VALOR Fall 2021 DICTUS
Bravely Speaking to the Robinson Community
Rams on the Move Page 18-19 Then and Now: Celebrating 50 Page 20-21 Kanye West Releases ‘Donda’ Page 23 Free Guy Movie Review Page 28-29
Photo by Sophie Yadz
Valor Dictus Staff Editor-in-Chief Devon Rudolph Managing Editor Gracie Lewandowski Sports Editor Colin Beenhouwer Photo Editor Ashlee O’Neill Advisor Chris Moore
Staff Writers Omar AbdulWahed Raghad Almadhoun Allison Bruehs Daniella Carrasquillo Nuria Dakake Alanna Davis Charlotte Dowdy Patrick Foos Soma Fulwiler Sean Galang Valeria Gonzalez Navajas
Rydell Grimes Joshua Kaminski Kate Lutow Sarah Maze Lucas Newcomb Samantha Park Juliana Romero Imran Samadi Nikolai Turets Kayla Yang
News PAGE 5 - PANDEMIC PUPPIES
PAGE 12 - THE DISNEY COLLEGE PROGRAM
By Gracie Lewandowski
By Gracie Lewandowski
PAGE 6/7 - THE COVID SLIDE
PAGE 13 - PERSONAL ESSAYS
By Devon Rudolph
By Devon Rudolph
PAGE 8 - HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC CHANGED SCHOOL
PAGE 14/15 - STUDENT DIET
By Joshua Kaminski
By Juliana Romero and Daniella Carrasaquillo
PAGE 9 - SCHOOL VS. SLEEPING: HOW TO BE HEALTHY
PAGE 16 - ADJUSTING TO A SLEEP SCHEDULE
By Valeria Gonzalez
By Alanna Davis
PAGE 10/11 - FAST FASHION VS. THE ENVIRONMENT
By Charlotte Dowdy
Robinson PAGE 17 - HOMEWORK: THIS YEAR VS. LAST YEAR
PAGE 20/21 - THEN AND NOW, CELEBRATING 50
By Allison Bruehs
By Devon Rudolph
PAGE 18/19 - RAMS ON THE MOVE
PAGE 22 - HOW ARE 5TH GRADERS ADJUSTING TO 7TH GRADE?
By Gracie Lewandowski
By Kayla Yang and Samantha Park
Arts PAGE 23 - KANYE WEST RELEASES ‘DONDA’
PAGE 26/27 - SONGS FOR STAVING OFF STRESS
By Colin Beenhouwer
By Rydell Grimes
PAGE 24/25 - HBD BLUE: CELEBRATING 25 YEARS
By Imran Samadi
Reviews PAGE 28/29 - FREE GUY MOVIE REVIEW
PAGE 32 - ZINGO!
By Soma Fulwiler
By Patrick Foos and Sarah Maze
PAGE 30/31 - MINDS MATTER CLUB
By Raghad Aladhoun
Sports PAGE 33 - FLAGGING YOUR ATTENTION: COLOR GUARD PRACTICE
By Colin Beenhouwer PAGE 34 - ROBINSON ATHLETES: ON THEIR WAY TO GREATNESS
By Nuria Dakake
PAGE 35 - ATHLETE FEATURES
By Colin Beenhouwer
4 Valor Dictus | Editorial
Staff Editorial:
The Importance of Covid Vaccinations effects of the vaccine. While the Covid vaccine does not guarantee prevention of death, a Yale School of Public Health study estimated that the vaccine had already saved 279,000 lives from its release in September. The Mayo Clinic states that those who are vaccinated spread the virus for a shorter amount of time than those who are unvaccinated, making those who haven’t received the vaccine more susceptible. In order to minimize the spread, sports have started requiring vaccinations or weekly negative tests. In addition, proof of vaccination is required in order to travel to certain places. The benefits of receiving the vaccine outweigh the risks. Health care workers all around the world work hard to administer vaccines to those who are eligible. In order to protect ourselves and the people we love, the staff of Valor Dictus encourages the Robinson community to do what’s best for the health and safety of others. Let’s work together towards a better and brighter future!
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Dear Robinson students, Taxes, education, and immigration are political issues, but public health shouldn’t be. As the world nears its second full year of the Covid pandemic, only about 60 percent of the United States population is vaccinated. The Covid vaccine is proven to not only decrease the odds of spreading the virus, but also makes reactions less severe and reduces the chance of hospitalization. The faster people get vaccinated, the sooner the world can get back to normal. In order for students to come to school every fall, 20 immunizations are required for grades K-12. There have never been political debates of this proportion on these required vaccines, however there is much debate over mandates for the Covid vaccine. In the United States there are currently three different Covid vaccines. The Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson vaccines all have high preventative percentages. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has found that “During clinical trials, the Pfizer vaccine was 95% effective in preventing the Covid virus in people aged 16 and older and 91% effective in children aged 5-11 years.” Arm soreness, tiredness, and headaches are some of the possible minor and temporary side
News | Fall 2021
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Pandemic Puppies GRACIE LEWANDOWSKI Managing Editor
Photo by Zoey Cascio Zoey Cascio’s dog, Captain poses for a picture. Captain helps Cascio exercise by going on walks.
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or many, the pandemic has caused feelings of isolation and a lack of companionship. Many have reverted to filling these voids with furry friends, such as puppies. When daily necessities like soap and flour were flying off the shelves, people rapidly adopted puppies to cope with the ever changing world around them. According to the Washington Post and their Covid Impact Report, adoption rates increased about 34 percent from pre pandemic times to the beginning of it. Sophomore Zoey Cascio and her family adopted a plott hound german shepherd boxer mix named Captain. They got him from Wolf Trap Animal Rescue in July of 2021. “Our family decided to get a puppy because we had always wanted an animal that we could take with us on trips, run with, and just to add another member to our family,” Cascio said. Exercising together, company, and the playfulness and happiness he brings her are just a few of the benefits Cascio gets from her dog Captain. Research shows that owning a dog is beneficial to health. As stated by Time USA, dogs can reduce stress, lead to lower blood pressure levels, and can even decrease the risk of asthma in kids. Along with the benefits to owners, economically, the puppy boom turned into an economic boom as adoption sites and pet stores all over the world saw more
business than ever before. Sophomore Katelyn Sullivan is another pet owner who got her 16 month old labradoodle, Quincy, during the pandemic. Sullivan says that he’s known for sitting oddly, is very stubborn, and loves to play with his friend, Tucker. “He has a HUGE personality and thinks the world revolves around him. When he’s hungry, he hits his bowl with his paw until someone brings him food.” In addition, the words “Tucker” and “best friend” can’t be mentioned in her household as Quincy will start crying until someone takes him out to play. Despite his goofy behaviors, Sullivan and her family couldn’t be happier to have him in their lives. As claimed by The Week, nearly 13 million households in the U.S. added pets to their family in 2020. Soaring adoption rates brought the U.S. cat and dog populations up to 160 million, close to double the number it was half a century ago. Pet owners spendings on pet supplies and food has reached $103 billion and is still expected to rise significantly. Although Covid caused many businesses to lose a significant amount of money, pet stores and businesses were not among those. “My dog has helped because it has given me something to do during the day. It has also given me a new sense of responsibility,” Cascio said. Puppies helped get many through these unprecedented times as everything known and loved changed in the blink of an eye. Without puppies, it’s unknown how many people all around the world would have dealt with the pandemic. For that we thank our pandemic puppies!
Photo by Katelyn Sullivan Katelyn Sullivan’s dog, Quincy, rides in the front seat. His huge personality makes him a great dog.
The Covid Sl DEVON RUDOLPH Editor-in-Chief
Students are, on average, five months behind in math due to Covid interference last year, a McKinsey study found. This Covid Slide is similar to the “Summer Slide” where students lose some of their progress in school while on vacation. Over the “Summer Slide,” it is calculated that students fall one month behind on achievement scores, however the Covid Slide is predicted to be much worse. The lack of in-person learning in schools expanded -McKinsey Study the difference in learning between high and low income areas and racial groups. In addition to falling behind in school, this loss in learning is expected to negatively impact lifetime earnings. “We made it through about 80 percent of the units,” said sophomore Abbey Chun. “I definitely understand in-person math better because there is more accessibility to teachers and asking questions… they’re more approachable and it’s easier to ask and answer questions.” Last year’s atypical schooling caused massive losses of learning. Along with the inability for most schools to have classes in-person, online school offered many additional
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Students are, on average, five months behind in math.
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Last year’s atypical schooling caused massive losses of learning. Connection erro all contributed to falling behind in class.
challenges. Connection errors, mic and video problems, missing interaction, and lack of participation all contributed to falling behind in class. “Unfinished learning” is a term used by studies to describe “the reality that students were not given the opportunity this year to complete all the learning they would have completed in a typical year,” said McKinsey. “It was difficult to know who was engaged and who wasn’t,” said Sandra Bergeson, a high school math teacher. “But I think there were some students who were just naturally quiet so the inability to see them and to look at their work was really hard last year.” The McKinsey study used test scores from the Curric-
Slide
How far Behind in Math are Students due to Covid Interferences? of the year, but we know that there are pieces that are going to be missing as we go through different units,” said Bergeson. “IB, for instance, we’ve slowed down a couple of our pacing for our units because we anticipated [the students] didn’t learn or didn’t master some of that material. In geometry, we’ve touched base with Algebra teachers from last year to talk about some of those skills that we should emphasize.” Economic and race factors also have an impact, increasing the amount of unfinished learning. “Students of color and low-income students suffered most. Students in majority-Black schools ended the school year six months behind in both math and reading, while students in majority-white schools ended up just four months behind in math and three months behind in reading,” McKinsey found. “Students in predominantly low-income schools and in urban loca-McKinsey Study tions also lost more learning during the pandemic than their peers in high-income rural and suburban schools.” The study estimated that the learning loss was seven months in schools with income household averages less than $25,000, five months in schools with income household averages between $25,000 and $75,000, and only four months in schools with income household averages greater than $75,000. It is estimated that these learning losses will have long term effects and impact future salaries. “Unfinished learning could reduce lifetime earnings for K–12 students by an average of $49,000 to $61,000,” said McKinsey. “While white students may see lifetime earnings reduced by 1.4 percent, the reduction could be as much as 2.4 percent for Black students and 2.1 percent for Hispanic students.” Covid has undoubtedly set back math progress made last year and negatively impacted students.
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Unfinished learning could reduce lifetime earnings...by an average of $49,000 to $61,000.
Photo by Colin Beenhouwer n errors, mic and video problems, missing interaction, and lack of participation
ulum Associates’ i-Ready in-school assessment and translated them into months of learning. While it is impossible to calculate the exact unfinished learning, the study compared the recent test scores to past years to predict how far behind they are currently. The statistics estimate five additional months of learning were lost because of Covid last year. Educators attempt to make up for this by teaching slower to allow students time to catch up. Over 97 percent of educators reported seeing some learning loss in their students over the past year when compared with children in previous years (CNBC, 2021). “We’re not doing it necessarily right at the beginning
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Photo by Joshua Kaminski Students wear masks walking in the hallways. Masks, social distancing, and more lenient work requirements are among the many things that have changed in schools during the pandemic.
For Better or Worse, Pandemic Changes School in Many Ways BY JOSHUA KAMINSKI Staff Member
The Covid virus first appeared in 2019 in China and launched the biggest pandemic since 1918. It caused businesses to shut down, masks to be mandated, people to stay in their homes, and a lot of this is still happening now. One of the biggest things the pandemic has done was make all schools shut down and go virtual. Starting in March 2020, teachers had to host classes through a screen and students attended at their homes. It wasn’t until a full year later when some students decided to come back in person to the building, having to wear masks and socially distance. There are no more virtual classes this year, but both students and staff members are required to wear masks everywhere except the cafeteria. Due to the pandemic, the education system has undergone a lot of positive and negative changes. It made everyone isolate and sit in front of a computer all day long. The motivation, attention, organization, and learning techniques of students have changed massively for good. According to Funtech, freedom and flexibility changed and opened up greatly during virtual learning. Students were able to snack and do things they would normally be able to do only after school during their online classes. Virtual learning made it easier to organize for a lot of people and also easy to multitask.
“Teachers are more lenient with giving work,” said sophomore Eleanor Sardinas. This means that they are more flexible with deadlines and understanding that peoples’ brains need more time to process and warm up. Sophomore Miranda Wise said she has “more motivation and a better work ethic” due to social distancing. Although many people, including Sardinas, said the opposite about motivation. During the majority of the pandemic, no one was inside the school building, and even when they were, it was a limited number of people. Many students in virtual classes rarely turned on their cameras and mics during sessions, making their presentation skills weaken. Wise said that they “didn’t like how isolated” they felt. Isolation led to poor social skills and high social anxiety when returning back for a lot of students. The people that came back in March consisted of a small and distanced group. Virtual learning also made it much easier to cheat, with students not being monitored if they had another tab open during a quiz. Without teachers helping students in person and encouraging them, many people lost motivation over quarantine. Many people liked going back mid-year with the excitement of seeing people again and the ability to be back in the building. Parmjit Carpenter, a geometry teacher, said she liked that she could finally return to her classroom. She found it easier to teach in person rather than to teach online.
How to Adjust to a Healthy Sleep Schedule for Success BY ALANNA DAVIS Staff Member
With the new school in session, teens are finding that they have to make significant adjustments to their sleep schedule. Even with online school last year, students received much more sleep due to several factors. For example, students didn’t have to worry about driving to school, catching the bus, or preparing lunch in the morning. As a result, students were able to wake up at a later time, and therefore, get more sleep. According to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), the sleep hormone in teens, known as melatonin, presents itself about one hour later in teens than it does in adults. However, before most teens go to sleep, they are occupied with their electronic devices, such as their phones or laptops. Whether electronics are utilized for homework or simply entertainment purposes, its effects can be detrimental to teen health. The blue light from electronic devices is known to suppress the release of melatonin in the body, throwing off sleep schedules, and resulting in less sleep for teens. Nighttime shift work can have one of the greatest impacts on teen
circadian rhythm. In particular, many students have part-time jobs. Senior Antonia Alfaro, works five days a week at Chick-fil-a. She often works night shifts after school and usually doesn’t get to leave her job until 11 p.m. Working a shift until such a late time disrupts her nighttime sleeping hours. Senior Autumn Beha is an IB diploma candidate. Driven and hard-working as she is, Beha often feels overwhelmed with her workload. As a result, she often stays up rather late to complete her homework.
lot of homework or tests to study for. I am often up late on school nights, staring at my computer screen for quite a long time, which I believe is the most influential factor regarding the decline of my previously healthy circadian rhythm,” Beha explained. This disruption in the teen sleepwake cycle may decrease mental and physical capacity, as it results in an increased feeling of tiredness for teens as they go about their daily routines. Changes in the body’s natural sleepwake cycle can cause sleep disorders and may result in various health conditions such as depression, seasonal affective disorder, and Sleep is like the bipolar disorder. golden chain that binds our For students eager to get a good night’s rest, Alfaro recomhealth and body together mends drinking warm tea, doing yoga, and stretching before bed. -Thomas Dekker American actor “It really helps me to de-stress and take my mind off of school for some time before heading to bed,” notes Alfaro. Overall, “I definitely got to wake up later taking time for yourself and staying off with online school, which felt rather of technology the last half hour before convenient. For instance, with online you go to bed, can be truly beneficial school, I only had to wake up about 30 for your sleep cycle. When it comes minutes before school started. Howto sleep, students should make it a ever, with in-person learning, I have priority to go to bed at a good time. It to wake up about two hours before is recommended that teens get seven school starts. As a result, I find that I to eight hours of sleep, and with such am getting less sleep than usual. This an optimum amount of sleep, students is especially the case when I have a may find that they feel more focused and energized.
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10 Valor Dictus | News
Fast Fashion vs How the Choices you Make While Shopping can Affect the Environment BY CHARLOTTE DOWDY Staff Member
These days, trendy, cheap clothes are available at the tap of a button. That seems great for consumers, but is it really? H&M and other fast fashion stores, like SHEIN and Forever 21, aren’t as virtuous for the environment or their workers. The Cambridge Dictionary defines fast fashion as “clothes that are made and sold cheaply, so that people can buy new clothes often.” Just one issue: the fast fashion industry is responsible for 8-10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according
to the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion. As the EPA reports, about 85 percent of all textiles in the US end up in landfills or are burned. “Fast fashion is pretty bad, ethically speaking,” freshman Noah Nguyen said. “When you’re buying from places like SHEIN, it is bad quality clothes for dirt cheap. It seems like child labor, unpaid labor, or taking shortcuts with adverse effects on the environment is usually the only way distributors can make the clothes
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It seems like child labor, unpaid labor, or taking shortcuts with adverse effects on the environment is usually the only way distributors can make the clothes for that price.
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-Noah Nguyen Freshman
for that price. Additionally, hen the clothes go out of style, they end up in landfills, which isn’t great.” In 2021, it’s easier than ever to purchase clothes. The UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion says that the average consumer buys up to 60 percent more clothes than they did 15 years ago. Tik-Tok and micro-trends are partly to blame. Micro-trends are smaller trends that rise in popularity in days or weeks- and fall even quicker. As of fall 2021, sweater vests are hugely popular. On H&M’s website, the cheapest of the bunch is $12.99, and the most expensive is $39.99. In contrast, a hand-knit sweater from Etsy starts from $76.50. Instead of buying one sweater that will last a long time, consumers purchase multiple iterations from fast fashion stores that will end up in a Goodwill in six months. That said, there’s no problem with experimenting. The issue is
News | Fall 2021 11
vs. The Planet
when it goes to excess. All over social media platforms like Tik-Tok, there are thousand-dollar SHEIN and Zara hauls where influencers share their latest purchases with eager followers. Micro-trends are featured on TikTok’s elusive “for you page”, and in no time, they are everywhere. “Tik-Tok has a lot of trends that come and go, so people buy clothes more often, which is probably why fast fashion is a lot more popular now,” freshman Matipa Maimbo said. “It’s bad for the environment, but I can understand why people are buying it if it’s all they can afford.” What if Zara is all someone can pay for? ”It comes down to the corporations,” freshman Kate Nagler said. “Some of them could definitely afford to use better ethics practices, but they choose not to.” This is undoubtedly the case for
H&M- during the 2020 fiscal year, they made $334 million, according to Statista. However, Good On You, a site that rates clothing brands on their ethics, has rated H&M “it’s a start,” which is staunchly at the middle of its ranking system. Although environmentalist efforts are gaining traction, there is still much progress to be made. H&M’s website states that the company has plans to use only “recycled or other sustainably sourced materials by 2030.” They’ve also started a recycling program, where customers can drop off their old clothes to be reused or recycled. According to Good On You, it uses recycled and eco-friendly materials some of the time and has a policy to prevent deforestation in its supply chain. H&M also has a science-based target to lower its greenhouse gas emissions,
Photo by Charlotte Dowdy A shopper walks in front of an H&M storefront at Fair Oaks Mall. H&M brought in $334 million in revenue from clothing sales during the 2020 fiscal year.
however, there is no current evidence that it is on track to meet the goal. While there are only 100 companies that account for 71 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions according to The Guardian, there are things everyday people can do to help slow down climate change. A good alternative to fast fashion is thrift shopping, which has increased in popularity in recent years. Whether it’s corporations or social media that contribute to fast fashion’s disastrous effects on the environment, it’s clear that there is a problem- it’s just unclear exactly how to solve it.
Photo Courtesy of Ashley Bork Ashley Bork revieves her certivicate of completion. During her DCP, she learned life lessons that’ll help her forever.
Photo by Gracie Lewandowski The castle shinning bright on a sunny day in Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom is one of the parks DCP employees could get assigned to.
Disney College Program Opens up Career Paths GRACIE LEWANDOWSKI Managing Editor
Since it’s a paid program, money is taken out monthly to cover the cost of housing. Ashley Bork, now a mom of two and a successful The Disney College Program is an academic exchange owner of Mama Coco’s Dog Spa, started the DCP in the fall program for college students attending a college in the of 2013. She attended Suny Fredonia in New York and was United States. The DCP is an opportunity for those who accepted into the Disney World program on her first try. are interested in a career path that involves Disney to get Bork said, “I had always loved Disney and went on mula taste of what it might be like in the future. However, tiple vacations there in my childhood. Years before I was students can pursue the DCP regardin college on vacation, we saw a cast less of their chosen career or interests. member whose name tag said, ‘SUNY According to Disney Programs and BUFFALO’. My mom and dad were Alumnis, when lived up to its fullest, interested to see why her name tag this program gives students opportusaid a college that was near my home. After the initial nities to learn, meet people from all The cast member explained to us struggles, I made new over the world, and make friendships what the college program was. From friends, new memories, that’ll last lifetimes. It’s important to then on I said, ‘when I go to college know all the details of the DCP in orI’m going to do that’.” During her time and learned life lessons der to decide if it’s a good fit for you. at Disney, Bork worked in Animal that will help me Because the program has many Kingdom, Dinoland as a ride operabenefits, it’s highly competitive to get tor for Triceratop Spin and Primeval forever. accepted. Applicants must be at least Whirl. She said that her favorite part 18 years of age at the time of appli-Ashley Bork about the experience was learning incation, possess an unrestricted U.S. dependence at a young age. “Go with work authorization, and meet all their an open mind. It may not be what you school requirements. Once accepted, imagined it to be. At first I struggled students who get college credit for with being so far away from home for the program do their school work during free time and the first time ever and even thought of quitting just a few tend to their job at the parks the rest of the time. If not, weeks in. After the initial struggles, I made new friends, students choose a specific educational format based on new memories, and learned life lessons that will help me their interests which then determines which seminars and forever,” said Bork. work they’ll do. The three educational formats to choose Overall, this program can help young college students from include: Spotlight On, Discover Disney, and Disney learn independence, life skills, work skills, and can make Exploration Seminars.When applicants arrive at their memories that’ll last lifetimes. If the DCP is appealing to DCP, whether that’s in Walt Disney World or DisneyLand, you and you’re considering applying, visit https://jobs. students have the opportunity to stay in Disney housing. disneycareers.com/disney-programs.
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News | Fall 2021 13
Personal Essays Now Being Written by Experts DEVON RUDOLPH Editor-in-Chief
plicants’ access to tutors. There is nothing truly illegal with the business and colleges have no way of knowing if the “Students are essentially paying a third party to ghost- writer had a tutor helping. “Sure, we can all agree that it’s a rigged deck—that write their story in an essay which is supposed to be a the kids whose parents can pay $150 culmination of their skill set,” Elana for a few hours of my time are at an Rabinowitz, USA Today. unfair advantage. But we could just as The personal essay is a college easily make the same argument about, application requirement for seniors say, regular meals, or any of the other to write a 400-600 word piece about benefits that middle and upper midthemselves. “The personal essay is dle class kids enjoy,” said Shannon a snippet of who you are and where Chamberlain, Slate. you’re coming from – asnapshot for The advantages of getting into a the admissions officers to look at as high-level college may also be temthey read your application,” according porary for those who heavily relied to Harvard University. on a tutor for their personal essay. Essay tutors are becoming -Elana Rabinowitz These students may suffer more when popular among high school seniors, USA Today forced to be independent, or fail out where an expert writer helps craft the of college. perfect essay for applicants. Senior Chloe Counts had a writing tutor In the UK help with her personal essay. “I wrote it with the tutor and he basically was like, ‘just give me this and let me write it’, The United Kingdom is currently considering a bill and he wrote it for me,” said Counts. “So I wrote it myself banning companies that ‘ghostwrite’ essays for students in and I kind of disregarded what he told me.” school. These ‘essay mills’ charge a fee based on the qualWriting tutors generally cost between $30 to $40 per ity of work. While this is not the same thing as hiring a hour, but it can range over $85 for a more experienced writing tutor to help with personal essays for college, it is mentor. “It becomes edited by an adult who’s done this for clear that there is a growing business in fraudulent writing. years, and they know what colleges are looking for, but Although this bill is currently only being considered in the then it’s not you anymore,” said senior Brooke Beenhouwer. UK, the legislation, if passed, could influence U.S. policy. This puts students who can’t afford a tutor at a dis“[One website] advertised that it would provide a advantage. “A lot of money can get you more, so students 15,000-word piece of masters degree coursework in 60 who don’t have access to that aren’t going to have the same days for £4,000, “ (Financial Times, 2021). “On its website, opportunities,” said Counts. it also said that their service is not cheating and students It can also be argued that spending money how you should ‘use our custom essays as a guide to direct [their] choose is a personal right. There is no way of limiting apstudies’.”
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Students are essentially paying a third party to ghost-write their story.
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14 Valor Dictus | News
Your Diet, Y How a Student’s Diet May Affect Their Wellbeing and Performance BY JULIANA ROMERO AND DANIELLA CARRASAQUILLO Staff Members
Feeling bored, lazy and tired in class is a normal feeling for most students while being in school. There are many reasons for this, but some students may not have had a good breakfast or they woke up early and ate a meal that lacked nutrients to help them function throughout the school day, affecting their mood and motivation throughout the day. Our brains produce certain chemi-
cals when reacting to what we eat and what activities we do. Neurotransmitters are endogenous chemicals that act like a messenger between neurons in the brain and our muscles. The foods we put into our bodies helps to construct these neurotransmitters in our brain, and can contribute to how we feel throughout the day. The human body feels its best when endorphin levels are high. Endorphins are chemicals that relieve stress and pain. Serotonin is a chemical that relaxes the body and acts as an antidepressant. Norepinephrine
Photo by Daniella Carrasaquillo Salads are a healthy menu item that you can, and should, eat every day. While traditional salads might be veggie-only, turn any salad into a filling meal by adding cooked protein (like chicken, pork, or beef), sauces (like barbeque, stir-fry sauce, or salsa), and cheese.
and dopamine increase alertness and energy. In school it’s very important to be attentive and alert so that you can fully remember and process what you’re learning. “I eat food from home, because I prefer to eat certain fruits with my meals which make me attentive in class,” said Ciannae Yaee, a freshman. “I normally eat breakfast because if I don’t, I get so much hungrier before lunch. This affects me because I am not as tired during class in the mornings.” When you are a student athlete your nutrition is incredibly important because you need to have enough energy to focus on your school work and the sport you play. “I bring snacks to class, but I usually like to have a snack before or after football practice,” said Connor Fructuoso, a freshman. “I [like] simply eating more food and feeling good in general, because when you have less food in your body you have less energy, and less energy means you don’t pay attention too well.” It’s been proven that certain meals and foods affect your performance at school. Having three meals a day, including snacks, are very important. Without these meals and snacks, it can really affect your concentration in class and in general. Having some of these meals listed here will give you that brain boost that you need throughout the day.
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Your Health BREAKFAST FOODS
If you’re running late, a banana with milk gives you the energy and protein to start off your day. • Oatmeal with blueberries can improve learning and thinking skills • Omelette made with vegetables of your choice (onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc.)
Photo by Daniella Carrasaquillo This breakfast is a good source of many proteins such as Ovalbumin in the egg whites. This meal is a very common breakfast that many people eat today!
Skipping breakfast has been proven to have a negative affect on your performance throughout the day. Having breakfast improves short term memory and attention.
LATE MORNING SNACKS • A banana • An apple and walnuts • Hard boiled egg
LUNCH
Having a side of fruit with your meal or low-fat yogurt with blueberries, nuts or seeds. • Homemade stew or vegetable soup
EVENING MEALS
Eat red meat no more than two times a week. Start adding more chicken and turkey into your diet as well as oily fish (salmon, sardines and trout).
Photo by Daniella Carrasaquillo A tuna salad is also a great addition to your diet because you can even have the omega-3 fatty acids with the balance of the greens once again.
LATE NIGHT SNACKS
• Whole Grain toast with a mashed banana on top • Banana with almond butter • Trail mix
Photo by Daniella Carrasaquillo If you are a vegetarian or just don’t eat meat this meal is a great idea for you to add to your diet! Tofu provides the essential amino acids for your meal while also having soy as the prime component.
Adding these foods to your diet will positively affect your health. Not only does food affect your ability to focus on school or really anything, the amount of water you consume is also very important. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, irritability and poor concentration. Fluid intake doesn’t always have to be water. It can also be milk, tea, or coffee.
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School vs. Sleeping: How to be Healthy BY VALERIA GONZALEZ Staff Member
In the United Sataes, the average start time for schools is 8:00 a.m. Studies around the country are measuring the effects of that schedule combined with the amount of hours teenagers should sleep. These hours decrease as teens grow, from nine to eight hours. Studies found that starting school early harms the mind of growing teens. Two professional associations, the American Academies of Sleep Medicine and Pediatrics, say school should start at 8:30 a.m., 26 minutes after the national average. Adding to that, teens go through phase delay, making them want to sleep at 11:00 p.m. and wake up at 8:00 a.m. To determine the effects of starting school at 8:00 a.m. on juniors with different responsibilities, highschool students were asked if they think schools should change schedules to match the studies. One student participates in clubs and sports, the other wants to participate in clubs, and one is adjusting to being new. Three students, Aleeza, Feeman, and Juliana, all talked about their experiences with after school clubs and sports. Aleeza and Juliana are both transfer students and they have to deal with carpooling, which causes them to wake up earlier. Feeman lives very close to the school, so she fortunately does not have to deal with that.
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Considering clubs, Feeman has the most overall, with teaching and playing piano, playing guitar and soccer, having band practice, and joining National English Honors Society (NEHS) and Speech and Debate club. Aleeza is looking forward to joining clubs, such as French, NEHS, Muslim Student Association, and Speech and Debate club and also to forming a new club with one of her friends. As a new student, Juliana still does not have enough information about the available clubs, but confirms that she does want to participate in them. Juliana was also the only one who did not think she would benefit from school starting later because she likes to get tasks done earlier in the day. Feeman commented that the school schedule does not bother her, although she would understand why it bothers younger students. Aleeza was very enthusiastic about what she would do with extra hours of the day, that activity being biking because of the previous wonderful weather. All three of these very diverse students had similar sleeping schedules, which included going to sleep as early as 11:00 p.m. and as late as 12:00 p.m. and waking up as early as 5:45 a.m. and as late as 6:30 a.m. From a healthy sleep perspective, sleeping for eight hours as a growing, developing teen is important. While opinions and perspectives vary, the only thing that doesn’t change is what student’s need and sometimes all a student needs is a little more time.
Sleeping for eight hours as a growing, developing teen is important.
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17 Valor Dictus | News
News | Fall 2021 17
For many classes, it’s back to pencils, pens, and paper for homework. In addition to following new FCPS guidelines regarding how much homework students can have, teachers and students are having to get used to homework again now that FCPS is back to in-person learning.
The Homework Evolution now that students are back in the building, but FCPS has also created some new rules, including that students can’t have more than 30 minutes of homework per subject each day. “Homework during online school was more difficult because there was a lot more,” said Faith Farrell, junior. “In BY VALERIA GONZALEZ NAVAJAS Staff Member person, homework is easier because I get to ask questions in person.” This year and last year have been full of change for “I prefer paper copy homework because I like to be able everyone. Every aspect of life has changed over this year to actually hold my work,” she said, “My grades are better and last year due to Covid. School was at in-person school. I pay attention online for most of last year and this year better in school which helps me learn.” has been hectic with the transition back Junior Lauren Brigidini said the to full-time in-person learning. Both homework load this year gives her teachers and students have had to face less free time compared to last year. “I the challenges in-person learning has miss Google form assignments I had brought. for certain classes.” She said she felt One of the main challenges for a lot like teachers have been respecting the of students and teachers has been the new FCPS homework limit so far. “As topic of homework. With the obvious of right now, yes, I do think they have changes homework has had with being followed that rule well”, Brigidini said. back in the physical classroom, FCPS has “But, I’m sure some nights for certain also created new rules and guidelines. homework assignments might be lonSo, what are student’s opinions about ger than 30 minutes in the future.” - Faith Farrell these new changes? And how have these Junior Senior Emilee Forand said she homework changes affected them and strongly dislikes computers. “I prefer their academic lives? paper copy homework instead.” Students have gone through so With the transition to in-person, much with having a whole year of online learning and some students love the new changes and adjust really well now they are making a difficult transition back in person. while others do not. Everyone learns and adapts to change There are many new adjustments and challenges that they in different ways. Even though this change with school has must face. Schoolwork has completely changed now that been tough, students will hopefully be able to adjust and students are back in the physical classroom. One of those enjoy the new school year with proper support and care big changes being homework. Not only has it changed from their classmates and teachers.
Students Grapple With Going Back to Paper Once Again
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I prefer paper copy homework because I like to be able to actually hold my work.
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Rams on the Move! GRACIE LEWANDOWSKI Managing Editor
The pandemic altered daily life and caused activities to come to a halt. Staying inside was the safest option for many months as Covid cases surged. Although the Delta variant is still on the rise, many have been able to get back into the swing of things while enjoying a new normal. This includes activities like visiting with family and friends, vacations, and travel. Where are our Rams now that traveling is back in the picture once again? This piece features three Robinson students who have begun traveling again.
Photo Courtesy of Mackenzie Plieskatt Mackenzie Plieskatt and her family ride icelandic ponies.Plieskatt went to swim in the Blue Lagoon afterwards!
Photo Courtesy of Mackenzie Plieskatt Mackenzie Plieskatt hikes in the lava tunnel. Shewas able to experience true darkness.
Sophomore Mackenzie Plieskatt went to Iceland, CoOn the second day, Plieskatt and her family went on penhagen, New York City, and Mexico a hiking tour in the raufarholshellir lava this year. Her and her family went to tunnel. “They turned off all the lights Iceland for three days and it was their to show us what true pitch blackness I’m thankful we were first time traveling in a while due to the looked like,” she said. Finally on the third pandemic. On the first day of the trip day, they went horseback riding on the able to travel at all they hiked to the lava fields and the icelandic ponies and swam in the blue and it was such an active volcano, fagradalsfjall. They got to lagoon. “Covid affected this trip a lot amazing, surreal see it erupt in action! as negative Covid tests were required experience. before being able to even fly to Iceland and everywhere pretty much had mask -Mackenzie Plieskatt policies. However, I’m thankful we were able to travel at all and it was such an amazing, surreal experience.”
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Junior Hannah Giambastiani enjoyed visiting her family in Myrtle beach this summer. She stayed with her grandparents while also spending time with her cousins, brother, and the rest of her family. Giambastiani went mini golfing, to the beach, celebrated her grandma’s birthday, and watched fireworks on the 4th of July. “My favorite part of the trip was going to the beach at night to play Spikeball and going night swimming,” Giambastiani said. Covid didn’t affect her trip because she stayed with her grandparents so didn’t have to worry about masks or hotels. Giambastiani had gone on other vacations before her trip to Myrtle and she always gets tested before and after traveling on an airplane.
Photo Coutesy of Hannah Giambiastiani Hannah Giambastiani playing mini golf with her brother. She enjoyed spending time with her family.
Photo Coutesy of Hannah Giambiastiani Hannah Giambastiani poses for a picture in Myrtle Beach. Her favorite part of her trip was playing spikeball on the beach at night.
Sophomore Alana Bradshaw and her family took a trip to the Outer Banks for a week in July. “My family and I decided to go to the Outer Banks to just relax and have fun together,” Bradshaw said. They went to the beach to play frisbee and swim, but also went jet skiing and to the aquarium. Bradshaw shared her excitement, “I got to touch a stingray which was cool!” In addition, her family woke up early on the last day to see the sunset. Bradshaw had planned on going to Florida, but that trip was canceled due to Covid. This trip was Bradshaw and her family’s first time out of the state in a while. “Covid had somewhat of an impact still because we did have to wear masks in some places and we decided to stay to stay in a little beach house instead of a hotel so that we were away from people.”
Photo Coutesy of Alana Bradshaw Alana Bradshaw relaxing in the Outer Banks. This was her alternative vacation as her Flordia trip was canceled due to Covid.
Photo Coutesy of Alana Bradshaw Alana Bradshaw enjoying the sunrise. She woke up early to see the spectacular view.
Then and Now Past Principals 1971-Current Samuel Coffey 1971-1973
Bob Russell 1973-1984
Bill Jackson 1984-1993
DEVON RUDOLPH Editor-in-Chief
This is a letter written in 1971 by Principal Samuel Coffey that was published in the first ever print edition of the Valor Dictus. The letter addresses ‘the student’ directly, and lays out a vision for the hopes of Robinson. There were no alterations made to the text. Dear Student, Robinson is your school, and I am your principal. I have been working with ideas included in your school for several years. All of these ideas have to do with you. You were thought about and planned for as far back as 1966 before the architect put his pencil to the drawing board. Now the time is here for us to come together. Let us give thought to the idea that this can be an historical event for each student, each faculty member, and for secondary education itself. Each of you can do a great deal to make this so. You are being challenged by me to get with it and do your share in making this new and different school succeed in what it is under-taking. These things that are different cannot be discussed here for lack of space, but you will meet them from time to time in your daily activity. The theme of this school is ‘The School for the Individual’. Our aim is to do everything possible to help the student succeed in his life now and in the future. This can never be done unless the student himself wants to succeed and assumes high responsibility for doing this. We plan to use methods of teaching and organizing that will put emphasis on the individual student. The staff has been working on its attitudes to develop an approach that will be happily acceptable to youth. We want very much to develop and maintain an excellent relationship between faculty and student and among all individuals that are a part of this school. As your principal, I am very interested in your happiness and success, and I should hope you would have some of the same concern for me Sincerely yours, Samuel J. Coffey Principal
Celebrating This letter was published in Valor Dictus in 2019, written by Principal Tracey Phillips. Dear Robinson Secondary Students, I hope you are having a great start to the school year! Many exciting things are happening at Robinson Secondary School and we have so much to celebrate. I hope that over the summer you found time to relax and spend time with family and friends. I am so excited to be in my new role as your principal and I look forward to continuing our journey to make Robinson the best school it can be. Thank you to everyone who reached out to congratulate me. I appreciate the support more than you will ever know. I am focusing on three things this year as principal: 1-Communication-we need to work to improve communication at Robinson. Our school is a huge place with a lot of people coming and going each day so we want to have good ways to effectively communicate with each other. We instituted the grade level google classroom sites to enhance communication with all students. You can access announcements, GMR, etc. on your grade level google classroom. 2-Accountability-the number one priority at Robinson is student safety and wellness. You have noticed a lot of changes this year and they are all to increase accountability in case we ever have an emergency situation. Thank you for singing in and out of the cafeteria and your classrooms when you are moving throughout the building. 3-Innovation-I strongly encourage creativity and innovation. We cannot be afraid to try new things. We have to get out of our comfort zone in order to grow and improve. I encourage you to get involved and try new things throughout the school year. Thank you everyone for making these first few weeks fantastic. This year’s Homecoming week is the best one I can ever remember. We’re going to have a fantastic school year. It’s all about teamwork and I’m proud to team with you and our entire Robinson Secondary School community as we work towards making this school year amazing! Sincerely, Tracey Phillips Principal
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Ann Monday 1993-2003
Daniel Meier 2003-2013
Matthew Eline 2013-2019
Tracey Phillips 2019-Current
22 Valor Dictus | Robinson
Photo by Kayla Yang The iconic silhouettes look out upon the seventh grade locker bay. Most of this year’s seventh grade class were in fifth grade the last time they were in in-person classes.
How are 5th Graders Adjusting to 7th Grade?
BY KAYLA YANG AND SAMANTHA PARK Staff Members
Going from fifth grade, to sixth grade being virtual, and then coming to middle school, is a lot for some seventh graders. The first couple weeks of transitioning to Robinson were a little chaotic for most seventh graders. It was hard finding classes and adjusting to a new environment. “The first couple of weeks I got lost in the hallways, but now I know where all my classes are,” said Kaitlyn, a seventh grader. One seventh grader, Charlotte, said that she really likes it here so far. She enjoys having lots of freedom and not having to walk in lines and follow lots of rules. She also likes getting to sit wherever she wants and seeing/ hanging out with her friends again. Back when students were in a virtual environment, students could get up five minutes before class if they wanted. Lazing around in pajamas and just being relaxed at home, where it’s
Nathan Herendeen, seventh grade cozy. Now with in person school, getting up five minutes before school isn’t counselor, said he saw lots of people going to work out anymore. Most sev- being helpful and supportive of the enth graders, before coming to Robin- new seventh graders. “There were also a lot of teachson, didn’t have to ers who helped go to school until seventh graders 8:30 a.m., now during their first they have to get to couple of weeks school before 8:00 a.m. here at Robinson.” Coming to Herendeen also pointed out a new school that teachers were always brings new going through opportunities, expectations, and more procedures, - Kaitlyn pointing things a new you! There Seventh Grade out to students, are always a lot focusing more on of expectations connection and when going to new places. Vy Do, a seventh grader, said not just diving straight into academics. she expected better food here at Robinson than in her elementary school. Overall, seventh graders have adjusted really well going from fifth She found that it was similar to the food from her elementary school, just grade, to sixth grade online, and coma little more variety. Same old milk ing to Robinson for the first time. “I love being around people, and being at cartons with corny jokes, rectangular Robinson!” said Kaitlyn. pizza slices, and somewhat questionable lunches.
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I love being around people, and being at Robinson!
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‘Donda’ Breaks Sales Records COLIN BEENHOUWER Sports Editor
After nearly 16 months of teasers, three listening events, and one presidential campaign, rapper Kanye West has released his tenth studio album, Donda. The album, which runs for 108 minutes and has 27 songs, includes over a dozen features from big artists, including Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, The Weeknd, Playboi Carti, and more. The album was made known to the public on July 13, 2020, when West released a brief snippet on Twitter, entitled Donda. About two months later, another snippet was posted on West’s twitter account, this preview named “Believe What I Say”. Excitement sparked again on July 17, 2021, when rapper Consequence posted an image of West in the studio with Tyler, the Creator. Pusha T, a friend of West, first announced the initial listening party on July 19. Finally, anticipation peaked when the Beats Electronics company released an advertisement featuring West’s “No Child Left Behind” during Game 6 of the NBA Finals. West’s listeners would know that the more-thanyearlong delay was not much of a surprise. Out of West’s complete discography of 13 albums, Donda was the eighth that did not release according to the expected date. The release date changed a total of 9 times, after 3 listening
parties, before ultimately dropping on Sunday, August 29, at 8:00 AM. In what was one of the craziest album releases to date, West previewed the majority of the album over the course of three in-person events, which were also streamed on Apple Music. The first two events were held in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in Atlanta, and the third was held at Chicago’s Soldier Field. Merely hours after Donda was dropped, a picture was posted on West’s Instagram account, reading in big black letters, “UNIVERSAL PUT MY ALBUM OUT WITH MY APPROVAL”. West also claimed the label blocked another song, featuring Dababy and Marilyn Manson, two artists whose contributions to the album sparked controversy. While the album has left critics divided, there is no arguing with the accolades. Donda sold 309,000 units within the first five days, breaking the previous record for highest album sales in 2021. It was West’s 10th consecutive album to debut at number 1 on the Billboard top 200, tying the record for most consecutive #1 debuts in history. Within the first day of its release, Donda became the Apple Music #1 Album in 152 countries, with the third-most streams on the first day of any album release. After one of the most memorable series of events in music history, one can only wonder what could be coming next.
24 Valor Dictus | News
Celebrat of ‘Blue’s BY IMRAN SAMADI Staff writer
The hit children’s television series Blue’s Clues turned 25 as of Sept. 8, 2021. In celebration of the remarkable occasion, the cast came together to host live social media events for fans to participate in and to share a trip down memory lane to see the many changes Blue’s Clues went through after the airing of 163 episodes.
Writer’s Note
It was truly a heartwarming anniversary this one was; I for once thought that I would never see Steve again, that he was just a forgotten figure in television history. But man I tried not to get emotional when I saw that video. It made me realize just how much time has passed, he looked and sounded like a completely different person and I’m glad he gave me and other longtime fans the closure we needed. This whole event was a unique experience for everyone and I’m satisfied with the happy ending we got.
Many of the students in Robinson have grown up on early 2000s programs such as Blues Clues, so they and other longtime fans of the series were met for a very special guest appearance for the 25th anniversary of Blue’s Clues.
Blue’s Beginning
Although a pilot episode of Blue’s Clues was filmed in 1994 titled “Blue Prints,” it never aired on television as it was simply a test episode. However, Sept 8, 1996 was the day the first episode aired on PBS titled “Snack Time.” Hosted by Steve Burns, he and an animated dog named Blue went out on their first adventure. Blue, at the time, was drawn child-like with short & simple movements and gestures. This would change later on in the years. The show was met with pos-
itive reactions from kids and parents alike, saying it is a great way for kids to engage in interactive learning and it stood out among other childrens TV programs with special effects involving 3D characters interacting with 2D, and various green screen effects. Soon, the show landed a spot on Nick Jr. the kids channel run by Nickelodeon. One week after the premiere of Blue’s Clues, was the release of episode two, in which Steve and Blue, now an iconic duo explore patterns and time. Being met with the same positive results as the first episode, the show continues to build its audience with its weekly releases, innovatively teaching a broad range of subjects from colors, shapes, and everyday items.
The effects they used were crazy when I saw them, my favorite thing was seeing Steve jump into the paintings and move around in them.
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Ethan Lumbag Junior
Arts | Fall 2021 25
ting 25 Years ’s Clues’ Steve’s Departure
Four seasons into Blue’s Clues, on episode 22, the character Joe (Donavon Patton) made his first appearance as Steve’s brother and the two hosted the next few episodes together. However, on episode 24, the last episode of the season, Steve announced his departure from Blue’s Clues saying he is “leaving for college.” He stated that he is grateful for everything and with him gone, Joe took the spot on the thinking chair as the new host of Blue’s Clues for the last two seasons.
Blue’s Clues Without Steve
After Steve Burns split off from the cast of Blue’s Clues to pursue his college education, the show continued for two last seasons hosted by Joe, the fictional younger brother of the prior host. Seasons five and six spanned from April of 2002 to May of 2004, and throughout the show has undergone many visual changes. With the increase in production, the quality of characters was amplified and settings had more detail and variety and in some cases 2D characters were animated in different styles such as stop motion or even shifting to 3D. The conclusion of season six was the last of Blue’s Clues to be aired on TV for a long time. More than a decade passes, fast forward to Nov. 11, 2019, a reboot was introduced on Nick Jr.
titled Blue’s Clues and You. Featuring a redesigned Blue looking more bold and resembling a real dog rather than a cartoony one, animated in 3D. Along with the new Blue came the newest host of the series, Josh Dela Cruz, or simply Josh. Although the premiere episode did feature Steve and Joe, this was the only episode they starred in. Blues Clues and You currently has a runtime lasting two seasons, with a third in development, throughout Nov. 2019 to Sept. 2021.
The Icon Returns
In 2021, the series celebrates 25 years of entertainment. The anniversary had users on various social media platforms interacting with games, puzzles and meeting the cast. But on this day, a two minute video was posted on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube of the long-awaited Steve Burns making an appearance in his striped green shirt 25 years after his departure. The video contains Steve giving a heartwarming returning message to his fans and explaining what happened in 2002. Burns, Patton, and Dela Cruz all wore their iconic shirts to have their own bits of fun at the studios behind Blue’s Clues; They showed humorous behind the scenes footage, partaking in Q&As and recreating memorable moments during their experiences as hosts. The main event ended off with the announcement of a movie by Nickelodeon starring all three hosts, which
began production this summer. Even then, dozens of giveaways, more Q&As, and skits were performed and some are still being done.
Chill Songs to St
Rydell Grimes Staff Member
My Ever Changing Moods (piano version) The Style Council
Singer/songwriter Paul Weller has a unique, rich voice that moves between notes smoothly and adds life to the lyrics. His voice is enhanced by the piano, and both blend well, as they are the only sources of music in the song. Although the tempo of the song is lively, the piano and lyrics give it a relaxed atmosphere. The mood is supported by the imagery and lyrical content. Imagery and diction include sugar, moonlight, statues, teardrops, and the phrase ‘calm before the storm’. PHOTOS AND STORY BY RYDELL GRIMES Staff Member
Aries Gorillaz ft Peter Hook Dangerous Blues The Young Veins and Georgia In this love song, singer/songwrit-
‘Aries’ is a collaboration performed by Joy Division/New Order bassist Peter Hook, ex-Blur and current Gorillaz singer/songwriter Damon Albarn, and singer/songwriter Georgia. Peter Hook’s distinct style of playing high notes on the bass has a repetitive pattern in this song. The repetition and mid-low tones create a relaxing melody. Additionally, Damon Albarn’s voice is soft on this track and it sounds quieter and even muffled by the instrumentation at certain points. Imagery in this song includes high tide, volcanos, and far-away lights. The BPM of 120 is a moderate pace, but the imagery and vocal qualities, as well as bassline, create a relaxing instrumentation.
er Ryan Ross uses first person pronouns, directly addressing the listener (“why do your eyes feel like shells in a dune”, “step outside your door”, etc). This adds a level of personal connection and engages the listener. Imagery in this song includes the beach, seashells, and sand dunes. The beach is a universal symbol of serenity, thus using imagery connected to it creates a peaceful atmosphere. The use of the word ‘bloomed’ also calls to mind new life and spring. The line ‘I’ve never bloomed such a beautiful blue’ communicates the singer finding beauty in his sadness. This song’s tempo is slow and waltz-like, with a BPM of 96.
Stave Off Stress Photo by Rydell Grimes
Cornerstone Arctic Monkeys
Northern Downpour Panic! At the Disco
Many people find rain soothing, so the title by itself sets a nice tone. Furthermore, ‘weathervanes’ may remind the listener of peaceful countryside homes and southern hospitality. The concept of peaceful country homes is furthered by the line ‘you clicked your heels and wished for me’, a reference singer/songwriter Brendon Urie makes to The Wizard of Oz. With the line ‘Melt your headaches, call it home’ the singer is encouraging listener to be at ease and accept the place they’re in. Furthermore, ‘hey moon, please forget to fall down’ communicates the singer’s desire for the moon to stay up and prolong the nighttime. Piano music and a BPM of 85 add to the easy mood of the song.
‘Cornerstone’ is a love song with a sad but humorous twist. We find singer/songwriter Alex Turner believing he’s seeing his, we can assume, past partner in various locations, only to discover ‘she’ was different people. His voice is wonderfully dynamic and smooth, allowing him to hit and move between notes with ease while telling an interesting love story. Simple guitar work and steady bass pair well with the waltz BPM of 84.
You Are The Everything
R.E.M
Singer/songwriter Michael Stipe is confiding in the listener, expressing his feelings about them and the world. With the line ‘here’s a scene’, he hooks the listener and proceeds to describe a peaceful image. The song’s comforting lyrics include laying in the backseat of a car, looking at stars in the sky, and feeling time stand still while you’re with the person you love. The BPM is fast, 163, but it’s countered by the vocal quality and lyrics.
Don’t Dream it’s Over Crowded House, covered by Sixpence None the Richer
In this cover, singer Leigh Nash’s soft, almost ethereal vocals add depth to the song and lyrics, supported by the instrumentation and a walking pace of 80 BPM. Although it’s not blunt, one of the topics in this song includes love, seen in the lines ‘Counting the steps to the door of your heart’ and ‘To build a wall between us/We know they won’t win’. The song is melodious and light in slight contrast to the original version. The song’s story is a gentle warning (‘you’ll ever reach the end of the road when you’re traveling with me’) and critique (‘tales of Tales of war and of waste/But you turn right over to the TV page’) as the singer addresses the listener.
28 Valor Dictus | Entertainment
Free Guy: A Ram Review Soma Fulwiler
Free Guy is the latest movie put out by 20th Century Fox Studios, and after several delays, was released Aug. 13, 2021. The film is a PG-13 comedy/action film directed by Shawn Levy, who’s other notable films include the Night at the Museum trilogy and Real Steel. The film received generally warm reviews, with an 81 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, 62 percent on Metacritic, and a 7.6/10 on IMDb. While having a budget of $100-125 million, the film grossed a worldwide total of $768.2 million since its release five weeks ago. The story follows Guy, a bank teller in Free City. When he finds out that he’s actually a background character in a video game, he uses this newfound information to shape his own destiny. Meanwhile, video game programmers Millie and her partner, Keys, are searching the game for evidence of it’s producer, Antwan, stealing their work.
Entertainment | Fall 2021 29
The story is creative. I loved the irony of this groundbreaking AI walking around and everybody treating it like it’s just another person playing the game. It made for some great comedy. Scenes didn’t feel rushed, and there’s plenty of time to transition from one thing to the next without dragging out for too long. The climax is thrilling, and the ending is a satisfying conclusion.
My biggest issue with the story lies with its antagonist, Antwan. He’s not a fantastic villain. He isn’t intimidating enough to make me feel like he’s a real threat, nor is he an enjoyable enough villain to disregard it. Could he at least have a better motive than ‘I want more money’? It’s not compelling at all and leaves for a really lame villain and character. The fact that he does whatever he wants and doesn’t have a board to answer to is just a little too convenient for the sake of the plot. Another, albeit smaller problem I had is how the game itself functioned. For the most part, the movie did well not to make the world too confusing. It made sense that each player has an individual base where they store all their gear. Of course there are pop-culture based power-ups. However, sometimes they would push this a little too far. Then again, maybe the interactions you can have in-game are truly limitless. This is probably my favorite Ryan Reynolds role. Guy is such a fun protagonist, and quite relatable too. He never ceased to make me laugh. His delivery and acting made him my favorite character in the film. Jodie Comer did an incredible job bringing young programmer Millie to life. Same goes for Joe Keery’s portrayal of the funny and somewhat nerdy Keys. Comer and Keery had some great chemistry together on screen which drove both of their characters. Taika Waititi is an incredible actor, but... I felt he got dealt a bad hand in this movie. The antagonist he portrayed, Antwan, is annoying, and didn’t feel like a huge threat, just some corporate buffoon. Something I found neat is the use of real life streamers such as Lazarbeam, Pokimane, and DanTDM in the movie. Their addition felt natural, and not at all cringey or uncomfortable. Additionally, this movie is really funny. The
characters all play off each other well, and the dramatic irony of players using video game terminology around Guy, to his utter confusion, is hilarious. Visual gags are also employed. An example of which is the fact that these background characters live in a world riddled with crime, explosions, robberies, and terror, and everyone is absolutely fine, even moreso, cheery about it. This film looks amazing. The visual effects are stunning, especially on the big screen. I like the choices they made to make this video game world seem authentic. When Guy puts on the glasses that reveal the game world, you can see all the special effects flowing with a levitating motion. They seem almost interactable, just like they would in a video game. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The comedic brilliance and heart-racing action sequences all make this movie a great time. This is an excellent family movie night material. While the film began streaming on Sept. 27, I highly- highly recommend going to see it in theaters. For me, it was the first film I saw at the movies since lockdown, and an experience like this is only fit for the big screen, 8/10!
30 Valor Dictus | Reviews
Photos by Christyn Levy The Calm Cafe, shown at left, has comfy chairs where students can sit in. Calm Cafe is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. The space, located in the gold cafeteria, also has white tables where students can eat lunch in a quiet atmosphere.
Rams Minds Matter Club Offers Respite, Support for Students BY RAGHAD ALMADHOUN Staff Member
Are you feeling pressured? Need a little break from people? Would a little time to yourself help you make it through the day? You might be exactly the type of person the Rams Minds Matter club was created for. The club, which meets in room B222, is a safe and welcoming place for everyone. The club organizers know students are feeling stressed and overwhelmed with homework, tests, school in general, and also with the new “life routine” everybody has to go through with the global pandemic. Covid has made a huge impact on everyone and the members of the Rams Minds Matter club want you to know that it’s okay and that they are here for you. “We wanted to have a safe space for students to feel okay being themselves,” said senior Almu, a club co-president. “We get this pressure of what people expect us to be and in this club there’s no pressure. We just want you to be you and that’s enough
for us.” In the Rams Minds Matter club, participants are encouraged to be themselves and definitely have respect. There isn’t anything specific you need to have in order to join it. “This is by no means a therapy group. We definitely always want to clarify that,” said club advisor Christyn Levy. “You don’t have to have problems to join this club,” said Levy. “Anyone is welcome. But we’re not diving deep into major concerns. Normally the club starts with something called rose bud thorn where we share something that’s gone well this week, something that hasn’t gone well this week, and something you’re looking forward to this week. Sometimes people share things such as ‘I’m looking forward to the weekend where I can sleep in.’ You don’t have to share something super personal.”
Students who have tried the club said it’s a place that really helped them. “It was helpful to me and I think that’s something that I wish more students could have,” said Almu. “Covid sort of got us stuck for a while but now we are up and running again. I just want to make sure that every student is heard because sometimes I don’t think as a school we do a very good job on that.” “Some activities we do in the club are stress-relieving activities such as coloring and sometimes lessons are taught,” Levy said. Rams Minds Matter also came up with something called ‘The Calm Cafe.’ It’s located in the Gold cafeteria and it’s for students to eat lunch if the cafeteria is too loud. It’s open to all and is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
Calm Cafe is open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
Reviews | Fall 2021 31
ZINGO! PATRICK FOOS AND SARAH MAZE Staff Members
Zingo? What’s Zingo? It’s bingo with a zing!
Zingo is published by ThinkFun as an educational board game. The goal of Zingo is to fill your board, a three-by-three set of icons, with tiles matching the icons on the board, at which point, you shout “Zingo” to signify your victory over your opponents.
The tiles come from the “zinger,” a red box, which distributes two tiles after being pulled by the dealer. The zinger contains two stacks of Zingo tiles which must be refilled when the zinger is empty. Players can either call out the tiles that match their boards to claim them or, in some versions, the first person to grab a tile claims it. Senior Lauren Linney described
Zingo as a “simple game that’s good for kids to play.” Zingo’s simplicity makes it a great game for babysitting. It’s easy to learn and master, a trait that not all games share, especially for younger demographics. Although Zingo is geared towards kids, everyone can enjoy the game. Sophomore Maddy Brooks said that she last played Zingo two weeks ago because she was
Polling data indicates that students prefer to pull the Zinger at a 4:1 margin
20% 80%
at her friend’s house and they were bored and so they were playing board games. The game was also recommended by freshman Anthony Chong who said that “everyone [should play Zingo] because it’s super fun.” Zingo’s fun stems, in part, from the many illustrated tiles that are included in the game, though during gameplay only two are available at any one time. The brightly colored yellow tiles are formed from a hard plastic that is moderately lustrous. The tiles feature various illustrations of simple objects like stars and cats to allow non-readers to identify the tiles as well as text for readers. Freshman Alessa Goyzueta said that she preferred the heart tiles, while Linney said “I like the animal ones.” Zingo boards also have two sides, red and green, which offer different challenge levels based on the frequency duplicate. Chong said that he preferred the red side because he likes the color red.”
32 Valor Dictus | Sports
“[I like] having a good performance. It feels so satisfying.” -Rachel Pryor Grade 10
Flagging Your Attention Color guard begins to gather support at Robinson Sports Editor
COLIN BEENHOUWER
Photo by Devon Rudolph Color guard practices outside during RAISE. The students are excited for an upcoming performance.
“I like learning new stuff, like new tosses and new show work.” -Madeline Brooks Grade 10
Sports | Fall 2021 33
Robinson Athletes: On Their Way to Greatness Nuria Dakake Staff Writer
Rob Muzzio, a graduate of Robinson, went to the 1992 Summer Olympics as a decathlete. Chris Warren, another graduate, was a member of the Dallas Cowboys and the Seattle Seahawks. From football to lacrosse, Robinson has produced some amazing athletes over the years. According to Project Play, 71.8 percent of kids participate in sports from the age of 6-17. But how do some athletes rise above the rest and become champions? High school is where many athletes began their journey to success. Football legend Tom Brady started playing in high school. James A. Barrineau, the varsity track coach at Robinson, earned a track scholarship to college and was in the 1972 Sum-
Photo by: Kevin Baird Kristen Baird runs a 5k for Robinson
mer Olympics. Barrineau says that he would, “never get a scholarship today,” with the ability he had in high school. This is because today, colleges are looking for athletes who have already peaked in their sport. Colleges are less willing to take a chance on athletes who have the potential to excel in a sport. Grace Gilbert is a ninth grader at Robinson. She plays softball most days a week and has been playing since fourth grade. Some softball players Gilbert looks up to include JMU pitcher Odyssey Alexander, and Olympic champion Rachel Garcia. Gilbert plans to take softball all the way to college and play professionally if possible. Gilbert is considering attending Division I schools like JMU and UCLA for college. In order to reach her dream of becoming a D1 softball player Gilbert needs her pitching speed to be 60 miles per hour; her current pitching speed is 55 miles per hour. To achieve this Gilbert practices pitching while using a resistance band around her legs. “It takes a lot of patience because softball is very strategic. It’s a mental game more than a physical game,” Gilbert said. Kristen Baird is a ninth grader at Robinson. Baird runs cross country. Baird began running in sixth grade and would love to run professionally if possible. She plans on continuing cross country through college. Baird’s 5K time is 21.50. In order to reach her time goal of 21.30, Baird does something called mile’s repeated. When practicing miles repeated Baird runs
Photo by: Melissa Shaffer Grace Gilbert throws a pitch.
about the pace she would run a mile and practices maintaining that speed. “It’s a lot of work, you’re always running,” Baird said. There are many athletes at Robinson with incredible potential. Training most days a week and competing every weekend is a reality for most serious athletes. Robinson is ready to nurture these young athletes, help them reach their greatest potential, and push their furthest limits. “Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and keep it lit.” - Mary Lou Retton.
34 Valor Dictus | Sports
Athletes of the Month Zoe Dolfis and Will Cohen received Athlete of the Month in September due to their athletic leadership and performance.
COLIN BEENHOUWER Sports Editor
“She’s a very quiet leader; however she is so impactful in the times that the team needs her.” -Lindsay Arnsmeyer, Varsity Field Hockey Coach
Junior captain Zoe Dolfis helped lead her team to a regular season record of 10-2, as well as qualifying for the state tournament. “My favorite part of playing [for Robinson] is the team environment. It really feels like a family”, said Dolfis.
Photo by Sophie Yadz Cohen breaks away from the defense against Fairfax.
“He’s more of a lead by example guy, but he’s a guy we know we can always count on.” -Scott Vossler, Varsity Football Coach
Photo by Ram Snaps Dolfis fights for a ball in Robinson’s 6-0 win against Hayfield.
Running back Will Cohen broke loose for 19 touchdowns in the regular season. His quiet but assertive presence is felt throughout the entire football team, as they finished second in the Patriot District with a 9-1 record.
Sports | Fall 2021 35
A Season to Remember After a successful regular season, two members of the Robinson field hockey team received prestigious awards. COLIN BEENHOUWER Sports Editor
Photo by Sophie Yadz Robinson’s 10 seniors, along with senior manager Emily Wamboldt, post before their senior night game.
After the district tournament final, several players and coaches were honored with regular season awards. However, senior Anya Arseneau and coach Lindsay Arnsmeyer received special congratulations. Arseneau was voted by coaches across the district as the Player of the Year, while Arnsmeyer was recognized as Coach of the Year after leading Robinson to a district and regional championship.Robinson reached the state tournament, before being defeated by Yorktown in the quarterfinals.
“I enjoy watching my players develop, not only into better athletes, but better people.” -Lindsay Arnsmeyer, Varsity Field Hockey Coach
With 10 seniors on the roster, Robinson was included in the Washington Post’s top ten field hockey programs in the state, with several players being recognized as first- and second-team all-Patriot District.
Photo taken by Sophie Yadz Arseneau dribbles away from the defender on Senior Night. Arseneau has committed to play field hockey at the University of Rochester.
Falling into Sports Photos by Sohpie Yadz
DEVON RUDOLPH Editor-in-Chief COLIN BEENHOUWER Sports Editor
