October 2018 by chris waugaman

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VOL. XVII ISSUE 1

PRINCE GEORGE H.S. 7801 LAUREL SPRING RD., PRINCE GEORGE, VA 23875 WWW.TRNWIRED.ORG & @ROYALSMEDIANOW OCTOBER 12, 2018

MAJORETTES, COLOR GUARD INTEGRAL TO MARCHING ROYALS P. 13 Senior Jordan Forehand leads the majorettes at the Hermitage Classic Marching Band Competition Photo by Monica Thompson.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inside? p. 6 Teachers Commute

p. 15 Spirit Week Photo Gallery

p. 9 Political Science Club p. 18 Keeler Returns As Coach

Do you agree with Nike supporting Kaepernick with their latest ad? - Yes 68% *Twitter poll of 73 votes - No 32%

2 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 10.12.18

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FRIDAY 10.12.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 2

OP/ED

Are SATs Really Necessary?

theRoyalNews

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, Marisa Kargbo, Gabbey Miner, Deanna Nichols, Lisa Parker, Francesca Quinata, Victoria Taylor, 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.

High School Attendance Now Counts Towards Accreditation

s September passes and October comes around, students start to adjust and get into the regular swing of the school year. And as the year continues, attendance rates start to plummet. Most students only have the occasional sick day, coming to school an adequate number of days to graduate in June. But for some students, attendance is a real issue. If enough students miss enough school, the school’s attendance rate falls. If the number goes too low, it can jeopardize the high school’s chances at full accreditation. As the number of absences rises, the consequences intensify, and quickly. With as little as five unexcused absences, plans and conferences are made to get students back on track. At seven unexcused absences, students risk having to go to court. The missed days build up quickly, and before you

know it, you have a pile of missed work in your bag and a court summons in your hand. Your attendance also determines whether you have to take your final exams or not. For non-SOL courses, missing 8 days over the course of the year or having 5 tardies guarantees a test packet being printed for you in the final week of school. Sometimes, you might have to miss school, and that is understandable. But you could also be missing a critical day over something as small as not doing your homework if you make that choice. Students do get sick, and viruses spread across the school. People pass away, people get sick. These absences, when excused, do not come with consequences for the student. Let’s make high school count. This is our year- let’s not miss out over something silly.

hat makes a person smart? Their grades? Their GPA? Their scores on the PSAT or the SAT? This is something many high school students have stressed over, their score. Whether high or low, this number still makes them feel like they are not smart enough when in all actuality, they are. This test doesn’t test your knowledge, but simply how well you take the MARISA KARGBO test. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), according to College Board, is arranged “to assess your academic readiness for college.” Most students stress over these tests knowing that their scores determine whether they can go to the college of their choice. This test contains difficult material that some kids do not learn in a school year, making them less prepared than others. What can you determine about these diligent working students on a test they were not prepared for? The pressure of taking standardized tests can leave a body and mind in shock. Test anxiety is a real thing. You can have a great GPA and amazing grades, but be horrible at taking tests. I take hard classes to push myself above the average potential, my grades are great; I know that I’m a smart and hardworking student. But the thought of taking the SAT brought me into an panic attack which left my body shaking, kept my heartbeat rapid, and kept me nauseous for a good 48 hours. The thought of wanting to do your best on a test, knowing that your strong suit is not test taking, and doing your best, just for you to get a score you weren’t expecting makes you feel like you are not enough. College Board also mentions that this test is used for “measuring the skills required for success in the 21st century.” Most job employers are looking for experience and a positive attitude from a goal-oriented, flexible, responsible being. The SAT doesn’t test any of the skills that jobs look for in the 21st century. I have never understood this test. In my eyes, it should be a reference for colleges, but shouldn’t be a basis of intelligence.

4 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 10.12.18

OP/ED

Who Do We Support In Times of Kneeling?

In Nike’s recent ad Colin Kaepernick said, “Believe in something even if it means sacrificing everything”. Kaepernick incited kneeling during the national anthem as a protest for Black Lives Matter. Consumers are divided amongst each other over Nike’s support of this protest. Should Nike support political protests?

very Sunday, millions of people across the United States go to the television and flip to the NFL Network channel. Unifying Americans nationwide for decades, football is considered by many Americans to be a staple of their Sunday afternoons. But lately, unifying is not the word most would choose to describe football. Now, is impossible to turn on the game without thinking of one major political issue: kneeling during the national anthem, led by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Since August 2016, some players have chosen to kneel during every game. Even now, two years, later, it is all over the news. We have all talked about it- to our families, neighbors, friends, coworkers, and more. Most Americans have a deeply personal opinion of the kneel- good, bad, or somewhere in between. With Nike’s release of its newest ad, many wonder: should major companies and influencers respond, or should they stay neutral? The answer is simple: yes, they should. How they go about it is up to them. Nike chose to respond in a rather controversial way, featuring Kaepernick in their latest ad: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” As opposed or in favor of the ad one may be, it all boils down to this: Nike is not by any law required to remain politically neutral. It is not bound to any political opinion. Right now, Nike is taking the pro-kneeling stance, and that is okay, even if you disagree. You can disagree with Nike’s ad, and you do not have to support them. You do not have to purchase from them. You can destroy all of your Nike merchandise. You can burn your running shoes and cut up your jerseys. But you cannot tell Nike that they cannot support Kaepernick. The power to protest is a personal right, clearly stated in the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or … [forbidding citizens to] petition the government for a redress of grievances.” So is it our place to tell Nike what to do? No, it is not. It is fair to express our opinions on kneeling, on the ad, or on Nike itself. A country of such differing opinions is allowed to have them. But we cannot tell them not to have it. To do so would be un-American at every level.

PRO CON ANNA MITCHELL

MADDISON SHAWKEY

“Nike is not by any law required to remain politically neutral. It is not bound to any political opinion. Right now, Nike is taking the prokneeling stance, and that is okay, even if you disagree,”

“The issue here is one of respect, not only for oneself, but for Nike’s company image, and also of the United States,”

ith the release of Nike’s recent ad commemorating 30 years of the “JUST DO IT” slogan, featuring football player, Colin Kaepernick, there has been an upheaval in the political world of why Nike chose to use Kaepernick, the first football player to kneel for the National Anthem. People are wondering why Nike would choose such a risky figure and ultimately advertise for people the kneel during the national anthem as well. The issue here is one of respect, not only for one’s self, but for Nike’s company image, and also of the United states. While Kaepernick’s actions have been peaceful it still show a level of disrespect to those who risk their lives everyday to keep our country free. By kneeling down for the National Anthem, Kaepernick is expressing that he lacks a certain respect of the freedoms he is given. And while this could be seen as bad enough, now Nike, a business with the net worth of 33.8 billion US dollars, is supporting this. Nike has been around long enough to see how support characters of with a negative history, such as Kaepernick, can damage the image of a company and anyone associated with the company. Nike is a well-known company and has been respected for many years and to not support someone who is exercising their First Amendment rights is alarming. Big businesses should understand the sensitivity of this issue and strive to stay neutral rather than releasing ads with obvious bias.

FRIDAY 10.12.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 5

THE WEEKS AHEAD Janet Carr Wins Teacher Of Month

PG Players Present New, Student-Written Play At Virginia Theatre Conference

he PG Players will premiere their latest play, “Was That You,” on Thursday, October 25th during 3rd block. “Was That You” is studentwritten and stars Katelyn Burnell, Nick Humphries, Thaddeus Howerton, Jacob

Martin, Mickey Stawarz, Nate Wootton, and Ti’Asia Lindsay, with Sam Martin on tech and Daryl Phillips as director. The PG Players will attend the Virginia Theatre Association’s Annual High School Theatre Festival on Friday, October 26th and perform their show.

areer and technical education teacher Janet Carr has won the Teacher of the Month award for October 2018. Carr teaches the Economics and Personal Finance and Computer Information Systems classes.

Activity Periods Held In October

here will be two activity periods held in the month of October. The first falls on Monday, October 15th and is a Gold activity period. The second falls on Monday, October 22nd and is a Blue activity period. Don’t forget your student ID and agenda with your club cards if you wish to attend these meetings.

FAFSA Night Helps Students Gain Aid

n Tuesday, October 30th, the PGHS Guidance Department will hold another FAFSA night in room B6. The FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is a form that allows students to apply for financial aid. The application is administered

by the federal government and is not required to apply for or attend college, but can be a major help when it comes to paying for college. Seniors, be sure to attend this meeting if you missed the first one and need help filing for federal financial aid.

6 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 10.12.18

FEATURES

Teachers Face Long Commute Four Teachers Come From Afar To Educate Students Shelby Hayes

Photo Editor

creeching brakes, honking neighbors, and morning coffee on the way to work is the daily norm for teachers Beth Andersen, Benjamin Tripp, and Sarah Warwick. Andersen, who is an English teacher at the high school, commutes to work from Richmond everyday, which usually takes her about 38 minutes to get to the school in the morning. Although that is a significant amount of time, Andersen used to live in Williamsburg where it took her an hour to get to work. “Out of all this [Prince George] has been the shortest commute, and I think that 38 minutes is not a lot to sacrifice in order to be able to teach at my own alma mater,” Andersen said. As Andersen said, living in Richmond is not the longest trek to school. Tripp, a technical drawing, architectural drawing,and digital visual teacher, makes an hour long drive to work every morning and another hour back home to North Carolina. Tripp was a teacher for 40 years and retired in North Carolina. After retiring he still wanted to pursue his life long career as a teacher and came to work in Virginia where he has been teaching at Prince George for 2 years. Tripp likes the school system and comes to work every morning because of the friendly atmosphere here. “I’ve had jobs where I’ve lived clos-

er to home,” Tripp said, “But my wife is from Petersburg so its like close to home for her.” Along with Andersen, Warwick, a US History teacher, makes a daily commute of 45 minutes from Richmond. “Depending on traffic, sometimes it’ll take about 50 minutes or more to get to work,” Warwick said. Warwick, although she works and lives in Virginia, grew up in Florida where she had to drive 40 minutes to get to high school. “[Driving this far] it’s nothing to me; I’m used to it,” Warwick said. Long distances, aggressive morning and afternoon drivers, and leisurely traffic does not prevent these teachers from coming to teach their students here in Prince George.

These three teachers all have their own reasons behind why they commute as far as they do each day. Andersen, not only an English teacher, but she is also the Gifted Education Supervisor and teaches independent study which is an honors class for seniors or any student in a gifted program such as PACE, SAGE, SOAR, and PASS. “I have the privilege of working with some of my best friends, working in a place where I’m really invested, and where I very much care about making an impact on the place that impacted me,” Andersen said. “I wouldn’t change that.” Andersen enjoys her everyday commute to work and says that in a way it helps her prepare for the day.

Technical drawing, architectural drawing,and digital visual teacher Benjamin Tripp works on his computer. Tripp makes an hour long trip from North Carolina to Virginia every week. Photo by Shelby Hayes. “Afterall, I don’t know what I would do with a 10 minute commute,” Andersen said. Warwick enjoys the distance and the life of living in the city, and because she is still young, she wishes to stay there until she’s ready to settle down. “Prince George was where I got hired, but I also still liked living in Richmond,” Warwick said. “I have my friends in Richmond and I’m young; I want to stay in Richmond.”

FRIDAY 10.12. 18| THE ROYAL NEWS | 7

FEATURES SADD Club Helps Put A Stop To Bullying Sarah Schrum A&E Editor

ctober is B u l l y i n g prevention month and students all throughout the country are participating in programs to put an end to bullying and abuse. One of these programs is with the SADD club and the James House which tells teenagers the signs of bullying and abuse. “Every year in the month of October we [SADD club] collaborate with the James House here in Prince George,” Takisha Ogunyemi, the teacher sponsor of SADD club said. ”They have a representative come out and actually do some hands-on activities and give teenagers some information about bullying, domestic violence, how to get help, and how to detect the warning signs [of domestic violence].” The permission forms for the James House seminar are outside of B14. The James House will be at the school on Tuesday, October 16th. Any student is welcome to participate and learn how to handle bullying situations. “I think it is very important to bring awareness to this subject, because a lot of people that get bullied are afraid to speak up and defend themselves or just to tell someone about it,” Ogunyemi said. “Bringing it out to the attention of everyone not only helps the person that is being bullied but it also helps the person who is bullying, because then they understand the things they are doing are hurting others.” Philip Jones, a guidance counselor

at the high school, talks about the longterm and short-term effects bullying has on students and he also notes how some effects can become extreme. Any amount of bullying has an effect on students and none of them are good. “You have kids who do not come to school and try to duck classes or skip certain classes because of whatever is going on. Sometimes they isolate themselves at lunch or in the locker room… just because they are being picked on,”said Jones, thinking about the short-term effects of bullying. “Some kids slip into depression, some of them slip into mental health issues, I have not seen this first hand myself but, of course, we have all seen in the news where some kids take their own lives, those are probably the more extreme long-term effects of bullying.” No matter the effects, bullying is still wrong. It is better to speak up than be a bystander, even though that might be easier said than done. “For students it’s not always easy to feel like you can step up and say something, I think for most of the times I have had situations where other students have helped others that were being bullied, it was a matter of if they were not saying something to the teacher in that class or another adult that was around, then they would come in and let a counselor know,” Jones said. “It can be anonymous, because some people do not want to have their names associated with something because they feel like they are telling.” The most important thing to remember about a situation is to tell an adult, it could be the most helpful thing a person could do. But a bit of kindness can make all the difference. “You should make an adult aware of the situation or you should try and

help them, like if someone is walking by and they get their books thrown on the ground then you should help them with the books or walk them to class,” SADD club president Mechellet Dennis said.

B U L L Y I N G

P R E V E N T I M O O N N T H

BY THE Numbers 26%

of U.S students in 6-12 experience bullying

of high school students experience cyber bullying

30%

of students admit to bullying others

70%

of students say they have witnessed bullying in schools Information collected from https:// www.stopbullying. gov/media/facts/ index.html

8 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 10.12.18

William S. Grizzard, Jr. MD (Retired) Charles W. Smith, III, MD Edward Moschler, MD Keith M. Roberts, MD Joy J. Hogg, RN, MSN Certified Nurse Midwife

FRIDAY 10.12.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 9

FEATURES

BY THE

Student Politics Finds New Club Claudia King Op-Ed Editor

his past summer a senior became inspired. Tiffany Whittington took courses at Radford University this summer and she was heavily inspired by the political activism she saw from students while attending. “I participated in a class at Radford and a lot of the students were very politically active. Also I took a class on political engagement and that made me want to give that opportunity for kids here,” said senior Tiffany Whittington. With passion and inspiration she approached Cynthia Hasley, her AP US History teacher who helped sponsor the soon-to-be political science club. With government teacher Karen Webb joining Hasley’s side as sponsor. “I tell my students they should participate in campaign at least once I do not care which party,” Hasley said. “Sponsoring a club which was originally identified with an particular party and I said I would be willing to work on if it was broad and all inclusive with all political ideals and they named it the political science club that is what they chose. Ms. Hasley invited me to meet Tiffany and I was so impressed by Tiffany and her experiences over the summer at an event where she met some students that had a political science club at their high school,” government teacher Karen Webb said. Statistically high school students crave involvement in their school and community. The political science club has created a new avenue for students to get involved. “Almost every high school in the U.S.

NUMBERS People aged

and under are crucial to editorial politics because they normally only vote in the presidential election.

10%

of Americans between 18 and 24 met a standard of “informed engagement” in the 2012 presidential election cycle.

offers some type of extracurricular activity, such as music, academic clubs, and sports. These activities offer opportunities for students to learn the values of teamwork, individual and group responsibility, physical strength and endurance, competition, diversity, and a sense of culture and community,” according to nces.ed.gov The appeal does not stop at the variety it adds to extracurriculars, but also the political science club adds real life discussion of new political ideologies to these soon to be voters. And how other enthusiasts that are not so close to the voting age can still get involved. “When become of age you can take what you learn to the polls with you and also opportunities of becoming politically involved before you can vote,” Whittington said. Whittington a young leader driven to inspire her fellow youth. Giving a safe space to debate respectfully amongst peers. “There’s not any other club like it and I want to bring something that’s a free opportunity during the school day and a place that they can have those discussions that we don’t have in history or government,” said Whittington.

Senior Tiffany Whittington discusses the new idea for a political science club with government teacher Karen Webb. Photo by Lisa Parker.

There is no fear of controversy in this club. With the members holding the power of what is discussed in each meeting Whittington, Hasley, and Webb all push for students to talk about any events that interest them. “Topics that people are passionate about gun control, abortion, immigration, national anthem kneeling movement. And members get to choose topics and direct where the club moves,” Whittington said. The sponsors of the political Science have the same vision as the participants of the club. “I hope it sparks an interest about politics, and about what’s happening in this country and I hope it eliminates some of the apathy that I see in teenagers. And I also hope it encourages a united activism because I think the nation is too divided and that is so sad,” Webb said.

There was a

34%

point difference in 2008 between how 18 to 29 year-olds voted in the election.

50%

of eligible young people—about 24 million youth, ages 18-29—voted in the 2016 general election

55%

of young people voted for Hillary Clinton, while 37% supported Donald Trump. The other 8% voted for a third party. Information collected from: http://www.iop.harvard.edu/about/newsletter-press-release/groundbreaking-reportreleased-educating-america%E2%80%99syouth-civic http://www.pewresearch.org/2012/07/16/ ask-the-expert-young-people-and-politicalengagement/

12 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 10.12.18

A&E

MAJORETTES, COLOR GUARD INTEGRAL TO MARCHING ROYALS

Stephenson, Forehand Lead Group As Seniors Harmony Thomas

Features Editor

he majorettes and color guard are ready to twirl and spin their way to the top this football season. Senior Mia Stephenson has been awarded with the role as the new captain of color guard. This being Stephenson’s 6th year on the guard she looks forward to being a role model for the future captains on the team. “I hope to set a good example for next years captain, as well as bring home a few trophies,” Stephenson said. “But mostly to create memories with the guard that I can remember throughout my life after high school.” As color guard captain, Stephenson

has to take on a variety of responsibilities. “I lead the girls in warm ups, I select the flags we use for the show, I tape and pack flags, I help the guard with their sets, run them through the routine, and make sure the guard room is in order after every game and competition,” Stephenson said. Stephenson shares that when a former color guard captain visited and spoke with her 6th grade band class that is when she knew that this was her future. “The current captain at the time came into my class and did a few tosses and I just knew that’s what I wanted to do,” Stephenson said. The color guard competes in various competitions with the marching band. “We go to various high schools to compete with other bands,” Stephenson said. “But most importantly we participate in VBODA’s which is the state assessment of the band over all.” Since Stephenson has been participating in competitions throughout her high school career she shares that she does not feel the pressure when it comes time to compete. ”I don’t really get nervous anymore

when I practice, I practice as if I am in a competition so when the time comes it’s just like another day of practice,” Stephenson said. Aside from the color Guard there are the Majorettes and together the two teams make up the Auxiliary. Senior Jordan Forehand has been on the majorettes for 3 years and this year she is the captain. “As captain I lead the other three majorettes, encourage them to do not only well on the team but in school as well,” Forehand said. “I make sure everything is clean and that our twirls are in time, and I make sure everything is basically together and we’re in unison.” Forehand shares that she has a whole generation of majorettes in her family that have pushed her and inspired her to do what she loves. “I come from a family of majorettes,” Forehand said. “It’s a generation thing my grandma twirled, my mother twirled, my great grandma twirled and all of my aunts were twirlers, I love it.” Forehand plans to attend North Carolina A&T State University this upcoming year to follow up with her majorette ca-

Senior Jordan Forehand twirls her baton with the marching band. Forehand and the majorettes competed with the marching band at the Hermitage Classic band competition at Hermitage High School on September 29th. Photo by Monica Thompson.

reer. “I love twirling, twirling is my life I want to twirl in school,” Forehand said. “Whenever the batons in your hand I just get a rush every time I’m on the field, putting on the sequined uniform, throwing my baton in the air and catching it, it gives me a rush.” This being Forehand’s last year in high school she shares some of her best advice to the underclassmen on the team and any new students who want to join. “Go hard, never stop trying. You’re going to drop the baton. No matter how good you are you’re going to drop the baton,” Forehand said. “But as long as you pick it up and you act like nothing happened it’s fine.”

FRIDAY 10.12.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 13

A&E

AP Studio Art Paints New Academic Picture New Art Teacher Creates Opportunities For Students Maddison Shawkey Doubletruck editor

alking into her classroom, Cindy Bell never truly knows what to expect of her AP Art students. Bell is a new face around this year. She is a new art teacher who has taken on the responsibility of teaching the students enrolled in AP Art. “To be honest it is super overwhelming, but the three students I do have and I have just jumped into the fire and ran with it,” Bell said. Within the grand scheme of AP Art classes available, there are three categories, 2D design, drawing, and 3D design. However, 3D studio design is currently the only one of these classes available to the students here. “I’m hoping that next year or at least in the future, I’ll be able to teach more than one studio at the same time,” Bell said. “So I’ll have some kids doing all sculptures all year long and then some students doing all drawing all year long.” For the 3D class the students are required to provide a portfolio at the end of the year and that serves as their AP test to determine if they get their credit for the class, Quality, which is dedicated to many different materials and themes, Concentration, which is a portion with a specific theme, and Breadth, described as a mixture of the other two sections. “There are a million different themes,” Bell said. “I printed out tons and tons of pages and we’ve been talking since day one about what their theme will be because that is actually the most important part of the portfolio.”

FAST

FACTS TAKING AP STUDIO ART LEADS TO... ...jobs in 53 career areas. ...the chance to choose from 10 college majors.

Some of the students have a general idea of what their concentration theme might be, whereas others do not. “I haven’t decided my theme yet, but I’m kind of leaning towards either fashion or anatomy,” AP Art student Aya Daniels said. Daniels is currently taking both Art 4 and AP Art with Bell. “I was really excited that our school finally offered an AP Art class…,” Daniels said. Daniels is a senior this year and has always expressed an appreciation for the visual arts. She even attended a Governor’s school program this past summer, and has had many years of experience and knowledge that she hopes to expand in AP Art this year. “I’ve been taking art ever since elementary school and I went to Radford University over the summer for a summer residency Governor’s school program for visual art,” Daniels said, “I have a lot of experience with oil painting and conte (clay and charcoal combined). I have some

Senior Millie McSwain works on a project in her AP Art class. Photo by Maddison Shawkey.

experience with wire art but 3D art as a whole isn’t my strong suit for sure.” Just like Daniels, senior Millie McSwain also admits that she is more comfortable working with a 2D design rather than a 3D one. “I usually do 2D but I wanted to try something new, and I just wanted to see how 3D is,” McSwain said. For both Daniels and McSwain, art has been a long lived passion starting from their elementary years and beyond. “I think I got interested in art in about the fifth grade,” McSwain said. For these students, art is their passion and everyday and every project opens a new door of creativity to explore. “… I just love art as a whole,” Daniels said, “I love things that are visually appealing and inviting and to create something that makes other people feel the same way it satisfies me in a way. It makes me proud…”

The 3-D design portfolio has THREE SECTIONS.

SECTION 1: The Selected Works SECTION 2:

The Sustained Investigation SECTION 3:

The Range of Approaches

14 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 10.12.18

A&E

s October 5th rolled around a lot of gamers had mixed feelings about the “Switch” edition of “Super Mario Party.” As much as the game is a classic there are some ergonomics of the game that the gaming community is up in arms about. You can’t use the game in handheld mode, as well as you can only use a single controller per person playing, which nixes the ability to use the “Joy-Cons” in the connected controller format or the “Nintendo Pro Controller.” You will be able to still use the tabletop mode. You will also be able to use a four person local play. This being Nintendo’s try at revamping the game, with its released

GAMER'S CORNER

editions, the past few years have not really done amazing within the gaming community. One great new ergonomic about the game is that the carpool car is gone. Mario Party is no longer like the game of life! Nintendo decided Nic Brown to kick this ergonomic of the game after it was poorly taken by players of Super Mario Party 9. Other than those two things everything else looks pretty good for the game as a whole. The game has come out with 80 mini games to play during your “Party.”

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For characters you will be sure to see the original gang. You will also be seeing the new additions of: Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong, Goomba, Bowser, Koopa Troopa, and Waluigi. You will have an assortment of levels you’ll be able to play. The levels are Rainbow Dream, Woody’s woods, Luigi’s engine room, and all the other original game maps. One great new ergonomic about the game is that the carpool car is gone. Mario Party is no longer like the game of life.

Not being able to play the game or get any hands on experience with the game makes this rating a little bit unstable. But I would give it a solid 8.5/10 and would recommend anyone with a switch to purchase it. Photo courtesy of TechRadar.com.

FRIDAY 10.12.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 15

PH TOGALLERY

Homecoming Spirit Week 2018 1. Sophomore Izzy Adair, as Miley Cyrus, competes in a lunch time spirit week game with senior Kyla Nase, as JoJo Siwa. 2. (left to right) Junior Javonte Harding, senior Jared Smith, and Anthony McGraw participate in a game of musical chairs during lunch. 3. Senior Jenna Miles and junior Erin Miles duo as M&Ms on duo day. 4. Senior Abby Jones, as Post Malone, dominates in a game of ďŹ nish the lyric during lunch. 5. (left to right) Sophomores Ande Davis , Savannah Ciavarella, and Bree Hunter dress as Pac-Man ghosts for match the wall day. 6. Junior Macie Blankenship and junior Sara Travis get groovy on tie-dye Tuesday. 7. Juniors Ryan Ashley and Cole Stuckey duo as die-hard Hokies fans on duo day. 8.Kaleigh Brooks and Justice Philips each land a seat in the next round of musical chairs. 9. Sophomores Lisa Parker, Kaitlyn Barker, and Lydia Moore watch homecoming games during lunch. Photos by Shelby Hayes, Maddison Shawkey, & Brooke Partin.

5. 3.

For more photos of the sprirt week go to www.trnwired.smugmug.com

16 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 10.12.18

Starting Positions available in:

General Laborer With Advancement in:

Heavy Equipment Operation Pipefitting Welding

FALL SPORTS

FRIDAY 10.12.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 17

Senior Spotlight Cross Country

New Coach Joins Experienced Team Carter Marks Sports Editor

new coach is calling the shots for field hockey. Julia Ellison, an assistant coach for the Royals last year has stepped up and taken a new role. Last year’s head coach, Maggie Roberts, decided to further her education at graduate school. Ellison is determined to lead the Royals back to the regional and state tournaments this year, filling Robert shoes as best she can. “I would love to follow in Maggie’s footsteps,” Ellison said. “We’re building up and that is our goal to get back to states.” Many of the players explained how reaching that milestone again will be tough and they have to stay focused each and every game. “To get back to that stage, we have to worry about one game at a time and not only win but win by a lot in order to be ranked higher in the region,” sophomore Ashley Thacker said. “In order to do that, we have to work as a team and trust each

other.” Back in the goal, senior Kyla Nase will keep her job for her senior season. Nase has been on varsity field hockey team for four years, goal keeping two state tournament teams. Last year, she had 100 saves while only allowing 20 goals. “I’ve had the chance to play many games with these girls and get a feel for each of them and how they interact on the field,” Nase said. “We are able to connect passes without having to communicate because we are so familiar with how everyone plays.” Ellison is the third coach in four years so for the seniors, this has advantages and disadvantages. With six seniors returning from last year’s squad, the seniors know what it takes to get to states, but now the question is can they execute it? For Nase, all three coaches taught her a new part of her game, so this helps her in different situations. “Each of them brought a different style and mentality two the way we played,” Nase said. “This has exposed me to many different techniques that I have picked up and applied to be able to improve my game.” As Ellison has coached almost half the season so far, she has nothing but

Joseph Christensen

Coach Julia Ellison shows excitement as her field hockey team triumphs 9-0 against Highland Springs. Photo by Macie Blankenship. praise for her players. She sets challenges at practice each and everyday. “The girls have been stepping up to those high expectations and really proving they can accomplish those goals,” Ellison said. “So, I’m thinking challenging them at practice every day is bringing out the best of them as players.” Thacker explained how with a new coach comes changes so with Ellison being a new coach, the players are adjusting to how she wants them to play. “Coach Ellison has brought many great things to our team, including a new line up that has helped our team to move as a unit,” Thacker said. “She also has given us a lot of fitness throughout the season which has made us strong and fast.” “Because of all the cancellations we are going to be playing three to four games a week,” Ellison said. “So, we’re just trying to keep that high intensity that the girls bring on the field constantly. Our goals are going to stay the same, we are going to work hard every day.”

How long have you been running cross country? I’ve been running cross country for three years now, two in Prince George. Why do you run [cross country]? I run because I like to keep in shape, I like competition. I also like to represent the school. Did anyone inspire you to start running? Do you have a role model? I’d say my friends [inspired me], I like running with them. As captain of the cross country team what is your role? I help motivate my teammates to do better. I help to keep everything structured. How do you prepare for a big run? Usually it starts at practice, everyday at practice. The day before get a good meal in. Day of eat clean, eat light, drink lots of water. How do you motivate yourself when you don’t want to run? I’d say, don’t think about anything you know? When I don’t want to run I just, start running. Don’t think about it, I know running is kind of like a getaway for me, from school and other stressful activities.

18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 10.12.18

FALLSPORTS

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Keeler Returns To Bolster Offense New Offensive Coordinator Arrives After Being Amelia’s Head Coach Zachary Yamaguchi & Francesca Quinata TRN Writers

Ronald Grundy

oach Justin Keeler, a former Prince George coach has recently returned from a head coaching job in Amelia. This is big news for the entire team, and although he is no longer the head coach, he still feels that he made the right decision in returning. What made you come back to Prince George? I left here to be a head football coach in Amelia and we had a lot of success. It was fun and I enjoyed it, but I missed my kids. I have two kids in the school system at South [Elementary] and I wanted to go watch them play rec sports and do things like that. Like last night I got to go to a soccer game on a Tuesday night I never had that opportunity at Amelia. Last night I was watching my 7 year-old play soccer and I got a lot of joy out of that. So at this point in my life, I want to be able to spend as much time as I can with my kids and when you’re a head coach unfortunately you don’t get to do that all the time so that was the most enticing thing about Prince George plus I really enjoyed my time in Prince George. What made you want to become a coach? My dad was a coach, so growing up all the time I spent was always in locker rooms talking to my dad. Then when I got in high school I enjoyed playing football and basketball and running track, and it was something I wanted to do in my life.

Ronald Grundy coaches his players on the sideline. They went on to defeat John Marshall 19-14. Photo by Shelby Hayes. Offensive Coordinator Justin Keeler What do you plan to accomplish this corrects his players before they return year? to the field and face Meadowbrook. As I’ve gotten older, the goal for me is that The Royals defeated the Monarchs 33every day there’s some type of growth 0. Photo by Shelby Hayes. that you see from players from day to day. Instead of focusing on results I focus on progress each day and I get more joy from Do you plan on ending your coaching that, and I also find that if you focus on career here or not? that, wins tend to happen more naturally I do. I mean I want to see my kids graduate that way. here and a big part of coming here was maybe it building one day to have the What do you love most about football? opportunity to coach my kids. I think To me it’s the greatest team sport there is that would be really special because it’s because the amount of sacrifices required something that my dad got to do with from each individual. It’s not easy, I think me. So no, I don’t think I’m going to go it’s probably the hardest sport to play and anywhere, I enjoy it here and everyone’s it requires a lot of people to work together. been really nice to me since I came back It requires 11 guys to work together just to and I enjoy it. get a single play to work right, so I find it incredibly challenging even after all these What is your greatest accomplishment years. That hasn’t gone away for me so I so far as a coach? enjoy it. We went to Amelia and we built the program up, we won a playoff game last year. That was really cool so I would say that as far as the greatest accomplishment.

How long have you been coaching for? Since 1961 [57 years]. Where did you come from before you started coaching in Prince George? I began coaching in New Jersey and then gravitated to Florida to Texas, then to New York state. What is your greatest accomplishment that you have done while coaching? I’m in two hall of fames in track and ﬁeld in Florida and New Jersey as a coach. I have been coaching here for a number of times in sports [like] in track and then football. What do you hope to do for the future of the team? Well being that I am 84 I don’t know how more of a future I have.

FALL SPORTS Freshman Golfer Finds Spot In Top Six Gabbey Miner & Victoria Taylor

TRN Writers

ith golf being a sport that both boys and girls play, freshman Ashley Allen ﬁghts for her top six spot.

How does is feel to be a freshman in the top 6? “I was excited to have made the team my freshman year. To be the only freshman on my team and to be in the top 6, which allowed me the opportunity to play and compete in every match, exceeded my expectations. I plan to practice during the off-season with my goal for the team and as an individual to qualify for State next year.”

When and why did you start playing golf? “I started playing golf at the age of 10 and I just got serious with it about 2 years ago. My interest and passion for the game came from playing with my dad. It’s also a sport I can enjoy beyond high school in my adult years, with friends and family.” Is being in the top six intimidating in anyway? A: “I’m very competitive. So being in the top 6 allows me to compete to help my team win a match. I’m only intimidated at time by the game of golf itself. To very challenging and often humbling sport.” What did you do to prepare for this golf season? “Prior to golf tryouts I attended Nike Golf Camp and took a few lessons from a local PGA golf professional. The season ofﬁcially started in August, before school. So we practiced as a team with Coach Wade Benenhaley during

10.12.18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 19

the month of august and September when we did not have scheduled matches.” How long do you practice each week? A: “I practice 4 to 6 hours each week. I try to hit balls on the practice range or on a golf simulator, during the week. If weather and time allows, I play a round with my dad or friends.” Do you have any advice for girls on coed teams? A: “My advice would be, you will always be a winner provided you give your best effort and always be the best version of yourself.” Freshman Ashley Allen swings and follows through as she hits the ball. She is the youngest and only female in the top six. Photo by Royals Media.

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FALL SPORTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

Girls Field >> Varsity Hockey play

at Matoaca on Saturday October 13th at 10:00 AM.

Boys >> Varsity Volleyball play at

Colonial Heights on Tuesday October 16th at 7:15 PM.

Football has >> Varsity Boys Cross >> Varsity Country has a meet at their senior night on Friday October 19th against Colonial Heights.

Wakeﬁeld Airﬁeld against Norfolk Academy on October 20th at 10AM.

Kills Leader Moves To Setter

Knipp Takes On New Role To Improve Team

Senior David Knipp sets the ball to his teammates as they wind up and hit the ball. The Royals went on to beat Petersburg 3-0. Photo taken by Monica Thompson. For more photos of the volleyball match against Dinwiddie follow this link.

Masako Kaneko

Sports Editor

he lights of the gym are bright and the noise of the crowd is blocked out by the boys varsity volleyball team as they focus on the volleyball. The ball is bumped high into the air to previous outside hitter, senior David Knipp as he gets under the ball to fill his new role as the team’s setter. Knipp, an experienced volleyball player of eight years, has been playing the position of outside hitter for his junior year before he returned to his original spot as setter for the 2018 season. Since Knipp has had more experience as a setter than an outside hitter the transition was generally easy for him but he still found difficulties to the change. “It’s not really difficult to change positions because I’ve played it before, but just adjusting from killing the ball and giving the crowd something to cheer about, to bring more of the assist guy was the most difficult,” Knipp said. Boys Varsity Volleyball Coach Mayes Marks originally thought that Knipp would play outside hitter once again for the 2018 season due to his talent in outside hitting. The change was ultimately made for the team to excel this year. “David was outstanding at Outside Hitter and it was felt that that would be his position for the 2018 season. However, after trying several alternatives, it was felt that David’s leadership abilities were needed as the setter in order for our team to be successful,” Marks said. During his time last year as outside hitter Knipp grew to love his new role on the team. “I like to play outside hitter more, because the adrenaline rush from spiking the ball,” Knipp said. Due to his fondness of being outside hitter, Knipp was not all too enthused about going back to setter. After getting adjusted to his setter role Knipp’s perspective of the position began to change. He realized how the setter is just as

important as playing outside hitter. “At first I was really not excited about being setter, but my mindset just shifted because I thought about how the setter is like the quarterback of the volleyball court,” Knipp said. Marks was hesitant to move Knipp as well. He knew Knipp’s preference and he knew how well of an outside hitter he was on the team. “As it was not my intention to move David back to setter since he excelled at Outside Hitter... the well-being of the team had to be taken into consideration. It obviously was the right move as David has been our “glue” that has held our team together with his skills, hustle, and leadership,” Marks said. Before switching positions officially, Marks tried to come up with a game plan in an effort to keep Knipp as outside hitter. “We attempted to put in a “6-2” scheme where we would use two setters, leaving David as an Outside Hitter. After using that formation for several weeks, I felt that the back row defense was being weakened because of the demands upon the setters to “push up” to the front row to set,” Marks said. Since Knipp was a valued asset to the team as a hitter Marks anticipated that it would be difficult to find a player to fill Knipp’s shoes. “To replace David at Outside Hitter was not easy. However, [Senior] Majai Martin joined the team this year and has proven to be a fantastic replacement at Outside Hitter in place of David, as well as seeing the development of other returning players in the outside hitting position,” Marks said. Although Knipp does miss being outside hitter he is happy to give his teammates a chance to try it out and advises that they stay behind the ball at all times. He also knows that the team will have a better season this year if he plays setter. “What’s a good hitter without a [good] setter,” Knipp said.