The Compass Vol. 7 Issue 1 by Hampton Roads Academy

Vol. 7, Issue 1

739 Academy Lane, Newport News, VA 23602

November 2009

OPINION

NEWS

SPORTS

FEATURES

Vending machines pose challenges Page 2

New students arrive at HRA Page 3

Patel promoted as pigskin prognosticator Page 4

HRA grades go online with Edline Page 5

HRA updates lab, band room Summer fire does damage

Lab named in honor of Col. Dick, a memorable and respected biology HRA faculty from 1963-80.

By Morgan Blalock The renovated Col. David W. Dick Biology Lab replaced the 30-year-old, severely outdated lab at Hampton Roads Academy over the summer. Mrs. Wendy D. Drucker (’76) and other alumni began the process in June and was officially completed on Sept. 28. Alumni started raising money in March and raised $80,000 for the lab. It is named in honor of Col. Dick, a memorable and respected biology teacher at HRA from 1963-80. According to the HRA Web site, Dick “taught biology and so much more to students” and was considered by many a renaissance man. Some of the most notable improvements include a new ventilation system, new electric and plumbing routes for safety measures and cabinetry. The new laboratory gives

Photo by Morgan Blalock

The recently renovated Col. David W. Dick Biology Lab replaced the 30-year-old, severely outdated lab at Hampton Roads Academy over the summer.

the school a facility where not only Advanced Placement and biology students, but also middle school classes, can conduct sophisticated experiments. Also new and noteworthy is the band room’s studio system, an elaborate and top-of-the-line recording area. Mr. Brown, HRA music director, plans on using the studio for recording students’ progress outside of class time, in order to get more done per period and still check in on the students. The building process in-

volved a new wall to decrease sound vibrations and was installed by several of the faculty and staff; equipment was selected by Mr. Brown. The purchases began at the end of last school year and were completed by September. Mr. Brown says that now was a great time to upgrade the facility because he is acclimated to the class schedule and, as an assessment-driven teacher, he needs to use periods for instruction.

teacher, is from Brunswick, Maine. She recently came to HRA from a small boarding school in Pomfret, Conn., where she taught for five years. She attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts. This will be her sixth year teaching Spanish. We are excited to welcome Ms. Barker to the HRA community. Ms. Yohn, the new government teacher, is from Newport News. She graduated from the

International Baccalaureate program at Warwick High School and attended The College of William and Mary to earn a degree in government and history. She currently teaches Advanced Placement and regular government courses. Next semester, Ms. Yohn is offering a new elective on immigration, nationalism and multiculturalism. The elective will touch on diverse subject matter,

By Jonathan Underwood and Joseph Montgomery No one was injured in a July fire that caused minor damage to the roof of the Hampton Roads Academy Multi-Purpose Room. The cause of the fire is still unknown. The fire was spotted in early morning around 6:30 by HRA history teacher Mr. Alford and maintenance worker Lonnie Smith, who were here in early to get a head start on their last day of roof repairs. The work had been going on for about two weeks prior to the incident. The room is used for lunch period and after-school programs. They had just exited the MPR after clocking in and caught a whiff of a strong burning smell. As they were looking around to find its source, they spotted flames shooting out right below the top of the roof, almost directly above their heads. They See FIRE on p. 7

New teachers assets to HRA community By Joe Montgomery As we all know, having new faces around school is always exciting. Teachers are no exception. The Hampton Roads Academy community enjoys meeting - and learning about - new educators who come to the school. Ms. Abby Barker and Ms. Elizabeth Yohn are two of the newest additions to the community. Ms. Barker, a new Spanish

including terrorists in the Middle East and Muslims in China, to North Africans in France and Hispanics in the United States. Feeding 2,000 HRA will once again hold a canned food and turkey drive Nov. 9-20 to benefit the Feeding of 2,000 Thanksgiving Harvest and Community Celebration Nov. 21. Information: MGendr@ hra.org.

2 Vol. 7, Issue 1

opinion

New electronics policy at HRA rankles some

Photo courtesy of Sean Dreilinger (Flickr.com)

The Compass Staff Editors: Allison Mui, Alexander Zuchowicz News Editor: Morgan Blalock Sports Editors: Kevin King, Daven Patel Features Editors: Brandon Gdovic, Vincent Le Noach, Jonathan Underwood Opinion Editor: Joseph Montgomery Reporters Nick Livingstone, erik spatz Contributors: Samuel Brody-Boyd, Kim Jurczyk Advisor: Mr. Lidington

Photo Courtesy of Andrew Maiman (Flickr.com)

By Joel Kauder The current electronic policies enforced at Hampton Roads Academy are quite straightforward: All cell phones, iPods and other electronics are to be turned off and out of sight when classes are in session. Cell phones may be used outside of school when class is not in session, or inside with permission from a teacher. But that is only if it’s an emergency or another urgent situation. iPods are also permitted with a teacher’s permission. In any other situation, electronics are not permitted during the school day. Electronics policies at HRA are sometimes ridiculous. Students get in trouble for checking the time on their cell phones because they don’t have a watch or cannot see a clock; that just seems completely unnecessary.

November 2009 Plenty of students would agree that it also is unreasonable that some teachers take cell phones for the rest of the day, rather than just that class. It’s understandable why we have these policies for electronics but the policies seem somewhat over-the-top at times. It doesn’t make much sense to take away someone’s iPod when it isn’t a huge issue. Why shouldn’t a student be allowed to listen to his or her iPod during break or study hall? It does not cause any problems for anyone. People have been asked to put their iPods away in those situations; but then again not every teacher will do that. The electronic policies at HRA are very clearly deﬁned, and consequences should be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Vending machines pose threat to wallets, waists By Vince Lenoach Who could forget last year’s dull selection of food coming out of the Hampton Roads Academy vending machines? It is safe to assume that the previous year’s attempt to sell healthier food was not paying off. This year the candy selection has grown substantially, while still leaving many healthy choices on the menu. Taking a trip to the vending machines in the lunch room, one will ﬁnd a wide selection of snacks that will not disappoint: Cheez-its, Potato Chips, Baked Doritos, Chex Mix, Hot Fries, Welch’s Fruit Snacks, White Cheddar Cheese Popcorn, Pretzel Thins, Twizzlers, Snickers, Nature Valley Oats N Honey, Chewy Bars, Planters Peanuts, Special K Bars, 3 Musketeers, Starburst Gummi Bursts, Rice Krispy Treats, Poptarts, Combos, Zoo Animal Crackers, Sun Chips, Snackwell Cookies, Cheese Curls and a variety of cheese and peanut butter crackers, among some other snacks. With this diverse selection of goodies, anyone in the mood for a snack will surely ﬁnd something to satisfy his or her taste. That being said, the next step is to decide if it is worth it. There are two prices in the HRA vending machines: 75 cents and $1. Crackers, nuts, and some chips go for 75 cents,

while the “good stuff” goes for a buck. A dollar might not sound like much (even with the state of our nation’s economy), but considering some students visit the candy machine every day, a dollar adds up to a lot. ChaCha, a mobile device question-answering service, rates the average price of a candy bar between 65-89 cents (a median of 77 cents). Suppose a student and ChaCha each bought a candy bar every day for a whole year. That student would spend roughly $365 at HRA, while ChaCha would have only spent about $281. This means ChaCha saved $84 that year by buying reasonably priced candy bars. In this situation, paying a dollar for a candy bar sounds ridiculous. Considering these fairly absurd prices, students might opt to purchase their snacks elsewhere, not buy snacks at all or just accept the high prices and get their snacks from HRA.

Did you know? A student would spend roughly $365 per year at HRA on snack machine food. Outside the school, the same student would spend $281, a savings of $84.

Vol. 7, Issue 1

news

3 November 2009

New students bring fresh insights to HRA LOWER-SCHOOL HALLOWEEN PARADE BRING CHILLS TO HRA HALLS Photo by Winston Davis Senior Minkyu Park is one of two new students in the HRA Class of 2010.

By Charlie Spencer It’s that time of year again when we head back to school. Which means there are a few new faces that you may see passing in the hallways. The Hampton Roads Academy upper school welcomed 31 new students this year. Most new students come from local schools: Gildersleeve, Peninsula Catholic, Walsingham, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, and Stonebridge, but others have come from Maryland, Ohio and even Utah. These new students have been adjusting to the new routine of a new school. They like the smaller classes and accommodating teachers. Melissa Flowe, freshman, used to attended a school with 2,000 students and likes how HRA is much smaller and personal. One big thing that they like is that the students are accepting and friendly. Emily-Anne Rigal, a sophomore, says “My favorite thing about HRA is being able to meet so many new people. I love all my new friends!” And of course the extra breaks and dances are always a plus. The main difference from the other schools they have attended are the challenging classes. Courtney MacMasters, a freshman, has noticed that the classes are harder than the other schools she has attended but she knows that with the challenging courses that she will be betterprepared for the next steps in her life. The freshmen have 16 new students in their class. The

new students are: Ward Cherry, Constantine “Dean” Chioros, Melissa Flowe, J.P. Gaffney, You Na Ha, Kevin Huang, Paul LaPointe, Anh Le, Courtney MacMasters, Danni Pacheco, Anand Patel, Will Powers, David Scheiderer, Lucy Smith, Sean Smith and Tylee Smith. The class of 2012 welcomed six new students: Traneisha Chisley, William Grifﬁn, Bree Kitchens, Ngoc Le, Emily-Anne Rigal and Marissa Wheeler. The class of 2011 has seven new students: Mark Divenuti, Eva Erb, Bo Mi Kim, Kerry McGee, AJ Sibley, Chuxi Sun and Caitlyn Unsworth. And ﬁnally the seniors, The Class of 2010, brought in a whopping two new students: Emmy Fraenk and Minkyu Park. Park said, “I like this school because I can play Xbox during study hall,” although that is no longer allowed.

First-grader Alexa Barlow appeared to be wearing her lunch with her inventive spaghetti costume.

Second-grader Paneeta Wojcik came dressed as Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz”

Cameron Barlow, top left, and Kaitlyn Miller donned their Halloween ﬁnest. Connor Worthington, bottom left, and Alex Rous use The Force to collect candy.

4 Vol. 7, Issue 1

sports

November 2009

Prognosticator picks pigskin pro’s By Daven Patel While thinking about who this year’s Super Bowl winner is going to be, I was reminded of the countless events that occurred last season that no one saw coming. Not many people saw the dreadful Dolphins and Falcons ﬁnishing 11-5 after coming of terrible losing seasons. Nobody saw the Cardinals as a Super Bowl team who until last year, only had one playoff victory in a span of 60 seasons. Also the high hopes of the teams from two years ago that were on the rise all fell, those teams included Green Bay, Jacksonville, and Cleveland. Remember those events in your mind as I start to make my predictions. I’ll be offering the teams that I believe that will win the division and also the outcome of the playoffs. Let the unpredictable predictions begin.

lock. Although Brady missed last season due to injury, The Patriots still managed to ﬁnish 11-5. Now with a healthy Brady and some more new offensive talent, such as Fred Taylor and Joey Galloway, expect this team to return to its explosive form on offense.

AFC East Do you guys remember what happened the last time Tom Brady was healthy with a dynamic core of receivers? Oh yeah, they went to the Super Bowl. With the return of Brady, expect this team to be a playoff

AFC South Unlike last year, Peyton Manning has a full preseason in the books this year so a slump start seems unlikely. Although there is talent in this division with teams like the titans and jaguars, I expect the Colts to

AFC North It is hard to pick against the defending champs but with a young talented team like Baltimore, I am going to take my chances. Baltimore, typically known for their defense has begun to develop an offense with young talent like Joe Flacco and Ray Rice. They made a deep run in the playoffs last year but in the end they fell to Pittsburgh. Although they did go 0-3 against Pittsburgh, the margin of victory for the Steelers was small.

get off to a hot start like they typically do and wrap this division up this quickly. AFC West With a weak division, the chargers should have no problem claiming the title yet again. With a dynamic offense full of weapons suck as Philip Rivers, Ladainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, and Chris Chambers, the chargers should score in bunches. Also with the return of Shawn Merriman, the chargers defense should return back to its dominate form of 2007. NFC South Being a competitive division, this title is no “gimme”. The Atlanta Falcons looked good last year and now that they added another dynamic weapon with Tony Gonzalez they should be better if their run game holds up like last year. However with the high powered offense of the New Orleans Saints and along with some defensive acquisitions this team looks sharp. Dree brees was unbelievable last year but expect him to be better. Yes, I said better.

NFC East This is probably the toughest division in all of football. With no one ﬁnishing with a losing record, the competition was very high. That being said, the Philadelphia Eagles have made much improvement. Not to mention they did go deep in the playoffs last year with a young defense and a talented offense. With another year of experience and a offense with more talent, the eagles look like a sure contender for the title. NFC West This is yet another weak division. The cardinals don’t have much competition and with Kurt Warner looking good at an old age, this team should do well again. NFC North This division got much more interesting with the addition of Brett Farve to the Vikings. Originally I would have went with the Packers but with Farve and Peterson, it is hard to overlook them. Also the Vikings do have a very talented defense lead by Jared Allen. See my predictions below.

HRA hoops rebuilds, reloads for new season By Kevin King Many starters and leaders left the Hampton Roads Academy varsity basketball this year, leaving room for new leaders to step up. In fact, more than half the team has left or graduated. The starting team this year will be very different in depth than last year. The people who left had almost all of the stats last year. The experience that these players had could potentially leave a huge hole in the upcoming season. Jeffrey Wallace and Corey Cooper both transferred to Woodside High School. Corey Kibwe, Tre Richardson now plays at Walsingham. Keith Hornsby is now playing at the high school basketball powerhouse Oak Hill High School. Ted Wang and Corey Kibwe

both graduated. All in all, a substantial amount of talent left HRA basketball , leaving uncertainty for the upcoming season. Despite all the uncertainty, many young players are playing this year. Returning leaders such as senior Ozan Kilinchan and various other juniors hope to lead this young team. According to Eric Jackson, an experienced junior player, the team has been preparing very hard for their season. “Most of the players have been playing a lot in the preseason. We have been having open gyms. I cannot wait for practice to start,” Jackson said. He added that even though the team is young, that they should be able to pull together and have a successful team. HRA’s foreign exchange program has been very successful in the past few years in

bringing talent to the basketball team. This year, Kilinchan, a native of the United Kingdom, returns to the team. Also, Kevin

Huang, a six-foot-nine-inch-tall foreign exchange student from See HOOPS on p. 5

Vol. 7, Issue 1

features

HRA grades go online with Edline By Allison Mui Edline, the online service at Hampton Roads Academy, provides relief for some and stress for others. For now, it allows teachers to post their homework assignments on the web and to view their students’ progress reports. The Edline Website says it helps “schools improve student performance by harnessing the power of parental involvement,

parent of two students at HRA, praised Edline, exclaiming, “I love it!” She added that it gives her “easy access to missing work and grades.” However, having such access also leads to anxiety and tension in some parents who are concerned about grades. Mrs. Rinderer, parent and the college counseling administrative assistant, said, “Even without meaning to, I stress my kids out

supporting teachers, and engaging the learning community.” However, there is a mix of opinions at HRA: Some praise the new Edline, while others criticize it. Mr. Van Orden, HRA’s registrar, described Edline as “a software program that we think will enhance communication between teachers, students and parents.” He added, “It should be especially useful for students who are absent. Parents are able to keep up with what is going on in classes on a day-to-day basis.” Students can easily access the teachers’ pages for their classes via Edline. In addition, individually updated progress reports enable parents to view their students’ grades. Mr. Van Orden said, “It looks as if we will try to send school-wide progress reports every three weeks or so, depending on when the quarters begin and end.” Mrs. Burnett, upper school administrative assistant and

by over-reacting to the Edline progress reports.” She continues, “I don’t think I’m alone. I have heard teachers say they are getting more calls from parents.” Most HRA students argue that Edline is creating more stress. Charlie Spencer, a senior, stated, “I hate Edline.” He also added that because of the early progress reports in the marking period, one bad grade will cause the average to fall greatly, causing more stress and pressure. On the other hand, Brad Forrest, also a senior, said, “Sure,” when asked whether or not he likes Edline. He also added, “It hasn’t given me any problems yet…” In the past, averages could not be as easily accessed, or teachers did not regularly inform students of their grades. In fact, Mrs. Deeley, a science teacher at HRA, stated, “Parents and students do deserve to know what their grades are as rapidly as possible with respect to the various other things that teachers do. Edline allows parents and students the opportunity to track their progress more routinely and that is a strong outcome of using Edline.”

Hoops, Cont’d from p. 4 China, hopes to help the team. In previous years players such as Ted Wang, who was six-foot-11, were important aspects to the team. HRA basketball starts with a relatively fresh slate this year, due to students who graduated or left. Younger players and foreign exchange students will have to help make the team successful. Also senior and junior leaders will have to step up and take charge this year. HRA’s

basketball team has to deﬁne itself in order to be successful this year.

5 November 2009

HRA plans golden year to celebrate anniversary By Erik Spatz As the 2009-10 school year contiunes, it is the beginning of the 50th anniversary of Hampton Roads Academy. The celebration brought and will continue to bring a wide array of events to the school. Students and staff already have experienced the wondrous snow cones and chilling ice cream at the beginning of the year. The blue snow cones were a nod to the school colors. The cones, along with the accompanying ice cream, were a nod to 1959, the school’s first year of existence. School spirit anyone? Also, the school’s annual Fall Festival was on Sept. 26, which, as always, drew a spectacular turnout. The hallmark event, thus far, was the taking of the anniversary picture. Students, faculty and staff gathered on the football field while a photographer and Mrs. Lassiter, a math teacher who plotted out the number on the ground below, were lifted via a crane to capture the moment on film. The final picture, seen below, captured the moment in spectacular fashion. Now, despite what many may think, this is far from the end of the celebration. Mrs. Smith of the development office said there are still major events yet to come. For example, the annual Founder’s Day is on April 21, 2010. Also, the 50th Anniversary Gala and Reunion is taking place on March 20, accompanied

by an event titled “Spotlight on Alumni Awards.” Organizers are hoping to bring together at least one alumnus from each decade of the school’s existence. The coming together of so many generations is a momentous event for the whole community and sure to inspire. Finally, the 2010 senior class will have the privilege of graduating on the 50th anniversary year of the school on May 22, and by no means is this considered a small honor. Seniors cannot wait to graduate and start a whole new chapter of their lives, as shown at the pep rally. Being the 50th anniversary of HRA, school spirit is expected to be high.

Upcoming 50thAnniversary Events Founder’s Day

April 21

Gala & Reunion March 20 Graduation

May 22

Staff Research by Jonathan Underwood

6 Vol. 7, Issue 1

FEATURES

Marvel superheroes keep new game interesting ... for a while By Samuel Brody-Boyd As fall begins, video game fans might be left wondering what the future has in store for our beloved consoles. This summer was so full of good games that it certainly must be intimidating for any game manufacturers releasing something this fall. But the march of money must continue and one game coming out this fall that satisfies gaming companies' desire for high-selling sequels is "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2.” The game pits favorite Marvel comic book heroes like Spider-Man, Iron Man, The Hulk, etc., against hordes of enemies, using their powers to cause massive destruction along the way. Sounds fun, right? Well it is, but there are a few snags along the way. If one wants a game to show off what their Xbox 360 and PS3 can do, this is the one. Hundreds of enemies can be onscreen all at once, all while your team of four characters is running around, firing off powers and doing damage, all without a hint of slowdown. The frame rate never drops, and the game runs smoothly. There are surprisingly few glitches, con-

sidering how much is going on. However, some animations are devastatingly stale, considering how dynamic a game this is. The sound is, unfortunately, the game's weakest spot. Heroes have a limited amount of things to say, and they repeat themselves often. Even worse, all the enemies sound the same, and usually say generic things that make the player want to take them out faster. Bad guys shout things such as "Get them" and "You're mine!" Dialogue makes one consider hitting the "Off" button. With regard to story, the game is decent; but if someone comes to this game in search of something on par with Dickens or Twain, they have bought the wrong game. The storyline is there only to keep the action coming. The heroes of the game are thinly drawn and act predictably. However, hilarious characters like the little-known Deadpool and the well-known Wolverine somewhat redeem the others. "Ultimate Alliance 2" is far from being a masterpiece. It's a solid sequel. Players buying in with lowered expectations will have a blast. It makes for

Photo courtesy of Marvel Comics

engaging single- and multiplayer experiences, and while it isn't worth its current price tag

November 2009

of $60, wait a few months for a price drop.

Hampton Roads a hotbed for small-venue concerts Seniors positive about new study area By Nick Livingstone As I’m sure you’re aware, we have a few great concert venues around us, namely The National in Richmond and The Norva in Norfolk. And this fall, we have several good shows coming our way.

By Winston Davis Throughout the years at Hampton Roads Academy, the seniors always had a place they called their own, a place where they could can go to relax, eat and study. This place used to be in the middle school hallway; now it’s integrated into the high school halls, allowing easier access to senior classes and a larger room to boot. The old senior lounge consisted of a dark room with three Photo courtesy of Alex Gaskarth (Flickr. com) couches and two old computers. Small venues like Norfolk’s The Norva Since the seniors were allowed attract many popular concerts. to eat in the lounge, food accumulated over time on the floor At The National, local pop/ and in the walls, making it stink punk/happy hardcore band The of mold. This caused concern Battle of Me will play on Nov. 10. Also, Brand New and Thrice for the students’ health; so a new lounge was put into play. play the same day, while superToday, the seniors have a group The Monsters of Folk play classroom which, with three the same day at the The Landmark Theatre, also in Richmond. couches, tables and bar stools, five computers and comfortable Trevor Hall and Matisyahu are on Nov. 18, Switchfoot Dec. chairs, is a studying mecca. Senior Brad Forrest said, “It 5. Dashboard Confessional and gives us so much more room to New Found Glory wrap up this do activities.” season on Dec. 16. Since the lounge is comfortAt The Norva, many of able and open there are not foul the same shows are featured. smells and food under the rugs Mutemath is Nov. 10, Taking or in the walls. Back Sunday and All American During study hall and lunch, Rejects on Nov. 18; Underoath, August Burn Red and Emery on the seniors enjoy spending time Nov. 30. Saosin will play Dec. 5 eating and studying together bringing them closer as a comand The Devil Wears Prada and munity. All That Remains wrap up The Another senior Cole BrundNorva for the year on Dec. 20. age said, “The senior lounge However, additional shows presents students a distinguished are constantly being scheduled, so make sure to check thenorva. vicinity to socialize with their acquaintances during their mincom and thenationalva.com for ute amount of free time.” schedules.

Vol. 7, Issue 1

features

7 November 2009

‘Hangover’ hilarious ﬁlm fun; coming to DVD Dec. 15 By Joel Kauder The summer of 2009 gave birth to many exceptionally entertaining movies, including “Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen,” “Bruno,” “G.I. Joe,” “Star Trek,” “Terminator Salvation” and many more. However, one of these summer movies in particular was given a little more attention than others: “The Hangover,” directed by Todd Phillips, which will be released on DVD Dec. 15. It all starts with a crazy Las Vegas bachelor party that quickly turns into a disaster. Three hung-over groomsmen wake up in their hotel suite after a crazy night in Las Vegas to ﬁnd that the groom has gone missing, and they must get him to the altar for his wedding before it’s too late. In just 48 hours, Doug is expected to walk down the aisle. Doug’s best friends saw this as the last chance to throw an unforgettable bachelor bash in Vegas, so they decide they’re

going all out. The morning after, the groomsmen wake up in their Caesar’s Palace suite to find a tiger in the bathroom and a baby sitting in the closet. Doug is nowhere to be found and the groomsmen have no recollection of what happened the previous night. So with little time to spare, the three groomsmen set out to find Doug before it is too late. This side-splitting comedy left people laughing hysterically and wondering what outrageous thing would happen next. There truly was never a dull moment. This movie had such an immense amount of the most ridiculous, completely unrealistic things happening all at once; yet that is what made the film so unique and hilarious. These three hung-over men found themselves waking up with a tiger in their bathroom, a baby in their closet, a dozen wine bottles set up like bowling

pins, a chicken, a missing best friend and groom, a missing tooth, and a completely trashed

“The Hangover” is filled with outrageously funny scenes and people. The only negative feedback I could give about the movie is how unrealistic some of the events and situations were but that is just mainly what makes the film so hilarious. Bradley Cooper (Phil), Ed Helms (Stu), Zach Galifianakis (Alan) and Justin Bartha (Doug) did a phenomenal job of keeping people laughing and amused. “The Hangover” does happen to be rated R, but it is one of those movies that you must see if you are of the appropriate age.

Other reviews of “The Hangover” Image Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Caesar’s Palace suite. When they ask a valet to retrieve the car in which they drove to Vegas, they ﬁnd themselves with a police car. In other words, it’s a nightmare when waking up in a Las Vegas hotel room.

“The funniest movie so far this year.” - The Denver Post “This is a bromance so primitive it’s practically Bro-Magnon.” - Time Source: Rottentomatoes.com

Hot music picks of 2009 from these three great bands By Nick Livingstone A look at some notable CDs on the shelves at local stores: Ursa Major, Third Eye Blind Okay, so if you don’t have this album yet, I just have to ask: Do you live in a cave? Were you alive between 1997 and 2003? Yes? Then why don’t you have this album? The latest album by Third Eye Blind ﬁnds the band’s more political side, with Stephan Jenkins also

taking a more acoustic-leaning step in songwriting. Highlights “Sharp Knife,” “Can You Take Me,” “Bonﬁre,” and my personal favorite, “Don’t Believe A Word.” Daisy, Brand New Brand New, a band with major afﬁliations, in the earlier stages of their career, were extraordinarily tight with Emo poster boys Taking Back Sunday. But personal issues

forced that aside. They now predominately tour with Thrice. Their latest album ﬁnds them being majorly experimental, mixing alternative with folk, indie, and sometimes hardcore. The highlights from album include “Gasoline,” “Daisy” and “Sink.” Beggars, Thrice From metal to alternative to folk to techno, these guys have really stretched them-

selves. Their latest album ﬁnds them working the genre of blues-based groove rock. “The Weight,” my favorite song off of the album, has a catchy riff and powerful chorus. Instead of fading into the background like their peers, Thrice have managed to stay relevant through the years by constantly redeﬁning themselves, unlike most of their alt-rock fellows.

FIRE, cont’d from p. 1 hastily called 911. The local fire department responded very quickly, and began to extinguish the fire. In extinguishing the fire, they had to tear some of the roof pieces from their place and throw them over the side. Unfortunately, this damaged some of the work that had already been finished. Most of the other workers came in to work around 8 a.m. to find the fire department in the midst of packing their equipment. The fire department was gone by 9 a.m. There was evidence that the fire was in the ceiling, below

the top level of the roof, but not inside the MPR. As the water was sprayed on the roof, some of it leaked down through the insulation and through the ceiling. This caused water damage to go along with smoke damage to materials inside the MPR, but the damage was cleaned by a ﬁre damage repair company and assessed by an insurance company that afternoon. The roof was also repaired by a contractor. The debris was cleaned up by the end of the day and the repair work also happened very quickly.

Photo courtesy of HRA HRA was the site of a mid-summer ﬁre that damaged part of the school building.

8 Vol. 7, Issue 1

features

November 2009

Senior privileges Honor, Respect, given, taken away Reliability? By Brandon Gdovic This year, seniors ask, “Why can’t we come in late if we have study hall ﬁrst?”

column In the past seniors have been allowed to come in to school late if they had study hall ﬁrst, but that was changed this year. Over the past several years, seniors were allowed to leave school early and come in late in the mornings. Recently though, there were a few complications with seniors having both of these privileges. At times faculty

would be trying to locate one of the seniors and would not be able to ﬁnd them because they had forgotten to sign in or out. Locating the senior in question started to become too complicated so this year, seniors are only allowed to leave school early. This year, seniors were given the choice to either leave school early if they have study hall last or come in late if they have study hall ﬁrst. A majority chose to leave early rather than come in late. In my opinion, I consider our decision to leave early to be better than coming in late.

Staff Photo Seniors at HRA are asking questions about the study hall sign-in policy; they wonder why they are not allowed to come in late if they have study hall ﬁrst.

Photo by Alex Zuchowicz The majority of automobiles in the Hampton Roads Academy parking lot were found to be made by three manufacturers, according to a reporter’s research.

By Alexander Zuchowicz One hundred and eighty-six different vehicles ﬁlled the HRA parking lot Tuesday, Sept. 29. Of these cars, 105 of them were manufactured by Toyota, Honda, Ford or Chevrolet. With more than 30 different manufacturers represented, perhaps there is no coincidence that 56 percent of all cars were made by the four companies listed above. The economic crisis is still recent and the cars within the parking lot tended to appear several years old, so perhaps cost is not the sole deciding factor why the majority of the cars were represented by only four companies. The simple explanation for this can be summed up by one word: reliability. It is proven that a product with better representation and performance tends to outsell other competitors. So what is it that leads people to choose these four companies over the others? Toyotas are renowned for their superior durability and quality performance, which allows these vehicles to remain within a family for generations. Honda has the same traits, and because both manufacturers are foreign, this allows the vehicle to be purchased at less cost. So the buyer can expect quality for a lower price. Sounds like a bargain, right? American manufacturers Ford and Chevrolet are both known for those same reasons, but the cash stays within our country. It is an ongoing argument that Ford is a better manufacturer than Chevrolet and vice versa, but what supporters don’t like to admit is that both are quality companies and the differences lie in vehicle appearance, more so than ve-

Make

# in HRA parking lot as of Sept. 29, 2009 Toyota 35 Honda 31 Ford 24 Chevrolet 15 Jeep 9 Chrysler 6 Volvo 6 Dodge 5 Mercury 5 Volkswagon 5 Lexus 4 Mercedes 4 Saturn 4 GMC 3 Hyundai 3 Kia 3 Mazda 3 Nissan 3 Saab 3 BMW 2 Lincoln 2 Plymouth 2 Subaru 2 Buick 1 Hummer 1 Jaguar 1 MINI Cooper 1 Oldsmobile 1 Porche 1 Suzuki 1 Total:

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hicle reliability. Comparing Ford to Chevrolet is like comparing Toyota to Honda. Both are excellent at what they do; however, because Ford and Chevrolet are both American companies, the disagreement results primarily from competition. Based upon the data from the survey, it appears that the four top companies are well-represented because of their reputation in the auto industry. They have been established for many years now and back up their advertising with the vehicles they produce.

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opinion

New electronics policy at HRA rankles some

Photo courtesy of Sean Dreilinger (Flickr.com)

Photo Courtesy of Andrew Maiman (Flickr.com)

Did you know? A student would spend roughly $365 per year at HRA on snack machine food. Outside the school, the same student would spend $281, a savings of $84.

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news

3 November 2009

New students bring fresh insights to HRA LOWER-SCHOOL HALLOWEEN PARADE BRING CHILLS TO HRA HALLS Photo by Winston Davis Senior Minkyu Park is one of two new students in the HRA Class of 2010.

First-grader Alexa Barlow appeared to be wearing her lunch with her inventive spaghetti costume.

Second-grader Paneeta Wojcik came dressed as Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz”

Cameron Barlow, top left, and Kaitlyn Miller donned their Halloween ﬁnest. Connor Worthington, bottom left, and Alex Rous use The Force to collect candy.

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sports

November 2009

bringing talent to the basketball team. This year, Kilinchan, a native of the United Kingdom, returns to the team. Also, Kevin

Huang, a six-foot-nine-inch-tall foreign exchange student from See HOOPS on p. 5

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features

basketball team has to deﬁne itself in order to be successful this year.

5 November 2009

Upcoming 50thAnniversary Events Founder’s Day

April 21

Gala & Reunion March 20 Graduation

May 22

Staff Research by Jonathan Underwood

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FEATURES

Photo courtesy of Marvel Comics

engaging single- and multiplayer experiences, and while it isn't worth its current price tag

November 2009

of $60, wait a few months for a price drop.

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features

7 November 2009

pins, a chicken, a missing best friend and groom, a missing tooth, and a completely trashed

Other reviews of “The Hangover” Image Courtesy of Warner Bros.

“The funniest movie so far this year.” - The Denver Post “This is a bromance so primitive it’s practically Bro-Magnon.” - Time Source: Rottentomatoes.com

Photo courtesy of HRA HRA was the site of a mid-summer ﬁre that damaged part of the school building.

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features

November 2009

Senior privileges Honor, Respect, given, taken away Reliability? By Brandon Gdovic This year, seniors ask, “Why can’t we come in late if we have study hall ﬁrst?”

Staff Photo Seniors at HRA are asking questions about the study hall sign-in policy; they wonder why they are not allowed to come in late if they have study hall ﬁrst.

Photo by Alex Zuchowicz The majority of automobiles in the Hampton Roads Academy parking lot were found to be made by three manufacturers, according to a reporter’s research.

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