Valor Dictus
Bravely Speaking to the Robinson Community
First Gen First Hand How being a first generation immigrant impacts students on page 14
Vol. 3 Iss. 3 April 2018
Advisor: Christopher Moore
Editor-in-Chief: Amelia Gulding Managing Editor: Emily Boland Business Manager: Courtney Williams
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Social Media Editor: Jessica Reid Design Editor: Rachel Bloedorn Photo Editor: Khadeejat Lawal Entertainment Editor: Bridget Harold Sports Editor: Matthew Lichtblau Opinions Editor: Connor Dunphy News Editor: Sam Davis Staff Writers: Andrew Lichtblau Haroon Nawaz Maya Tegegn Nate Walker Nathaniel Robertson Aidan O’Meara
News
4 Award Shows: A Political 5 6
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Podium Uber Everywhere Restrictive Rules
Info
Features
8 9 10-11 12-13
Editorials
A Subpar Experience Striving for a Very Merry Ethiopia Senior Seeks Advetures An International Endeavor
22 Holy Healthcare 23 Is Minimum Wage a Minimal Problem 24 Looking at Lockdown Drills
Entertainment 18 19 20-21
Sports 25 26-27 28
HQ It’s Been too Long Dahlings Rams of the Round Table
NFL Draft Preview A Sport with Soul Althlete Spotlight: Nick Rowlett
STAFF EDITORIAL: Trailers on Trial Robinson is a massive school filled with students. Almost 3500. Because of the size of the student body, a large amount of classes need to be taught in the trailers or mods. Yes, the paper-mache walls that will broil during the summer and freeze during the winter. The classrooms where the fire alarm may or may not work depending on how it feels that day. Students must suffer through the weather and shortened passing times to get out to the trailers or mods. We can not think of anything worse than having to get your state-funded education in a non discriminatory setting in less than ideal conditions. While women all over the world are denied a basic education due to oppressive governments, the students of Northern Virginia wage their own battle against cheaply made classrooms. This cannot stand in one of the most well funded counties in all of the Continental United States. Education is essential to keep the country globally competative. One of the biggest draws to living in our area is the fact that the school system is so excellent. We cannot
keep the expected excellence up if classes are not adequately prepared for their student load. Robinson is not the only school that suffers from this calamity. All across the seemingly wealthy county, schools have been forced to send their overflow of students to the outside world. In addition to being at the mercy of the weather, trailers and mods are also a security threat. Unlike most main school facilities, trailers don’t have the amount of cameras and the strong locked doors that the school does to deter potential intruders. Robinson We can not think knows this first hand a homeless man of anything worse after attempted to get into than having to get a locked trailer a few your state-funded years ago. In addition to being their own education in a non islands, trailers also discriminatory have a questionable setting in less than fire alarm service. If there was a fire, ideal conditions. there is no guarantee that those stuck in the faux wood boxes would know quickly enough to get out. Less important, but essential all the same, trailers are often far enough away that students are really pushed to get to their classes in time before being marked tardy. Americans students should be afforded the best in education. Flimsy trailers do nothing but just keep them corralled. Something needs to be changed.
Information provided by Fairfax County Times, 2018
FCPS utilizes more than 800 temporary classrooms, and the county takes 37 years on average to replace and update facilities, according to FCPS Department of Facilities and Transportation Services
The number of Fairfax County students who attend classes in trailers rivals the total student populations of the public school districts in Arlington County and the City of Richmond.
$118 million cash flow increase is what FCPS needs to reach a facility replacement cycle of 25 years and eliminate all trailers, , though it does not cover the additional $50 million needed to address major maintenance issues. Info
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Award Shows:
A Political Podium BY AIDAN O’MEARA Guest Writer
Is the current political influence in award shows a trend or tradition?
Entertainment awards shows such as the Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards have come under fire in recent years, with many slamming the events as overly political. Although the claim that these affairs and the artists involved are often socially conscious and vocal is entirely fair, this is not a recent occurrence, only one amplified by the presence of social media and constant celebrity coverage in modern society. Over the past few years, the Oscars have shown a spotlight on individual hot-button issues. For example, the 2016, 2017, and 2018 Academy Awards focused on race diversity in Hollywood, the election of Donald Trump, and women’s rights &with the #MeToo movement, respectively. While this move to highlighting single issues throughout the program is certainly a recent development, the appearance of political statements from hosts, presenters, winners, and even the voting body itself has been a part of Oscar tradition for decades. Hattie McDaniel’s 1940 win for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Gone With the Wind was a major bow of support from the film community to the Civil Rights Movement. In 1973, Marlon Brando refused to accept his Best Actor Oscar for portraying Vito Corleone in Best Picture-winner The Godfather, instead sending Native American actress Sacheen Littlefeather (a.k.a Maria Cruz) to make a statement regarding the poor treatment of American Indians in the entertainment industry. The examples from throughout the 90 years of Academy history are endless, nearly every important social movement represented at some point or another, from gay and transgender rights (3 wins for Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain in 2006, 2 for Gus Van Sant’s Milk in 2009, 1 for Sebastian Lelio’s A Fantastic Woman in 2018) to veterans’ aid (Jon Voight’s win for Coming Home in 1979 and Platoon’s 4 trophies
at the 1987 Oscars). Ultimately, the belief that these events have become overly message-minded finds its roots in modern media and celebrity culture, in which every moment is immediately broadcasted to millions across the globe. Unlike in the many years before, the Oscars are now an event not only for fans of film but essentially for all. This naturally leads to those outside of the film and entertainment bubble being subjected to views they often disagree with or that they are not accustomed to, which, as with seemingly every subject in today’s discussions, leads to anonymous online spats with no apparent end in sight. While there is certainly an argument to be made for the benefits of popping said bubble, this debate inevitably takes away from the merit of the films being awarded. Instead of celebrating the Best Picture win of Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, a profoundly beautiful, critically-acclaimed film made for a mere fraction of the budgets of its competitors, the conversation became consumed by arguments over that year’s show’s highlighting of Hollywood diversity. The same can be said for this year’s victor, Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water, which seems to have been lost in a sea (Forgive the pun.) of needless online debate over whether or not the event handled the #MeToo movement properly. Although many may disagree with the views of the Academy and the film industry in total, or with how they express said views, to say that this expression is merely one of today’s political climate is simply false. As this dispute rages on, the Oscars’ ratings decline year after year, but at what cost? Is tweeting out an often unrelated, deeply misinformed opinion so as to attack/provoke a celebrity or fellow anonymous commentator really worth cheapening the accomplishments of some of the finest art today’s cinematic community has to offer?
The appearance of political statements from hosts, presenters, winners, and even the voting body itself has been a part of Oscar tradition for decades
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News
Uber Everywhere Exploring Student Safety & Service
Uber is founded as UberCab.
March, 2009
Uber goes international, expanding to Paris, France.
UberEats is released as a stand-alone app.
December, 2011
December, 2015
BY COURTNEY WILLIAMS With the rise of Uber and demand Business Editor from students to travel place to place, there is the question of whether the service is safe for students. Late buses are only available three days out of the week and students must be with a teacher for activity. For students whose parents cannot drive them and cannot drive themselves home, getting rides for sports practices or other activities can be limited. Some students, however, use the car service Uber which allows people request a ride from the nearest available drivers. Uber allows people who register to use their personal cars to receive and respond to these requests. Uber does background checks before allowing someone to register, yet there are some safety risks. According to Uber’s policy, riders need to be at least 18 to use the Uber App to request a ride or need to be accompanied by an adult. Drivers are supposed to deny minors rides if they are unaccompanied by adults, however a survey revealed that out of 34 students who responded our Twitter Survey, 19 students have used the service. According to School Officer Resource, Kimberly Wright, requesting a ride can pose some danger to students despite background checks. “They are getting into a vehicle with a stranger. No matter how thorough Uber is about their hiring practices you never know who you are getting into the car with,” said Wright, “They [Uber] sends you a picture of the driver, the car and the license plate so you know you’re getting into the right car but ultimately you have to trust Uber for who they are sending.” Though Uber is a relatively safe service with trips being uneventful, there are a few incidents of drivers and
passengers being injured or even killed. Last year, a D.C. woman was attacked by her Uber driver, who attempted to sexually assault her and strangle her. Though incidents like this are rare, they do happen, and teenagers who travel alone may be more at risk for such incidents to happen. Uber allows riders to certify that the car that arrives is the right car and allows riders and drivers to report any unsafe activity to prevent incidents such as the one last year. But is there a time when it is appropriate to use Uber? Students who miss their bus at school and do not have the option of getting a ride from a friend, a parent, an older sibling can be driven by teachers and other administrators. If students are in a situation when they are outside of school, school resource officer Kimberly Wright suggests getting in touch with a parent or another trusted adult. “I think Uber is safe to use,” says junior Bradley Moore, however, “I don’t see the point in paying money for someone to drive you somewhere.” For students who do use the service, like junior Mary Spangler, she recommends always travelling with friends and bringing a form of self defense, such as pepper spray. Some students such as sophomore Cathleen Warner only use the service as a last resort. “I use Uber for rides to the airport or in case of an emergency.” Like Spangler, Warner has safety advice that students should consider. “I would say make sure you get the driver’s name in case you have complaints and make sure other people know where you are going and that you are taking an Uber,” said Warner. Regardless of policy, there will still be use of the service without stringer enforcement of the rules. Despite this, Uber’s main goal is to ensure the safety of its passengers and drivers.
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PROM IS COMING, GET FIT!
“[The Sub] had me sit at the front of the room by myself as he called school security, when an administrator came the guy pointed at me as I sat there with my paintbrush, stating that my Rust-oleum Premium Latex Paint was a ‘major safety concern’ and that the ‘toxic fumes’ were a ‘health hazard.’ Admin pretended to care, dismissed him and then left. Unnamed sub proceeded to call his friends (at his nursing home probably) and air his grievances about today’s reckless youth and the inevitable collapse of society due to the self-centeredness of today’s youth.”
“Last year in my physics class I had a sub that was like 80 years old. He went to the bathroom at the very beginning of class. He came back from the bathroom with a long string of toilet paper coming out of his pants. He doesn’t know the whole entire class. I was third period, and I had friends in fifth period and they told me he didn’t notice that who class either.”
“One of my subs would shake hands and deliver a warm jolly rancher through the handshake to you when ever you would answer a question correctly”
A Subpar Experience Students share stories of strange substitute teacher experiences
“One time we had a sub and after he handed us work he went to his desk and just watched boxing. It would’ve been okay if he had headphones in but he was playing it out loud while we were working. Someone said something and he turned it down only slightly. I guess he just really like boxing.” 7
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“In seventh grade, a sub one day was going through the attendance list, and she goes, “guys, don’t put a fake name on the list. ‘I-shit-a,’ what kind of fake name is that?” and Ishita was like “here.”
“Every time someone would leave the door open a crack he would yell ‘please close the door!’ And so people we’re just intentionally leaving the door open so he would yell it every time. And he was on his phone with his Beats and should ‘please close the door’ and that is all he did all class. When he took attendance he said all of the names really loudly and said their middle names. He was a really weird dude.”
An International Endeavor iLASA directs annual international show
ILASA, or International Latin American Students Association, is a group developed at Robinson that celebrates different cultures. With the help of five student officers and the advisors, Mr. Purpura, Ms. Azimi, and Ms. Hanus, ILASA has grown into a renowned club at Robinson. One of their most recognized events is the International Show, including scenes from countries all over the world. It encourages students to show off the talents, fashions, and music from their countries in an engaging performance to the school. The show was originally scheduled for March 24th, but was postponed to May 2nd due to inclement weather. This change gives much more time to prepare and perfect the show, with four show directors and 13 scene directors contributing to its success. There will be ten breathtaking scenes, including West Africa, Europe, East Asia, and even America, making sure that everyone who wants to participate can. One of the show directors, senior Andrea Machuca has taken on a great responsibility towards putting on an amazing show. Machuca has been working relentlessly to make the International show a huge success. “Show directing was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Machuca said about signing up for the responsibility of show directing. It’s honestly a little stressful at times, but knowing that you were able to bring it BY JESSICA REID Social Media Editor
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all together and put on this amazing show is such a great feeling,” Not only does she help put on a great show, she is contributing to spreading culture across the Robinson community. “It [the show] has allowed me to meet so many people from all cultures! I love that I get to help make a show where the main initiative is to emphasize cultural diversity and embrace them in our high school setting.” ILASA puts a large focus on spreading culture, and raising awareness to the interesting diversity in the school. Furthermore, the club does more than just the International Show. Machuca holds a strong role in ILASA and feels strongly about spreading the importance of the club, “We hold meetings where we discuss the similarities and differences of our cultures! We do events like movie nights on the lawn, Spanish dance classes, and even potlucks with food from all over the world!” Latin American students are not the only ones that can join ILASA and be a part of activities. The club is open to all students, especially representing diversity with the many different ethnicities walking in the International Show. Josie George,sophomore, is modeling for the India scene and feels strongly about the importance if ILASA. “It allows people to connect with their own ethnicity and cultural background or you have an opportunity to discover your cultural background,” George said regarding the reasons why ILASA is importance to her and Robinson as
The International Show features “scenes” of cultures and areas around the world. Models display colorful, traditional garb while the talent portion presents lively cultural acts such as dancing or singing.
a whole. George said her favorite part of the club is “All of the people we meet and all of the experiences we have, because you have a connection with people with the same cultural background as you.” ILASA is a great way to make friends and get introduced to a lot of people, similar, and different from you. Students across Robinson take great pride in participating in ILASA, providing all members with their own unique cultural experience. Santiago Lince, senior, is an officer of ILASA and holds various responsibilities such as coordinating meetings and advertising the club with the other officers. “My favorite part of being an officer is interacting with the minority stu-
dents that join us from all around the world. Mostly, speaking in Spanish with students I share my background, that is, students who have recently moved to Fairfax from Latin American countries,” Lince shares about his experiences in ILASA. Students can join at any point in high school and still feel the inclusion and kindness of the others involved. Lince started his journey as an officer this year, “Although this was my first year as an officer, I have embraced every bit of the role as if I’d been doing it for three [years]. It has been a fantastic experience that I wish I had tried earlier in my life.” ILASA has spread across Robinson like a wildfire the last few years, helping individuals showcase their talents and represent the wonderful diversity in the area. Features
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Junior Karen Samy emigrated from Egypt to the United States with her family 14 years ago. Photo by Khadeejat Lawal.
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Senior Kat Nastea’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Romania. Photo by Khadeejat Lawal.
irst Gen irst Hand How being a first generation immigrant impacts students
Senior Santiago Lince is a first-generation immigrant whose family hails from Colombia, where he lived until originally moving to the U.S. when he was six years old. Photo by Khadeejat Lawal.
Northern Virginia has long been hailed a cultural melting pot, a blend of many different individuals and ethnicities with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. The Robinson community, in specific, can be viewed as a microcosm of the greater Northern Virginia area. It has its share of diversity and perspectives, especially when it comes to first-generation immigrants who are classified as individuals who were born in a foreign country and then immigrated to the United States, or the children of such immigrants. The widespread diversity of Virginia has come a long way since as early as the latter half of the 20th century. According to the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities’ Changing Face of Virginia report, in 1970, only one percent of Virginians had been foreign-born. But, by the year 2012, this statistic had jumped to around 11 percent, or roughly one in nine Virginians born outside of the U.S. Robinson, specifically, is home to many first-generation immigrants who boast a variety of different origins, hailing from countries across the globe. For one, junior
Senior Tommy Nguyen’s parents established a life in the United States after escaping the struggles and hardships of Vietnamese life, especially during the Vietnam War. Photo by Khadeejat Lawal.
Karen Samy is a first-generation immigrant, whose family initially moved to the U.S. in 2004 to pursue improved opportunities and because of dissatisfaction with life in Egypt. Being “sort of in between cultures,” as Samy put it, has impacted her greatly as, in her experience, “There are so many differences and expectations between the two, and trying to fit both is impossible.” Having moved to the U.S. at the young age of just four, Samy described assimilating into American culture as “incredibly easy” for the majority of her life, whereas the transition was more difficult for her parents, who were forced to adapt to new occupations and new, unfamiliar workplace norms. But, on the whole, Samy believes that her American experience hasn’t significantly differed from those of her Robinson peers, though there have been barriers. According to her, some of Egypt’s cultural standards simply don’t translate to American culture, and vice versa. She added, “I personally have never experienced blatant racism, but ignorance is common, from both American and Egyptian friends and family.”
Similarly to Samy, senior Santiago Lince’s family came to the U.S. to pursue better opportunities after Lince lived in Bogotá, Colombia until the age of six. Lince’s parents originally moved to America for a work opportunity teaching Spanish at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute. This compelling employment incentive, combined with high living costs in Colombia, led to the initial emigration of Lince’s family, who have moved back and forth between Colombia and the U.S. a few times since their first relocation. Lince views his Colombian upbringing as an integral part of his identity. According to him, “The culture, the language, all the values that we have in Colombia translate to me growing up here in the U.S.” The inherent cultural differences between Colombia and the U.S. have provided Lince with a unique American outlook and perspective. One challenge common to many first-generation immigrants that Lince was forced to overcome was the linguistic barrier that emerged for himself and his brother. But, eventually, they adapted and learned how to communicate in spite of their relative unfamiliarity with the English language, and they learned how to make friends in their new home in spite of their different cultural background. This discrepancy between Colombian and American culture is reflected in, for example, the traditional Colombian emphasis on the strength of familial bonds, something that Lince noted is not as strong nor pervasive in the U.S. as in Colombia and has thus distinguished his own American experience from those of his peers. As was the case with the families of both Lince and Samy, senior Kat Nastea is a first-generation immigrant whose family moved to the United States because of, in short, better opportunities. Her parents immigrated from Romania to America, where Nastea was born, and while she hasn’t noticed any differences in the way she has been treated as a first-generation immigrant in America, because her parents both have accents, Nastea said that she has “really noticed how people treat [her] parents differently due to them being immigrants.” She added that her mother experienced significant dif-
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In the Braddock neighborhood of Fairfax County, where the school is 41,651 located As of 2016, there are
...
immigrants in the area, making up
25.2% of the total population
26,594 have lived here for more than
15 years
9,645 for
5-14 years
5,412
for not yet
5
years
83.4% of immigrants age 5 & older speak English very well
35.3% of immigrants age 16 & older speak a language other than english at home
Top 15 Countries of birth
1
Korea
For Fairfax County Residents in the Robinson Area
2
India 4
Phillipines
7
Turkey 10
Ethiopia
13
Mexico
3
El Salvador 5
6
Vietnam
Bolivia 9
8
Guatemala
China
12
11
Colombia 14
Pakistan
Peru
15
Saudi Arabia
Information courtesy of Fairfax County. Infographic by Emily Boland.
ficulty learning the English language and, “Even people who spoke Romanian would speak in English just to make life harder for her, and whenever people corrected her, they didn’t really say it in a nice way.” Nastea carries her Romanian background, cultural identity, and name with her. And, while Nastea admitted she has had a different, less traditionally “American” childhood compared to some of her peers, she likes it that way, because she is very proud of her Romanian heritage. Naturally, current immigration policy is a topic in any discussion of first-generation immigration. And, within the United States as a whole, the prosperity of numerous ethnicities has seemingly been threatened by the policy implementations of President Donald Trump, whose political stances with regards to immigration range from his firm negation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program—designed to provide temporary, legal immigrant status for children who entered the U.S. illegally—to his plan to build a wall to block illegal immigration from Mexico to his proposed travel ban on many Muslim-majority countries. In the eyes of Samy, the devaluation of people in general through the hurtful words— like “aliens” and “illegals”—associated with modern-day immigration policy in the age of Trump, especially, has fueled a worrisome loss of empathy and humanity in today’s society. As Samy said, “Talking about people who probably moved here for some of the same reasons I did like they are ‘problems’ is not okay.” Lince, echoing similar sentiments to those expressed by Samy, agreed that the rush to cruel generalizations pertaining to undocumented immigrant populations within the U.S. and the immigrants most targeted and affected by recent immigration policy is a dangerous mindset. In his view, individuals who, like Lince’s family, come to America in pursuit of improved opportunities should not be penalized or deported if they have maintained innocence in the U.S. Lince added, “We need to realize that these people are coming here for a better life; they’re not coming here to be criminals.”
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New trivia game gains popularity among students
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BY BRIDGET HAROLD Entertainment Editor
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A new competitive trivia app is sweeping the nation. HQ Trivia, also known as HQ, is a trivia gaming platform that was released in August 2017 for iOS. It was created by Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll, who previously created the world-wide popular, six-second video app called Vine. HQ is usually hosted by Scott Rogowsky, a standup comedian who became popular for the HQ hosting gig, but occasionally there are celebrity guest hosts, most notably Jimmy Kimmel back in early January. The game is played internationally, however, the live shows primarily target America and the UK. The live trivia show is hosted from New York and comes on the app twice every day, at 3 PM and 9 PM ET. The game has a series of 12 questions. According to Time Magazine, the questions start out easy. Contestants have ten seconds to answer, “Which of these is NOT part of Disney’s Magic Kingdom? Answer: Cleveland” and get progressively harder as the game goes on “The height difference between the current World’s Tallest & Shortest Living Men is roughly how much? Answer: 6 ft. 0 in”. If the person who plays surpasses the twelve questions and answer them all correctly, they win the portion of the prize money, which is split between all other winners. Even though 60 percent of 53 people claimed that they did not play on a recent Valor Dictus poll, the game usually has a million people playing. On average there could be anywhere from 600,000 to 1,600,000 participants in a round. Depending on how many players win in the round, you could win anywhere from 30 cents to $6,000. However, HQ Trivia states that only if you win over $20, money will be sent via PayPal. Monday through Saturday the prize is $2,500, while Sunday the prize can be raised to $15,000. On special occasions, the prize money will be raised “While I was playing on Oscar night the prize money was $50,000” said freshman Sydney Ramsdell. “Only six people won the Oscar night one but so many people in the comments were saying it was rigged because the game glitched, lagged or exited out of the app,” for so many people. This is not the first time that the game was glitched, many players have claimed that the app lags or freezes while the game is going, “I usually play every week and multiple times while playing the app has blacked out and exited the game, causing me to lose” said junior Emily Nyugen. Despite the games contant glitch and unfair money system, many still play. Generations before ours were obsessed with trivia games on TV. Jeopardy, Press Your Luck, and Cash Cab were hot topic TV programs. Now, with HQ, profitable trivia is now in our generation’s hands both literally and figuratively.
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t’s been too long, dahlings Incredibles 2 is set to hit theaters after 14 years of waiting. BY RACHEL BLOEDORN Two years ago, the sequel to the beloved Pixar superhero family was Design Editor confirmed to be in pre-production by screenwriter and director Brad Bird. Incredibles 2 has been a highly-awaited sequel since the first Incredibles movie released in November of 2004. The original superhero movie uncovered the home life and family values of former superheroes and their children, and introduced a diversity of iconic characters from Mr. Incredible/Bob Parr (Craig T. Nelson) to Edna Mode (Brad Bird). The movie won two Academy Awards for Best Achievement in Sound Editing and best Animated Feature Film of the Year, but despite the success of the movie, a sequel was never discussed, until now. The story of the Parr family follows five superheroes as Mr. Incredible struggles to adjust to life as an average citizen. When he uncovers a conspiracy at his new job, the family must work together to defeat the misguided evil genius Syndrome. The story closed with a victory for the superheros and a cliffhanger ending featuring a new opponent, The Underminer. According to Bird, the sequel is set to begin right where the last movie left off. However, the new movie is posed to focus on Elastigirl fighting crime with her extraordinary abilities, while Mr. Incredible stays home to watch the kids.
Pixar swapped release dates with Toy Story 4 (2019) because the film was being completed ahead of schedule while the other was lagging in production.
A majority of the characters will be returning, mostly with their original voice actor, such as Holly Hunter as Helen Parr/ Elastigirl, and Sarah Vowell as Violet Parr. Samuel L. Jackson announced his intention to return to voice Frozone a full year before Bird announced the commencement of the script writing. One exception is the character of lightning fast Dash will be voiced by Huck Milner, because the original voice actor Spencer Fox had his voice deepen. The return of Mirage has been questioned because of the death of the original actress who voiced her, Elizabeth Pena. Whether or not she will return for the sequel with a new voice is unconfirmed. After the four-year trickle of information about the movie release and production, The Incredibles 2 is set to release June 15, 2018. Millennials and Generation Z kids who grew up watching the superhero family are eagerly awaiting its release, posting their excitement on social media sites. Despite the intended audience of the movie being children, many young adults have unabashedly announced their willingness to do anything to view the film, including trampling small children. After 14 long years, the wait for a continuation to a household favorite is over. Fans can look forward to plenty more trailers and promotional footage in the upcoming weeks.
This is the second Pixar film to have a female main antagonist, after Finding Nemo (2003).
Brad Bird (director) stated that he would only do a sequel to The Incredibles (2004) if he could come up with story that’s just as good as, or better than, its predecessor.
Rams of the Round Table BY NATE WALKER Staff Writer
Spamalot comes to the stage with their Spring 2018 Rambunctious Theater Company production. The play is a musical comedy based off the movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, both of which are parodies of the Arthurian Legend. Copious amounts of work are put into theater productions, and Spamalot is no different. Actors thoroughly research the play to accustom themselves with the material. “I prepare myself for a show by researching the play or musical and watching it a few times to get the feel and background knowledge of it,” says senior Daniel Williams. Working on school productions is fun for everyone involved, which is a big reason to why people help at all. They become close friends with each other, and in the end, they put together a fantastic production, as noted by Williams. “Tasks that I enjoy taking on are literally everything involving helping the process of putting on the show from being a lead actor, to throwing away a piece of trash that was on stage,” says Williams. Williams also notes that he is not entirely looking forward to Spamalot, as this will be his last Robinson show. Having to say goodbye to many great friends he has made, from working on productions with them, and saying goodbye to the theatre space itself, is a task Williams does not look forward to doing. Everyone has to love what they do, since so much time has to be put into not only making the production, but making the production good. Fortunately, there is no problem there. Rambunctious Theater Co. is known for consistently producing amazing plays, and they are professional productions in themselves. “The songs in the show are straight bops. The beats slap, the chords are chunky, the singers go in hard, the dancers are well trained, the comedic timing in the music is perfect, and the audience will love every second of it,” Williams says. Spamalot intends to be fun, and certainly entertaining, and everyone works as hard as they can to make sure of that. “Spamalot is a hoot and a half, the audience will be laughing the whole time. The show’s technical aspects are outstanding, and we have so many talented crew members that are the best people to pull it all off,” says Williams.
Rambunctious Theater Co. puts on Spamalot as the spring play
Just like any play, the actors can’t do it all. There is so much more that goes on behind the scenes that must go on in order to make the show as good as it is. The tech crew works hard to make sure that the technical aspects of the show, are indeed, outstanding. The tech crew may not get as much credit as the actors, but they are definitely just as, if not more, important. “I enjoy hanging lights, connecting cables, and doing busy work,” says Jake Keeney, sophomore. Keeney is a member of the lighting crew. Everyone is constantly working to ensure greatness. Each group within the the tech crew, and the actors are imperative to the final production. There can be no play if there is only darkness, or no sound, or of course, no actors. “It is fun to see the end production, and know that I helped to make it better. I’m looking forward to all of the school play. Seeing the final production is always the best part,” says Keeney. Spamalot promises to be hilarious, and yet another wonderful play produced by the Rambunctious Theater Company. Definitely worthwhile, it is highly recommended for all to go see it. Everyone involved with Spamalot, worked strenuously to put together this play.
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Entertainment
#NEVERAGAIN On February 21st, hundreds of Robinson students walked out of their classes at 12:00pm as a sign of solidarity with the victums of the Marjory Stoneman Douglasschool shooting in Parkland, FL.
Top: Seniors Livi Shmidt, Morgan Lawrence, and Jaidyn Hammond holding posters during the walkout. Bottom: Senior Leah Von Blaircom and Nick Gerard participating in a chant
Striving for a Very Merry Ethiopia BY MATTHEW LICHTBLAU Sports Editor In recent years, breast cancer has become the top illness in Ethiopian women, claiming 92.2 women in the country per 100,000 in 2013. This dangerous phenomenon is something that junior Merry Nebiyu aims to change. Ethiopia is Nebiyu’s home country, giving her a strong identity and connection with the country. Her involvement in DECA gave her the means to start the project, and her true inspiration behind the project was her mother, as Nebiyu said that her mother is “what [Nebiyu is] doing everything for.” Nebiyu’s mother, Aida Mesfin, tragically passed away battling breast cancer when Nebiyu was just 10 years old. The organization Nebiyu recently started, Pink Power, was implemented with a simple goal in place, which was, as Nebiyu put it, “to provide breast cancer awareness and abilities to help women overseas in Ethiopia.” In short, the organization is designed to provide medical relief and to spread awareness for Ethiopian women when it comes to breast cancer. Nebiyu began the developmental stages of this project back in April, and she said that Pink Power is set to officially become a non-profit in Oct. 2018, when the organization will hold its kick-off gala and begin fundraising; from that point forward, Nebiyu wants to hold other fundraisers and events in the area to support Pink Power’s mission. According to her, Nebiyu chose to center the project on her home country because, “I decided it would be a good idea to do this in a country--in a third-world country--because many, many people have access to medical aid in America, and while it’s not everyone, it’s definitely way more than the amount of people in third-world countries.” She noted that this significant divide between medical accessibility in Ethiopia and America was due in large part to the expensive living costs outside Ethiopia’s capital city of Addis Ababa and the general poverty that exists throughout the country. Through Pink Power, Nebiyu hopes to partner with other medical professionals and entities in providing much-needed medical attention to many of the desperate Ethiopians plagued by breast cancer. As for the future of Pink Power, Nebiyu wants this to be a long-term endeavor. She hopes to continue her work on the project through college and beyond, and she wants to broaden Pink Power’s reach across East Africa and to expand the project beyond just a domestically invested mission.
Junior Merry Nebiyu is currently in the process of establishing her own non-profit to mitigate the breast cancer epidemic in Ethiopia in memory of her mother.
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Is Minimum
Wage a Minimal Problem? BY CONNOR DUNPHY Opinion Editor I work a minimum wage job. When I’m not in wrestling season, I will usually work anywhere from 35-45 hours a week. That means on weekends, I will usually pull back-to-back half day shifts. I enjoy my job. I like working outside, doing things with my hands, and talking to the customers. After taxes, I usually make around $211 dollars a week. I recognize that this is not a livable wage. The wage of $7.25/hr cannot support someone to American standards. The average cost of an apartment in Virginia is $1,272 per month. Personally, at the hours I work and the wage I make, I could not even afford a roof over my head, never mind food, amenities, a car, and basic healthcare. But the answer is not raising the minimum wage. There are two ways someone can make money. Running a business and working under someone. Running a business will provide the owner with much more money, but also presents a huge financial risk if the business goes under. Working under someone will allow much more financial security, but the worker is restricted by the pay that they receive. Raising the minimum wage would force the owner of the business to cut costs. That would involve downsizing and cutting of non-essential jobs. McDonald’s has already been experimenting with cashierless registers (check out the ones at University Mall McDonalds). Other companies have also been experimenting with automated jobs. Robots don’t need to be paid, need breaks, healthcare, or a number of other financial burdens that lowers the employer’s bottom line. Once people start pushing for a higher minimum wage, employers will make the leap to automated workers. It’s a fact that raising the minimum wage doesn’t work. A 2007 study shows that 85 percent of companies that raise their minimum wage also cut jobs. Less hiring means that workers can’t get the experience that they need to get another job. Furthermore, a federally enforced new minimum wage may have an employer hire under the table. Paying in cash and making it off the books like thousands of undocumented workers are doing now. This helps no one, especially the worker. Higher minimum wage isn’t the answer. Longer hours and better quality of work is. A mentality when working in the lower levels of a business is that you are always replaceable. The larger the business, the more omnipresent this dark shadow is. However, once one sticks with their job long enough, promotions come. And from promotions comes the point that it is harder and harder to replace you as your pay rises. Everyone has the ability to attain their goals. Especially in this country. The term “land of opportunity” comes for a reason. However, it takes work. It takes hours. Work in the form of late nights and multiple jobs. We have 24 hours a day at our disposal. It’s totally up to you how to use them.
Information provided by Planning & Facilities Management, 2017
Op-Ed
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Looking at Lockdown Drills BY KHADEEJAT LAWAL Photo Editor
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n several schools across Fairfax County, lockdown drills only occur about three to four times every school year. In the event of a lockdown, the teacher tapes a cover over the window, shuts off the lights, and all the students crowd in a corner furthest away from the door and stay completely silent. The door is only to be opened by a police officer with a key, and under no circumstances should the teacher unlock the door. If a dangerous person were to come into the school, our first reaction from what we’ve been trained to do would be to initiate lockdown drill procedure. However, there are many flaws to this system because of the way school shooters operate. If all we are prepared to do is sit away in the corner of a dark, locked room and hope that we don’t get hurt, it is unlikely that the students and teachers will actually stay safe. If a dangerous person, such as a shooter, is reckless or careless enough to come into a school and attempt to harm hundreds of kids, a locked door most likely won’t stop them. In fact, crowding dozens of students in the corners of their classrooms makes an easier target for those looking to harm. Even if lockdown drills did keep us safe, lots of students and some teachers don’t even take it seriously because they believe it doesn’t matter. They think it would never happen, or if it
did happen, we would know how to react anyways. Some students go on their phones and/or talk to their friends during the drill for the same reasons. Even if lockdowns were a guaranteed way to keep us safe from a dangerous person in the school, it isn’t taken seriously enough by the entire staff and students for it to be effective if a time ever comes when it’s needed. Even during a time where a lockdown drill is needed, it has been proven to barely be effective. We can see that even when several classroom doors were locked in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, there were still 17 people killed. There were 14 students in the corner of locked classrooms who were killed. This tragic shooting is now the worst attack on a high school to date- and again, they locked their doors and had kids sit in corners of the room, but over a dozen people still died. So, if we really want to stay safe in the case of an attack on our school, FCPS and other school districts around the country should reconsider how to actually put in place a procedure that would protect students and teachers more effectively than a lockdown drill. A way to start is to take lockdown drills seriously. The truth is that school shootings can happen anywhere and if it happens students should be prepared to take any means necessary to stay safe.
NFL Draft Preview BY NATE ROBERTSON Staff Writer
An in-depth look at the top five predicted picks 2nd: New York Giants: Josh Allen, QB (Wyoming) Many of the Giants flaws were exposed during their woeful 3-13 season last year. The quarterback position will be the problem the Giants look to solve first. While New York currently has 2-time Super Bowl winner Eli Manning under center, his career is coming to a close, and they need a successor. By picking Josh Allen, probably the most raw quarterback prospect in the draft, but filled with potential, the Giants ensure that they can continue to play legend Eli Manning, develop Allen under the mentorship of a Hall of Famer, and make sure that there is a replacement lined up in a few years.
4th: Cleveland Browns (from Houston): Saquon Barkley, RB (Penn St) After picking up their quarterback of the future with the 1st pick, the Browns will be looking for another offensive talent they can put next to Darnold for the future. Saquon Barkley seems like the perfect fit. Arguably the most athletic prospect in recent years, Barkley’s play at Penn St and eye-popping combine stats would have him going higher in the draft in any other year that wasn’t so quarterback-heavy. Barkley, along with newly signed Carlos Hyde, will rejuvenate a Browns backfield that hasn’t had much success in recent years, hopefully carrying their offense to new heights.
1st: Cleveland Browns: Sam Darnold, QB (USC) The Browns have both the first and fourth picks in the draft, and will look to select a quarterback with the first pick. With the Jets trading up into the third spot, the Browns have an even smaller chance of being able to select the quarterback they want at the fourth spot and will select Darnold as he is the prospect with the most potential in this draft class. While it may take a year or two for Darnold to develop, the Browns just recently traded for Tyrod Taylor, who can start and mentor Darnold until he’s ready to take the reins himself.
3rd: New York Jets (from Indianapolis): Josh Rosen, QB (UCLA) The Jets traded up three spots because they believed that the quarterback they wanted will not be available by the sixth pick. New York will select Rosen, who will be the best quarterback available when it’s their turn. The Jets did not have any answer at quarterback last year, with Josh McCown and Bryce Petty taking turns at the position. Rosen, however, seems to be the most NFL ready of this year’s prospects. Character issues have deterred scouts, but coach Todd Bowles should be a good influence on Rosen. New York has also signed former Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a one year deal, and will play him next year should Rosen not be ready.
5th: Denver Broncos: Baker Mayfield, QB (Oklahoma) The Broncos seem to be in the same position as the Browns quarterback-wise. They picked up free agent Case Keenum, but like Tyrod Taylor, Keenum seems to be only a short-term solution. Mayfield has garnered concerns from scouts about his athleticism and his relatively small size (6’1). However, the Broncos have Keenum, who has a similar skill set to Mayfield and will be able to excellently mentor Mayfield, not just on the field but with Mayfield’s perceived character issues as well.
A Sport With Soul Softball season review, and a glimpse into team service
BY KHADEEJAT LAWAL Photo Editor
As Robinson joins a new district for sports, new competition arises for school teams and “the old neighborhood rivalries are back,” as varsity softball coach Matt Cross put it. Those old rivalries include Chantilly and Centreville, who senior Sarah Flint noted as “the ones to beat every season.” According to Flint, “Centreville, Chantilly, and us are pretty even in talent, so those were always the ones we worked extra hard in practice for and played extra hard on game day.” And the hard work has paid off for the team, with a record of 10 wins to go along with just two losses as of April 10, which Coach Cross credited to the team “playing the ‘Robinson way’” and “only worrying about what [the team] can control, not the opponent.” Along with playing the Robinson way, Flint also credited their success against Centreville and Chantilly to playing with a different mindset against those teams, because of the back and forth wins the team experiences with their rivals. Senior Victoria Centineo expressed how proud she was when the team beat Centreville last season with a walkoff hit: “It was a low-scoring game and one of our freshman hit the game-winning run, so that was very exciting to finally beat them.” With their impressive record and the way the team plays every game, Coach Cross explained that he is pleased with the current season outcome, saying, “I think anyone in our district has the ability to win if they play a complete game. I’m just very excited with the direction we’re heading in this season.” One of the softball team’s highlight games is their Kyle’s Kamp game for those suffering from pediatric cancer. The team supports the Friends of Sadie Organization every season in their local fight against pediatric cancer. Friends of Sadie was
Senior Caroline Cox reaches for a catch at second base during warm ups before a spring season game.
“” We donate all the
proceeds of the game to Friends of Sadie, and we have them sit in the dugout so that they can experience it with us. It’s such a fun night where we get to bring them presents and make them feel special. -Sarah Flint
Left: An underclassman swings while up to bat during a Robinson girls varsity softball game.
founded by a group of moms who were inspired by Sadie Lauer’s journey while battling pediatric cancer. After the group collected donations in 2009 for Sadie’s tumor resection surgery, they realized that they could help other people with cancer to get blood transfusions, which are often required by many cancer patients. They hosted their first blood drive on Valentine’s Day of 2010 and have been holding annual blood drives on the Sunday closest to Valentine’s Day. Friends of Sadie’s main mission is to raise awareness for childhood cancer and to raise funds for pediatric cancer organizations across the country. The Robinson varsity softball team has hosted a Kyle’s Kamp every season, at which they welcome kids with pediatric cancer to throw a pitch in the game and wear shirts supporting the cause. Centineo explained, “Kyle’s Kamp started with baseball, and then slowly we met Sadie Mae, and she started coming out. One of the parents wondered why we never did it [opening pitch] for her, so they decided to get her involved.” Their efforts to support the cure for pediatric cancer are exemplified through one whole night dedicated to these kids, who have endured some of the toughest years of their lives. The Kyle’s Kamp highlight game continues to be a way for victims of pediatric cancer to be honored by the school’s softball team, with Flint saying that “we donate all the proceeds of the game to Friends of Sadie, and we have them sit in the dugout so that they can experience it with us.” She added, “It’s just such a fun night where we get to bring them presents and make them feel special.” With their impressive record and their highlight Kyle’s Kamp game every season, the softball team hopes to continue their successes on and off the field. Sports
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Nick Rowlett Lacrosse Player
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I like that it is a fast paced, high intensity sport and that I can play with my friends.
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I thought it would be fun because I like to be physical and competitive.
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I love playing lacrosse, I love playing with my friends and for my school.
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I have learned how to be a leader and how to stay positive and encouraging.
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