Archive: March 2007
Spring break: not much of a break for some athletes in upcoming season
by Robby Panos For most students, spring break is a time of relaxation; a time to rejuvenate in order to make it through the final two months of the school year. For many of those playing spring sports, however, it...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:32 AM ET | Comments (0)
Winterpalooza Activities Generate Little Interest in Students
By Alexandria Hiponia In the dead of winter, the SGA is trying to bring students' spirits up by attempting to organize various activities and events to participate in or attend, such as Gatorball, Laser Tag, the Gong Show, and the...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:32 AM ET | Comments (0)
Mandatory HPV vaccination causes controversy in Va.
by Marissa Acker On March 2, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (D) signed legislation that will require all sixth-grade girls within the state to receive a new vaccine against the genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. HPV, a common but elusive sexually...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:32 AM ET | Comments (0)
College-bound seniors celebrate acceptances, future on Facebook
by Jillian Berner Seniors who have been already accepted to colleges and know where they'll be for the next four years are showing their anticipation by coming into school later in the day and leaving early, showing off their college...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:31 AM ET | Comments (0)
Old classes, such as IB Social Anthropology, return to next year's schedule
by Amanda Betzold The 2007-2008 course catalogue features three new courses, in addition to those that are already offered. Next year, Chinese 1 will be offered to students for the first time. In the math department, Applied Statistics is brand...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:26 AM ET | Comments (0)
Model UN members participate in Johns Hopkins conference
by Aimee Huynh "Decorum! Decorum!" A chair orders the debating delegates to be silent, while banging a gavel. This is a usual scene for student delegates of Model United Nations. Twenty students from the club attended a national conference in...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:26 AM ET | Comments (0)
Course selection includes first-time, returning classes; Chinese 1 added as new, experimental language class for grades 9-12
by William Ridenour Next year, a new foreign language course will be offered to students alongside German, Latin, Spanish, and French. In the school year of 2007-2008, students will have the opportunity to take Chinese 1 as their foreign language....
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:26 AM ET | Comments (0)
Government students participate in Model Congress, debate weighty issues
by Alan Safferson, Chris Rice and Marissa Acker The annual Ram Model Congress took place throughout February and the beginning of March in Davala Hall. All government classes took part in a mock House of Representatives session. Students were divided...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:25 AM ET | Comments (0)
News Briefs
March 20-The annual "Sweets 'n Swing" Jazz Concert will be held in the Gold Cafeteria. March 21-The Choral Concert will be held in Russell Theatre at 7 pm. March 22- "Jazz Night" will be held in Russell Theatre at 7:30pm....
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:25 AM ET | Comments (0)
Many area students exceed AP course recommendations; College Board recommends five courses throughout high school--what some students take in one year
by Anna Nguyen As students enter high school and begin the journey of resume-packing for the college admissions process, deciding how many Advanced Placement courses to take becomes a prevalent issue during course scheduling. Under the impression that taking more...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:24 AM ET | Comments (0)
Students shocked, disappointed at end of free online SAT course
by Alan Safferson If most students knew about an entirely free way to improve their SAT scores, would they take advantage of it? Junior Marco Segura said, "Yeah, I would use [the program]." Many students are not aware that there...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:21 AM ET | Comments (2)
Spring Sports Briefs
compiled by Aimee Huynh Crew The crew team has been conditioning since the beginning of the year/winter season to prepare for the spring season. Now that the season is finally here, the team will be able compete against the other...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:17 AM ET | Comments (0)
State representatives speak to parents, students at PTSA Legislative Breakfast
by Jillian Berner On Tues., Mar. 6, the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) held a Legislative Breakfast for parents and community members. The event, organized by PTSA Legislative Chair Terry Matlaga Bell, was attended by about 30 parents, several PTSA...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
Girls lacrosse holds high expectations
by Deanna Hofford The varsity girl's lacrosse team played their first game in a double-header with the men's varsity team at Lake Braddock on March 15. Having lost 12 of their seniors from last year, the girls will continue their...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:14 AM ET | Comments (0)
Nationals begin 2007 without starting pitching, chance of success
by Wes Shaw The Washington Nationals begin its 2007 season returning less than half of its starting position players and starting rotation from 2006. Among the key losses experienced over this past off-season are starting pitchers Tony Armas, Pedro Astacio...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:14 AM ET | Comments (0)
Boys varsity soccer looks to rebuild after loss of key players
by Christina Brown Historically, the Boys' Soccer team has been one of the fundamental building blocks to Robinson's Athletic Department (last year's record was 12-3-2, a qualification for regional tournaments), but this year looks to be especially promising with all...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:12 AM ET | Comments (0)
Young girls varsity soccer team looks forward to a successful season
by Christina Brown Winter sports have come to an end, and spring sports started their tryouts in late February. Girls who strive to play for Robinson soccer have already dusted off their cleats and pumped up their soccer balls. The...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:11 AM ET | Comments (0)
Scouts of Robinson welcomes Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts alike
by Lauren Rabb The Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Captial (GSCNC) is a part of the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA). According to www.girlscouts.org, Girl Scouts is a place for girls to "develop qualities that will serve them...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:11 AM ET | Comments (0)
New adults face new responsibilities after eighteenth birthday
by Chris Rice bbbBeing 18 opens up a new world of opportunities, but one thing to consider when exploring these new opportunities is the responsibility that goes with them. ---Once a person turns 18, they become completely responsible for their...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:09 AM ET | Comments (0)
Tattoos
by Chris Rice A few students feel a desire to express themselves when they become and adult. Some choose a tattoo as a medium for that self-expression. Senior Karen Wood is an enthusiast for tattoo art. "Tattoos were always something...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:09 AM ET | Comments (0)
Baseball team looks to improve upon success of 2006 season
by Thomas Hearin As spring time rolls around, one of the main sports people associate with this season, baseball is beginning to start up. Finishing last year with a 16-9 season along with a trip to the regional quarterfinals, the...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:08 AM ET | Comments (0)
Military service
by Chris Rice One path students choose to take when they graduate is through the military. For some of the students who think college might not for them or are eager to serve their country, enlistment might be an option....
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:08 AM ET | Comments (0)
Students look forward to their newly gained rights
by Miguel Perez While turning 16 may have granted us the right obtain a license, turning 18 grants us the rights to smoke, gamble, vote, go to clubs, and do other activities that were long before only restricted to adults....
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:08 AM ET | Comments (0)
79th annual Academy Awards winners announced February 25
Information compiled by Lauren Hargarten and Rebecca Souther The first Academy awards were held at the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in 1929 at a private dinner with 250 people attending. The awards gained popularity, and the following...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:07 AM ET | Comments (0)
Adrianna Sgarlata, Robinson graduate, competes in Miss America pageant
by Katie Duffy The reigning Miss Virginia, Adrianna Sgarlata, competed in the Miss America 2007 competition on Jan. 29. Fifty-two contestants competed for the title. Currently a graduate student at George Mason University, Sgarlata graduated from Robinson in 2000. Before...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:05 AM ET | Comments (0)
R.E.M., band of ages, gets inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
by Lauren Hargarten Features Commentary Throughout the past 20 years, a band has survived the 80's, held their own in the world of grunge in the 90's, and still managed to hold on to their fans to this day. This...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:04 AM ET | Comments (0)
Sophomore Ashley Swim runs multiple marathons, places highly in age group
by Amanda Nevlud The hotels in Orlando, Fla. were packed with marathon runners from around the world to run the Disney World Marathon from Jan. 5-7. Out of the 15,000 runners of all ages who lined up to run the...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:02 AM ET | Comments (0)
Local band Sunset Shootout is the "Next Big Thing": Recently-formed band competes against one hundred DC area bands and wins $1000
by Amanda Nevlud and Rebecca Souther Over 100 D.C. area bands battled it out for the title "The Next Big Thing" on Feb. 18. By the end of the night, Sunset Shootout was declared the winner. Sunset Shootout, a band...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:01 AM ET | Comments (0)
New message board provokes many harsh opinions
by Bill Barlow The two looming Daktronics Galaxy LED display boards in the main hallway seem to indicate prosperity and wealth in Fairfax County. However, the displays are eye-sores and wastes of money. The two bulky boxes are now flashing...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 8:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
School fails to abide by proper daily American flag etiquette
by Michelle Bedker Walking into the front of school at 7 a.m., the clock outside plays its routine melody and the cold metal flag pole stands to the right with a lonely piece of fabric hanging on to it. It's...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 7:59 AM ET | Comments (0)
Trans fat: a harmful ingredient with unhealthy consequences
by Alexandra Mendoza Each day, Americans are faced with a growing problem and a constant threat: obesity. It's seen from children as young as five or six up to adults, and the rates of adolescent obesity are surprisingly high. According...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 7:59 AM ET | Comments (0)
Policies leave billions without a future
Jesse Bethea Letter to the Editor I sincerely apologize for the sensationalistic headline, but I felt that it was necessary to grab your attention. It seems that most of you are either completely oblivious or indifferent to the consequences of...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 7:58 AM ET | Comments (0)
In defense of Wikipedia, the future of online knowledge forums
Mindy Zhang Guest Columnist What began as a project to create a peer-reviewed encyclopedia has now become the grievance of high school educators nation-wide. Last month, the Valor Dictus published an article entitled "Wikipedia use worries teachers, librarians", demonstrating the...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 7:57 AM ET | Comments (0)
Save school some money
by Alan Safferson By now, most students are aware of those Media Center databases that many students find so annoying. When doing research papers students are often corralled down to the Media Center and told that they can only use...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 7:56 AM ET | Comments (0)
Obama better candidate than Clinton
by Thomas Hearin As the 2008 election rolls around, with George Bush completing his second term, the Presidential field is wide open for both Democratic and Republican parties. It is the first time since 1928 that a U.S Presidential election...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 7:56 AM ET | Comments (0)
Hillary Clinton has a troublesome image with people of USA
by Megan Hargarten What woman once said that young people have "a sense of entitlement after growing up in a culture that has a premium on instant gratification...that young people today think work is a four-letter word?" The one who...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 7:36 AM ET | Comments (0)
The Secret isn't a secret, but a marketing ploy
By Editorial Board Marketing means everything these days, it seems like a price can be put on anything--like thinking positively, perhaps.  About a month ago, a group of five individuals appeared on "Oprah" to let everyone in on 'The Secret.'...
By Stephanie Axelrod | March 23, 2007; 7:34 AM ET | Comments (0)
