunkey” Gale. The time capsule was originally a project for English teacher Mrs. Duncan. Gayle summed up all the work and detail put into the project in a different matter, “Everyone knew we did it because our class was the kind of class that would do things like that.” Almost everyone in America has a computer. Everyone uses it for different reasons, whether it is for internet, projects for school, work, documents, or pictures. That is not always a problem for kids though. Today, the problem that kids have with computers, is the amount of time that they spend on one. According to the researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, as kids grow older they are spending too much time on the computer instead of taking part in sports or even just going outdoors. This is becoming more of a problem every year as technology increases. It’s called “computer abuse.” One of the biggest problems with spending too much time on the computer is how it affects eyesight. “The light from the computer’s screen can cause blurred vision, irritated eyes, and even headaches,” researchers say. Many children today are developing Computer Vision Syndrome due to the amount of time they spend on the computer, according to study. The American Optometric Association researched that one out of two children in America spend more than four hours a day in front of the computer. They have also learned only 16 per- cent of adults actually limit their child’s computer time. Another problem that kids face when using a computer for too long is obesity. If children are sitting in front of a screen all day, they will never get any sort of exercise. Obesity from the computer can lead to more dangerous effects like diabetes or even early death. One thing kids and teens also spend too much time doing on the computer is surfing the web. There are many predators online on websites like MySpace and Facebook. The longer people stay on a computer, the more chances they have to be found by predators. Kids also have to stay safe and not give out their personal information. There are solutions to these problems. Adults with younger children can set time limits on their child’s computer. They can talk to their children to let them know when they can or cannot use the computer. Older kids and teens should know not to stay on the computer for long as they know spending too much time on it could hurt them. In today’s world, the computer can be very useful tool and common source for many of the things people do. People should take advantage of it but not the time spent on it. OPINIONS: BUILDING, COMPENSATION TOPICS OF CONCERN FROM PAGE 1 the lack of bathrooms,” said Gill. There are only three restrooms for girls with eight stalls in each. In the five minutes between classes, only 48 girls could actually use the restroom and only a few would be able to wash and dry their hands. “With the lack of proper facilities, washing hands after using the restroom, the primary way to avoid staph infection, is hardly possible,” Gill said. Many other high schools brought up the fact that teacher’s concerns had to do with the services that they provide for the county. “The primary concern of teacher was compensation for teacher’s time, both in salary and stipend for extra duties such as coaching or sponsoring clubs and activities,” said Gill. “It was also stated that at each of the other high schools that teachers directed morning traffic while Stafford uses a volunteer from the police department.” Both teachers thought that the agenda was very well constructed, and that there was a sufficient amount of time for the board to gather great information. There are high hopes that the school board will take these suggestions and make changes. There is already evidence that the concerns were heard as more soap dispensers were added to the restrooms Oct. 29. INFECTION: STUDENTS, STAFF TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS FROM STAPH, PAGE 1 equipment,” said junior Cody Lloyd, a varsity football player. “I just wiped everything down with Clorox wipes. It wasn’t that big of a deal.” DeWitt also took the time to personally check all sports players for infections, because athletics, particularly contact sports, are one of the primary ways through which the staph bacteria moves from person to person. “Typically several people in the school, usually athletes, get staph infections every year,” said DeWitt. “As long as it’s diagnosed relatively early, it’s really nothing to worry about.” Other than athletics, staph can be transmitted through poor personal hygiene, like not washing hands after using the restroom. “The biggest way to avoid staph infections and sickness in general is to keep your hands clean,” said clinic assistant Audrey Harper. “The staph bacteria naturally live on your skin and in other parts of your body, so when you don’t regularly wash your hands, you can help it transfer from place to place much more easily.” The school acted by quickly installing more soap dispensers in the bathrooms, which had been a complaint from students long before the current concerns about staph bacteria. English teachers Sue Gill and Theresa Storke recently brought attention to the bathroom situation at a roundtable meeting with the school board Oct. 25. They discussed, among other things, the potential addition of more hand dryers in the bathrooms. (For more information, see “County meeting allows teachers to voice opinions, page 1) “I’m really happy they installed the new soap dispensers,” said senior Lauren Irwin, a day after mentioning that doing so would encourage people to stay cleaner. “What would be great now is either paper towels or more hand dryers.” Despite the media hype surrounding the recent rash of staph and MRSA infections in high schools, the danger to the Stafford High School and most other schools is extremely low. And that very slim chance can be cut even more by maintaining personal hygiene, and above all, washing your hands regularly. Mole Day Success in Science Department Students celebrate in chemistry By Andy Toler Sports Editor “What do you get when you have a bunch of moles acting like idiots? A bunch of moleasses of course!” Jokes such as this and other activities added to the success of another Mole Day for the science department. Mole Day, traditionally celebrated on Oct. 23, each year, is always accompanied by many fun and quirky activities. The reason it is celebrated on this day is because of Avogadro’s number, a term commonly used in chemistry to describe moles. A mole is 6.02 times 10^23, hence Oct. 23 is the day Mole Day is celebrated. Why is such a huge number so notable? It is very important because it is a good way to group a tiny number of many things such as molecules A mole is simply a way of grouping things, much the same as a dozen of something means there are 12 of that material. In order to teach this concept, the science department has been celebrating Mole Day for more than 10 years. “The mole is an important concept in chemistry,” said chemistry teacher Barbara Rankin, “Mole Day makes students think about the mole. Unfortunately Mole Day is before we actually teach the mole.” However, this method has been proven as an effective way in teaching the concept. Many students feel much more confident about the term because of the activities they do along with Mole Day. “It really helped me to understand what a mole really is,” said junior Bret Thompson, “I never really got just how huge a mole is.” The activities associated with Mole Day are each individualized by the chemistry teachers, so not all of the assignments were the same among the Photo by Andy Toler Stefan Caine working hard on some Mole Day activity while wearing his Mole Day Shirt in Mrs.Barbara Rankin’s class. Students enjoyed Mole Day as much as the teachers did. Photo by Andy Toler Mrs. Rankin checks a project on Mole Day. chemistry classrooms. Some students made cakes or other food items in celebration of Mole Day. For example, Ms. Dennis’ class had a large assortment of cakes and other snacks during their class. Other students may have been seen sporting homemade Mole Day shirts or carrying around stuffed moles they made themselves. “I spent a lot of time working on my t-shirt and sewing my stuffed mole,” said junior Stefan Caine, “but both of them turned out really well.” Other activities for the more hardy students included meeting at the Chatham McDonald’s at 6:02 a.m. before school on the 23. “It was a very exciting day,” said Thompson, “and I managed to get a lot of extra credit points for my stuffed mole.” Nov pinion Nov. 12, 2007 5 Stafford High School 33 Stafford Falmouth, VALane, 22405Falmouth, VA 22405 Stafford HighIndian SchoolLane, 33 Stafford Indian DRUM BEATS By Ben Jennings Staff cartoonist SEND US YOUR LETTERS. WE LOVE LETTERS. SIGNED LETTERS OF 250 WORDS OR FEWER SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO MRS. GILL IN THE COOKIE ROOM, W206. Letters to the Editor: Dear Editor: As a reader of “The Smoke Signal,” I am impressed by its professional quality. However, I am writing to complain about the quality of the cartoon entitled “Drum Beat.” The cartoon in question is printed on page three of volume 63, dated Oct. 26, 2007. The entire cartoon is a tasteless, boring plot with an unfunny punch line that the reader could predict from panel two. He falls and is crushed. I am not attacking Mr. Ben Jennings in any way; his artwork is exceptional and looks like it came from a major newspaper. Only his mediocre jokes and quirky situations pale in comparison to his artwork. Honestly, being crushed by a bookshelf and then uttering a cheap, unfunny one-liner doesn’t make a good newspaper comic. In conclusion, I ask the “Smoke Signal” staff to take a look at their cartoons and try to get a chuckle from Mr. Jennings’ tasteless cartoon dialogue and speech bubbles. Sincerely yours, Patrick Clark Grade 10 by Ben Jennings Concern over global warming becomes world wide issue By Nick Magrino Editor in Chief “Who cares?” “I’ll be dead by the time that happens.” “Hey, I like warm weather anyway.” “The more beach front property, the better!” “Shut up, hippie.” Those, among other things, are common responses when environmental concerns are brought up in society. Contrary to popular belief, the consequences of man’s irresponsible stewardship of the planet are not hundreds of years off. They’re not lurking off in the distance waiting to ruin your grandchildren’s’ lives. And even then, is that really what we should be aiming for? While Americans have been paying attention to what their celebrities are wearing at awards shows, the position of the scientific community on climate change and other environmental issues has changed drastically. It’s no longer a question of whether or not we’re causing climate change or even when it will happen. We’re at the “how bad is it going to be” point and have been for a while. When the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published their first report in 1990, they stated that yes, climate change is occurring, but that it wasn’t clear how much and what was causing it. When they released their second report in 1996, they stated that the “evidence suggests a discernable human influence on global climate.” By the third report in 2001, it was clear, and they even threw out a prediction of sea level rise over the next hundred years (about 0.1 to 0.9 meters, or somewhere in the neighborhood of a foot and a half). The authors of the fourth report, along with Al Gore, received the Nobel Peace Prize several weeks ago. This report, released earlier this year, stated that “most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in [human] greenhouse gas concentrations.” Very likely is in Italics in the report, too. This has all been worked out. Really. The people who actually have knowledge of the subject (this group does not include bloggers and radio talk show hosts) have had all these meetings and worked out all the particulars. And the reality is that we’re in for some pretty rough times if we keep doing things the way we’re doing them now. The half of the country that clings to what a few renegade meteorologists say is literally jeopardizing the future of the entire planet over some miniscule lifestyle changes. There’s no dark conspiracy of scientists trying to trick all of us chums into giving them research grants. Saying that you like warm weather is not a counterargument to climate change, because there isn’t a counterargument. Tens of millions of people will probably die over the next several decades. by Anthony Frederick Making the Grade The Smoke Signal Stafford High School 33 Stafford Indian Lane Falmouth, VA 22405 A Phone: 540-371-7200 ACT Fax: 540-371-2389 Newspaper Staff Editors-in-Chief: Juli Berenotto, Alexis Cote-Coble, Nick Magrino With college just around the corner many seniors are taking their college admissions test. The ACT is the more subject based test. So student better at science and social studie should look to take this one. C Cold Weather The cold weather is finally back this year after a long drought. Although some students prefer warm weather, some like to bust out the hoodies and “bumit” to school. D SAT This is the other college admissions test. The SAT only covers math, grammar, and writing, but is significantly harder than the ACT. Entertainment Editors: Juli Berenotto, Kelsey Chestnut Sports Editors: Cara Fenwick, Andy Toler Student Life Editors: Allison Brady, Lindsey Brady, Stacie Gregorious Online Editior: Nina Gonzalez Opinion Editors: Ben Dunbar, Justin Graves Features Editors: Sierra Abaie, Lexi Morello News Editor: Nick Magrino Photography Editors: Alisha Abrams,Nathan Carden Business Manager: Ben Dunbar Staff: Ashley Bautista, Nicole Clyde, Wendy Cole, Julia Colopy, Rafael Dueno, Connor Dunbar, Hailey Eutsler, Kyle Falkenstern, Anthony Frederick, Olivia Garner, Kathleen Gayle, Brian Green, Amber Huffman, Lacey Hynson, Ben Jennings, Jill Karwoski, Brandon Leatherland, Gillan Ludlow, Ian Lyons, Michelle McConnell, Krysten McVicker, Ariana Miller-Keys, Lexi Morello, Joe Nelson, Iksu Oh, DJ Page, Jenny Pan, Ambree Papa, Dawnthea Price, Julian Rivas, Jessica Scatchard, Mike Siner, Emily Smith, Jaqueline Stout, Christina Sullivan, Mandy Sullivan, Kerstin Waldrop, Tamika Williams, and Kristin Wood. Advisor: Sue Gill, CJE The Smoke Signal is a cross-section of the news and opinions of the student body of Stafford High School. It is published every two weeks. Editorials represent the views of the writer and are not necessarily the opinions of Stafford High School, its administration, or staff. The Smoke Signal is an award winning, monthly newspaper that strives to inform, educate and entertain the student body and community. Signed letters to the editor of 250 words or fewer may be submitted to room W-206. ormailed to the school. The Smoke Signal reserves the right to edit letters and to refuse advertisments. THIRD PLACE SECOND PLACE INTERNATIONAL FIRST PLACE FIRST PLACE CHILDREN’S T.V. S HOW S Doug and Quailman Sabrina, teenage witch Dawnthea Price Staff Writer Green sweater vest, wispy hair, and a nose large enough to park a car in. All parts of the childhood classic Doug. The show revolves around the adventures Doug Funnie has with his best friend Skeeter, his dog Porkchop, and his crush Patty Mayonnaise in their town of Bluffington. Whether it’s clearing his dog’s name from biting the rich Beebe Bluff or wearing a belt on his head and calling himself “Quailman,” Doug didn’t disappoint viewers. “Doug was always a really fun show to watch as a kid,” said sophomore Christian Bulloss. “One of those shows that you always get home from school and watch.” But the channels to find Doug have changed over the years. Originally the first Nickelodeon Nicktoon, Doug ran on Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1994, and was cancelled after 52 episodes were produced. In 1996, Disney Enterprises bought Jumbo Pictures, which had produced the Doug episodes, and ordered new episodes of the show, renaming it Disney’s Doug. These new episodes added a new member to the Funnie family, makeovers for most of the characters, and new adventures in the brand new Beebe Bluff Middle School. “I liked how there was always a different adventure,” said sophomore Brittany Rowlette. “So you could understand their problems better and relate to them.” Doug’s popularity created a whole line of products for the TV show, including toys, books, and even clothes. In 2000, Doug’s Big Game was released for the Game Boy Color. There was even a musical called “Disney’s Doug Live!” that was performed at Disney-MGM Studios from 1999 to 2001. Aired by ABC’s One Saturday Morning from 1996 until 2000, Disney created 65 more episodes and a feature length movie, appropriately named Doug: The Movie. In 2000, Disney’s Doug went out of production, and was moved to Toon Disney, where it eventually stopped airing in 2004. Nickelodeon’s Nicktoons Network stopped airing Doug in 2005. Even though Doug hasn’t been seen in two years, viewers can still remember some of the details that made the show fun. “I watched Doug,” recalled sophomore Jon Chidester. “I can even sing the theme!” Doug is gone, lost in the vacuum of TV shows from childhood that haven’t been seen for years, but students still r e member the awkward, large-nosed preteen that they love. By Lindsey Brady Student Life Editor Sabrina Spellman, a perfectly normal 16-year-old, is informed by her aunts, Hilda and Zelda, that she is a witch. She lives with them in Massachusetts while preparing to receive her witch’s license. Along the way, she gets into many scrapes while figuring out how certain spells work. She also has to keep the secret from her boyfriend, Harvey, friends Jenny and later Valerie, stuck-up nemesis Libby, and her ever-suspicious vice-principal, Mr. Kraft There have been many comedy witch movies and TV shows through the years. With little exception the witch is usually cast opposite type, going for a beautiful actress in the role. From Veronica Lake to Elizabeth Montgomery to Michelle Pfeiffer beauty has worked it’s magic spell. Lovely Melissa Joan Hart has evolved from the cute kid in “Clarissa” to a gorgeous young actress with an amazing comedic talent. Her facial expressions, delivery, and attitude make the show very enjoyable. In a day when most actresses change their lives completely, this girl next door Mellissa Joan Hart stays a sweet young girl playing high school witch. In the seventh-season finale, Sabrina tries to conceal her wedding-day jitters after waking up with a case of cold feet - literally. The bride-to-be receives a measure of comfort from her mother and Aunt Hilda, who arrive unexpectedly with an unrecognizable Zelda in tow. Ultimately, Sabrina must decide if she wants to be with her true “soul mate.” Many students enjoy watching this shows reruns on ABC family after school. “It’s a great show to watch after school and just lay down for a little bit while you unwind,” said Junior Courtney Brown. This show has become very popular with teenagers around the world. According to www.TV.com, the last time it aired there was 3.0 million viewers. This show is a classic for many of the students here. People have been watching it since they have been in elementary school. Junior Ally Skeer, said, “I remember watching this show when I was in like fifth grade. I still love watching the reruns because it brings me back to when I was younger.” Tanners’ Full House By Kelsey Chestnut Entertainment Editor Full House, a classic TV show, is still featured on ABC family despite its final season that showed on May 23, 1995. The series is eight seasons long with 192 episodes and features teary eyed moments, useful life lessons and heartwarming family interactions. Throughout the eight seasons of Full House, the show focuses on a family in downtown San Francisco. Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) is left to raise his three daughters when his wife dies. D.J. (Candace Cameron), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and Michelle (Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen) star on the roller coaster ride of life as they mature throughout the show. D.J. Tanner, the oldest, is often annoyed by her younger sisters and has to deal with every day teenager issues. Stephanie Tanner, the middle child, is a very talkative girl who shadows her older sister D.J. Michelle Tanner, the icon of the show, portrays a young child’s innocence with a smiling face. “Michelle is such a good character,” said junior Tim Lively. “She’s the reason why the show i s so funny.” Danny calls in his childhood best friend Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier) and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos) to help him raise his daughters. Joey is a comedian and Jesse is a pretty boy who is in a rock band. They all live in a small townhouse and go through every day life learning lessons and finding what the true meaning of a family is. As the show progresses characters come and go, but a few new and important characters become a part of the Tanners’ life. Rebecca Donaldson-Katsopolis (Lori Loughlin) is introduced in the second season and later becomes Jesse’s wife. In the fifth season she gives birth to twins, Nicky and Alex Katsopolis (Blake and Dylan TuomyWilhoit). The new Katsopolis family still lives under the Tanners’ roof, making the house even more crowded. “The large family that they have made the show really interesting,” said junior Ashleigh Ward. “There is always something going on.” Another main character of the show is the Tanners’ neighbor Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber). Kimmy is D.J.’s best friend and shares her teenage experi- ences and drama. She has a very dry sense of humor and annoys the Tanner family often with her comments and her blunt attitude. “My favorite was Kimmy Gibbler because I thought she was really funny,” said sophomore Julianne Arnold. “She always messed things up or said the wrong thing at the wrong time.” Full House is a show that keeps viewers wanting more. The three girls learn valuable life lessons when they go against their father; their father learns what it’s like to be a single parent with a job; and his two friends learn how challenging it is to take care of someone else. Throughout the show, the main characters learn the true meaning of love and family values. Through all the hardships and drama the family always hangs on to one another. “Full House bloomed into a full blown hit when audiences fell in love with the adorable cast of characters,” said a review by Rottentomatoes.com. Full House is shown on ABC Family at 3 pm and 3:30 pm every day. Captain Planet Johnny Bravo By Nina Gonzalez Staff Writer By Nicole Clyde Staff Writer Johnny Bravo is a popular cartoon on Cartoon Network. It has had a large audience, young and old, for the past decade. Johnny Bravo’s main character is Johnny Bravo, as one may have guessed. Johnny has large biceps, James Dean good looks, an Elvis-like voice, and wears sunglasses regardless of whether it is day or night. He lives in “Aaron City.” “[I liked that] he pretended to be buff and funny but all the girls didn’t like him,” said sophomore Bryan Elam. Regardless of the character’s good looks, Johnny never gets to girl. The show portrayed him as a “mama’s boy” and possible a “dumb blonde. The most comedic part of the character would probably be the fact that Johnny always found a way to cause trouble for himself. [I liked to watch Johnny Bravo.] I guess that thought that it was hilarious how he got shot down by everyone,” said sophomore Sarah Calpo. In the show, Johnny (voiced by Jeff Bennet) is unemployed and lives with his mother, Bunny Bravo. Although in some episodes he acts as a janitor for his karate instructor, Master Hamma. Little Suzy is Johnny Bravo’s neighbor, has red hair, is about eight years old, and his “secret admirer.” Johnny often calls her “neighbor girl.” Little Suzy is very cunning and talkative. It seems as if she is related to big time celebrities or has some sort of connection with them. Bravo Bunny is Johnny’s mother. She is an atypical mom. She tends to have the “flower power” of the past and always has a secret talent of some sort. She is dedicated to her son, but takes his conflicts lightly since she knows his nature. Carl Chryniszzswics is a local genius and geek who is very into studying science; although he is also weird and timid. He seems to be Johnny’s only friend, but Johnny also denies the fact. Pops is the greedy owner of a local chili restaurant. He poses as Johnny’s “substitute” father. He often provokes Johnny to get into trouble and his chili always includes questionable ingredients. Master Hamma is Johnny’s karate instructor. Johnny has taken classes and failed many martial arts classes there, but he also works there as a janitor and does several other things there as well. Johnny Bravo was created in 1995 by Van Partible, Jeff Bennet, Mae Whitman, and Tom Kenny. It aired for four season, or 61 episodes. Running time was approximately 30 minutes. With an ever growing awareness about global warming and earth consciousness, many teens may remember one of the first “environmentally focused” shows. Aired in the 90s Captain Planet was an animated cartoon show aimed to educate young viewers on the effects of pollution and various environmental problems. “I watched it when I was young and I watched all the episodes,” said Bridgette Heughes a senior. The hero, Captain Planet had sky-blue skin and green hair. His body was made of crystal compound and he wore red shorts and a red shirt. The villains on Saturday morning cartoons were called “eco-terrorists” and they often found ways of harming the environment such as drilling in protected animal refuges or pouring toxic waste into the sea. Captain Planet was formed by the powers of the Planeteer’s rings, each representing the four classical elements; earth, fire, wind, and water as well as the power of heart. The Planeteer’s were every day teenagers who were all from different continents and represented different ethnicities. The Planeteers were Kwame with the Earth ring, Wheeler with the Fire ring, Linka with the Wind ring, Gi with the Water ring and Ma-Ti with the Heart ring. At the call of the Planeteers Captain Planet would appear saying, “By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!” after fighting the villains and restoring the damage Captain Planet and the Planeteers would come out and describe a simple way that the viewer could help save the earth. Whether it was recycling, picking up trash, or planting a tree, the show presented the topic of environmental restoration in an easy to understand format. When all the Planeteer’s powers were combined Captain Planet would emerge and display an array of powers like flying, great strength, telepathy and shape shifting. When in the presence of pollution, smog, radiation or toxic waste Captain Planets powers would weaken. In many situations this weakness had the ability to kill him, almost like the relationship of Superman and kryptonite. “I had a crush on Captain Planet, he was so cool!” said sophomore Anna Lincoln. The show is a favorite pastime of many who watched the show nearly a decade ago. Fascinatingly enough Captain Planet’s whole existence was dedicated to preserving the planet’s natural resources and protecting the planet from intentional pollution caused by big corporation owners. The problems on the show sound like problems of today. Today it seems as though the show really was ahead of the trend for instilling its viewers with a sense of responsibility for the future of the Planet. Power Rangers By Justin Graves Opinon Editor The Power Rangers was a popular show in the mid nineties, and it has seen many variations. The original, though, is one that most high-school students can identify with. It was a live-action television series, created for the American market, and was actually based on a Japanese Sentai franchise, named Ky?ry? Sentai Zyuranger. The original version was on the air waves from 1993 to 1996, and that era concluded with Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie. The series was originially produced by MMPR Productions and distributed by Saban Entertainment. It aired on the Fox Kids Network. The series took place in the town of Angel Grove, California. Zordon, along with Alpha 5, were the masters of the five teens who were chosen to defend the Earth from the attacks of various villains. Jason was the Red Ranger, Trini was the Yellow Ranger, Billy was the blue ranger, Kimberly was the pink ranger, and Zack was the black ranger. Later on, Tommy came along as both the green and white rangers. Out of these six, many students had personal favorites. “I didn’t even really watch it too often, but I only cared about the pink one,” said junior Jasmine Biggers. When students played with their friends and re-enacted what they had just seen on the show, they wanted to be the ranger that was their favorite. “I only watched Power Rangers sometimes. I loved to play it with my friends, though,” said sophomore Julianne Arnold. “I liked pretending I was a super hero and doing action stuff, but all the girls wanted to be the pink one so I always ended up having to be a guy.” Rita Repulsa was the main villain, who eventually wet on to marry her cohort, Lord Zedd. Her attempts to overthrow the Rangers with her endless array of monsters, which often included awkward creatures named “puddies,” were often taken out by the group of six. The rangers did not battle alone, though. Dinozords were the first zords that the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers had access to. Their appearance was oddly similar to dinosaurs. They often helped the rangers go against evil villains, who had similar zords. As time went on, the series declined in popularity just as quickly as people discovered it. In 1996, the “Mighty Morphin” label was retired, and the series began to change its name, cast and plot every year. Students often kept following the show, and enjoying every minute of it. “It was like the best show ever,” said sophomore Matthew Stewart. Senior Jessie Broome favors the original series rather than many of the new versions. “When I was little, that was my favorite show. I always wished my name was Kimberly, because I wanted to be just like her,” said Broome. Other students also agree with the idea that the pink power ranger was the best. Sophomore Alyssa Dempster also enjoyed Kimberly, the pink power ranger. “I loved them when I was a kid and I always wanted to be the pink power ranger. She was my idol,” said Dempster. “I’m all about the original Power Rangers. I thought they were pretty sweet. The new ones are lame, though, they’re just trying to be too hip,” agreed senior Andrew Tonnacliff. Not all students, however, loved to watch the show as much as their friends. “I was never really into Power Rangers. I watched more Barney and Sesame Street than anything else,” said senior Matt Roehl. “After that got old, I stepped it up to Mr. Rogers. I never really caught on to random kids beating up zords and dragons.” The original version of the series holds the honor of being the longest-running version, with the most episodes produced, lasting for three years and 155 episodes. The series had eventually gained so much popularity that it spawned numerous imitators and spin-offs, such as VR Troopers, Big Bad Beetleborgs and Beetleborgs Metallix. Current versions of the show are titled Mystic Force, Operation Overdrive and Jungle Fury, but it seems as if many Stafford students believe that Mighty Morphin’ was easily the best. Angry Beavers By Sierra Abaie Features Editor Legends, Hidden Temple By Juli Berenotto Editor In Chief Thirteen years ago a great show started. This show combined history, physical challenges, and, of course, prizes. For three seasons, from 1993 to 1996, “Legends of the Hidden Temple” thrilled viewers old and young. “I liked it simply because it was fun to watch and didn’t require any intellect whatsoever,” senior Doug Warford said, thinking back. 12 kids were split into six teams of two, one boy and one girl to compete in challenges themed after different ancient legends, myths, or geography in history. The host, Kirk Fogg, introduced the teams and contestants at the start of each show with the help of the giant talking stone head, Olmec. The teams, the Red Jaguars, the Blue Barracudas, the Green Monkeys, Orange Iguanas, the Purple Parrots and Silver Snakes, then started the challenges. First was The Moat, basically a giant pool that the teams had to cross with only ropes or narrow pieces of wood or such. The first four teams to finish went on to the next round, The Steps of Knowledge. This part of the challenge required the contestants to remember details from a very detailed story that Olmec told them. Olmec would then ask questions and the first contestant to hit his or her button. If they got it right, he or she stepped down a step. The first two teams to reach the bottom level moved on to the Temple Games. This purely physical part of the challenge involved a lot of climbing and crossing ramps to get an object. This was made even more difficult by the bungee cord pulling them back and the soapy slippery surface of the ramp. The Temple Games had three challenges. The first two were one on one, while the last one used the full team. Each time a team won a challenge they were awarded a Pendant of Life that would help them in the actual Temple later. The team that won the Temple Games went on to the final round: The Temple. “The Temple was my favorite part,” said senior Ashley Pittman. “When I was little I really wanted to go on the show just so I could go in to The Temple.” The Temple was actually a huge, two-story structure that the remaining team ran through trying to find a certain item like “Lawrence of Arabia’s Headdress,” “The Walking Stick of Harriet Tubman,” “The JewelEncrusted Egg of Catherine the Great,” or the “Broken Wing of Icarus.” There were three guards stationed somewhere in the Temple. After the first contestant of the team enters the vertical maze, if he or she is caught, they can give the guard one of the Pendants of Life and keep on going, but if they get caught again without a pendant (the other contestant usually had the second one), they get taken out and the second team member goes in. This is all in a time limit of 3 minutes. If the team got the item in question, they would win a trip to a special place sometimes in another country or a week at NASA Space Camp. “Legends of the Hidden Temple” was a fun, engaging children’s show on Nickelodeon. Even though, the show was cancelled fans can still watch reruns on a secondary Nickelodeon channel, GAS. Rugrats Adventures Digimon: Digital Monsters By Lexi Morello Features Editor Digimon was an animated TV show that was on the air from 1999 to 2003. It started out with a group of kids being transported from their summer camp to an alternate world, linked to Earth through the Information Superhighway, called the Digiworld. In the Digiworld the kids each got their own digital monster, or Digimon. With the help of their Digimon, the characters attempt to save the Digiworld and the real world from total destruction. “I didn’t watch Digimon because Pokemon came first and it was better,” said junior Ben Howard, “Digimon totally copied Pokemon.” Many people believe that Digimon is a cheap copy of Pokemon. It is not entirely true that Digimon copied Pokemon because they both came on the air in 1999 in the United States. There are some similarities, but once one looks past the fact that they both have “mon” in the title and they both have creatures that are used to battle, one can see that they are actually very different shows. Pokemon is about catching all the Pokemon one possibly can and battling other people with no quest for a greater good. Digimon, on the other hand, is about saving worlds from destruction and keeping the evil forces of the Digiworld at bay. Some people strongly feel that the Digimon show was better than Pokemon. “The story in Digimon was deeper than Pokemon’s,” said junior Sunan Ahmed, “the Digimon show was awesome.” Other people simply believe they were equal. “I liked them about the same,” said junior Victoria Haynes, “back then they were both super cool.” Digimon was one of many Saturday morning cartoons that kids enjoyed watching. “I would wake up really early every Saturday morning to watch it,” said Ahmed. Digimon was originally aired on the Fox Network, sometime during the third season it made a switch to another network. This switch caused many fans to quit watching the show. Another reason for the lack of views is that the original characters were slowly being fazed out of the show. “I quit watching after the third season,” said Ahmed. Digimon, like Pokemon and many other shows, is an Americanized version of a Japanese cartoon. Certain aspects of the show were changed so that American audiences would understand it better. “Everyone was into Japanimation so back then it was cool,” said junior James DeFlora. There was also a movie released in 2000. “Digimon: The Movie” follows three subplots throughout two of the main characters’ lives. It is an enjoyable movie for people who liked the TV show. Digimon was a show that many people loved watching when they were younger. “I remember watching it Saturday mornings,” said junior Kenny Smith, “it was a good show.” It may always be compared to Pokemon, but for many people it will always have a special place in their heart. The Angry Beavers was a Nickelodeon Series premiered in April 1997. The show was based to the lives of two twin brother beavers, Norbert and Daggert that left their home to live in the forest together. Norb beaver was the younger and crazier brother, who was always hyper. In comparison to his older more laid back brother Dag. “I really like Dag because he was more chill.” Said junior Anna Carson, “but I did really like watching Norb getting all worked up about nothing.” The angry beavers were a television show many students enjoyed, because many could relate to as siblings. Norb and Dag were always arguing like siblings do. They had a fair share of there ups and downs. “Siblings all have their ups and downs,” Said junior Skyy Rodgers, “but in the end of every fight, we still are related.” The show soon became a watched television my many. With all this publicity, it wasn’t a surprise when the show started to be nominated for countless awards. The Angry Beavers were nominees for the Annie Awards, Motion Picture Sound Editors, World Animation Celebration and the most remarkable was the Daytime Emmys. The Angry Beavers won Best Director for Daytime Series and Best Animation Produced for Daytime in the World Animation Celebration. And also won the Best Individual Achievement: Production Design in a TV Production in the Annie Awards. “I remember the show winning these awards.” said junior Daniel King, “I was so excited.” The Angry Beavers ended in controversy. It was the first Nickelodeon show to have its line changed in between airings. This controversy was started in the episode “Alley Oops!” that aired in 1998, when Norb told Dag to “Shut up.” To fix this mistake Nickelodeon beeped out the “Shut” in “Shut up” but that just called more attention to the original mistake. Later the mistake was changed to “Shush up” but it was already too late. The writers worked on the final episode of the show, but that episode was never aired, because of the controversy, and the rule Nickelodeon had of never pointing out a shows ending. Silently the show bowed off air in 2001. Cowardly Dog, Courage By Nicole Clyde Staff Writer Courage the Cowardly Dog is a cartoon on Cartoon Network. It is an award-winning cartoon. The show features a dog named Courage and his owners Muriel Bagge, a kind Scottish woman, and her husband Estace Bagge, an old, grumpy farmer. They all live together in a farmhouse in Nowhere, Kansas, which By Allison Brady is also referred to “the middle of no where.” Courage and his owners Student Life Editor do not have any neighbors. Courage was an abandoned pink dog that was taken in by Muriel “Rugrats was the ultimate and Estace Bagge. Ironically enough, Courage is not the most couranickelodeon show when I was geous dog. growing up,” said junior Amanda Estace Bagge is a failed farmer who lives in his old farm house Baird. with Muriel and Courage. His most prized possession is his old Rugrats was an animated truck. Estace is always sitting in front of his black and white TV and television series that ran on Nickis continuously asking for meals to be brought to him in her favorite elodeon and it was one of the first red chair. Estace does not like courage. three Nicktoons, beginning in Muriel lives to sit in her rocking chair and watch her favorite TV 1991. show. She also likes to cook, play her sitar (a plucked string instruThe television show was ment), and talk to Courage. first released on Aug. 11, 1991 Courage is not an average dog. He is afraid of almost everything. and ran until June 8. 2004. It fell Estace enjoys scaring Courage with a mask whenever he has the under the genre of animation, opportunity to. comedy, family, fantasy and adCourage has reason to be scared as Nowhere is not the nicest venture. place. Courage frequently, with the help of his computer, has to Arlene Klasky, Gabor Csupo battle the villains that are in Nowhere to save himself and his ownand Paul Germain created the ers. show. Katz is the most common villain in the show. He is known for It ran for approximately 22 creating traps to lure people into their “doom.” minutes and was over 172 epiCourage the Cowardly Dog was created and directed by John R. sodes split into 12 different seaDilworth. Rugrats’ Adventures sons. Rugrats was the second Nicktoon. It is the longest lasting Nicktoon to date at thirteen years of longevity. The show airs in the UK on CITV and Nickelodeon UK as well as in Canada on YTV. In Australia, it can be seen on Nickelodeon Australia. The show revolves around five toddlers, Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster, Angelica Pickles, the bratty older cousin, and the twins Phillip (Phil) and Lillian (Lil) Deville. Each episode shows their misadventures through the fantasy and illusion of infancy. The show later introduced Susie Carmichael, who became the babies’ first older friend. Also, all of the kid’s parents were each in the show playing the roles of their parents. Rugrats was nominated for five Primetime Emmys and 16 other awards such as the BMI Cable Award and Genesis Award. After the introduction of the show SpongeBob SquarePants, popularity for Rugrats declined. The Rugrats never had a rival this strong in popularity. In order to keep its popularity, the studios released several movies and specials, such as the introduction of Dil Pickles and Kimi Finster. Ironically, after these introductions, fans determined that Rugrats jumped the shark. Films that have arisen from the television show are The Rugrats Movie, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie and Rugrats Go Wild. 8 eatures Stafford High School 33 Stafford Indian Lane, Falmouth, VA 22405 Making Fitness Fun By: Stacie Gregorius Staff Writer Working out is something that is not always fun or exciting. The effects are great but it’s not always an easy process. Therefore, it’s necessary to find the style of working out that appeals to your individual personality. There are programs designed to make a workout fun and enjoyable so going to the gym doesn’t always seem like such a drag. One fun way to get in shape is kickboxing. Cardiovascular kickboxing combines boxing, martial arts, and aerobics to shape the body while having fun. In kickboxing classes, instructors make the class do things like knee strikes, punches, and kicks. Sometimes, even a punching bag is used. It has also been recognized that kickboxing can help relieve stress, tension, or frustration. It is possible to burn up to 450 calories per hour while kickboxing. Also, learning simple self-defense moves is beneficial for people of all ages. Dancing is often overlooked as a means of physical fitness. Any type of activity that can raise a heart rate can be used to get in shape. “Dancing lets me have fun while getting in shape and lets me enjoy time with my friends too,” said junior Savannah Stanfill. One good thing about dancing is it can be done anywhere. Cleaning a room while listening to music would be a great place to move to the beat and get into shape. With places like the YMCA and parks all around the community, it’s easy to gather a bunch of friends together and play a pick-up game of basketball, soccer, or football. This gives friends a chance to have a great time and burn some calories all at the same time. Instead of driving right down the street to a friend’s house, try walking. Walking the dog, walking to the store, or even walking around the mall is a great opportunity to burn calories without taking extra time out of the day. Riding a bike, scooter, or skates with friends could be a fun way to get into shape. Gathering friends together to go on a trail walk or even riding throughout a neighborhood is something that can be fun and beneficial to your health. There are many different ways to enjoy getting back into shape. Health is very important in this time of the obesity epidemic. Just doing a little bit of dancing three times a week can actually improve quality of life down the road. Students must get in the habit now of keeping their bodies healthy. “Fitness is crucial to having a long and healthy life,” said health/phys ed teacher Steve Spicer. “Developing a lifetime activity at this time is critical in developing this healthy philosophy. It has been proven that physical and mental health are closely related. Keeping the body in good condition can offer many other benefits like a longer and better quality of life. Caffeine and sugary snacks cause problems for teens By: Gillan Ludlow Staff Writer Feel good exercise everyone can do By: Alexis Cote-Coble Editor in Chief Students are always in need of ways to cope with stress. After working hard in school all day, a good way to relieve that stress is through exercise. “Osteopaths, physiotherapists and general practitioners are now recommending Pilates as one of the safest forms of exercise today,” said www.pilatesfoundation.com. “German-born fitness innovator Joseph H. Pilates (1881-1967) developed the Pilates exercise system in the 1920s. His interest in physical fitness stemmed from a determination to strengthen his own body and improve his health after a sickly childhood. With a background in yoga, Zen meditation, martial arts and other ancient fitness techniques plus some success as a gymnast, diver and boxer, Joseph Pilates devised a unique sequence of movements that worked the mind and muscle in harmony,” said www.pilatesinsight.com. Practicing Pilates is an effective way to stay in shape, relax and to build confidence. It is beneficial for general fitness and body awareness, injury prevention, remedial and rehabilitation work, improvement of technique for athletes and dancers, and people of all ages. It’s also a great work out and stretch exercise for student athletes. “Pilates improves your mental and physical well-being, increases flexibility, and strengthens muscles.” It is used to improve posture and strengthen the core. One of the many great things about Pilates is its convenience. This exercise can easily be done at home with an instructional video. First timers are encouraged to get lessons from a certified trainer to avoid hurting themselves by doing exercises incorrectly. Classes are available at local gyms such as the YMCA. Also, downtown, Gerolyn Whittmore, a certified Pilate instructor, licensed massage therapist, post-rehab conditioning specialist, ACE personal trainer, and a national and international exercise presenter offers a variety of programs to keep the body in line and to build strength. Whittmore has twenty years of experience Gerolyn Whittemore’s Contact Information: Her private studio is located downtown Fredericksburg at 1000 Charles Street Call (540) 226-2759 practicing and teaching fitness and mind/body exercise. Specializing in chronic back and hip pain, she provides individual and group Pilates instruction on the mat, as well as personal Pilates on apparatus. Her massage practice focuses on pain management, sport/rehab massage, and stress relief. “Pilates works from the inside out. It uses concentration, centering, breath, control, precision, flowing movement, isolation, and routine. Connecting first with the breath, then with the deep muscles of the pelvic wall and floor, the focus on training neural input improves neuromuscular function and posture,” said Whittmore. According to K Jolin’s article on www.associatedconted.com, Pilates stretches and tones muscles to increase metabolism and strengthen the entire body. “There are two ways to exercise in Pilates,” said www.kidshealth.org. “Today, most people focus on the mat exercises, which require only a floor mat and training. These exercises are designed so that your body uses its own weight as resistance. The other method of Pilates uses a variety of machines to tone and strengthen the body, again using the principle of resistance.” “I tried using a tape to do Pilates because I thought it looked fun. It looks much easier than it really is. Pilates is a great work out and a good way to stretch tight muscles, said senior Brittany Furrer.” Joseph Pilates believed “mindful movement” was the key to health. Performing exercises with precise control, produces uniform development of the body. Through the practice of Pilates a person will gain increased strength, stamina, flexibility, improved mental and physical coordination, increased confidence in newfound body awareness, and an invigorated energy for life. Walking into school, work of just going somewhere, most teenagers and adults always have their hands on something unhealthy. It ranges from sugar and caffeine packed coffee, vending machine snacks and sodas. It’s alright to have sugar and caffeine now and then but most Americans rely on it to stimulate their day. Most people don’t get the sleep they need, which causes them to overeat. “Americans feel the need to squeeze as much as possible into every waking hour, and they rely on caffeine and sugar to help them do this,” says Herb Joiner-Bey, ND, coauthor of The Clinician’s Handbook of Natural Medicine. “We are stressed out, overworked and overcommitted.” Kids also buy drinks that are loaded with caffeine and sugar. From Starbucks to energy drinks to sugary drinks, its no wonder kids are wired. Caffeine is also an addictive drug and people won’t even know when they’re hooked on it. Over half of the American adults consume more than 300 milligrams of caffeine per day. If you do cut back on your caffeine, it causes your body to go into withdrawals and you will become depressed, extremely tired and you start getting splitting headaches. According to http:// www.coffeeforums.com, caffeine dehydrates people because it’s a diuretic, causing the body to excrete extra fluids. Not only that, but caffeine causes your stomach to increase the production of stomach acid which will lead to peptic ulcers, erosive esophagus and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Most Americans have more than 3 or 4 cups a day, which is actually enough to intoxicate you. Intoxication occurs when you have 400 milligrams of caffeine or more. Depending on your weight and mass, usually 80 to 100 cups of regular coffee in a limited timeframe can kill you but most deaths caused by caffeine usually involved caffeine pills. There are healthier ways to eat and great ways to keep the body healthy. Don’t always rely on caffeine, it’s not as healthy for the body as people thought. According to “Women’s Health Magazine”, the top ten ways to boost your energy (the healthy way) are: increase your magnesium intake, walk around the block, take a power nap, don’t skip any meal, reduce stress and deal with anger, drink more water, eat more whole grains and less sugar, have a power snack, make it a latte, Check Your Thyroid Function and Complete Blood Cell Count. The last thing should only be if you try all these things and you still feel sluggish. Try talking to a doctor and see what he says. If you do have a problem, it can easily be fixed with medication. Try cutting back on that caffeine and sugar. It might be hard to do at first, but in the long run, the body will be thankful and much happier. Nov. 12, 2007 tudent ports Nov. 12, 2007 ife 9 Stafford High School 33 Stafford Falmouth, VALane, 22405Falmouth, VA 22405 Stafford HighIndian SchoolLane, 33 Stafford Indian The Orchestra performs under the direction of Jennifer Lukas. Stafford has a newly formed Symphony Orchestra this year. The Chamber Singers and Advanced Women’s Ensemble performed in concert with Mr. Kevin Perry. The chorus practices for the “Rule Britannia” concert. Musical groups perform By Julian Rivas Staff writer The Advanced Women’s Ensemble and Chamber Singers performed a musical, Rule Britania which featured choral music from and inspired by Great Britain on Oct. 24. From Thomas Morley to the Beatles, and everything in between was featured in the musical. Mr. Kevin Perry, a local professional tenor, was featured in the song Turtle Dove, but was unavailable for comments. “The performance went very well, and we had fun,” said junior Madison Jefferies. “Mr. Eveler did an excellent job preparing us and leading us in the concert.” “Now that we have had a successful concert, we are now practicing for district auditions.” “The concert went well,” said senior Mia Vorhies. “We are improving in all aspects are vocals, are stage performance, and were all in sync,” “I think the group did an excellent job together, with the help of Mr. Perry,” said Vorhies. “They did a great job and excelled,” said Mr. Joe Eveler, the choir teacher. “There is always room for improvement but they did a great job” Overall the concert went well and the members of both groups enjoyed the program. The groups will be performing again for the winter concert and will try out next week for district auditions. Photo by Nate Carden Varsity field hockey team entered the gym during the homecoming pep rally. The team rallied Friday to beat Mountain View in the Regional Finals after losing regular season games in overtime duals. The team goes to States Nov. 7-9. They play single elimination for State Championship which Stafford took in 2006 after several trips to the state competition. Field hockey team wins sudden death overtime,2-1 Volleyball season finished By Julian Rivas Staff writer SCA throws special party By Ashley Bautista Staff writer The SCA sponsored a Halloween party for some very special students on Oct. 31. The party took place during seventh period and was very successful. Students thoroughly enjoyed playing games such as “pin the nose on the pumpkin” and relays from one spider web to the next. John Sharp led the game of the spider web relay while Ashley Embry and Justin Graves cheered on the participants and helped them place the spiders in the webs. One of the games was led by Nick Sharp and Ryan Brown in which students had to play floor hockey and place the ball inside the hula hoop for their team. Maria Colopy entertained students with a hula hoop throwing contest. Many laughs could be heard in the cafeteria and teachers who walked by had to stop to inquire about the fun they were missing out on. At the end of the party, prizes were handed out and each student received their own Halloween goodie bag. The faces of the students lit up to see what goodies were inside the bag and everyone compared and shared with each other. Students discussed their plans for the spooky holiday and told the SCA officers what superhero or villain they were going to be for the night. A good time was had by all and this was obvious by the smiles and laughter in the room. The SCA sponsor, Margaret Bridges, said “The party was a great success. I think both the SCA kids and their guests had a lot of fun.” The SCA plans to have many more parties with the Special Education students throughout the school year. As the volleyball season comes to an end, the varsity volleyball team is looking good and working well together. The team has progressed well since the beginning of the season, learning how to work together and depending on one another to help each other out. “We work hard all the time, in practice we have fun, but when it comes down to work we get serious,” said Britny Paynter, junior volleyball player. “I think the team has a bright future, if we continue are hard work than I think that we will come out of this season, well prepared for next year ready to win,” said Paynter. “I love the team we all enjoy playing together, I have made many friends on the team and our friendship allows us to succeed on the court.” “The season has gone well, all are mental and physical preparations have helped us a lot during the season,” said Abby Reisenfeld, Junior volleyball player. “We enjoy playing together and really have a lot of fun, we enjoy the feeling of winning but we know when we lose we just have to work harder in practice and we know in the back of our heads we will improve and win the next game,” said Reisenfeld. “The girls have worked well together and have really shown great improvement,” said Mrs. Demaris Brown, varsity volleyball coach. “The team worked hard in conditioning in the off season, and has worked very hard in practice, all their hard work has paid off and has led a successful campaign this season.” “This team is great, and if they continue to practice hard they will be prepared for the challenges that they will face next season,” said Mrs. Brown. Thanks for feeding The Smoke Signal Layout Crews PATR ONS TRONS SMOKE SIGNAL SUPER SPONSORS Dr yle Cob le Dr.. & Mrs Mrs.. K Kyle Coble The Chestn ut F amil y Chestnut Famil amily Mr yle Mr.. & Mrs Mrs.. Alan Ga Gayle SIL VER P ATR ONS SILVER PA TRONS Mr er Sr Mr.. & Mrs Mrs..William C C.. Conf Confer Anna & Paul Colopy Da vid & Theresa Ludlo w David Ludlow Charlene Norton le Band Sa w Mill & Custom Cuts Carl Gibson’ sP or tab Saw ortab table Gibson’s Por Mr oe & Linda Berenotto Mr.. & Mrs Mrs.. JJoe Mr atr icia Toler Mr.. & Mrs Mrs.. Jim and P Patr atricia Photo by Nate Carden Stafford’s freshman and JV home games are done for season, but this tackle shows they know how to stop a team from scoring. JV, freshman teams home games over for season By Ambree Papa Staff writer This year the Stafford Indian’s junior varsity football has a record of two wins and seven losses. Coach Williams pointed out several defensive players as outstanding. Sophomore Matthew Padgett, no.12, plays safety on defense. Sophomore Cody Richardson, no. 25, plays linebacker on defense and sophomore Howard Johnson, no. 5plays defensive back on defense. Williams also named outstanding offensive players to include Padgett, who also plays quarterback. Richardson is also a wide receiver. Sophomore Clay Bennett, no. 80, plays wide receiver and Johnson plays quarterback on offense. Outstanding newcomers are two freshmen. Reggie Kitchens,no. 27, plays running back, and Pierre Foreman, no. 6, plays safety on defense. This year, Stafford’s freshmen football team has a better record than its junior varsity. With six wins and only two losses, the newcomers to high school football have reason to be proud. “We’re really excited about doing so well this season,” said freshman Matthew Lansford. Although the newcomers are doing better than the more seasoned JV team, the JV team isn’t at all jealous. “We will never be jealous,” said sophomore Kris Trowbridge. On Halloween, both the JV and freshmen teams are giving up their holiday for an away game against Albemarle High School. Within a few weeks, the high school football season will be drawing to a close. There are no remaining home games for JV and freshmen football. Pumpkin man carves masterpieces MR. JOHN PROWETT WITH JUST A FEW OF HIS BR ONZE P ATR ONS BRONZE PA TRONS Kath y & Mik e Bak er Kathy Mike Baker Dallas & Gloria Chestnut Paula Chestnut Mr Mr.. & Mrs Mrs.. Morello Ste ven Wood Stev Shirle y Wood Shirley Kathleen Williams BLUE P ATR ONS PA TRONS Candice Bautista Keith & Deanna Lee CARVED PUMPKINS. Mr. John Provett from Auto Mechanics carves plastic pumpkins in to fantastic shapes and faces. He has been carving for several years as a hobby. His creations are extremely intricate and require hours of concentration. And he does all this for fun! And free for teachers and friends. The most detailed one he ever carved was a monster parting the corn in a corn field. Each pumpkin uses a battery operated light to shine in the dark, similar to a flickering candle. Prowett is just one of the many talented staff members at SHS. 10 Stafford High School 33 Stafford Indian Lane, Falmouth, VA 22405 Nov. 12, 2007 TROPHY CLASS THE INDIAN LEGEND NOW PLAYING PREORDER YOUR YEARBOOK BY DECEMBER 3 ORDER BY MAIL, ONLINE OR PHONE PHONE: 1-866-287-3096 ONLINE: WWW.YEARBOOKORDERCENTER.COM ENTER ORDER NUMER 4516 MAIL ORDER FORM TO: YEARBOOK ORDER CENTER PO BOX 29 EDWARDSVILLE, KANSAS 66113-9029 FORMS AVAILABLE ONLINE, IN MAIN OFFICE OR OUTSIDE E103 AVAILABILITY CANNOT BE GUARANTEED AFTER PREORDER SALE ENDS DEC. 3 SENIORS, IF YOU HAVE NOT PREORDERED BY DEC. 3 YOU CANNOT ATTEND SENIOR YEARBOOK BREAKFAST! ORDER NOW tudent Nov. 12, 2007 Stafford High School 33 Stafford Falmouth, VALane, 22405Falmouth, VA 22405 Stafford HighIndian SchoolLane, 33 Stafford Indian ife 11 Best teenfriendly places to eat Downtown By Ashley Bautista Staff Writer Photo by Nate Carden Interact club members hosted all the exchange students in the county school for a Halloween party. Students wore costumes, carved pumpkins and went trick or treating in the halls. Decisons closer than many think Interact Club hosts By Kelsey Chestnut Staff Writer High school is a very important part of a student’s life. What students accomplish in high school sets a path for the rest of their lives. It is up to the individual whether this path is a good or a bad one. Many students don’t realize the work they need to put into their education in high school. Students realize this when it becomes too late to change their grades or go back and finish their work. Colleges are ultimately very competitive. Advanced Placement, Honors, and Dual Enrollment classes are all looked at very highly. According to the James Madison University booklet, there were 18,665 freshmen applications for the year 2007-2008. Only 3,758 freshmen were enrolled in JMU for the 2007-2008 school year. “All of the work you do in high school determines what colleges accept you,” said junior Jesse Willard. Students need to realize that if they do not get good grades, they will not be accepted into the college they want, and this will hinder their future. People who slack off in high school don’t realize that this is the path to their futures. When students are accepted into colleges, they are starting a new adult life. In college people will decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives and what their profession will be. Colleges have different acceptance requirements. Students should meet with guidance counselors many times throughout their high school years to determine that they have all of the credits that they need for their preferred college. According to collegebound.com, colleges look for three general things that students have accomplished in high school. They look for eligibility, which is determined by SAT scores and the student’s grade point average (GPA). Colleges also look for at least one distinguishing characteristic, like being a member of a sports team or a club president, and the appropriate courses in high school. Students need to realize that as soon as they enter high school they need to buckle down and strive for good grades. Sophomore and junior year are critical years of high school that colleges look at. However, junior year is the most important year in high school. Juniors need to strive for the best grades and work as hard as they can. Hard work pays off in real life when they get accepted to the college of his or her choice and goes into a well paying profession. Colleges don’t only look for intelligent people with a high GPA. They look for well-rounded students who are involved in other activities such as sports teams and clubs. Students want to fill up their college applications with many different activities as well as a good GPA. According to the official website of Old Dominion University, students should start researching different colleges online and visiting college campuses when they are freshmen and sophomores. If they have not already begun to take Advanced Placement, Honors, or Dual Enrollment classes, they should by junior year. Students are expected to have fun in high school. However, they must always think about their future, and strive for the best. What students accomplish in high school will follow them the rest of their lives. “College is what really matters,” said junior Sunan Ahmed. “Even if you don’t go to some phenomenal university, as long as you do well, you’ll have very little trouble in your future.” Halloween party for exchange students By Wendy Cole Staff writer Interact club showed local area foreign exchange students the how Halloween is traditional celebrated in the United States. Foreign change students had the chance to experience the celebration of Halloween from Stafford High School students. The Interact club on Oct 27, had the out of country students come and dress up in their costumes and experience American customs. Activities they did were trick-ortreating, pin the nose on the Witch, Mummy Wrap, carved pumpkins, and interacted with other teens from other countries. Interact club is sponsored by Mike Miller. The club does community service activities in the Stafford County area. “This was my third year doing the Halloween celebration for the foreign exchange kids,” said Mike. “It is a great way for the students from this area to interact and social with other students from other countries.” Foreign exchange students from Stafford County, Fredericksburg City, Spotsylvania County, and King George all came to Stafford High. The students were told to dress up in costumes. Name tags helped students identify one another. Names and the country of origin were featured on the tags. Most foreign exchange students had heard about but never saw or experienced them in their life. They never had the chance to go door to door and say, “trick-or-treat”, it was a new experience for them to walk down the halls of Stafford High, going door to door of each classroom and knocking. The carving of the pumpkins was also a new experience for the students. Some have never seen a pumpkin in their life, let alone carved one. It was a fun and new experience for them to have. The main point of the celebration was to get the students interacting and socializing with others from this area. It was to make them feel more welcomed here and know a little about our culture. Photo by Nate Carden Table decorations with jack o’lanterns, black cats and food, lots and lots of food. Think Pink Day raises money for Avon Walk Key Club stays busy this year By Ashley Bautista Staff Writer The Key Club has been very busy in the past few weeks. On October 29 there was a meeting in which the club’s vice-president, John Sharp, discussed with fellow members the upcoming events that the club will be participating in. One of the most popular things that Key Club does is TrickOr-Treat for UNICEF. Key Club members signed up to receive a little orange box that they collect money in for the UNICEF organization. Participants can either go door to door asking for money or just have family members and friends donate. All proceeds go to the United Nations Children’s Fund and underprivileged children in Swaziland. Other upcoming projects of Key Club include a joint project with National Honor Society for SPCA and Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for struggling families during the holidays. Members of Key Club can bring in food, preferably canned goods, for the families. The club is also working on making a tree for the “Festival of Trees” in which proceeds for the tree will go to the Battered Women’s Shelter. International Key Club Week is November 5-9. The club will have two meetings that week. Members will be able to wear their Key Club t-shirts November 9. Photo by Nate Carden Heather Rochol and Jasmine Biggers wore pink to raise awareness and money for breast cancer research. Over 800 students and staff wore pink on Tuesday. By Gillan Ludlow Staff writer Bright pink posters with pink paint adorned the school walls. They advertised “Think Pink,” a campaign for Breast Cancer. For every person who wears pink, 25 cents was donated towards the fund for Breast Cancer Reasearch. Some wore pink to support the Breast Cancer campaign while others wore pink as a deeper symbol of how breast cancer has affected their lives. Such as experience, or having someone close to them experience it. “I wore pink because my grandmother died because of breast cancer,” said math teacher Mrs. Deborah Kresho, “I also wore pink for general support.” For two days and 39 miles, the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer gives individuals the opportunity to dramatically impact the lives of millions affected by breast cancer worldwide. The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is a two day event in Washington D.C. and begins on May 3 and continues on to the next day. The large event that takes place in nine different cities around the United States. Avon, the beauty supply company, has been supporting the walk since 2003. “It’s nice wearing pink and participating in the walk because money will be donated,” said junior Sierra Martin, “and it feels great to know that you’re helping someone in need.” “We made about $200 for “Think Pink,” said SCA and Key Club sponsor Mrs. Margaret Bridges. “We didn’t make as much as I hoped.” When you are looking for a great place to eat in downtown Fredericksburg, many places come to mind. Among the top choices of teenagers are Fortune Gourmet, La Petite Auberge and Hyperion. If you are looking for some great Chinese food and a lovely ambiance, you can go to Fortune Gourmet on Caroline Street. The convenient location provides a great place to stop on an afternoon stroll or even to meet up with friends for dinner. If you do visit Fortune Gourmet, you should be prepared for very large servings and awesome food! The menu is so overwhelming it might take you a while to figure out what you want. Another popular place to visit for dinner, lunch or even for coffee is La Petite Auberge. This restaurant is a little fancier than most downtown so it would be a great place to go on a date or even after a movie. The blue awning and tables outside provide a nice ambiance for a French dinner downtown. The waiting staff is very nice and punctual about getting your food to you in a timely manner. Probably the most popular hang-out spot for teens in downtown Fredericksburg is Hyperion Espresso. This quaint coffee shop is located on the corner of William Street and is a host to many college and high school kids on the weekends and even after school. Junior Tyler Northrup said, “Hyperion is a really fun place to just chill at. Everyone goes there on the weekends.” They offer a variety of different coffees as well as iced beverages such as Italian sodas and iced lemonade. potlight 12 Nov. 12, 2007 Stafford High School 33 Stafford Indian Lane, Falmouth, VA 22405 Students filled balloons with hydrogen then set them on fire which showed a bright red flame. Students mixed two seperate liquid chemicals to create a solid that grew out of cups. Lance Herbert and Kyle Rauch prepare a pumpkin experiment. Laura Irwin, Nick Magrino, Brian Green and Aaron Bowers play with Carbon dioxide bubbles. Mrs. Kathy Dennis demonstrates with dry ice and other fun things in her AP Chemistry class. Puking pumpkins in AP chemistry highlight Halloween festivities All photos by Alisha Abrams Photography editor Students created carbon dioxide bubbles. Students created a makeshift witch’s caldron with dry ice and water. Lauren Irwin breaks the CO2 bubble which released fog. Brian Green uses his hand to cause the CO2 to flow out the beaker. Students held the bubbles in their hands before popping them, which caused a dusty white fog. Claire Kaus creates pink elepant toothpaste foam. Chemistry students enjoyed using dry ice to create a fog in the sink.. Mixing Chemicals created an eerie Halloween appearance for the Chemistry Lab. Kyle Reese pops his bubbles releasing CO2 fog. Chemistry students performed festive experiments. Students created red bubbles by adding food coloring into the solution.