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VOL. XVII ISSUE 3
PRINCE GEORGE H.S. 7801 LAUREL SPRING RD., PRINCE GEORGE, VA 23875 WWW.TRNWIRED.ORG & @ROYALSMEDIANOW DECEMBER 18, 2018
SURPRISE SNOW MEANS EARLY FOUR DAY BREAK FOR STUDENTS P. 20 Senior Reginald Reynolds poses in the snow during one of his days off from school. The area received around 12 inches of snow on Sunday, December 9. Photo contributed by Reginald Reynolds.
What’s Inside? p. 7 Teacher Participates In Holiday Home Tour
p. 17 Band, Choir Concerts Rescheduled For Tonight
p. 11 Students Prepare For Court Case p. 23 Running Royals Go Up Tempo
Did you venture out into the snow? - Yes 51% - No 49%
*Twitter poll of 47 votes
2 | THE ROYAL NEWS | TUESDAY 12.18.18
OP/ED
Art Valuable Even In Prison
theRoyalNews
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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 A2, 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: Anna Mitchell, Op/Ed: Claudia King, Features: Harmony Thomas, Doubletruck: Maddison Shawkey, A&E: Sarah Schrum, Sports: Masako Kaneko & Carter Marks, Photos: Shelby Hayes
Writers Nic Brown, Skylar Gibbs, Allison McCauley-Cook, Gabbey Miner, Deanna Nichols, Lisa Parker, Francesca Quinata, Victoria Taylor, Kaylaá White, Zach Yamaguchi, Katie Zevgolis Professional affiliations & awards Columbia Scholastic Press Associations Gold Medalist 2008-2016 CSPA Gold Crown Winner 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015 Virginia High School Association Trophy Class 2006-2017 Col. Charles Savedge Award for Sustained Excellence 2010, 2017 NSPA Online Pacemaker Winner 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 SIPA All Southern 2008-2015 The Royal News, PGHS trnwired.org 7801 Laurel Spring Road Prince George, Virginia 23875 804-733-2720 The Royal News is printed at The Progress-Index in Petersburg, Virginia
Editor-in-Chief Anna Mitchell
Managing Editor Maddison Shawkey
Adviser Chris Waugaman
Illustration by Claudia King.
Political Correctness Offers Inclusion This Holiday Season
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e are lucky that we live in a society where so many people are different, and not afraid to be so. Unfortunately, America was not always this way - 100 years ago, some of the things that make us different would not have been considered good things. This includes religious differences. Thankfully, times have changed, and America has a much more open outlook towards religion. One small issue now, however, is whether people should cheerfully say “Merry Christmas!” or use the more inclusive “Happy holidays!” Some people find the more generic holiday greeting to be silly and distasteful, but this is not the case. There is nothing wrong with the former, of course, but the latter is more inclusive towards people of all kinds. The United States has many rules and regulations in place to ensure that no person will be discriminated against in any way, shape, or form. This includes freedom of religion, ensured by the First Amendment. This protects people of all religions (including those with a lack thereof.) The majority of the United States is indeed Christian, but that does not make it America’s official religion. America was purposefully designed without an official religion to promote
and allow as much individual thought as was possible. While changing the phrase from “Christmas season” to “holiday season” is not a major change, it can make a large impact. Many people are attacked daily for following their religion- even though the right to have their own religion is granted by the Constitution. Even if you don’t see it, religious discrimination, unfortunately, does still exist. In a society filled with so many other religions, it’s not fair to focus on just one. And adjusting one’s vocabulary to say “holiday season” instead of “Christmas season” isn’t a hard change to make- and changing just one word suddenly includes thousands more people than it did before. Clearly, this is not to say that saying “Merry Christmas” is the ultimate act of religious discrimination. It’s a common phrase that many people use to convey their holiday cheer. The point of “Happy holidays”, though, is just to have a more inclusive alternative. Of course, you can- and should- still wish your Christian friends a “Merry Christmas!” Just don’t forget Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the other holidays in December. A generic greeting of “Happy holidays!” will always be a safe, warm, and kind thing to say.
yrano de Bergerac… a soldier and poet who fell deeply in love with Roxanne, but was very reluctant to confess it due to the fact that his nose was huge. Who would’ve thought a play written by Edmond Rostand about a big nosed dude would give hope to rehabilitating inmates in New York? Yeah, you read that right. The 19th century comedy of Cyrano is one of the many works of Rehabilitation Through the Arts, a 20 year old program that operates in prisons across New York State (Wegman, NY Times). Other works include Our Town, MARISA KARGBO On the Waterfront, and Of Mice and Men. This establishment opens up theater, writing, creative arts, and dance to inmates in order to teach them variety of life skills to better their goals and success in opportunities once they are released from prison. Rodney Spivey-Jones, a 35 year old man who is serving time for second degree murder, robbery in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon, played the lead over the 2018 summer in the play. He claimed that he identified with his character of Cyrano stating that, “It really speaks to how complicated we are as humans...he’s bigger than life.” This story genuinely touched my heart when I read it. Talking about prison and incarceration is a tough topic, especially when talking about the loss of characteristics of those who are released after a long sentence. Knowing that this program is used to soften these inmates and rehabilitate their physical, emotional, and mental attributes in hopes of bettering their future is such a great opportunity. These convicts can see themselves in the connections they make in their characters learning morals and lessons they didn’t even know they could from the arts.
TUESDAY 12.18.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 3
OP/ED
IS COLLEGE WORTH IT?
Students question the worth of debt versus the head start a college education promises. Should they stick to the classic college path or look elsewhere into alternative secondary education?
A
s graduation gets closer, seniors are trying to decide whether to go to college or not. It is a hard decision that involves weighing the pros and cons. The benefits are greater than the disadvantages. In the end, the best option is to go to college. One reason to go to college is because college graduates have more employment opportunities. In 2015, 85.2% of college freshman said they attended college to “be able to get a better job.” Most higher level jobs look for people with more education. 58% of college graduates and people with some form of college education have been reported being “very satisfied” with their job. In society today, more jobs require college degrees. 34% of jobs in the United States require a high school degree. At Prince George High School, the class of 2018 had 53% of its students attend a four year college while 26% attend a two year college. According to Georgetown University in 2018, approximately 63% of jobs will require college degrees. The third reason to go to college is because college graduates can make more money. The average college graduate makes $570,000 more than the average high school graduate. Earning more money gives college graduates better opportunities. According to Forbes’ 2012, America’s 400 richest people were college graduates. Income for a college graduate in 71% and higher than high school graduates. Going to college makes college graduates more likely to have health insurance and retirement plans. In 2008, 70% of college graduates had access to health insurance provided by their employer compared to 50% of high school graduates. Going to college is a benefit in the long run. College helps graduates make more money, get more jobs, get more employment opportunities, and get health insurance and retirement plans.
PRO CON DEANA NICOLS
NIC BROWN
“ In January 2017, the unemployment rate for college graduates twenty five and older with bachelor’s degrees was 3.8% compared to 5.3% rate of high school graduates, and 7.7% for high school dropouts. 58% of college graduates and people with some form of college education have been reported being “very satisfied” with their job.” “Even last year in the 2018 graduating class over 20% of the class was not planning to go to college. As well as 18 students that were directly going into the workforce right out of college.”
O
ne of the biggest things that high school students, especially juniors and seniors, look at is college. College is the next step in a lot of students’ educational careers. With college comes degrees, internships, life lessons on self-management, and for most people... college comes with LOANS, lots and lot of loans. One of the biggest cons of college is all the loans that most students have to pay to attend the college or university that they want to go to. As of “mid 2018 40 million plus Americans owed over 1.5 trillion in debt to schools and this debt is causing a lot of post college graduates to put their adult lives on hold,” according to ProCon.org. In the millennial generation you are seeing a seven year average set back of millennials buying houses due to the fact that they couldn’t afford a down payment and monthly house payment along with their college loan payment One thing other than the financial problems is that most of the times a college graduate’s first job after they have graduated is a job that no college degree is needed for. As well as a lot of graduates are either unemployed or underemployed. “In some cases people feel that they have just wasted 4-8 years of their lives because there are many people that become successful and profitable without going to college,” according to ProCon.org. Even last year in the 2018 graduating class over 20% of the class was not planning to go to college. As well as 18 students that were directly going into the workforce right out of college. In specific cases students don’t even graduate, they drop out losing all money that they had paid with nothing to show for it. Plus college tuition has been skyrocketing more so than minimum wages making it quite unaffordable to most without a loan of tens of thousands of dollars. Many employers are looking for employees with master’s degrees rendering bachelor degrees almost useless to a lot of graduates. College stress has also been connected to leading different types of health issues. Such as high blood pressure, weight gain, insomnia, depression, anxiety, low self esteem, and the overall feeling of hopelessness.
4 | THE ROYAL NEWS | TUESDAY 12.18.18
THE WEEK AHEAD
Club Picture Day Rescheduled
D
ue to inclement weather, club picture day will be rescheduled for January. Make sure to listen to the morning and after school announcements to stay up-to-date on official information. Students will need
their id, club card, and agenda to be allowed into the auditorium to take their photos. The photo schedules will be posted as Club Picture Day comes closer. Make sure to show up slightly early to be sure not to miss your photo.
Band And Choir Concerts Rescheduled For Same Day
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oth the band and choir concerts have been rescheduled for Tuesday, December 18. The band concert will take place at 6 PM and the choir concert will take place immediately after at 7 PM. Both concerts are free to attend and will take place in the auditorium at PGHS. The band program will feature their Concert Band and their Symphonic Band. The choir program will feature Concert Choir, Treble Chorale, and Chamber Singers groups. Both programs are holiday themed. Come on out and support the performing arts of Prince George on Tuesday night.
Winter Break School Schedule
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tudents will have their last day of school before winter break on Wednesday, December 19. Winter break will begin on Thursday, December 20, and students will return to school two weeks later on Thursday, January 3. Photo taken by Monica Thompson of the PG Christmas Parade.
Kristen Dize Is Teacher Of Month
A
lgebra I and Special Education teacher Kristen Dize is the winner of the December Teacher of the Month award. Dize has been teaching for 4 years. “My favorite part about teaching is watching a student go from not understanding to suddenly understanding,” Dize said. “Their eyes get brighter, they stand/sit up a little straighter and they gain a sense of confidence that is like none other.” Congrats, Ms. Dize.
TUESDAY 12.18.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 5
FEATURES Clubs Walk Holiday Parade Route Allison McCauley-Cook TRN Writer
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ith the holiday s e a son approaching the Prince George County Christmas parade spread cheer throughout the season on December 1. A few of the many clubs in the high school contributed to the parade’s excitement by entering their own floats, bringing the holiday spirit with them to share with the crowd. DECA sponsor Kimberly Beales, worked with the members of DECA to create a float sporting the holiday spirit. DECA walked the parade route for the first year with their “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” themed float. The addition of animations, people walking around the float, and even a dog to play the part Max, the Grinch’s pet dog, in the spirit of go big or go home. “We wanted it to be animated, so the Grinch was in the sleigh and he was throwing presents and the people were walking or grabbing them and putting them back in the sleigh,” Beales said. Inspiration can come from anywhere, as DECA members know; members of the club shared their most creative ideas with one another then, along with their club sponsor, they decided on their theme of “The
Grinch”. “We had a lot of suggestions from different club members, then the officers and Mrs. Beales talked about it with everyone involved,” junior DECA Vice President of Public Relations Erin Beaver said. Students in DECA spent many hours working collaboratively on making the animations and decorating the float to make it as festive as they could. Many students sayed after school late working diligently to prepare for the parade. “It took us a week [to decorate]. We were so fortunate, Mr. Hanzlik made our sleigh shape so all we had
Junior Johnny Soto participates in the Prince George Christmas Parade by passing out candy with the DECA club. Photo by Monica Thompson.
to do was paint it. We worked after school Tuesday, Wednesday, and then Thursday we did a little bit, few people came back and did [work],” Beales said. Though it was DECA’s first time participating in the Christmas Parade they have expressed interest in participating in the future years. “I would [be a part of the parade in the future], because it was a lot of fun to be apart of the mak-
ing of something and making a kind of product that we could present in front of everybody, and that we could get more involved in the community,” Beaver said. Club sponsors know how important community involvement is. One reason why students are so involved is the sponsors want their members to have a sense of community pride and become as involved as possible. “This year we decided to do the parade just to get back into letting the community know we’re here,” Beales said. Key Club also walked through downtown Prince George with their Key Club float, proudly sporting the club’s colors, blue and gold. “We usually don’t have a float theme, but we try to keep to our colors, blue and gold or blue and yellow,” Key Club President Morgan Crawley said. The Key Club students choose their idea for the blue and gold together. They collectively shopped to buy the decorations for their float. They spent the evening after shopping coming up with the most festive decorations they could. “We let our students figure out [the theme] and take them shopping and they figure something out; It is really student driven, whatever they want to do is what we do [for our theme],” Key Club Sponsor Reagan Brown said. Many other organizations from the high school marched the parade route. Including the cadets from JROTC and the marching band.
6 | THE ROYAL NEWS | TUESDAY 12.18.18
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TUESDAY 12.18.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 7
FEATURES
Teacher Participates In Church Hill Tour
Houlihan Household
Gabbey Miner
TRN Writer
C
hristmas lights, festive doormats, and holiday wreaths are common winter themed house decorations, however Beth and Chris Houlihan take holiday decor to the next level home. Repurposed Hill in their Church such as a T-Rex decorations, Halloween hat and a Santa a in dressed skeleton elf themed Christmas Before Nightmare Houlithe in display on are on the shelf, han’s’ house, which was on display in the Church Hill Holiday House Tour. Dec. 9th celebrated the house tour of Richmond’s oldest intact neighborhood and the one year anniversary of the Houlihan’s being residents of Church Hill. “We were a little hesitant to volunteer at first because we did not know what was entailed. Once we clarified what the expectations were for us and the house we signed on,” English teacher Beth Houlihan said. “Being part of the community made me want to participate in some way this year.” The house tour is actually a fundraiser for the Church Hill Neighborhood Association and a portion of sales through tickets will be given to the association. “My husband and I joined the association about 10 months ago, just after we had moved into Church Hill. We have not been able to serve on any committees at this time, but we decided we could participate in the two yearly fundraisers as volunteers before we selected committees to join,” Houlihan said. “The Association was still asking for volunteer houses for the tour in August and we signed up at that point.” Many people invite family and
The Houlihan’s
live in an Italianate row house. friends over for the winter holidays. However, the Houlihan’s invite an entire community into their homes. Inspiration to open their home came from the couple’s personal passion of participating in house tours and learning the history of homes. “I always enjoy decorating my home for the holidays and throwing holiday parties. This is just doing it on a much larger scale,” Houlihan said. “I’m also a person who loves to see older houses and how people have decorated them. I have participated in many tours as a visitor and I love hearing the history of the houses on the tours. As an owner of an older home, built in 1881, and an owner of a historical tour company I felt it merged my two passions together perfectly.” For the Houlihan’s they take regular Christmas decorations to the next level with complex setups that express a story. Houlihan uses Pinterest as a secondary source of creativity when preparing a scene of decorations. “Currently, the back garden is being set up as a ‘Literary and Ghost Convention’ with a break out session showing an ‘Intervention for Scrooge’. The Ghosts of A Christmas Carol are planning for the
English teacher Beth Houlihan decorated her home with holiday decorations and opened it up to the public on Dec. 9th. Photo contributed by Beth Houlihan.
night they visit Scrooge,” Houlihan said. The Houlihan’s are involved in Halloween just as much as Christmas. They participate by going to ghost tours and running a ghost tour company that runs in Richmond and gives back to the community. “I am the president of Haunts of Richmond (ghost tour company) and Richmond Historic Haunts (history tour company). These two sister companies run walking tours around Richmond neighborhoods and we run year round. Haunts of Richmond has been around for 14 years and we have working on expanding it for the past years since my husband and I took over ownership. This year we have also been involved in helping to raise money for 3 different charities by giving tours and then donating the proceeds to the charity. It was a business goal to start giving back to the community this year,” Houlihan said.
The house
was built in 1881.
A view of St. John’s Church can be seen directly across the street.
Stained-glass gingerbread windows are featured in the house.
8 | THE ROYAL NEWS | TUESDAY 12.18.18
PH TO GALLERY
County Celebrates Christmas 1.
2.
3.
4.
1. Junior Philip Kerley marches down the street playing the tuba with the high school’s marching band. 2. Senior Cyriek Taylor walks with the DECA club showing holiday spirit with festive reindeer antlers and tinsel. 3. Dance team member, senior Alexis Mitchell, walks down the street handing out candy to kids with the rest of the team. 4. (Left to right) Senior Jamie Fields, Graduate Caitlin Abernethy, Junior Erin Miles, and Graduate Brooke Loving, ride the softball team’s float and wave to the crowd as they pass by. 5. Senior Alexis Moore twirls flag for the Marching Royals as the march down the street. 6. Sophomore and dance team member Delaney Mcquiggan performs prepared holiday dance at Christmas Parade. Photos by Monica Thompson.
For more photos of the Prince George Christmas Parade go to www.trnwired.smugmug.com
5.
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TUESDAY 12.18.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 9
FEATURES
JUDICIAL
Students Prepare For Civil Court Case Francesca Quinata TRN Writer
T
he students walk into the courtroom. They all stand awaiting for the judge to come. Senior Shelby Cox and junior Ian Brenzie prepare their testimony as Mia Friend and Brian Craig. “Order,” the Bailiff says, calling for the court. All you hear in the room is the shoes of the judge entering the room. “The Court will now hear the case of ‘Long vs. Craig.’” In Model Judiciary, schools are given a mock trial court case and go head to head and compete to try and win their case. The students in the program play the witnesses or lawyers for the prosecution or defense. This year history teacher Sarah Warwick is hosting the program. While advising the program, Warwick is in charge of the field trips to real trials, registration, and she helps with the trial preparation. She has been doing this for two years now. To prepare, the students gather for meetings and practice their arguments. They run it like a real trial and have their main witnesses and lawyers practicing their testimonies and arguments. On the other side, the students have their shadow witnesses and lawyers working for the other team’s story to try to practice throwing curve balls at their own team to make sure they are ready for anything. “We do have a lawyer that comes in and helps with us,” Warwick said. “He’s definitely more of the professional, but I make sure the kids are on top of thing.” Even though Warwick has never studied law they do have a lawyer at hand to help her and the kids practice. Brenzie is a returning member of the program and hopes to study either busi-
FACTS
The President of the United States and Congress determine the judicial branch.
Congress
decides the number of Supreme Court judges. ness law or constitutional law. “I’ve learned a lot about the practical application of law versus the theoretical talking about it and thinking about it. And kind of how court goes,” Brenzie said. Brenzie has always been interested in law and when the opportunity for the program came about he decided to join. He has learned many different elements that go into law and that go with the court system. Unlike Brenzie, Cox has been doing the Model Judiciary program for two years now. She learned about the program in her 10th grade World History II class in which her teacher urged her to join. “This year, I am a defense witness in a civil case- something we’ve never done before in MJ whose purpose is primarily to attest to the character and the demeanor of the defendant,” Cox said. Cox explains how the trial is the most difficult part of the program. She has a fear of public speaking, but finds comfort by knowing she is fully prepared and her friends are right by her side feeling the same way. “The most difficult part of the program is definitely the trial,” Cox said. “As the culmination of our weeks of hard work, the trial exposes our weaknesses
Senior Shelby Cox and junior Ian Brenzie practice for their mock trial for Model Judiciary. Photo by Harmony Thomas.
and our ability to think on our feet, especially with the lawyers.” Although some students might fear public speaking, students, like Brenzie, find it to be a breeze and can easily speak in front of others. “I’ve kinda always been a good actor. Just sitting in front of large people and being able to talk and get in character it’s never intimidates me,” Brenzie said. This year Cox and Brenzie will be playing a role of a witness on the defense side. Even though the program meets twice a week, the two both practice outside of class either by themselves or with their peers. “I’ve learned to trust myself, act as though I am confident even if I am not, and think critically about every situation, regardless of which side the argument comes from,” Cox said. “Confidence is key in a trial, especially since the jury can see your facial expressions and body language on the stand, which tell all about the validity of your testimony.”
Federal Supreme court justices are designated for life.
Supreme Court Judges can only leave their position by retiring, impeachment, or death.
Information collected from: http://www.softschools.com/ facts/us_government/judicial_ branch_facts/2376/
10 | THE ROYAL NEWS | TUESDAY 12.18.18
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TUESDAY 12.18.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 11
A&E
By The Numbers
Dance Kraze Supports The Season Skylar Gibbs
15
TRN Writer
T
he community is intrigued by the variety of vendors and the many products they have for sale. Hands are full with bags of products that were purchased from the vendor booths. Holiday spirit is shown as products are bought as unique gifts for others. Kids are excited over winning the raffles and participating in holiday crafts. “It’s a fun family gathering event and it’s good for Christmas shopping because you can beat the mad crowds,” Jennifer Andrews, the owner of Dance Kraze, said. The Holiday Bazaar is an event put together by Dance Kraze with the intentions to host a fun family event and fundraise money for their competition team. The event took place at the Dance Kraze Dance Studio on December 8th. The vendor booths had unique products, there were raffles, a concession stand, and crafts for kids. “The event is really interesting because you get to see all of the products that the vendors have and it’s a good way to get the community together,” Abby Davis said. Last year the fundraising event was thrown around Easter time so this is the first Holiday Bazaar thrown by Dance Kraze. “The money raised by the Holiday Bazaar will go towards our competition team and this will help pay for their nationals in July. The money raised comes from the vendors, the concessions, and the raffles,” Andrews said. Davis is part of the Dance Kraze Competition Team and is also a freshman at
Holiday Bazaar by Dance Kraze
Vendors in attendance
Prince George High School. Davis participated in the event for her dance studio by being active in the community and spreading word of the Holiday Bazaar to her classmates and teachers at school. “I am pleased with how the event turned out this year because the first time we did it there wasn’t that many people since we did it around Easter. This year since it was around Christmas more people are in the spirit to come and are shopping for gifts,” Davis said. Since Dance Kraze made it a holiday event this year, their turnout was much better for Dance Kraze’s fundraising event due to the community’s feedback from last year’s fundraising event. “I think next year we are going to try to do more stuff, involve the community more, and get more vendors,” Davis said. The Holiday Bazaar was not only a fundraising event for Dance Kraze, but also an event put together for the many small businesses who target their sales at local people and the Holiday Bazaar provided a great opportunity for these local businesses. “The Holiday Bazaar was a good opportunity for small businesses because it was a lot of publicity and advertisement
Ginger Ashberg, a vendor at the Holiday Bazaar, tends to a patron. Photo by Skylar Gibbs.
in our community and helped to get them some good sales right at Christmas time,” Andrews said. Boho Babes is one local business that participated in the Holiday Bazaar by having a vendor space and selling their handmade jewelry and dreamcatchers. The business was started by Skylar Gibbs and Hayley Wilkinson, two sophomores at Prince George High School. “The Holiday Bazaar was a really good opportunity for our small business because a lot of the community was there so we were able to make some good sales... [it] attracted a good audience for us and gave us some publicity,” Wilkinson said. Jewel Harry, a sophomore at Prince George High School, attended the Bazaar because she wanted to support the local businesses. “The Holiday Bazaar was really nice to attend because I was able to support people from our community like the Dance Kraze Competition Team and local businesses,” Harry said.
All
Money raised is from vendors, concessions, and raffle tickets
All
Funds go towards the Dance Kraze Competition Team and pays for their Nationals entries Information gathered by Skylar Gibbs
14 | THE ROYAL NEWS | TUESDAY 12.18.18
Starting Positions available in:
General Laborer With Advancement in:
Heavy Equipment Operation Pipefitting Welding
TUESDAY 12.18.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 15
Lisa Parker TRN Writer
16 | THE ROYAL NEWS | TUESDAY 12.18.18
A&E GAMER'S CORNER: Nic Brown
I
TRN Writer
t’s the holiday season and weather is getting cooler. Days are getting shorter. Students’ lists for presents are getting longer and longer. One common item on students’ lists are video games. Here are the top 20 games out right now for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Switch. First up are the new Xbox One games coming out. #1: Red Dead Redemption 2 - This shooter game set in the old west is action packed and a must have for anyone who played the first game. #2: Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey - This is the new addition to the Assassin’s Creed series. In this game you can play as a Spartan warrior from Ancient Greece. #3: Forza Horizon 4 - This is the new addition to the Forza horizon line and it is great for any gamer motor head out there. #4: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 - This fast paced FPS battle royale multiplayer game is a great game on the market right now. #5: Halo,The Master Chief Collection This is a great game for the futuristic but nostalgic gamer. Next is the list for PS4 gamers. #1: God of War - This game is mythology based action adventure. #2: Marvel’s Spiderman - This action packed fan favorite is a PS4 exclusive and an awesome gift for the holidays. #3: Battlefield V - This is a great shooter game that is action-packed and great for a gamer who does not really enjoy the Call of Duty series. #4: FIFA 19 - This is for any sports gamer this is a must get for them. #5: Hitman 2 - In this game you have
HOLIDAY EDITION
to blend in and hide in plain sight in order to take out your target. There are also games for those playing on PC #1: Just Cause 4. - We see Rico Rodriguez back in South America with his trusty grappling hook and handfuls of challenges. #2: Ring of Elysium - This is an action sports mixed with battle royale shooter mixed. You can snowboard, climb mountains with climbing picks, and hang glide, all while battling to be the last player alive. #3: Dauntless - This is a monster hunter game in which you will hunt winged monsters, poisonous spiked animals and animals with fire spouting orifices. #4: Overkill’s The Walking Dead This game was created by the developers of Payday 1&2. It’s a FPS 4 player survival game. #5: Farming Simulator 19 - This is the perfect game for your farming guru gamer out there. Finally, the Nintendo Switch’s top five games for the holidays. #1: Enter the Gungeon - This is an action adventure game for the Switch with an 8-bit vibe to it, perfect for your gamers with an old school vibe to them. #2: Splatoon 2 - This fast paced paint splatter game is fun for gamers of all ages. #3: Overcooked Special Edition - This is a cooking simulator with an action spin on it, as you defend your town while cooking dinner. #4: Super Mario Party Switch Edition This is a classic game from the Mario line but one everyone loves. #5: Dark Souls: Remastered - This is not as visually appealing as the Xbox and PS4 versions. This game is a still must have for any gamer that enjoys the Dark Souls line.
Promotional images from www.nintendo.com , www.Xbox.com, and www.playstation.com
TUESDAY 12.18.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 17
A&E
Tuning In For Holiday Sounds
IN THEIR OWN
WORDS
Katie Zevgolis
D
TRN Writer
uring the last week of school before students leave for holiday break, the band will file onto the stage to brighten the holiday spirits of the community with their sounds of music. Before the conductor raises his baton, the students had to prepare for weeks in order to be ready to play the first note in concert. “We have been practicing for about two months now,” sophomore trumpet Teddy Higgins said. This year all of the band members practiced several classic holiday songs for the community. In this concert the band will be playing a variety of holiday classics from an iconic piece from “The Nutcracker” to fan favorite “Let It Snow”. “We are performing Christmas music like ‘Deck the Halls,’ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,’ and other music like ‘Let it Snow’,” Higgins said. But in order to be anywhere near prepared to perform these students must dedicate hours to learning their music and practicing with their fellow bandmates. “We practice and we take our time to do rehearsals until we get it right,” sophomore Destiny Sprague said. Sprague has been playing both the clarinet and the flute for four years now. Many of the band students have
Stanley Taylor What excites you about performing? The creativity and festive energy we use on stage like wearing Christmas hats or sweaters and how we use that in our music.
excelled in performing for concerts since they started. Some have been in band since middle school. “I’ve been in band since sixth grade,” Higgins said. Higgins is now a trumpeter in the band and puts his years of experience to use in supporting the brass section. All those years of practice have helped the band stifle their fears of being on stage for concerts. “I get a little bit nervous, but once you start performing it evens out,” Sprague said. Each student has their ways with dealing with the tense emotions that come with performing in front
Band director Michael Warnock introduces the band as they play at their winter concert. Photo from archives.
of a live audience. “I normally get ready and then I practice a little bit before we start the concert,” Higgins said. Once a year the band gets together to show off the progress they have made throughout the first semester. This is a time of joy, excitement and nervousness for the performers. “I’m not nervous, but I am excited,” Higgins said.
What do you do to prepare for a performance? Personally I like to take a moment and picture how the concert will go before we even perform it and take mental notes on what I can do to make it an amazing performance. What inspires you to be a part of the band? I’ve always had a passion for music and I challenge myself to peruse it each day.
18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | TUESDAY 12.18.18
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WINTER SPORTS Stunts, Sideline, All-Star
TUESDAY 12.18.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 19 Scan this QR code to follow the weekly podcast with interviews from coaches and players.
Cheerleading Teams Vary In Type Of Performance, Purpose Shelby Hayes
Photo Editor
F
or sports there are many differences to how to play and to the atmosphere surrounding them. One thing they have in common is the spirit and support from their cheerleaders. In sideline cheer, the cheerleaders focus mainly on supporting the school, community, and encouraging crowd involvement. Senior Jhaiden Harris cheers for the competition team, football sideline, and basketball cheer. All three of teams have an effect on Harris. “Competition makes you feel more determined to do more things and like to be better,” Harris said. ”Football is just really fun cause everyone is there and it’s just like one of those high school experiences you get to have.” Harris enjoys cheering for basketball, because unlike football, the cheerleaders actually get to watch the game and be able to really be a part of the game. Other cheerleaders like junior Kayli Merritt, senior Savannah Smith, and many others only cheer for football, or the competition team, or cheer for basketball. Merritt is a football sideline cheerleader and on the high school competition team. “I enjoy varsity football [cheer] because you make so many new friends and become a huge family,” Merritt said. “I enjoy competition because of how exciting it is to be able to hit every stunt and get zero deductions.”
Smith, like Merritt, cheers for varsity football and is on the high school competition team, but not only is she a part of the cheer team family, she is the one of the team captains. Smith, although not a cheerleader for basketball, explains that football sideline is not as laid back as basketball cheer, with a few more practices involved in football. “Football is difficult and you stunt a lot more,” Smith said. With competition cheer being a big deal to most cheerleaders, many of the sideline and basketball cheerleaders usually tryout for competition team. There are two types of cheerleading
Senior Savannah Smith leads the football team onto the field during the home game against John Marshall. Senior captains participated in this tradition again this year. Photo by Emily Whitehead.
competitions: All-Star and high school teams. In All-Star cheer the tryout process is different and not based on skill. Athletes who want to try something new usually tryout for All-Star competition. High school competition teams are based on athletes with the most skill and spirit. High school competition also does not travel as often as All-Star cheer competition does. Senior Shynia Hudson does sideline,
basketball, and high school competition. “I enjoy the stunting, traveling because you get to talk to other cheer teams, the other coaches,” Hudson said. “We form a bond. It’s like a sisterhood.” Hudson loves high school cheer competition, but given the opportunity, she would happily tryout for All-Star cheer to really put herself out there in the world of cheer. Along with high school competition, Smith did All-Star cheer competition for eight years and then she stopped her junior year. “It was really fun and taught me everything I know about cheer,” Smith said. No matter what type of cheer team a cheerleader joins, they all work just as hard as the other teams to be spirited and skilled as they can be. “Just like every other sport, these athletes put in just as many hours if not more practicing they sport they love in order to be able to perform to the best of their ability,” Haydt said. Coach Rebecca Haydt works as the head coach of the varsity cheer team and is responsible for the entire cheer program which includes varsity, junior varsity, and middle school cheer. In addition to the many, many hours spent in practices, the cheerleaders participate in many community service projects. They assemble the backpacks for back to school night, they work Fall Festival at Beazley Elementary, the volunteer in the Helping Hands project at Walton Elementary, and are involved in the Reading Program at South Elementary. Whether on the sideline, the mat, or volunteering in their community, the cheerleaders commit themselves to their school and community.
TUESDAY 12.18 .18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 20
PH TO GALLERY
Snowy Surprise Break For Students
1. Sophomore Olivia Hildreth observes the wintery snowfall as it falls all around her. 2. Junior Rachel Johnson takes advantage of her snow break as she lays at the entrance of her and her brother Michael’s igloo. 3. Sophomore Beth Stewart and her dog get together to take a picture in this year’s first snow. 4. Junior Trevor Riddle captures the quantity of this year’s snow by posing closer to the ground. 5. Junior Karah Scott expresses her happiness for a snowy winter. 6. Sophomore Logan Mcquiggan, dressed for the chilly weather, begins to build a snowball for an epic snowball fight. 7. Substitute teacher David Moody and DOG go out in wintery wonderland. 8. Jeremy Fowkes and Andrew Rhodes go for a ride on dirt bikes and four-wheelers in the winter snow. All photos provided by students and teachers in photos.
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For more photos of the spirit week go to www.trnwired.smugmug.com
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WINTER SPORTS
Track Team Gets Creative With Downtime During Meets Zach Yamaguchi
A
TRN Writer
nyone who has been to a track meet notices how long they are. Track meets last for hours with multiple events going on at the same time. “We went there at like 8 AM, and got back around 11 or 12 at night,” sophomore Chandler Coleman said. So what happens during the downtime? For the players, it is spent in a variety of creative ways. “Either listening to music, warming up, or just sitting there just waiting for your race,” Coleman said. Most players spend the downtime getting themselves mentally and physically ready for their race or other events later in the meet. But for the fans, in the bleachers, there is more to do. Most fans won’t stay for the entire meet. They watch the person they want to see and leave. Other than watching the events, attendants can eat, walk around, or talk to the players. So even though track meets can be lengthy, attendants can still have a good time. Anyone who has played an organized sport in their life knows that games can last a while. Every sport is different, and so is what they do in the downtime. Some meets last longer than others. For example, the ones that take place on the weekends usually last longer because they include more events. “It really depends on what kind of meet it is,” sophomore Kacy Figueroa said. “If it’s in our district it’s about 6 hours
TUESDAY 12.18.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 21
Real Deal
Indoor Track Meet Results 12/7 & 12/8 Javonte’ Harding 1st Place Event: 300 m Time: 35.66
Anajsi Certain 2nd Place Event: 300 m Time: 52.10
Boys 4x200m Relay Team but if it’s somewhere like Boo Williams, Hampton it’ll be like 9-12 hours because of how many schools attend the meet.” Although they last a long time, track meets are still packed full of events and races. This can make it difficult for the coach to see all of his or her players perform as multiple events can take place at the same time. Some coaches even record meets with a camera so that they can replay the footage and see how everyone did and help show the athletes their mistakes. For example, if a player had a late start in one of the races, he or she could watch the footage and see how it could be avoided. “I love competing with others to see how good I do and how good other people do too,” Coleman said. Track athletes don’t care how long track meets are, as long as they get to compete and see how well their teammates perform. Their focus remains mainly on how they will perform on the track and how they can improve, rather
Members of the girls 4x200 relay team walk around the Boo Williams Sportplex while they wait for their event. The team finished 9th out of 22 teams with a time of 1:52.57. Photo by Chandler Coleman.
than how long it will be before they get to go home. However, this doesn’t take away from the fact that track meets can be stressful. “Honestly you have days where you don’t look forward to it. It’s because you feel anxious and you just don’t know what will happen. But it feels great when the meet has ended,” Figueroa said. That’s why coaches are paid to motivate and train players to do their best and to focus on what’s important. Meets, no matter how long they are, are necessary to the sport and regardless of the inconvenience, track players will never grow tired of the sport they love. “Just the experience, the fact that I get to run with some great people,” Figueroa said.
6th Place Event: 4x200 m Time: 1:35.16
David Mulkey 9th Place Event: Pole Vault Height: 11’6
Junior Javonte’ Harding wins the 300m dash. Photo by Chandler Coleman.
22 | THE ROYAL NEWS | TUESDAY 12.18.18
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WINTERSPORTS
Running Royals Go Up Tempo
TUESDAY 12.18.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 23
Senior Spotlight Kae’Ra Lucas
Varsity Girls Basketball
Carter Marks
L
Sports Editor
osing all five starters is not something most teams have to work around in an offseason. Coming into the season, head coach Travis Carr developed a new style of play from what was taught in the previous season. With 6’10 center, Christian Chappell graduating, Carr has now preached an up-tempo style of offense. “If you’re going to play faster, you’re going to put more points on the board,” Carr said. “The fans are usually excited with the fast pace play, it’s more exciting for them.” With the Royals having players who played a fair amount of minutes last season, they know what they have to do to succeed. The Royals come off of a 14-9 season, in which they fell short in the playoffs to Varina, who went on to win the state title. “I tell the guys to remember how it felt when we lost to Varina,” senior guard Jajour Lambert said. “[We] use that as momentum and energy for every team on the schedule. But we take it one game at a time.” The Royals opened their season in the Rebel Invitational at Douglas Freeman. They finished the tournament 2-1 and came home with the third place trophy. This is where the Royals put their new style on display for the first time. “In recent years, we have always had a big man whether it was Savonte Chappell or Christian Chappell and the offensive focus has been around that big guy,” Carr said. “With him gone now, we
have some quicker guards. We actually have some better shooters and quicker players to play around.” Players who play the four or five position are usually down low, posting up. Senior Patrick Gee, a six foot four senior, has had to restructure his go to moves. “One of the major adjustments I’ve tried to make in my game, is stretching the floor and shooting better from 3,” Gee said. “Before, I shot primarily midrange jumpers but over the summer, I’ve tried to step out to the three point line to be able to knock down those shots.” Each year in high school sports, new stars emerge as leaders and mentor the younger players. New shoes have to be filled, so the coach normally looks towards his older players to step up. “We have to play around our personnel,” Carr said. “It’s not like I can go recruit guys like college coaches can. It’s whatever kids that come through this school.” Coming into the season, the Royals find that they have a lot to prove to those who don’t believe they can achieve as
Senior Patrick Gee rips the ball away from the defender and looks for a teammate. Photo by Marisa Kargbo.
much as last year, due to not being in the preseason rankings. “I think these guys have a chip on their shoulder because they’re not being ranked or spoken about right now,” Carr said. “No one is talking about this year boys basketball. They are talking about Prince George basketball now being one of the contenders in the 804 area. Can these guys step in and continue that tradition now that we built it?” Even though the team as a whole is getting overlooked, this does not stop the team from having fun in and out of the locker room. Knowing how to switch and automatically get locked in is a trait good athletes carry. “My favorite part about my teammates easily has to be the fact that we’re all goofballs,” Gee said. “There’s never a dull moment with my brothers in the locker room, but we also have the maturity to flip the switch when it’s time to get busy.”
What are your goals for the season? Of course to go to the playoffs and make it to the Siegel Center. What do you plan to major in for college? I want to major in sports management and hopefully be a sports commentator. Do you have a pre-game ritual? Before every game I shoot around and then I also pray. Who is your inspiration in life? My mom... she teaches me how to be a leader because she’s the only parent in the household. What is your favorite Christmas movie? Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer What is your favorite Christmas tradition? We always go to my grandma’s house... she makes a lot of food and then we eat and then we open
presents.
WINTER SPORTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
Boys Basketball Girls >>Varsity >> Varsity Home Game vs. Basketball Home Colonial Heights on Dec. 18 at 7:15 PM.
Game vs. Hopewell on Wed., Jan. 2nd.
Wrestling Boys & Girls >> Varsity >>Varsity Tournament on Fri., Indoor Track @ Liberty Dec. 21 & Sat., Dec. 22 at Ocean Lakes High School.
University on Fri., Jan. 18 & Sat., Jan. 19.
Wrestling Tests Individuals Maddison Shawkey
G
Doubletruck Editor
For more photos of all of the winter sports follow this link.
Senior Jayon Cosby prepares to turn his opponent to score the point. Wrestling faced Colonial Heights in a tri-meet which also included Matoaca. Photo by Neelyan Pagan-Rodriguez.
oing out onto the mat, sophomore Marguerite Gootee feels a sense of pride in the sport her family has participated in for years. Wrestling. Gootee has been wrestling for three years and is inspired by her father and brothers to be on the mat. “My dad wrestled, and then my brothers wrestled, and I knew people who did, so I just wanted to try it, and then I liked it, so I just kept wrestling,” Gootee said. Wrestling is one of the most interactive, aggressive, and competitive sports, and many that don’t wrestle don’t understand the work and dedication that goes into the sport. For people, such as sophomore and first year wrestler, Chris Ganoe, wrestling wasn’t their first passion. It was a work towards bettering themselves. “After the football season I was kind of inspired to start working towards getting stronger and working on losing weight in order to start getting ready for next football season,” Ganoe said. Ganoe is not the only player who decided to wrestle after having played other sports previously. “I wanted to try a different sport other than basketball and football,” senior wrestler Gerald Jeffery said. Wrestling teaches new lessons that other team sports cannot quite teach.
“I like how it’s independent, but at times you need your team, and how the team can count on you for certain things, but for most of the time it’s by yourself,” Gootee said. Because wrestling is such a rigorous sport, many factors go into how to win a match. One of the biggest factors is weight. “In wrestling, the significance of weight is almost everything a lot of times. It kinda controls everything you do in wrestling…,” Ganoe said. Weight determines who the player is qualified to wrestle in a match and much of the training involves maintaining that weight. “You have to stay on weight. You can’t just eat after you’re done wrestling, like you can’t just go and splurge,” Jeffery said. “You have to maintain your weight.” In order to stay on weight the wrestlers must be sure they practice healthy eating habits and exercise frequently. “ We just all have to stay away from fast foods, run, just a healthy diet, and exercise,” Gootee said. Wrestling is a competitive sport and weight is a major component to a wrestlers demise or success. “...when you wrestle someone, your weight is what really helps you sometimes win matches and lose matches,” Ganoe said. “In my case, it helps me a lot of times when I’m wrestling someone lighter or even someone heavier to add my weight into my moves and it allows me to apply more movement.”