Valor Dictus
Bravely Speaking to the Robinson Community
DIVERSITY
16 among teachers
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Inspired Photographers
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Creativity & Art
Advisor: Chirstopher Moore
Editor-in-Chief: Leslie Davis Online Editor: Amelia Gulding Design Editor: Rachel Bloedorn Business Manager: Emily Boland Photo Editor: Cathleen Ridder Entertainment Editor: Aidan O’Meara Opinion Editor: Connor Dunphy
The journalism staff poses for a photo with their first issue of the 2016-2017 year! According to the most recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation, 87% of teenagers get less than the suggested 8-10 hours of sleep. page 4-5
Max Keele was the first student to receive a robot at Robinson and in FCPS. page 8
Sports Editor: Matthew Lichtblau News Editor: Louie Lewandowski Staff Writers: Sam Davis Savannah Evans Jessica Reid Nathaniel Robertson Nate Walker 2
Info
“Sleep is vital to all organisms except IB diploma candidates.”
-Rebecca Lee, 11 page 4
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12 News
Opinion
Features
Entertainment
Focus
Sports
4-5 Students Slack on Sleep by Matthew Lichtblau 6-7 Renaissance Promotes Positivity by Louie Lewandowski 8 Back at School With Virtually No Time Off by Savannah Evans
10-11 Student Life Through the Lens by Emily Boland 12-13 An Education Exchange by Nate Walker 14-15 Finding Friendship in Teaching by Savannah Evans
16-19 Diversity Deficit: Taking a Look at the Lack of Racial Minorities Among Educators by Sam Davis
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Butting Heads: Introverts and Extroverts by Jessica Reid & Louie Lewandowski Cue the Applause by Megan Thrift
22-23 Annotate? Students say AnnoHATE by Amelia Gulding 23 Trending with Trudy by Jessica Reid 24-25 Crafting Creativity by Matthew Lichtblau & Nathaniel Robertson 26 Top 5 Directors of All Time by Aidan O’Meara
28-29 30 31
Funds from the Field by Khadeejat Lawal & Jessica Reid All the Fun Without the Funding by Nate Walker Athlete Spotlight: Catherine Reynolds by
Emily Boland Contents
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Lack of Sleep Stunts Student Success Matthew Lichtblau Sports Editor
school. According to the survey, only 7.9 percent of respondents replied that With homework, extracurriculars, they receive eight to nine hours of sleep and other activities to take part in, the on average, which is alarming, especially daily life of a high schooler is overloaded. considering the suggested average sleep Always busy with school work and after threshold. 26.3 percent of respondents school sports and clubs, sleep—or lack recorded that they receive a mere one thereof—is lost for high school students at to six hours of sleep per night. Another Robinson and around the country. 27.2 percent receive seven to eight hours “Sleep is vital to all organisms—except and the largest share of respondents at for IB diploma candidates,” said junior 37.7 percent, only receive between six Rebecca Lee who is currently pursuing and seven hours of sleep. the diploma. “We learn to operate on less Also notable was that 54 students (out than the recommended amount of sleep, of a total of 115 responses), respondbut that doesn’t stop us from working our ed that homework is one of the main hardest!” distractions that prevents them from The Nationwide Children’s Hospital re- sleeping. Another very common distracports that teenagers need between nine to tion was the use of phones, as cited by nine and a half hours of sleep each night. 34 respondents. A Valor Dictus sleep survey of Robinson As part of the same survey, one quesstudents highlighted a concerning—and tion involved policies that Robinson growing—trend in sleep deprivation at should change or add to allow students
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to be more awake and, thus, more able to perform with regards to scholastic and athletic tasks. The range of performance effects on students due to lack of sleep were found to be of standard and rather predictable nature. Junior Henry Pyzdrowski said that when he doesn’t receive sufficient sleep, “I get irritated more easily and my reaction time decreases.” The range of effects on students who lack enough sleep varies from person to person, but the negative effects are very much prevalent, and they are showcased in student performance and attitude at school. When posed with the above inquiry, one student said, “As class ends, teachers should give time to prepare and do work for the next class, so that students will have less work and thinking to do at home,” adding that this would be
beneficial in “decreasing the amount of time needed to do work and increasing the amount of sleep you can have each night as well as the time to do other activities, such as hobbies and sports.” Lee has slightly more homework—something that has been consistently linked to sleep shortages—in IB than in previous years, which is a testament to the heavier course load in the curriculum. But, she isn’t complaining. Even with the increased amount of work, Lee said, “I love how we’re required to take IB in every core subject, because it allows you to interact with other students who have different passions than you.” Another student suggested, “They need to enforce a comprehensive limit on homework time,” also adding that this limit shouldn’t be a drastic cut, but it should be enough to significantly reduce student stress. The student also included in her response, “consistency in homework times is very useful because so many people are
in sports and activities and don’t have time for sudden ‘blitzes’ of assignments from teachers.” Senior Samuel Demeke replied, “Make deadlines more changeable,” and “make people aware of the flexible due dates.” Other students, however, are not so optimistic. One student, claiming that there was nothing that could possibly be done to stop the sleep problem at Robinson, described the situation as “a vicious never ending cycle” that won’t change, regardless of school start and end time changes in specific. Jacob Augelli, a junior, reported that he receives around six to six and a half hours of sleep on average. “I tend to lose track of my thoughts and make a lot of math and writing errors.” Overall, the problem of sleep deprivation has been exacerbated, and it’s safe to say that Robinson students are very much experiencing the ramifications of this lack-of-sleep epidemic.
“ Sleep is
vital to all organisms except for IB diploma candidates. We learn to operate on less than the recommended amount of sleep, but that doesn’t stop us from working our hardest! Rebecca Lee, 11
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How does your backpack measure up?
Valor Dictus obtained this information during a brief survey in which backpacks were weighed. Inforgraphic by Connor Dunphy
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Renais Promotes Robinson has implemented new Renaissance programs to create a culture of acceptance, such as “Slap, Clap, Woo,” and “The Harbor,” but are these tactics adequate? Louie Lewandowski News Editor Over the past two years, Robinson has implemented a new philosophy called Renaissance in hopes of promoting positivity and diminishing bullying. The “Slap, Clap, Woo” hand slogan and cheer are to acknowledge students that are going above and beyond their duties as a Ram to help students and teachers. “Slap, Clap, Woo” came from a group of teachers who went to the National Renaissance conference last summer. Another Renaissance school started it and many schools across the country have adopted it,” said associate principal Tracey Phillips. During assemblies students and teachers are recognized for their efforts with the whole school. Acknowledging students for their good actions creates a drive for students to do more for Robinson as well as their community. Installing these traits to do good for others in children at a young age will be beneficial to them in the future. Throughout the course of this transition to Renaissance, Robinson has established over 30
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events and activities to promote the that are discussed within the brief initiative of positivity in schools. episodes of “The Harbor,” featurThe programs are supposed to ing professional teenager Mike create a safer and more inclusive Smith’s experiences, along with environment for students. other guests to give the audience a Sophomore and SGA member message of pursuing dreams, giving Faraz Zia said: “the purpose of back to those in need, and improv[the] campaign is to create an iden- ing schools. Students are given the tity and culture in option to watch “The Robinson students Harbor,” however, [Renaissance of being nice, kind, many students choose programs] positive, preserving, to not to participate. provide a platform helping and most Junior Natalie LaJoie for education of importantly a tightsaid: “[The Harbor] has how everyone can ly knitted family.” some good messages, and should play T-shirts, including but most of the time I’m their part in the the slogans “dude. not watching. People in school community be nice.” and “Slap, my classes are just on to generate a posClap, Woo” advertheir phones.” itive atmosphere,” tize the school’s During this day and agenda to encourage age, bullying has found Faraz students to be kind a mask—the computer. too one another After student suicides Zia, 10 and do their best and school shootings in to ensure a positive the past years, cyberculture at school. bullying has become Robinson has also an issue teachers and provided a weekly administrations want video clip called “The Harbor,” to combat. which is aired during learning When Principal Matt Eline was seminars after the morning anasked what issue prompted the nouncements. The idea is to prointroduction of Renaissance inivide students with an opportunity tiatives, he said: “student suicides. to learn about the struggles of I felt that we needed to do more. I bullying, depression, drugs, and di- hope that [Renaissance] will bring vorce. These are all tough subjects a certain balance to students lives. I
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ssance s Positivity
Photo from yearbookelevation.com
wanted to provide a way for students to talk about [tough issues].” However, in a recent survey where over 50 students voted, 63 percent voted that Renaissance programs were not an adequate job at promoting a positive environment. SGA tries their best to “provide a platform for education of how everyone can and should play their part in the school community to generate a positive atmosphere,” said Zia. “But that’s the [most] we can do. The rest is up to our great school wide community to implement.” In order to establish this environment Robinson is seeking, students who care about wanting to do good for their peers and help teachers. This could change the school, one person at a time. The Renaissance program is trying to encourage change and positivity through unique activities to inspire students into eventually changing the entire culture of the school into one of accepting everyone.
The Harbor has been shown at Robinson since 2015. There have been 58 episodes of The Harbor release. “Yea.Nice”, a Mike Smith/The Harbor-connected charity, has donated 75,000 beanies to homeless shelters nationwide.
Pascal Finette, the managing director at SU Labs, once said of Mike Smith, “Mike bridges cultures, professional backgrounds, and experience levels – in the understanding that we can shape our own futures in powerful new ways.” News
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Back in School With Virtually No Time Off 100100011100101100110110011001100100011100101100101010110
Robot Helps Max Keele Attend Class After Back Injury Savannah Evans Staff Writer Who knew that falling out of a tree would lead to someone relying on a robot. Freshman Max Keele was out of school for a month and half due to an injury to his back. He was determined to stay in school by using a robot for a couple of weeks while he recovered. Keele liked the idea of the robot and made him more motivated to stay on top of school work and assignments. The purpose for having robots at school is for students who are not able to be at school physically for any reason, such as an injury. When describing the robot Keele said, “It is like Facetime on a segway and you can control it from your home...us[ing] a keyboard or joystick to do so. You can see everything in your field of view and everyone can see you. You can hear everyone
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and they can hear you.” He decided to use taking pictures and snapchatting,” said the robot to to still feel apart of class while Keele’s English teacher, Kathryn Jenkins. he recovered from home. “Even though it was disThere are seven robots tracting at first since I had “It is like in FCPS. Keele’s homenever seen any[thing] like bound teacher, who told that...it showed his determiFacetime on a Keele about the robots, nation to be at school when segway and you signed him up for one. He he got hurt,” said freshman can control it from was the first student to Noah Evans. your home...us[ing] receive a robot at RobinThere are some negative son and in FCPS, causing effects of having a robot at a keyboard or joyexcitement for students school. “The robot can be a stick to do so. in classes with Keele’s bit excessive at times,” said Max robot. Keele. Another issue is that Keele, 9 the slow school wifi causes Having a robot at school not only affects the perthe machine to lag and glitch, son controlling it, but the occasionally falling down in people around him, such the hallways. as his peers and teachers “I think it’s better than not at the school. being at school at all. With “There was an initial distraction, but I let the robot you can be at school and still get my students get it out of their system by somewhat of an education,” said Keele.
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Favorite subject: portraits Dream job: high end fashion photographer Training experience: self-taught Favorite equipment: Canon T3I & 85mm lens Years of experience: 5 years
Favorite subject: nature Dream job: professional nature photographer Training experience: self-taught Favorite equipment: Nikon D7200 & a collection of lenses Years of experience: 8 years
Photo courtesy of Natalie Mills
Photo courtesy of Matthew Cohen
Student Life
Favorite subject: creative shoots; art Dream job: photojournalist Training experience: self-taught with aid from brother and father Favorite equipment: Nikon & 70-200 mm Years of experience: 2 years
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Photo courtesy of Khuyen Dinh
Photo courtesy of Sam Sikora
Favorite subject: Fashion photography & Urban Exploration Dream job: Owner of a production company supporting self love and peace Training experience: Self taught aided by 2014 Robinson alumni Sean Cooper Favorite equipment: Canon 7D Mark2 & 70-200mm lens Years of experience: 6 years
Through the Lens Emily Boland Business Manager
Matthew Cohen
They say every picture tells a story, but for junior Matthew Cohen, “a thousand plus” pictures is worth “20-25ish” pictured stories worth telling. His love for photography took off in third grade, but reaches back even further. “When I was younger I’d always try to take my parents’ camera and they finally bought me one,” Cohen said. “From there on out I was hooked.” Even if he considers it “only a hobby,” he still feels that photography has made his high school experience unique. “I’ve gotten the chance to photograph things I wouldn’t usually go to like the Category B [special education] graduation.”
Natalie Mills
Senior Natalie Mills has been taking photos, mainly portraits, since eighth grade. “I was following some instagram accounts and photography accounts and thought they were really interesting, so I got my dad’s old film camera and started taking photos,” she said. “I love the way photos look and I love all the different concepts. It’s pleasing to the eye.” It isn’t easy for Mills to fit photography into her schedule because she tries to prioritize school and has another job, but she still manages it because “there was a period when I kind of fell out photography for personal reasons,” she said, “when I picked it back up in junior year, I got a lot of personal feedback. It’s made my highschool experience fun.”
Sam Sikora
It’s a sight familiar to nearly every attendee of football games, plays, concerts, or virtually any Robinson event. Senior Sam Sikora’s red curls poking out from behind a camera. He’s been taking photos since seventh grade, which he feels has given him a very broad perspective on Robinson. Contrary to what Sikora says people often think, his photography stretches beyond Robinson. To him, photography is job, almost a duty. “I feel like I’m an observer to life,” he said. “There are these little windows or moments and they pop up really quickly… As a photographer, it’s my job to find those windows.”
Khuyen Dinh For sophomore Khuyen Dinh, photography “is capturing life” and a way to “capture those little moments and relive them.” As photography editor of the yearbook for the 2016-17 school year, she has had the unique opportunity to record many facets of the Robinson community up close. “Not everyone gets to stand on the sidelines during football games,” she said, “There’s a lot of emotion and a lot going on.” This emotion isn’t easy to capture however, “I’ve pulled all nighters to get [the photos] out,” she said, “It takes hours to edit them. It’s a lot more work than it looks like.”
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An Education Exchange Robinson welcomes two new IB diploma candidates from France
Nate Walker Staff Writer Every year, all over the world, students travel to new countries for a unique experience in education. This year, Robinson has two of our own exchange students from France, Lea Feuillet and D’Arcy Guichon. They chose to come to Robinson in order to participate in the IB program. They are both in the eleventh grade and will be graduating at Robinson. Both D’Arcy and Lea are best friends and came here together. They live together with the same host family, a Vietnamese family. They receive lots of freedom and space from their host family, allowing them to be more independent. “They give us lots of liberty. They’re a Vietnamese family. However, they’re very distant.” said Guichon. The French exchange students plan on attending an
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American university. Neither Guichon nor Feuillet plan on returning. “I’m not planning on going back. My parents are getting a green card to come here, and I’m planning on going to university and getting work,” said Guichon. There are a copious amount of differences between France and America regarding each educational system. At French schools, students have six days of school a week, Monday through Saturday, as opposed to America’s five day school week. School days in France are also much longer with a start time of 8:00 a.m. in the morning and end time of 6:00 p.m. French students also do not spend as much time doing homework after school. The workload is about the same in both countries, considering the combined amount of time students spend in class and doing homework outside of school. Lunch breaks in France are far longer, ranging from one and a half to two hours
long. Relationships between teachers are very formal in France. Students must address their teacher by either ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’. In French schools, there are no sports, clubs, or extracurricular activities of any kind, which play a big part in schools here in America. French students receive more school holidays than Americans. Another big difference is that in America, students are able to pick what classes they would like to take, but in France students must take certain classes during that school year. Entering a new school can be difficult for anyone, let alone an entirely different country. Fortunately, the students here have been more than welcoming of the French exchange students. “The friendliness of everyone surprised me because people are more open here than in France,” Feuillet said about the students at Robinson. Foreign exchange students affects not only those students, but also their classmates. They are able to learn a variety of new information of what it is like in other countries. “Sometimes [at] our table will just compare France and the US, like the different idioms they have,” said junior Max Cason who has Theory of Knowledge (TOK) with Feuillet. Cason says he enjoys having a class with Feuillet
Photo by Cathleen Ridder
Lea Feuillet (left) and D’Arcy Guichon (right) pose for a photo outside of a French Honor Society meeting.
because he is able to learn so much about France. “You don’t even notice she’s French,” Cason said. “Her English is pretty much flawless.” Students are able to learn about other educational systems, the culture of the exchange student, and the culture of American students. One thing Guichon would like to see change in the U.S. is Americans
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caring more for the environment, and he would also like to see the public transportation improve. American public transportation is subpar compared to that in France. Feuillet and Guichon are both enjoying their times in America and at Robinson. They get an upclose view at what American culture is really like and are able to share their French culture with their new American peers.
The friendliness of everyone [surprised me]. People are more open here. Lea Feuillet, 11
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Photo from D’Arcy Guichon’s Instagram D’Arcy Guichon stands on a balcony in Annecy, France.
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Finding Friendsh
IB English Teachers Mirro and Go
Savannah Evans Staff Writer
The English department is a tight-knit group, and the relationship between English teachers, Evyenia Goodrick and Linda Mirro, is a prime example of some of their long-lasting teacher bonds. “Mrs. Goodrick joined the IB team two years ago,” said Mirro. “However, the English department is close, and we are in and out of each other’s classroom all the time. What can I say? These people are really fun!” Mirro and Goodrick’s friendship has gotten closer over the years, and their relationship as English teachers is strengthened because they teach the same IB curriculum. Aside from their shared professions, their friendship is strengthened because their personal lives are very similar. On the weekends and in their free time, they gather together in celebrating family holidays, family dinners, and vacations. When it comes to teaching, they frequently plan out IB lessons together. Although their bond is strong, they each like to teach different things. Yet, their differences only makes their friendship stronger. It gives them something more to talk about and share. “I love teaching American Literature and analyzing literature,” said Mirro. ”Teaching IB allows me the opportunity to do both.” On the other hand, Goodrick has taught all grades and has enjoyed something
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IB English teachers Evyenia Goodrick (left) and Linda Mirro (right) discuss lesson plans and ed
hip in Teaching
Goodrick Make A Classic Duo
Photo by Cathleen Ridder
nd educational content.
from each one of them. Mirro has been teaching for 20 years. Her interest began when she and her eleventh grade English teacher connected through literature. They talked about books frequently, which helped her gain to express her opinions. She hopes to make her students feel the same way. “I treat them like the adults they are, and I value what they have to say. As an English teacher, I have plenty of opportunities to hear their thoughts on many subjects,” said Mirro. “Sometimes I think I learn more from them!” said Mirro. Mirro’s former student speaks highly of her and her teaching. “I loved Mrs. Mirro she was so nice and easy to talk to if I ever had a question. She was also very funny as well,” said senior Megan Prosser. Goodrick has been teaching for 14 years and found inspiration from both of her parents as well as her paternal grandfather, who all have experience as university professors. “I felt teaching was in my blood,” said Goodrick. Goodrick and Mirro plan their units together, but each approach every lesson differently. “I believe students need to find answers on their own,” said Goodrick. “I am here to guide and direct.” Mirro and Goodrick have a wonderful bond and friendship thanks to Robinson’s English department and IB program.
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Diversity Deficit Taking a look at the lack of racial minorities in Robinson’s educational staff
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Photo by Emily Boland
Sam Davis Staff Writer
Photo by Cathleen Ridder
Counselor Cijlvere Nute completes her work for the day.
While 40.4 percent of students are of color at Robinson, according to the Virginia Department of Education, a similar statistic is not reflected in the teaching staff. In a twitter poll conducted by the Valor Dictus, it was found that 42 percent of students (of 106 students total) have had only one to two minority teachers while at Robinson and 26 percent have not had any. The lack of minority teachers isn’t a new problem. In a 2016 report by FCPS, the percentage of minority teachers in the county has stayed under 20 percent since 2010. “I would say that Robinson is an outlier with not having that many minority teachers, but I don’t know why that is,” said Principal Matt Eline. “We don’t get a lot of minority applicants for our positions. Sometimes, we don’t get any. I would like to have a more diverse staff and I don’t think we’re well represented.” Eline stated that he wants to make an effort towards fixing the ratio of racial minority teachers to white, throughout the staff. “With our students and staff, the ratio is very much out of balance, and I don’t know how to fix it.” Eline said he has talked to his administrative team, but there is still a lack of applicants. According to a study conducted by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), only 17.5 percent of teachers are people of color across the United States. Currently, 45 percent of students are minorities throughout the United States, compared to Robinson’s 40.4 percent. The ratio of minority students to minority teachers is disproportionate and the effect may be on the students themselves. The AACTE study stated that when schools employ a higher percentage of minority teachers, the chances of minority students graduating are greater, according to the AACTE study. Focus
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Thomas Redifer, 10, said having fewer minority teachers does not just hinder the education of students, but the morale of students at Robinson. “Especially [that of] minority students because they probably want more minority teachers. However, as a 15-yearold white male, I don’t think it affects me as much.” Eline isn’t the only one who notices the minority differences. “I feel as though Robinson lacks diversity in their staff,” said sophomore Mahmoud Elhag. “It can kind of be a problem, but I don’t think some people care.” Junior Leila Echchahdi said, “Not having minority teachers at Robinson is bad because minority students may feel under represented and uncomfortable in the fact that hiring discrimination is apparent and will be an obstacle in the future regardless of what the occupation is, whether it is teaching or not.” However, some minority teachers feel like the lack of diversity does not have much of an impact. History teacher Binh Tran said, “I have not really noticed anything different. [Being a teacher here] doesn’t really feel any different than from working at a school with more minority teachers. It’s my first year at Robinson, so I haven’t really noticed anything yet and it’s not that big of a deal for me. Before here, I was at Lee [High School], and I would say it was a lot more diverse in the history department, but the work environment doesn’t seem too different.” Eline stressed that Robinson works to hire the best, most qualified teachers, and that process 18
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Photo by Cathleen Ridder
History teacher Binh Tran interacts with his students while teaching a lesson.
does not consider race. That is why there are no statistics of minority teachers at Robinson. However, the FCPS report shows that 81.7 percent of teachers in the county are white, as of September. According to americanprogress. org, minority students who have minority teachers are more motivated to think about their future. Counselor Cijlvere Nute said, “I think when a minority student has a minority teacher they get to thinking ‘oh that person is like me and look at how great they are.’ I don’t think there’s anything
Mr. Eline can do and he’s not to blame.” In the report by FCPS, there has been a trend of more minority teachers working in FCPS. Each year the percentage of minority teachers increases by an average of 0.4 percent from 15.4 percent in 2010 to 18.3 percent to 2016. Robinson’s lack of minority teachers is a problem some feel isn’t the most pressing issue at the moment. Tran said, “It would be nice to have more minority teachers, and the staff represent the student body, but I don’t think it’s the most important thing.”
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I feel as though Robinson lacks diversity in their staff. It can kind of be a problem, but I don’t think some people care. Mahmoud Elhag, 10
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Photo by Emily Boland
Percentage of Minority Teachers in FCPS
Native American
Hispanic African Americans
Percentage of Minority Students
Two or more races Asian White Infographic by Rachel Bloedorn Focus
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Butting Heads:
Are Schools Biased Towards Extroverts? Jessica Reid Staff Writer With all of the demand for public speaking and communicating well with others in the real world today, it should be important for all students to work on these skills in high school. Although high school can be a nerve wracking time to learn these techniques, they are vital for an abundance of courses, jobs, and careers after graduation. It is fair to say that schools gear some lessons and projects toward extroverts, but the goal is not to exclude and pick on the introverts, or even to separate the two groups of students. Part of a teacher’s job is to teach their class as a whole, and work with every student on the same information and techniques. The purpose is to have all students work on their communication skills. There are oral presentations and group projects in a fair amount of classes, including English and foreign languages, and especially in IB classes, where oral presentations are a common part of the curriculum. Introverts are commonly classified as shy, self-sufficient, independent, and quiet; therefore, speaking to a class full of their peers and their teachers is not an ideal situation. However, everyone has to come out of their comfort zone during high school in some way in order to better themselves for the future. Pan Communications, a public relations company in Boston, states that “communication is the backbone of our society. It allows us to form connections, influence decisions, and motivate change. Without communication skills, the ability to progress in the working world and in life, itself, would be nearly impossible.” Not only should group work and presentations be required, they should be encouraged. Working with other people improves listening skills, oral presentations, confidence and planning. USA Today did a study in 2014 on public speaking which states, “listening may be a lost art, but a public speaking course actually teaches you to become a better listener.”
Introverts tend to intensely value their close friends. Extroverts are highly likely to compromise their own happiness or comfort to make someone that they care about happy. Although they do not necessarily want to be alone all the time, intorverts tend to be more comfortable with their own thoughts than others. Although extroverts get much of their energy from the presence of others, they still need time to be alone and gather their thoughts. Recharging is important to introverted individuals. Rather that going out all of the time, they place a high value on quiet and restful time so that they can feel refreshed and prepared. Extroverted individuals are often more “touchy-feely” than their introverted counterparts. While an extrovert might go for a hug when seeing a friend, an introvert is less likely to initiate such contact. Info from lifehack.org
“Some jobs in the past required you to vocalize more, but [with] technology you don’t have to assert yourself as much. -Natalie Tehranchi, 12
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Editorials
Louie Lewandowski News Editor
With rigorous courses and a demand for excellent communication skills, introverts are not acknowledged within schooling systems. Extroverts seem to be catered to more when developing the future leaders of the world. Robinson is no exception from the bias towards extroverts. It is the second-largest IB school in Virginia, with 323 IB diploma candidates. The IB diploma has a tremendously high standard for students which include volunteering, maintaining excellent grades, and taking assessments that require students to write essays and give oral presentations. This distinctly sets introverts and extroverts apart. Most introverts cannot express thoughts effectively within a presentation or discussion in front of the classroom. IB diploma candidates are almost expected to fit into the mold of an extrovert to please society’s view of a well rounded student. Society has shaped introverts into quiet, antisocial individuals,who are deemed unsuccessful within schools and even careers because they unable to speak their thoughts properly. Presentations and socratic seminars are the most dreaded form of communicating for introverts in schools. Junior Imani Edwards said, “Normally two or three of the talkative students dominate the conversation, leaving the rest of the group with nothing to say.” This divide between the more outgoing and quieter students creates a feeling of unappreciated and unwanted for introverted students, because of the restrictions of the curriculum in schools. Although some introverts aren’t always able to express their thoughts verbally, they are scientifically proven to be just as successful as extroverts, but in other ways, such as writing, drawing, and painting. “I like to express myself through music. Being able to communicate without words is a great feeling,” said Edwards. In order for teachers to effectively reach out to these quieter students, they must be more patient to receive the individual’s thoughts. It is up to the school system to dictate how a student learns. Teachers need to combat this by giving multiple options for students to present their understanding. Introverts have a voice. They can be successful within society; they just need an outlet to prove it to everyone.
“Depending on your occupation when you’re older, having the ability to do public speech is a necessity... in reality, not everyone will use it and not everyone is comfortable with it.”
- Sevgi Shahbazi, 10
Cue the Applause: Drama director discusses the hard work students put into the department Megan Thrift || Drama Director
With all the hype surrounding sports, does Robinson Drama feel excluded? Personally, I don’t feel we are left out or excluded, but this is my perspective. We represent a smaller group of students in comparison to the students who would consider themselves athletes. We call ourselves RAMbunctious or dRAMa to be a part of the bigger picture, but we’re not a team with a mascot, nor are we competitive. There is a sporting event you can attend at RSS every night of the week — sometimes 2 or 3 a night! That’s incredible. Noteworthy. It speaks volumes of not just the students who are dedicated and motivated, but of the teachers as well. I think it’s equally as incredible that we have up to a hundred students everyday after school
Reach the whole Robinson Community
and on weekends building, crafting, refining, rehearsing, forming and re-forming something so that it looks like this spontaneous slice of life that magically fits between when the lights go up and when the lights come down. Hours upon hours walking that line between absolute chaos and perfect harmony. Then we ask people to pay for tickets and arrive on time, so we can share with them the tip of the iceberg while we try to conceal the mammoth process underneath. They could have stayed home and watched Netflix and not even need to put on real pants. Those few who are attending shows, who are clued in, who chose not Netflix — even just for one night — I am beyond grateful for them. Do I think everyone else is missing out? Yes. I just hope that when they want to make that leap, that we have tickets left.
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Op-Ed
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Annotate? Students say AnnoHATE! Amelia Gulding Online Editor It comes as no surprise that English isn’t every high schooler’s favorite subject. Reading and writing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. And then there is the core of the English curriculum: analysis and annotations. The hatred in some students on the topic of annotations seems to outshine that of any other school-related vendetta. There seems to be an underlying controversy over even the mention of the lesson plan. Many teachers have even come to abandon the word annotations altogether, and instead address the act as “marking up” or “close reading”. Annotations are meant to be a way to help students understand and pay attention to the works that they are studying in class. They help assist classroom discussion, point out important aspects of literature, or are used as notes when writing a future paper. It is highly unlikely that English teachers spend their planning periods diabolically thinking of ways that they can make their students classroom experience as unenjoyable as possible. “I think they are important to an extent,” said junior Emily Awtery. “Analyzing is important because it helps you get a greater understanding and get past the literal. It is very tedious, but it is very important.” There are teachers at Robinson who find impor-
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tance in heavy annotations. Junior Hallie Tucker once had a learning experience in a classroom where annotations and memorization were prioritized. Annotation grades and reading quizzes revolved around memorizing parts of the text. “[It’s] not even analyzing the text, but marking down important parts of the text and memorizing them. For some reason, that was what was important,” said Tucker. This teaching style does have its benefits, with Tucker expanding on how “it definitely helped find what was important in the text.” However, the common phrase of “too much of a good thing can be a bad thing” may apply in the classroom. Being conditioned to pick up every literary aspect of a book every time a student embarks on an English assignment can be intimidating and have some negative effects on students who do not like English to begin with. “I feel like it takes away from the reading experience and it makes you stop… it takes you out of the actual story of what’s going on,” said sophomore Brian Johnson. “I enjoy reading on my own but when I have to annotate it takes me out of it. It definitely slows down the experience.” Losing focus in a book is a common reason why students dislike annotations, and it’s a frustration that’s understood by English teachers. “I think students get really frustrated when we
say it’s best to write things down and ask questions and highlight and annotate as you read” said IB English teacher Wendy Vu. “It’s kind of like ‘no I just want to enjoy a book. Can’t I just read a story just to read a story?’ And English teachers ask student to do more than that and that’s the hard part.” To fix the issues that surface while annotating, students have taken it upon themselves to create their own methods of studying text. Senior Maria-Belen Giro-Martin has adopted a system of putting check marks to keep track of what she thinks is important. “My sophomore year teacher made me do [that]. She [taught me to] put check marks so it doesn’t take away from your train of thought. That really fits into how I absorb new information so I’ve adopted that and I’ve used that for years... I write a few words down but I don’t in-depth annotate” Annotation regulation may not be the status quo at Robinson for much longer. At an English Department meeting at the beginning of January it was decided that annotations would no longer be graded. One of the first teachers to introduce an annotations-free classroom is 11th grade honors and IB English teacher, Jennifer Fulton. “I hesitate to prescribing a certain way of marking up a text,” said Fulton. “I think annotations are very personal in nature, personal in the sense of how it helps you.” Fulton explains that informing her students of annotations in a broader way makes them more natural and authentic. When there are no rules on how to connect with a text, students are allowed to “discover what works for them.” Fulton also attributes her grade level as a reason for not checking annotations. “Ninth and tenth grade teachers might need to do more to help their students [with] these different ways to mark up a text and that’s important.” That being said, this over-analyzation mindset carrying over into high level English classes might create some problems. “I worry sometimes students come into IB eleven stuck on having to annotate a certain way. I think that hinders them from really doing some good analysis with the text.” Whether annotating or not, fully understanding the studied works is a necessary aspect of English class, and every tactic taught by English teachers is done with a purpose. According to Vu, “there’s a method to the madness… Our whole goal is for people to be actively engaged while reading.”
Trending With Trudy Editors Note: “Trending with Trudy” is a light-hearted, relatable column that covers pop culture. It includes the opinions of the featured writer and aims to be conversational.
Jessica Reid Staff Writer
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Rams Read: Learning seminar used to be chill time, and honestly who wants to sit in first period and be forced to read when your eyes are barely even open at just after 8 AM. The First Edition of the Valor Dictus: Oh great, something else for my English teachers to force me to read so I can learn what’s going on even though I read about it on Twitter three months ago. (@valordictus, everyone!)
The Constant Political Arguments in Class: With the 2016 election and the wild plot twist of the oompa loompa-sorry-Donald Trump getting elected, all I was hearing in class was political opinions I couldn’t care less about.
The Redskins Not Making the Playoffs: The last time the Redskins made the playoffs two years in a row was 1986 and 1987, and this year I thought the Skins had it again because they made it in 2015. With one of the most amazing things to happen in Redskins history, Kirk Cousins, their offense brought them a lot of hope. However, with a defense that couldn’t defend pee wee football I guess this result is not much of a surprise. The Really Terrible Wifi: The internet connection obviously needs to be fixed when I can’t send my streaks snap without using cellular data. What are we supposed to do if we run out of data? I just want to be able to play Kahoot on the school wifi. That should not be as difficult as it is. Waking up early: Coming back after sleeping until noon everyday over summer was so not the move. Getting used to waking up early has been a pain and now I just feel constantly exhausted, but at least I’m waking up early for a great cause: 7 hours of school! The Disgusting Debates: What a complete catastrophe that was. The only place that I’ve seen a worse screaming match is Wal-Mart on Black Friday. With Clinton and Trump yelling at each other, it was hard to tell whether we were watching a debate or a soap opera. The Brangelina Divorce: It left everyone shook. With the endless rumors about celebrity divorces, (I think Kim and Kanye have gotten divorced about 15 different times now according to the tabloids) everyone was taken aback about America’s perfect couple splitting up. Creepy Clowns: If a clown tries to jump me they are going to have to post up. Try me. I dare you. Luckily, they have not been as crazy as earlier in the year, maybe they just woke up one day and realized that dressing as a circus character and trying to intimidate people was not the smartest idea. Maybe it was all the videos of people finally getting smart and running over these bozos that stopped them. No Ice Cream At Lunch: The lunch lines stopped selling ice cream. First of all, how dare they. After waking up early, enduring hours of school, sometimes you just want some ice cream.
Entertainment
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Crafting Crafting Creativity Creativity How teachers sculpt innovation in the arts department MATTHEW LICHTBLAU Sports Editor
Artwork by Nicole Gregorits
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NATHANIEL ROBERTSON Staff Writer
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he art department is a significant branch of Robinson culture and community, sparking creativity and imagination among students. For one, Rambunctious Theater Co. has long been a staple of the school as a whole. Drama Director Megan Thrift teaches all high school theater courses and oversees the department itself, including school productions like the fall play, “Peter and the Starcatcher”. Thrift believes that students learn many valuable lessons and life skills out of theater, including “holding yourself accountable, working within a deadline, working within a budget, working creatively, [and] respecting your peers in a way that they also do better.” Being a drama teacher is quite rewarding for Thrift. She said that seeing a student conquer his or her fears is one of the most satisfying facets of her job. She likes to push her students to think outside the box to achieve their full potential. “If you’ve got everybody’s creative processes flowing, you can get so much more out of
them,” said Thrift. She added that the diversity of her students, along with “hearing everyone’s perspective and [knowing that] everyone is valued and loved,” are also key benefits of teaching theater. Film Studies, though a very different curriculum from drama and other art courses, is another Robinson-offered class that revolves heavily around creativity. Shauntel Sibley, a Film Studies teacher, described it as “an appreciation course” for film that allows students to become critical thinkers. “We do lots of creative activities, like a German Expressionist photo shoot and a short film at the end of the year,” said sophomore film studies student Dylan Clark. Sibley said: “As students go through these different units, they do different activities and find their interests that they can later use in their short film.” Sibley enjoys teaching the course and “seeing students get excited about creating.” The art department wouldn’t be complete without the traditional art courses. High school art teacher, Keith Beale said that his
students learn about various forms of physical art and “new ways to communicate” through art itself. In various art classes, students use their imaginations and creative spirits to complete projects. Teachings differ from course to course within this area, with some classes taking advantage of technological advances to complete artwork in the digital media. Beale added that creativity is crucial among students in art courses. “The creativity comes out of the students,” said Beale. It’s this greater sense of creativity that students come away with from his classes, which include Art 1 through 4, along with IB Art 1 and 2. For Beale, it’s the learning process and students’ own individual, artistic breakthroughs that makes his job all the more meaningful. With courses like Theater, Film Studies, Art, and more, teachers and students are able to expand and harness their uniqueness and creativity. Robinson has an extensive network of creativity in the arts that has grown and continued to serve as a hallmark of the school.
Entertainment
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op 5 Directors of All Time By Aidan O’Meara
Entertainment Editor
Indisputably the most important person on any set, the director is in command of nearly every aspect of a film. For that reason and many others, directors are deserving of their due merit. With features from the likes of Martin Scorsese, M. Night Shyamalan, and Ben Affleck released recently, it’s time to take a look back and award the most revered filmmakers in film.
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Roman Polanski (1933-Present) Despite the deserved controversy that has cast a shadow over the career of Polish-American director Roman Polanski, his films have left an indelible mark on film. Beginning his career with anti-Soviet films in 1960s Poland, Polanski found worldwide fame with two thrillers, Repulsion and Rosemary’s Baby, before turning to drama with films like his infamously violent Macbeth adaptation, arguably the best in the medium, and 1974’s Oscar-winning masterpiece Chinatown. It wasn’t until 2002 that Polanski finally took home the golden statue for directing, his deeply personal Holocaust film, (he was imprisoned in a camp for several years and lost his mother at Auschwitz) The Pianist, earning three Academy Awards.
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4. Quentin Tarantino (1963-Present)
Notoriously outspoken, brutally honest, and honestly brutal, Quentin Tarantino has earned his place as one of the most divisive voices in cinema. However, the films of this master are, as Roger Ebert put it, works of true “Quixotic delights.” While his reverence for the classics is obvious (far too much in his sole misstep, 2007’s Death Proof), Tarantino has crafted one of the most singular styles of any filmmaker with a deft combination of grandiose direction and insatiable writing. From the gangsters, boxers, and drug dealers of Pulp Fiction to the Nazi-hunting warriors of Inglourious Basterds, he has created some of the most beloved characters in film.
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Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999)
Perhaps the most versatile director to ever live, Stanley Kubrick worked in nearly every genre of film across his 13 pictures. From the satirical comedy of 1964’s Dr. Strangelove to the psychedelic sci-fi of 1968’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and to the beloved horror of the 1980 cult classic The Shining, Kubrick never rested on past laurels, changing his style whenever he felt it necessary. The British director saw film as a “magic medium”, conveying emotions and moods “that no other art form could hope to tackle”. That was clear in each of his works, his belief in visual storytelling allowing audiences to interpret his films in countless ways.
Martin Scorsese (1942-Present)
When Martin Scorsese’s first film Who’s That Knocking At My Door? premiered at the 1967 Chicago International Film Festival, iconic critic Roger Ebert wrote that it had announced the arrival of an “important new director.” Little did he know that Scorsese would go on to become arguably the greatest American filmmaker of all time, with 15 of his 23 subsequent films receiving at least one Oscar nomination. From the haunting tale of disturbed veteran Travis Bickle in 1976’s Taxi Driver to the cocaine-laced debauchery of infamous stockbroker Jordan Belfort in 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street, Scorsese has crafted some of the most fascinating character studies in film.
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3.
Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
Among the most influential directors in history, Akira Kurosawa’s films have inspired everything from Star Wars to A Bug’s Life. Though the Japanese filmmaker has more than a few quality pre-war (before 1941) films, he truly hit his stride in the postwar era. Starting with 1950’s revolutionary mystery Rashomon, Kurosawa quickly began a series of masterful works, ranging from the blistering action epic Seven Samurai to the elegiac yet unforgettably poignant Ikiru. Upon receiving his honorary Oscar in 1990, the famously humble director pondered whether or not he had yet “grasped the essence of cinema”. He had no reason to.
Photo courtesy of Matthew Cohen
Funds From the Field Jessica Reid Staff Writer Khadeejat Lawal Staff Writer
Home sporting events at Robinson generally have a large portion of the student body cheering for the blue and gold. Each student has one thing in common: the admission fee they paid in order to stand in the bleachers and support the Rams. The common $5-$7 admission fee applies for most Robinson sporting events. But, where does all the money collected from these sporting events go? It is easy to wonder where Robinson gets the money to put decorations on all of the fences and to redo floors, especially when FCPS was in debt for most of 2015. Varsity basketball and football tickets range from $5 to $7 a piece, money that
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the school could benefit from. Jeff Ferrell, director of student activities said that revenue from athletic games and events depends on a number of things, such as the weather and the schools competing. One of the largest student turnouts for varsity football games is when Robinson football plays its rival, Lake Braddock. “Whenever we play Braddock, we are going to have between a $20,000 and $25,000 game and then the schools split that,” said Ferrell. Home and away games that have opponents from schools that are far away from the Robinson area generally do not collect as much money, due to lack of student turnout. For instance, when Robinson played Herndon this past season, the money collected at the gate was
only between $2,500 and $4,000. “Nobody drives out to Herndon and nobody from Herndon comes here,” said Ferrell. As for where all of that revenue goes, it just cycles right back into the athletic funding. It takes massive amounts of funding to keep the sports games running, especially football. It takes money to maintain fields and courts, and purchase uniforms and food. This money comes from the entrance fees. “[The profit] goes back to athletics and athletic supplements,” said Ferrell. Not only does football require the most funding, they also receive the most money due to a large student turnout at the varsity games. “Each sport is given a budget to purchase whatever they need for their particular sport, but the rev-
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Each sport is given a budget to purchase whatever they need for their particular sport, but the revenue comes from the sale of tickets from football, basketball, baseball.
Photo courtesy of Cathleen Ridder
Robinson Cheer prepares for the 2016 homecoming game by wearing football jerseys from the players. Photo courtesy of Khadeejat Lawal
Elizabeth Spoone Finance Technician
enue comes from the sale of tickets from football, basketball, baseball; everything,� said finance technician Elizabeth Spoone. For sports such as gymnastics or swim and dive that generate no revenue, they get their funding from the total revenue of the year and then have it split up between all the sports according to their needs. The revenue that is made at the end of the year is typically used for equipment and uniforms for each of the sports. Larger expenditures such as the football scoreboard and the basketball court, are paid for through student fundraising or class gifts. The Robinson Athletic Department relies greatly on the money collected from sporting events for the funding, development, and continued improvement of all sports teams.
� This basketball court was given as a class gift to Robinson. It is used weekly for basketball games and multiple school activities. Photo courtesy of Khadeejat Lawal
The scoreboard used for multiple Robinson sporting events. Sports
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All the Fun Without the Funding Athletes contribute money to keep club sports running
Nate Walker Staff Writer High school sports are one of the many benefits teenagers have the opportunity to experience at Robinson. Typically, the cost of these athletic programs are covered by the school. Equipment, uniforms, and facility use, among other factors, all have a price. But at Robinson, there are sports that are not sponsored by the school, including ice hockey and crew, which means that all of the required funds are raised by the athletes and their families. “We have to do so many fundraisers, and we have to follow the school rules even though we’re not funded by them,” said crew member Ryan Slanina, 11. For crew, fees are rather hefty, anywhere from $300 to $500. Regardless of the money, Slanina enjoys taking part in crew. “It’s the guys who are still in there that keeps me doing it,” said Slanina. Ice hockey is another prominent example of a non-school sponsored sport at Robinson. Athletic fees also range from $300 to $500. Each hockey player pays an additional average of $1,500 for equipment entirely out of pocket, with costs varying from player to player. All hockey players are required to pay fees to the coaching staff in order to cover ice time, jerseys, spiritwear, and more. “I think it’s fine that hockey isn’t sponsored by the school, because I know that hockey isn’t the most popular sport around here, and it’s a sport that’s not commonly sponsored by FCPS,” said Parker Condit, 11. Despite the significant expenditures, Condit said: “I decided to play hockey because it’s an amazing sport with an amazing community, and it’s something I really enjoy.” Sports that are not sponsored by the school still have a plethora of students willing to pay the price to play the sports they admire.
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Photo courtesy of Ram Snaps
Brady Groner, 11, sweeps behind the opponent’s goal at the Purple Puck Tournament.
Catherine Reynolds
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After I got that award [All-State Cheerleader of the Year], people would be asking me how long I’d been cheering. I think it’s really cool that even though I started last year I could still get that.
All-State Cheerleader
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I like how in cheerleading, it’s not just your individual self. You compete as a team, and when your team does really well, it makes you really happy.
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When I quit gymnastics, because I fractured my back, I had to keep moving, I had to do something and cheerleading ties into gymnastics…I thought I’d pick it up quickly and I did.
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I’m really proud of our team this year. Coming into this season losing all those seniors last year, I didn’t think we’d be that good… we were a lot better than we all expected.
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Catherine Reynolds has returned to Gymnastics and in addition to Cheerleading, is on the Varsity Gymnastics Team. She participates in powerlifting, where she holds state, national, and world titles in deadlift, push-pull, and benchpress.
Reporting by Emily Boland Photo courtesy of Matthew Cohen