The Bayonet - March/April 2015

the

Bayonet

Volume 20, Issue 6

From the headmaster’s desk

The Word -Ms. Payne

"You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to be distressed by various trials so that the genuineness of your faithmore valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire- may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." I Peter 1:6-7

Life is full of ups and downs. We are often faced with trials on a daily basis. However, we need to rejoice in our trials and realize that God is using them to grow our faith. Our trials help refine us and make us more like Christ. We are called to be like Christ and serve Him in all that we do. As the school year draws to a close let us focus on finishing strong and being more like Christ.

As

we

head

the

with family and hometown

homestretch of this school

friends, and everything else

session, I encourage ALL of

that

us, myself included, to keep the nose to the grindstone and remember that summer

vacation. But make every effort to finish strong the job that you have been given here – to concentrate on

Ms. Payne, sharing a message

down

vacation is not yet upon

COL Robert Feathers Middle School Headmaster

us.

With the advent of warmer weather, it’s easy to let the mind wander to

comes

with

summer

your studies and to be the

best cadet that you can be. Just one more month pools, beaches, staying up to go! late and sleeping in, time

Commandant’s Corner

LTC bill blanchetti Middle School commandant

- LTC Blanchetti

We are now in the final lap of a nine month long marathon race.

I’m amazed at how fast the finish line has snuck up on us. In September as we started school, May 21st seemed like it was a million miles away. Now we are less than a month

away from that magic day. Do not coast across the finish line, sprint past it with your head held high. Finish with good grades and good conduct and enjoy the fruits of your hard labor. Summer vacation is just around the corner and calling you.

Cadets of the Month

March Cadet of the Month – Ahmed Khalil

with our cadets.

April 2015

April Cadet of the Month – Drew Leydig

Cadet Ahmed Khalil, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ehab Khalil of Cairo, Egypt, was selected the “Cadet of the Month” for February based on a vote taken by the Middle School faculty, staff, and cadets. Ahmed enrolled as an 8th grader at the Middle School in January and has done an extraordinary job as a cadet and student. He has earned academic honors and “Excellent Conduct” during both of the terms he’s been with us. Cadet 2nd LT Khail is the Platoon Leader of “Alpha” Company.

He has been active in the Academy’s swimming program since arriving at FUMA.

Sixth grader Drew Leydig, the son of CPT and Mrs. Gary Leydig of Fork Union, VA, was March’s “Cadet of the Month” following a tally of votes from the Middle School faculty, staff, and cadets. Drew, a day student in the Middle School Corps, holds the rank of Corporal.

Since his enrollment in December, Drew has consistently earned President’s List (straight A’s and “Excellent Conduct”) each grading period. Drew has been a member of the Academy’s swim team since entering the Academy.

Section A

Section B

Section C

The Blob Fish Current Events A Shelf Near You Resource Tip

Hard Fought Athlete of the Season Calendar

Run– Ons Bright Future Alumni Award

FUMA Middle School on Facebook & Twitter

2—A

April 2015 - The Bayonet

The Blob Fish

Mayday

-Cadet Moore

The Blob fish is a deep sea fish of the family Psychrolutidae. Inhabiting the deep waters off the coasts of mainland Australia and Tasmania, Blob fish live at depths between 600–1,200 m (2,000–3,900 ft.).

The pressure is several dozen times higher than at sea level, which would likely make gas bladders ineffective for maintaining buoyancy.

Instead the flesh of the blob fish is primarily a glutinous mass with a density slightly less than water.

This allows the fish to float above the sea floor without spending energy on swimming.

Blob fish eat invertebrates like crabs and pen fish. The blob fish are currently facing extinction because of deep sea fishing and bottom trawling. Blob fish are caught by bottom trawling with nets as bycatch. This information was received from www.stunninginterestingfacts.com/2 013/01/the-blobfish.html

Current Events

On March 27, 2015, a Germanwings aircraft crashed in southern France without anyone’s knowing what had happened. Over one hundred and forty people died in the crash located in the Alps. The co-pilot of a Germanwings flight slammed into an Alpine mountainside and, “intentionally sent the plane into its doomed descent,” stated a French prosecutor. It was said that the pilot went to use the restroom, and when he returned the door to the cockpit was locked and no one was answering the door.

Just then, the plane started to descend into the cold Alps. It crashed after losing radio contact with ground control Tuesday morning, killing all 150 passengers. Lufthansa said the co-pilot joined Germanwings in September 2013, right after training, and had flown about 630 hours.

On A Shelf Near You!

The Unknown D. Rumsfeld

The Unraveling E. Sky

Island of Shipwrecks L. McMann

Out of My Mind S. Draper

Lessons from Alexander the Great D. Hybl

Out of Our Minds K. Robinson

Dangerous Creatures K. Garcia

Half Wild S. Green

Half Bad S. Green NYPD Red 3

Resource Tip

I.Q. Series 1-6 R. Smith

Ms. Payne

Genetically Modified Foods L. Forman

The Dragon King Chronicles 1-3 E. Oh Hostage Run A. Klavan

HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE Your attitude about a test can make the difference between victory and defeat. Just before the test, imagine that you are about to start an important game. You have prepared and are ready for the challenge!!!

J. Patterson

Phantoms in the Snow K. Benner Duplicity N.K. Traver The Court of Thrones and Roses S. Maas

The New Becoming Vegetarian Melina

-Cadet Antesburger

Photo Credit: Country News Center

Unexpected Dangers On March 18th, 2015, 27 people were diagnosed with tuberculosis at Olathe Northwest High School in Kansas.

The students at this high school have been treated for this potentially deadly illness after a student was diagnosed earlier in the month. The number of people infected was still relatively small and “does not exceed what we would anticipate in this setting,” said Lougene Marsh, the Director of Johnson County Department of Health and Environment.

“Of course, we had hoped we wouldn’t find any additional TB cases, but we knew this was a possibility,” Marsh said. “That’s why we took such thorough steps to test everyone who might have been in close contact with the first confirmed case of TB disease,” he said. The students that were notified in Monday about their illness and have to take even more blood tests with x-rays on their chest. They are now on an antibiotic to kill bacteria for up to nine months.

“Early identification and treatment of TB infection is the key to preventing progression to TB disease,” said Marsh.

Altered Genes, Twisted Truth S. Druker A Gendered Choice D. Chadwell

Living Vegetarian for Dummies Hobbs

Debating Single-Sex Education F. Spielhagen

Roadmap Roadtrip Nation

Gone J. Patterson

Heir of Novron M. Sullivan

Instinct S. Kenyon Half Lives S. Grant

Last American Vampire S. Smith

Fork Union Military Academy | 4744 James Madison Highway | Fork Union, VA 23055 | USA

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April 2015 - The Bayonet

Sports & Activities

Hard Fought!

-Cadet Milazzo

The first lacrosse game was on the game, the ball was moving March 19, 2015. The game was go- quickly and Captain Greenspon Head

Calendar created by Cadet Leydig

ing back and forth between points. Coach of Middle School Lacrosse FUMA Middle School was playing was substituting people and having Tandem. The game started with the ball moving from team to team them scoring in the first quarter, people were dropping the ball; peothen another goal in the second goal. ple were missing the catches we Our team thought it was over know- were all stressed out. Many shots ing that we had not scored a point were taken, but in the end we lost by yet. We came back in the third and a point. It was upsetting the first fourth quarter scoring three points. loss. The game was lost in the last Two of the points John Meheen ten seconds in the game, we shot, scored and one point scored by and missed, and the other team took Trenton Johnson. It was a tie game it up and scored. It was and upsetwhen Tandem scored again. All of us ting loss, but we learned a lot about thought that we were going to go our teammates. into overtime. In the last quarter of

Be sure to check out May’s edition of The Bayonet for a special spread about our New York trip!

Athlete of the Season

In a busy spring season, Blake was instrumental in helping the FUMA Middle School Team attain a 4th place finish at the US Interscholastic Championships held near Philadelphia,

PA. The FUMA team had two rookies and was a pure middle school team comprised of two 7th graders and two 8th graders. Most of their competition were teams of 9th graders who are allowed to be in the Middle School category. Yet, the FUMA team battled through the snowy plains, and just missed the medal stand due in part to Blake’s effort.

Blake was not done with his competitions, however. The following week he went to Eastern Kentucky to participate in individual championships.

On Friday, Blake

dashed through Morehead State University campus enroute to a 3rd place finish in a highly competitive field of 13 & 14 year olds. Saturday was a tough day. On a complex course worthy of any national championship competition, Blake got lost, and had to come in without finishing his course. An ordinary young man could have given up. Blake studied his map, learned from his mistakes, and returned for the third day of competition. His perseverance paid off as he finished 2nd to obtain a silver medal in

the Middle Distance course.

Blake trains hard.

He thinks. He assesses his performance. He improves. He perseveres. For this reason he has been the top Middle School orienteer this season.

Fork Union Military Academy | 4744 James Madison Highway | Fork Union, VA 23055 | USA

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April 2015 - The Bayonet

Run Oooooooooonnnns!

The following paragraphs were created as an assignment during MAJ Butt’s 8th grade English class. This

A Bright Future

was an exercise on how one would use run-ons for effect and to de-

-Cadet Davis

scribe a quick, chaotic, out-ofcontrol moment.

Boxing Match – David Crumpler Staring at the other guy, I try to anticipate his next move; I look for any sign of him trying to make a move as I move around him and scan him while also breathing heavily, and hearing the people chanting my name as I size- up my opponent with my ferocious southpaw stance, waiting for a swing or a fake so I can counterattack and use his mistake to my advantage; sweat soaking my shirt and trunks, and my now sticky and sweaty gloves close to my face, then I glance past the right side and see my opponent trying to throw a punch within a split second, this is what I have been waiting for; I set my feet back, twist my hips, and squat, the whole ring is deafened and I explode through with my right hand, making contact with my opponent’s face; he stumbles and falls and the deafening sound goes away and all I can hear is the referee counting to ten, I know the fight is over; I raise my hands in the air triumphantly with a bloody smirk on my face as the bell rings and the crowd roars.

Hunting – Cameron Hill I stand heading for the howl of dogs; I the hear tip, tap, crack, clank of feet running through the leaves and glance to my right; the deer is heading right at me sprinting, wobbling, bouncing, head-butting all through the cold, chilled, dew filled trees and grass; I quietly but quickly lift the

I recently had an interview with RADM Burhoe about a topic we all have been wondering and thinking about: the changes coming to Fork Union Military Academy outlined in “The 2020 Plan”. I learned that this plan will revolutionize the school for the better, for years to come. During this interview I asked the Admiral a series of questions pertaining to the plan. First, I asked him what the next phase for the Middle School is going to be. He told me we are going to use that part of the campus to build a new academic building called the “Body, Mind, and Spirit Center” for schooling with, perhaps, a snack bar in the building.

Next I asked him what is going to happen to the Middle

School next year. He told me answers I had not heard yet.

The first floor of Echo Company will house Middle School, and 9th graders will live on 2nd and 3rd floors.

Also he told me that conduct levels will determine privileges next year in the Upper School, like is currently done in the Middle School. Also, in the next few years we will be building an Alumni Museum in the front of the school and the old one will be converted into an apartment building for FUMA alumni and distinguished visitors. Also there are plans for the entire infrastructure of the school.

The athletic department will help raise money for the new artificial turf, multipurpose football, lacrosse, and soccer

Distinguished Alumni Cadet Award Presented to Gonzalo Bobadilla - COL Feathers

camouflage shotgun, put the gold bead that is shining like a star in the night sky right on the deer: BANG, missed: POW, pine wood splinters come pelting off the tree; I have two bullets left and I need to make them count: POP I shoot again; the deer stumbles and falls I then make my way down towards it, the deer pops up again and I forgot to put more bullets in the 20-pound shotgun that I’m exhausted, tired, sweaty and sore from carrying; I pick the gun up and see the deer down the barrel, but he drops without me pulling the trigger that is smooth and curved like a crest moon.

fields. Another major change involves removing the road in front of Jacobson Hall and the pavement on the Fraley Circle for the creation of walkways.

All of these changes are being made in hopes of making the school safer and better for everyone by creating a pedestrian only campus core. I hope to see these changes revolutionize the way Fork Union Military Academy serves our cadets. Thank you to everyone who helped me with this article, and thank you, Admiral Burhoe, for sharing your time with me to discuss these upcoming changes.

The Middle School Alumni Distinguished Cadet for this year is 8th grader, Gonzalo Bobadilla, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Bobadilla from Mexico City, Mexico. A first year cadet, CPT Bobadilla is the Company Commander of “Alpha” Company. Throughout the year, Gonzalo has earned Academic Honors, Excellent Conduct, and Meritorious

Service recognition. He was a standout on the soccer team in the fall and on the swim team during the winter season. Gonzalo was the first cadet this year to be voted “Cadet of the Month”. This cadet enjoys the respect of the entire Middle School faculty and staff and of his fellow cadets and is very deserving of this honor.

Fork Union Military Academy | 4744 James Madison Highway | Fork Union, VA 23055 | USA