nov. 2011

Snakes Slither Into School p. 5Go to www.trnwired.org to see the latest photo galleries

ROYALNEWS Vol. X Issue 2

Prince George H.S. - 7801 Laurel Spring Rd Prince George, VA 23875 - www.trnwired.org - November 14, 2011

With flu like symptoms, the key to overcoming this disease is prevention. With the possibility of an outbreak always present, education and awareness are being encouraged.

Meningitis Prevention p. 7

Confronting Bullying p. 8Sophomore Anna Simmons, a burn victim, experiences name calling and ridicule on a regular basis. Through horseback riding, Simmons escapes her reality.

the

Romeo and Juliet p. 11Seniors Mara Barrett and Matthew Branthoover play the main roles in the upcom-ing production of the famous Shakespearian play. The pre-miere date is Dec. 1st at 6 p.m.

The Student Vote

Source: 91 students surveyed Infographic by Jessica Marshall

Do you feeL you ARe SufficieNtLy iNfoRmeD About meNiNGitiS to AVoiD iNfectioNS?

14% Yes

77% No

Photo by malikah Williams.

Senior courtney boney works on her art piece, “mournful beaming”.

classmates submitted adjectives that three advanced students chose for their themes.

Expressing Artistic Talent p. 17

Ed

ito

ria

l

Bullying is becoming an increasing problem throughout the nation. It encompasses not just physical harm, but mental

and emotional harm as well. According to www.makebeatsnotbeatdowns.org, one in seven students from kindergarten to twelfth grade, have been victims of bullying. There also have been recent cases of students committing suicide due to the overwhelming amount of bullying.

There are many different kinds of bullying that include verbal abuse, physical abuse, racial abuse, and defamation. Many people down play the effects of bullying but they are very prominent. To stop bullying, a stance must be made which no longer tolerates bullying. School systems, parents, and witnesses of these acts should step up and speak out. This problem has become out of control due to the fact that people try to ignore what is happening. No longer

should someone be subjected to ridicule and harassment in places they should feel “safe”. The victims of bullying are so much more than the abuse they receive; they are people just the same.

Prevention and education are both key to trying to solve the problem. More programs need to be in place to educate people on the signs of bullying and how to stop it. Ignorance of how to stop bullying should not be an excuse for ignoring it. Policies in place such as the zero tolerance policy should be more strictly enforced and punishment should be stiffer.

Regardless of policies or programs, people need to use their morality and step up to recognize that this is a problem and it is up to them to prevent it. Bullying should not be deemed acceptable and people need to realize the seriousness of the problem. People are losing their lives, their confidence, and their livelihoods over something preventable.

the RoyalNews

Our 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 A6, or e-mail them to [email protected]

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.

Front page: Jessica Marshall-Op/Ed: Unique Larry-News: Amanda Majewski-Features: Kim Carneal-Double Truck: Rachel Waymack-A&E : Tasia Faulcon-Sports:Wayne Epps Jr. /Kevin Harris-Ampersand: Ciara Ward-Photo Editor: Emily Gray-Video & Photography: Kimberly Edmonds -Best Distribution & Events: Ridhi Patel-Business & Ad Editor: Jake McQuiggan-Online Editor & chief: Olivia Tritschler

The Royal News, PGHS7801 Laurel Spring Road

Prince George, Virginia 23875804-733-2720

The Royal News is printed at The Progress-Index in Petersburg,

Virginia

Professional affiliations & awards - Columbia Scholastic Press Associations Gold Medalist 2008-2011Columbia Scholastic Press Associations Silver Crown Winner 2011 Virginia High School Association Trophy Class 2006-2011Col. Charles Savedge Award for Sustained Excellence 2010

SIPA All Southern 2008-2011

Malikah Williams

Section Editors

Chris Waugaman

Managing Editor

Editor-in-Chief

Business ManagerJake McQuiggan

AdviserJessica Marshall

op/ed

WritersKristen Schwalm-Chloe Alexander-Courtney Taylor-Chandler Shirer-Leah Holliday- Casey Overton- Korrina Smith- Kierra Lanier- Faven Butler- Carolina Bae- William Bonnell-Whitney Clements- Christina Buckles-Anthony Fennick- Deborah Gardner- Nathan Britt- Danielle Marshall- Conner Stevenson- Adam Blakemore-Aaron Raines-

Bullying Problem Requires Action

That’s not my problem.

OMG, Suzie is like, so fat.

I know right, have you seen her hair?

fall break is less than two weeks away. Nov. 22 is the last day of school for students before fall break, which will last from Wednesday Nov. 23 to friday Nov. 25

RetRactIonS

MAkING the gRade

A

Junior Dance will be held for all juniors on Nov. 19 at 7p.m. tickets are already on sale and something new this year is that the first 50 students who buy a ticket will receive a prize.

A

Snakes in the building there have been at least four confirmed reports of snakes in the school so far this year. this is not the first time snakes have been found in the building.

f

2 | tHe RoyAL NeWS | moNDAy 11.14.11

Special edition

first Word Photo - cody Hanshew was listed as a sophomore, but is actually a junior.

football games decided by one point Although the Royals’ game with matoaca on Nov. 4 was exciting, it is never enjoyable to come out on the losing side of a close game.

b-

lEah holliday adam blakEmorE

S tudents all get the same speech at the start of the year about why they are not allowed to use a cellphone at school. This speech has some valid points, and as technology advances, the speech

just gets longer. It used to be that cell phones could only call

people, which started the problem of phones ringing and interrupting class. As phones have been constantly upgraded, they are gaining

more hold in the lives of youth. On top of that, now that we can text as well, there is a whole new world of cheating out there, with answers being only one short text away.

With the addition of smart phones, the internet is now readily accessible from anywhere, making phones into something more like small computers. A student can all too easily look up the answer to any problem from the secu-rity of their pocket or purse, and no one is the wiser. This has caused teachers to crack down harder on phone usage, which of course, leads to further outcries from students.

There is also the capability to view videos and play games anywhere, which is not only a distraction for the user of the phone, but also leads to others being distracted by watching it. Although this might be acceptable in some situ-ations, there is a time and place for everything, and schools are a place for the fostering of knowledge, not for useless diversions.

Cell phone use has also changed the way teenagers write and talk, with people using texter’s lingo. Instead of writing out words like “you” and “are”, they are using “U” and “R”. When kids are trying to say something that is really funny, they should not say “Lol”, they should just laugh, I thought that was common sense.

You would think teens would be able to separate the “Cyber” world from the real one, but a lot of the time it seems like they cannot make the separation in their minds. They are not able to distance themselves from their phones, and this can lead to people knowing where you are at all times, which is completely unnecessary.

People used to be able to go ten minutes without letting the world know exactly how they felt, but with the fact that everyone can now tweet off their phones that seems to have changed. The rational people try to avoid this addiction, but eventually they will get sucked into it.

Although there is certainly some good points to be said about the usage of cell phones in a school environment, it is only a good idea if the students can handle it, and I believe that high schoolers just are not responsible enough to handle it.

PROCOn

Should cell phone use be allowed in class?Cell phone usage in schools has been brought to administrators’ attention repeatedly across the nation to argue whether or not cellular devices should be allowed in the school during operating hours.

op/ed

Everyone has seen the commer-cials where parents are talking to their children, but the kids are too preoccupied with their phones to even hear the parents. Though it is

hard to admit it, it is absolutely true. In class, students have a difficult time

paying attention. Why not incorporate cell phones, which can keep our attention, into class while making it educational? There are so many ways to use cell phones in an educational envi-ronment. Polleverywhere.com is a web site that allows someone to make and send a poll, an alert or any of the other things it offers to selected people.

With this teachers can have their students participate more in class. This would reduce the amount of students that fall asleep in class. Students will also be able to retain more information because they will have something to link their knowledge, to so drawing it from their memory will be easier.

With all the applications on any phone, there are already added benefits that can be used in a classroom setting. When a student forgets their calculator at home, their phone can serve as another calculator. If presenting something to the class, students have the ability to record or take pictures in order to aid memory.

While attending a field trip, students can document the events or important things that are observed. This can be used to create artistic projects reflecting on the trip.

Internet access can provide students with research for in class projects instead of having to wait for a day when it is possible to go to the computer lab or get lap-tops into the class rooms.

Every single teenager I know could use a dictionary. If we had instant dictionaries in our hands then we would not have to waste time in order to look up words, and the papers that teachers grade will not have as many errors, resulting in not as many points deducted from assign-ments.

It is understandable that teachers fear students using the devices to cheat, but rules can be made to compensate for this. For example, teachers could make each student take out their cell phone before a test and turn it off, while keeping it on their desk for the entirety of the test. Then teachers could monitor the phones instead of assuming that we are using them.

If teachers want the best for their students, then we should be allowed to use the technology available to use for our benefit is class. This is the 21st century and tech-nology is made to be used.

“if teachers want the best for their students, then students should be allowed to use the technology available.”

“Why not incorporate cell phones, which can keep our attention, into class while making it educational?”

“there is also the capa-bility to view videos and play games anywhere, which is not only a dis-traction for the user of the phone, but also leads to others being distracted by watching it...”

“the rational people try to avoid this addiction, but eventually they will get sucked into it.”

moNDAy 11.14.11 | tHe RoyAL NeWS | 3

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With 26 years of Dance Experience

JROTC Royal battalion command & StaffSchool year 2011-2012

battalion commander: Stephanie Clairmontbattalion executive officer: Xanthea Keith-Midgettebattalion command Sgt. major: Malik Vaughn

coordinating Staff officers:

Personnel officer: Garry ColemanSpecial Projects officer: Kenneth Stithoperations officer: Jarrett AcfalleLogistics officer: Alexander BeverlyPublic Affairs officer: Zhane Umpierre

company commanders:

Alpha company: Crystal Reynoldsbravo company: Sawyer Lovecharlie company: Valencia HamiltonDelta company: Jalisha Canetecho company: Jenteara Green

The PG Players wish the entire PGHS community a safe and happy Thanksgiving!!


Due to the increase of rainfall, woodland creatures have been spotted near and around the school. In addition to the extra moisture, wildlife invasions

are apart of living in the county. In particular, there have been 4 snake invasions so far this school year.

One copperhead snake was found in-side the chemistry lab room D5. Dr. Kevin Moore was inside of his classroom when he heard a loud crashing noise from the lab. He walked into the lab to discover a pile of books that had fallen on to the floor.

“I saw a tail sticking out from under-neath the books, and I thought it can not be a lizard, it must be a snake,” Moore said.

Moore immediately went to get help from anatomy teacher, Roy York. York cap-tured the snake in a plastic crate he prefers capturing any animal alive.

“I like all of God’s creations, even hu-mans,” York said.

Once the snake was between the crate and a book, York carried the snake outside. Once the snake was out of the building

York let it go in a nearby swamp.York has had more than one animal ad-

venture during his years of teaching. York once discovered a squirrel in the building. He was walking down the hall and saw cus-todians running toward him with nets.

“I looked down and there was a little squirrel headed right for me,” York said.

York went on to describe how the crea-ture ran right up his leg and onto his shoul-der.

York allowed the squirrel to sit on his shoulder as he escorted it outside. The squirrel jumped off of York once outside.

“I think animals can tell when you are going to hurt them or not, so they always let me catch them,” York said.

Junior Joe Clemments feels the same way. Clemments was not at all fearful when he picked up a foot-long snake outside of the school gym during his sixth block, health and nutrition.

“I told everyone to back up, and I heard screams you would never believe,” Clemments said.

Clemments placed his foot on the back of the snake to prevent it from striking him. He then slowly grabbed the snake by the head and carried it to a distant tree in the school’s backyard.

Not all students would have reacted so calmly. Senior Makayla Jones does not care for snakes of any kind.

“They are everywhere, it is so gross,”

Jones said. Many students as well as staff members

are unaware of the snake problem. As-sistant Principal, Joe McDaniels feels that since the snakes are so small there is no need to be alarmed.

“We should not blow it out of propor-tion,” McDaniels said.

According to McDaniels, as well as the custodial staff, snakes have been spotted in the building for years. The building is sur-rounded by trees making wildlife invasions likely.

“There was a deer who got into the school gym, and a raccoon guarding the back doors,” McDaniels said.

The small snakes are harmless, but steps have been taken to prevent any more invasions. Maintenance had to be careful about how they chose to repel the snakes.

“We have to be careful about the chem-icals we put down. Staff and student safety is our main concern,” McDaniels said.

All students and staff are expected to keep exterior doors closed to prevent snake invasions. The custodial staff checks around the doors at night and in the eve-nings. There have not been any more snake sightings in the month of Oct.

Due to location of the school it is sub-ject to at least one or two snake invasions per year. However with the new precau-tions the invasions should be less of a com-mon occurrence.

Aaron Rainestrn writer

newSWildlife Infiltrates

Classrooms

Snakes are found on campus grounds

A copperhead snake was found in Dr. moore’s lab room D5 underneath a pile of books. this fake snake is positioned in a similar manner

to the one found. Photo by emily Gray.

Last day to buy Junior dance tickets is this fri. the 18th during your lunch block.

thanksgiving break starts on Nov. 23 and students will come back on Nov. 28.

Help the SADD club by donating any clothing items you do not wear anymore to the less fortunate. you can bring clothing to D-17. they will be collecting till Nov. 21st.

Permission slips for the Winter feast are due Nov. 18th. See your club sponsors for permission slips.

Students can buy feathers for their class turkey from the NHS members during their lunch block through the 18th . feathers cost 25 cents.

Scan code to see more breaking news on www.trnwired.org

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newSmoNDAy 11.14.11 | tHe RoyAL NeWS |7

Rachel Waymacktrn editor

Meningitis warrantsAwareness

Dunn shows on the skeleton where the inflamed membranes surround the

spinal cord. this inflammation is caused by meningitis.

Photo by emily Gray.

Left untreated, illness can have devastating lasting effects

Recently meningitis cases have been re-ported across the nation, with one occurring this past summer in Virginia that resulted in the death of a young

child. Meningitis is the name of the condi-tion that occurs when an infection causes the inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.

“[Meningitis] can be very serious if left untreated, it can cause the loss of limbs be-cause of the need for amputation,” said the Prince George health services coordinator Teresa Isom. “It can cause brain damage, kid-ney damage, and deafness and of those that survive, one in five are left with serious medi-cal problems.”

Although meningitis can seem like a rare disease, there are numerous cases of menin-gitis every year and individuals affected by meningitis are never far off. One such ex-ample of the impact of meningitis that can be seen in the near by community is with school and public health nurse and Voices of Men-

ingitis advocate Barbara Yow, whose son Wil contracted meningitis when he was fourteen months old.

“He had Haemophilus B Influenza and that is the strain of meningitis that is prevent-ed by the vaccines babies get,” Yow said. “He is deaf in one ear and has partial hearing in the other.”

Yow’s son’s bout with meningitis greatly altered his life growing up. He taught himself to lip read and required seating in classrooms where he could best capture the sounds as they bounced off the wall. In addition to his hearing loss, Yow’s son also suffered from gross motor deficit due to his meningitis in-fection.

“He was not paralyzed but his legs did not develop well. He had to go through some pretty intense therapy in late middle school for balance problems,” Yow said. “But we were lucky that that was all that was wrong, he had two arms and two legs and is alive.”

Due to her own personal experience with meningitis, Yow now serves as an advo-cate for meningitis education and prevention. She speaks at national conferences as well as with individual families affected by the dis-ease. In addition Yow is a big supporter of youth vaccination against meningitis.

“I advocate for most all vaccinations but especially for meningitis, it is very serious

and can be very easily prevented,” Yow said. “What is frustrating is that because the vac-cine is not required in order to be in school, it is expensive so only those with insurance who will cover it or those with a lot of money can afford it.”

Although the health department recog-nizes the seriousness and deadly potential of meningitis, it is not currently overly con-cerned about it. Instead it simply wishes to increase the public’s knowledge and under-standing of the disease.

“[We are concerned about meningitis] not anymore so than any other disease, the reason why we want to get this information out is because bacterial meningitis symptoms are similar to those of the flu and it progresses very quickly,” Isom said.

Students lack of knowledge concern-ing meningitis puts them at a greater risk for contracting it since they do not know what symptoms and activities to avoid. Conse-quently some students believe that the school system should play a bigger part in educating the students about the disease.

“Students and parents need to get their vaccinations and be aware of the possible out-comes if one contracts bacterial meningitis” junior Kyle Pitcock said. “It is truly devastat-ing.”

Unfortunately, high school students are

among the people most at risk for contract-ing eningitis. Students are also part of the age group that is more likely to die from meningi-tis compared to patients of different ages.

“[Death] can happen in less than twen-ty-four hours, you can go from sick to dead within a matter of hours and with pre-teens and teens it is the same way, you go from fine to very sick to dead if there is no treatment,” Yow said.

Because of the seriousness and rapid progression of the disease, prevention edu-cation is a crucial aspect in the fight against meningitis.

“The best thing to do to prevent its spread is to stay away from those who have meningitis or a cough or sneeze, to wash your hands and face often, and to keep your hands away from your face,” said emergency medi-cal technician and EMT class instructor Win-nie Dunn.

Yow has witnessed first hand how quick-ly meningitis can progress and how devastat-ing of a disease it can be and consequently she warns the public to defend themselves against he dangers of the disease.

“Get vaccinated and know the symptoms because they are so much like the flu and if you have them get treated very quickly, do not wait,” Yow said. “Get vaccinated, get treated, get educated.”

FeatuReS 8 | tHe RoyAL NeWS | moNDAy 11.14.11

Sophomore Overcomes Adversity

With wind b r e e z i n g against her face and the smell of fresh cut hay, soph-o m o r e

Anna Simmons becomes one with her horse, Magic. In the saddle, with reins in hand, Sim-mons escapes from a reality.

“I ride about once or twice a week be-cause the barn he is at, Five Forks, is about an hour away. I wish I rode more,” Sim-mons said.

Simmons be-came interested in horses after mov-ing back to Prince George after living in New York.

“One time [after moving back] I saw a big cow farm and no-ticed that they only had one horse and thought to myself, ‘ooh, I love horses now.’ Since then, I have loved horses,” Simmons said.

With such a strong affection towards horses, Simmons’ aunt and uncle decided to invest in a horse for Simmons to call her own.

“I have an Appaloosa, and his name is Magic, but I do not know why I call him that. Whenever I go see him, he always looks at me like, ‘Do you have any treats?’ He is a very calm and curious horse,” Simmons said. “We had to take Magic to another stable because he needed to get away from the mare we have. Knowing him, he would have tried to mate with her. He thinks he is Mr. Stud-muffin, but he is really not.”

Along with four horses, Simmons also has two dogs and three cats.

“Their names [the cats] are Max, Nancy, and Shadow. Shadow is the one that is evil to me. My dog, Maddie, is a Golden Retriever, and she’s big and fat,” Simmons said.

Aside from riding horses, Simmons also enjoys other various hobbies that other stu-dents might have in common.

“I like watching television and I like to swim, read, play games, shop but it depends

on who is doing the shopping, go to the beach, and paint,” Simmons says.

But there is one thing that makes Sim-mons different from all the other students. Simmons is a burn victim.

At the age of one and a half, Simmons was burned in a house fire. Her brother re-ceived minor facial burns.

After the incident, Simmons experienced different living arrangements.

“I used to have my family that took care of me right after I was born, but after the fire, they did not take care of me like they were

supposed to,” Simmons said. “So then I was put in a foster home, and then another foster home, and then I moved to New York. Now I live here with my aunt and uncle.”

Though Simmons lived in different areas and with different families, Simmons believes it was for the best.

“I do not think my life would have been any different. I never knew what they [my parents] were going to do next. They were not going to do what they were supposed to do to take care of me,” Simmons said.

Though a sophomore now, Simmons still

lives with a burning fear. “I do definitely still have a fear of fire and

even getting close to it and even putting logs into a wood-burning stove. I am afraid my clothes could catch on fire again, but that is why I wear gloves whenever I am near fire,” Simmons said.

At a very early age, Simmons became a victim of one of the biggest problems facing schools across the nation. Bullying.

“At first, people just started teasing me, and it was mainly name calling. But then I would tell them what happened, and I guess they did not mind as much,” Simmons said. “It did bother me at first and hurt my feelings. I just think it is wrong that people judge you before they know you.”

With such a long history of being bullied, Simmons deals with it in one certain way.

“I usually just ignore it and I never really talk to anyone about it,” Simmons said.

There is currently a zero tolerance policy for bullying in place. Even with this policy, Simmons feels more could be done to stop it.

“Not very many teachers have stepped in and tried to help me, but I would like them to. I could explain my situation to them and they could explain it to the students,” Simmons said. “I am usually not comfortable when people come up and ask me questions about my past. It makes me uncomfortable.”

One memory of being bullied stands out in Simmons’ mind.

“There was one girl in eighth and ninth grade who was really mean to me. She would always call me mean names. She would be nice to me one day and then she would be mean the next day. She never gave up, but a teacher did finally stop her,” Simmons said.

Though she experienced bullying from a young age and still does, Simmons believes bullying should never and can never be justi-fied.

“To me, it just does not seem right. You need to get to know the person first before you judge them. But then again, you should not judge a person at all,” Simmons said. “Ev-erybody deserves to be treated equal and ev-eryone deserves a second chance.”

In order to escape from the reality of school and bullying, Simmons depends on her horse, Magic.

“I ride because it is fun and I enjoy it,” Simmons said. “ If I have a bad day at school, I want to go ride. It relieves stress and makes me feel better.”

Jessica marshallmanaging editor

Sophomore Anna Simmons poses with her horse magic after winning first place at a horse show. Simmons began riding at a

very early age.contributed by Anna Simmons.

anna simmons

FeatuReS

Students Promote Seat Belt Safety


Student drivers back out of their assigned parking spots and drive towards the front of the school. Approaching the last stop sign at Laurel Spring Road, they encountere fellow students holding bright col-ored signs encouraging seat

belts and monitoring their use.The DECA club, which is an association of

market students, decided to enforce the cause of buckling up before driving. The simple act of securing a seat belt can save one’s life in the course of a car crash. Yet, people still do not heed the law and drive without seat belts.

“It kind of started last year when a young girl in Manchester died in a crash and then a friend’s son died in a crash without wearing a seat belt,” fashion marketing teacher and DECA advisor Kimberly Beales said. “Then we started looking into it. It is a good cause and it is preventable.”

This is DECA’s first year with educating students on making sure seat belts are used ev-ery time one gets into a vehicle.

“I have been in DECA for three years and this is my first time with the cause,” junior Kendra Shaw said. “There have been a lot of accidents without seat belts and Mrs. Beales wants to raise awareness.”

Beales would like to further the cause to texting next year. DECA might also work with Students Against Destructive Driving, or SADD, in the years to come.

“There is so much you can do, but we are just doing seat belts now,” Beales said.

The school year started just over a month ago and the DECA club has gotten busy work-ing on their campaign. The students have al-ready put in eight to ten hours of work during after school meetings as well as leaving lolli-pops on the cars in the parking lot and deco-rating banners.

“We took a tally of the people leaving the parking lot wearing seat belts and out of 219 students 4.2 were not wearing seat belts,” Beales said. “Statistics say that sixty-three per-cent of people without seat belts involved in crashes die, so out of those 42, 28 would have

been dead.”DECA members realize the urgency of

pushing students to wear seat belts.“I feel like it is needed because it is an im-

portant cause,” Shaw said. “We find out who puts on seat belts.”

Driving without a seat belt is not only dangerous; it can cause consequences for any-one on school property. The administration is working alongside the law to prevent young adult fatalities in car crashes.

“DECA does not give consequences to the kids without seat belts but if you do not wear a seat belt on school property you can be written up; the second time your parking pass can be taken, and then you can be suspended,” Beales said. “They are definitely cracking down on it.”

Accidents can be between the collision of two or more vehicles or it can just be one car that flips or runs off the road. Both cause deaths but wearing a seat belt helps to lessen the injuries to the people involved.

“I flipped my car and my seat belt kept me in my seat,” junior Sam Marshall said. “I prob-ably would have died without a seat belt or I would have had more than just a cut on my wrist. Now I put my seat belt on even before I

turn the car on.” The fabric straps that make up a seat belt

can be uncomfortable at times, but the safety is more important in the case of an accident.

“It does what it says it is going to do,” Marshall said. “It keeps you alive. It is people’s opinion if they want to be dead or not.”

While the DECA club is gearing their ef-forts towards the students who drive to school, wearing a seat belt should be done by all ages. The sign in front of the building is visible to all drivers who pass the school and should be taken note of.

“It helps because from those forty-two students without seat belts only twenty-two were without the next time,” Beales said. “We have also surveyed the teachers and we found three without seat belts.”

The goal is to enhance the cause by in-terviewing the police officers and firefighters who respond to the car crashes and also have to inform the parents of the students who were involved. Beales plans to have the interviews shown on PGTV.

“I think the interviews with police officers will really hit home,” Beales said. “It is a pre-ventable accident, just buckle up.”

olivia tritschleronline editor-in-chief

Sophomore cariel melton and senior Jasmine thompson wait for students to exit the parking lot while they advocate

use of safety restraints. Photo contributed by DecA Sponsor

Kimberly beales.

DECA members encourage student drivers to buckle up


Yearbooks can be purchased for $45until 11/22/11. The price goes up to $60 on 11/23/11. Dont Wait!

Steam-PunkTheme in Shakespeare

a&emoNDAy 11.14.11 | tHe RoyAL NeWS | 11

Wi l l i a m S h a k e -speare’s R o m e o and Ju-liet is a play of-ten per-

formed by different schools throughout the country, but this year, it will be performed with a new twist. Director Daryl Phillips is directing Romeo and Juliet using a technique called steam-punk.

The play will be Dec. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd from 6:30 PM. until 10:00 PM. Tickets pur-chased by students and parents for the play will be sold for $3 when they are bought at earlier dates and $5 for adults and $3 for children at the door.

Seniors Mara Barrett and Matt Brant-hoover, sophomore Sarah Fitch, and juniors Cody Hanshew and Samantha Jennings are performing in the play. This is not the first play

performed this year and students performing in this play have performed in previous plays.

Barrett had a connection to the play immediately.

“I have always loved Shakespeare and I love the story and I love to act,” said Barrett. “I wanted to play Juliet and I wanted to play Lady Capulet because she goes through every emotion without having to go through long speeches.”

Starring opposite of Barrett, Branthoover has his reasons for wanting to be in the play also.

“I have never done Shakespeare before and I thought it would be a fun experience and my girlfriend was also trying out for the play so I thought it would be a great bonding experience.” Branthoover said.

The theme “steampunk” is a sub genre of science fiction and is inspired by the industrial revolution. The clothing, technology, and jew-elry is very specific and based off the Victorian time period.

“The jewelry consists of gears used as details which is a more fun and stylistic look,” Philips said.

Philips has performed in Romeo and Juliet twice , once being at the New York The-atre. He has also attended festivals honoring

Shakespeare in Alabama and Richmond. Philips is very excited about the play as

are the students knowing there will be dancing and new combat techniques involved.

“My favorite part of the play that I’m not in is Act 3 Scene 1 when Mercutio and Tybalt die because its an interesting and intense scene and there’s a lot of combat,” Barrett said.

Though Barrett’s favorite part was based on her being absent in the scene, Branthoover prefers his favorite scene for a different reason.

“My favorite part of the show would have to be between the fighting scenes,” Branthoover said. “It would have to be a tie between the fighting scenes, when I’m overly depressed, and when Juliet and I make out for absolutely no reason.”

With the play performance less than a month away, deadlines become very impor-tant.

“I really want their (actors’) lines to memorized so that they could focus on adding more humanity,” Philips said.

The students have to be off book by Nov. 14th. That does not mean they can not ask for lines.

Learning the lines ties them to the emo-tional journey of the character in the story. That always helps with memorization.

“I still have an act to memorize but I just take it scene by scene and it takes a lot of studying and going over,” Branthoover said.

Due to the language of Shakespeare plays being so diverse to the language we speak today, memorization of lines can be difficult.

“Shakespeare can be really difficult to memorize but the muscle memory can help to make it easier to learn it more fluently,” Barrett said.

There are methods that are used to help line memorization.

“Repetition and constant repeating in your head. And you pretty much have to learn people’s lines of the people ahead of you.” Hanshew said.

Nervousness and stressfulness, are all emotions of the cast of Romeo and Juliet.

“I think it will turn out well and it’s a little stressful because of canceled practices and I think everybody has come a long way. It’ll be great when it’s finished,” Branthoover said.

On the other hand, the cast is also ex-cited and optimistic about the play and their performances.

“I’m excited for it and proud of the hard work because the standards for the play are high because of the play being Shakespeare,” Hanshew said.

Deborah Gardenertrn writer

Romeo and Juliet to be performed as fall play

Junior taylor clark, seniors Zivan Holloway and Devan Andrews, and

sophomore Nicholas Alexander practice stage combat for Romeo and Juliet. the

performances begin on Dec. 1st. Photo by Deborah Gardener.

NEW


Cell Phone Policies

“Yes, there are apps you can use that can help you do work and you can record notes on your

phone.”

Junior John Ford “To an extent when it is necessary, but

not during class or teaching [time]. You should not get it taken away just

because it is out in the hallways.”

Sophomore Samantha Daniel “No, because it is a

distraction.”

Senior Eduardo Murillo

Student smartphone ownership

45% own one

55% do not own one

Best smartphone feature

Intern

et cap

abilit

y

Apps

Callin

g/tex

ting

TV/m

ovie

Othe

r

39%34%

14%8%

5%

Type of smartphones students own

Information gathered from the returned surveys of 100 students surveyed.

BY THEnumbeRS

Should the school allow students to use their cell phones in school?

If students were allowed to use their phones in school, would they abuse the privilege?

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Policy: Students are allowed to use their cell phones before and after school as well as in between classes. Students may also use their cell phones dur-ing class when permitted by the individual teacher. Upon the discretion of the teacher, students may use their cell phones for instructional purposes as well as to work on class assignments

Stipulations: While in class, students are to use their phones for academic purposes only. Also it is up to the individual teachers to give students permission to use their cell phones in class as well as to decide when and for what students can use their cell phones in class

Consequences: If students are found to be mis-using their cell phone privileges or using them in class without permission they are subject to having their cell phones taken away.

Information gathered from phone interviews with Harrisonburg High School seniors Vanessa Ehrenpreis and William Imerson.

York County Public Schools

Policy: Under the “Bring Your Own Technol-ogy” program, students are allowed to use smart-phones and other electronic devices during school hours for instructional purposes as determined by the teacher.

Stipulations: Students can access the internet only through the school’s wireless, which contains filters, and not through private 3G or 4G connec-tions. Students also must sign a bring your own technology agreement outlining the rules and procedures of the program in order to participate. Students can also use their technology only with the permission of their teacher.

Consequences: Students are subject to losing this privilege if they violate the rules of their signed agreement. Also students’ devices are subject to confiscation and search if the student is suspected of abusing their technology privilege or using their device for wrong doing.Information gathered from York County Public School’s website at http://www.yorkcountyschool.org

Prince George County Public Schools

Policy: Students are permitted to have their cell phones on school property during the day provided that they are off and out of sight during school office hours. Students are prohibited from having other electronic devices such as a pager or PDA except when authorized by the principal. Cell phones are not incorporated into educational curriculum.

Stipulations: Cell phones must be off and out of sight during school office hours. Students are also prohibited from using their cell phones while on the school bus when going to or from school.

Consequences: If a student is seen using or hav-ing their cell phone out during office hours or while on the school bus it is subject to be confiscated by a school official and disciplinary action may be taken against the student.

Information gathered from the Prince George County School System’s Student Conduct and Safety Handbook.

“There will always be some people who will, but you should not let them ruin it for everyone

else.”


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“Yes, because phones have internet access which could be

used for finding answers.”

Junior Bradley Cooper “Yes, because if they are allowed to use their phone, they will not

pay attention in class.”

Sophomore Jasmine Lackey

If the school allowed you to use your smartphone would you abuse the privilege?

Yes 45%

No 55%

Senior Maria Coyner

55% Droid8% Blackberry

29% other8% iPhone

Students’ favorite smartphones

48% iPhone42% Droid

5% Blackberry

5% other

“[iPhones] are easy to use and highly technological.

Everything is set up so the common person can use it,” sophomore Haley Ramsey

“[iPhones] have seamless inter-face, they anticipate your actions.

They work so you do not get frustrated while using them,” art teacher Christy

Eliades said.

“Android phones are more customizable than iPhones.

iPhones are not that basic, but you cannot personalize them,”

junior Malik Vaughan said.

“Apple is proprietary, it does not share its programs. iPhone programs do not work with any

other programs,” technology director Stephanie Poe said.

“I believe that the operating system of the android phone is actually more reliable than the faulted Macintosh operating

system,” junior Cyril Allen said.

If students were allowed to use their phones in school, would they abuse the privilege?

“Features on iPhones that make me like them are FaceTime and the touch screen, because I can talk to my family that lives in

other countries,” senior Brittany Yocum said. Smart-phoneStack Up

Information gathered from http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html and http://www.verizonwireless.com:80/b2c/store/controller?&i

tem=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=5791

a&e Gamer's Corner

At 12:01 a.m., on Nov. 8th, Activ-ision will have reached a crucial and substantial milestone in the Call of Duty franchise with it’s highly anticipated third in-

stallment of the Modern Warfare trilogy. In it’s head-to-head race against Electronic Arts Battlefield 3, Activision’s Infinity Ward has added several new and exciting upgrades to enhance it’s multi-player experience.

One of the highly fa-vored upgrades amongst players is the new kill streak rewards, which of-fer three distinct packag-es, Assault, Support, and Specialist. Each of these classes feature separate kill streak rewards in-cluding Osprey Gunner, personal Juggernaut Armor, escort airship drop (which is guarded by a helicopter), and of course, the care pack-age. These will often help turn the tide in your favor in the many game modes featured.

Another interesting update meant to cut

back on campers, is the newly added kill con-firmed mode in which players are awarded experience for each kill, but the player or their team must obtain the eliminated player’s dog tags in order to receive the game point. This, in turn will hopefully create new strategies for the game play, thus making the multi-player experience more enjoyable and interesting.

Lastly is the single player campaign, many players were left in awe at the conclu-sion of Modern Warfare 2, knowing that their story had only just begun. In Modern Warfare 3, World War III is now in full swing, and the campaign is sure to be a global ordeal fought on many fronts. France, England, Germany, and of course America are just a few of the lo-cations along with the many twist and turns set to be featured in this anticipated campaign which will surly end in another captivating conclusion.

Modern Warfare 3 is sure to be one of this year’s big hits. With the holiday season closing in the price is sure to drop, so be sure to pick up a copy of the latest installment of the Call of Duty franchise at any major retailer.

Modern Warfare 3 Release Highly Anticipated

Patrick Westcontributing writer


Promotional image from http://www.callofduty.com/mw3/images/mw3-image-2011-013PLeASe Note tHiS GAme iS RAteD m foR mAtuRe Due to bLooD & GoRe

Patrick West

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Upcoming dead-lines for college a p p l i c a t i o n s , finding time to study for the SAT, and doing homework are the typical sourc-

es of tension for seniors. Going home and dealing with even more problems creates additional tension.

An easel and pastels are setup ready for the artist to use. They offer a blank canvas to escape from the mundane problems of the world and to create art. Not just any type of art, but art that has a purpose and feeling behind it. Something that allows a person to be set free from the shackles called life.

Senior Courtney Boney is the artist that escapes. The emotion and creativity that she puts into her work causes her to

produce many passionate works.“Art is my passion. It is the one thing

I can escape to in life, it is the only thing I can express myself with, it is what I want to do for the rest of my life, it is my inspira-tion for a lot, and it helps me keep my mind straight,” Boney said.

While nature or people may inspire other artists, there is a different driving force behind Boney’s artwork.

“What I experience in my life inspires my pieces and things like music and my dif-ferent outlooks on life,” Boney said.

One life experience in particular really influenced many of her pieces.

“When I found out my brother was go-ing to Afghanistan that really affected me and made me feel alone,” Boney said. “I ex-pressed that in my painting.”

The deployment of her Marine brother spawned pieces to help her cope with the situation.

“The [deployment] made me make a couple pieces,” Boney said. “ I painted stuff to keep my head up and to let me know that

my brother was going to be okay.”However, it is not just the sad or the

bad times that she is inspired.“If I had a good outlook on the day it

would be reflected in my artwork,” Boney said.

Boney’s talent has been recognized by her teachers, who try to give her the tools to make her works better.

“[Her style] is very unique and very Courtney. Students eventually get their own style and she has created hers already,” Art teacher, Tonya Mahaffey said. “ You do not have to give her ideas because she al-ready has her own and she is thinking out-side of the box.”

Boney is enrolled in two different art classes, which offers her more time to de-velop her talent.

“She has been able to push the limits with different mediums,” Mahaffey said. “She has art twice a day so she has more time to experiment with the different me-diums and work longer on her projects.”

Her artistic style mirrors her person-

ality but it has changed as she has learned more about her passion.

“Courtney started with a Peter Max 70s psychedelic art,” Mahaffey said. “She has that kind of hippie persona and that is the way her art is.”

Currently, she is trying to bring some exposure to her creations.

“Right now, I am just working on try-ing to get my work into shows,” Boney said.

College is an option for her as to help her better her craft and to teach her how to work with many other mediums.

“I plan on going to VCU to major in painting, then move to California to go to another school for art,” Boney said.

Many people may not take art seri-ously; however, Boney places all of her time and energy into her passion. She is dedi-cated to her work and hopes to reach all of her goals.

“I just want to be remembered as an artist because that is what makes my per-sonality,” Boney said.

malikah Williamstrn editor

Artist expresses emotions through art work

a&e

Senior courtney boney works with a variety of medium on her art piece, “mournful

beaming”. on oct. 28, boney presented her project to her class where she received critiques from classmates and her teacher.

Photo by malikah Williams.


Senior IndulgesCreativity


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BREAkING DAWN Draws Diehard Fans, Some Opposition

a&e

Kierra Laniertrn writer

Midnight premiere will bring out crowds devoted to series

Promotional picture from www.breakingdawnmovie.org


On Nov. 18th, t h e n e w e s t T w i l i g h t m o v i e , B r e a k i n g Dawn Part 1, will be released in theaters.

The Twilight Saga revolves around the three main characters: Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, and Jacob Black. Bella, a human, falls in love with Edward who happens to be a 108 year old vampire. The entire Cullen family is also vampires, each with their own abilities, such as Alice’s , Edward’s sister, ability to see the future and Edward’s ability to read minds. Jacob is a member of the Quileute tribe who are werewolves, the enemies of vampires. He is also in love with Bella, but since she is already in a relationship with Edward, he is only able to watch the two in jealousy.

“I love the whole love triangle between

Edward, Bella, and Jacob,” junior Joanna Mayes said.

The midnight showing for the new movie will start on Thurs., Nov.17th, starting at 12:01 am.

“I am looking forward to seeing it at midnight because everyone in the theater is just as anxious as you are,” sophomore Haley Washburn said.

The plot of Breaking Dawn Part 1 covers the book until the baby is born. Breaking Dawn Part 2, which is scheduled to be released on Nov. 16th of next year, is expected to finish the story of the book. The consequences of their choices will also be present throughout both movies.

“I am looking forward to if the questions in the last movie are going to be answered in this one,” Washburn said.

Fans of the book do not always become a part of the movie craze because the movies do not meet their expectations.

“I thought they would be as good as

the books, but the movies cut too much of the book out and they seem cheesy,” senior Ashley Moore said.

In the movie, both the werewolves and the Volturi threaten the marriage of Edward and Bella and the life of their child. The Volturi are a coven of vampires that are looked upon as royalty in the vampire race. They also act as a police force, destroying covens of vampires that threaten the exposure of vampires. When Edward decides to marry Bella, the Volturi leaves Italy to hunt down the Cullen family.

“From the trailers of Breaking Dawn, it seems like the directors, writers, and producers have stepped up their game and might actually have created a genuinely good movie,” Washburn said.

As for why Summit decided to split Breaking Dawn into two parts, there have been several guesses by both fans and critics. Most saw it as just a ploy to

get more money since New Moon did surprisingly well in theaters. Others say that since the book is pretty dense in content, making two movies would be perfect for making sure all the essential details were put into the movie.

“I would have preferred one movie, but if it can add more suspense for the baby, it is fine,” said Mayes.

Movie theaters nationwide including Regal Cinemas in Southpark Mall, have started streaming the past three Twilight movies. Regal Cinemas will hold these days every Tues. in Nov. leading up to the release of Breaking Dawn Part 1. These days have been dubbed ‘Twilight Tuesdays’. The first movie will stream Nov. 1st, the second movie on Nov. 8th, and the third movie on Nov. 15th. Every Tues., the movies will start at 7:30.

“I think it is a good idea to bring them back into theaters,”Moore said. “It is a refresher before the new one comes out.”

How do you feel about the game? What are some of your feelings? “I’m excited, but nervous because I want the seniors to win, but I want to be a good asset to the team.”

Who do you think will win?“I think the seniors will win.”

How do you fell about the boys being able to cheer and dance?“I think it is going to be hilarious. They get outfits from real cheerleaders and they get really into it.”

How do you feel about where the proceeds will go?“It is a good cause and it shows our support.”

Do you plan play any sports? “No, that is why I am nervous.”

Are there any specific quotes that are going to help get you through the game?“Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”

PowderpuffPreview


By:

The current NBA lockout got me thinking and made me realize just how much the

NBA revolves around money. Now, I always knew that money played a big role, but this is getting r i d i c u l o u s . The average NBA salary is $5.15 million.

So you are telling me that you want more money? Or that you want the owners to have less money? First off, the owners pour most, if not all, of the money into the organization, so why should they not reap the benefits? They are also the ones who will take the biggest hit if the team goes under. Secondly, the players already blow the millions they have, and according to a March 2009 article in Sports Illustrated, 60 percent of NBA players are bankrupt just five years after retirement, so they do not know how to control the money they have now; why should they get more?

Whatever happened to the glory days, when players played because they loved the game and not because they were getting paid millions of dollars? Jerry West, a legend and the superstar of his era, made just $15,000 a year in 1960. Just 50 years later, in 2010, Kobe Bryant made $21.5 million.

I personally have no sympathy for the players. I won’t mind if they don’t play, maybe a year not playing and not getting that fat paycheck will make them realize just how lucky they are. The two big factors left to decide in the lockout, are the splitting of Basketball Related Income (BRI) and a salary cap.

The grassroots of basketball, such as the high school level, is basketball at its purest form. Most of these players know that they will not play in the NBA and make the big paycheck. I am excited for the Royals basketball season to tip-off, as they will be playing not for money, but for the love and enjoyment of the game.

Kevin Harris

for the Love of the Game

How do you feel about the game? What aresome of your feelings? “I’m excited because the juniors get to prove why 2013 is the best class ever!”

Who do you think will win?“Juniors of course!”

How do you fell about the boys being able to cheer and dance?“I think it is going to be hilarious, because they are going to be in skirts and all made up.”

How do you feel about where the proceeds will go?“It’s to help the unfortunate.”

Do you plan play any sports? “I play volleyball.”

Are there any specific quotes that are going to help get you through the game?“Play like it’s the last point every minute of the game.”

The 2011 Powderpuff flag football game will be held on Mon., Nov. 21, at 3:30 p.m. pitting girls from the senior class against girls from the junior class. Boys will make up the

cheerleading squads and a dance team during the game. Admission is $3 or $1 and two canned goods. The proceeds will benefit the Elf Helpers.

Stephanie Sadler michaela Harrison

Seniors Juniors vs.

Graduate Lindsey Story runs the ball during the 2010 Powderpuff game. the seniors won 22-12. Photo by unique Larry.

WINTERSpoRtS

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Phone: 804-937-5571

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Imagine a close basketball game, with one team down by only one point. And, the point guard for that team drives through the lane, with one-second left in the game, and takes a shot that is off the mark. But he is fouled. The player makes both

of his free throws and wins the game for his team. This is the type of impact that referees can have.

“It has been times where, at the end of the game, someone took a shot, [with] no time left, or just one second left, and I had to call a foul,” said referee Milton Nichols in a phone interview. “But, that was a criti-cal call, because it could have [sent] that person to the free throw line; they could have tied the game, or with two shots, if they were only one point down, they could have ended up winning the game.”

There are approximately 80 officials from the Tri-Cities Basketball Officials Association that officiate Central District basketball games. Nichols is an official in that association, and he has been a basket-ball referee for seven years. He started offi-ciating because of his athletic background.

“I guess the biggest influence was be-ing an athletic person all my life, and I’ve enjoyed playing sports,” Nichols said. “And as I age some, I still wanted to be involved in the game or area of sports.”

The first step to becoming an official involves becoming certified through the Virginia High School League [VHSL]. An officiating organization, like the Tri-Cities Basketball Officials Association, would provide the information on when the VHSL will be administering the test. Af-ter passing the test, a referee is assigned to games by the commissioner of the associa-tion that he/she is a member of.

Getting on the court for the first time as a referee can be a nerve-racking experi-ence.

“[I was] very nervous,” Nichols said. “I guess it’s just like playing an actual sport and going out the first time.”

Additional training is given each year from six weeks to two months before the

start of a particular athletic season. Offi-cials have to become recertified each year. The first part of this is classroom training. As scrimmages start, officials go out and referee those games. Scrimmages serve as practice for both the athletes and the of-ficials.

“Every year you have to take the test, and actually taking the test and passing the test will make you certified,” Nichols said.

After taking the test and participat-ing in the training, new referees work with more experienced referees on the floor.

The Tri-City Basketball Officials Associa-tion uses three officials on the court at one time. Each official has a certain responsi-bility, but this changes depending on what is happening in the game. One official is the “trail” referee, another is the “center” referee, and another is the “lead” referee.

For Nichols, games in the Central Dis-trict are the hardest to officiate. This is be-cause of the size of the crowds that some of those games draw and the talent of the play-ers on the court.

“Usually the Central District games,

boys AAA, would be a very difficult game,” Nichols said. “Because number one, it is go-ing to draw a lot of fans. You are going to have a lot of crowds; you are going to have a lot of noise there. You got good, talented ath-letes there, so there is [a] lot that you would have to watch out for.”

Officiating is a part-time job for Nichols; he has a separate full-time job. Referees are paid $65 for officiating varsity games and $45 for officiating junior varsity games. Nichols estimates that he works 30-50 games in a single season. Basketball officials work both boys and girls games at both the varsity and junior varsity levels.

The commissioner of the officiating as-sociation decides which games that a par-ticular referee will work based on the ex-perience that the person has, the difficulty of the game, and the experience of the two other referees on the floor. The same basic factors go into choosing which officials will work playoff games as well. For these games, coaches can even request certain referees, and this can play into the commissioner’s de-cision on who will be a part of those referee crews.

Coaches contesting calls on the basket-ball court can be a common sight during games. However, for Nichols, these confron-tations are just a part of the game and noth-ing more.

“Part of [the coaches’] job, in order to help win, they have to yell at their players, they have to yell at the officials, anything that is going to give them [an] advantage,” Nich-ols said. “I have never seen it where it is a life-time grudge.”

From the other side, new head basket-ball coach David Hettinger recognizes that confrontations between coaches and the of-ficials are a part of the game as well. Even if things get contentious, these things just hap-pen in the heat of the moment.

“Every now and then, I think players and coaches see a call with their heart rather than with their eyes and their head, so you might get upset at the time,” Hettinger said. “But, for the most part, I think [referees] do a good job.”

Though referees can have big impacts on games, sometimes controversially, they strive to make the correct calls. Disagreements may arise, mistakes may be made, but, at the end of the day, these things are just a part of the game.

Behind The Scenes With RefereesWayne epps, Jr.

sports editor

WINTERSpoRtSmoNDAy 11.14.11 | tHe RoyAL NeWS | 23

michael Jamison roams the sidelines during a basketball

game last season. Referees go through yearly training

and can significantly impact games. Photo by Wayne epps,

Jr.

SPoRtSbRiefS

Boys Varsity Basketball will travel to play Hermitage in a scrimmage on Sat., Nov. 19. Game time is 10:30 AM.

Girls Varsity Basketball will play Highland Springs at home in a scrimmage on Tues., Nov. 22. Game time is 5:30 PM.

Girls Varsity Basketball will play Cosby at home in a scrimmage on Mon., Nov. 21. Game time is 5:30 PM.

New era begins

coach David Hettinger motivates his team on the first day of tryouts on mon., Nov. 7. the season begins with a scrimmage on Sat., Nov. 19 at Hermitage.Photo by faven butler.

Scan this code with your smartphone to check out the new trnsports.org website .

LiKe tHe RoyAL NeWS fAcebooK PAGe foR ScoRe uPDAteS

Flashback to the year 1984, Ron-ald Reagan was the president and the Los Angeles Raiders were the Super Bowl champions. That same year, Billy Russell began what would eventually become a 27 year tenure as the head coach of the Royals boys basketball

team; a run that included three consecutive Central District titles from 2002-2004. That run ended this year, as Russell gave up his position to become the full time athletic director.

Coach David Hettinger was picked as his re-placement. Hettinger had been an assistant of Rus-sell for 12 years. Hettinger is honored to replace Russell as the head coach of the Royals.

“Coach Russell has been here so long, it is an honor to be able to carry on the program that he helped build here,” Hettinger said.

Hettinger was picked as the head basketball coach through a panel that included an administra-tor, a member of the school board and the athletic director.

“Each candidate was asked the same series of questions and they were scored on a rubric,” prin-cipal Tracey Smallwood said. “We looked at what their scores were and what their credentials were and what their experiences were and we selected the person we thought would bring the most to the po-sition for Prince George High School.”

Coach Hettinger will be keeping the same as-sistant coaches, Willie Charlotte and Travis Carr, that Russell had from the past few years.

Coach Russell will not be out of the picture by any means. For one thing, he is the athletic director and is in charge of all sports. Coach Hettinger also plans to go to him when he needs help with situa-tions.

“I’m going to use him as a behind the scenes person that I can ask questions to and get some ad-vice on things,” Hettinger said, “Since he has done this so long, it would be crazy not to use some of his wisdom and insight from years past.”

Coach Carr likes the change for the future of Royals basketball.

“Me and Coach Hettinger have worked togeth-er for the last seven or eight years and we work well as a combination and, as long as we’re together with Coach Charlotte, we make a good coaching team,” Carr said

Carr thinks the staff brings a new energy to the team and to the gym. The student section t-shirts even proclaim the word “Relentless”.

“We’re going to be a fast team, we get up and down the floor faster, we go to class faster, we eat lunch faster, we do our homework faster, we do ev-erything faster,” Carr said.

Transitioning to a new coach can take a while to get used to for players who are familiar with the previous coach. However, the Royals are young and are not familiar with the old coaching style.

“We lost a lot of players from last year, so our team will be new to Coach Hettinger as well, as he being new to a lot of the players,” Charlotte said. “I think it will have a positive impact on the team, be-cause he will have the opportunity to implement his own style. It will make the transition easier, because he will not have to change the mind set of most of the players, because they will only know his style of coaching.”

Players are also excited about the change in coaching.

“Were going to be a different team this year, more disciplined,” said junior William Anderson. “Coach Hettinger has a lot set aside for us, because we are a young team; we are going to be a young, fast, run and gun team this year.”

The team hopes to take the coaching change in stride and have a successful season.

“I think it will be good for the team; a little bit of change, learn some new things, and just move forward in the season,” said senior Darius Dawsey.

Coach Hettinger will begin his regular season head coaching career on Thurs., Dec. 1 at Evangel Christian School in Colonial Heights.

by Kevin Harris

nov. 2011

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