Dec2013

The ROYAL NEWS

Volume XII Issue 3 Prince George H.S. - 7801 Laurel Spring Rd. Prince George, VA 23875 - www.trnwired.org - December 13, 2013

Hooked in 2013 ? p. 20 Pg players present peter pan p. 8 DEER SEASON DRAWS OUT HUNTERS

Captain Hook, played by senior J.T. Stawarz, frightens the lost boys with his hook. PG Players performed Peter Pan during the weekend of Dec. 5.

Photo by Tiana Kelly.

Visit trnwired.org to see the latest photo galleries and watch live broadcast events.

p. 11 JROTC RAIDERS WIN “MOST IMPROVED” p. 17 TOP10 ENTERTAINMENT MOMENTS FOR 2013 p. 24 UNEXPECTED INJURY DERAILS WRESTLER

2 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 12.13.13

op/ed

the RoyalNews

O

ur mission as the school newspaper for Prince George High School is to provide a form of media that represents all aspects of student life. The goal is to present factual accounts of newsworthy events in a timely manner. Our publication will be informative, entertaining and reflective of the student body’s opinions. It is the desire of the staff to reach every student and tell as many of their stories as possible.

We invite your commentary: The Royal News Opinion page is a forum for public discussion and shall be open to all students. The Royal News will print as many letters as space will allow. The Royal News reserves the right not to print a letter. The Royal News publishes a wide variety of opinions. Send letters to: Letters to the Editor, The Royal News, PGHS, 7801 Laurel Spring Road, Prince George, Virginia 23875, or bring them to room A4, or e-mail them to trnwired@ gmail.com We reserve the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, legality, spelling and grammar.

Please include your name, address and phone number. Anonymous letters will not be considered for publication. 500 word maximum.

Thank you for the support this year. Please continue to communicate on trnwired.org.

Illustration by Anthony Sudol.

Demand For Real World Application Lessons Arises In Schools

Section Editors

Courtney Taylor

Business Manager Deborah Gardner

Managing Editor Danielle Marshall

Adviser

Chris Waugaman

Professional affiliations & awards Columbia Scholastic Press Associations Gold Medalist 2008-2012 Columbia Scholastic Press Associations Gold Crown Winner 2013 Virginia High School Association Trophy Class 2006-2013 Col. Charles Savedge Award for Sustained Excellence 2010 SIPA All Southern 2008-2013

The Royal News, PGHS trnwired.org & trnsports.org

7801 Laurel Spring Road Prince George, Virginia 23875 804-733-2720 The Royal News is printed at The Progress-Index in Petersburg, Virginia

Editorial

Writers

Editor-in-Chief

F

Ms. Smith, people are dying...

Front page: Danielle Marshall-Op/Ed: Carolina Bae-News: Christina Buckles-Features: Mallory Cox-Doubletruck: Sarah Daniel-A&E : Debra ThomasSports: Devan Fishburne-Photo Editor/Distribution and Events: Tiana Kelly-Business & Ad Editor: Deborah Gardner -Online Editor-in-Chief: Lindsay Pugh

Hannah Zuloaga-April Buckles-Daniel PuryearAustin Britt-Alexis Stewart-Ryan Albright-Travis Temple-Kadera Brown-Qadirah MonroeSamantha Daniel-Ronald Dayvault-Abigail Faircloth-Nathan Williams-Madison Strang-Hydeia Nutt-Reeve Ashcraft-Ebony Gilchrist-Ian Kelty

Cell Phone Ban To Be Lifted From Airlines

If 20 cats jumped from a 45 ft. bridge, calculate the density of the cats’ tails at the time of impact, given that their trajectories were 32.5, the humidity was 84%, and all the cats were all the same size, breed, and age...

A

typical schedule for a high school student includes the four core classes accompanied by a foreign language and a fine arts class. Each class has a strict schedule it must follow in order to fit everything in; the core classes especially have to follow guidelines set by the SOLs. Due to this set up of classes, most students graduate from high school without learning valuable lessons about the world (besides how to solve for ‘Y’ or how the American government was formed). Students are expected to leave high school and act like adults, but up until then, they are treated like kids.

What students are already learning in high school is crucial to success both in college and in finding a job. The problem, however, is that there is more to life than college and a job. Schools should be teaching students how to protect themselves from serious social problems like STD’s, drugs and alcohol, crime, and money management.

Teachers often do not know what

students are going through outside of school, and for some students, school acts as their safe haven. Students have things they want to learn about, even within a subject. Students frequently do not speak up to ask, though, because they are taught to walk into class, sit down, and listen to what the teacher has to say to them and often there is very little interaction. Students should be taught, rather, to come into class and tell the teacher what they want to learn, with the teacher obviously still including what they know is essential.

There are many advantages to allowing the students’ input into what they are learning. Having them tell the teachers what they want to learn forces students to become more decisive and assertive, which will lead to greater success in the future.

Also, students are going to be more willing to pay attention if the teacher is teaching what the students want to hear resulting in the students learning more. Students will be able to see that the teacher cares if that teacher involves the student.

or years, cell phone usage was banned on airlines because there was a concern that waves emitted from the cell phones would interfere with the waves aviation uses to navigate and communicate.

Recently, a proposal to lift the ban has been raised due to a study conducted by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration that challenges the long-time policy.

In 2012, the FAA Carolina Bae determined that cell phone usage during a flight does not affect flight safety. The proposal will be discussed on Dec. 12 at the United States Federal Communication Commission’s meeting.

Many passengers welcome this proposal. However, there are just about as many against it. The latter’s response is not because of concern for flight safety, but for the flight experience itself.

For fliers, being seated and trapped next to someone yapping away on his cellphone could be a nightmare.

People can barely stand babies crying at the movies or students listening to their music a little too loud in the library. How can those same people be expected to trust strangers not to pick up that call that ‘just can’t wait’ in an inescapable cabin?

Maybe it is my cynicism talking, but I cannot trust people to be patient enough to call someone after the plane has landed.

In this generation, so many people can’t wait for the red light to turn green or for a web page to load in 30 seconds versus five. They can barely wait a minute for minute-rice, let alone wait an hour to pick up a call from a friend.

I understand it is great to get things done fast, but patience please. During those two hours to your holiday destination, a book may be calling out to be read or maybe your body is begging you for some sleep. Enjoy some time to yourself and watch an in-flight movie or just watch the beautiful clouds until the hustle and bustle of the holiday season smacks you in the face again.

FRIDAY 12.13.13 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 3

op/ED

Should bullying be taken seriously in the NFL? Men in professional sports are expected to act maturely and deal with their problems in an appropriate manner. Should issues between them be acted upon seriously in the public or privately within the team?

B

ullying is a touchy subject.

Never take for granted how a person feels. Statistics show that around 160,000 children skip school in fear of being bullied. So when Miami Dolphin’s Jonathan Martin was being thrown racial slurs from his fellow athlete Richie Incognito, people were not surprised he came forward.

This is not something to joke around with. If someone seems like he or she is offended by what is said, or how he or she is being talked to, then it should stop. It is surprising to see grown men bullying each other. Bullying seems to be more of a high school issue; it is not a usual, daily NFL problem.

Being bullied could have affected the way Jonathan Martin played. It could have lead to low self-esteem, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. If Martin had killed himself, the team would have lost a great player. Not only would they have lost a player, but think of the guilty conscience of Richie Incognito. In his mind he would be going over all the racial comments he had taunted Jonathan Martin with. Richie Incognito would have reminisced, thinking of how he could have acted differently and changed what he had said to Jonathan Martin. He would be miserable the rest of his life knowing that he was the reason for the death of his fellow athlete. All of this on his mind could possibly lead to depression.

Usually depression or low selfesteem is the first common side-effect of being bullied. If someone is being bullied, it should be reported. Never overlook the symptoms of bullying.

According to dosomething.org, one in four teachers see nothing wrong with bullying. Teachers see students getting bullied and rarely report it. If teachers say nothing about this, then how can one expect athletes to speak up about themselves getting harassed?

PRO CON April Buckles

Ronnie Dayvault

“...If someone is getting bullied, it should be reported...” “...It makes him look like he is not tough enough to play in the NFL since football is one of the most violent sports in the world...”

Illustration by Quadirah Monroe.

A

ll around the world, bullying is a huge issue. Recently, bullying has become a problem in the NFL. Miami Dolphins player Jonathan Martin has accused Richie Incognito and one other Dolphin staff member of bullying him. There has been a scandal in the NFL similar to this before which was the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal. Bullying is not right, but one has to think: is this being blown out of proportion?

For example, the team decided to take a trip to Las Vegas and everybody was supposed to chip in, but Jonathan Martin did not chip in his part of the money and backed out of the trip. That is what really caused him to get bullied. It was the team’s trip; it was the team’s business and nobody else should have known about it.

Now that he is getting bullied, he could probably never play for the Dolphins again.

If he does not play on the Dolphins anymore, and signs with another team, then how could his teammates trust him again.

He backed out of the trip and he will not be the same.

ESPN is covering the bullying scandal every time the TV is turned on. There are other, more important events happening in the world. They should not be covering this story this much. It happened weeks ago; there is no need for this much coverage.

Jonathan Martin and the Miami Dolphins’ reputation are at risk because he announced that Richie Incognito and another staff member of the Miami Dolphins were bullying him.

He look like he is not tough enough to play in the NFL, since football is one of the most violent sports in the world. It could also affect the whole NFL with so much attention paid to this one incident then football won’t be the same. One might think the NFL is very controversial right now because of all the scandals that have happened, including this one. It could ruin the NFL’s reputation. If things like this keep happening, then the NFL should just be shut down because nobody is interested in all this negative publicity about men acting like this.

In The News...

Bullying has always been a negatively connoted issue. Everyone can agree that this form of oppression unacceptable. However, many people have differing opinions on how to deal with such issues. Many deem it a private problem that should involve only the parties involved. Others take bullying very seriously and think that outside forces need to mediate the conflict.

Recently in the National Football League, bullying arose as a scandal within the Miami Dolphins. Player Jonathan Martin felt like he was being victimized and accused fellow team member Richie Incognito of bullying him.

The bullying stemmed from alleged racial slurs that Incognito had said and from other forms of unfavorable treatment.

A full investigation was launched and it is reported that the Dolphins organization is cooperating and is urging its other personnel to do so as well.

The members are being thoroughly interviewed by New York attorney Ted Wells in order to gather facts and prepare a fair report.

With such issues, those in the world of professional sports wonder if it is appropriate how Martin has dealt with the situation.

To hear these columns as podcasts, go to trnwired.org/ category/opinions

4 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 12.13.13

All YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS...

IS YOUR 2014 COPY OF PEERAGE! GO TO WWW.JOSTENSYEARBOOKS.COM

FRIDAY 12.13.13 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 5

Briefly

NEWS BRIEFS

Volunteer Day This day was passed through the UN General Assembly Dec. 17, 1985 so that organizations can promote volunteering and community service. This day promotes people to unite on a local, state, and national level to carry out projects and volunteer their time to the common good.

SAD Awareness Around this time of year, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is prevalent during the winter season. Symptoms include weight gain, oversleeping, energy loss, and anxiety. Serotonin and melatonin levels are some causes of this but also the change in time and season. This month is set aside to inform people about this disorder and how to treat it.

Happy Holidays from the Royal News!

Santa waves at the crowd during the Christmas parade. The parade took place on Sat., Dec. 7. Photo by Ronnie Dayvault.

Yearbook Snaps Club Pictures Club pictures for the yearbook will be taken in the auditorium today, Dec. 13. Clubs will have set times to meet and pose for the photo. Students must have club cards and passes to be in club pictures.

Band Performs Holiday Program This program will be held in the auditorium on Dec. 17. It will start at 7:00 PM. The choir and band will be performing Christmas songs for this event.

FCA Holds Christmas Assembly This assembly will be held on Dec. 20 in the auditorium. The assembly starts at 1:00 PM, the beginning of 6th block, until school lets out. Students must have a signed permission form to attend this activity.

Winter Holidays Different religions celebrate the holidays in different ways.

Christmas On Dec. 25, Christians honor Jesus of Nazareth, the leader of Christianity, being born. This is celebrated through exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, going to church, and waiting for Santa to come to town.

Hanukkah The Jewish holiday Hanukkah is celebrated over an eight day span from Nov. 27-Dec. 5. Jews celebrate this through lighting the menorah, eating fried food, and spinning the dreidel.

Kwanza Kwanzaa, which is Swahili, was founded in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga to unify African Americans during the Christmas season. This holiday has seven symbols that are celebrated each day, from Dec. 26-Jan. 1.

6 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 12.13.13

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FRIDAY 12.13.13 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 7

Features

Season Draws Out Hunters

Students Share Hunting Stories And Secrets As Deer Season Continues

April Buckles trn writer

W

hen the leaves drop so shall the deer. On Nov. 16th a well awaited season of deer hunting began.

Deer are notorious for running in the streets and neighborhoods of Prince George County. It is not uncommon to see one lying on the side of the road during this season.

Every hunter has his/her own hunting grounds, whether it’s his/her lucky spot, where the deer are most abundant, or where the hunter is most comfortable.

“I can usually hunt at my house, or sometimes with the hunting club,” sophomore Madison Barlow said.

Hunters are often picky with their choice of weapon. Whether it be a shotgun, rifle or bow, all are commonly used for this hobby.

“I hunt with a Stoger Model 2000, 12 Gauge that uses 2 ¾ and 3 shells,” junior Corey Bridgman said.

Sophomore Hunter Gibbs has a different take on his weapons of choice.

“I use a bow or shotgun,” Gibbs said.

Hunting is like any other sport, just with guns. Points are important when hunting. The more points you have shows how skillful you are.

Points can be affected by the kind of deer you kill, how big it is.

“The most points I’ve ever gathered in one hunt, is 16 points,” Gibbs said.

While hunting, hunters tend to come across some animals more than others.

Left: Junior Corey Bridgman waits in a tree for game to pass by. Deer season began this year on November 16th. Photo by Mallory Cox.

“The animals I come across the most while hunting are definitely squirrels,” Gibbs said.

Hunters should always have a hunting permit, and be with a responsible adult.

When preparing for the season everyone has their own different rituals or actions they perform.

“I put the dog box in the truck, put all the shells together and get all my hunting essentials ready. Mentally I don’t do anything. I just get out there and I do it,” Bridgman said.

Gibbs prepares by practicing his marksmanship.

“I prepare for the season by shooting something every day before hunting. I usually use a bow, gun or whatever I have when practicing,” Gibbs said.

When making deer meat there are numerous ways to prepare the food. Venison, deer jerky, and even deer chili are some popular ways that deer meat is cooked, but the preparation of the deer is usually the hardest part.

“We skin the deer, and then part off the meat into sections. After parting off the meat we soak it in water to release any blood that is in the meat.

Then we either place the meat in the freezer or we cook it,” Gibbs said.

When hunting, you can use certain calls to lure the animal you wish to kill towards you.

“When I hunt I use turkey calls, grunt calls, bleat calls for deer, and crow calls,” Gibbs said.

Some people do not hunt, or do not understand the reason for killing animals. They would rather leave them alone than have them hunted and killed. Hunters, however, love what they do and see no problem with hunting deer or any other animal. Some hunters say that hunting is a good way to control the population of animals.

There would eventually be an over population of a certain species if they stopped hunting.

“My favorite thing about hunting is the feeling you get when the dogs are running, and a deer comes out towards you, and you shoot it and hear it drop,” Bridgman said.

8 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 12.13.13

Features

Beta Drives Relief Program

CHRISTMAS BIRTHDAY Alexis Dennis

Do you enjoy having your birthday on the same day as Christmas? Why or why not?

Yes, I do enjoy it, because I get all the presents and it’s better to celebrate your birthday on Christmas. I also share my birthday with my grand pop.

‘Royals Relief’ Aims To Provide Students With Healthy Meals Outside Of School

I

Samantha Daniel trn writer

n the United States, approximately 15.9 million children live in a home where they do not have access to enough food. These children face serious health risks. Malnutrition caused by the lack of food can create learning problems; these children may have a slower reaction time and difficulty paying attention. Physical problems also appear. Children who are malnourished may have weaker bones and muscles, and their organs may not function properly.

To prevent malnutrition, many schools offer these children free and reduced lunches.

Parents fill out paperwork and children are able to eat a filling, nutritional meal.

However, when these children go home, they are not afforded the opportunity of free and reduced food. These children go home to be hungry.

Senior Alex Smith, a member of the Beta Club, has a solution to this growing problem: an in-school food bank.

“They have it at Thomas Dale,” Smith said.

“It’s called Knights in Need.”

Smith suggested that like Thomas Dale, Prince George High School should open up a food bank. This would give kids that usually have no dinner, an opportunity to have nutritious food at home.

Smith explains that although kids can receive lunch at school, this opportunity disappears as soon as they leave the building.

Royals Relief, the name of the proposed food bank, would provide students with food even after they leave the building.

Beta Club president, senior Trey West, thinks that the program could be very beneficial. West explained that school is a safe place for some students. If they do not have security and support at home, they can come to school and be in a secure environment. He believes that Royals Relief would extend that security to the student’s homes, making an impact beyond the walls of PGHS. “I want to make school more of a haven for students,” West said. “This could help provide for them all of the time.”

Smith and West both hope to have Royals Relief up and running by at least winter break. In order for that to happen, Beta Club members are being asked to bring in supplies so that the food bank can be stocked.

Junior Casey Abernethy believes that this program could bring benefits not only to those students in need, but also to the school as a whole, because it requires that students get involved.

“I think it brings a stronger sense of community to the high school, as well as provid-

Junior Casey Abernethy holds a donation to the Royals Relief food bank. Senior Alex Smith, who had the idea to start a food pantry for students in need, approached the Beta Club about starting the program.

Photo by Mallory Cox.

How does it make you feel special?

It makes me feel special because not many people can say their birthday is on Christmas.

ing another source of help to those in need,” Abernethy said. “I think that many students will get involved with this program because they know that it will help their classmates.”

Once the food bank has been stocked and the program is officially ready for business students will be able to receive help easily.

If a student wants to receive help, all they have to do is talk to a guidance counselor. The counselor will assess the need of the student, approve it, and then contact the Beta Club on what is needed. The student will receive help shortly thereafter.

“It’s all anonymous,” West said.

In order to make asking for help easier for students, the program has been set up so that the only people who know which students have asked for help are the guidance counselors. This will prevent students from feeling too embarrassed or scared to ask for help.

Royals Relief will make helping students easier by making the assistance accessible in a place where they go five days out of the week.

“I don’t see any disadvantages to the program, and hope it succeeds in the future,” Abernethy said. “I hope to be involved in helping continue the program as well.”

Since your birthday is the same day as Christmas, do you receive birthday and Christmas gifts?

I do, I receive two sets of gifts. I usually receive a lot of presents for both my birthday and Christmas.

How is your birthday falling on Christmas positive or negative?

I get to spend time with my family, eat a lot of good food and travel. However, I cannot go to restaurants because everything is closed.

How did your family react?

I was not supposed to be born on Christmas; I was supposed to be born four days before. My mom was in labor for two days. My grandma said that I was going to be born on Christmas, and she was right. My mom said I was her Christmas gift.

Interview by Hydeia Nutt.

FRIDAY 12.13.13 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 9

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10 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 12.13.13

December 15 Gary’s Chancel Choir will present “Heaven on Earth” a Christmas Musical during the 11:00AM Worship Service to the glory of God.

Please Join us for the PGHS Holiday Concert. It will feature Choir and Band on Tuesday December 17th at 7 pm.

Free admition December 24 at 7:00PM Gary’s UMC will celebrate the joy and peace of Christmas offering a caroling, Communion, and Candlelight Worship Service to the community.

FRIDAY 12.13.13 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 11

Features

Raiders Achieve “Most Improved” JROTC Raiders Team Wins Improvement Award At Competition Austin Britt trn writer

A

t Pocahontas State Park this past November, JROTC Raider teams from numerous high schools across the state met for the first meet of the school year to participate in a competition. This competition involved completing various tasks, all of which demanded high physical capacity from the cadets involved. The PGHS Raiders were able to take home a Most Improved trophy.

The many tasks performed by cadets include a push-up and sit-up test (or a PT Test), a two mile run, the rope bridge climb, first aid, truck pull, land navigation, and at the end, a 5K. While these are grueling and challenging tasks, the Raiders feel that they are well prepared physically for these different events.

“Personally, I prepare for these events by drinking plenty of water beforehand,” Cadet Justin Austin said.

Another approach to preparing for competition is taken by Cadet Wesley Warren, who considers mental training just as important.

“I prepare myself physically and mentally before these events by training constantly,” Warren said.

One of the key focuses of the JROTC Raider team is to prepare cadets not only physically and mentally for the real world, but also to instill leadership experience into the cadets.

“The best part of being a Raider in Prince George is that I can experience a role of leadership,” Raider Commander D’Angelo Luna said.

With all of their training and practice, the Raiders team was able to come home

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GREEN with a Most Improved trophy. Seeing as the Raiders team has not placed in many recent events, this was a particularly triumphant victory.

The team was ecstatic for their placement in only their first meet of the year.

This win has encouraged them to practice even harder for competitions in the future.

“Placing in the event at Pocahontas State Park has allowed us to realize that all of our hard work and practice has paid off and that we are adding on to the already historic Prince George JROTC way of winning,” Warren said.

Members of the Raiders team already had respectable and lofty goals set for this year, making this placement a momentum and motivational booster for future events.

“I believe that through our practice and hard work we can not only achieve new heights as a team in future events, but also teach upcoming members the ins and outs of the Raiders team by instilling a high level of excellence into their work habits,”

Raider Commander D’Angelo Luna and Cadet Wesley Warren stand together after the Raiders win Most Improved.

The Raiders won this award during the first meet of the year in Nov. Photo by Mallory Cox. Warren said.

Although these Raiders train extensively throughout the year, they all believe that when it comes down to what they enjoy the most about JROTC, it is the relationships and experience for the future.

“My favorite part of competing in these events is simply hanging out with some friends, meeting new people, and just being able to experience one of the best JROTC programs in the state,” Luna said.

“The best part of being on the Raiders team and in JROTC in general is taking a part in leadership and knowing that I have found my destiny,” Austin said.

Cathy Cleveland PGHS ART CLUB Vickie Cosgrove S.B. Jones Pamela Alley Tonya Mahaffey Janie Williams Philip Jones

PATRON Mrs. Franchok Renee Topian Tammy Peterson

12 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 12.13.13

Santa Claus Around Th

Every Year On Dec. 25, Santa Claus Travels The Globe In 24 Hours To All Different Countries With Differen

Hawaii

K

anakaloka has been arriving in Hawaii since 1858, pulled in an outrigger canoe by dolphins. He has even been known to surf in. Since Hawaiian homes don’t have chimneys, stockings are hung wherever there is available space, and Kanakaloka fills them. Kanakaloka is often depicted as wearing Hawaiian garb instead of traditional robes when he arrives on the islands.

I

Norway

n Norway, presents are brought by Julenisse, who is actually an elf who has existed for thousands of years. Julenisse wears a grey suit of clothes and a red cap, and has a grey beard and hair. Julenisse brings presents to all the good children in Norway on Christmas Eve and delivers them in person.

Neth

S

interklaas, Sa and a matchin elaborate gold in mid-November b Over the next three tops and uses the ch while Zwarte Piet c ditional gift-swappi

I

France

n France, Père Noel rides a donkey named Gui (translated into Mistletoe in English). Children leave out their shoes filled with treats for Gui. Père Noël takes the treats and, if the children have been good, leaves in their place small toys, money, and candy. In some areas of France, Père Noël is accompanied by Père Fouettard, who dresses in a black suit and carries a whip to spank children who have been bad.

Czech Republic

C

hristkind is a typical gift bearer in the Czech Republic, though his appearance differs greatly from that of Santa Claus. Christkind, originally created by Martin Luther as a reference to the incarnation of baby Jesus, is described as a blonde-haired angel who can never be seen by children. Parents often tell their children that if they are curious and try to see the Christkind, that he will not bring gifts. The Christkind leaves the presents underneath the Christmas tree, and when the parents see that the gifts have been delivered they announce the departure of the Christkind with a small bell.

FRIDAY 12.13.13 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 13

he World

Celebrating Holidays Around The World

nt Conceptions Of Him

Shawn West Junior Shawn West lived in Switzerland. “[It is] just like Christmas here.

There was a big tree in the center of the town, Christmas music in stores, and LOTS of snow,” West said.

Russia

D

ed Moroz, also known as Father Frost to most English speakers, has come a long way in Russian culture. Early portrayals of the character showed him not as a joyful children’s character, but as an evil spirit with a wicked lust for freezing people and kidnapping children. Ded Moroz underwent a full transformation after taking on traits to match Sinterklaas, the Dutch and Belgian equivalents to Santa Claus. Now Ded Moroz is a common symbol during the holidays that represents the coming of a new year.

herlands

anta Claus of the Netherlands, wears red robes ng cap over a white bishop’s alb and carries an den shepherd’s staff called a crosier. He arrives by steamboat to Spain with his helper, Zwarte Piet. e weeks, Sinterklaas rides a white horse over roofchimneys to give gifts to well-behaved children, carries whips to punish naughty children. The traing is celebrated on the evening of December 5th.

c

Kendell Finster Junior Kendell Finster lived in Germany. “[There were] a bunch of fests for no reason,” Finster said.

Justin Austin Junior Justin Austin lived in Germany.

“They kept their trees outside and just decorated them outside,” Austin said.

Colonel Chandler

Australia

T

he Christmas season is never filled with snowy sidewalks down under. Instead the Australians spend Christmas day on the beach playing rugby and enjoying a picnic. If one were to stick around long enough they may be lucky enough to spot Santa riding in on an unusual vehicle of choice: a surfboard. Santa could also be seen leaving his reindeer behind dancing with kangaroos or enjoying a little shrimp on the barbie while enjoying the holiday season with the Australian people all wrapped up in their Christmas bush.

Teacher Colonel Chandler lived in Australia.

“It was during the summer.

There were big meals and instead of decorating pine trees, they decorated eucalyptus trees,” Chandler said.

Chandler also lived in Hawaii.

Correa Santos Senior Correa Santos lived in South Korea.

“Christmas is a week-long event. You give meaningful gifts to your ancestors, then to everyone else. There was no Santa.”

14 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 12.13.13

4550 Crossings Boulevard Prince George, VA 23875

(804) 458-5229

Contact Us:

FRIDAY 12.13.13 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 15

A&E

PG Playlist:

Royaltones Harmonize

The Holiday Edition Songs that were voted on are from Yahoo!’s Top 20 Songs for the Holidays

1. “All I Want for

PG’s First Show Choir Prepares For First Performance Ryan Albright trn writer

S

enior and choir president Sade Ferguson steps onto the stage to try and show everyone what the Royaltones are all about, and what they have been working on for months on end.

The Royaltones show choir, a step up in difficulty from both regular and advanced choir, is a new concept for Prince George. Its identity is really unknown to the student body. Many question the difference between show choir and regular choir and show choir and theatre..

“Show choir is pretty much an intense version of choir, with a lot more facial expressions and choreography involved, as well,” Ferguson said. “It is a lot like the show Glee, which focuses more on pop music.”

Choir teacher Jessica Barkley had no experience with show choir coming out of high school. In fact, she never came across it until her first year teaching.

“When I was in high school, I never did [show choir], but then I came across it when I started teaching, and I absolutely fell in love with it,” Barkley said.

Since this is the first year of show choir, the students that participate in it are taking it as a challenge to set the tone for the future.

“Being the first show choir, we have to try to set the standards for more show choirs for years and years to come,” Ferguson said.

The show choir will try to do just that, when they hold their first performance coming up on Dec. 17. However, electrifying and astonishing the student body, as they would like to, takes an abundance of

focus.

“Some of the things that we have been trying to focus on [for our first performance] are blending our voices, showing our emotions, and just having fun,” Barkley said. “Having fun is a major key, because that is what show choir is all about.”

Seeing as it is their first time performing it is quite usual for there to be a bit of nervousness within the group.

“I am really nervous about hitting some of the weird notes that we have, and there are also some weird pitches we will all have to hit,” junior Luis Rodriguez said.

Albeit the nervousness, the Royaltones are eager to perform in December. The show choir is just asking for everyone to give them a chance to impress, to let them show the students what they have been working on since September.

“We are going to rock [the December performance], our soloists are pretty amazing,” Rodriguez said. “Expect [our performance] to be right up there with the advanced choir’s performances.”

As far as gaining the respect and gratitude from their teacher, it sounds as if the Royaltones have already earned it. “[For the December performance], the students are going to go out and do well,”

Senior Kayla Boyette, junior Samantha Martin, and senior Casey Overton practice during class for their performance on Dec. 17. They have been practicing for this performance since Oct. 2013.

Photo by Ian Kelty.

Barkley said. “[The students] will sound great, and the whole performance will be great.”

After they ‘rock’ the December performance, all eyes will be on the show choir for their second recital in the spring.

“The second performance that we do in the spring should take place in April, and [the second performance] will have much more choreography than the winter performance,” junior Samantha Martin said.

“Our choreographer kind of quit on us, so we do not have as much choreography as we would like to have in the first performance.”

Barkley seems to be hopeful for the future for show choir and the entire choir program at Prince George. “[Show choir] will be a good addition to the choir program that we already have, and I think that everyone will enjoy it,” Barkley said.

Christmas is You” -Mariah Carey 2. “Jingle Bell Rock” -Bobby Helms 3. “You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch” -Thurl Ravenscroft 4. “It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas”

- Johnny Mathis 5. “Let It Snow” -Dean Martin 6. “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” -Ashanti 7. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” -Brenda Lee 8. “Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer” -Gene Autry 9. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” -Judy Garland 10. “Silent Night” - Frank Sinatra

This survey was conducted among 100 students and teachers

16 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 12.13.13

d Owne y l i m Fa ! cades e d r fo

Grea Cont t BBQ! act J Nan eff at nysb bq2@ to ha g mail. ve N com your anny’s ca t next event er .

11900 South Crater Road - Petersburg, VA 23805 (Prince George County, VA) (804) 733-6619

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A&E The Top 12 Moments In Entertainment 2013. Read The Lyrics To The tune of Jingle Bells, Beginning With “Dashing Through the Snow..”

Visit trnwired.org to hear the TRN staff singing the Top 12 Events in Entertainment 2013 Carol

He came to the world.

The royal baby’s here

Miley got on stage, just shaking her rear

Oh! J- Law fell!

J- Law fell!

Twitter took over our lives

Duck Dynasty grew beards

Amanda Bynes got weird

J T sang ! N-SYNC came!

Katniss beat the games

Cory Monteith passed away

and Kimye got engaged!!

Catching Fire Hits Theaters with Great Reviews and Box Office Totals

C

Superheroes came and took over the screen

Robin Thicke done saw “Blurred Lines” and then he made us sing

FRIDAY 12.13.13 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 17

atching Fire is the sequel in the successful film franchise, The Hunger Games, which debuted in the fall of 2012. Catching Fire begins with Katniss and Peeta going on a victory tour for 74th Hunger Games. Before going on the tour, Katniss receives a visit from President Snow explaining that he does not believe in her love for Peeta, and that they must convince him that their love is real.

If they fail, he will bring Alexis Stewart harm to their families.

After completing their tour and putting on a fake engagement, Snow announces the Quarter Quell, which is a special anniversary of the Hunger Games that occurs every 25 years. The announcement is a surprise for all of Panem, and puts Katniss and Peeta back in the Games. Katniss and Peeta arrive at the Capitol and meet the victors, who are now their competition. The victors for training until it is time to go into the arena. While competing in the games, Peeta and Katniss form an alliance with slightly unconventional various victors to come up with a plan to take out the remaining opponents and survive the Games.

Their plan is interrupted and ultimately leads to a cliffhanger ending that creates suspense for the third movie installment.

There are several differences from the book, but they can be easily overlooked with the quality of the film.

I personally thought it was one of the best movies I have seen all year. One of my favorite parts of the movie was when Peeta was electrocuted. Katniss and another contender Finnick were trying to save him. Katniss thought he was dead, but then he woke up and shared a passionate kiss with Katniss.

I would recommend that everyone go see this movie. Although it is PG-13, I would still say it is a family feature film.

To date, Catching Fire has grossed $573 million worldwide. The film broke Thanksgiving weekend records, and has the potential to break records of several popular franchise films, including the first Hunger Games movie.

Overall, I give this film an A.

18 | THE ROYAL NEWS | THURSDAY 12.13.13

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Custard Kitchen BE SURE TO VISIT OUR NEW ICE CREAM SUNDAE SHOPPE!

Go Royals!

Robert Major Wilkinson, Jr.

President

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A&E

New Addition To Game Franchise Meets Fans’ Expectations

C

hange is a mixed bag. It creates new and exciting experiences, but loses what came before it and often has a troublesome transitional phase. The Arkham franchise learned this the hard way with its latest entry Batman: Arkham Origins. In a bold move, developer Rocksteady handed over its wildly popular Arkham series to Warner Bros. Games Montréal to pursue other interests. WB Montréal had big shoes to fill with this third installment, and while they did an admirable job, this their debut video game, and it shows.

Arkham Origins builds on what came Travis Temple before it, if only superficially. The biggest additions to the formula are new environments to explore.

Half of the in-game map is recycled from Arkham City, while the other half is fresh. This is a welcome addition, but the new areas do nothing other than space out the missions and collectibles, which adds little value to the experience. The two halves are joined by a bridge, making the expansion blatantly obvious and a little annoying. The bridge has to be traversed to reach an objective on the other half of Gotham, which gets annoying after the fifth time you do it and downright frustrating after the one hundredth time. This would be alleviated by

FRIDAY 12.13.13 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 19

Gamer's Corner

the new fast-travel system used to “quickly” jump to certain points within the city were it not for the game’s biggest flaw: its technical problems.

Origins is marred by all manner of glitches, the most noticeable of which are the incessant frame-rate drops.

The gritty, stylish graphics are at an all-time high for the series, but admiring them is hard when the on-screen action moves at a crawl. The only reprieve from this is when Batman is indoors, and it’s at its worst when fast traveling. Fast traveling should be a quick, snappy game play mechanic, but instead it becomes a sluggish afterthought.

None of these technical falters render Origins unplayable, but they are incredibly annoying. WB Montréal has promised digital patches to fix some of these issues, but they do not excuse them from existing in the first place.

Everything about Arkham Origins that was largely left alone is as good as it was in Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. The pristine game play created by Rocksteady was left untouched, minus one minute change that improves the experience. The inimitable FreeFlow combat used in the first two games is still present, but the window of time available for countering and attacking has been reduced just enough to be noticeable. Per expectation, a healthy amount of side quests are available including the Riddler’s hundreds of hidden collectibles.

Batman is only as effective as the gadgets in his tool belt, and Arkham Origins lacks innovation in this area as well. The majority of Batman’s tools in Origins are carry-overs from

Arkham City, which is disappointing considering the series’ previous habit of surprising and impressing fans in this respect. Some of the “new” gadgets are just renamed versions of previous ones, which is a cheap way of circumventing breaks in series continuity.

All of the genuinely new additions are bland and unmemorable, making Origins’ tool belt reflective of the entire experience. It’s more of the same, but everything being recycled is of high quality.

The plot is competent and engaging, but it’s mostly fanfare for followers of the DC comic book universe. However, the title is a bit misleading because the game is anything but an origin story and could exist nearly anywhere within the Arkham story line. Batman has a bounty on his head, and eight assassins are after him because of it. This serves as an excuse to bring together a multitude of antagonists and draw as wide of an audience as possible. While the idea of tracking down and defeating eight of the world’s greatest assassins is neat in premise, the execution is lacking. The highlight of Batman’s encounter with the assassins is his fight with Deathstroke, which is the best ten minutes of the entire series.

WB Montréal had huge expectations to live up to, and they did a good job considering this is their first video game.

Batman: Arkham Origins is fun despite its flaws, but newcomers looking to experience the Arkham series should probably start elsewhere, and series veterans should feel anything but obligated to play this, as it is a prequel. This is definitely the weakest entry in the Arkham series but a decent game nonetheless.

Merry Christmas & Happy 2014 from the Prince George Board of Supervisors.

Percy C. Ashcraft County Administrator Prince George County

PO Box 68 6602 Courts Drive Prince George, VA 23875 (804) 722-8601- office (804) 892-6724 – cell (804) 732-3604 - fax pashcraft@princegeorgecountyva.gov

“A global community where families thrive and businesses prosper.”

20 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 12.13.13

ph tOGallery

PG Players Present Peter Pan RIGHT: Peter Pan, played by senior Danielle Marshall, mourns the death of Wendy, played by junior Matalin Collins, who is pretending to be dead. “This scene was a lot of fun to do because I got to be overly dramatic,” Marshall said.

BELOW: Mr. and Mrs. Darling, played by senior J.T. Stawarz and senior Sarah Fitch, discuss their children’s, Wendy, John, and Michael, well being. The darlings set the stage for the rest of the play.

Photos by Tiana Kelly.

LEFT: Junior Matalin Collins tells the lost boys, played by sophomore Bennett Buetow, seniors Chandler Bradley and Ryan Minar, her life story. From this story she decides to go back home with her brothers.

Photo by Tiana Kelly.

ABOVE: Captain Hook, played by senior J.T. Stawarz tells his plan to Smee, played by senior Nick Alexander, plotting revenge on Peter Pan. Hook lost his hand in a duel with Pan. Photo by Ian Kelty.

To see more photos visit trnwired.org

FRIDAY. 12.13.13 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 21

Wintersports

Athlete Embraces Uniqueness of Sport

New Student Q&A

Quincy Cunnigham Boys Basketball

Competitor Describes His Passion For The Game Of Shot-Put Reeve Ashcraft trn writer

J

unior Luke Johnson stands at the mark with anticipation, and with raw strength and days of hard-work, throws the shot put with the intentions of not just breaking a personal record, but of bringing home the win for

his school.

Shot-put is a track and field event that dates back as to the Greek Olympics and was made an official modern Olympic event in 1896 for men and 1948 for women. The high school field event includes the athlete throwing a twelve-pound ball (eight-pound for females) as far as their strength will allow them.

Although the event is simplistic in nature, Johnson admits the training that goes into becoming great is more difficult than it would seem.

“Even though there is no e x a c t training program for shot put, we run to build endurance and do weights for strength,” Johnson said.

“Personally, I run and lift weights to build the strength of my wrists and shoulders and do push-ups to

build more muscle.”

While throwing, the athlete must keep the shot close to the neck, and keep it tight to the neck throughout the motion. During the motion, the shot must be released above the height of the shoulder, using only one hand, and must land within the legal sector.

Foul throws can occur if an athlete drops the shot below or outside the vertical plane of the shoulder during the shot or throwing a shot that lands outside the legal sector.

Not only do athletes need to train their arms, they also do training to strengthen their legs, core, and chest to obtain the farthest throw each and every time. Unlike many athletes, Johnson, unlike most athletes, had the opportunity to defeat his brother in a meet.

“My brother Caleb and I were at the regional indoor track meet last year and we had warmed up and were ready to throw,” Johnson said. “With each throw, we became more and more excited and on my final throw I set a new personal record of 41 feet, 5.75 inches, and had beaten my

brother. He was so mad, but he came up to me and congratulated me.”

The world record for hot put was set by American Randy Barnes with 75.853 feet (23.12 feet) in 1990 at UCLA’s (University of California, Los Angeles) Drake Stadium.

Indoor track and field coach Brian Griffin has coached Johnson for three years and watched him blossom as an athlete.

“He’s a hard worker with a very competitive mind set,” Griffin said. “When he does bad he’s harder on himself than anyone else.

Although very competitive, Johnson believes that a relationship among teammates is a massive key to success.

“He’s very support of his team and teammates and a great person to have around the team,” Griffin said.

Along with being a productive member of both indoor and outdoor track, Johnson is a member of the varsity football team. Even though he enjoys playing football, Johnson would rather be out practici n g shot put.

“I just generally enjoy the people around me,” Johnson said. “We’re serious when we need to be serious, but have fun and mess around when the time is right.”

Even though Johnson has not decided on what he wants to do in the future, sports are definitely going to be taken into consideration.

“I’m not really sure what I want to do yet, but it’s a decision I’ll be thinking about a lot in the next few months,” Johnson said. “As far as Division 1 schools, Michigan and Virginia Tech are two that are on top of my list.”

Junior Luke Johnson practices without a shot to improve his throwing technique .

Johnson achieved a personal best of 4 feet.

5.7 inches in the 2013 season.

Photo by Reeve Ashcraft.

When did you start playing basketball and why?

“I started playing basketball while I was five, but I didn’t start playing organization ball until eight. I saw all of my friends playing so I wanted to play too.”

What school did you come from? Was leaving your old school hard?

“Evangel Christian Academy. It wasn’t that bad leaving my old school team because the team basically fell apart and everyone went their separate ways from graduation or moving.”

What’s different from your old team to Prince George’s team?

“With my old team we always hung out together and stayed as a team.

We also played Division 1 schools like Miller, Monstrose Christian, etc.”

What are some things you are looking forward to this season?

“I look forward to winning the conference and possibly going to play at the Siegal Center. I’ve never played at the Siegal Center with a high school team and a big crowd so I’m really looking forward to getting there.”

22 | THE ROYAL NEWS | FRIDAY 12.13.13

winterSPorts

Officials Manage Responsibility Referees Reflect On The Difficulties Of Making A Game Changing Call

Managers Encourage Team From Sideline Abigail Faircloth trn writer

W

Kadera Brown trn writer

W

ith six s e c onds left on the game clock and the home team down by two points, the crowd stands frozen on their feet. The point guard drives hard down the lane to tie the game, but the shot is off the mark and bounces off the left side of the rim. However, a late whistle is blown as contact was made on the shot. Besides the result of the upcoming free throws, the referee’s call has now become one of the biggest factors in this game.

With such huge impacts officials can make, it is no surprise that numerous responsibilities come along with the job. Officials must first go through a series of test to become eligible to referee games. Tests are given through the Virginia High School League (VHSL), along with over a month of training. Official Mark Briley, still remembers going through his eligibility test for officiating.

“Well, I’ve been officiating for about twenty years, and I still take a test every year to recertify myself to referee games,” Briley said.

Certified officials are then assigned to a particular conference or district, and then usually begin officiating in scrimmages under a head official. Briley, a center positioned official, will see much of the Royals as he is a referee for the Tri-City area. This also familiarizes the official with what to expect during a regular season game when there is a “twoperson” or “three-person” mechanic on the court. A “two-person” mechanic means that each official either takes on the role of the lead position or the trail position. The lead is usually positioned along the baseline of the court, while the trail official is positioned at the free throw line extending down on the left side of the court, facing the basket. In a

FRIDAY 12.13.13 | THE ROYAL NEWS | 23

“three-person” mechanic, the setup is basically the same except for a more triangular coverage of the court and an added center position where the official will stand across the court near the free throw line.

The job of officiating can be joyous for many reasons. Particularly for Briley, basketball officiating came as an opportunity to be around the sport that he loves.

“I played for Bridgewater College; however, I wasn’t good enough to play at the professional level so as a natural transition I decided to get into officiating. It has allowed me to be around the sport I love,” Briley stated. “Being surrounded by something you love is always great, but that too can come with some sacrifices. “ Being on the court can be a bit nervewracking, especially when a controversial call is made. Officials tend to receive negative feedback from the coach, players, and the loudest man of the all – the crowd. For Briley, he always resorts to the fair call, even if it comes with a little heat towards him.

“As officials, we never let outside factors influence our calls. We try to preserve the integrity of the game. We actually talk in

Certified referee Mark Briley blows the whistle to alert the players of a potentially game changing call. Briley has been refereeing for 20 years.

Photo by Ian Kelty. our pre-game huddle and state that if we’re calling it on one end of the court, then it will be called on the other end as well; it’s just a part of what we took on when we signed up to be an official,” Briley stated.

With such an opportune experience, the job of officiating certainly has its bitter moments as well.

“One side effect to officiating is probably the stressful toll it can have on your body.

You have to stay in good physical shape and do a lot of stretching because after games you do tend to tighten up.”

With local officiating under his belt for twenty years, Briley hopes to one day become a referee for the professional league.

For now though, he looks forward to the upcoming season.

hen people think of a basketball team, they often think of the players, or even the coaches. Many know that it is the job of the coach to train and prepare all of the players, but how about the managers?

What exactly does the manager’s job consist of?

“It really just depends if they have practice, but I help work the clock, I get towels for all of the [basketball] players, and I also help run errands for them,” Junior Courtney Biggs, a manager for the Royals basketball team said.

Biggs and the other three managers share a variety of task as managers.

“This is my second year being a manager, and my job is to mainly do stats on the iPad for the team” Junior Logan Campbell said.

Even though Biggs and Campbell have different responsibilities as being managers for the team, they have many similar thoughts in common. One being that they both started off really wanting to become a manager solely based off of inspiration they had from others.

“Honestly, Coach Carr is just such a phenomenal teacher on his own, plus he is the coach so it really inspired me to want to get involved with the team,” Biggs said. “I love basketball, so having the opportunity to help out in a ‘behind the scenes’ sort of way is really amazing to me.”

Biggs was inspired by Coach Carr, but Campbell was inspired by someone closer to him.

“In the beginning, I mainly wanted to become a manager because of my brother Jon Ryan,” Campbell said.

Though they both enjoy being a basketball manager because they have a love for the game, but even so they have not imagined what it would be like to be a player.

“No, I do not want to be a basketball player, I’m not made for that. I really just enjoy sitting on the sidelines routing for all of the boys and helping to prepare for all of the games ,” Biggs said.

Many people may continue to overlook just how much work really goes into preparing for the game. Not only from the hardworking coaches and players, but also from the managers that help out on all of the little things that go a really long way.

“I love it, it makes me feel like I am a part of something. I love all of the guys that are on the team, so it makes things really fun,” Biggs said.

“Plus, I feel like I am a part of the team, so who really wouldn’t want to be a part of something that cool?”

Sports

Winter Calendar

Varsity Girls’ Basketball Schedule Thurs., Dec. 19 @ Dinwiddie- 7:30 PM Thurs., Dec. 26 vs. Manchester - 7:00 PM Sat., Jan. 4 @ Deep Run - 1:00 PM Tues., Jan. 7 vs. Meadowbrook - 7:30 PM

Varsity Boys’ Basketball Schedule Fri., Dec. 20 @ Meadowbrook- 7:30 PM Tues., Jan. 7 vs. Meadowbrook - 7:30 PM Fri., Jan. 10 vs. Matoaca - 7:30 PM Tues., Jan. 14 @ Colonial Heights -7:30 PM

Varsity Wrestling Schedule Sat., Dec. 21 @ Dinwiddie- - 9:00 AM Sat., Jan. 4 @ Amelia - 9:30 AM Wed., Jan. 8 vs. Matoaca - 6:00 PM Wed., Jan. 15 @ Petersburg - 5:00 PM

Unexpected Injury Derails Wrestler Daniel Puryear trn writer

O Junior Carlos Littles wrestles during the 2013 Central District Tournament almost a year before his potentially career altering injury. Littles will be starting the school’s season as planned with no delay in matches. Photo by Kristen Schwalm.

n Nov. 2nd and 3rd, junior Carlos Littles stepped on to the mat with a fierce look in his eyes, ready to compete against anyone that came his way. He was up against a wrestler from Ashburn, but his biggest adversary that day was an unexpected injury.

Littles has been wrestling for the school since his eighth grade year. He also wrestles for Virginia Team Predator, a travel-wrestling club, when he is not wrestling for the school.

The competition was at Virginia Beach.

Littles was up against a wrestler from Ashburn when the injury took place.

“I was wrestling for Virginia Team Predator,” Littles said. “I was being coached by Mr. Kellan.”

Littles has been interested in wrestling since he was a little kid but he did not try out until the eighth grade when football season was over. He has played sports all his life so when he felt pain near his neck he had the worst in mind.

“When I immediately felt pain up my neck and back I was concerned that it was a concussion,” Littles said.

Littles has been dealing with Patella Femoral syndrome, a condition where his kneecap does not lock normally. Along with another injury Littles has added restraint on his wrestling. Even with a series of injuries to overcome, Littles worries about his recovery and how long it will take for him to step back on the mat.

“For recovery, I got a shot in my back to

help speed up the recovery time. I was also told to stretch it and bridge it,” Littles said.

Whenever someone gets an injury they immediately have friends and family show their concerns, and if the person is alright gratitude. Littles’ friends and family were not only concerned but proud that he was able to accomplish as much as he did.

“They were also concerned that it was a concussion,” Littles said. “They said I did a good job in the competition.”

Although, Littles has just added on another injury he has no hesitation about going on in wrestling. He even continued in his tournament with the pain of his injury constantly spiking during his matches.

“I tied for second and got third. I could have done better if it wasn’t for the injury,” Littles said.

With his background in almost all sports, but predominantly wrestling and football, he has dealt with injuries before and can compare the types of injuries he has gotten over the years.

“I first hurt my knee in 2012 at states, but it doesn’t compare to this one because it was in a different region of my body and the strain caused dizziness,” Littles said.

Littles will be starting the school’s season as planned with no delay in matches. He has to be on guard for any type of tricks any wrestler throws at him.

“I stood up, I got tripped, and then I fell on my head which put all my weight on my neck,” Little said. “I felt pain up my back and neck right away.”

He hopes to avail his injuries and show that he will not be stopped by a couple of injuries, that he can do better than what he has done before.

“This has not made me hesitate about wrestling, injuries are a risk for all sports,” Littles said.