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VOL. XVII ISSUE 4
PRINCE GEORGE H.S. 7801 LAUREL SPRING RD., PRINCE GEORGE, VA 23875 WWW.TRNWIRED.ORG & @ROYALSMEDIANOW FEBRUARY 15, 2019
CHAMPIONS TOGETHER TAKES ON POLAR PLUNGE IN VIRGINIA BEACH P. 7 Freshmen Katherine Thacker and Ashley Anne Allen run into the freezing waters of the Atlantic Ocean at Virginia Beach. Thacker and Allen attended this trip with the Champions Together program. Photo contributed by Kyla Nase. What’s Inside? p. 5 Superintendent Breaks Boundaries p. 9 IB Personal Projects Inspire Change
p. 15 Students Get Ready For All State Performance p. 19 Softball Team Aims To Repeat Greatness
Did you buy candy or gifts for anyone this Valentine’s Day? - Yes 53% *Twitter poll of 32 votes - No 47%
2 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 2.15.19
OP/ED
My Favorite Month Of The Year
theRoyalNews
I
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.
Black History Month Paves Way To More Aware Future
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lack History Month is celebrated in the United States every February, originating in the U.S. in 1970. Despite having existed for almost 50 years, the celebration of the month is still controversial. Many argue that Black History Month is heavily celebrated, but months celebrating other races either do not exist or do not receive much attention. America prides itself upon bringing together a variety of cultures to create one united country. For the most part, we do a pretty good job. As time passes, more people educate themselves about other cultures and become more tolerant of new and unfamiliar concepts. We are making progress. But as much as we may wish it wasn’t true, our country has a troubling past, and we must recognize it. Slavery was legal in our country for almost 250 years. It was officially abolished in late 1865. Racism did not end there. It continued, and still exists to this day. It can be bold and obvious- for example, the use of blackface - or it can be subtle- for instance, when in school, we heavily cover the history of white Americans, but not do the same for people of color. Racism in some forms has become so commonplace that many don’t even notice it- but this doesn’t mean that we can’t change
that for the better. Some of the Tom and Jerry cartoons from the 1900s used racial stereotypes. This was not as controversial an issue then, but that doesn’t mean that it was okay then, or that it is okay now. In 2014, Warner Bros. Entertainment, owner of the classic cartoons, began to release its dvd Tom and Jerry: The Complete Second Volume with a special message included at the beginning: “These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. ... Some of these cartoons are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed.” We as a country must follow their lead. We cannot ignore America’s treatment of minorities. In order to better our future, we must acknowledge and learn from our past, as shameful as it may be. Celebrating Black History Month is a great place to start. After all, why wouldn’t we want to learn more when given the chance? It is possible to make change- the past five years alone show this. America has a long way to go, but in celebrating different cultures and histories, it is on the right track.
t’s Black History Month, my favorite month of the year! To be honest, I don’t think I have ever been this excited for the celebration of this man. I was always happy, but not as joyous as I am now. Since my move from Europe to America, I have learned to embrace my dark skin tone, my culture, my background… essentially accepting myself. And looking around this school and community, I see African Americans who love their culture and aren’t afraid to show it, despite those who surround them deciding to MARISA KARGBO belittle their pride. So you can understand why I would be irritated hearing people say “black history month should be cancelled.” Sometime this week, I came across an article from “The Morning Call” asserting that Black History Month should be cancelled because it segregates the celebration of black history into a separate month in which permits an increase in diversity in the political, social, and economic realms of America. Although the article argued a good case, with good set of facts. America does have a problem with celebrating black lives in a positive way, America does lack diversity in newsrooms, classrooms, etc. But I do have to disagree that the month as a whole needs to be abolished, that’s outrageous. Not only that, but Black History month is so important to remind those around us that like Ms. Maya Angelou once said, we will always rise. I can go on and on and on, but I’m sure you could get what I mean. Black History Month needs to stay and we ALL need to celebrate it in love and embrace the black community every month of the year.
FRIDAY 2..15.19 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 3
OP/ED
Is The Wall A Good Idea Or Not At All?
President Donald Trump has pushed for a wall lining the United States border to the point of the longest recorded government shutdown in U.S. history. Is the grand wall worth the price of time, effort, money, and energy?
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ith the recent government shutdown it makes a person wonder what all the fuss is about border control, undocumented immigrants, and how all of these affect individual lives of the documented people. Trump’s repeated pleas for a bigger budget for his “wall” has been repeatedly shut down by Congress because they do not want to spend more than $5.7 billion on an issue that in 2006 with the Secure Fence Act, which authorized the construction of a 700 mile fence along the United States-Mexican border, already set in place border security. Trump wants bigger and better. His wall will stretch 2,000 miles and will be impenetrable to any illegal immigrants trying to enter the country illegally. With Trump’s wall comes many advantages. Although the funding for the wall will come from taxes paid by the citizens of the United States, it will hinder, if not stop, the entry of illegal immigrants across the border. Illegal immigrants have put burdens on taxpayers by education of their children, medical care, and some even forged their way onto welfare programs. These immigrants, not having proper paperwork or social security numbers, do not pay taxes and the cost of their children’s textbooks are left to the hardworking taxpaying Americans. Illegal immigrants cost Americans $116 billion for state and local taxes payers, with state expenditures totaling $88.9 billion and federal expenditures totaling $45.8. There are many immigrants that have been waiting on waiting lists for many years to properly become American citizens, but with many people just hopping over the border it discourages and undermines the legal way of citizenship. In 2017 1,127,167 were granted legal citizenship while 12.1 million unauthorized citizens entered the country. Some alien residents are not criminals and work jobs like many other legal Americans. There are also illegal immigrants that involve themselves in high crimes like drug smuggling, human smuggling, and murder. “Statistics show the estimated 11.7 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. account for 13.6 percent of all offenders sentenced for crimes committed in the U.S. Twelve percent of murder sentences, 20 percent of kidnapping sentences and 16 percent of drug trafficking sentences are meted out to illegal immigrants,” research provided by Oxford Research Center.
PRO CON SHELBY HAYES
ZACHARY ANDERSON
“His [Trump’s] wall will stretch 2,000 miles and will be impenetrable to any illegal immigrants trying to enter the country illegally.” “...Even though President Donald Trump says that Mexico would pay for the estimated $25 billion wall, the sad truth is there’s no way that’s happening.” “... the outcome would probably be the same, if not very similar.” “...large amount of illegal immigrants that involve themselves in high crimes like drug smuggling, human smuggling, and murder. ”
S
ome people think building a wall between the US and Mexico is a good idea, but in reality, it would be a huge waste of everyone’s time and money. One thing that most people don’t realize about illegal immigrants is that very few of them actually get in by climbing over the already existing (much smaller) walls that are dividing the two countries right now. Building a stronger, higher wall wouldn’t really make a difference because most illegal immigrants enter either by boat, air, or are smuggled across border crossings that are already in place using fake documents. Also, even though President Donald Trump says that Mexico would pay for the estimated $25 Billion wall, the sad truth is there’s no way that’s happening. Mexican President Enrique Pena assured Mexicans they would not be paying for it. Although there are a couple benefits to making the wall, these upsides are greatly outweighed by the downsides. There are countless other things that the government could be focusing on like pollution problems or poverty rates which are more important than the wall. The simple fact of the wall is that it’s just not necessary. The amount of illegal immigrants entering the US is a problem but there are better ways to handling them. For example, cracking down on people crossing through the main entrances. Meaning searching cars more closely, making sure the documents are correct, and being more thorough overall. This way, the problem isn’t completely solved, but the wall wouldn’t have completely solved it either, in fact the outcome would probably be the same, if not very similar. The border between Mexico and the U.S. is almost 2,000 miles long and there is no reason why we need a 30+ foot wall the entire way.
4 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 2.15.19
THE WEEKS AHEAD
Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
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he advanced choirs will hold a spaghetti dinner on Feb. 23 at 6 pm in the cafeteria at PGHS. The choirs are raising money for their trip to New York in Mar. The Women’s
Treble Choir and Chamber Ensemble Choir will be performing and providing entertainment. Everyone can attend for $10 per person. The tickets can be purchased in advance from choir students or the night of at the door.
Career and Tech Department Celebrates CTE Week
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he Career and Tech department invites everyone to celebrate CTE Week from Feb. 18 to Feb. 22 at PGHS. On Monday, Feb. 18, CTE classes will celebrate the Day of Coding with an in-school field trip. On Tuesday, Feb. 19, there will be a marketing scavenger hunt. On Wednesday, Feb. 20, JROTC will have a presentation. On Thursday, Feb. 21, the CTE department will have Dress for Success Day. Friday, Feb. 22 will be both College Shirt Day and Black History Day. SADD and the Cultural Awareness Club will hold the 7th Annual Black History Month presentation during 6th block on this day. Field trip forms must be signed by your 6th block teacher. Forms can be found in the office and you must have your signed form present in order to attend.
Etcetera Literary Magazine Now Accepting Submissions
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oyals Media’s literary magazine, Etcetera, is now accepting submissions for the Spring 2019 issue. You may submit original artwork, poetry, photography, essays, or short stories. The deadline for submission is Thursday, Feb. 28. To submit your work, you may pick up a form from room A2 or submit work online at trnwired.org/etcetera. Etcetera is student-run and student-published. This year’s issue will be released in May.
Club Activity Periods Coming Up
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GHS will hold a white activity period on Feb. 18, which includes FBLA, French Club, Garden Club, German Club, Junior Civitan, Mu Alpha Theta, NAHS, Ruri-Teens, SADD, Spanish Club, and Tri-M. On Mar. 11 there will be a gold activity period. Gold clubs include Chess Club, Ecology Club, Interact Club, Japanese Club, NHS, Royals Media, Skills USA, Student-to-Student, and Special Olympic Buddies. Remember that all the clubs listed above are not guaranteed to meet on the posted date- weather and other circumstances can change who meets and when.
FRIDAY 2.15.19 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 5
FEATURES
Superintendent Breaks Boundaries Through Her History With County Francesca Quinata TRN Writer
of Williams’ Career
1966
Williams graduated from Prince George High School
S
uperintendent Renee Williams once walked down the hallways of Prince George High School. While heading to class as a student she felt as if she’s was invisible. The teachers ignored her and even her own classmates. Even though she endured this struggle, she carried on until graduation. Williams was one of the first ten black students to graduate Prince George High School. She has been a teacher, Assistant Principal, Elementary Supervisor, Secondary Instructional Director, Facilitator, Director of Secondary Education, Assistant Superintendent, and now Superintendent. “After graduating from high school, I went to Virginia State University and earned a BS degree in Elementary Education,” Williams said in an email interview. “I have also earned a Master of Education in Education-Administration from VSU.” Williams’ career path began right after she graduated Prince George High School. She worked as an assistant aid at a summer school program in Hopewell. She looked up to Linda Hyslop who became “instrumental” in her educational journey. “I decided to become a teacher in the 5th grade while attending Bessie H. Mason Elementary school in Disputanta, Virginia. Ms. Julia Scott, my 5th grade teacher, was my favorite I wanted to be just like her,” Williams said. “We knew she cared about us and she always found
Timeline
1971
Williams graduated from VSU ways to help us learn. Ms. Scott asked difficult questions and demonstrated how to apply what we had learned.” Although she has dreamed of becoming a teacher, her career journey has let her understand Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) much better. Along with becoming superintendent, her and her division successfully applied for grants to increase digital learning in the classrooms, Increased school security, implemented reading and math programs, and much more. She regards those successes as the dedication, commitment and the hard work of teachers, administrators, and staff with support from the Prince George School Board. “I believe that we can and are making a difference not only in the lives of our children but in humanity as we prepare students for post-secondary education, the work force and to be productive citizens,” Williams said. “Our democracy depends on an educated citizenry.” With Williams being a lifelong resident of the county she believes it is an honor to serve the county and its
Superintendent Renee Williams presents the 2019-2020 budget to the school board. The Superintendent is responsible for gathering information from all schools to prepare the report. Photo by Masako Kaneko.
children. “It has reaffirmed how important it is to have a strong faith,” Williams said. “There is no way to predict with certainty what may happen on a given day.” Throughout the four years of being superintendent, it has taught Williams that one should have trust in others. She believes that having faith spiritually helps her resolve problems and issues. She has learned to trust the teachers, administrators, and support staff and that they will carry out their duties and responsibilities so they can tend to the needs of the students.
1972-1987 Teacher
2000-2015 Assistant Superintendent
2016 - present Superintendent
6 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 11.16.18
Starting Positions available in:
General Laborer With Advancement in:
Heavy Equipment Operation Pipefitting Welding
FRIDAY 2.15.19 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 7
FEATURES
Champions Together Takes On Polar Plunge In Virginia Beach Gabbey Miner
NUMBERS
5
locations for plungers to attend.
TRN Writer
A
drenaline pumps through the variety of participants’ veins as they make the sprint from the comfortable sandy waiting area to the Virginia freezing Beach water. This Polar Plunge has been described as a life-changing event for attendees, whether it is at Virginia Beach, Richmond, New River, Prince William County, or Fairfax. The Polar Plunge is an annual fundraising drive that raises money for the Special Olympics. In order to plunge the donor must raise at least $100. All donations received from the plunge are used to benefit Special Olympics Virginia. This monetary aid is essential to their mission to provide year-round sports training, leadership opportunities, engaging competitions, and health services to more than 23,000 athletes of all abilities throughout Virginia. Prince George County Champions Together took a group of club members, who each raised $100, and a group of Special Olympics athletes to the Virginia Beach Polar Plunge on February 2nd. The plungers in attendance ranged from N.B. Clements’ students to seniors. “I enjoy watching the students do the activities, it makes me feel good not just seniors are the only ones doing anything,” Champions Together sponsor Sherri Jones said. “Seniors get a graduation cord, so many of them are doing it to get the cord, but I can tell that all the members of the club just enjoy all the activities. My
BY THE
3,000
plungers attended the Virginia Beach plunge.
seniors have taken charge and I have Prince George County Champions Toa couple sophomores that have taken gether took a group of club members charge as well. I just enjoy watching the to the Virginia Beach Polar Plunge. students because they enjoy working Each member raised $100 to attend. with our special needs athletes.” Photo contributed by Kyla Nase. The goal amount of donations for the Virginia Beach Polar Plunge ly an exciting experience. We were waitwas $1,200,000. With the help of plunging in line a long time so we were really ers throughout Virginia, including Prince cold, then we sprinted to the water and it George Champions Together particiwas like an adrenaline rush,” senior Kyla pants, a total of $1,168,074. Nase said. “It was really exciting and a The Virginia Beach Polar Plunge fesgood atmosphere to be involved in.” tival included beachfront races, a parade, The annual event helps inform costume contests, an artisan marketplace, people about the importance of Special live music by Kaboombox, Hawaiian-style Olympics and to spread awareness of the food from Aloha Snacks, and unlimited purpose of the organization. It is also used Wawa hot cocoa were all offered at the for some to learn something new about Virginia Beach Polar Plunge. An additionSpecial Olympics and about themselves al event offered was the SunTrust Dash in the process. and Splash Challenge, which consists of “The plunge impacted me because either a 4-mile or 1-mile run before taking I’ve had the opportunity to work with spethe plunge itself. However, the headline cial needs kids and it’s very eye opening event of any Polar Plunge is the sprint to to me,” Nase said. “Participating in this the freezing Atlantic Ocean surrounded experience was changing, because I was by a crowd of fellow plungers. able to dedicate a little of my time to a “Participating in the Polar Plunge was greater cause.” a lot of fun. It was really cold, but obvious-
1,168,074
dollars raised at the Virginia Beach plunge.
23,000 athletes impacted.
Find more information: http://polarplunge.com/
8 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 2.15.19
PH TO GALLERY
Students Rehearse For DECA Fashion Show 1. Senior Dantes Son practices his dance moves on stage for fashion show rehearsal. The dancers practiced the routine for “Dose” by Ciara. Photo by Shelby Hayes. 2. Senior Kaleigh Brooks and senior Elijah Jones wait for instructions to add more moves to their fashion show dance combo. The fashion show will take place on Mar. 22. Photo by Shelby Hayes. 3. Senior Logan Cole directs other students walking in the DECA Fashion Show rehearsal. The show will highlight the everyday fashion for teens. Photo by Allison McCauley-Cook. 4. Senior Lauren Vogel shows off her moves at fashion show run-through with her fellow dancers. Photo by Allison McCauley-Cook. 5. Sophomore Asadiah Dantzler sashays her way across the gym lobby, preparing to make her way down the runway. Photo by Maddison Shawkey. 6. Sophomore May Tercero joins Dantzler in her strut onto the auditorium stage in DECA’s March fashion show. Photo by Maddison Shawkey.
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FRIDAY 2.15.19 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 9
FEATURES
IB Students’ Personal Projects Inspire World Change, Self-Growth Anna Mitchell Editor-in-Chief
FACTS IB MYP
stands for International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program.
F
or many, the month of Feb. marks the start to a new semester. For students in the IB program, the month also is an important benchmark for their IB projects. Most IB students are now in the final stages of completing their multistage project. Prince George County no longer recruits new students for the IB program after it was officially discontinued in 2017. However, students already in the program will continue their coursework and will be able to graduate from the program. After this class, only two more classes will complete the IB MYP program. Successful completion of the program is contingent upon completion of the personal project, a year-long project where students may study any topic they choose and document their work through a multi-step process journal. Projects may be service-oriented, such as planting flowers in a formerly barren garden, or more private, such as learning a new language. Students also complete an accompanying paper. After these steps are complete, students officially graduate from the program and receive their IB diplomas. Sophomore Ande Davis is a member of the Chamber Ensemble, one of the two advanced choirs at PGHS. For her project, she chose to write and record her own songs. “I’ve always wanted to try to write songs,” Davis said. “Writing them is taking longer than I thought it would. I’ve started recording a little bit, but just demo [music].”
IB MYP
3
more classes of sophomores will complete the IB MYP Program, including this year’s sophomores - the Class of 2021. Like Davis, sophomore Kaitlyn Barker designed her project based on her own creative skills. Barker decided to incorporate her quilting skills into her project, creating sixteen quilts in total to donate to the Children’s Hospital of Richmond. “I learned to quilt last Jan. with my mom, and I enjoyed it,” Barker said. “I wanted to make a difference in the community, [so I chose to donate quilts].” Barker came across an unexpected obstacle when she broke her hand, rendering her unable to quilt for four months. “I broke my hand in Oct. so I didn’t have any time to [quilt],” Barker said. “I had to hurry and do 16 quilts.” Despite the delay, Barker finished creating her quilts on time. Her only remaining task is to deliver the quilts to the hospital. Sophomore Grace Roane’s goal was to donate to a local animal shelter. Roane collected food and supplies for the Hopewell Humane Society, placing donation boxes and pasting fliers around the school in order to advertise her project. “I am very passionate about working with animals and I love them, so I just wanted to help them out in any way I could,” Roane said.
Sophomore Grace Roane types on a computer, hard at work on her IB project. For her project, Roane collected supplies for the Hopewell Humane Society. Photo by Anna Mitchell.
Roane is not the only student whose goal was to help animals. Sophomore Alex Moore had a similar goal in mindhelping local animals- but the premise of her project was to hold an adoption event at a local animal shelter. “Animal cruelty is something that I’ve always cared about because I think it’s something that should be stopped,” Moore said. “I figured this was my way to try and raise awareness for it.” So far, Moore has completed the main part of her project. Her only task that remains is to organize her results. Librarian Levi Owens took over as IB Coordinator this year when the previous coordinator stepped down. Owens’ favorite part of being the IB Coordinator is watching the students’ projects come together. “[I love] seeing a grand plan culminate,” Owens said. “Being a part of students meeting with success, and helping them learn from their misfortunes is extremely rewarding.”
5
is the number of years students spend in the IB MYP program, joining in the sixth grade and finishing in the tenth grade.
Final Paper Students must complete a paper along with the product part of their project in order to receive their IB diplomas.
May 15 is the date set for the graduation ceremony in the commons.
10 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 2.15.19
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FRIDAY 2.15.19 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 11
A&E
THE TEAM
Dance Team Prepares For Competition Claudia King
of Dancers
What is the difficult part about dance?
TRN Writer
C
rowds cheering and tensions rising the Royals dance team is ready to perform. The dance team is no stranger to competition excited and prepared for the competition they have trained for overcoming different obstacles. Through the difficulties of sport the team always remains positive having the art of dance be the main priority at the end of the day. “I think the biggest hurdle we have overcome has been definitely trying to make the team feel like a unit. Last year some of the dancers, including myself, ended the season on bad terms so making sure this season goes smoothly with no drama has been a little bit of a challenge but thus far in the season I think my teammates and I would agree we always have fun at practice and get along very well,” senior April Drevitch said. “When it comes down to it and being serious or performing, we always manage to get things done and deliver with no problem.” The team has to master each and every detail. Making sure the performance is clean and calculated. “I would say the biggest hurdle, would be the songs, there is a very limited amount of music that we can dance to,” junior Kailey Gifford said. “Something we still need to work on is being extra clean and bringing an energy to our performance that is not just physical especially since we have a younger team this year some of the girls have never competed before so as a team we all need to work on our confidence as
“The difficult part about dance is having to remember everything and every single dance. Also, remembering the technique and making sure that you’re sharp,” Junior Kailey Gifford said.
well,” said Drevitch. The girls have to select out of their skills which is the best and compete. Showcasing only two styles out of the four potential categories. “We compete at Lee Davis High School on February 23rd,” Drevitch said. “There are 4 categories from which teams are allowed to choose 2 of which to compete in. The categories include jazz, kickline, pom, and hip hop. We will be competing in kickline and pom.” These Royals find any performance exciting and rewarding and take any routine seriously. Thriving off the crowd these dancers are excited to show what they work so hard to master. “My favorite thing about dancing and specifically dancing for the school is performing. The feeling you get when dancing in front of a packed stadium or a gym is incredible. The adrenaline you get when dancing in front of a bunch of screaming people is something you can only experience first hand,” Drevitch said. “I have also
Senior Alexis Mitchell performs with the Royals Dance Team at halftime during a home basketball game against Matoaca. Photo by Monica Thompson.
made some lifelong friends through the dance team and that is something I will always be thankful for.” “My favorite thing about dance, is to be able to get In front of a crowd and be able to dance like nobody’s watching,” said Gifford. With great outcomes comes great commitment. The dedication the team holds is second to nothing. Their willingness to take on competition is second to none. “I think we have made it this far because we are always working to better ourselves and the team as a whole,” Gifford said. “We work together and help each other out when reviewing the dances.”
“The difficult part about dance is getting in sync with the other dancers and doing the techniques,” Senior Alexis Mitchell said.
“The difficult part about dance is having to focus on all of these dances we have to learn for games and competition,” Sophomore Tenia Thomas said.
14 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 2.15.19
A&E
All-District Concert Captivates Crowd Katie Zevgolis
TRN Writer
E
very year Prince County’s George most talented choral students get together to perform an annual concert. Many students prepare for this opportunity all year. Students must audition in order to make All District Choir. All District Choir performed many different pieces at their concert. Some songs, such as “Irae from Mozarts Requiem,” and “Twa Taneou,” were even in different languages. Bobeau is a soprano who knows singing in a choir takes many years of dedication. That is why she started singing early in her life. “I’ve always grown up singing and when I was in the third grade, at my elementary school that was when we were allowed to go in to a choir. So I started out in third grade,” Bobeau said. Bobeau spends her time online listing to other singers to help her practice. Practicing is an important factor in choir in order to succeed. “When I have my part down, I will play the opposing parts. So I can not only learn my part, but listen to how it all sounds mixed together. Well I go on Youtube and listen to my part a lot and I’ll practice. I’ll play the opposing parts. So I cannot only learn my part, but listen to how it all sounds mixed together,” Bobeau said.
“I have a tutor who helps me after school and then sometimes I spend extra time at home in the evenings,” senior Crystal Newton said. Storm Burks contributed in many ways to All District. Burks was the guest director for Mixed Choir. “Mr. Burks helps us get ready. He gives us opportunities to try different activities and he helps us practice. He’s helped us in a lot of ways with notes,” Newton said. Many singers are role models for
upcoming artists. Students listen to singers who are in their specific vocal range. “Honestly I look up to every singer in All District Choir. Everyone in that class is unique in their own way. They all have their own natural voices and are all good leaders,” Bobeau said. The All District Choir concert was held on February 8th and 9th at Meadowbrook High School. Mixed Choir and Women’s Choir performed.
Guest All District Director Storm Burks directs the mixed choir composed by students from District 3 which includes the Tri-Cities, Dinwiddie, Chesterfield and Powhatan. Photo contributed by Storm Burks.
“I look up to every singer in All District Choir. Everyone in that class is unique in their own way. They all have their own natural voices and are all good leaders,” Bobeau said.
FRIDAY 2.15.19 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 15
A&E
Students Get Ready For All State Performance Skylar Gibbs
TRN Writer
T
he choir students will travel to the Marriott in Richmond to rehearse in the all state rehearsal on Thurs., Apr. 4 and Fri., Apr. 5. Many of the choir students have been preparing for awhile now and have strong feelings about the preparation. “I am auditioning for All-State choir because I think it can provide another opportunity outside of school to increase my vocal ability and expand my experience in a choral setting,” senior Ricardo Mendez said. Mendez’s motivation to audition for All-State was the opportunity that it provides to grow as a singer. The learning experience that AllState provides was a common reason why many of the students are auditioning. ”I am auditioning for the experience, Mr. Burks is directing it this year and I feel like it would be a great opportunity to grow as a singer and be able to meet new people and work with people I already have,” sophomore Nadia Artus said. Artus, like most of the other choir students, receives much of her help and advice from Burks. “I am auditioning for All-State because it is kind of the end all be all for opportunities at the high school and the choral world. It would be really amazing for me to go because you learn things that you don’t learn in a classroom setting,” senior Rylee
Hughes said. Hughes is taking advantage of the opportunity that she was provided with. Auditioning for All-State was very important to her, and getting in is a goal of hers that she hopes to reach. “I am nervous because there is a lot of pressure that I am putting on myself to get in because I just really want it so bad, but I am also really excited just to have the opportunity to audition,” Hughes said. Many of the choir students were nervous to audition because of how advanced the competition is. The students were hoping that all of their practicing has prepared them enough to have a good chance at getting into one of the much wanted spots. “I am nervous because we are competing with people all around the state, people who have been studying music and singing all their lives,” Mendez said. “We are competing with them to try to get into those prized spots and the competition is just very tough.” While some students auditioning view the advanced competition as a threat, some viewed it as another opportunity to push themselves to do their best. ”I am nervous and excited, it’s definitely a mixture. There’s a lot of great competition and it’s definitely a rigorous program to get into,” Artus said. The song that was used to audition this year was “Whither Must I Wander?” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. This song was an audition requirement chosen by the committee that all the students auditioning must learn. “The song selection is actually re-
ally difficult this year, but with practice it is going to sound great so I am actually quite happy about the selection,” Artus said. “It was definitely different from what I am used to, but after working with Mr. Burks and the rest of the class I have been getting comfortable with it.” With such difficult repertoire, there was a lot of practicing that was required, therefore each student worked on preparing for their audition in their own way. “I am preparing myself for auditions by practicing everyday, making sure I am singing correctly when auditioning, and sight-reading as much as I can,” sophomore Jamison Jones said. Jones mentions that to prepare for his audition he practiced sightreading. Sight-reading is the reading or performing of a piece of music that has not been previously seen by the performer.
All State Choir members for 2019 stand with director Storm Burks. Bridget Hanscom, senior Rylee Hughes were selected for All-State and Nadia Artus was selected as an alternate. Photo by Maddison Shawkey.
”Every night I look up sight-reading to prepare myself for auditions. Sight-reading can be really easy or it can be really frustrating it just depends on how much you practice it,” junior Mark Hutson said. Even with all the requirements of the auditions, the students still find support among each other. On Sat., Apr. 6, the All State singers will put on a concert for anyone to come watch at the Carpenter Center. There will be three different concerts. A middle school concert, a high school women’s concert, and lastly a high school mixed concert featuring both boys and girls.
16 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 2.15.19
A&E
U
bisoft’s new game “Far Cry: New Dawn” will be released on Feb. 15. This game is set 17 years after the apocalypse that tore through Hope County in the plot of Far Cry 5. This means that you will still have the same Hope County map but it will be revamped and transformed by nuclear fire storms burning and ravaging through the county. Most of the buildings you frequented in “Far Cry 5” have either been destroyed or fixed up by survivors of the apocalypse. Even though the map size is relatively the same there are some zones that have been quarantined completely to which you can not go to at all. As you go through the map there are 101
GAMER'S CORNER
lootable areas you get parts from to build and construct your weapons. There are 30 outposts throughout the map that you can take over and each time you abandon the outpost they get staffed by stronger enemies. There are outfits that go with each outpost that Nic Brown you earn by taking it over, however, you only get one piece of the outfit per takeover, so in order to obtain the complete outfit you must abandon it and recapture it four times. Another new thing is the animals. Don’t worry they’re still prone to attack, but animals such as the
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moose and deer have some new nuclear attributes. The moose now has neon orange antlers that cause more damage when they attack you. The main resource of the game is ethanol and is used for fuel and to upgrade your main base of operations, Providence. You gain ethanol by capturing and abandoning the outpost mentioned before while it is under your control as well as a decent ethanol payout
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every time you abandon the outpost. Overall this is a highly recommended game for the gammers who enjoy FPS and sandbox games. I rate it an 8.7/10.
FRIDAY 2.15.19 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 17
A&E
Black History Month Spotlights HBCUs
NUMBERS 101
Harmony Thomas
Features Editor
T
he heat from blazing lights on the auditorium stage stare students in the face as they perform dances, sing songs, and celebrate the fact that the month of February is Black History Month. Empowered students take the stage to shine a light on Black History for the 7th Annual Black History Month Program sponsored by the SADD and Cultural Awareness clubs. The theme of the program this year puts a spotlight on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. SADD and Cultural Awareness club sponsor Takisha Ogunyemi explains how she came up with the theme of the program this year. “I usually start thinking about the Black History Month program over the summer and it was something I had [seen] on my social media pages about HBCUs and the legacies of HBCUs,” Ogunyemi said. Ogunyemi wants the program to be an educational yet entertaining show. “We want to teach but we also want to entertain at the same time,” Ogunyemi said. “With HBCUs they have a lot of artistic value because they have the step-dancing, sororities, and fraternities. But yet they are so historical when you tie in why those sororities started, why those fraternities started, and why they were needed. ” Senior Tiffany Whittington is going to have a role in participating in
BY THE
The number of HBCUs in the United States, including public and private institutions. HBCUs represent less than
3%
of colleges & universities In the United States. HBCUs enroll
12%
of all African-American students.
the program this year. Whittington explains how she thinks the program will affect students. “I think they will have a really fun time and get a new respect for the theme that we are doing,” Whittington said. “I think it’s an important part of history that’s not usually taught in our regular curricular classes and people should just come out to support the program. Without it I know that some kids would not get the same self-expressions and opportunities to be creative.” Senior Marisa Kargbo is also participating in the program this year and describes why black history is such an important part of her life. “Black history is important to me because I am originally from Africa and my parents are from Africa so it means so much to me for people to understand me. That’s really why
Senior Makayla Prosise presents at the 2018 Black History month program. Photo by Wayne Coleman.
black history is such a big deal to me,” Kargbo said. The Black History Month Program will take place during 6th block on Feb. 22 in the Auditorium at 1:45pm. “Black history is important because I have heard over and over again that it is not taught in the classroom. I have heard it out of the mouths of students it’s not taught in depth in the classroom. They learn about the Civil War but that’s about it. They maybe learn about the sit-ins or Rosa Parks with the bus protest and that’s about it,” Ogunyemi said. “By having Black History month and having a program we are able to touch on the things that are not taught in the classroom.”
HBCUs educate
40%
of African American health professionals.
58%
of HBCUs offer students the opportunity to study abroad.
Information from HBCU Statistics | How Much Do You Know? | hbcucollegefair.com and https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historically_black_ colleges_and_universities
18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 2.15.19
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SPRING SPORTS
Trying To Repeat Greatness Carter Marks
BY THE
NUMBERS
2
A
Sports Editor
fter losing starting pitcher Laura Thompson to college, the Royals are trying out many different pitchers to replace her. “I know that this season there will be a lot of adjustment since we did lose our starting pitcher, but there is so much in store for us,” senior first baseman Kyla Nase said. “I have so much faith in the underclassmen that they will take it into perspective and realize what their role is. I know that whoever is pitching this year will step up to the mound and get the job done.” With Thompson striking out 12, the Royals went on to defeat Brooke Point in the state championship game. This was the first time that the softball team ever even made it to that game. With this victory, this will always be cherished by these players and the community. “It was a goal that we set for ourselves at the beginning of the season, but about midway through the season we really felt like that goal was obtainable,” head coach Nealan Chandler said. “We put in some extra work at practice. So when that last out was recorded, we really felt like there was some accomplishment. I was really happy because the girls had dedicated so much time and effort to get there.” Defensively, six players make up the infield and three in the outfield. The Royals lost seven starters from last year’s team to graduation. “We will have seven new girls on the field when opening day happens,” Chandler said. “We have to work hard. We have to find everyone’s place on the team. Hopefully the newcomers will understand
2.15.19 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 19
Returning starters from last year
20
Wins last season this is a team and not a bunch of individuals.” The good news is that the players coming up to varsity are players who have been in the program for awhile and who all played on a successful junior varsity team. “I’m really happy because our JV team was 14-1 last year,” Chandler said. “The JV coach, Coach [Kristen] Dize did a great job preparing the girls for varsity. Midway through the season, we had to bring up a player because we had an injury. Even though she came up, it was a 2-3 week adjustment period that she had to go through to learn my style of coaching and how it was different from JV. There will always be an adjustment period.” Something the Royals had last year was consistency. They knew going into most games who was playing each position. Throughout the first couple of games, certain players will now need to step up and claim these spots. “This year since we will have a completely different team, we will bring new dynamics to the line-up and how we play in the field,” Nase said. “We will highlight our strengths and use them to maximize our ability. This will create a whole new type of game we play.”
Senior Kyla Nase gets set defensively for her turn as they warm up in the field before the state semifinal last year. Nase is one of the two starters returning from last season. Photo by Jenna Miles.
With players such as Thompson who were two year starters on varsity leaving, the experience on this team will definitely be lacking from what was had in the previous year. “Last season there was a lot of experienced players but this year they are young and have a lot to learn,” junior right fielder Erin Miles said. With tryouts set for February 18, the returning players are excited to get back out there and try to repeat the accomplishments that were made last season. “After last season’s success, I am eager to head into this season,” Nase said. “My emotions are all over the place. I am sad about those who left last year but I am extremely excited for the new girls coming up. I am ready to bring in the same energy, if not more, as last year so that we can match exceed last year’s record. I am ready to work hard but still enjoy my time to make the best of every moment on the field with my teammates.”
1
Loss last season
1
State championship in the history of Prince George softball
8
Players graduated from last year’s championship team.
FRIDAY 2.15 .19 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 20
PH TO GALLERY
Track Team Races To Regionals
1.
1. Freshman Ryan Smith pushes to finish strong down the final stretch in the Region 5B Indoor Track Championships. Photo taken by Chandler Coleman. 2. Freshman Lamont Victoria talks with Coach Will Stevens to prepare him for his upcoming high jump. Photo taken by Chandler Coleman. 3. Sophomore Chandler Coleman races in the 4x200 relay. Coleman and teammates won first place in the 4x200 relay. Photo by Jamal Berry. 4. Senior AJ Thomas sprints down the track at the Region 5B Championships in the 55 m dash. Photo by Chandler Coleman.
2.
5.
3.
4.
5. Sophomore Aiden Hauser attempts to clear the bar at 5 ft 6 in in the high jump event. Photo by Chandler Coleman. For more photos of the track team go to www.trnwired.smugmug.com
WINTER SPORTS
Indoor Track Team Prepares For States Masako Kaneko
he flare fires off and previous state champion Javonte’ Harding runs off to race against the other schools in regionals to qualify for states
again this year. These past few weeks, the indoor varsity track team has been preparing for regionals with their eyes on the prize, qualifying for states. Members like senior AJ Thomas, junior Javonte’ Harding, and the boys 4x200m relay team went to regionals last week and qualified for states. “I was excited because I was a little worried we weren’t going to make it in because I didn’t know ... where they stood as far as what position they were in,” indoor track assistant coach Bryan Griffin said. Griffin, who is the field coach, is proud to have a few girls on his shot put team to make it into regionals. He was a bit anxious waiting on the results of who would qualify, because he was not sure where his throwers stood compared to the other schools. “I’m not a yeller so I don’t yell at them but I let them know that if we aren’t throwing as well as we should I get on them a little bit,” Griffin said. Griffin‘s coaching technique is not about yelling at them but trying to reach them in a more calmer fashion. He wants his throwers to know what they are doing wrong if
Who Qualified
For States
4x200m
Sports Editor
T
2.15.19 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 21
AJ Thomas Javonte’ Harding Chandler Coleman Alexander Simmons
55m
Javonte’ Harding they are not doing what they should but he wants them to have the right attitude. “To compete and do the best that you can do, if you come in last and do your best, you can’t be any happier than that ... just give it your all,” Griffin said. Looking back at the early meet of the season, some track members felt that the pressure wasn’t as much because the results weren’t as monumental as Region B standings. “To be honest it was cool and all but that’s not where I want to be. I mean it’s cool to be there, but I’m looking at states and regionals,” Thomas said. Thomas, who competed in the 4x200 at regionals, is happy that he achieved his goal of making it to states. Although making it to regionals was a great
Junior Javonte’ Harding sprints to victory at the Real Deal High School Classic held in Hampton, VA. Harding won the 300m with a time of 35.66. Photo by Chandler Coleman.
accomplishment, his main focus was states. The same was said for state champion Harding. “I never really like to focus on regionals, I try to focus on the bigger picture,” Harding said. “Running in regionals, it prepares me for states,” Harding said. Running in regionals puts him into the mood on what he’s doing. His mindset is more aware of what is happening and what he’s doing. On Feb. 22 and Feb. 23 members of the varsity indoor track team will compete at Boo Williams for the state competition.
300m
Javonte’ Harding
Girls High Jump Brooklyn Robinson
22 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 2.15.19
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2.15.19 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 23
WINTERSPORTS
Wrestler Jayon Cosby Battles Through Obstacles
J
Senior Spotlight Yajani Santiago Varsity Girls Basketball
Kaylaa’ White TRN Writer
ayon Cosby completed this season shy of his goal for a state title, but no one can argue that his journey was not one full of accomplishments. A senior who has been wrestling for four years, Cosby share some advice that has been handed down to him over the years. “If I lose a match, Willie, Bryce, and Sidney say, you have another one, you have to fight for the next day,” Cosby said. One of Cosby’s biggest struggles in wrestling is working through a shoulder injury he received last year. “I feel pain in my shoulder every match,” Cosby said. But he doesn’t let that defeat him, saying that the “self-confidence and discipline” he has learned from wrestling corresponds with other aspects of life. According to stopsportsinjuries.org, common wrestling injuries include concussions, tongue cuts, and scrapes, but shoulder and knee injuries can be responsible for long term treatments and surgeries. When competing in wrestling, every day at practice athletes have to push and push to be the better player and athlete. “About an hour of running at the beginning, being hot, and sweating,” Cosby said.
Where did you move from and what did you like about it? “I moved from Texas. What I liked about there was that I kept myself busy because I was on the basketball team. It was good.” How do you like Prince George so far? “Prince George is good. I have been here before and I kind of like it. It’s better than Texas actually.”
Just like any other sport, having to juggle academics, social life, along with the sport can be difficult. “You can’t see your friends all the time, because you’re fighting for your future,” Cosby said. When it comes to academics he just has to “make time,” this includes studying on the bus ride to matches. Wrestlers have strict diets, that could include gaining or losing weight in short periods of time in order to make weight. In contrast to the first tournaments in Athens, Greece, that had no weight class, Cosby stated sometimes he has to lose five to six pounds a week which takes close body awareness and control. Weight regulations have been updated in recent years in order to ensure the safety of student-
Senior Jayon Cosby takes down his opponent from Matoaca during the season. Cosby worked through setbacks this year including a shoulder injury. Photo by Brooklyn Gonzalez.
athletes. Cosby has met people he looks up to along the way, including, Coach Thomas, Coach Birch, Coach Woods, and Jacob Kennedy, who won states last year. Cosby’s goal this season was to make it to states, unfortunately, that didn’t happen. To his teammates that are moving forward in the competition, and to any student joining the team in the future he says, “Work hard, follow my footsteps, you all can be better than me, you all [can] be the next weight for Prince George.”
How is Prince George different from your old school? “Prince George is a lot different from Texas. Students have to take seven classes in one day and here we only have to take four.” What do you have to say about your high school experience so far? “It’s been a struggle but I still managed to make it, since I’m a senior.” What would the freshman you think of the you right now? “The freshman me would say that I made it and to keep going forward.” What are your plans after high school? “I want to go to college and study dentistry or become a pediatrician.”
SPORTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
Softball Boys Basketball Boys & Girls Boys Soccer >>Varsity >> Varsity >> Varsity >>Varsity scrimmages Mills goes against Highland Indoor Track competes scrimmages Patrick Henry Springs @ Matoaca H.S. on Fri., Feb. 15.
at States @ the Boo Williams Complex on Feb. 22 & 23.
Godwin away on Wed., Feb. 27 at 6 PM.
H.S. away on Wed. Feb. 27 at 6:30 PM.
Boys Basketball Sets Sights To Siegel Center Deana Nichols
A
TRN Writer
Senior guard Jajour Lambert dribbles up the court avoiding Matoaca’s defenders. The Royals went on to beat Matoaca in double overtime, 82-80. Photo by Monica Thompson. For more photos of winter sports follow this link.
s the season comes to a close, the Royals are looking towards the postseason. With hopes of going to the Siegel Center, the team along with head coach Travis Carr, have had plans to take care of the regular season business. “We belong to arguably, the toughest basketball region in the entire state,” Carr said. Since the beginning of the season, Carr has not had any doubts about his team. He is confident in their abilities off the court just as much as their on court abilities. “The most enjoyable thing I liked about this particular group is how easy they make it to be their head coach,” Carr said. “The game of basketball will have its mistakes, its good times and bad. But, this group of players never disappoint me off the court.” Unfortunately, last season the Royals lost to Varina in the first round of the playoffs. Varina then proceeded to win the state championship. The team went into their second to last game against Matoaca trying hard to win to go into the postseason. With different starters this year, the Royals plan to attack differently. Senior Jajour Lambert has plans to help lead his team to victory. “We’re trying to limit our turnovers that we usually have. But we’re just going to play the Royal way,” Lambert said. On Tues., Feb. 4, the Royals beat Matoaca by two points. The game went into
double overtime. Senior Jeffrey Jackson led the team with 21 points. The game was also Senior Night. With the Royals playing Meadowbrook for the last game of the season, the Royals were focused on this game and not looking past it into the playoffs. “We sit right now in a great situation with the regional rankings. If we take care of business this week, we can do something that hasn’t been done in 15 years,” Carr said. Junior Johnny Soto, a player who has played crucial minutes for the past two seasons has cheered on his seniors throughout the whole journey. “Even though I’m not a senior myself, I loved every second of battling with my guys out there,” Soto said. “It gets to the point where you kind of feel entitled to win the game for them, so they can go out in the most perfect way. This game specifically went into double overtime. I live for those type of moments. It’s truly a blessing that not everyone can experience.” As the seasons closes, the Royals have to say goodbye to seven senior players. Each of the players have made a big impact of the program. Like any of his graduating players, Carr wants the best for them in the future. “I hope that our basketball program has taught them how to win in the game of life,” Carr said. “Some of guys will go on and play college basketball, but eventually the ball stops bouncing. I want our guys to be successful people, husbands and fathers one day. I tell them all the time to be sponges, and soak up all things our program offers. I hope they apply it in their lives after high school, but I know they will.”