January 2011

The Talon

Colonial Forge High School

A Look Back On An Undefeated Season......pg 12 Must See Movies of 2011.............................pg 8

Jan. 21 2011

News The Talon

Colonial Forge High School 550 Courthouse Road Stafford, VA 22554 (540) - 658 - 6115 cfhstalon@gmail.com

Editor in Chief Lauren Rogers Senior

Managing Editors John Schwartz Senior

Caitlin Russell Senior

Editors Tarah Portland Entertainment Junior

Natalee Rombough Photography Senior

Stephanie DeVaux Opinions Junior

Shelby Ball Features

Sophomore

Kathleen Namey News

Junior

Grace Phillips Sports

Senior

Staff Naoko Branker, Kayla Boyer, Ashley Bruner, Mary-Margaret Bruner, Liza Contreras, Allie Cox,Kyle Doescher, Ashleigh Dye, Katie Garrison, Scott Gates, Jeremy Granderson, Christian Hawks, Alex Hottle, Zachary Johnson, Manuel Lemus, Kevin Leyh, Donovan Moore, Christopher Morehead, Ricardo Morrison, Megan Niewold, Sean O’Neill, Taylor Ross, Chanea Rutland, Hannah Somers, Kristen Steele, Leekeisha Stover, Susan Taah, Emmily Upshaw, Joe Vargo, Kyra Youngblood The Talon is the official student newspaper of Colonial Forge High School.

All articles are studentwritten. Views expressed are those of the student writers and editors, and are not necessarily shared by the administration or staff of Colonial Forge. This paper is protected by first amendment rights that are upheld. The staff strives to uphold the highest journalistic ethics and standards. The Talon is printed monthly by Narrow Passage Press. Letters to the editor are welcome. Please bring them to Room 301.

2 Why Do Teens Dare to Smoke Despite Hazards?

Kyle Doescher Reporter

Tobacco companies and anti-smoking ads spread mixed messages to teenagers.

Tobacco companies focus on the social aspect of smoking, saying that smoking is cool and will make you look more mature. On the other hand, the anti-smoking company Truth focuses on the health effects of smoking and persuades teens not to smoke. Many question whether anti-smoking companies and the D.A.R.E. program actually prevent teens from using tobacco products.

The D.A.R.E.

program educates kids starting in elementary school about the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol. “The war on drugs is lost,” says Jonathan Hickey (’11).

Although Jonathan seems to be exaggerating the issues a bit the statistics are on his side. According to Quitsmokinghub.com 25% of nationwide high school students are smokers. There are programs similar to D.A.R.E. all over the country yet teens continue to light up for the first time in an attempt to fit in or appear more mature than their

friends.

The D.A.R.E. program uses education as a weapon against the war on drugs but for some reason the facts don’t scare all teens out of smoking.

Students in Stafford County Public

Coin Coaster in Cafeteria a Success Kathleen Namey News Editor

Coin Coaster is a success in time for holiday season.

For the month of November, Colonial Forge’s Learn and Serve had a penny drive for the Thurman Brisban Center, a homeless shelter in Fredericksburg. The 4X class planned the fundraiser with low expectations and did not expect much money to come out of the fundraiser.

The coin coaster reached from the top of the cafeteria stairwell, all the way to the floor. Students were able to drop coins in two different tubes with water jugs at the bottom, one made for underclassman and one made for upperclassman. The class spent part of the month of October organizing it and then set it up during the first week of November. The

class put their own coins in at first, and waited for more to come in from the rest of the student body. Maria Lane (’11), a 4X Learn and Serve member, did not think it was going to work. “The water jugs were not full at all, I really only thought we were going to make about 20$. At least every coin counts”.

They counted the two jugs on December 6th, thinking there was no way they would break 50$ with only 2 inches of coins. Spending the whole class counting, they came to a grand total $250.56.

The class was pleasantly surprised. They did very well and did not think it could have been more successful in any other way.

The coin drive was actually a part of the “Pennies for the Homeless” drive that was organized by the Thurman Brisban Center. They sponsored a competition between schools to see who could raise the most money. Although it would have been nice to win, CFHS was happy with the donations they received.

Jade-Tran (’11), also a member of the class noted “We were pleased to raise so much money; it really will be able to help them during the holiday season.”

That’s what the class was aiming for, and they reached it. The money went to the homeless shelter on December 10.

School start the D.A.R.E. program at the beginning of fifth grade and graduate from the program at the end of the year pledging to never use drugs or alcohol.

“They should teach D.A.R.E. in high school not just in elementary school because a fifth grader doesn’t want to smoke but a high school student might,” says Ryan Tharp (’12). “I think the biggest problem with D.A.R.E. is that if you tell someone not to do something too much then that just makes them want to try it,” says Lucas Vangeison

(’11). Maybe with these suggestions the D.A.R.E. program could decline the number of teen smokers and have a positive effect on teens.

Even if the D.A.R.E. program was more effective tobacco companies would continue to attract new customers to their product. Smoking forces people to make an individual decision to smoke or not to smoke and for high school teens it is a tough decision to make.

NEWS BRIEF Assange Supporters Launch ‘Cyberwar’ Hackers who claim that they’re seeking retribution for the massive Denial of Service attack on Wikileaks site have been attack websites who are opposing Assange’s publication of thousands of classified State Department Documents. Mastercard was one of the websites that succumbed to the attacks, others subjected to hackers was Amazon.com, Visa.com, Paypal.com, and the lawyer prosecuting Assange for the charges brought against him in Sweden.

After Assange turned himself in in an attempt to clear his name in Sweden, U.S. Officials scramble to find a charge to bring against that so that he might be extradited to the United States to face trial.

Meanwhile, the person who instigated the leak has yet to be found, yet the lead suspect, Bradley Manning, is thought to be the main source of it. He is currently held at the Marine Corps Brig in Quantico.

John Schwartz Managing Editor

News

3

A Day in the Life of Mr.Collier; The Talon’s Teacher of the Month Allie Cox Reporter

Afternoon practices, game days, regular season, playoffs, and championships. The long hours Mr. Collier puts into each day and sport makes the Colonial Forge Eagle’s the best we can be in the county.

“My first priority of the day is to check my emails.” said Mr. Collier.

These emails tell him what his day will be like. His job may seem easy, but a lot of work goes into his days.

To help him know what he needs each day, he gets the most important things set up the day before.

“I leave sticky notes around to help remind me what I need to do.” said Mr. Collier.

As each of the winter sports begin, things can get a little chaotic. In the mornings, Mr. Collier has to check to make sure that each of the games in the afternoon have officials and staff to watch over the players and spectators.

“You used to have to call them in the old days to check, but now you can just go on their website and check.” said Mr. Collier.

Throughout the day he repeatedly checks on the

website just make sure there are no changes in plans. On an average school day for him he is ordering supplies, returning phone calls, and being available and visible where he is needed. You can see him around the school each day in lunches or in the hallway.

“I try and pitch in wherever I am needed.” said Mr. Collier. Having a motto of “whatever needs to be done; shall be done” keeps him helping whenever he can. He feels that if someone needs help that you should help them.

“It doesn’t matter if

it is your job or not, it needs to be done because you are there for the good of the whole.” said Mr. Collier.

“To describe my job in two words – organized chaos.” said Mr. Collier.

“Every day at Colonial Forge High School is different.”

For each of Colonial Forge’s afternoon games you will most likely see him around. He attends the majority of our afternoon games as he possibly can.

“I don’t get to watch as much of the game as I would like to because I’m always moving around.” said Mr. Collier.

You can see him distributing tickets for admission or constantly moving around supervising.

“I try not to miss any of the games, but sometimes things come up.” said Mr. Collier.

This job is pretty much a balancing act trying to make each of the teams, such as basketball, cheerleading, and football happy and making decisions.

With a strong student body there aren’t a lot of behavior problems.

And the small things can be decided by the coach.

“I trust the

coaches.” said Mr. Collier.

“However sometimes the parents disagree and then we can decide something from there.”

For the winter sports the weather can play a key factor on whether things are going to happen or not.

The football season begins to overlap with the basketball and winter track seasons.

And with that we end up juggling each of the sports.

He puts many long hours into each of his days to help make the Eagle’s sport the best in the county.

government buildings.

Even Prince Charles could not escape the violent riot. Students surrounded his car and threw whatever they could find at the vehicle including sticks, stones, bottles, and paint. “It was completely manic,” said Prince Charles as he describes the violent encounter.

The outrage of Britain’s youth is understandable considering

the high standards high school students in England are held to. Unlike the U.S. where a large majority of students attend college regardless of how well they do in high school, Britain’s educational system is much more competitive. Students are subject to an entrance exam and only those who do well enough on the test are able to attend college.

The pressure the test places on English high

school students is so great and sometimes results in suicide when students do not do well enough to attend a university. So why should the best students, who a decade ago received a free college education, have to pay even more for their education?

A question on most high school students’ mind here in the U.S. is whether or not they can afford to go to a certain school. Although in-state tuition for Virginia

is reasonable, imagine if the government decided to triple that amount. Most high school students would display the same outrage as the high school students in England.

Students wishing to attend out of state schools are sometimes turned away by the expensive out-of-state tuition rates. Senior Tyler Averett was not deterred

by University of Alabama’s tuition rate despite it being out of state. “A lot of my

family has gone there and I still want to go even if it costs a little more,” says Tyler (’11).

With the struggling economy college continues to be a tough expense. For students in England the high price of education is a sacrifice those who are selected to attend college will unfortunately have to make.

Britain’s college tuition triples; Will Forge students face similar increases here?

Kyle Doescher Reporter

High school and college students rioted in London, England in response to the passing of a tuition bill that would triple college costs to 9,000 pounds or 14,000 U.S. dollars. Thousands of protestors took to the streets of London to display their outrage. The scene started peacefully but soon turned violent. Protestors began to throw stones at police and smashing windows of

Old Books Meet New Owners Caitlin Russell Managing Editor

Pink hearts, red roses, and giant teddy bears are all the craze on Valentine’s Day, the one day a year when people shower their friends and loved ones with copious amounts of love and affection. An upcoming fundraiser here at Colonial Forge is going to bring even more to love for this commercial holiday. The members of Molten Art have been planning a used book sale scheduled to be held on Valentine’s Day during all lunches and after school.

Molten Art is Colonial Forge’s literary magazine, a publication that is created by a small staff and sold to the student body annually along with the yearbook. The lit mag has traditionally included student-written short works of fiction and nonfiction,

poetry, one-act plays, and short screenplays which are aesthetically balanced and paired with student art, digital art, and photography.

The newest addition to the magazine is a CD containing music from musicians here at Forge.

The members have met bimonthly since September to plan various fundraisers including a November candy sale, patron donations, and selling previous years’ issues of the magazine. Hannah Somers (‘11) has been the co-editorin-chief of the magazine since her sophomore year and has seen it expand and improve tremendously. In regards to their successful November candy sales, Hannah said, “Anytime a club starts a new fundraiser,

it’s hard to get the feedback you want. I think, though, that we picked the right kind of fundraiser--easy to put together and in demand by the students--to put a good dent into the amount of funds we need to make the magazine this year great.”

With the start of school in September, Molten Art immediately began their work on magazine fundraising. The staff collected cardboard boxes and decorated them before distributing one to each of the English classrooms. The boxes now welcome any gently used book donations that you have to offer.

Mr. Davis, the Molten Art advisor, said, “The book sale will start Monday, February 14th and continue until Friday, February 18th. Books

will be sold in the cafeteria during all lunches as well as in the library.”

Fundraising in a critical part to the Molten Art magazine. According to Hannah, “Fundraisers really are so important to the publication of the magazine.

As a fairly small publication compared to the newspaper or yearbook, funds tend to be short for all we would like to accomplish this year.

To be able to include a CD again this year and print the magazine in as good of quality as we would like, fundraisers like this are a major necessity.”

With a few chocolate hearts, heartwarming cards, and of course some new used books to delve into...what won’t be to love about Valentine’s Day

NEWS BRIEF Homeless Man Gets Second Chance Many people will have seen Ted Williams’ video on YouTube (which has already been granted over 11 million views) and marveled at the lovely voice of this panhandler. The video, titled “Homeless man w/golden radio voice in Columbus, OH” has granted Williams’ a job with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a role to play opposite of Jack Nicholson in a new movie, and a number of other outlets. Williams has said on an interview with The Today Show that he was going to be the “official” voice of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Since then, a commercial featuring the voice of Williams has been released. Williams did not attempt to hide his checkered past, which included an addiction to crack cocaine and alcohol. He is grateful to be given a second chance, and praised God, saying: “God, you've never seen fit to take my voice in spite of all the flames and everything that went down my throat.” With a multitude of job and house offerings, life for Williams is looking up.

John Schwartz Managing Editor

News

4

Skream: Pioneers of Dubstep Drew Lanzafama Reporter

Skream’s 2006 Skream! Is in itself a catalyst of dubstep. Based out of Croydon, south London, Skream crafted dense electronic sounds out of synths, samples, and drum machines to give rise to the now popular genre. This record sounds different than contemporary dubstep bangers. It’s more deliberate, but no less catchy. Most tracks won’t find their way on to the dance floor, but the heavy bass throughout will still throb in the back of your mind all day.

The lead off track, “Tortured Soul” starts off by creating a sense of anticipation, suspense, and anxiety for the rest of

the song and the album itself by way of a strings sample. Perhaps this is the mood intended to let people know what is to come; from Skream and fellow dubsteppers. The tom drums are a sign that Skream’s sound is not one-dimensional in approach or content. He exemplifies how dubstep is heavily influenced by global sounds while at the same time suggesting the reach dubstep’s influence could eventually have.

The very next track, “Midnight Request Line” is arguably the most iconic work in all of dubstep music. This track when released on the 12” format began the modern day

dubstep movement. It was not as up tempo as similar genres at the time, such as

UK garage or drum and bass, but nonetheless it is still able to move. There’s a lot of

intricate synth work, gunshot percussion samples, and a deep base: all integral parts of the typical dubstep sound.

While this album does house dubstep’s founding piece, there are other gems worth taking time to listen to. “Stagger” features some of the jumpiest synth sounds and serves as an influence for some of the modern day, dance-oriented dubstep tracks. “Dutch Flowerz” is an upbeat tune with help from a constant plink on the keyboard for the duration of the song, over which a brilliant melody is played. The wobbly synths featured on “Rutten” along with a flute sample lend the song to sound like it belongs on a martial arts movie soundtrack (Rutten

is a reference to Dutch mixed martial arts artist, Bas Rutten). It also gives a glimpse of the darker side that dubstep music is capable of.

This album is very different from the idea of up tempo club hits which we normally associated dubstep with. It is the work that inspired the genre.

Contemporaries have looked up on works like this, Burial’s Untrue and made more up tempo recreations.

It’ll take a couple of full listens to start to get into, but once you do it is much easier to appreciate the bass lines and synth work laden in all dubstep cuts.

ity. In the midst of gaining popularity, the United States kick started the growth of dubstep through Baltimore DJ, Joe Nice. Dubstep night clubs popped up in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, and Denver.

electronic duo) had dubstep artist Skream remix their song “In for the Kill.” La Roux put their songs “I’m Not Your Toy” and “Bulletproof” into the hands of Nero, another dubstep artist.

Nowadays, dubstep has begun to captivate listeners across the world and seems to be gaining popularity day by day.

Dubstep Taking the Music World By Storm Mary Margaret Bruner Reporter

Hailing from London’s garage scene in the early 21st century, Dubstep, a subgenre of electronic music has taken the music world by storm.

With its heart pounding bass and rhythm, dubstep’s sound, described on a flyer for Forward (a London night club), is “b-lines to make your chest cavity shudder.”

The tempo of the genre ranges from 138-142 beats per minute (BPM). Dubstep

songs usually consist of four fundamental parts: an intro, a main section (usually includes a bass drop—a pause in percussion followed by an intensified sub bass), a second main part and an outro.

Another popular feature of dubstep songs are rewinds or reloads. A rewind occurs when the DJ ‘spins back’ the record by hand without lifting the stylus and plays the track again. Dubstep is usually instrumental; however, hip hop artists such as Snoop

Dogg and Eve add vocals to some tracks.

In its infancy, before it was given the name ‘dubstep’, this genre of music was darker and more experimental. The songs were instrumental dub (subgenre of reggae) remixes of 2-step garage (electronic dance music) which incorporated the funky elements of break beat and drum and bass. The remixes were normally Bsides of single releases.

In 2001, dubstep was promoted at Forward.

Forward was critical in the development of dubstep and was the first venue devoted to the genre. However, it wasn’t until 2002 that the genre began to be called dubstep.

Shortly after this, in 2005 and 2006, dubstep began to spread beyond local scenes. There were many websites devoted to the genre that aided its rise to popular-

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Around 2009, dubstep began to gain worldwide recognition. The increasing popularity can be accredited to dubstep DJ’s work on mainstream tracks.

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N ews Mysterious Blogger Extends His Roots into Forge 5

Caitlin Russell Managing Editor

“For many months now my creative branches have extended and yielded literary fruits for the loving blog readers throughout the interweb…and now there’s a fan page for them.”

These words appear on the Facebook fan page for the blog “Sparks You Hear”, an online blog created by a student here at Colonial Forge, James Wooten.

You may have seen this student walking along the halls of Colonial Forge.

In fact, you most probably know him or have heard his quite distinctive name.

His voice is soft and low, but the voice that creeps along the pages of his online blog, “Sparks You Hear”, is nothing of the sort. His literary voice is profound, philosophical, and at times downright hilarious— striking characteristics in a seventeen year old teenager.

To really get into the brain of Alex Wooten (‘11) wonder, he has offered his insight in the art of writing and online blogging.

shows it, at least a little. My publishing name is a shoutout to Prometheus, and the Sparks You Hear are words intended to be as catalyzing and incendiary as fire was when he gave it to man. By naming it this, I was hoping to give a sort of synesthesiaesque image of igniting something inside the reader that opens their mind to their own humanity, and the way that they really aren’t all that different than the nameless writer whose words they’re taking in.

Q: How long have you been writing poetry and stories? Written any novels yet?

A: I actually have written a novel…and it totally sucks. I wrote it over the course of middle school, and the change of writing style over those three years is extremely evident in the tone…it’s just really a mess. As far as poetry goes, I’ve been writing that since around 6th grade, though I honestly can’t remember a time when I didn’t write.

Q: What inspired you to create this blog?

A: I was mostly inspired by my friend “Stanley,” who’s mentioned in several posts. Her dedicated journalkeeping aroused a deep respect from me, since she’s kept it up for several years. I wanted to do something like that…but at the same time, I wanted the knowledge that other people related, liked it, and read it willingly, as indicated by the stats. Call it instant gratification.

Q: What was YOUR purpose in creating the blog, and has this purpose changed since you started it?

A: Well mostly I suppose you can say it was the natural reaction of being unable to express myself the

Q: How have you been able to get the word out for your blog?

Along with every blog post comes a sketch. way I probably should…a desire to be heard. Sparks You Hear is sort of a relief for me…when I found out it was permissible for me to put it out there and get published online, I jumped at the opportunity. The purpose for this hasn’t really changed. It’s always been an experiment in writing, in pushing through ideas that sync me to other people…It’s a stream of consciousness type-thing I suppose (not that I hold myself in the same regard as Faulkner or Joyce…they were way better at it than I am).

Q: When exactly did you create it and how?

A: The first post is listed as being posted on Wednesday, April 7th, 2010…but I don’t know if I can tell you how long I poured over it before getting up the nerve to submit it to be published (there’s a process of review and editing I have to go through before it’s put online that I explain in the blog).

Basically, I got permission to make an account, struck up a deal with some of the editors in the Witness

Protection Program, and then just sort of banged away at a keyboard one day when I felt I could finally do it.

Q: Is there any significance behind its name, “Sparks You Hear”?

A: Sparks You Hear kind of fit in with the name I publish under, GiftsLikeFireAndFreedom which is a little embarrassing. Anybody who knows me knows I have an enormous ego…and this blog

A: Advertising is a pretty big thing for me actually.

Although I’m technically not allowed to tell people that I’m the writer, Facebook continues to be my biggest seller on the views. I’ve actually noticed (and you can probably tell how obsessive I am with the stats) that every link I post actually gets me an average of two additional views. Friends of mine always like to tease me about the number of times my links end up on my wall or their walls, but I haven’t really evolved to other media of advertising yet. Stickers ARE in production, however, and I may eventually produce a few t-shirts.

Q: Where does the artwork on the blog come from? Did you create it?

A: Yes, most of the artwork on my blog is actually created by me, and I’ve been drawing since middle school.

Drawing well however… that’s relatively new. The only things I’ve posted on the blog that I’m proud of has the blatant URL stamped across them, because I’m terrified of it being stolen.

As a result, a lot of my art doesn’t actually go up on the blog, and probably never will.

Q: Are all of your posts true-life, factual events?

A: Hah, I knew this question was coming. I’d say… probably 60% of the things I post actually happen or have happened to me or people I know. Sometimes it’s more than just the names that are switched around in the stories too.

Q: How would you describe the development and growth of your blog as compared with those of other bloggers?

A: My blog is still in a pretty fledgling-like state.

To be honest, approaching 500 views in a month is something other bloggers do in the first day, and I can only hope to get there one day. Perhaps in college, when I’ll be able to expose it to a lot more people. I only hope I’ll still be keeping up with it then.

Entertainment

6

Taking the Stage

It’s Expensive to Love Music Ashley Bruner Reporter

In the beginning, it seemed like music was something we could always afford, even during a hardhitting economic depression.

Now, things are changing. In the past few years the cost of going to shows has gone up…drastically. Whether you’ve experienced the foot tapping, head bobbing enjoyment of a concert— or show, for those of you music enthusiasts—it’s quite obvious that tickets basically cost an arm and a leg. For example, are you a fan of Coldplay? To see them in concert be prepared for ticket prices in the $200s—for one ticket. Now I’m not saying it’s completely outrageous to pay these prices, if you love the band, go for it. But as for me, I’ll stay far away.

Four years ago, when I started going to local shows, I could go to a smaller venue, see anywhere from 7-10 less-known bands, and pay about $8.

Yes, you heard me right, 7 hours of good music for only $8. Now, even though it’s still way cheaper than

$200, admission for the same type of show is $12 if bought on presale and somewhere around $15 at the door. Don’t get me wrong it’s better than $200, but even such a small increase of $7 has driven people wild. “I used to go to shows like every weekend, sometimes on Friday and Saturday, but now I only go like once every 2 weeks.

It’s really hard to pay for shows because I have to use the money I saved up from lifeguarding this summer,” explains Alicia Cote (’12).

Last time I checked, the target audience of most artists is somewhere in the neighborhood of 1625; There are definitely exceptions, but go to any show and that’s the age group you’ll usually get.

It’s really confusing as to why the booking companies would drive up the prices when their clients typically have minimum wage jobs or none at all.

Back in November, I paid $25 to see my all-time

favorite band, Bayside.

Chances are, you’ve never heard of them, and that’s my very beef with the music industry. Why should you pay that amount of money for an underground show in a run-down venue in the ghettos of Richmond? It just doesn’t make sense. On the other hand, you can go see a show in a giant amphitheatre and pay upwards of $75; It’s hard to decide which is the lesser of two evils.

Show goers aren’t the only ones feeling the pains of this raise, bands are, too. It seems like skewed logic, right, making a band pay to play a show instead of vice versa? This “payto-play” system has had its smothering grip on the underground music scene for a few years now. Under this system, opening bands are required to sell anywhere from 25-60 presale tickets at $12 a pop. Speaking from experience, selling that many tickets can be a difficult task.

Trying to help out a friend’s band once, I foolishly took on the task of ticket presales.

Diddy’s New Album: Hits and Misses Megan Niewold Reporter

“We’re abroad on our tour when I meet her, the woman of my dreams,” Diddy tells a back ground story about meeting a girl and at first sight he is completely infatuated with her; of course she breaks his heart and the only way he can win her back is by taking “the last train to Paris.” The story sets up perfectly, the way Diddy tells it makes the story seem too real; probably because it all really happened.

The record company released the album hoping to “redefine dance music for the new decade,” in my opinion the album is not that good. It is good, it has solid beats, good featured artists, and less Diddy then normal (which is a good thing!) but it will not redefine dance music. In all honesty, I

would pick four good songs out, and give the rest of the album a thumbs down.

“Last Night Pt. 2” track 14 on the album, is one of the worst songs I have ever heard. The beats are too techno, the rap is taking pointless to a whole new level and Diddy needs to get himself out of the 60’s.

Along with track 14, tracks 7, and 8 also need a lot of work, I do not know what the record company was thinking going with this style. But newsflash, it is not working.

I am not a huge fan of Diddy’s as it is, I don’t go out and regularly buy his albums or buy posters and hang them up in my room like a shrine to his rap skills; if you do, you will probably like the album a lot more than I do. The Last Train to

Paris takes a nice turn with songs like “Coming Home” featuring Skylar Grey, “Hello Good Morning” featuring T.I, “Your Love” featuring Trey Songz, and “Someone to Love Me.” The songs improve when they feature other artists, actually...they sound good.

I won’t give Diddy a 10, on the album, but I also won’t give him a 1 either. The Last Train to Paris has 18 tracks, 6 which the album could have benefited from not having; so all in all, the album gets a solid 6. If he didn’t have big featured artists, he would not be getting any record sales. So, go download a couple songs off iTunes, because buying the whole CD would not be worth it.

After only three weeks of failed attempts, I gave up.

Giving up, however, is not an option for the bands.

Sophomores Bradley Wyatt, Scotty Puckett and David Herriot know a lot about this. Their band, Depths of Mariana, has been playing small shows around the area for about a year now and has dealt with their fair share of presale struggles. “I love being in a band; It’s really fun, but I really don’t like having to sell tickets to play,” says Bradley Wyatt (’13). “The worst part about it is having to pay for all of the ones you don’t sell. Sometimes it’s really hard to come up with the extra money. We have to sell anywhere from 25 to 60 tickets, depending on the show.”

Loving music has become a full-time job.

Our music scene is going to suffer if the prices don’t change.

Here at The Talon, we’ve compiled a list of upcoming shows to make your journey to musical heaven easier...

Virginia venues The National thenationalva.com

2/5: Papadosio ($18 adv./door) 2/8: Jimmy Eat World ($27 adv./door) 2/13: Whitechapel ($24 adv./door)

Alley Katz

2/11: Rah Digga ($10 advance, $15 door) 2/12: Cowabunga+This Is Our Fight ($7 door) 2/18: Boris Wheatley ($7 adv., $9 door)

Jaxx

2/4: Lynch Mob ($17 adv., $20 door) 2/5: A Life Once Lost ($12 adv., $15 door) 2/14: The Acacia Strain ($15 adv., $17 door)

alleykatzrva.com

jaxxroxx.com

Jammin Java

jamminjava.com

2/7: Hellogoodbye ($17 adv./door) 2/12: The Civil Wars ($12 adv./door) 2/19: Modern Thieves ($13 adv./door)

DC & Baltimore venues 930 Club 930.com

Black Cat blackcatdc.com

Rams Head Sonar

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Mt. Airy Firehall myspace.com /apexbooking

2/6: Chromeo ($25 adv./door) 2/9: Gang Of Four ($35 adv./door) 2/22: Underoath ($20 adv./door) 2/1: The End of America ($8 door) 2/17: Darwin Deez ($10 door) 2/23: Futurebirds ($10 door) 2/1: Robyn ($25 adv./door) 2/4: Chasing Morgan ($9 adv./door) 2/5: Ghostland Observatory ($28 adv./door) 2/9: The Love Language ($8 adv./door) 2/10: Colour Revolt ($8 adv./door) 2/22: Weedeater (10 adv., $12 door)

2/2: Hundredth ($10 adv./door) 2/11: Let’s Be Honest ($10 adv./door)

Features Inside the World of a CFHS Sub

7

We know that when you walk into your class and see a different person sitting at your teachers desk, you automatically become the happiest person in the world. Or when you hear from your friend at lunch that your history teacher isn’t in, you decided that maybe the history homework doesn’t need to be done. Now that feeling of joy can quickly become regret if that sub isn’t so great; but over all, we owe alot to subs not just for picking up the slack when our teachers aren’t there, but also for picking up our slack when no one in the class did the homework right and that awesome sub finds a way to make it look like it’s not your fault. So we decided to delve into the world of subs and see what it’s really like being a sub, how they think, feel, and what advice they have to give use teenagers; because if anyone knows the tricks of life, it’s the substitues.

Mr. Wood Talon: Tell us about your first subbing experience.

Mr. Wood: My first subbing experience, at Rodney Thompson for a sixth grade class, was facilitated by the fact that the teacher was there for the beginning of the day and she introduced me and gave the kids a transition. The kids and I got along well because I was (am) very energetic when I teach, and that age group especially thrives on enthusiasm. I forget how it came about, but I do know I juggled at some point--anything to get them to do their work and do it well.

Talon: Would you rather be a full time teacher?

Mr. Wood: Yes, I’d like to use my license to teach high school english--any grade will be awesome!

Talon: Biggest Pet Peeve when teaching kids?

Mr. Wood: When I have to sub a class that went on a field trip. It’s pretty much me and an empty class room. It gets pretty boring.

Talon: What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Mr. Wood: I honestly can’t remember, but I’m sure it was something enjoyably delusional. I can tell you that ‘teacher’ was not on the list.

Inside:

“The Satchel”

Mrs. Joseph Talon: Would you rather be a full time teacher?

Mrs. Joseph: No, I like the flexibility to be able to do what I like- summers’ off, no grading papers, free evenings, no teacher work days.

Talon: What’s it like being a sub?

Mrs. Joseph: A roller coaster ride. You don’t know from one day to the next what you’ll encounter but I enjoy it. I have 5 kids of my own so I enjoy it.

Talon: Biggest Pet Peeve when teaching kids?

Mrs. Joseph: Trying to pronounce people’s names and not getting it right when I take role.

Sometimes they’ll add an accent on and I can’t tell.

Talon: What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Mrs. Joseph: A doctor, I went to high school right next door to a top notch hospital. A lot of my friends were kids of physicians.

Talon: Tell us about your first subbing experience Mrs. Joseph: My first time subbing was in November 2007 for American Sign Language.

They watched a video from Extreme Makeover and the family both parents were deaf and their son was deaf, blind, and severely autistic. He was a master at breaking out of locks and he’d go off down the street. They tore the house down and built him a house that was attuned just to him with an open floor plan and high security and he had this room that was all padded walls so he couldn’t hurt himself. So then the older brother who had been staying at home to help out could now go to college.

Most of the students at Colonial Forge have had Mr. Wood at some point in their life. And if you have not, well you are most certainly missing out. But whether you have experienced Mr. Wood in action or not, you’ve definitely seen him walking around with his trademark satchel. People were wondering what he keeps in there and we found out.

Everyday Contents of “The Satchel”: • Altoids • Lip balm • Some fly armani spectacles • Some sort of outfitter catalogue (usually j.crew) • Now it’s also littered with graduate assignments

Mrs. Holliday Talon: Any advice to teens now?

Mrs. Holliday: Take it all in stride and have fun but work hard. You don’t want regrets.

Talon: What’s it like being a sub?

Mrs. Holliday: It’s fantastic I get to work in many different classrooms and it’s just a really great experience Talon: Would you rather be a full time teacher?

Mrs. Holliday: I love being able to teach everyone I would want to be a full someday but I don’t know what subject.

Talon: What do you do to get ready for a day of subbing?

Mrs. Holliday: Wake up at 5, get showered , pack lunch, wait for a call, eat breakfast, and go.

Talon: What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Mrs. Holliday: I’ve wanted to teach since I was a kid.

Spread by: Susan Taah & Kelsey May

Insider: Games ARE Fun!

According to Mr. Wood “games aren’t fun,” but Mrs. Joseph proves other wise to her class:

“I have a sub bag I carry with materials that might be fun to do

“Brain Quest” “Are you smarter than a 5th Grader”. I also make up trivia, like when the Winter Olympics were going on; I would as the kids trivia questions to see who was keeping up with it. I really like to get to know them. I especially like talking with the kids in foreign language; I discuss possible careers with them and stuff like that.”

“I stand in front of the mirror and say “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough; and doggonit people like me!”

- Mrs. David

Features

8

Top 12 Must See

Tarah Portland Entertainment Editor

Spiderman Spiderman 4 - May 6 Peter Parker is faced with unheard of villains as he embraces a whole new level of Spiderman. Now that he has a woman in his life, there are more threats to his being as Spiderman. In this finale of the superhero, will he continue to fight off the supernatural evils, or will he surrender his costume?

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - May 20 After endless battles against all kinds of creatures from the sea, Jack Sparrow, played

by Johnny Depp, finds yet another adventure to embrace. Hearing about a fountain of youth, he and his companion Angelica, played

by Penelope Cruz, set out to find it first before anyone else. However, Blackbeard and his daughter are after it as well. On Stranger Tides opens a whole new variety of great action and endless adventures.

Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom May 26 After starting out small in a world of big kung fu fighters, Po learned the ways of a true ninja. With much practice and lessons from the talented leaders, he became the best fighting panda around. In this new action packed film, Po is faced with new challenges where he joins teams with multiple kung fu masters, and collectively brings down the enemy who is holding onto a deadly weapon.

Green Lantern Green Lantern - June 17 When an ordinary pilot played by Ryan Reynolds is given a green ring, it takes his life to a whole new level. It bestows him with supernatural powers and urging him towards the relationship with an intergalactic clan. As he is tasked with trying to keep the universe at a peaceful stand, he is faced with many different missions forcing him to embrace his new powers.

Cars 2 Cars 2 - June 24

While the famous car, Lightning McQueen, is already one of the best racing cars in his area, he has the crazy idea of going international. He and his best friend Mater will embrace a worldwide competition as they do the unthinkable and put themselves up against the fastest cars in the world.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Transformers: Dark of the Moon - July 1 As an extraterrestrial clan of robots, the Autobots and the Decepticons, land their fight on planet Earth they come to know that the ultimate power lies in the hands of a teenager, Sam (Shia LaBeouf). While the first two movies heldthe adventure of their destiny, it is yet to be distinguished. The Dark of the Moon could fulfill their destiny and end the lifelong battle between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons.

Entertainment

9

Movies Of 2011 Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows - July 15 While the first part left the audience with suspense and unanswered many questions, the second part will fill you in further on the end of Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s adventure.

As they try and stop Voldemort, he catches wind of their thoughts and creates the biggest battle Hogwarts has ever seen. In this final plethora of Harry’s adventures, you will see life change in the strangest sorts of ways.

Cowboys & Aliens Cowboys & Aliens - July 29 In 1873, strange forces of aliens come down to planet Earth in Arizona. Planning to attack the Wild West first, different posses of cowboys plan to stand in their way and put up the best fight they can.

Paranormal Activity 3 Paranormal Activity 3 - October 21 After two suspense filled films, can it get any better? Film makers have their work cut out for them as they create the abnormal ghosts to appear for a third time. With more fear and excitement, unanswered questions to the mysterious whereabouts of characters or the appearances of scratches on the doors could finally be answered, shocking the audience more than ever.

Breaking Dawn

Breaking Dawn - November 18 The Twilight Saga has seen Bella Swan ( Kirsten Stewert) grow up to realize that there can in fact be supernatural creatures. Once she agrees to marry her beloved vampire Edward Cullen in order to become one of him, they begin to plan their future life, including their honeymoon. In this last heartbreaking film, the audience will get to see the adventures of Edward and Bella become more extreme as a baby becomes involved.

Will Bella become a vampire?

Mission Impossible 4 Mission Impossible 4 - December 16 Tom Cruise continues his adventures in yet another Mission Impossible. After fighting to protect his identity, to stop diseases, and to stop an arms dealer he continues his missions when he is now faced with the task of destroying more deadly things as there come to be various new villains around.

Sherlock Holmes 2 Sherlock Holmes 2 - December 16 Coming together again, Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson join forces to battle their wits against a villain who plans to cause another major threat to England, Professor Moriarty. Will their brains be enough to stop the evil forces? Or will England become under the villain’s control?

Features

10

“No thanks, I’m Straight Edge.”

Stephanie Devaux Opinion Editor

“No thanks, I’m Straight Edge.”

In today’s culture, especially in high school, you wouldn’t think that these words are often spoken.

But for some teenagers, it’s more than just a line; it’s a lifestyle.

Straight Edge is a philosophy of staying clean and sober by refraining from the use of alcohol, tobacco, recreational drugs, and promiscuous sex. Some take this so far as to adopt a strict vegetarian or vegan diet, and not consume caffeine or prescription drugs.

The term was coined in 1980 by the hardcore punk band, Minor Threat, in their song “Straight Edge.” Ever since then, the movement has been widespread, centered especially around the hardcore music scene.

Even today, Straight Edgers walk the halls of Colonial Forge High School,

The Straight Edge movement is identifiable with the letter “X”

and in every case, Straight Edge ideals affect every aspect of their life.

Ashley Bruner (11’) talks about how being Straight

Edge has influenced her lifestyle. “It’s totally affected my music taste. I started listening to Down to Nothing, a Straight Edge

users. Even companies like Vizio, which are known for their televisions, have made a new tablet device. Some tablets even come with a full slide-out keyboard. New software been developed for the new tablets including another Android OS called Honeycomb, expect it to

for the iPhone.

3D TVs hit the market last year, and although they have had a lukewarm reception, they are back again at this year’s CES with some improvements.

Sony, Tobisha and other brand names are showcasing 3D TVs , even without the glasses. 3D portable devices

The Tech to Expect in Joe Vargo Reporter

Last year there was a ton of new and exciting technology including the iPad, 3D TV’s, and slew of new smart-phone’s, but what technology can you expect to see this year? The recent Consumer Electronics Expo showcases all the new technology that will be available in 2011.

There were definitely some interesting products shown at CES ‘11 such as flexible screens, Table-Top computers and even Lady Gaga brand sunglasses that can take pictures. But the hottest thing at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is the tablet devices.

Tablets are devices that are somewhere in between a Smart Phone and a Laptop. Building off the iPad’s success, many other companies are developing tablets for the non-Apple

2011

they were under the legal drinking age and therefore warned the club’s staff not to serve alcohol to the band.

Today, those who choose to be Straight Edge more or less wear this X with pride.

They commit to refrain from alcohol, tobacco and drugs, and overall a pure and healthy lifestyle.

band from Richmond.”

Her twin, Mary Margaret Bruner (11’), describes how being Straight Edge dictates even the friends she chooses.

“Because I’m Straight Edge, I try to surround myself with people who share my views. My friends who are Edge are like my family; we stick together and support each other through it all. I’d do anything for those kids. I love them.”

Most identifiable with Straight Edge is the “X” symbol. However, XXX doesn’t refer to pornography.

Instead, the Straight Edge “X” came about when an Edge band, The Teen Idles, were forced to have black X’s drawn on the backs of their hands when they performed in a night club. This signified that

3D content on the go, but Sony did not name prices on the device or whether it would be available this year.

The same glassesfree 3D technology is being used in Nintendo’s newest DS, Scheduled to hit stores in March. But recently Nintendo released a

disclaimer saying the 3D in their DS could be damaging to the eyes. Children 6 and under are advised not to use the 3D and adults are advised to only use the 3D for 30mins at a time. This then poses the question will all the glasses-less 3D TVs’ and computers be damaging

to our eyes? Or is Nintendo just protecting themselves from potential hazards and lawsuits? We will have to see in 2011.

Overall, Straight Edge is a lifetime commitment to lead a healthy lifestyle. It has changed thousands of lives for the better, and has led thousands of young people to make better and healthier decisions.

In the words of the 1980 Minor Threat song that started it all, “I don’t even think about speed. That’s something I just don’t need. I’ve got the straight edge.”

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be running on all the latest Android smart phones as well. Another big announcement is that that the iPhone is finally coming to Verizon. Expect many people to switch carriers for Verizon’s vast coverage and trade in their android phones

without use of glasses, but the most interesting thing is a prototype Sony unveiled at this year’s CES. Sony is showing off a new device which is basically a 3D virtual reality helmet. The Tron looking headset plays

SHOP BEFORE SCHOOL THE EAGLES’ NEST SCHOOL STORE (@ the corner of Cafeteria & Gym)

Sports

11

Forge Winter Track and Field Meet at Liberty Hannah Somers Reporter

to their hotel to try The Colonial and get some sleep Forge Winter before their early Track and Field wakeup call at six. team traveled to They spent almost Liberty University the entire day on this past Friday Saturday waiting and Saturday for their respective to compete races in a crowded, in the Flames loud, indoor athletic Invitational. This center; pumping was one of the water and loading team’s only meet up on bagels and that is actually sandwiches. Once indoors, a nice it was time to go, change of pace though, none of that for the athletes so mattered. The team used to standing was able to redeem out in the brutal themselves in their cold waiting for races and end the the start of their weekend on a good race.

Sara Myers (‘12) and Lilly Moore (‘13) keeping busy at team camp, waiting for their races note.

With The boys team finished 19th over forty-two teams to was “fast enough to run with meter run, and in her leg overall and the girls team compete with, Hannah any girl in [her] race.” She of the girl’s first place 4x8 finished 6th. They are now Dickinson (’11), a standout was able to give herself the meter relay. working towards the District, from this past weekend, confidence needed to be one

After a somewhat Region, and State meets knew it would be a tough of Forge’s top finishers in rocky start on Friday in the which will occur in the next fight. She said she had to the 1000 meter run, the 1600 mile, the team headed back few weeks. convince herself that she

Top Finishers Boys 1000 Meter

6th: David Klimek (’11) 2:37.19; 7th: Brian O’Loughlin (12’) 2:38.12; 9th: David Pennesi (’12) 2:38.79 Boys 1600 Meter 11th: David Pennesi (’12) 4:32.82 Boys 4x4 Meter Relay 29th: Andrew McHugh (’11), Juwan Hill, Richard Nicholas, Desmond WeinbergJones Boys 4x8 Meter Relay 2nd: David Pennesi (’12), Richard Cappetta (’12) , David Klimek (’11), Brian O’Loughlin (’12) Boys 3200 Meter 8th: Jordanis Lozier (’12) 9:56.49

Girls 1000 Meter

6th: Hannah Dickinson (’11) 3:11.80 9th: Makenzie McDonald (’12) 3:16.31 Girls 4x8 Meter Relay 1st: Hannah Dickinson (’11), Colleen Wade (’11), Lauren Benoit (’11), Makenzie McDonald (’12) 10:03.15 Girls 3200 Meter 7th: Shaina Manuel (’12) 11:31.18

Varsity Basketball Athlete: Jeremy Granderson Kevin Leyh Reporter

The Talon: How long have you been playing basketball? What got you into the sport?

Jeremy: I’ve been playing basketball since I was 10 years old; I started when I watched all the amazing players in the NBA playing the sport.

The Talon: Do you have plans of continuing after high school?

Jeremy: I plan to run track and jump at the Naval Academy.

The Talon: What’s your favorite part of basketball? Why? Jeremy: My favorite part of basketball is dunking because it’s an adrenaline booster.

The Talon: Who’s your idol in basketball? Why? Jeremy: My idol is Michael Jordan because of all the great things he did playing.

The Talon: What colleges are you looking at?

Jeremy: USNA, UVA, VCA, Winthrop, George Mason The Talon: How close is the team? Are the underclassmen treated different than the upperclassmen?

Jeremy: The team is really close because we have been playing since middle school.

The Talon: How many years have you been on the team?

Jeremy: Four years. I started on JV for the first two years and have been on Varsity the past two years.

The Talon: What are your goals for this year?

Jeremy: To help bring our team its first district championship in eight years.

Sports

12

Varsity Football looks back on an undefeated season Sean O’Neill Reporter

As the whistle blew in the final quarter of the Regional Championship game, the Eagles swallowed their pride and congratulated the Battlefield Bobcats.

They had finally lost a game, but not without leaving an amazing season in their wake.

This year, Colonial Forge’s varsity football team had high expectations for the 2010 season. All of the necessary pieces were in place to compete for the state championship. With Division I recruits Blake Frohnapfel (Marshall), Eric Frohnapfel (West Virginia), and Tim Scott (North Carolina), along with many other numerous star players, the talent was there it was just a matter executing with minimal mistakes.

When practice started in the beginning of August, our players, although a little rusty from the off season, were ready to fulfill the high expectations given to them and ultimately bring home the state championship. If they were to win, it would have been the first state title won by a Stafford County football team.

It wasn’t just superstitious hype though that surrounded the team, we were the real deal.

Numerous high school football websites such as highschoolsports.net and Maxpreps.com had us ranked in the top ten in the state. Even people in the surrounding area took notice of our talent. As Drew Wilson (’11) put it, “Walking into a store with a forge football shirt on, people stopped you to talk about how great of a team we were. It was something I never expected.”

As the season opener against Forrest Park was quickly approaching, our team finished their final preparations in order to start what would be quite a memorable season. When the game ended, Colonial Forge came out on top with a 54-21 victory, setting the

pace for an explosive and exciting season.

Within the following weeks, we had stacked up impressive double-digit victories that brought us to an undefeated record. Our win against the 3-0 Massaponax Panthers solidified us as the only undefeated team in the Commonwealth District, along with becoming the #1 ranked offense in the State.

This was quite impressive but actually not too surprising.

With quarterback Blake Frohnapfel (’11) leading the attack, every game of the season was won with an impressive 30 or more points scored, mostly by the offense. This was in large part due to our speedy receivers Eric Frohnaphel (’11), Tim Scott (’11), and Aqil Tweedy (’12) along with the explosive rushing game led by Tyler Wilson (’11) and Trey Reed (’12).

Defensive end Bryan Pitts (’11) said, “It was amazing… watching my teammates go out and do something great every friday night.”

When the offense made mistakes, the defense was there to pick them and the team right back up. With defensive standouts such as David Williams (’11) and Troy Washington (’13), there was no shortage of talent whatsoever. Together as one defensive unit, they laid the foundation for the whole team, being the most consistent group during practices and even in games.

They kept the pressure off the offense which really was a key factor in their success.

Defensive tackle Chas Gouda Martin (’11) said “Throughout the entire season, we kept each other motivated and stayed focused. It was a great privilege to play with these guys. I am going to miss it.”

So as the season went on, the Eagles continued to blow out teams and dominate every game they played. At this point, winning States did seem like a real possibility. Tyler

Wilson (’11) said, “We were so confident, that we were going to win states that we tasted victory every time we woke up in the morning.”

The pressure was on. We now had a legitimate chance because all of the pieces were coming together.

Everyone rooting for us got a little nervous when we traveled to Brooke Point. Unexpectedly, they gave us our best challenge up to that point in the season.

The final score was 35-28, by far our closest game this season. They tested how badly we really wanted it and it showed that we could perform under pressure.

Taylor Via (’11) said that “it was the hardest win of the season, but they tested us and it was something we needed before the playoffs.”

After our last game against Stafford, we finished the season undefeated at 11-0. This was an impressive feat that has never been accomplished in our school history. It wasn’t what we were after though. We wanted that State Championship and we wanted it bad.

The first week of playoffs was a bye week which gave us extra time to prepare for a physical Franklin County team.

On game day, tensions were high and nerves were beginning to settle in. Our team was ready as we had been tested mentally and physically throughout the regular season. It was a home game so we would have the support of our fans and home-field advantage. It didn’t seem to matter though because our team was so focused on the task at hand.

With the fans cheering at the initial kickoff, we never looked back and ended up crushing Franklin County 45-19.

In the 3rd weeks of playoffs, our opponent was the battle hardened Battlefield Bobcats. It was a game many expected us to win, as we had a great deal of momentum going into this game. The game

To the left: Manny Sinclair prepares to snap the ball on another Eagles possession during the vengful match against Woodbridge.

Below: William and Mary committ, Nick Easter, comes off the line to block for the ball carrier.

took place on Saturday in the afternoon, something that we weren’t used to. It was a tough game; with many self produced errors and mistakes. The Bobcats eventually pulled away from us and all hope was lost. They beat us 14-42 and ultimately ended what was a magical season.

Blake Frohnapfel (’11) said, “The worst part of the loss was that it was so unexpected. I have never even thought that that game would be my last. It’s something that never crossed

my mind and it was hard to let go.” With many of our seniors disappointed that they wouldn’t get another chance at making it to States, many congratulated our team in what was a very successful season. Many positive things happened, and the team grew very close together. To many players, it felt like a family had been formed.

The players will cherish the moments that they spent with the players and coaching staff the most.

Interaction amongst the

team is what really made this season so special for them. Tyler Wilson (’11) said, “Looking back on this football season, the team chemistry was the highest it has ever been. Everybody joined together to have a fun experience which made it feel more like a family to me.” So even though we came up short, in many ways you can look at it as great season that will go down as the last hoorah for the senior class of 2011.