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Six Cadets Travel to New York with Track Team
E x p a nd e d Version May 16th 2016
Written by Cadet Julian Yescas
While most cadets were enjoying
O’Brien, Logan Justice, Ebruba Etta, and Levord
spring break with their families,
Burns went up to run the Emerging Elite 4x400 me-
six cadets traveled to New York
ters race. All ran as well as they could and finished
on the eleventh of March, accom-
15th overall and third for their heat, among many
panied by Coach Winston Brown.
teams. Last but not least, Alex Lomong ran the open
Ninth grader Losefa Puauuli ran
800m. Alex made sure he went to sleep early to have
in the freshman 60-meter dash.
a great race, and the prudent decision paid off.
Although he did not place first in
Though Alex did not run exactly as he would have
the run, he exerted spectacular
wished, he clearly shines brightest of all, finishing in
effort, and is clearly ready for
eighth place—for the entire nation. All of our run-
outdoor season and further growth. Cadet participants Liam
ners had great races and are even more ready to Fork Union Senior Alex Lomong in his amazing race. Photo Cr. Winston Brown
tear up the track during the outdoor Season.
Four Cadets Attend Leadership Conference Written by Captain Gary Leydig
I had the privilege of taking four
instill a sense of lifelong integrity. The students
outstanding cadets with me to
had the privilege of listening and asking questions
George Mason University in Ar-
to two keynote speakers, General Dan Allyn, Vice
lington, Virginia yesterday for a
Chief of Staff of the US Army and Captain Marjana
West Point Leadership and Ethics
Bidwell, Commander, Headquarters Company, Old
conference. Michael Head, David
Guard. Both professionals served as leaders in
Cammack, David Pitts, and Gra-
their respective fields. They shared their experi-
ham Luongo did an outstanding
ences and views on Leadership and Ethics.
job yesterday representing FUMA
Our cadets worked alongside some of the bright-
at the Conference. This is the
est students in Virginia, Maryland and DC. During
ninth year the West Point Society
the day they worked on leadership/ethical prob-
of DC hosted the conference at
lems, proposed solutions with their team, and
George Mason University. There
briefed the entire conference (300+ people). Ca-
were over 200 delegates from 50 schools as well as staff and faculty. West Point’s ethical decision-
Cadets point to the Academy’s name on a welcome sign at the conference. From top left to right: David Cammack, Michael Head, Graham Luongo, David Pitts.
det Head’s team placed in top 6 out of 12 teams and Cadet Pitts’ team placed 3rd overall. Michael Head was also nominated to compete for the West Point Leadership and Ethics Scholarship worth up
making model has been widely used at high schools and colleg-
to $2,000. If you see these young man around campus please
es around the country to help develop leaders of character and
give them hearty congratulations on a job well done.
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Cadet’s Artwork will be Seen on the National Level Written by: Cadet Micah Giszack, Photo courtesy of Fork Union Military Academy
Every year, for nearly the past decade, the one-
and we are extraordinarily proud to say that Chris is
hundred-fourteen-year-old Southern Teachers Agency
one of the winners. In their original congratulatory
observes artwork made by students across several
message, the Agency’s director, Carey Goodman said:
states in the US, including Virginia. This year, the Agen- “[The winners’ artwork] will be reproduced in the cy collected close to five-hundred individual students’
Southern Teachers Agency art calendar for the 2016-
masterpieces and judged them in order to determine
17 academic year. We will print 15,000 calendars and
the twelve winners. Cadet Senior Christopher Moody, a send them to over 2,000 schools around the country, day student at Fork Union Military Academy and one of making this a wonderful opportunity to showcase your Mrs. Kayla Jones’s proteges, submitted a piece titled Hatcher Hall, which is depicted below. It takes a new perspective on the trademark castle-like building on our campus, the oldest single construction still standing today. After weeks of rigorous comparison and close review, only twelve out of the 400+ from the beginning made it to stake a claim in the winner’s circle,
student’s talents.” Chris’s piece is fantastic, and according to our wonderful art teacher, Mrs. Kayla Jones, she could see his talent from the first sketch. Mrs. Jones, too deserves praise for this monumental feat; after all, she is the one who spent hours of her own time being available for all of her talented art students.
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More on the Weather Written by: Luke Burton
Lately a noticeable change has occurred in the weather. Morn-
weather gets hotter we see more and more cadets stream
ings are warmer and the sun is shining brighter. Summer is
outside ready to romp and play kickball, soccer, and a slew of
starting to come around and the cadets’ attitudes rise just as
other activities available to them. As our cadets are realizing
the temperature does. Today I witnessed the perfect day. A
that summer, and therefore time for beaches, is closing in, our
wind gently blew through the rows of cadets as they stood at
professional-grade weight room is filling with aspiring lady-
attention for parade practice. The sun hid behind the clouds
killers. This new transformation of the weather completely
occasionally peeking out, shining fractures rays of orange
changes the school’s atmosphere for the better and will con-
sunlight upon everybody. This weather marks the closing
tinue straight through until May 28th.
month of the school year and the start of summer. As the
German City Implements new Safety Precautions designed for Millennials Written by: Cadet Michael Hershey
Germany, historically, has been known widely for some of its
service says the cost is "justified compared to the damage to
wilder antics, though one recent action sticks out, and suggests [life and property] that can be prevented." Their reasoning for that a generational habit is developing serious consequences.
going to such trouble is that earlier in the year, an otherwise-
First, let me ask you this: do you think walking on a street wile
occupied 19-year-old man crossed a railroad crossing seconds
looking down at a cell phone is dangerous? Well South Augs-
before the train would bear down upon him. The warning
burg, Germany believed so. They went through the [expensive] lights were in such a place as to be seen by motorists and attrouble of installing lights in their roads; ultra-bright red lights tentive pedestrians. He could not hear the warning bells because to be precise. These lights will be used to warn pedestrians
he was using headphones. Do you think the city should have
who are distracted by devices and looking at the ground. Just
gone to such great lengths? Or is it the duty of the pedestrian
one set of these lights cost about 11 thousand United States
to remain attentive while near potentially-fatal situations?
Dollars. Jurgen Fergg, a spokesperson for Augsburg municipal
Full Speed Ahead into the Year’s End A message from the Sabre
It seems like a matter of days rather than nearly two full
Fork Union’s ever-supportive body of parents is undoubtedly
months ago that we all returned from Spring Leave, while our
growing antsy for quality time with their sons over summer
cadets persistently maintain positive and continue chugging
vacation. The next printed Sabre will be going out soon, also,
along at top-gear to finish the year strong. Many of our guys
and Sabre Now continues to evolve as life on campus grows
are counting down the days— hours even— until the day they more bustling. Outreach from our own Sabre staff as well as can welcome summer back, but that does not mean expecta-
cadets from around campus has been continuing to grow as
tions at the Academy have grown lax; quite the opposite is
young men’s passion for writing proliferates, even if at a
true, in fact, and the boys are doing exceedingly well. Full drill
piecemeal pace. Even though life at FUMA is full of spiritual,
parade practices have begun, which means that soon, parade
mental and even physical nourishment, there’s no doubt that
season will begin on campus. As always, Fraley Circle is look-
summer will exhibit breaths of relief from all of our cadets,
ing aweing in the warm, breezy sunshine, and we can thank
not to mention their hardworking teachers and coaches. De-
our dedicated landscaping crew who works hard to keep eve-
spite all of this, the extant gates of Fork Union Military Acade-
rything in ship shape. Cadets are not the only ones who are
my will keep watch of the campus during the sweltering
anticipatory for longer, warmer days and time with family:
months, standing proud to greet cadets back when autumn
V ol um e I , Is s ue 5
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Widespread Recall on Broccoli due to Listeria Concerns Written by Cadet Luke Antesberger Broccoli Cuts, a frozen broccoli supplier, has recalled almost 1,800
were distributed in poly bags with the label WYLWOOD Fresh
of its products over likely cases of listeria contamination. Listeria’s Frozen Broccoli Cuts, NET WT. 16 OZ (1 LB,) UPC 5193300110, symptoms can include stiff neck, confusion, headache, loss of bal-
with bag code A25335P and A15335P. Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio,
ance, convulsions, fevers, and
Tennessee, Virginia, West Vir-
muscle aches. Many of these
ginia, Florida, Georgia, Ala-
symptoms are similar to those of a
bama, South Carolina and North
much more sinister infection:
Carolina were the stores that
meningococcus, more commonly
sold Broccoli Cuts contaminat-
known as meningitis. Listeria is a
ed products. If you recently
serious infection that can be
purchased frozen broccoli from
caused by consumption of con-
your local grocery store, ensure
taminated foods. It primarily af-
that its bag did not bear this
fects older adults, pregnant wom-
label.
en, and people with weak immune systems. The products affected
Fork Union and Harvard University alum Blake Sundel addresses cadets Written by: Cadet Micah Giszack
In the 2010 to 2011 school year, Ca-
free time, expand his knowledgeabil-
included 10 major points that Mr.
det Blake Sundel was the battalion
ity on World War generals.
Sundel told cadets are important les-
commander for the upperschool class. Asking his past instructors about his overall air reveals that he had a deep love for knowledge. According to his once-calculus instructor, Blake carried interdisciplinary books into class with him; he would, rather than online gaming or e-mailing during his
On Tuesday, April 19, Mr. Sundel, now a teacher of history himself, presented an introspective lesson in a weekday chapel service. It was great for our cadets to hear from a formercadet that Fork Union does a good job of preparing for the “real” world.
sons taught by Fork Union, the corps learned that accountability and discipline are two things that FUMA teaches. With the mentality of ‘if you take care of the little things, the big ones take care of themselves’, Mr. Sundel demonstrates that life is a journey.
In his PowerPoint presentation which
UNC-VN Sabre Now Blur bs Written by: Cadet Gabriel Green
On April 3rd, 2016, the corps of cadets was allowed to stay awake past the 10:00 P.M. taps to witness the ending of the March Madness tournament. Teams UNC and Villanova start off a heated first half of the game that left the corps on the edges of their seats. At the end of the first half of the game the score was 35-43 with Villanova in
the lead. Falling behind, UNC shot a threepointer to tie up the game with Villanova, bringing the score to a nail-biting 74-74. With 4.7 seconds left in the game, Villanova’s Christian Jenkins shoots a buzzerbeating three-pointer which ended the game, and delivered a championship win for Jenkins and his team.
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Fork Union Military Academy
Our Best Moments
Echo’s Winning Pumpkin in the Carving Contest
Phone: 434-848-3212 Address: 4744 James Madison Hwy Fork Union, VA 23055 Comments for Sabre Now: Sabre@fuma.org All back issues can be found here
Editor’s Note
It’s here. The end of the school year is
Our College Fair which occurred in the first weeks of the school year
Editor’s Note
upon us and the not We are almost there! It’s excitement almost the point could of the year in which cadets’ mouths begin to water at the prospect of be more real. Even though it has been summer vacation. It really seems like just two or three months, rather than six, that we’ve been in this academic raining a lot lately, the flower gardens session. The third leg of the “marathon” begins on March 14th. This is already the fourth edition of the Sabre Now, and parade field have been and though I myself may be partial, it seems to have been successful thus far. Although only time dictate the appreciative, to be sure. OnwillMonday, future of Now, all signs point toward a bright future. We have increasingly cadets the only sunattained peeked backgreater out support after from days of and faculty for not just readership, but also contributions toward this newsletter. This edition was filled with highcloudiness, a great morale boost, and quality writing from Sabre staff members, and FUMA time’s flying. faculty faculty, with abeen special thanks to CaptainAs Greenspon for his excellent lacrosse piece. In the box above, there is a continually cadets, however, hyperlink to Sabreremind Now’s online library, and this is a secondary link. We encourage anyone who enjoys this the academic is stillanyone going. Highnewsletter to share it year with absolutely interested in keeping up with events both on campus and the ones that school-aged guys typically have a are happening elsewhere, but intrigue our writers. The Sabre wishes all cadets and their families a happy spring Superman complex, especially when break, and we look forward to seeing this school year through with all of you. Until next time.
An intense layup by Fork Union in a Prep Basketball game
A group of Cadets enjoying our Dining Staff’s speciallyprepared Thanksgiving feast
they wish to ‘go out with a bang’ so to speak. Impulsive actions have been
August’s Leadership Training Crew
the downfall of even some of our brightest cadets in the past, but this year has seen our cadets pushing through to the end of the school year with few snags. Two weeks. That’s it. We have very-nearly arrived at the end of the academic term the finale of which we have so fervently sought for the past three-quarters of a year. Pull through and make it home. Until next time.
Two Echo Cadets enjoy the snow
Right: Participants in our blood drive
The Final Countdown May 22: Senior & PG Parade: ***Possibility of Inclement Weather*** May 26: Undergrad Academic Awards, Middle School Graduation May 27: Term 5 Final Exam– 9th-11th Grade Leaves May 28: Upper School Graduation A full 2015-2016 Academic Calendar may be found on our website. A PDF is available for all parents to download here. The 2016-2017 Academic Calendar is viewable here.