Prince George H.S. - 7801 Laurel Spring Rd. Prince George, VA 23875- www.trnwired.org - December 12, 2014
Volume XIII ISSUE 3 Free
Single Copy Only
trn The Royal News
FORENSICS TEAM COMPETES p.8 P. 10-11 HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS P. 9 LIGHTS SHINE BRIGHT FOR HOLIDAYS P. 20 ATHLETES TAKE STEPS TOWARD FUTURE
Seniors Nick Tritschler and Riley Rakes act out their humorous duo piece. The forensics team competed Nov. 22 at Hopewell H.S. for their first meet. Photos by Devan Fishburne. Visit trnwired.org to see the latest photo galleries and watch live broadcast events.
2 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 12.12.14
OP/ED
Federal Government Needs Input in Student Debt
theRoyalNews
O
ur mission as the school
newspaper for Prince George High School is to provide a form of media that represents all aspects of student life. The goal is to present factual accounts of newsworthy events in a timely manner. Our publication will be informative, entertaining and reflective of the student body’s opinions. It is the desire of the staff to reach every student and tell as many of their stories as possible. We invite your commentary: The Royal News Opinion page is a forum for public discussion and shall be open to all students. The Royal News will print as many letters as space will allow. The Royal News reserves the right not to print a letter. The Royal News publishes a wide variety of opinions. Send letters to: Letters to the Editor, The Royal News, PGHS, 7801 Laurel Spring Road, Prince George, Virginia 23875, or bring them to room A4, or e-mail them to trnwired@gmail.com We reserve the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, legality, spelling and grammar. Please include your name, address and phone number. Anonymous letters will not be considered for publication. 500 word maximum. Thank you for the support this year. Please continue to communicate on trnwired.org. Publication theft. A person commits the offense of publication theft when he or she willfully or knowingly obtains or exerts unauthorized control over more than three copies of an edition of a publication distributed on campus or in the surrounding community [with the intent to prevent other individuals from reading that edition of the publication]. A “publication” includes any periodical that is distributed on a complimentary or compensatory basis. In addition to the imposition of other campus disciplinary penalties, a person who violates this provision is responsible for compensating the publication for all reasonable costs incurred, including, where appropriate, the refund of advertising fees.
Section Editors Front page: Devan Fishburne-Op/Ed: Reeve Ashcraft-News: Hydeia Nutt-Features: Ebony Gilchrist and Angelica MartinezDoubletruck: Qadirah Monroe-A&E : April Buckles-Sports: Ryan Albright and Madison Strang-Photo Editor/Distribution and Events: Debra Thomas- Social Media Editor: Ronnie Dayvault - Business & Ad Editor: Daniel Puryear-Online Editor-in-Chief: Travis Temple-Special Edition Editor-In-Chief Sarah Daniel
Writers Alesondra Adams-Paul Dennis-Tyneshia Griffin-Brooke Guerrero-Rosemarie Hopkins-Cassie Kolbo-Corey LeeMatteo Reed-Chance Thweatt-Tyrah Washington-Tiana Whaley
Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Pugh
Managing Editor Devan Fishburne
Business Manager Daniel Puryear
Adviser
Chris Waugaman
Professional affiliations & awards Columbia Scholastic Press Associations Gold Medalist 2008-2013 CSPA Gold Crown Winner 2010 & 2013 Virginia High School Association Trophy Class 2006-2013 Col. Charles Savedge Award for Sustained Excellence 2010 NSPA Online Pacemaker Winner 2011 & 2014 NSPA Online Pacemaker Finalist 2014 SIPA All Southern 2008-2014
The Royal News, PGHS trnwired.org & trnsports.org
7801 Laurel Spring Road Prince George, Virginia 23875 804-733-2720 The Royal News is printed at The Progress-Index in Petersburg, Virginia
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Illustration by Qadirah Monroe.
America Continues to Play Large Role in Human Rights Struggle In 2010, 15.1% of all Americans were living in poverty. Compare that to the nearly 80% of the world’s population living on a mere $10 per day—or less. While the world’s impoverished struggle to survive on their meager pay, Americans are protesting minimum wage increases up to $15 per hour in some cities. This is not meant to imply America is a country where human rights offenses do not exist. There are thousands of examples of sexism and prejudice in America yearly, and torture for information is a reality in this country. The freedom of speech, the press, and the right to assemble peacefully is frequently violated. Nevertheless, America is an incredibly privileged country in relation to many of the other nations of the world. Americans take for granted their access to information, food, clean and safe water, fair payment for work, their right to not be sexually exploited or forced to marry without their consent, their right to participate in their government, and their right to challenge discrimination based on sex, political affiliation, sexual orientation, race, religion,
and age without fear of bodily injury or death to themselves or their family. Dec. 10 is Human Rights Day. It was proclaimed in 1950 as a day of celebration of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a 30-article document proclaiming the human rights endowed to every individual. The Declaration is meant as “the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.” Still, over sixty years after its adoption, human rights are continually and habitually violated worldwide. As a hugely influential nation, the United States has a responsibility to lead by example and end its human rights violations to greatest degree possible, as well as to encourage other nations to do the same. It is, and always will be, impossible to eradicate prejudice completely. But that does not mean any of the world’s leaders has to right to give up trying to create progress for humanity as a whole. They have a responsibility not only to their nations, themselves, and their people, but also to the world and its future generations.
ith the price of college tuition continuing to rise over the past decade, many students are graduating college REEVE ASHCRAFT with a large amount of debt. According to the Huffington Post, more than 40 million Americans hold student debt. To put this in perspective, that’s roughly 11.4% of the American population and an amount greater than the entire population of Canada, Poland, North Korea, and more than 200 other countries. Since the student debt plague is affecting so many Americans, some are looking at the federal government for answers. Some are asking for complete forgiveness of the total amount of debt owed, while others are just looking for partial relief from the deficit. As if the debt wasn’t bad enough, student loan interest rates have doubled from 3.4% to 6.8% and are adding more debt to the terrible mountain of unpaid loans. Even if the government just cut the interest from the debt, many Americans suffering from debt would see sizable relief. Another problem associated with student debt besides the obvious is that many employers run credit checks on candidates for employment, and many do not hire candidates with a high amount of student debt. Even the lucky few who find a job out of college are seeing decreased wages, but a massive increase in the price of student loans. For this reason, young adults are putting off families, buying houses, and buying cars. Even though students should keep this in perspective when applying to private universities and high-cost institutions, the school you get your degree from has more weight now than it used to. The federal government, or even state government, sticks its nose into a lot of things for no reason, but this is a cry for help and it is their job to step up.
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OP/ED
Do Students Deserve Extra School Days?
While winter fastly approaches, students and their families are preparing for the snow and cold weather that is expected to come. With a worse than normal winter expected, should students be forced to make up extra days that are missed due to the inclement weather?
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ith an expected 20.3 inches of snow in Richmond, VA, for the 2014-15 winter, according to liveweatherblogs.com, the problem arises of teachers not having enough time to prepare students for exams and the SOLs. 10 inches above the average snowfall for Richmond, this predicts at least 6-7 snow days for students in the area. In the state of Virginia, students are required to have 440 “seat hours,” or hours that school is in session. Every year there is a certain number of “banked hours,” or extra hours that students are in school, that may be used for snow days or other emergencies. If a school does not meet this requirement, students will either have to attend extra days at the end of the school year, or attend school on a Saturday. Adding extra days to the end of the school year would make certain that students meet the state requirement, have enough time to prepare for SOLs, and avoid the possibility of having to attend school on a Saturday. Furthermore, teachers use the last few weeks of school solely to prepare for SOLs, and if they have to spend that time teaching new information, students will be unable to learn that information in addition to study for the SOLs in time. In the 2013-14 school year, 20 minutes were added to the last 6 days of school in order to make up for the time lost due to snow, in order to meet the state’s requirements. Since that only equated to 5 extra minutes of class, the time could be deemed unnecessary. Also with many spring sports still having games and practices, students would be getting home much later and would be much more physically and emotionally drained by the time they get home. Therefore, extra days should be added to the end of the school year to prevent the stress of not obtaining enough seat hours to meet state requirements.
PRO CON SARAH DANIEL
MADISON STRANG
“Snow days are something that the students cannot control and should not be punished for them.” “Adding extra days to the end of the school year would make certain students meet the state requirement...” “Adding the days can put stress on the city or county’s allowed finances...”
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uring the 2013-2014-winter season, Prince George High School missed an above average amount of days because of the inclement weather. Also, Midterm exams were cancelled relieving stress from the whole student body. Snow days are something that the students cannot control and they should not be punished for them. The calendar accounts for 180 days of school and 8 calamity days. In the 180 days that the students are required to be at school, teachers are preparing them for SOLs and mid-term/final exams. Therefore, extra days added to the end of the school year are unnecessary. Instead of the extra hours being added towards the end of the year, officials should consider other options such as, taking away some of the break time or taking away some half days. Last year, Prince George added an extra 20 minutes to the school day because the calamity days went over the amount set aside for cases like this. This was a more reasonable idea rather than adding extra days, because it only equaled to five extra minutes per class Running a school can be quit pricey. The average cost to run all schools in Virginia, per day, is $62,591,000. So, adding the days can put stress on the city or county’s allowed finances, and could possible put them in debt. Furthermore, the snow days may be beneficial in helping the schools save extra money, considering the large cost of running a school per day. Therefore, there has to be other options to consider rather than adding extra days to the end of the school year over something the students cannot control. This decision also considers that many families plan vacations right after the school year ends and adding days would disrupt students, parents, and even faculty. Illustration by Qadirah Monroe.
4 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 12.12.14
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FRIDAY 12.12.14 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 5
BRIEFLY Monday 19th
Tuesday 20th
School Closed for MLK Holiday
6th Exam
Winter break will begin Monday, December 22nd and school will resume on Monday, January 5th.
Christmas Day is celebrated on the 25th of December every year. It is about commemorating the birth of Jesus. It is an occasion where friends and family exchange gifts.
Model U.N. Club will be selling Christmas ornaments at fifty cents each for the Christmas tree contest from December 8th until December 17th. The two first place winners will receive a pizza party and the second place winner will win cookies for their class. All proceeds go to the PG Model United Nations Club.
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JANUARY EXAMS
Wednesday 21st 1st & 3rd Exam
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Thursday 22nd
Friday 23rd
2nd & 4th Exam
5th & 7th Exam
MERRY te t
HAPPY
ay a
The LMC is collecting new and unwrapped toys that will go to the children of VCU Children’s hospital. This year’s drive is in memory of Quinian Thomas who lost his battle against leukemia in August. Gifts must be turned in by Monday, December 15th. For more information see your English teacher or a librarian.
The literary magazine is now accepting entries for the 20142015 Literary Arts Magazine. The idea is to come up with original and creative poetry, short stories, essay, photos, and art to include in this year’s magazine. Submissions will be due December 19th. If you would like to enter visit trnwired.org/ etcetera-2015.
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FEATURES
New Year Brings New Goals Students Share Their Resolutions For Improvement. said. “Don’t let anyone put your fire out.” Not everyone will have the same resolutions, because each goal is as unique has the person that makes it. Whirley warns other students of not picking the wrong resolution for them. “Don’t make a resolution that you know you are not going to keep. [Pick] something difficult but possible,” Whirley said. Other students face issues with staying motivated and achieving the resolutions they set for themselves, especially if they are long term. Senior Dasha Wyche made a resolution to graduate and become successful. “[To do this], I have to stay focused and complete all tasks that are assigned to me,” Wyche said. Wyche made the resolution to be successful because her nephews motivate her to be a better person. She encourages others to be unyielding and make their resolutions come to life. “My best advice is to be positive, know what you want to achieve, and be patient,” Whirley said.
Angelica Martinez features editor
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weat drips from his face, his muscles ache, and he gasps for air. As senior Lavelle Baines finishes another demanding workout, he writes down his accomplishment and puts it in a jar to track his progress. With each piece of paper, the jar’s content grows, and so too does his confidence. Baines used this technique to lose weight, and suggests others to utilize it in reaching their goals as well. With 2015 quickly approaching, amidst the holiday cheer and preparations, many students begin creating their New Year’s resolutions. Some work for better grades, others pledge to exercise more, and some hope to find a job. For many seniors, their goals involve graduating and going to college or joining the workforce. This year, Baines strives to be mentally stronger and ready for his life as an adult. “When you’re about to graduate, you have a lot on your mind. You have to take into consideration that you’re jumping into reality. That’s a big step,” Baines said. Students who are just starting their high school careers have other aspirations. Sophomore Kayla Shafer’s resolution is to be more active and join more school sports. She is interested in softball, volleyball, and soccer. “I’ve always been into sports, and it’s fun to be active and participate after school. It gives you something to do,” Shafer said. Similar to Shafer, other students are resolving to improve their health with the upcoming year. Almost a fourth of the students interviewed had a similar resolution. Shafer finds motivation from her friends to lead a healthier life. “Just go for it. Make little goals to work towards your big goals and one day you’ll make it,” Shafer said. For many students, deciding on what to resolve to do is their biggest challenge. In fact,
Students’ Resolutions
almost half of students interviewed said that they did not yet know their New Year’s resolution. Some have a general idea of what they want to accomplish in the coming year, but have no way of narrowing it down. However, it is not always necessary to have one specific destination. Sometimes, the development during the journey is the most important part. Sophomore Tiara Whirley’s resolution reflects this idea, because her goal is simply to be the best person she can be, and not let others’
Senior Lavelle Baines puts another page into his jar. Baines tracked his fitness progression by using this method and encourages others to adopt this tradition as well. Photo by Angelica Martinez. opinions influence her. “I’ve been told that I’m too smart to be girl. I want to be a role model to my sister,” Whirley
Based on a survey of 100 sophomores, juniors, and seniors when asked what their New Year’s resolution was. Information and graphic by Angelica Martinez.
FRIDAY 12.12.14 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 7
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FEATURES Forensics Club Competes Public Speaking Organization Participates in First Invitational.
1. What is Forensics? A. Competitive Speaking B. Police Work C. Science D. Engineering
Tiana Whaley trn writer
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2. How many different categories are there? A. Five B. Six C. Seven D. Eight
self, and because there are so many different categories one can enter in, and there really is a way for anyone to express [themselves]. My favorite part about the club is being able to work with my friend Riley Rakes in the humorous duo category, because we have been friends for a long time, so we always have fun together,” Tritschler said. Beth Andersen, the AP English 12 teacher, is the sponsor of the Forensics club. “This is my fourth year [sponsoring Forensics]. I did Forensics when I was in high school and really enjoyed it so I thought I would be fun [to sponsor the club],” Andersen said. Andersen is an obvious advocate for students joining the Forensics club, however, the reason is not to add numbers to the club. “[I think students should join Forensics because] it is a fun activity and it does not necessarily require consistent time commitment like daily practices, but it allows students to experience something different in a competitive environment,” Andersen said. In a Forensics competition, each category has an unlimited number of competitors. The contestants go through three
Junior Kameron Sullivan demonstrates her Angelina Ballerina performance. Sullivan competed in the storytelling and impromptu categories. Photo by Angelica Martinez. rounds of judging, each time by a different judge. After these three rounds, six contestants from every category are chosen to go to the finals. From these six, a winner is chosen in each category. Going through all this makes it difficult to make it to the finals, especially if there are a large number of people in the category. The competition on Saturday did not have the expected result, but this competition was many of the competitors first time ever competing in a Forensics competition. Of the nine contestants, only one, Lindsay Pugh, made it to the finals in storytelling. However, going to the competitions is not only about winning, sometimes it just about expressing oneself. “I like to see the opportunity to see students express themselves in different ways. I like to see when students who are usually quiet in the classroom go out in public and show their [true] colors,” Andersen said.
3. What month is the next Forensics Competition? A. December B. January C. February D. March 4. How many rounds of judging do the contestants go through? A. Two B. Three C. Four D. Five 5. How many people from each category are chosen to go to the finals? A. Four B. Five C. Six D. Seven
Answers: 1.A 2.C 3.B 4.B 5.C
s the Forensics team walks into the Hopewell High School cafeteria, they are surprised by what they see. Around a hundred students fill the cafeteria, some from local schools, and others from places like Virginia Beach. There are contestants all around practicing for their categories. They are all here for the same reason, to win their chosen category. The Forensics team had its first competition on Saturday, November 22 at Hopewell High School. There were nine competitors competing in categories including poetry, storytelling, impromptu, and original oratory. Kameron Sullivan, a junior in the Forensics club, competed in the impromptu and storytelling categories. “[I have been in Forensics for] two years now. I joined Forensics [because] I love theater and public speaking sort of goes hand in hand with it,” Sullivan said. There is more to Forensics than just the competition. Like any other event, the competitors make friends with the people from other schools, making the events more fun. “[My favorite part about Forensics is] meeting the people from all around and having fun,” Sullivan said. Senior Nick Tritschler did not compete in this competition, but has been a part of the club since February of 2014. “I joined Forensics because I was looking for an extracurricular activity to do, and it was something new that I had never heard of so I decided to give it a try,” Tritschler said. There are many reasons to join Forensics, whether it is to spend time with friends, make new ones, or just to find a different avenue to express oneself. “I want people to know that Forensics is a great way to have fun and express one-
Forensics Quiz: What Do You Know About Forensics?
FRIDAY 12.12.14 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 9
A&E
Lights Shine Bright for Holidays
Traditions Displayed in Decorations.
April Buckles a&e editor
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s the days are becoming longer, and the chill in the air is becoming more apparent, it is hard to believe that the Christmas holiday is approaching. One can imagine families decorating their homes and trees, while rejoicing in love and laughter. The scenes of lights and decorations, as one rides or walks around their neighborhoods paints vivid images in one’s mind of Christmas. Christmas decorations are one of the most famous ways of showing a gay spirit for the holidays. Lights will be gleaming on the square and rectangular frames of houses all around, while children will be prancing around rooms filled with presents. A Christmas tree full of bright red ribbons and a beautiful presentation of dangling jewelry only truly meant for an exquisite Christmas tree. “Decorating your house for the
Christmas holidays gets everyone in the Christmas spirit and brightens the mood of everyone,” sophomore Mackenzie Allin said. While some students seem to have an obsession for the holiday, some people are waiting for all the glee and excitement to die down . “My family usually doesn’t go all out or anything for the Christmas holiday, and usually whenever I place something on the tree it is usually removed by my kids because they love to pull things off of the tree,” English teacher Melissa Face said. In the mix of all the Christmas hustle and bustle children and even adults have their favorite household decorations. Outside and inside decorations are well-known favorites. “By far, my favorite holiday decorations [are] the Christmas tree and stockings,” Allin said. On the other side of things, some people have an easier approach to outside Christmas decorations. “My family and I love snowmen, and penguins because I’m very into what my children are interested in, because it is what makes them happy and smile,” Face said.
Whether one is decorating for outside or inside, everyone has a reason for the season. “It’s a family tradition for my family and I. There will always be a wreath on my front door and a Christmas tree in my house,” senior Michael Benjamen said. While some find it a tradition to celebrate the holidays by decorating every nook and cranny of their homes and surroundings, others just do it for the excitement and buzz of the holidays. “My family and I have always celebrated Christmas and decorated due to wanting to feel and participate in all the holiday spirit. We’ve always used ornaments, lights, and candles to decorate our house,” junior Antonio Thomas said. Some people feel as if there is a deeper and more religious meaning to the word, “Christmas.” “My family and I have always decorated because of our religious beliefs. The way we decorate our home has always reflected that. We have always used a tree in our home, along with ornaments and certain other decorations and ornaments that represent Jesus’s birth. We put the angel on top of the tree, because it’s a symbol of love and protection. Our ornaments and lights
go around the tree that symbolizes us coming together as a family to get the tree up and ready. We also have a baby Jesus, Mary, and much more around the house. Everything we do is a symbol of Jesus’s life and what we are grateful for,” senior Jamecia Woodson said. Christmas is a time to come together and be grateful for anything and everything about one’s life, and it gives people time to reminisce and appreciate everything they have given and received in the past year. “Family, friends, life, and the ability to love [are most important] because those are the center of every thing that we are as human beings, and those are the things that really mean something in life,” German teacher Susan Brafford said.
Christmas lights are displayed at a home in Prince George, Virginia. Christmas is the time where one can often see homes decorated for the holidays. Photo by April Buckles.
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Holiday Destinations Students Share Where They Will Be Spending Their Time Vacationing During Winter Break. Lima, OH Christmas & Birthday Celebration Sophomore Michelle Averecsch
M C
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A Blackstone, VA Christmas Junior Ginger Crow
Labelle, FL Christmas Senior Sterling Mclymont
Easton, PA Sophomore Brianna Brow
Atlanta, GA Christmas Senior Shon’Quez Henry
San Juan, PR Christmas, New Year’s, & Birthday Celebration Sophomore Victor Mera-Placencio
Phoenix, Yuma, & Prescott Valley, AZ Christmas Sarah Brown
Harlem, NY Christmas & New Year’s Sophomore Tavon Smith
St. John, Virgin Islands New Year’s Sophomore Kendall Eaton
Poauoson, VA Christmas Sophomore Grace Williams
New York, NY Christmas Junior Fabiola Quinones
Virginia Beac New Year Sophomo Mariah Ram
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Hanukkah: Festival of Lights
NUMBERS
On Dec. 16-24, Hanukkah will be celebrated by followers of Jewish faith.
Montgomery, AL Christmas
I
Sophomore
Ariel Patrick
A e wn
n 200 B.C. , during the reign of Antiochus IV, the ruler of Syria, the practice of Judaism was made illegal. Years later, his soldiers invaded the city of Jerusalem, killing thousands of Jewish people. In addition to the killings, the soldiers invaded the city’s Second Temple, placed a tribute to the Greek god Zeus within it, and sacrificed pigs inside of the temple. Jewish priest Mattathias led a rebellion against Antiochus. After his death, his son Judah took over his leadership position and had the Second Temple’s alter remodeled. After its renovations, he lit its menorah. There was only one night worth of oil to keep the light burning, but miraculously the candles burned for eight whole nights. The miraculous event inspired an annual eight-day festival. Today this festival is known as Hanukkah.
Califonia New Year’s Sophomore Santina Salinas
Georgia New Year’s Sophomore Gabriela Hall
Raleigh, NC New Year’s Sophomore Zuhura Semrau
ch, VA r’s ore mirez
The Facts
New York, NY Christmas Sophomore Jahnay Rouson
1
On each night of the holiday, a candle is added to the menorah after sunset. There are eight nights total and nine candles on the menorah. The ninth candle is used to light the other eight.
dreidel, a four sided spinning top, 2 The is often spun during the celebration.
Chesapeake, VA Christmas Sophomore Deja Spicely
Jacksonville, FL Christmas Sophomore Art Stevens
During Antichus’ rule, the spinning of the dreidel was popular among Jewish families. foods eaten during the 3 Traditional holiday, such as sufganiyot and latkes, are fried in oils. The oil symbolizes the miracle oil that burned in the Second Temple. story of Hanukkah is not actually 4 The in the Torah because the events that
New York, NY Christmas Sophomore Jahnay Rouson
inspire the holiday took place after the scripture was written.
to the lighting of the menorah, 5 Due Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights.
Source: http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/hanukkah#
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A&E Gamer's Corner
T
he PlayStation Vita portable console has been a commercial failure since its inception. Its innovative design and commendable processing power are, unfortunately, not enough to keep it relevant to the consumer, because it lacks one crucial feature: great, large-scale games that sell systems. Freedom Wars, Vita’s latest release, attempts to remedy the situation, and while it may not move a tremendous amount of units, it is an exciting and entertaining romp through an unfamiliar gaming landscape. Freedom Wars is set in a distant future in which large quantities of the Earth’s resources have dissipated, and corrupt city states fight over control. These city states are run by a bureaucracy that imprisons its citizens with sen-
Travis Temple
tences of one million years or more for minor crimes such as littering, and it is the goal of the player to whittle down their sentence by participating in combat missions. This Orwellian and dystopian setting fits perfectly into the gameplay systems, and the attention to detail is rather astounding. Everything from the menus to the spoken dialogue is appropriately litigious, which makes the experience much more immersive. The only issue from a presentational standpoint is that the game does a poor job of prioritizing gameplay over its story, which is mediocre to begin with. The combat present in Freedom Wars is quite satisfying, although it is hardly fresh. It borrows heavily from the Monster Hunter franchise, and these types of experiences are a dime a dozen on the Vita. However, it sets itself apart somewhat with the introduction of the “thorn,” a tool that allows the user to zip around, cling to walls, and scale giant enemies. The deep customization options also serve to keep the experience from getting stale. Although Freedom Wars will not be the
FRIDAY 12.12.14 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 13
miracle worker the Vita needs to make its way out of a commercial flop, it is an interesting experience that should entice those that are already familiar with Sony’s flagship portable.
Photo courtesy of www.Youtube.com.
14 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 12.12.14
www.mwcpa.com Richmond Tri-Cities
Serving Virginia for 70 Years
Prince George Fire & EMS Wishes you Happy Holidays!
Give the gift of yourself!!
Touch the lives of others. VOLUNTEER, BE A PART OF OUR TEAM! ďŹ reems@princegeorgeva.org (804) 722-8614
FRIDAY 12.12.14 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 15
PH TOGALLERY
Holiday Parade Celebrates 25th Anniversary BELOW: Santa Claus and Christmas Card Decorating Winner Gia Valencia greet the residents of Prince George County. The child that wins the Christmas Card Decorating Contest rides with Santa during the parade every year. Even though the parade was moved to Saturday due to inclement weather,Valencia was still able to ride with Santa in the parade. Photo by Ronald Dayvault. BOTTOM LEFT: Drum Major Ashley Bishop leads the Marching Band. The Marching Band participates in the parade every year. Photo by Ronald Dayvault.
For more photos of the Christmas Parade, go to www.trnwired. smugmug.com.
ABOVE: Sophomore Haley Bendall and the varsity cheerleaders ride on top of a fire truck driven by the Prince George Fire Department. Photo by Ronald Dayvault. MIDDLE: JROTC Color Guard march at the head of the parade, which they have traditionally started. The members of the color guard that marched in the parade were Bradley Stovall, Edward Williams, Makayla Hernandez, Ryan Snover, Michael FaJohn and Trevor Brunson. Photo by Ronald Dayvault.
16 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 12.12.14
804-733-6619
Hours of Operation: Tuesday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Friday: 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. Saturday: 4 p.m.- 9 p.m. Closed: Sunday & Monday
Robert Major Wilkinson, Jr.
President
OfďŹ ce: 434.246.2666 Fax: 434.246.2103 Cell: 804.720.0225 20250 South crater Road P.O. Box 31 Carson, Virginia 23830
FRIDAY 12.12.14 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 17
Boys Basketball Starts Season Off Strong
Basketball Wins First Two Scrimmages, Looks to Continue Success Alesondra Adamas trn writer
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he boys form a huddle as Coach Carr explains the plays they will perform for the game. The only thing they can hear is the support from the audience, which seems to egg on their confidence even more. The coach says his parting words, and they break the circle, ready for battle. The boys varsity basketball team kicked off the season with a scrimmage game against Kempsville High School on Nov. 22, 2014. After a long battle, they victoriously defeated the Kempsville Chiefs, and continued their winning streak with the defeat of the Hermitage Panthers on November 29th. Their fearless attitude towards outside schools is what has gotten them through the scrimmages, and they do not plan to back down for the real deal. “We do not sweat other teams. We worry about us, and what we do in order to be successful,” Coach Carr, head coach, said. This is the second year Coach Carr has been coaching the Boys Varsity Basketball team, and many feel that the past two years with him have been great. “It’s good [having Coach Carr]. He’s a good coach. Very understanding,” Richard Hanson, senior and varsity Basketball player, said. To say that Coach Carr is feeling like a “good coach” would be an understatement. “I feel great. I had a lot more time to prepare for this upcoming season. I feel like I have [my guys] in check,” Carr said. He does not only feel great, but believes that the best part of coaching the team is the ability to pick who he wants to spend the season with. “It’s one of the perks of being a coach. You don’t get to choose your parents. You don’t get to choose your children. You don’t
get to choose your students. You don’t get to choose your teachers. But I have the luxury of choosing my guys.” Carr said. This season, the boys plan to have a heavy focus on the defensive side, but there is one player who is going in the opposite direction. “Me, personally, I’m trying to work on my offense. I got my defense down pack,” Hanson said. Along with focuses on the court, there is one who focuses their attention off of the court. “[This season] I’m trying to stay healthy,” Mikale Harris, senior and Varsity Basketball player said. The audience is also expected to see something in the players, on and off the court. “Our audience can expect a hard working team of well-mannered gentlemen who will have a positive impact on this school,” Carr said. Coach Carr, along with a few others, believes that teamwork is what will make the team successful in the end. “Without a doubt,” Carr said. Coach Carr also believes that the guys are ready, from the captains to the managers, they are prepared for battle. “We have been preparing for [the] season since the summer. There are a handful of guys who have been putting in work for months,” Carr said. The official season started Tuesday, December 9 with the Royals going up against Hopewell. For the past two years, Coach Carr has not been able to choose a moment in time where he has been proud of the team. “I am constantly proud of this team. I do not pin point times where I am proud and not proud. As long as my team puts forth every ounce of effort they have, I am proud of their results. I am more proud when I see a group of gentlemen who represent our school and community to the standards to which they are held,” Carr said. Junior Cory Hill dribbles inside the paint against Hopewell on Dec. 9. The Royals lost to the Blue Devils 68-50. Photo by Matteo Reed.
Thank You Patrons! GOLD Jeffery Darby Kim Bailey Cathie Hamlin Varsity Boys Basketball GREEN Cathy Cleveland S.B. Jones W. D. Winterson S.B. Jones Art Club SADD Club Louise Thorton Ed Kaufman
SUPER Leann & Roy Binger William Havard Stephanie Bishop Patrons Cynthia Hasley Donald Newbold Dennis Carr Rose Scott Star-Lord S. Labossiere David Pollard Nelson Britt Naomi Brown Terry Walker W. D. Winterson Kendall Warren
18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 12.12.14
WINTER SPORTS
Wrestling Team Prepares for Season Wrestlers Attempt to Build on Previous Season’s Accomplishments. Corey Lee trn writer
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enior Spencer Gifford, after a tiring seven minutes and a few breaks to clean up the blood, fights through the exhaustion and pain and slams his opponent down onto his head, taking first place by the score of fifteen to three at the Amelia Tournament last wrestling season. The Royals wrestling team is working hard to prepare for this upcoming season to achieve all that they did last year, like Gifford’s win at the tournament. Head coach David Emory believes the team is preparing well for this season and they are ready to win. “We are practicing hard every day,” Emory said. “[The team does] two hours of conditioning every day after school, some weightlifting, and learning techniques.” Junior Austin Minton, a returning wrestler, has high hopes for the team’s season and for the athletes that are returning. “We should do better than last [season],” said Minton. “We have a lot of people in the same weight class.” Having the weight classes filled gives the team more representation at competitions and more opportunities to score points. “I think we will be okay. We have every weight class filled,” Emory said. “We will have them filled for the next few years.” Minton has been preparing for the season at the conditioning that the wrestling team does every year before the season starts. “I have been working on cardio and practicing the basics [at conditioning],” Minton said. Gifford has been wrestling for a few years and is
now in his last year. He has confidence that this season should be a good way to end his senior year and show off the improvement he has made since starting wrestling. “I’m pretty excited. This should be a good senior year,” Gifford said. “I’ve made a lot of improvement.” The team has many of its starting athletes returning for this upcoming season, which will give the team a good advantage with experience and skill levels. “We will have more experience. It was a lot of the kids first season last year. This year we have twelve of the thirteen starters returning from last season,” Emory said. The coaches and players of the wrestling team all have big goals for both the team and for themselves this season. “My goal is to go to states,” Gifford said. “We have gone to regionals the past two years.” Emory hopes to show off the team’s hard work
and practice at one of the biggest tournaments this season. “The thing I look forward to most is the Richmond Invitational,” Emory said. “There will be teams from all over the state of Virginia and a few other states.” Minton is striving for a more personal goal of winning more than he did his previous season and reaching higher achievements. “I want to beat my record of twenty-two wins and ten losses from last season,” Minton said. The athletes all find their own ways to prepare themselves for the mentally and physically demanding matches and competitions. “I stretch, run, visualize my opponent, and clear all of my thoughts before my matches,” Gifford said. The Royals wrestling team is excited and has been working hard to better themselves and the team as a whole for this upcoming season.
Senior Spencer Gifford Squats at Wrestling practice. Gifford is working hard to build upon and improve what he accomplished last season. Photo by Corey Lee.
College Football Playoff Outlook
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fter the College Football Playoff Selection Committee released their current top four teams for the playoffs on Tuesday, Dec. 2, pending a relatively large upset, the playoff teams seem set. If all things remained, the top four would be Alabama at one, Oregon at two, Texas Christian University (TCU) at three, and Florida State (FSU) at four. Many people have expressed their discontent with the Ryan Albright new rankings, mainly for three reasons. First, FSU is the only undefeated team left in College Football, and yet three one lose teams have jumped them in the standings. Second, TCU is 10-1, and the only team that beat them is number five Baylor, who is also 10-1. They both play in the Big Twelve and Baylor is leading the conference standing, so why would TCU be ahead of Baylor? Third, Ohio State played with their backup quarterback all year, but they are 11-1. In their game against Michigan, however, they lost their backup QB with a broken ankle, and the Selection Committee can factor in injuries into their seeding decisions. But some still think that the Buckeyes should be in the top four over TCU. I, for one, am quite satisfied with the new system and the new rankings. I like that Ohio State has been kept out of the top four for two reasons: one being their horrible loss to Virginia Tech, at home, and the other being their injury to J.T. Barrett. I also like the FSU is not number one simply because they are undefeated, considering they have had a relatively easy schedule, and struggled with that. I believe that they should be in the top four, no matter what, if they finish undefeated, but being number one should not be handed to them. The Baylor-TCU situation is iffy to me. It depends on how Baylor plays against number nine Kansas State on Saturday, Dec. 6. I think that without a doubt one of the two will be in the top four, even if that means Baylor jumping Ohio State in the rankings. The final week of the season could ultimately decide a lot of things. If there are some upsets within the top four teams, we could see a team like Ohio State sneak into the playoffs as the fourth seed.
FRIDAY 12.12.14 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 19
PTA Happenings 2nd Annual Art Auction & Wine Tasting February 7, 2015 @ Jordan Point Country Club
4th Annual PGHS PTA Car Show March 21, 2015 with a rain date of March 28, 2015
El Cap Fundraiser Nights January 26, February 23, March 30 Royal Blankets on sale @ the George
Happy Holidays from the Board of Supervisors
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boys Varsity boys Varsity girls Varsity Winter >> Varsity >> >> >> basketball game invitational vs. invitational at Wrestling dual at Petersburg is Freedom at Glen Allen is Fri., at Dinwiddie is Sports Dec. 12th at 7:30 Petersburg is Sat., Dec. 19th at 6:00 Sat., Dec. 20th P.M. Dec. 13th at 6:00 P.M. TBD.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Athletes Take Step Toward Future
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Senior Ariel Stephenson goes up for a lay up. Stephenson recently signed to Wake Forest University. For more photos visit trnwired.com. Photo by Ronnie Dayvault.
Tyneshia Griffin trn writer
or a select group of high school athletes, the fans, the hard-core practices, and the mental and physical perseverance will not come to an end in the 2014-2015 spring or fall season. Their athletic careers will continue into the college leagues, offering them the opportunity to compete against the best athletes in the nation. As signed or committing athletes, Ariel Stephenson, Richard Hanson, and Jojo Taylor are reflecting on each individual that has illuminated their paths to success and how all their triumphs will affect their futures. The influences of parents, grandparents, and role models are fundamental elements of their continuous personal and athletic transformations. Growing up around a basketball at the age of four was the first step of many that Ariel Stevenson, a 1,000+ point player for the Lady Royals, has taken to become one of the top basketball guards in the country. Stephenson’s dad presented her with the first opportunity to play basketball when he placed her on a rec league. “My dad was my main influence,” Stephenson said. “I also looked up to Lebron James for his leadership skills, style of play, and his dominance.” Richard Hanson’s grandparents guided him onto the field for the first time. “I have been playing since I was five years old,” Hanson said. “My grandparents signed me up for flag football.” Running at full speed to score some of his first touchdowns is a memory that Richard fondly remembers from his auspicious beginnings as a football player. “I used to score every touchdown and do the worm and the robot in the end zone,” Hanson said. “I just loved the game.” The pre-collegiate players’ resilience and
optimism has proffered them with the remarkable opportunity to play in the college divisions. Jojo Taylor, who has been playing soccer for over 10 years and is committing to Winthrop University, made her decision to play sports at a college level not simply because of the chance to play soccer, but also based on the many athletic programs offered at Winthrop University. “Winthrop offers varsity basketball and a summer league,” Taylor said. “I am looking forward to winning my first NCAA tournament.” Taylor is also inspired by thought of playing at the professional level and having a career that is focused around physical activities. “I would love to play professional, to just be the highest you can be,” Taylor said. Playing mentally and physically with the toughest opponents is a moment that Stephenson is looking forward to as a collegiate basketball player for Wake Forest University, who she recently signed with on November 14th. “I want to see how I will do against people who are just as talented as I am,” Stephenson said. Hanson has big goals to achieve and wants to have his mindset right. “If you want something, you have to go and get it,” Hanson said. Hanson, who will be playing for the West Point Military Academy next fall, has been dreaming about playing football at the collegiate level. He puts in all the academic hours, all the footwork on the field, and all the adamant passion for football that is needed to reach and attain such a monumental goal. “My position is cornerback. I have to deflect the ball from the receiver,” Hanson said. “Football has always been there for me. Whenever I am mad, I just go to the field and do some drills. It is my stress reliever.” Stephenson and Taylor both consider their teammates as a major part of their achievements. “I love when I know I have done whatever I need to do so that my team is successful,” said Stephenson. “We function as a family. Being a family off the court makes us function as a family on the court.”