Valor Dictus Volume 41 Issue 5

EDITORIALS

FEATURES

Monthly short days benefit students and teachers alike.

— See page 3

Learn about the different ways students adopt new best friends.

— See page 5

FOCUS

Follow Rex Boatong down his road to restored eyesight.

— See pages 8-9

ENTERTAINMENT

SPORTS

Read about the pros and cons of 2-D and 3-D movies.

— See page 11

Read about Zak Depo’s recovery from injury.

— See page 15

Valor Dictus James W. Robinson Secondary School 5035 Sideburn road, Fairfax, VA 22032

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Volume 41 Issue 5

Bravely speaking to the Robinson community valor-dictus.com

Shooting for Energy Star

Lucky 200

School energy efficiency memorialized with shiny new plaque

BY NICK RUNKEL Staff Writer

Reprinted with permission by Robinson Wrestling Alumni and head coach Bryan Hazard wins yet again— On Jan. 11, Hazard led the wrestling team to another win, his two-hundredth victory as a coach, a milestone in his coaching career. Hazard said, “I told my dad and the other coaches, it was not that big of a deal to me.”

Of the 194 schools and learning centers Fairfax County Public Schools operates, only seven achieved Energy Star status in 2011.

Our school is the only secondary school to receive this honor.

In December, a commemorative plaque was installed in the main hallway to alert students and staff of the school’s accomplishment “I was excited to see the Energy Star sign in the hallway; I hadn’t seen it before and I am excited about the accomplishment,” subschool 12 principal Eric Norland s According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s

Lab rebooted with additional space, new computers Room E108 draws closer to its construction and refurbishment’s completion

BY IAN CRIMAN Staff Writer

A new computer lab is close to completion in room E108, featuring brand-new, state-of-the-art equipment.

The full plans for the lab’s construction have been in place since last May, with the cost of the new computers nearing 60,000 dollars.

Administrative principal Bill Evers said the county paid for the new lab through school bonds decided at last year’s elections.

The connection allowed our

school to gain the new addition without coughing up a large sum of money.

“We decided to go ahead with this now to lessen the burden on the classroom teachers for the SOL testing,” Evers said.

Principal Dan Meier said education has been increasingly dependent on technology. “Students thrive on it,” Meier said. “We try to keep up on that demand, and I think we’ve built a beautiful new room.”

Technology Specialist Will Plath said administration originally wanted to put in a lab for SOL testing, but the county expanded construction a lot more than originally intended.

Instead of merely renovating one lab, two were created because of the excess space left over.

“We expanded the room so we would have enough space for the lab,” Meier said. “Right now, we’re waiting for the new computers, and the wiring was the last step.”

The initial purpose of building

the new computer lab was for increased SOL testing space.

The lab will feature 72 new computers, adding more space for students to complete the assessment.

“I think more and more, pencil and paper tests are becoming obsolete,” Evers said. “This new lab adds a lot of space, and it is really important for schools to keep up with the increasing demands of technology.”

At the moment, the wiring is finished. Evers said construction on the lab started on Dec. 19, and took a little over three weeks to complete. The target date for the lab to be up and running is tomorrow, if everyhing goes as planned.

Once the contractors started construction on the lab, the lab took approximately two weeks to complete.

“Because of the increased use of technology within classrooms, schools have to fight to keep up with the increased demands of the classes,” Evers said. “It can be difficult sometimes, keeping up with those demands and we always try to add new technology to keep up with that demand.”

Energy Star guidelines, to achieve Energy Star status, a building must have an Energy Management Plan and consistently follow it.

Energy Star rates building on a scale of zero to 100, with 50 being the established national average.

Tom Reinsel, coordinator of energy management for FCPS, said our school was given a score of 78 in 2011.

Administrative principal Bill Evers said the county designed our school’s Energy Management Plan.

Our school’s specific plan involves turning off all of the heating and air-conditioning after 4:00 p.m. in empty rooms.

In addition, on the weekends, the heating and air conditioning are switched off, unless the building is being used for community sports events or meetings.

“We try to follow the Energy Management Plan and turn off the heat and the airconditioning in rooms that aren’t being used,” Evers said.

“Other schools in the county just leave the heat and air on all the time; we’ve tried control our energy use.”

Evers said achieving En-

ergy Star status is the culmination of a goal the county set four years ago, and that he is pleased our school was able to reach this point in achievement.

“A decision was made by the county to try and get county-wide energy costs under control,” Evers said.

“Robinson alone spends over $600,000 on electricity every year.”

Evers said, to control its energy usage and follow the Energy Management Plan, a school must be willing to work with the county and be committed to its cause of action.

“It’s a school-wide effort; we have to be conscious of our efficiency and energy use, and Mr. Evers and Mr. Torrence [the building engineers] deserve a lot of credit,” principal Dan Meier said.

Meier said he believes being an Energy Star school adds to the school’s overall image and prestige.

Meier said, “I’m proud of the fact that the governor has named us a school of excellence for the past two years, and now, the federal government has recognized us with the Energy Star; I think we are a complete school.”

Photo by Hailey Metzger Sleek, shiny silicon—students will soon be able to complete work on the 72 brand-new computers in the newly-renovated room E108.

2

News

Valor Dictus

January 26, 2012

In Brief Charges against Cook proceed Former band director Michael Cook was arrested Aug. 31 for the online solicitation of a child under the age of 15. His trial has now progressed into the legal process after the school system placed him on unpaid leave.

“I did not know that Mr. Cook’s trial was moving forward; I thought the trials were basically over, and since the trials are public and I had not heard anything, I thought his case had been dropped,” junior Shannon Garcia said. “The fact that his trials are progressing is news to me.”

Cook appeared in the Virginia General District Court Dec. 19, and Judge Donald McDonough certified his case to the Grand Jury for possible indictment. Because his case qualifies for the Grand Jury, there is a possibility he could face jail time if convicted.

“I feel scared and shocked that Mr. Cook might be going to jail, because I do not want to believe that he may actually end up there,” Garcia said.

Despite Cook’s arrest and trial, many students still hold Cook in high regard for his years of service leading the band and demonstrating exceptional musical skills.

“I still to this day think he is an inspirational man and that he is devoted and passionate about music; you could really tell that he cared about the band and its progress, which made me become even more dedicated to the band,” Garcia said. “His words were very heartfelt and emotional, and it really inspired me to want to be successful.”

— BAILEY HAASE Governor McDonnell releases proposals Governor Robert McDonnell has proposed several sweeping changes to Virginia public school systems, most notably removing tenure and repealing the King’s Dominion Law. According to the Jan. 9 Washington Post article, “McDonnell proposes repealing ‘Kings Dominion law,’ teacher tenure in schools plan,” McDonnell’s reasoning is tenure protects bad teachers, and his changes would keep successful teachers and administrators in place.

An anonymous teacher disagreed, saying “There are already mechanisms in place to make sure good teachers are kept and bad teachers are weeded out.”

The source said teachers are on a probationary period for their first three years of employment, and then reviewed every three years afterward. This process is more efficient, and takes up less time and resources from administrators than McDonnell’s proposed process.

The continuing contracts, or tenure, exist so teachers cannot be fired without reason after their probationary period. This process exists to protect teachers from administrative bias, but also ensures that bad teachers can be fired without any sort of backlash, as long as the firing is justified.

—JACK CONNORS

Upcoming Events

Jan. 27

Second quarter grad— ing period ends. Students have two days off school for teacher work days Jan. 30 and 31.

Feb. 6

National Junior Honor — Society service meeting in the gold cafeteria after school until 3:15 p.m.

Feb. 9

PTSA board executive — meeting held in the principal’s conference room from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Feb. 17

Due to the state — wrestling tournament and teacher collaboration, students will be dismissed at 10:25 a.m.

Feb. 20

As the winter sports sea— son comes to an end, the start of the spring season begins with its first official tryouts.

—NIKKI ROBINSON

More minority students enroll in IB program Counselors and teachers welcome influx of more diverse IB population

BY DANIELLE NELSON Entertainment Editor

Stepping into IB courses recently, students may have noticed an increase in the number of minority students in the room.

According to a Washington Post article, the number of minority students taking AP and IB exams has gone up over the past two years. The number of hispanic students taking AP tests rose 39 percent to 1,413 students, while the number of African American test-takers went up about 15 percent to 835.

Our school attempts to create interest in the International Baccalaureate program and honors classes among minority students through the use of workshops.

“We get a grant to run a summer program for one week for kids who are coming out of eighth grade into ninth grade,” IB coordinator Lisa Green said.” “We target minority students who have the ability to take honors classes who aren’t signed up for them and invite them to participate to show them honors courses are like.”

The increased number of minority students helps enhance the academic experience of the program by bringing in a variety of cultures into the classroom.

“The ‘I’ part of IB is ‘international,’ so the whole program embraces the idea of global awareness, being part of something that is larger than yourself and your own subgroup,” Green said.

The increased number of minorities taking IB exams also shows there is a large diverse

Inside the

of principal Dan Meier

classes in the county?

Q: for IBSchools around FCPS are trying to encourage A: counselors and teachers to bring in a diverse

Why do you think more minorities are signing up

Q: Q:

group of new students. Their success at this is a good indicator of their skill.

Do you think our population of IB students is representative of our student body as a whole?

Even though the current population is not where we want it, we are happy that it is getting closer all the time.

Have there been any programs or a curriculum change that might have increased the IB program’s accessibility?

We have tried summer programs for minority students and with our encouragement these week-long sessions may have been helpful

A:

A:

Information and photo compiled by Roz Allen.

Graphic designed by Nikki Robinson

group of students who are challenging themselves more in school.

“Students saw their friends taking the classes and saw that it didn’t kill them,” principal Dan Meier said. “It’s good that a diverse group of students are attempting the most rigorous classes. It shouldn’t just be one group of kids that are taking all these hard classes. When you

look in any classroom, it should reflect on the student population.”

Having minorities integrated into IB classes gives students a variety of perspectives on the what they are learning about in the program.

IB coordinator Wendy Vu said, “The more people with different backgrounds, the more enriching the academic experience.”

RoProCo students don pirate, medieval garb for two new plays Student directors show off their skills with two stirring performances

BY HANNAH BUNTING Editorials Editor

Clashing swords meet a beauty contest? It could only be the work of the drama department.

The department puts on two main performances each year: the fall play and the spring musical, which have open auditions. However, the Robinson Production Company, with class enrollment by audition only, unveils a show each year as well.

This year, RoProCo presented “The Very Unmerry Adventures of Robin Hood” and “Pirates of the Amazon: Treasure of Mystery Island.”

The company was started four years ago, so several seniors returned this year for closure, though a majority of the class consists of freshmen.

Senior Sam Hennerty directed “Pirates of the Amazon,” and said her seniority and experience helped her successfully direct her show, with the encouragement of the enthusiastist cast.

“They’re really hardworking and super helpful, and I like mistakes better than nothing, so we’re learning as we go,” Hennerty said.

However, the freshmen were not the only ones learning. Hennerty’s role as director came with some hindrance.

“It’s been weird sometimes because I’m not an actress, so directing acting when I don’t know it has been hard,” Hennerty said.

Freshman Meg Connors co-directed “Pirates of the Amazon” with Hennerty.

It was Connors’ first time directing a show, and there were some challenges accompanying her new role.

“In order to be a director, you really have to stick to what you believe,” Connors said. “Everyone has opinions of how the show should look, but you have to keep your ideas or else it’s not your show.”

Also lending a hand in the class’ efforts is producer Douglas Chip Rome. Rome is the designated teacher of the class, but he describes his role differ-

Photos reprinted with permission from Frank Ruth 1. Patrick Johnson dresses up as a girl while playing little John in a beauty contest during ‘Robin Hood.’

2.Jessica Israel played the main character Robin Hood in the production.

3. Two Merry Men pick up a box of axes and carry them off.

ently.

“I catch details and provide suggestions, but the broad strokes are done by students,” Rome said. “I can halt a production or motivate it, but the students do the rest.”

Rome said the show was pitched as a children’s play because the community is always hungry for that genre. However, the material was chosen be-

cause high school students could enjoy it as well.

Senior Lizzie Hodgdon was the Technical Director of the shows, and spoke fondly of the class itself.

Hodgdon said, “The class energy is so invigorating, it’s a wonderful environment to be in. And it really shows in the final product.”

Editorials Valor Dictus January 26, 2012 Volume 41 Issue 5 Bravely speaking to the Robinson Community 3

Sukriti Adhikari - Editorials Editor

In this section:

Hannah Bunting - Editorials Editor

On page 4 read a proposal for making Senior Chill more fair.

On page 4 read a discussion on counselors’ jobs.

Valor Dictus

How do monthly three hour delays impact you?

ABOUT US Valor Dictus is a student-run newspaper that serves the Robinson community. All bylined articles, editorials, columns and letters are the expression of the writer and not necessarily that of the staff or the adviser. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the staff.

“I don’t want to come to school, it’s pointless” —Cori Frigault, 12 “I love it so much.

I can catch up on my homework and sleep.”

—Rachael Blaz, 12 “It’s helpful because I can sleep. I don’t usually get enough sleep.”

—Kishan Shingala, 11 “It’s good because it gives us time to sleep in and catch up on work” —Logan Murphy, 10 “I can get an extra hour of sleep and still have time to finish work” —Annalise Billings, 9

what the

kids inarethe hall saying Photos and interviews by Stefanie Chae and Betsy Berenback-Gold

ADVERTISEMENT POLICY Email letters to Valor_dictus@yahoo.com.

Acceptance of an ad is not an endorsement of the product or services of the advertisers.

Information concerning policies and advertising can be obtained by calling (703) 426-2285 or emailing Valor_dictus@yahoo.com

Cartoon by Jack Connors

Early releases and delays

ta ke scho o l str e ss a way staff editorial

This year, the administration decided to cut three hours from the start or end of one school day each month.

This change has proven beneficial to both the students and faculty, especially as the busy second semester approaches.

Last year, when teachers’ collaboration periods took place during busy RAISE time, students were often left missing out on the help they needed. Meanwhile, teachers were left cramming these meetings into tiny forty minute blocks.

However, this year’s new policy is nothing short of sweet relief for everyone. It offers teachers much more time to collaborate while also giving students three extra hours to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

Principal Dan Meier said the administration decided to implement this change after they received complaints from students. Many were unhappy they had less time to interact with their teachers during RAISE, and therefore, received less help on assignments. The policy has remedied this problem, and its effectiveness will only become more noticeable as the year progresses.

While helpful to students lacking sleep, the school’s policy also steers clear of interrupting curriculums too extensively. The administration has strategically planned delays and early releases to avoid losing too much school time. For example, the next short day will coincide with the date of the state wrestling tournament, Feb. 17.

As with RAISE itself, the school has implemented a great new policy students and teachers alike enjoy.

Hearty congratulations are overdue to the perpetually underrated administrators behind the policy.

IB must review old course material staff editorial The International Baccalaureate program is frequently praised for providing students with a broad, in-depth education.

However, observing some students in IB classes may cause outsiders to question its effectiveness in teaching more common material.

According to www.ibo.org, the program’s mission is to develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world.

While it certainly meets this mission at our school, the fact there are still students sitting through IB History of the Americas believing Dwight Eisenhower was a Civil War

On page 4 read the recent letters to the editor on last issue.

general in 1810 is mind-blowing, and not in a good way.

In addition, although students are assigned dozens of essays, teachers still must deal with improper comma usage and atrocious spelling.

IB successfully teaches difficult material, but does little to ensure students understand basic material in each of the core classes.

Individual teachers must discover solutions to this problem, considering IB cannot significantly dumb down its material or limit the number of students it admits based on their knowledge, or lack thereof.

To alleviate some general ignorance, teachers can dedicate portions of class to reviewing old material whenever an old subject is reintroduced. This way, those who paid attention

Do you feel the IB program provides students with a well-rounded education?

in the past will receive easy A’s, while those who did not will avoid becoming buried over their heads in new material they cannot understand without prior knowledge.

Some teachers already provide review time during RAISE; if teachers cannot alter their busy curriculums, opening this time up for students can work as well.

Although there may always be some students busy playing Temple Run during class rather than learning their material, others may legitimately need time reviewing old content.

Because grueling IB classes often build new information around old material, that teachers ensure these students have a thorough understanding of all knowledge is more important now, as the second semester commences, than ever before. photos and interviews by Stefanie Chae and Betsy Berenback-Gold

“With writing, yes. With stress, no.”

—Liam Dillon, 12

“No; it isolates everyone else from the IB world. It’s really annoying.”

—Dinma Onyekwere, 12

“It provides a good challenge and good opportunities for out of school.”

—Seth Pulzone, 11

“Yes; it’s a different way of learning and it’s extensive, and prepares you for college. “ —Kelsey Graf, 11

“It pushes you to be smart and go above the standard.”

—Stephanie Cobb, 10

“Yes; you can get into schools around the world.”

—Matthew Yashar, 9

what the

kids in the hall are saying

EDITORIAL POLICY Valor Dictus welcomes student opinion as an open forum. All opinion pieces must be e-mailed to valor_dictus@yahoo.com. Letters or columns must be signed. That is, they must contain a name, and a title All content received by the paper is subject to editing.

Letters must be around 100-200 words.

Guest columns must be 500 words or less.

Valor Dictus reserves the right to withold the publication of letters and guest submissions.

2011-2012 Staff: Editor-In-Chief: Thomas Friestad Production Editor: Shelby Gee Business Managers: Kate Monick Jason Focarino Copy Editor: Faith Schweikert Kids-in-the-Hall Editor: Stefanie Chae Photography Editor: Hailey Metzger Editorials Editors: Sukriti Adhikari Hannah Bunting Focus Editors: Betsy Berenback-Gold Jenny Shin Features Editors: Christine Yumping Anagha Srikanth

Entertainment Editors: Sharon Corish Danielle Nelson News Editors: Nikki Robinson Tim White Sports Editors: Lindsay Webb Chase Bailey Online Editor: Megan Lin Staff Writers: Hiba Ahmad Roz Allen Simran Badwal Jack Connors Ian Criman Bailey Haase Owen Joyce MK Koszycki Mary McGrath Reem Nadeem Nick Runkel Joe White Adviser: Laura Brockman

CORRECTIONS

From December Issue: - Ella Bresson’s name was misspelled, page 1 - Robert Pillow’s name was misspelled, page 16 To submit a letter to the editor, e-mail a signed, 100-200 word letter to valor_dictus@yahoo. com or drop it off in room 503.

Check us out online at www.valor-dictus.com

4

Editorials

Valor Dictus January 26, 2012

creates problems with teachers REEM NADEEM Seniors often lounge around the cafeteria in groups during RAISE. Some have binders, but most sit around and relax before continuing with their busy days. Senior Chill is one of the only legitimate senior privileges left for the class of 2012.

However, students are occasionally kicked out of Senior Chill after the start of the period to go to a class a teacher signed them up for. Administrators make the students, who are usually struggling in a class,

leave the cafeteria, hoping this action will somehow help these students improve their grades.

Senior Chill is supposed to be a privilege given to students because of their grade level, not because of their grade achievements.

The goal of kicking students out of Chill is fair; it is important for seniors to maintain decent grades. However, the method used is unrealistic, and embarrassing students in front of their peers will not accomplish anything.

If a student knows they are not up to par in a certain class, it should be his or her responsibility to use the time given.

Teachers are also responsible for helping students raise their grades by staying in touch with them. They must make sure students know where they are supposed to be if something is arranged during the RAISE period.

While teachers do have a lot of students to keep track of, they should focus their at-

Counselors ‘Speak out loud’

“The only reason we do this job is because of the kids.

You have the opportunity to provide students with a sense of hope, like a light at the end of the tunnel. I love what I do; it’s crazy, and exhausting but so rewarding.”

— Kirsten Wiley “Our job is to help students succeed in school and in life, and [to do that] they need to come see us. Counselors do it differently, but it’s best to leave a note or send an email.”

—Jim Carter “My goal as a counselor is to meet need of students and the Robinson community. We [counselors] help students transition from grade to grade. We try to be very approachable and we have a busy role as other staff; we are busy working with students from all four grades.”

— Desiree Cave

tention on the ones who are failing, or close to doing so.

Students who are in Senior Chill struggling in a certain class are more likely to be reluctant to try and do work they do not understand, especially if the student has a pre-conceived notion they will not do well in that subject.

Teachers should make sure to encourage struggling students to help improve morale, which in turn can affect overall performance and productivity during Chill.

Depending on administrators to make students leave the cafeteria during RAISE is not an effective way to help students succeed.

This only makes students resent the subject they cannot do well in, whereas if teachers effectively talked to students and planned out sessions for remediation, students would likely boost their grades withPhoto Illustration by Hailey Metzger out being put on the spot in front of hun- Brian Nelson aids a student, letting her know beforehand dreds of peers. she is signed up for a class date with him during RAISE.

Counselors: COUNSELOR effective or CLASH underused?

Counselors must initiate contact Student apathy inhibits communication

BY HIBA AHMAD Staff Writer The four years of high school are some of the most important years of a student’s life, academically and socially. Along with these years comes an abundance of teachers, grades, friendships and stress. Occasionally, students are faced with difficulties and they need help from an adult, specifically a counselor.

Students are encouraged to meet with their counselors a few times a year, but the reality is, most students only go to their counselors when they either want to switch out of a class or get help with college applications.

Knowing most students will not go out of their way to meet with them, designated counselors should meet with their students more often. This would help develop relationships which could help students stay organized and on track

with classes, extracurricular activities and problems unrelated to school.

Sometimes, just having an office door open is not enough of an incentive for students.

If counselors could meet with small groups of their students at least twice a quarter, both the students and the counselors could benefit from their time together.

Some people may argue counselors do a good job communicating with their students by sending out emails that encourage students to come by and introduce themselves. They may also say students need to take the initiative to develop relationships with their counselors.

However true this may be, most students may not know the benefits of getting to know their counselor. Counselors holding regular meetings throughout the year could help educate the students of what opportunities

BY MK KOSZYCKI Staff Writer

Halfway through my sophomore year, I started failing chemistry.

My parents found out, hired a tutor and hoped my grade would improve. Despite lots of instruction, my grade did not improve.

Next in the plan of action was contacting my counselor. I sent him emails, which initially garnered no response. One day, I decided to stop by his office and explain the situation. We set up a meeting after school to come up with a solution to the chemistry problem. After the problem was solved, my counselor knew exactly who I was, which was an unintended but helpful result of my initial efforts of contact.

Students often complain their counselors do not know their names or they have a problem but cannot get in contact with their counselor. I ask them what they have done as far as contact goes; often, they inform me they

stopped by their counselor’s office after school or sent an email along the lines of “hi I need to talk to you thanks.” Counselors have other responsibilities aside from sitting in their offices, on hand to answer questions at all hours.

The responsibility of the counselor to advise students goes hand in hand with the responsibility of the student to establish a positive rapport with them. Students have no room to complain about the absence of their counselor if their contact with them is almost nonexistent or solely virtual.

It can only help to be persistent when trying to get in contact with a counselor. Remember, although their priority is assisting students, there are 150 of them who need help from this counselor as well. Rest assured your counselor will appreciate your effort and patience, and will be more than happy to provide help whenever necessary.

Who knows: they might even remember your name this time.

Letters to the editor Students share their opinions on the Dec. 21 issue

Operation Beauty

I am writing in response to the December 21 article titled, “Operation Beauty shines light on makeup-free image.” This is a great idea in general. The only fault was there was little enthusiasm behind it and it was not promoted very well. So, not many people heard about it.

I happened to know about the event because I stumbled upon a paper on the wall advertising it. Nearby, two girls saw the paper, and one asked the other if she was going to participate in the event. The other girl laughed and said no pretty quickly. I am sure if there were more promotions about the ‘No Makeup Mondays,’ more girls would have taken the event more seriously.

I do not wear makeup normally and I am comfortable in my own skin. However, I think other girls need to try not wearing makeup as well. If they can hear positive things from others, they might be more comfortable with themselves and not feel the need to hide behind makeup and other products.

Overall, these days were a great idea. It would be nice if girls could feel more confident and happy with themselves. Plus, it would be nice to walk into the bathroom and not push through a large group of girls crowding around the one available mirror.

— NAOMI SPROULE, 10

Discuss all religions I am writing in response to the Wednesday,

December 21 article titled, “All religions deserve discussion.” In such a large school with a variety of students, religion and culture awareness should be emphasized and brought to the spotlight. As stated in the article, it is obvious our school has a stronger focal point on Christmas, due to a larger population of Christians and Catholics. The advertising world alone greatly favors Christmas in the media, yet there are students who have never heard of Rosh Hashanah or Passover. Students should take advantage of the diversity in such a large student body and learn about different holidays during the season.

During the holiday seasons, history teachers of every grade should dedicate at least five to ten minutes to reviewing religious holidays in their lesson plan, discussing each religion’s background and its beliefs. The IB world religion class should take action as well in spreading knowledge to their peers. The class should help organize an event with the SGA, open to all students filled with different activities such as speaker presentations, related games and discussion of each religion after school or during RAISE. The better we have an understanding of each other, the less ignorant we will be in the world.

—MICHELE CORREDOR, 10

Discuss all religions

What a pleasure it was to read Michaela Wright’s defense of open discussion about religions! I wanted to provide one note of correction, however. Ms. Wright states “the school offers courses such as IB world religions; however the class is an IB elective and only attracts a certain kind of student.” This is not true! At the moment, there are 86 students taking IB World Religions.

Approximately 35 of them have never taken an IB course before, but were willing to sign up for the class. Many students have IEP’s or 504 plans to support their learning. These clearly do not prevent any of them from being expressive and engaged. Many, if not most students, are in various stages of learning how to engage an IB world view of internationalism.

IB World Religions is open to all students, regardless of perceived or real academic level. If you are genuinely curious about the topic, then sign up, regardless of your grade point average.

I invite all students to come and visit IB World Religions, to see that there is not “a certain kind of student” in the classes. Our understanding of global matters is profound, and our willingness to confront the real issues raised around religions other than Christianity is vibrant!

— DR. JAYNE OSGOOD, IB WORLD RELIGIONS TEACHER

Smiling for cameras I am writing in response to the December 21 article titled, “Smile for the cameras.” T The board’s decision could be both agreed and disagreed on.

Security cameras should be used at school, but only where they are absolutely necessary.

Necessary places would include the lunch lines to prevent students from stealing food and outside to prevent trespassers who may interfere with the safety of students. Irrelevant places to put cameras would be in the cafeterias or locker areas. Teachers already supervise students at lunch while they eat and, if cameras are placed in too many places, it could cause the school to seem like less of a school and more of a prison.

Mr. Meier’s decision about the cameras is not completely known at the moment, but if we get extra cameras at our school, hopefully they will only be used where they are actually needed, and for valid reasons.

—WILL JACKSON, 10

To submit a letter to the editor, e-mail a signed, 100-200 word letter to valor_dictus@yahoo. com or bring it to room 503.

Features

Valor Dictus January 26, 2012 Volume 41 Issue 5 Bravely speaking to the Robinson Community 5

Anagha Srikanth - Features Editor

In this section:

Christine Yumping - Features Editor

On page 5 read about the use of the building across from school.

On page 6 read a thorough review of the restaurant Sushi Jin.

On page 6 read about how school policies have changed the past 10 years.

Providing salvation from ‘ruff’ lives Families open their homes to canine survivors of abusive owners, natural disasters and cramped animal shelters

BY JENNY SHIN & CHRISTINE YUMPING Focus Editor & Features Editor Money can be a barrier to many things, such as pets, but several students have discovered an inexpensive, yet rewarding method of adopting a dog.

There are various methods of adoption, such as from an animal shelter or through a private agreement. Senior Sarah Walden adopted her dog from the Fairfax County Animal Shelter when she was a child and said she fell in love with her not long after.

“It’s a fairly simple process,” Walden said. “[Adoption] is cheaper and it feels good to be able to give a dog a home from the pound.”

Senior Karina Bayless’ family currently owns two black Labrador Retrievers they rescued in 2009. She said they chose adoption because they wanted to provide a better life and home for a dog.

“It is a great thing to do, giving these animals a better life and taking care of them when someone else wasn’t able to anymore,” Bayless said.

Bayless’ dog, Maya, came from a family who could not take care of her anymore. Because she came from the

mountains, the family had to treat her for lime disease and ticks. Bayless’ sister’s dog, Shadow, came from New Orleans as a survivor of Hurricane Katrina. It took a while for her to get accustomed to her new home, starting with learning not to jump whenever someone sneezed.

“Shadow was very skittish when

“

It’s a great thing to do, giving these animals a better life and taking care of them when someone else wasn’t able to anymore.

Senior

Karina

Bayless

”

we got her,” Bayless said. “She grew to be more comfortable with different things over time.”

Senior Dayton Landew’s half German Shepherd, half Grey Wolf, Leda, was similarly skittish and cautious of other people. Because she had been

a stray dog and her previous owners abused her, she was not used to being around people and afraid. Nonetheless, Landew’s family found something unique in Leda.

“At first, we were thinking about just buying a dog,” Landew said. “But we found something so different about her; she had a unique personality and intelligence. Even though she was afraid, she bonded quickly with our family and our other dog.”

Bayless said adopted dogs are unique and different from bought pets because of the previous life the dog may have had, which in many occurrences are dreadful. Therefore, as an owner, taking care of adopted dogs is a special experience.

“We have to remember they had a previous life and other experiences,” Bayless said. “You have to be patient with them because they are used to a different lifestyle and different expectations.”

Landew, Bayless and Walden said they all strongly advise adoption, not only because it is less expensive, but because doing so provides a home for a dog that may not be taken on otherwise.

“It’s better to give a dog a home that’s just sitting in the pound,” Walden said. “Otherwise, the dogs may not even be able to live.”

“Wait, who’s your daddy again?”

BY SIMRAN BADWAL & ROZ ALLEN Staff Writers A walk in Mary or Joe Meier’s shoes involves more than may meet the eye. Being the children of Principal Dan Meier creates a unique school environment for the two siblings.

“People will come up to me and ask, ‘isn’t it weird being the principal’s daughter?’ junior Mary Meier said. “It just gets old, but I always answer in a positive way.”

Many students have asked Mary and senior Joe Meier about how it feels having their dad as the principal of the school.

“I treat my children the same as I would if they were at school.

All the students here are like one of my own,” said Dan Meier.

Since Dan Meier is able to see his kids all day at school, he has become a convenient figure when his children need money

or papers signed for their classes. Both Mary and Joe said they love having their dad as a principal because he is fun to talk to, and they love seeing the family around school.

“When I was offered this job, I sat down with my family and told them I would only accept this job if my children agreed to come to this school,” Dan Meier said.

Meier said his job takes up so much of his time, with meetings to attend and late nights to work in his office, he would rarely be able to see his children if they attended a different school. However, by serving as principal at his children’s school, he can be a father and a principal at the same time.

Dan Meier said there are a few drawbacks to being the principal’s children because other students and teachers expect them to behave and achieve high grades.

In addition, if they do get good grades, or make a sports team, then people might think it is only because they are the principal’s children.

“It’s like I’m put under a microscope, just one little mistake would be blowing out of proportion,” Joe Meier said.

Joe and Mary said there are some benefits being the principal’s child and most of the time being the principal’s child can also be an enjoyable exPhoto by Roz Allen perience.

Photo reprinted with permission from Dayton Landew Lost and found­— Senior Dayon Landew smiles with his adopted dog, Leda. “It’s good to give a stray dog a home, especially she has battled abuse and aggression issues,” Landew said. “We’re grateful to have her in our family.”

Mystery building demystified The building across the street has aided the school and county behind the scenes

BY STEFANIE CHAE & MARY MCGRATH Staff Writers

For years, students have always wondered about the building across the street from the school. It is within the school grounds, but few have discovered what it is actually used for.

Sideburn Support Center was built 40 years ago as a food and book storage warehouse, but is currently an office building for all maintenance workers in the county. They check into the office every day so supervisors can assign them a daily job in different parts of the county.

The inside of the building appears office-like, while the back looks more like a warehouse, with different equipment and trucks for workers. The faculty in this building takes care of all FCPS facilities.

There are over 200 similar buildings for maintenance in the county, which the maintenance organization of approximately 468 people help run. They have four other buildings, called satellites, in Edison High School, a leased space in Herndon, Woodson High School and the North East satel-

lite; these run independently and are responsible for the Tyson’s Corner area.

“It helps that they are right across the street and with the recent flood in the middle school, it was helpful for them to be that close,” administrative principal Bill Evers said.

Sideburn Support Center was built across the street because the land was available.

The building has a staff development program, so the building also features a training room. Officials train all new custodians preparing to work at Fairfax County schools.

Steve Vollmer, director of facilities management, said, “When Robinson has maintenance needs, we can respond very quickly.”

Photo by Stefanie Chae

6

Features

Valor Dictus January 26, 2012 Ram Rating:

Get it again!

Average

Trash it

Shrimp Tempura Rating:

Environment

Sushi Jin Location: 5624 Ox Road Fairfax, VA 22039 Hours: Mon. 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Tues-Thurs: 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Fri-Sat: 12 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Sun: 12 p.m. - 9 p.m.

We sampled numerous dishes at Sushi Jin located in the Fairfax Station Shopping Center. This restaurant specializes in Japanese cuisine.

Read on to learn what to order and what to avoid.

Rating:

This dish can either be shared as an appetizer or eaten as a meal for one. The warm fried shrimp is crispy and is best when dipped in the tempura soy sauce. This dish also features fried and battered sweet potato and zucchini, all sharing similar crispy and soft textures, but varying in taste.

Price: $6.50

Sushi Jin is a typically small and quaint restaurant in the Fairfax Station Shopping Center, only a few minutes away from the school. The surrounding environment of the restaurant is quiet and calming. Sushi Jin has a relatively quiet atmosphere after school hours. It is a great place to grab lunch with a group of friends, or even have dinner with the family.

Service:

Spicy Tuna Roll

Rating:

It is hard to find a spicy tuna roll which is the perfect level of spicy, but Sushi Jin hits the mark perfectly. The roll is a great flavorful and fresh mix of tuna, spicy mayo and seaweed flavor with some crunch to it. Beware, the sushi is hand rolled here, so the rolls will sometimes fall apart with the chopsticks.

Price: $4.50

Beef Bento Box

Rating:

Right when you walk into the door, the host is welcoming in seating a group of people. The server gave us ample time in deciding what to order, while being able to answer any questions we had about the menu.

The server was very friendly and the food came out after a reasonable amount of time. In addition, all the orders came out accurately.

Rating:

Starting off with a light salad under a delicious orange flavored dressing, this dish’s first impressions do not disappoint.

It also contains California rolls which can be dipped in soy sauce, as well as a fried sweet potato and cucumber slices. The actual beef has a satisfying flavor, although it is extremely chewy and hard to swallow.

Price: $12.00

Graphic by Anagha Srikanth Photos and information compiled by Christine Yumping and Jenny Shin

Then&Now: how we’ve changed IAN CRIMAN Staff Writer

School security has always been a chief concern for administrators, and many policies have been changed over the years. For instance, principal Dan Meier said, in the early days in our school’s history, there were smoking stations for students of age located outside the school.

“Back in the day, it was a pretty wild place,” Meier said. “It was a different culture, a very different time period.”

Our school used to have three different subschools before renovation. In the 1990’s, students had seven classes every day; block scheduling is relatively new. Students did not have cell phones, and it was a lot harder to find information for papers. “Computers were not available to our school until the late 90s,” English 12 teacher Katy Kownacki said. Kownacki attended the school as a student.

Government teacher David Hemenway said all of the lockers in the locker bays are original lockers from 1971, just repainted.

Several days before Thanksgiving of 2002, right after the Beltway Sniper attacks, a student sent a text message saying there would be a school shooting at our school the next day. Meier said the school was subsequently locked down, and there were armored cars and a SWAT team outside.

Police officers roamed the hallways with assault rifles, and security was tightened dramatically.

“The whole situation amounted to nothing, no serious incident happened,” Meier said.

Yearbook Advisor Patricia Hinman said she has never felt uncomfortable at our school, but likes the fact the security is better nowadays.

“I really like how things have changed; even though it does not feel as relaxed, I think teachers generally feel good because they are not the only ones in charge, knowing there are other people in charge as well,” Hinman said. “I think people had a different mindset than they do now; students had a lot more freedom before, but it was just a different time period and people thought differently.”

Ten years ago, students were also allowed to

Before ­— Flags from different countries hung from the ceiling in the main halllway. The hallways were bare for many years after they were taken down in 2005.

2003 2012 After ­— With the flags taken down,

the ceilings are empty but the walls have been painted with colorful murals displaying school spirit. The main hallway is one of the most visible examples of the how different the school is today.

Photo by Nick Runkel

eat wherever they wanted around the school, due to overcrowding. Meier said there were about 500 more students when he first became a principal, than there are now.

“We had two high school lunches back then, so we added a third one so there would be enough room,” Meier said.

Head of security Sandra Corbin said the reason students were made to eat lunch was taken away was because of a custodial issue.

“Meier warned students to clean up after themselves,” Corbin said. “It took hours for the custodial staff to clean up after the students, and he slowly started closing areas off in the school.

Meier kept warning students to clean up after themselves, and slowly but surely, areas were closed off throughout the school.”

The last area to be closed off for good was the school exterior. The seniors of the class of 2004 wanted the lunch outside to be a senior privilege.

Photo by Roz Allen

Meier gave it to them, telling them to clean up after they went. Corbin said, because they did not, Meier removed the privilege for good.

Hemenway said he believes our school’s tradition has carried on through the years.

Hemenway said, “The appearance of Robinson has changed a lot since I first started teaching in 1981, but I believe the tradition and values of the school have remained the same.”

Valor Dictus January 26, 2012

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Focus

Valor Dictus January 26, 2012

BY ANAGHA SRIKANTH Features Editor

Photo by Hailey Metzger

In a few months, junior Rexford Boatong, or Rex, will be able to read this article with his eyes. Being born blind, this means everything to him. The opportunity to receive a corneal transplant surgery to restore his vision is the reason he left his mother and five stepsiblings in Ghana to join his father here a year ago.

When the doctors told Boatong there was a possibility for him to regain his sight, he decided to take the chance. “[My father and I] just had the idea that I would see or not,” Boatong said. “That was it.”

Three months ago, doctors operated on his left eye, which is gradually beginning to regain vi-

Valor Dictus January 26, 2012

9

sion. At the end of this school year, he will have the second surgery to fully restore his eye sight. Right now, Boatong can make out colors and shapes, but he said he looks forward to being able to identify people.

These are small steps for now, but Boatong has always thought big. A devout Presbyterian, he sings in his church choir and finds strength in both his faith and music. He said he is contemplating becoming a teacher, but wherever he goes in the future, music will remain a huge part of his life.

Boatong said, “After the second surgery happens, the miracles are going to continue.”

— ANAGHA SRIKANTH

Information from www.nlm.nih.gov Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

Information compiled by Betsy Berenback-Gold and Anagha Srikanth Page and graphics by Betsy Berenback-Gold and Jenny Shin

10

Valor Dictus January 26, 2012

UNI CHIC SALON We love Robinson School!

Come and get your hair updo’s for prom!

20% off all services with student ID!

9549 Braddock Road Fairfax Station, Virginia (703)-978-3406

Entertainment Valor Dictus January 26, 2012 Volume 41 Issue 5 Bravely speaking to the Robinson Community 11

Danielle Nelson - Entertainment Editor

Sharon Corish - Entertainment Editor

Remaking

On page 12 read a review of ‘Red Tails.’

On page 13 read about Droid viruses to look out for.

Hollywood

Film fanatics butt heads over a prominent filmmaking trend.

3-Dimensional Movies

The added excitement and thrill of

In this section:

can ruin the movie’s classic appeal.

BY HAILEY METZGER Photo Editor

BY FAITH SCHWEIKERT Copy Editor

New innovations in technology give viewers the opportunity to feel like a part of the action while watching a 3-D movie.

In 3-D, the fight scenes are intensified, the romantic scenes are more dramatic and the overall movie quality is taken to the next level.

2-D movies can still be interesting, but adding 3-D takes a movie from good to great, giving viewers a more interactive experience.

3-D movies are exciting and enticing, which can draw more of an audience than normal 2-D movies. They have given a new view on entertainment, even though the ticket does cost more. Tickets costing more can raise the amount of money the box office gets though, which can produce better movies in the long run.

In addition, while watching a 3-D movie, the black glasses give viewers a more enjoyable time, as they create funny jokes or can be used afterwards. The glasses are free, and can be recycled afterwards as well, which is a great eco-friendly bonus.

3-D movie directors are geniuses in knowing what appeals to the audience, they specifically add scenes which will interest viewers and attract more people to come, in their added dimension.

Another new phenomenon is the re-releasing of old classics, such as “Lion King” or “Titanic,” which will draw more attention to the dramatic scenes in the movies. People who loved the originals are more likely to go see them in 3-D, as the newer one takes the love of the movie to a whole new level.

To keep the audiences coming, 3-D movies draw in more viewers and are the future in the entertainment. 3-D movies are the way of the future, so if you are not a fan, you may as well become one, because everyone else around you will still want to see movies as they are released at theaters near you.

Though some may argue 3-D effects allow viewers to become more engrossed in the film, others feel it diminishes the quality of the finished product. If the film is engaging enough to begin with, the filmmakers should not have to add the additional 3-D element to keep the general audience entertained.

An ordinary 2-D film has the ability to make viewers totally and completely absorbed in it; they are able to be thought-provoking, funny, actionpacked and emotional without having something jump out towards the audience. So this leads to the question: why are there 3-D movies in the first place?

They continue to pop up at the box office because the films bring in money. 3-D, though pricey to produce, can bring in millions of additional profit because the ticket prices are more expensive.

“Lion King” and “Titanic” are two classics that did not need to be redone.

They were perfect to begin with, so the additional element of 3-D just distracts from the original specialness the films offered viewers when they saw them years ago. To see a new 3-D film is bad enough, but viewing a movie which came out years ago remade in 3-D is even worse. One should want to go to the theater to view the movie because of its content, not because it is in 3-D. People are paying more to see the same movie, the only difference being the viewer is more distracted from the overall plot and is focusing instead on its effects.

Watching a 3-D film can also be exhausting. One’s eyes are trying to focus on too many images at once while still trying to follow the storyline.

Movies are supposed to be an escape to just watch and listen, not to strain both the eyes and mind.

Think about this the next time a friend suggests the latest 3-D film: let the terrible trend die already.

Artwork and infographic by Sharon Corish.

‘My passion is...’

Take a look at the unique talents students enjoy in their free time

That’s a Wrap!

Jimmy Case

Junior Jimmy Case is involved with film-making. He likes studying filmmaking, creating scripts, recording and editing videos. He has been doing filmmaking for three years, and actually taught himself what he knows.

He created such GMR clips as the ‘Senior Happy Days,’ ‘Orchestra,’ and ‘Nerds on Computers’ clips.

Case’s favorite part of the film-making process is editing. He also really likes film-making because it is fun and different from other hobbies.

Senior Mariah Neston has a knack for pastries. She loves to bake and cook different concoctions, and attends the Chantilly Academy for cooking classes for half the school day. She hopes to attend the Culinary Institute of America to improve her cooking skills.

Neston’s favorite part of her hobby is knowing she created something by herself and then getting to eat it. She also loves the feeling that, if she just follows the directions exactly, her finished product can be perfect, and she loves seeing people eat what she made.

Neston has loved baking since she was in fourth grade. She won second in district for commercial baking and is top ten in the state for commerical baking.

She also won a small cake contest in seventh grade.

Tasty Treats Mariah Neston

Helping Hands Sarah Ostertag

Junior Sarah Ostertag devotes her time to the greater good by volunteering with organizations such as GIVE tutoring, Chantilly Mews, Child’s Joy and her church youth group. She usually volunteers at least once a week.

Ostertag’s favorite part of volunteering is feeling good about what she is doing, and having everyone thank her for her service at the end.

Ostertag hopes to continue doing all the volunteer work she is currently doing, and that, when she is older, she will be able to do something to make a bigger impact, although she said it is good to help make a difference, no matter what size.

Senior Rachel Markovich plays the ukulele. She got the ukulele as a Christmas present, and soon discovered how much she liked it. She loves the portability of her ukulele and the relaxing Hawaiian sound it produces.

She likes to accompany her ukulele playing with piano music while she teaches piano lessons.

Markovich’s favorite part of playing the ukulele is the fact not many other students play the instrument. She loves playing songs on her ukulele for her friends and family.

tals Exotic Instrumen ch Rachel Markovi

Programming Wiz Ian Doten

Senior Ian Doten enjoys working with software and computer programming. He primarily uses computers for gaming and programming. Doten also runs a server 24/7 for Minecraft and programs his own games. He likes playing Role Playing Games (RPGs) and puzzle platformers, and is currently working with a group to program a Puzzle Platformer of his own.

Doten said bulding computers is a matter of being a savvy buyer and having the dexterity to buy the parts and make sure everything is compatible.

Jewels to Paper Katiana Allem

Senior Katiana Allem spends her free time making jewelry and scrapbooking. She discovered scrapbooking from her mom, who made a Baby Book scrapbook for her. She wants to make scrapbooks for her children some day as well. Her favorite part of jewelry and scrapbooking is combining colors, since she loves bright colors. She has been making jewelry and doing scrapbooking since her freshman year.

Allem loves giving her handmade jewelry to her friends and family, and loves the feeling of accomplishment when she finishes a scrapbooking project.

Senior Brenna Dolan enjoys being a part of the fashion world. She participated in the DECA Fashion Show as a show director, and is a blog editor for cashmiertweet.com. She is currently working on the blog’s Hallway Style Campaign to showcase students’ high school fashion, which she hopes will become international. Her favorite part of fashion is how it reflects history and culture, and the different impacts it has on everyone. She also appreciates how peoples’ opinions affect how they dress.

Dolan is not only a fashion show director and a blog editor; she also graduated from a modeling school in sixth grade.

Strut Your Stuff Brenna Dolan

For more information on student hobbies and activites, check out the Robinson Entertainer of the Week online at valor-dictus.com!

Information compiled by Sharon Corish, infographic and artwork by Sharon Corish and Shelby Gee.

12 ‘Red Tails’ fails to take flight on screen Valor Dictus January 26, 2012

JACK CONNORS

Entertainment

Viewers Tune In

Staff Writer

“To the last man, to the last bullet, to the last minute, we fight!” Cuba Gooding, Jr. enthusiastically declares in “Red Tails,” the latest production of LucasFilm Limited, director George Lucas’s personal company. And indeed, to the last minute, the urge to roll eyes was fought with a fury that would impress General Patton himself.

“Red Tails” is the mostly factual recant of the Tuskegee Airmen’s exploits during WWII, notable for their AfricanAmerican heritage in a segregated US military, as well as their uncanny skill. The film follows a group of Tuskegee pilots, most prominently Joe “Lightning” Little (David Oyelowo), Martin “Easy” Julian (Nate Parker), Major Emmanuel Stance (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) and Colonel A.J. Bullard (Terrence Howard). The plot is incredibly simple to follow, dancing between an inspirational story about overcoming racism and a grade B war movie, ignoring the moral debates about racism in a war against white supremacists, as well as completely brushing aside any questioning of the segregation that led to the Airmen’s inception.

While Gooding, Jr. and Howard play their characters as best as the script allows, the rest of the cast flounders miserably, pandering to racial and military stereotypes that define their characters. Many are struck with predictable roles, remaining one-dimensional. Even Howard’s character suffers from “movie military officer syndrome,” giving inspirational speeches at the drop of a hat. The script seems to suffer most when the CGI is full-blast, leading to forgettable sound bites from minor characters. However, this is not constrained to sound bites. The white pilots take 180 degree turns from being die-hard racists to welcoming the Tuskegee Airmen with open arms in the blink of an eye. While this is given a half-hearted explanation, it leaves doubt over whether Lucas meant to portray the Airmen’s plight accurately or light-heartedly.

The special effects, as in most LucasFilms productions, are a comfortable crutch to be leaned on whenever needed.

Aerial combat scenes in the movie bring to mind “Star Wars,” from the dramatic dogfights to the on-ground explosions, complete with grey-suited fascists leaping around for little apparent reason. They manage to distract from the stale dialogue and crummy acting, but only for a short period of time.

Screaming at the voices — ­ Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) yells at the voice constantly narrating every action of his life.

‘Stranger’ remains a great RomCom

BY STEPHANIE COBB Staff Writer Monotonous. This is the best adjective to describe IRS Agent Harold Crick (Will Ferrell), who leads a meticulous life incorporating counting into his daily routine in “Stranger than Fiction.” One day, he hears the accented voice of a woman narrating his every move. Shocked, Crick is horrified to learn the actions she predicts him to take come true. Since he fears for his sanity, Mr. Crick consults Professor Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman), who attempts to help him discover the cause of the voice. To make matters worse, Mr. Crick’s world is turned up-

‘The Office’ Photo courtesy of allmoviephoto.com Sitting in the cockpit — ­ raving for battle, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen prepares himself for the challenges of WWII.

For those needing a Lucas fix or desiring to see AfricanAmerican pilots save the day, Lando Calrissian does the task more admirably than the “Red Tails.” Moviegoers would be much better off spending their nine dollars on the well-done Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some sequences of war and violence Run-Time:

125 minutes

side down when he begins to fall in love with baker Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who purposefully withholds money from the IRS. In a parallel plot, tortured author, Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson), works on her new book, starring a character coincidentally named Howard Crick. Mr. Crick tries to overcome the looming uncertainty of the woman’s voice and the forbidden feelings he develops for Ms. Pascal.

The acting in the movie primarily revolves around the specific actors. Will Ferrell is particularly expressive, but his previous comedy-based work, such as “Elf” and “The Office,” makes it difficult to take him seriously during deep emotional moments. Gyllenhaal brings the movie down, playing fiery Ms. Pascal. Gyllenhaal fails to express any emotion when she is not displaying strong emotion. At one point, Mr. Crick apologizes to Ms. Pascal and she simply nods and looks down, saying she accepts his apology in a sort of bored, emotionless tone. This makes her character appear unbelievable.

The story moves fairly quickly with the main conflict between Mr. Crick and the mysterious voice revealed minutes into the film. The introduction is quite lengthy, as Mr. Crick tries to ignore the voice for about ten minutes. Following this, the pace picks up relatively quickly, with Mr. Crick encountering Ms. Pascal outside of his job.

The movie has a bit of everything in it, making it a perfect choice for a Valentine’s Day couple. The jokes in the film are based primarily on sarcastic tone and adult themes. For example, when Crick stares at Ms. Pascal’s breast, she blatantly asks if he is staring at her breasts, using rather colorful language. However, the movie appeals to both men and women.

The comedy lightens the heavy plot, appealing to men, while as the movie progresses, more romantic sides of the movie appear, appealing to women.

Camera angles are creative in this movie. The director uses a lot of cutting from face to face when an emotional moment or conflict comes up. Hearing the voice for the first time, Crick brushes his teeth with the camera going back and forth between his reflection and close-up of his face. However, the angles are repetitive since three angles are primarily used: sideway, looking down, and face close-up.

The storyline itself was well-written. It takes a twist on the typical plot line of a man overcoming obstacles, but instead of having a smooth resolution, Crick must face more trials. The film has spectacular scriptwriting with the writers throwing in a few humorous lines to lighten up the seriousness of the story. For example, when Mr. Crick’s actions are narrated, she mentions “a fresh batch of mucus” to lighten up a serious phone call.

In conclusion, the movie takes a modern twist on a typical love story, adding comedy, drama and action. The film has a few flat actors, but overall, the film is great for couples who want to watch a hilarious love story.

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some disturbing images, sexuality, brief language and nudity Run-Time:

113 minutes

It is easy to stop watching a beloved show just because one character has departed. On “The Office,” the beloved character of Michael Scott, played by Steve Carrell, left the show after clearly starring as the show’s main character for years.

Without him, the show initially felt empty. That was until Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) stepped up and took reign of the main comedic element.

At this point, the show became worth tuning in for, and the feeling of emptiness that Scott’s absence initially brought soon disappeared. This season of “The Office” is, in some ways, a vast improvement to previous ones that included Carrell. It allows the other characters in the office, such as Andrew Bernard (Ed Helms) and Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper), to have stories of their own and to bring quality comedy that only Scott used to bring. Scott’s departure will always have the obvious negative effects, but “The Office” has done a superb job of maintaining its overall charm and comedy.

‘The Vampire Diaries’ This year’s new season of “The Vampire Diaries” has only reinforced the reason why this show is able to stand out in a sea of paranormal romance. The series, which takes the generic elements of a human girl stuck between her love of two vampires, has broken a boundary with its most recent season, and no one is complaining. “The Vampire Diaries” has snapped the paranormal romance audience back into reality; vampires kill people, and that can make it kind of hard for someone to love them. The third season shows the world what it is like when the dashing vampire, who was always supposed to love the heroine, goes rotten. This season has revealed that no one is always good, and that evil is so easy to act on; there is no such thing as a perfect person, especially a person who feeds on humans. This new season of “The Vampire Diaries” brings an edgy flare that challenges the normal boundaries of the paranormal romance genre.

Reviews By Jason Focarino and Kate Monick Photos courtesy of the CW and NBC Artwork by Sharon Corish

Entertainment

‘Hi, you’ve just won $10,000!’

The Android Market is popular for smartphone apps, but because it does not have an application registration process, anyone can put anything into the market.

13

Valor Dictus January 26, 2012

Jiffy Lube alive again

Country fans embrace removal of tailgating ban with ‘yeehaw’

BY CHASE BAILEY Virus problems: Sports Editor -sends mass text messages to the phone owner’s entire contact list Jiffy Lube Live and Live Nation have lifted spirits, as well as their ban on tailgating, which -uses the internet to give away the phone owner’s information

Top most wanted viruses: - ‘fake bank application’ - ‘GG Tracker’ - ‘Android.Bgserv’ - ‘DroidKungFu’ How they affect your phone: -they are diguised in popular applications -‘fake bank application’ is disguised as blanking application and is used to obtain user’s bank account information -‘GG Tracker’ disguises itself as a mobile web version of the Android Market and causes the user to download rouge applications, charging the user up to $40 per SMS message -‘DroidKungFu’ is very difficult to detect, and waits until many people have downloaded them to release updates to the application containing the virus

they enforced at concerts and events last year.

The unhappiness of Live Nation patrons and fans greatly influenced the decision to lift the ban on tailgating.

Earlier this month, in a Jan. 4 Washington Post article by Chris Richards, Jiffy Lube Live released the announcement. This was also made apparent through the celebrations on the Facebook group, “Boycott Jiffy Lube Live tailgating policy”.

Live Nation’s press release earlier this month, proclaiming grills will be permitted within the confines of the parking lot, but open alcoholic beverages will remain banned. Along with these

guidelines, Live Nation stated tailgating will end twenty minutes after the advertised show time.

The release said Jiffy Lube Live wants a safe environment in the parking lot, and the strict enforcement of underage drinking will assist in regards to this goal.

Junior Nick Priftis said, with the lifting of the ban, the McDonald’s WMZQ Fest, held every year at Jiffy Lube Live, will be much more fun and exciting.

“Last year, I went with a group of people and we had to go right in,” Priftis said. “It would have been a lot more enjoyable if they let people tailgate, which is why the allowance of tailgating is stirring.”

Senior Dan Cochrane said students also plan on utilizing the new guidelines during the McDonald’s WMZQ Fest.

“Now that we are allowed to tailgate, me and a couple of others plan on bringing a grill and making a day out of WMZQ Fest,” Cochrane said.

Cochrane said the conclusion of tailgating twenty minutes after the advertised show time is not very disappointing.

Cochrane said, “As long as tailgating is allowed, then it shouldn’t be a big deal; the allowance of tailgating will be appreciated by a lot of people when summer comes around.”

Ways to protect your phone: -download virus protection software from the Android Market -be careful when picking software; some viruses are disguised as virus protection -‘Lookout Mobile’ provides two week free trial of protection -Do not download apps requesting permission to monitor or access to personal information **Disclaimer: you did not actually win $10,000.

Information compiled by Joe White, infographic by Sharon Corish.

In review

Across 3. The last name of the famous director of “Red Tails” 5. This actor stars in “Stranger Than Fiction” 8. Name of actor in “Red Tails” 9. The last name of the CEO on “The Office” 11. These two hunky brothers like to suck blood 12. The real name of the actress who plays Will Ferrell’s assistant in “Stranger Than Fiction” 13. The name of the stage featuring dozens of country performances Down 1. The evil vampire-wolf hybrid who causes mayhem on “The Vampire Diaries” 2. Do not cross the path of this area nightclub 4. This band, who likes to ensure you know their name are coming to the 9:30 club in April 5. This puts the “D” in 3-D 6. Junior Jimmy Case puts these in his film credits 7. The game senior Ian Doten is trying to program 10. This senior is a fashion fanatic 14. The quirky instrument that Rachel Markovich likes to strum

Read about some popular concert venues to check out for a wild time.

9 Across

12 Across

8 Across 1 Down

Hear Me Out

February: 9 & 10- Jack’s Mannequin & Jukebox the Ghost

February: 1- The Asteroids Galaxy Tour w/ Vacationer, Ed the Metaphysical

February: 1Smith Westerns w/ Porcelain Raft & Bleached

March: 23- The Joy Formidable w/ A Place to Bury Strangers, Exitmusic

March: 24- Youth Lagoon w/ Dana Buoy

March: 21Bowerbirds w/ Dry the River

April: 12- The Ting Tings

April: 23- WU LYF

April: 24- The Boxer Rebellion

Visit 930.com

Visit rockandrollhoteldc.com

Visit blackcatdc. com

Information and photos compiled by MK Koszycki, infographic by Sharon Corish.

14

Valor Dictus January 26, 2012

Hey Juniors…

It’s a New Year & Time to Get Serious about SAT and ACT! Top Six Questions: 1.

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How do I know which test is best for me?

Compare your percentile score from each. (In other words, you have to take BOTH to know.)

Do all colleges accept the ACT? BREAKING NEWS! More colleges now accept the ACT than the SAT. Should I take the ACT? YES! About 33% of students score BETTER on the ACT! Does this mean I DON’T have to take the SAT? NO! About 33% of students DON’T score better on the ACT. (The other third score about the same.)

What’s the difference between the tests?

ACT SAT Top score?

Penalty for wrong answers?

How long does the test take?

Number and length of sections?

Contains Reading, Writing, Math, and Essay?

Contains science?

Can Mindworks help me do my best?

YES! Test Date: May 5 SAT May 5 SAT May 5 SAT May 5 SAT

2012 Small-Group Course Schedule for Juniors Class Day: Class Time: Start Date: Sundays 9 AM – 12 PM March 25 Sundays 12 – 3 PM March 25 Sundays 3 – 6 PM March 25 Tuesdays 3 – 6 PM March 27

36 NO ALL morning (about 200 minutes) 5 sections: each 30 minutes or more YES YES

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Sports

Valor Dictus January 26, 2012 Volume 41 Issue 5 Bravely speaking to the Robinson Community 15

Chase Bailey- Sports Editor

sports briefs General News Sports teams slammed with cuts Sports teams have been seeing some of the things they may have taken for granted, taken away.

The school had to make real a effort to cut unnecessary spending as a result of Congress’ constricted federal budget of 2011. This year, the cuts extended to the school’s funding of sports.

Some teams at our school have been independent of school funding for years, and remain unaffected, such as the crew and baseball teams.

Head coach John James said the baseball team is used to having to fundraise. “The baseball team has been fundraising for years; when money gets cut we just fundraise more,” James said.

Other teams have not been as lucky. The swim team has recently been forced to make some sacrifices. Weekly team meals on Fridays during team meetings have been cut and practice times were shortened to 45 minutes. Most notably, team buses from swim meets back to the school have been cut.

“Most meets are around 30 minutes away; it’s kind of ridiculous that parents have to come pick us up,” said one swim team member, who requested anonymity. “It takes so long to get home that all team dinners after meets become impossible; moral’s taken a hit.”

Budget cuts are not easy for any team, but there might be a light on the horizon. Fairfax County Superintendant Jack Dale proposed a budget for next year with a nine percent increase in spending.

According to the Washington Post, this increase marks the most significant spending jump in five years. Should this budget get passed, sports teams may be looking at a short period of suffering before funding is reinstated.

– MICHAELA WRIGHT Track and Field

Photo by Lindsay Webb Preparing for districts — ­ Senior Cici Onyekwere sets up for a throw during practice.

Onyekwere works to be number one

Senior Cici Onyekwere has been perfecting her craft of shot putting since her freshmen year and has now reached the rank of number two in the state.

She has also committed to shot putting for the University of Maryland in the fall. Because of her success last year, she has high expectations for herself this year.

“Last year, I came in third in the state,” Onyekwere said. “This year, I hope to raise my state ranking and break another record.”

Onyekwere said she believes training is a big part of her success and feels it is important to continue to improve.

“I train hard and consistently, and I’m always trying to improve,” Onyekwere said. “My training consists of lifting weights and throwing drills.”

Despite shot putting being an individual sport, Onyekwere said she prefers training in large groups.

“I train in big groups because I like the team feeling,” Onyekwere said.

Onyekwere also said she feels her coach helps her reach her full potential during her training.

“Everything is hard, but he pushes me to the absolute limit,” Onyekwere said.

Onyekwere’s said her toughest competition will be Kiarra Howard from Garfield High School. “[She] had a throw of 46 feet,” Onyekwere said As an individual, Onyekwere has been successful, and she expects the same success from her teammates.

Onyekwere said, “Last year, five of the six Robinson girls made it to regionals, and I expect us to do well again.”

– JOE WHITE

Lindsay Webb - Sports Editor

In this section:

On page 15 read a spotlight on shot putter Onyekwere.

On page 15 kick back for the Freestyle Football Club.

On page 16 read about the basketball team’s new point trend.

Depo’s road to recovery Sophomore wrestler DePasquale recovers from wrestling injury in Chicago, Illinois

BY BAILEY HAASE Staff Writer

“Break a leg” is a phrase used to wish someone good luck, but, in sophomore wrestler Zak DePasquale’s case, breaking his leg was anything but lucky. DePasquale was injured at the Ironman varsity wrestling tournament in Ohio, Dec. 9.

“It was really scary,” head coach Bryan Hazard said. “We had to get the rescue team to take him out.”

Hazard said Zak went to the Children’s Hospital in Akron, Ohio, before being moved back to a hospital in D.C., and was later relocated to a rehabilitation center in Chicago.

Zak DePasquale, commonly known as Zak Depo, is currently healing at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. He is currently unable to return home due to the condition of his broken leg.

Zak’s injury is severe; he developed Compartment Syndrome in his leg wound, which resulted in his muscles starting to deteriorate.

Zak lost most of the muscle in the anterior compartment of his lower leg.

“My parents were very emotional for a very long time,” freshman and brother Cole DePasquale said. “My brother was in a very serious condition for a while; we didn’t know what the outcome of the disease would be.”

His family awaits Zak’s return at home; Cole DePasquale said he was at a home tournament when Zak broke his leg.

“At first, I didn’t believe it; I felt so badly for him,” Cole DePasquale said. “I knew how it felt because I had broken my leg not two months before; we hope Zak will return home within a couple of weeks.”

Hazard said Zak’s injury was a big hit to the team, but his leg’s condition has significantly improved.

“I went and saw him in Chicago last week, and he is doing pretty well,” Hazard said. “I do think he will be able to wrestle next season.”

Photo reprinted with permission from John DePasquale Working towards recovery— Zak Depo works with his trainer to rehabilitate his leg in Chicago, Illinois. He will be released from physical rehabilitaion today, ready to begin patient rehabilitation.

Cole DePasquale said his mother is currently watching over Zak, staying with him in the rehabilitation center.

“My mom hasn’t left his side for a minute since he injured himself, and my dad would be there too if he did not have to be home with me,” Cole DePasquale said.

According to the rehabilitation center, Zak DePasquale will be discharged today. He has healed significantly and will be returning home soon, though he will be unable to wrestle for the rest of the season.

The wrestling team is supportive of Zak’s valiant battle through his healing process, and

eagerly awaits Zak’s return home as well. Hazard said the team supports the DePasquale family during Zak’s time of trial and hopes he will be back at our school as soon as possible.

Hazard said the team was very upset and disappointed to see Zak suffer and lose him for the season; they stand behind Zak during his recovery. Cole DePasquale said, “We are very grateful for Zak pulling through and staying strong.”

Freestyling: a healthy addiction Junior Ascencio juggles Freestyle Football Club

BY THOMAS FRIESTAD Editor-in-Chief When presented with the term ‘freestyling,’ one’s mind might jump to a liberal hairstyle or a common swimming stroke. However, for junior Francisco Ascencio, freestyling is a way of life. All he needs is a ball.

Ascencio describes freestyling as a form of breakdancing with a soccer ball, kicking it about while performing awe-inspiring moves to express emotion. Instead of a sport, Ascencio said freestyling is a ‘spart’: a combination of a sport and an art.

“Although freestyling is a recent activity that has only become big around ten years ago, it has changed my life,” Ascencio said. “I started the Robinson Freestyle Football Club so I could change the lives of others as well by teaching them the skills.”

Ascencio approached security assistant Brandon Ward to host the Freestyle Football Club in early December because he wanted to spread the ‘spart’ locally. Ward said he jumped at the opportunity because he enjoyed the concept of freestyling.

“Freestyling is a new, unique idea the school hasn’t had a club for in the past,” Ward said. “I also have an interest in what the club has to offer because it is soccer-related, and I love the sport.”

Because the club has generated more student interest over the past month, Ascencio said he has to teach a wider variety of people, each with different abilities.

“Usually, I put the club members into groups and teach them tricks appropriate for their level, every Friday afternoon,” Ascencio said. “Sometimes, my friend Chris Buruss stops by to teach with me. He’s one of the top three freestylers in the country, so we’re able to combine our talents to teach a lot of material in just half an hour.”

Ascencio said the competition friends like Buruss provide motivates him to improve his freestyling.

“I feel like I’m good, but he’s better, so I’m going to try and become as good as him by the end of the year; that would be good,” Ascencio said.

Freshman Amelia Jindra has participated in the Freestyle Football Club since its first meeting because she is good friends with

Francisco, who issued her an invitation.

“Francisco makes freestyling look easy; he’s a good teacher, and makes the club a lot of fun,” Jindra said. “It’s really a challenge, and I’m up for that.”

Jindra said, although she would rate her freestyling skills a three on a scale of one to 10, she is still eager to continue the enjoyment she finds in the club.

Junior David Rosales said he is a poor freestyler since he only joined the club recently, but looks forward to developing his skills through Ascencio’s lessons.

“By the time Francisco is done teaching me, I want people to be afraid of how good I am at freestyling,” Rosales said.

With Ascencio as his teacher, Rosales is confident that, eventually, people will be.

Ascencio said, “When I end the club, covered in sweat, I couldn’t be more proud of what I’ve led others to accomplish.”

16

Sports

Valor Dictus January 26, 2012

Shooting stars put team on their backs

BY OWEN JOYCE Staff Writer

One team, three players and approximately 64 percent of the points scored. The varsity basketball team has a roster of 13 players, yet just three of those players are combined for more than half of points scored. Still, these statistics display more of a team effort than in years past.

“We have a lot of scorers, such as Pillow, Hackett and Ruddy; we share the ball a lot more than in years past,” senior Tristian Crenshaw said.

However, this does not mean the team has been selfish with the ball in the past.

“Unselfish basketball has always been a focus, but in years past we leaned on Mike Rice for offense, and he would score so much because he would get offensive rebounds, and not by trying to force the bad shots,” head coach Brian Nelson said.

The team has also been sharing the ball between players.

Now:

While the shooting percentage of the top five players is the same as it was last year, there has been better movement.

“Most of our plays use all of our guys, you know, we pass the ball around and if you do not have an open shot, you pass the ball to someone who does,” Crenshaw said Senior Rob Pillow said the team has worked on scoring based on the opportunity of each player.

“We give the ball to whoever has the best opportunity to score,” Pillow said. “It is about execution this season.”

This year’s team has had to rely on their fellow players instead of just one man. While the top scorer last year had 22 points per game, the top scorer this year has had 17 points per game.

“We rely on everybody because, even if the offense is based on one person, on defense, everyone has to play his part; we all have to have the same mindset,” Pillow said.

Nelson said the team has been able to put up enough points to win, even if no one puts up over 20 points.

“We don’t have to lean on one guy who scores 20 points; now we have three players who can put up over 20, and even if we don’t our leading scorer will have like 14, but the other guys will

have like 10 or 12 each,” Nelson said.

The team has also worked on the team play and cooperation skills.

“We are definitely a more cohesive unit; we are more family oriented, as a team,” junior Keegan Ruddy said.

There are more players who contribute on a game by game basis this year as well.

“Last year, we had like seven players who contribute every game, but this year, we have more like 10 players who contribute,” Ruddy said.

The coaches have also given the players the encouragement they need to work play as a team.

“They [the coaches] give a lot of encouragement to the players on being aggressive and not focusing on just one player,” Ruddy said.

Pillow agreed, saying the coaches want the players to carry out the game plan and work on involving all teammates.

“This year, every player has played a more important role.”

Pillow said. “The coaches have also been pushing heavily on executing the plays that he provides.”

Then:

2011-2012:

Team point average: 65.5 points per game (ppg) Leading scorers: Tristian Crenshaw: 17 ppg Rob Pillow: 15 ppg Nathan Hackett: 10 ppg

2009-2010: Leading scorer: Mike Rice; 18 points per game (Next highest was 11 points) Leading rebounder: Mike Rice and CJ Cleaves; 6 rebounds per game

Leading rebounders (per game): Nathan Holyfield: 5 rpg Tristian Crenshaw: 5 rpg Rob Pillow: 4 rpg

Tristian Crenshaw (left), Nate Hackett (center), Rob Pillow (right) Photo by Hailey Metzger

Indoor Track Spotlight

2010-2011: Leading scorer: Mike Rice; 22 points per game (next highest was 12 points) Leading rebounder: Mike Rice; 8 rebounds per game (next highest was 5 rebounds)

2008-2009: Leading Scorer: Mike Rice; 13 points per game (next highest was 9 points) Leading rebounder: CJ Cleaves and Brandon Kuter; 6 rebounds per game (Mike Rice in a close third with 5 rebounds per game)

Assists Leaders (per game): Nate Hackett: 4 apg Chris Calcador: 2 apg

Reprinted with permission by Katie Allison Stats compiled by Brian Nelson

Football fans get pumped for the “super” showdown Dylan Martin

Sarah Hinkhouse

Thomas Creed

Photo by Nick Runkel

Ayo Ramond

Meet Ayo Ramond, sprinter on the indoor track team Class: Junior Event he runs in: 55 m and 300 m His best times: 55 m: 6.23 seconds; 300 m: 37.35 seconds His thoughts on running: “I enjoy winning, not so much running,” Raymond said. “Running can be pretty painful.”

Biggest obstacle he has faced: Raymond said he suffered an injury last spring that has lingered into this winter season.

Goals he has set for this season: Raymond said his goal for this season is to make it to and win states.

Outlook on 2011-2012 track season: Raymond said the boys’ team has good athletes but will not place very high this year, whereas the girls’ team is solid and will place very high during district play.

Information compiled by Megan Lin

Junior Dylan Martin, supporter of the New York Giants, is going to be partying it up on Super Bowl Sunday, hoping for a Giants win. The Giants will be playing the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.

Marketing teacher Sarah Hinkouse is a diehard Green Bay Packers fan. Last year, the Packers were to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2011 Super Bowl, located in Dallas, TX; she decided to make the trip for the big game.

Senior Thomas Creed, supporter of the New England Patriots, is very excited to watch the showdown on Super Bowl Sunday. While he has no extravegant plans for the date, he does plan on making it an exciting evening.

“I am very excited that the Giants won the NFC,” Martin said. Martin plans on hosting a small gathering of people to watch the Super Bowl on his big screen TV. “It is not going to be a lot of people just some friends,” Martin said.

Martin said snacks and food will be a huge part of his experience.

“I will probably order a lot of pizza and wings and stock up on junk food,” Martin said.

Martin said, whether or not his party is a hit, a Giants win is what would really make his night.

“It was really cool to be in Dallas,” Hinkouse said. “There were parties everywhere and every bar in Dallas was filled with Steelers and Packers fans.”

“Tickets were $3500 so I was not able to attend the actual game but it was still fun and the Packers winning was cool.”

In addition to watching a great game, Hinkhouse also got to see Snoop Dogg perform and saw multiple celebrities and famous players, such as Josh Freeman and Deion Sanders. While she did not watch the game live, Hinkhouse still made the trip enjoyable for herself.

“This Super Bowl will definitely be special to me,” Creed said.

Since his favorite team is participating in the game, it will be a different experience for him and his family.

“I do not plan on holding a party or anything like that; I just plan on staying home and making the game an enjoyable experience for me,” Creed said.

Creed said he is confident because he feels his team will come out victorious.

Creed said, “I am going to be really excited when the Patriots win the Super Bowl.”

His plan:

Her experience:

His plan:

Information/photos compiled by Owen Joyce and Nick Runkel Graphic by Shelby Gee