Eat your vegetables: why FA is good for you OPINION I PAGE 6

SCHOOL YEAR BUCKET LISTaround town quotable

F r e d e r i c k s b u r g A c a d e m y l F r e d e r i c k s b u r g , V i r g i n i a l V o l u m e X X l I s s u e 5 l M a r c h 2 0 1 2

The Falcon Flier

PAGE 3

FRANZ TAKES ON MIDDLE SCHOOL, PREPARES FOR FULL PLATE

by Mary Gray Johnsonthe falcon flier

by siMone Wickerthe falcon flier

Fidgeting in their seat, unable to concentrate in class and closing an empty notebook after an im-portant lecture: this could be any student.

But serious inattentiveness, hyper-activeness and impulsive-ness are symptoms that belong to someone with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, otherwise known as ADHD. According to the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclo-pedia, it is currently the most com-monly diagnosed behavioral disor-der of children.

There’s a fine line between ne-cessity and desire for the prescrip-tion of a stimulant to do well in school—a line some have crossed. But for junior Meredith Kohls, ADHD had taken over her ability to succeed in school.

“I started realizing I had a prob-lem when I came to FA because when I was at Brooke Point [High School] the classes were larger and I thought there were just too many distractions,” said Kohls. “But when I came to FA, because the classes are smaller, I was forced to try to focus because there really aren’t any distractions and I was actually struggling to pay atten-tion.”

On June 1, Robert Franz will take over as Head of

Middle School—weeks be-fore finding a house, mov-ing to Fredericksburg and entering parenthood.

“We’re individuals that like a challenge,” said Franz of he and his wife, Mia Franz. Mia Franz heads the English department at Fox-croft School and expects her first child June 22.

The couple was looking to move, and are “ecstatic” about joining FA for the up-coming school year.

Middle school Dean of Students Dara Dawson’s main criteria in search for a new Head of Middle

School were someone who could focus on the faculty, bring leadership opportuni-ties to students, and had a variety of expertise.

From the perspective of Dawson, Student Ambassa-dors chair Simone Wicker and Franz himself, it seems like FA has found a perfect fit.

He initially clicked with the school after meeting the faculty.

“I love the MS faculty. They’re energetic—they re-ally want to do more with the kids,” said Franz.

Student Ambassadors chair Simone Wicker called Franz, “personable and outgoing,” optimistic that he will succeed in his new position.

A member of the Gardner Carney Institute of Leader-ship, Franz has experience

educating teachers about teaching leadership ideals. He attended the institute in 2008, and returned as a fac-ulty member the summer of 2011.

He hopes to develop a leadership program in mid-dle school similar to the one he has implemented at Highland School, where he currently teaches.

The new program, as en-visioned by Dawson, will “allow every child in the middle school to be a part of a character/leadership type program.”

Franz also knows what it’s like to be involved in ev-erything.

“He has been an admin before, he has worked in just about all facets of a school that are possible—coach, department chair, teacher,” said Dawson.

Though Franz will bring a lot of “new” to the FA com-munity, Dawson remarked that he embodies much of what the school already stands for.

“He’s a well rounded … so when it comes to working with our kids, and when we ask our kids to try everything, he’s al-ready been there,” said Daw-son.

Franz attends the Gardner Carney Leadership Institute in Colorado.PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT FRANZ

Senior Lauren Falkenberg is hold-ing a St. Jude walk for childhood cancer at the Spotsylvania Towne Centre (Guitar Center entrance) on March 31, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Waste a free period talking with some-one you wouldn’t normally talk to

Find a new place to eat lunch--try out-side for a change.

Make an announcement in morning meeting for a class or club you’re in.

Students affected by ADHD like Kohls have difficulty paying attention in classes where lectures are being given or during labs in science classes. Symptoms also typically include avoiding or dis-liking tasks that “require sustained mental effort,” and failing to “fol-low through on instructions…[fin-ishing] school work,” according to the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclope-dia.

Adderall is a widely used drug containing Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine that is taken to control the symptoms of ADHD. According to the US National Li-brary of Medicine, the combina-tion can be taken as a tablet and as an extended release capsule. The tablet is taken two to three times a day while the capsule is tak-en once in the morning.

A prescription for the drug is not as easy as a trip to the doctor’s of-fice—many follow-ups and tests are required. Kohls recently went through a multi-week process to ob-tain the medicine she needs to be able to concentrate.

“[Adderall] keeps me motivated to be a good student and helps me focus on things I used to be easily distracted from,” said Kohls.

1.

3.

2.

ADDERALL:

Cure-all when used correctly

9 percent of children 17 and under have ADHD.

Boys (12 percent) are more than twice as likely as girls to have ADHD (5 percent).

5 million children in America have ADHD.

Never and never wanted to

Considered it

Once

On occasions (exam week, essays)

Yes, frequently

Poll of 57 FA upper school students, March 2012

AARON ANKER’S JOURNEY IN BALLET

BOYS LACROSSE OPTIMISTIC

Statistics above from a 2009 CDC survey.

“If you have a problem with someone, face it,

don’t Facebook it.”

Administration pushes online safety, page 3

PHOTOS COURTESY OF iSTOCKPHOTOS ANd SHARPBRAiNS.COm

PAGE 5

PAGE 4

Unprescribed Adderall use at FA

For more info, see falconflier.net

VS.

syMptoMs And eFFectIVeness

continued on page 2

FALCONS FLY

Spring break lasts a full 9.5 days, including a Friday half-day on April 6. After SB, there are only 32 school days left of the year!

2p a g e t w o

newsEveryone knows that

athletes stay after school for sports, and actors and singers stay even later for the musicals, but these stu-dents aren’t the only ones who spend hours outside of class on weekdays and weekends at FA.

For six weeks, from the beginning of January to Feb. 21, the Robotics team worked almost every day to build a robot designed to shoot nerf basketballs into hoops for the March 15-17 Virginia Regional FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Sci-ence and Technology) Ro-botics Competition at the Virginia Commonwealth University Seigel Center.

The team, led by captain junior Alex Hatch, quickly decided how they would construct their robot, after they received the param-eters of the competition. A metal arm attached to the base holds and shoots the basketballs. The balls are shot with a pitching ma-chine made of a thin spin-ning piece of metal and

two spinning wheels. The robot, nicknamed Big Purp because of its purple-col-ored base, is operated with three joysticks that control movement, aim and ball launch.

The club that meets dur-ing the school day has 20 members, while the group that met after school and on weekends was much smaller.

“We have a core group of five that meets outside of school. [Juniors] Matt [Kirchner], Alex Kangas, [sophomore] Wyatt Henke, [freshman] Lars [Kruus] and I show up consistently and then we have a rotat-ing group of people who come when they can,” said Hatch.

This core group had to plan, engineer and pro-gram the robot, as well as get sponsors to donate money for parts. Henke and Kruus did much of the programming with help from chemistry teacher and club mentor Emmette Cox, while Kangas took care of the bookkeeping: getting sponsors and robot parts, and keeping track of

money. In addition to the stu-

dents, the team also com-prised Hatch’s father, his older brother Chad Hatch, alumnus Joe Renaud’s fa-ther and engineers from different sponsors includ-ing HDT and Metropole. The team brought in these outside resources in order

to build a better robot and gain education in engineer-ing.

“We need a solid core to build the team around; we need people to teach us, in-stead of us sitting around beating the robot with a wrench,” said Hatch. “In order to be successful you need people who know

Robotics team remains dedicated in FIRST Robotics tournament

Junior Alex Hatch and his father work to make alterations to the robot during the competition. PHOTO COURTESY OF WYATT DAVIES

by ISABEL STEVENthe falcon flier

stuff; you can’t just guess till it works. The entire competition is supposed to be a learning experi-ence that gets people inter-ested in STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Math] fields.”

The team brought eight members to the competi-tion including Kirchner,

Kangas, Hatch, Kruus, Henke, freshman Spencer Marshall, junior Adam Abilmona, and sopho-mores Wyatt Davies and Mitchell Harrison, along with adviser Mr. Cox and parent Mr. Hatch. The team finished out the com-petition with a total of thir-ty points, coming in last.

On March 23, the up-per school band, strings, and chorus headed out on an overnight trip to the Big Apple with hopes of establishing a new FA tradition. The students attended a performance of the New York Philhar-monic, and performed both publicly and in front of a judge.

“I’m really excited about this because it shows that our program is growing and there are core opportunities avail-able that didn’t used to be available,” said middle and upper school cho-ral director Elizabeth Eschen. “We have the attention and now the opportunities that larger schools have.”

“I think this will be an exciting trip for the arts department of FA, as well as a rewarding and educational one,” said

such as Adusei agree that this experience will ben-efit them.

“[It will benefit me be-cause] I’ll have the expe-rience of traveling to dif-ferent places to perform for different people and in front of different judg-es,” said Adusei, “which I think is a wonderful privilege.”

The trip also benefits recruitment efforts.

“It helps with attention and recruitment in the middle school because they see a definite goal they’re aiming for,” said Titus. “It only helps us grow and become better.”

Middle and upper school strings director Debra Anker took this idea another step for-ward, saying that this will benefit enrollment in FA itself.

“It benefits the school as a whole,” said Debra Anker. “Not every public school can do these types of things… We want to make it a tradition.”

sophomore band, strings, and chorus member Lau-ren Anker.

Freshman band member Elma Adusei agreed, say-ing that this trip is provid-ing more motivation for her than in previous years.

During the trip, the stu-dents performed twice.

“The live public per-formance is at the Sony Atrium,” said middle and upper school band direc-tor Benjamin Titus. “It’s a large open space where they hold public perfor-mances. . . All the groups will have a chance to per-form in a relatively low-key environment.”

“On the second day,” said Titus “we’re there from ten to twelve. We all go and perform our works for clinicians in our respec-tive subject areas. We go up and perform for them and then the clinician works with each group to see what we could improve on individually and as en-sembles.”

Faculty and students

by WYATT FALCONEthe falcon flier

Many students are suffering from the habit of having their phones out during class.

“I feel like students take their phones [and] just have them in their pockets,” said freshman Ismael Delarosa. He doesn’t believe that anyone means to be disrespectful, or plans to be distracted by their phones. They are just a part of life for the modern teenager.

According to a survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, 75 percent of teens ages 12 to 17 now own cell phones. Of these teens, 43 percent have stated that they text in class at least once a day. Another 24 percent attend schools that prohibit cell phones, however 65 percent of these teens admit to bringing them anyway.

The survey further stated that teens “commonly described themselves as feel-ing ‘lost,’ ‘naked,’ or ‘exposed’ when they were without their phones.” This can provide an explanation as to why many students carry their phones with them at all times. However, the fact of the matter is that cell phones can be distracting and many teachers won’t tolerate them.

Cell phones unacceptable in classroomsby WYATT FALCONE

the falcon flier

“It’s upsetting,” said upper school science teacher Emmette Cox. “You’re trying to teach them, you’re responsi-ble for their learning, and they’re dis-tracted and not paying attention; you’re worried that the students aren’t going to do well because they’re distracted while you’re giving instruction.”

When Cox sees a student with phone, he first issues them a warning. If the phone remains out, he then con-fiscates it.

“They don’t have that distraction anymore,” said Cox. “They might huff or whine, but I’ve yet to have someone be belligerent about it.”

Students acknowledge that this is a fair punishment, even as they suffer the symptoms of cell phone withdrawal.

“It is sometimes fair because any-thing you hear from the teacher can be vital information for a quiz, or a test, or an assignment,” said Delarosa.

However, it appears many still strug-gle to break the habit of having their phones out in class in the first place. Cox has often noted that the same stu-dents do this again and again, despite having their phones confiscated. It has become a bad habit that many students are struggling to overcome.

Many positive changes have come about in Kohls’ work ethic and daily life.

“The first day I took it I cleaned my car out, cleaned my bedroom and did all of my homework. I felt so accomplished,” said Kohls, who continues to unravel unexpected posi-tive changes in her life.

Junior FitzHugh John-son knew he needed to consult a doctor about his inability to focus when he began his junior year. With parents who were initially against the use of central nervous system stimulants, it was not an easy process for Johnson. After con-vincing from college coun-selor David Weiner, he set up an appointment with his doctor.

“My parents were kind of hesitant because with any medication, there are always repercussions, but I knew I had to do what would help me,” said John-son.

During three different appointments Johnson discussed his issues with his doctor, trying to un-derstand specifics of the disorder like why he hated reading so much and how difficult it was to complete assignments. Once he was diagnosed, he immediately began noticing his positive attitude towards complet-ing work.

“The Adderall didn’t make the work easier -- it didn’t make me a genius but I was able to sit down and focus and be able to read a book or do a home-work assignment and not dread doing it – that’s prob-ably the best thing about it,” said Johnson.

Diagnoses increase, docs warn against abuse

Continued from front

SUPPLY AND DEMANDMore than 51.5 million

prescriptions were written for ADHD medications in 2010, according to an

article in The New York Times. That number doesn’t account for the total amount of people, prescribed and non-pre-scribed, using neuro-en-

hancing medications like Adderall or Ritalin.

The high demand for these drugs has resulted in a critically low supply, with 196 total drug shortages by the end of 2011, according to an article on CNN.com. Reported by IMS Health, more than 18 million pre-scriptions were written for Adderall in 2010, which increased by 13.4 percent since 2009.

Despite an executive order issued by President Obama demanding that the Food and Drug Ad-ministration immediately address shortages, Adder-all and many other medi-cations have been hard to come by. The reason be-hind the shortages cannot be pinpointed directly.

Bonnie Bowler, phar-macist at a Harrison Road CVS in Spotsylvania claims that shortages are strictly on the manufactur-er’s part.

“The way that we handle it here is talking to the cus-tomers and calling around to other pharmacies to see who might have some in stock,” said Bowler. “If no one had it in stock, we would let the patient know and [they] would get in contact with their doctor, and then it would be up to the doctor to change the medication or give them a different strength that was available.”

With the shortages, not all strengths of every medi-cation run low at one par-ticular time. The pharma-cies are notified prior to the shortages so that they can plan for a solution, ac-cording to Bowler.

“We have no control over what happens with the manufacturing of the medication. Our part here is to help the patients and help them find their medi-cation,” said Bowler.

DIAGNOSIS AND ABUSEDr. Robert Alessi, a

Saratoga Springs, New York physiatrist and father of two former FA students James and Marie, believes the rise in prescriptions could be a result of in-crease in awareness of the disorder. He thinks that a large percent of that in-crease could be a result of misdiagnosis.

“One of the problems with making this diagnosis is that sometimes it is mis-diagnosed because it can be confused with mood disorders, so patients that have racing thoughts, pres-sure thoughts or flight of ideas can also have prob-lems with concentration and attention,” explained Alessi.

Attention Deficit Dis-order (ADD) and ADHD are typically diagnosed by history where the onsets of those disorders take place during elementary school, around the second or third grade according to Alessi.

Most of the stud-ies Alessi observes show that kids that truly have ADHD have a higher risk of abusing medications as opposed to being treated properly for the disorder, and the risk is much less if they are treated properly.

Alessi stresses that peo-ple who may suffer from mood disorders like Bi-polar disorder should not take stimulants for ADHD, which can increase the se-verity of their disorder.

“No one should ever take medicine that is not prescribed to them because it has the potential to cause problems with your heart, sleeping patterns, nutri-tional status and can cause psychosis,” said Alessi.

Alessi explained that the use of these stimulants non-prescribed could cre-ate a false sense of secu-rity because of its ability to increase concentration and alertness, but then has negative effects when tak-en for purposes of being a “study buddy”, where the risks are far greater than the benefits.

Band, chorus, strings trip to NYC brings excitement for new traditions

PHOTO COURTESY OFTANEYCOHEALTH.ORG

“I feel like students take their phones [and] just have them in their pockets,” said freshman Ismael Delarosa. He doesn’t believe that anyone means to be disrespectful, or plans to be distracted by their phones. They are just a part of life for the modern teenager.

According to a survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, 75 percent of teens ages 12 to 17 now own cell phones. Of these teens, 43 percent have stated that they text in class at least once a day. Another 24 percent attend schools that prohibit cell phones, however 65 percent of these teens admit to bringing them anyway.

The survey further stated that teens “commonly described themselves as feel-ing ‘lost,’ ‘naked,’ or ‘exposed’ when they were without their phones.” This can

worried that the students aren’t going to do well because they’re distracted while you’re giving instruction.”

When Cox sees a student with phone, he first issues them a warning. If the phone remains out, he then con-fiscates it.

“They don’t have that distraction anymore,” said Cox. “They might huff or whine, but I’ve yet to have someone be belligerent about it.”

Students acknowledge that this is a fair punishment, even as they suffer the symptoms of cell phone withdrawal.

“It is sometimes fair because any-thing you hear from the teacher can be vital information for a quiz, or a test, or an assignment,” said Delarosa.

However, it appears many still strug-gle to break the habit of having their phones out in class in the first place.

ADHD

3p a g e t h r e e

Feature

Clear and ConciseSparknotes breaks down each book by plot overview, character list, themes, chapter summaries, key facts, important quotes explained, etc. To the point Sparknotes is to the point, not too long, and still clear about its summaries. No Fear Sparknotes not only o� ers summaries to Shakespeare, but also a translation into modern English. The left column is the original text you would read from the book, and the right column is the modern English translation. Intro to College Sparknotes has a “college” tab that lets prospective students in on college details by providing an information video, articles on college life, and school reviews. Fun and Friendly It is a fun and friendly website with color, visual attractions, links for study breaks and more.

3Feature3Feature3Featurevs.

We are living in a world where the internet has taken over. Most conversations are no longer face to face, but rather through a digital me-dium. Online communica-tion has become the norm, but unlike a real-life conver-sation, what you share and say can have long lasting negative effects.

Recent issues of cyber bul-lying have sprouted the ques-tion of what exactly it means to be smart online. While some lessons about being smart online may be obvi-ous and redundant, it is not a bad thing to have a quick refresher.

“The best way to keep you safe is to educate [the stu-dents],” said Head of Upper School Karen Moschetto.

“Adolescents make mis-takes; the problem with things being online is that there can be serious conse-quences,” said FA guidance counselor Melissa Blasiol.

Blasiol, who is in the pro-cess of giving internet safety presentations to all of the middle school classes, has good insight on staying smart while on the internet.

The main idea Blasiol is trying to teach students is to

watch what they share on-line.

“Once it’s posted, you lose control of it. Even if it’s in a private conversation; even if it’s just with your own friends… anyone can poten-tially copy it and distribute it,” she said.

“We live in a culture of over sharing, especially on-line. You see celebrities on Twitter, for example; every excruciating detail of their lives is out there. Although celebrities are trying to at-

tract that attention, it can be very negative attention when it comes to scholarship ap-plications, college applica-tions, when it comes to em-ployers that you are hoping to be hired by. Companies and firms are now using your digital footprint to evaluate you even more than what you submit on paper,” said Blasiol.

Blasiol also has insight on what to do if you feel like you are being digitally bul-lied. She recommends that if someone is harassing you, don’t directly reply to it.

“If you have a problem with someone, face it, don’t Facebook it,” said Blasiol.

She then recommends documenting it with the date and time, and then contact-ing someone who can help.

“If you let all this play out online, and no one knows about it, and you are feeling worse and worse about the situation, it can be so stress-ful because that stuff is out there 24 hours a day.”

All of the recent activity with student’s digital foot-print has students question-ing the privacy they have on social media outlets. FA’s administration has assured the students that their on-line interactions aren;t being monitored on sites like Face-book.

“Am I going on looking for things to find on people? No,” said Moschetto. “We don’t want people to do im-pulsive things, and I think a lot of times, people make bad decisions because they do something without think-ing about the repercussions...

“Once you push that send, even if you take it back, there is a chance that somebody has already got it,” Moschet-to said. “We want to make sure we do a better job of ed-ucating and talking with the students, and emplace poli-cies that make sense.”

Administration pushes online safety

by WYATT DAVIESthe falcon flier

Va. General Assembly session ends

“Once it’s posted, you lose control of it. Even if it’s in a private conversation; even if it’s just with your own friends…

“

”

COUNSELOR AND HEAD OF SCHOOL FURTHER ONLINE EDUCATION AFTER CYBER BULLYING INCIDENTS

THESE FOUR BILLS HAD THE HOTTEST DEBATE THIS SESSION

by MARY GRAY JOHNSONthe falcon flier

Tougher on texting while driving: NOT passed

Pro-life measures taken: Passed and postponed

Lifting one-gun-per-month law: Passed

Tebow bill: NOT Passed

House Bill 947, also known as the “Tebow Bill,” would have allowed Va. home-schooled students to participate in public school athletics.

Since 1993, it has been illegal to purchase more than one handgun per month in Va. The House and Senate have both passed a law to repeal the 19-year-old limit.

Unborn children will have all of the same rights as every other citizen in the state. The law that would force women who plan on getting an abortion to get a transabdominal ultrasound was postponed until the 2013 session.

Currently, texting while driving is a secondary o� ense, meaning that drivers can’t be pulled over if they are obey-ing all tra� c laws while texting.

1.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VIRGINIA STATE CAPITOL HISTORY PROJECT

by LAUREN FALKENBERG the falcon flier

4.

3.

2.

The Bad Easy way out Sparknotes makes it easy to just skip the actual reading and go o� of the summaries provided. Defeating distractions If you really need to concentrate, the distractions such as the common “take a study break” bar to the right hand corner can really pull your focus away. Relentless advertisingSometimes Sparknotes tries too hard to connect with high school students through advertisements and links that are a little over the top. Bad blues The blue color on the main page can subconsciously remind us of Facebook and Twitter. It doesn’t help when Facebook and Twitter icons are nearby.Video venting While the videos on Sparknotes can be cool and educational, there are also a lot that are funny and add to the distractions.

The Good

Clearer and more ConciseAt times, Shmoop can be a lot easier to understand when looking for very quick summaries. They break it down to chapter summaries that are shorter than Sparknotes’s summaries and are more fun to read. Pretty Poetry The poetry bar is a great addition and makes Shmoop di� erent from Sparknotes. It makes poetry easier to understand and more enjoyable to read.Quest for Quizzes The quizzes tab, a new feature, engages and tests knowledge of material. Shmoop does a lot to keep the student interested and to � nd the fun in learning. Lucid language The language used on Shmoop makes it sound like a teenager or young adult is talking. Sparknotes can seem more intense and confusing. Under the Shmoop logo, it says “we speak student.”

The BadPoor Placement The organization of the site is not as good as Sparknotes. It is easy to look at the page and click to Facebook because there are too many words and not as much color and not as many pictures as Sparknotes.Copy CatIt is easy to think that Shmoop has copied Sparknotes. Some students would prefer to just have one site to go to, and since Sparknotes was known � rst and is more well known, Shmoop doesn’t get the best rep.Too many Tabs Shmoop goes overboard with 30 tabs on the main page. Tabs include math help, AP help, SAT help, music, mythology and more. While this can be useful, it is also very overwhelming and can be unnecessary.Unprofessional undertone When compared to Sparknotes, Shmoop seems a little unprofessional. While the simple and “teenage like” language can be useful, it also comes o� as a little amateur.

} The Good

}}

The Virginia State Capitol Building, where debate has � nished for the year.

4p a g e f o u r

Sports

The NCAA March Madness is here with some surprising wins and losses. Many teams have shocked their sup-porters with unpredict-able outcomes. With fans gambling on brack-ets, it’s necessary to put all your money on the unexpected.

The Kentucky Wild-cats are a top favorite to win it all (odds to win: 7 to 2). They made it to the final four last year, but head coach John Calipari has yet to win the national title. An-thony Davis is a strong contributor to the Wild-cats and will help lead

them to the champion-ship. He is one of the many Wildcats that will be a future NBA star.

Junior AJ Topps be-lieves that Kentucky has what it takes to win the championship.

“They have really talented players, even better than last year. They have really good chemistry and a strong defense. That’s what it takes to be a champ,” said Topps.

Another favorite is the Syracuse Orange (odds to win: 6 to 1). They won the national title in 2003 and have made appearances in the March Madness tournament since then. Their record this year

After verbal commitments and a formal sign-ing day, Erika Boggs is now slated to be a schol-arship Division I soccer player at VMI.

Boggs, a center midfielder, has been playing soccer since the sixth grade. During her career, she has been selected to the Delaney Athletic Conference first team three times. Boggs has always had an eye on playing soccer in college.

“It’s always been my thing, I’ve always want-ed to play [Division I],” said Boggs.

At the same time, she knew that being a Divi-sion I athlete would not be easy.

“It’s such a huge time commitment, and you always have to keep yourself in shape. But that’s a part of playing DI,” said Boggs

There was a point in her career when she thought that her chances of playing for a school like VMI were over. In her sophomore season, Boggs tore her ACL. After this period of un-certainty, she was able to get back on the field junior year, and once again make the DAC first team.

“When I tore my ACL, I thought I was pretty much done with playing DI, because it took me forever to recover. But I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to play.”

VMI was not the only school that was inter-ested in Boggs. She was asked to play for Ship-pensburg, Virginia Weselyan College, Youngs-ton, Marymount, and Mercyhearst. In the end, she said that while her dad had some influence on deciding to play for VMI, it was mostly her decision.

“My dad kind of wanted me to go to VMI. I visited in December... I met all the players, and they were all really nice and welcoming. I also really liked the campus, it was a very nice envi-ronment,” said Boggs.

In the long run, she is not sure where this path that she has chosen to take will lead her.

“I now know that I will be able to keep up with some of the best athletes. Maybe in the future I can coach if I want to, or maybe join a pro team.”

Ch i l d r e n should take a creative

movement class to develop their music skills.”

This advice was given to senior Aaron Anker’s mother, who took it seriously. With his mother’s support, he was put in a creative movement class when he was three-years-old. Seven years later, his family moved to Virgin-ia, where he started in a ballet class.

“Five days and 18 hours a week. We only have two one-week breaks: one in Decem-ber and one in Septem-ber,” said Anker. The hours are worth it, in Anker’s opinion. Prac-ticing a lot is the only way to become a profes-sional ballet dancer.

“The hardest part of ballet is putting all of the technical and artis-tic aspects together into one complete package. There are many rules that require the body

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Memphis8

LIU Brooklyn16

Michigan St.1

Memphis

Michigan St.

Louisville

Memphis

Missouri

Louisville

Missouri

Nat. SemisReg. FinalsReg. SemisRound of 32Round of 64

SOUTH

WEST

Kentucky

59Loyola (MD)15

78Ohio St.2

54West Virginia10

77Gonzaga7

Ohio St.

GonzagaWest Virginia

St. Bonaventure14

Florida St.3

Texas11

Cincinnati6

Florida St.

Cincinnati

Ohio St.

Cincinnati

49Montana13

73Wisconsin4

70Harvard12

79Vanderbilt5

WisconsinMontana

Vanderbilt

64Southern Miss9

70Kansas St.8

65N.C. Asheville16

72Syracuse1

Kansas St.

Syracuse

Vanderbilt

Syracuse

Ohio St.

Syracuse

Syracuse

Detroit15

Kansas2

Purdue10

St. Mary's7

Kansas

Purdue

Belmont14

Georgetown3

N.C. State11

San Diego St.6

Georgetown

N.C. State

Kansas

N.C. State

Ohio13

Michigan4

South Florida12

Temple5

Michigan

South Florida

Alabama9

Creighton8

Vermont16

North Carolina1

Creighton

North Carolina

Michigan

North Carolina

Kansas

North Carolina

Kansas

Nat. Semis Reg. Finals Reg. Semis Round of 32 Round of 64

EAST

MIDWEST

Syracuse

Championship

Syracuse

Champion

WeinerRules

Tie Breaker

76 72-

Final Score

by MATT KIRCHNER the falcon flier

by ALLEGRA MASSEY-ELIM

the falcon flier

to perform movements that it wouldn’t normal-ly do and it’s difficult to make those movements look easy,” said Anker. Anker also said that he is the only male in the ballet class.

“Sometimes, being the only boy is a chal-lenge for choreography, but somehow we al-ways figure it out,” said Anker.

“Ballet is about being perfect. It is impossible to be perfect, but we are trying to be as close to perfect as possible,” said Anker.

The career of a ballet dancer is not very long compared to other oc-cupations. Depending on body type and gen-der, a ballet dancer usu-ally ends professional dancing at the age of 35 to 40. After their career as ballet dancers, they might start teaching ballet classes.

For college, Anker plans to continue danc-ing ballet. He said throughout his college search and application process, he has been balancing between the pros and cons of a more conservatory-

based ballet program, like Indiana University, and more liberal arts colleges, like Skidmore and Dickinson.

“Both Skidmore and Dickinson are fine aca-demic institutions, but as of now they do not have the kind of bal-let training I feel like I need. I haven’t fully committed to go to In-diana University be-cause I am waiting on other places, but most likely I will be attending IU,” said Anker. Anker has already gotten ac-cepted into Indiana University. He said it was very hard to get in there, because it is one of the best colleges for ballet in the country.

“First I had to get into the university itself and then apply to the Jacob’s School of Mu-sic within the univer-sity. After that I needed to go to Bloomington to audition for the Bal-let department. I flew out by myself and took a ballet class with the current students there. Two weeks later, I was accepted to the ballet program,” said Anker.

He got into the bal-

let program with an outside field, so now he can double major in another area of the university while train-ing to be a professional ballet dancer. The bal-let majors have a block of time from 11:30a.m. to 5:45p.m. every day, except on Sundays, for their technique classes, rehearsals, and other classes. The ballet pro-gram at Indiana Uni-versity would prepare him to get into a profes-sional ballet company.

“It is structured like a ballet company and they perform four or five full-length perfor-mances a year,” said Anker.

In other universities, modern dance is more popular and more stud-ied than ballet. That is why it would more likely stay as a hobby if Anker attends another college.

“After college I really want to be in a profes-sional ballet company. I know that I won’t al-ways be able to, but it has always been a part of my life and it always will be,” said Anker.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AARON ANKER

Senior plans to continue ballet, college and beyond

is 13-1 in the Big East conference. Coach Jim Boeheim hopes to win his second national championship.

This is David Wein-er’s top pick to win the championship. He picked them to win be-fore he knew that center Fab Melo was not play-ing. Melo was declared ineligible due to undis-closed reasons.

The Florida Gators also have a shot at the title (odds to win: 30 to 1). They have a good history at the NCAA tournament, winning the championship in 2006 and 2007. Their strong defense consists of Kenny Boynton and Bradley Beal. Coach

Billy Donavan hopes that their strong defense will carry them to a na-tional championship.

Junior Greer Stewart is hoping her favorite team, the Florida Ga-tors, can pull it through. “Even though the odds aren’t too high, I really hope they win,” said Stewart.

“Syracuse has a great defense,” said sopho-more Nathan McDer-mott. It’s obvious that the defense has been especially effective this season under head coach Jim Boeheim, but can the team main-tain their defensive ex-cellence without the help of Melo?

Director of College Counseling David Weiner completed his bracket before learning that Syracuse’s Fab Melo was ineli-gible to play.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID WEINER

Boggs to play Division I soccer

Anker plans to attend a college with a ballet program.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIKA BOGGSSenior Erika Boggs, center mid-� elder, moves swiftly down the � eld for the Falcons.

by ROOSA BERGthe falcon flier

5p a g e f i v e

sports

The spring season has begun with new team hopes, new coaches and even new players. Numerous students have stepped out of their comfort zones and signed up for a new sport this spring.

The girls varsity lacrosse team has two new players who have never stepped foot on a lacrosse field before, excited to try out this new sport. Junior Erin Eggleston joined after realizing it was the last opportunity to play a sport before the end of the school year.

“It’s something that my sister did so I thought it would be something to have fun with. It was too late for basketball, and field hockey is not my thing, so lacrosse seemed interesting,” said Eggleston.

The boys varsity lacrosse team also has new members coming out for the team. Seniors Mitchell Perry and Matt O’Donnell both chose to play lacrosse this season since it would be their last chance to participate in the sport.

The boys were excited to begin the season and were seen around campus carrying their lacrosse sticks in preparation for the season start-up.

Perry said he didn’t realize how difficult the sport was until he actually put on all his gear and tried it for himself.

The coaches are excited to see the new athletes on the fields, hoping they’ll add depth to the teams. Walter Hoffman, the girls varsity lacrosse coach, is excited about the new faces out on the field.

“I think I speak for almost every coach at the school when I say you coach because you love the sport, and it’s great to have a new player out there learning a sport that you love,” said Hoffman.

“Field hockey try-outs are tomorrow and you have no choice; you’re going.”

There it was. The decision was made for me. Thanks, Mom.

It was the summer before my freshman year. It was my first year attending Fredericksburg Academy and I knew absolutely no one. My mother forced me to try out for the varsity field hock-ey team in order to meet some new classmates before school started, but I was incredibly shy and had butterflies bounc-ing around my stomach as we pulled into the parking lot.

I almost burst into tears in fear as I begged her to take me home while she ordered me out of the car and over to the large group of girls holding hockey sticks. I felt sick as I slowly inched my way toward the ter-rifying group of strangers.

Jamie West, who was a se-nior at the time, spoke first, her voice filled with excitement.

“Hello! I’m Jamie,” she said. I introduced myself and slowly the butterflies began to disap-pear as we began my first ever varsity field hockey practice at FA.

I was a part of something spectacular that year as the team went undefeated and end-ed with a state championship. I will never forget my hockey family and could never thank my mother enough for forcing me to try out.

Although this was four years ago, the memory feels so recent. Now, I’m in my fourth and last season as a Falcon. I once again feel tears flood my eyes like the

day of my first hockey try-out, but this time I am teary for an-other reason.

I never imagined what an im-pact sports would have on my life, and the thought of them ending saddens me. Every team forms a strong bond, and it’s evi-dent that even the teams I was not a part of had their inside jokes and tough practices as they made memories of their own.

This shouldn’t be a sad time. Seniors are all excited as accep-tance letters roll in, Senior Ex-hibits wrap up, and our futures shine brightly before us, yet I am tormented by the idea that I will never put on a Falcons jer-sey again. I know I’ll be coming back to cheer on my teams, but that’s all I will be able to do.

I can no longer chase the little Blashford boys around the field hockey field or get yelled at as we struggle through the “devil’s” diamond drill. I can no longer laugh in the basketball locker room as Mr. Eckerson uses anal-ogies we don’t know like “the worm is dancing.” I can no lon-ger share the lacrosse field with my sister and father. Where will I find a team that is allowed to run to an ice cream truck during practice or rehearse the “Wop” dance for three hours straight at a sleepover?

Nowhere. I would never have received

the opportunities to excel in any sport as much as I did here. Ev-ery coach has helped me improve as a player, while my teammates have helped me improve as a per-son. I am drowning in memories from every team that I will take with me after I graduate. I can’t wait to come back and cheer on my teammates because I have re-alized that once you’re a Falcon, you are always a Falcon.

by Courtney Hoffmanthe falcon flier

by Courtney Hoffman the falcon flier

Senior reflects on her final year as FA athlete

Spring brings new participants

photo by Michael branscoM

Boys varsity lacrosse went into this season not knowing what their future would hold. An entirely new coaching staff was introduced, which left them uncer-tain of their identity.

They were informed

earlier in the year that both of last year’s coaches, Robert Vari-papa and Winston Graves, would not be leading the team.

The team started making plans for this season early in the year, but without knowing who their coach would be, they couldn’t ac-complish much.

Members of the FA community quickly stepped in to help. FA alumnus Chad Hatch stepped up to coach along with Kevin Hughes, both of whom are students at the Uni-versity of Mary Wash-ington. Head of Upper School Tony Durso has also come forward to help coach the offense.

So far the new coach-es have made a good impression.

“I think they are good. It’s the beginning of the season though, so it’s hard to tell,” said sophomore Michael Fried.

This change has made an impact on the season already.

“It’s affected the

team’s persona. Last year we had an idea of what we were, but this year, with the new coaching staff and new players, we need to find ourselves all over again,” said sophomore Jase Davis.

Despite the early struggles to find a coach, this year is shap-ing up to be a remark-

able season. Junior Matt Kirch-

ner, one of the team’s captains, is optimistic about the season.

“We had a lot of good freshmen last year, but the problem was they weren’t quite as fast and not as oriented,” said Kirchner. “We’ve grown as a team, both in number and in age.”

by meggie roCHethe falcon flier

Lacrosse optimistic for what’s to come

photo by Mitch harrison

Courtney Hoffman drives the ball during her final season on the varsity field hockey team.

Players line up before a game against Randolph Macon Academy on March 21. The players welcome two new coaches this year who are students at UMW.

Mary Washington hospital

Stafford Hospital

Emergency & Outpatient Center -- Lee’s Hill

6p a g e s i x

opinion

by MATT KIRCHNERthe falcon flier

by SAMANTHA KING

the falcon flier

“Act of Valor” is undoubtedly an ambi-tious film, and is dif-ferent than every oth-er war film out there. In the end, however, it tries to do too much, and much of the movie falls flat. Here is what you need to know before you see the movie.

“Act of Valor” is a mixture of fiction and nonfiction. The overarching story is fictional, but the sol-diers are played by ac-tive duty Navy Seals.In. the story, however, there are five true he-roic acts that are wo-ven into the story.

There are two dif-ferent aspects to the story. The overarching plot developments are standard fare when it comes to modern ac-tion movies. It has the group of Navy Seals traveling around the world fighting multi-ple enemies in varied locations. There are a few points in the story that feel realistic, but the soldiers travel to so many different places and fight so many dif-ferent enemies that the plot starts to feel too exaggerated.

The other part of

the movie tries to show how the soldiers act when they are not in battle, with an empha-sis on the emotional struggles of them and their family. This is by far the worst part of the movie, in large part due to the writing and act-ing.

The interactions with family and friends are very cut and dry, and don’t do anything new. The husband leaves, the wife cries, there’s a baby on the way, so on so forth. For a movie that was trying to shed light on the life of the modern soldier, I wish they had done some-thing different or unex-pected.

The acting is really bad, making scenes such as mission brief-ings and between battle conversations painful to watch. The dialogue is as generic as it gets, and the actors don’t seem to feel very com-fortable in these situa-tions. The actors even noticeably stumble on a few lines throughout the movie. While it is hard to blame the active duty soldiers for not be-ing stellar actors, the producers could have at least cut out the mis-takes.

The saving grace for this film is the intense action scenes.

The cinematography is excellent, constantly switching from intense close-up camera shots to all encompassing aerial shots that re-ally put the battles into

For some, FA is like a plate of vegetables, a gross platter full of greens that many kids find disgusting. But not all kids hate vegetables; some find them tasty.

But don’t misinter-pret the vegetable anal-ogy; I’m not saying FA is like Brussels sprouts or an equally unpopular vegetable. What I am saying is that FA, like vegetables, helps kids grow up into healthy young adults.

The only difference

is FA makes students grow intellectually, not physically. FA forces its students to become critical thinkers; well -versed readers and writers; innovative, honest, and hardwork-ing people. It’s just that this type of environ-ment is only appetizing to some.

The transition from eighth grade to high school is difficult, not just at FA, but at any school. During this transition, many FA students choose to venture off to pub-lic schools. There are many reasons why stu-dents decide to leave, and it’s different for every individual, but more often than not, they want to explore a larger social setting.

“What parents and

students tell me is that students who leave FA are looking for a larger social arena in which to play. More often then not, they just want to see what it’s like at a bigger school,” said Head of Upper School Tony Durso.

But the transition from high school to college is much more challenging than from eighth grade to ninth grade, and public schools don’t always teach kids how to make a smooth shift from high school to the adult world of college. This, however, is FA’s prima-ry focus. With FA being a college preparatory school, each student is guided through steps of finding and applying to a school that fits them best.

“I help them find a college that is suitable for their interests while also providing assis-tance with application strategy, personal state-ments and supplemen-tal essays, and financial aid,” said David Wein-er, director of college counseling at FA.

FA’s small commu-nity creates close-knit relationships between both the students and the faculty. The trust teachers have in their students is entirely unique, and the person-al relationships the stu-dents share create what is commonly known as the ‘FA Family.’

“What FA has said about being a family is accurate. Everyone knows families don’t always get along, and don’t see eye to eye all

the time, but at the end of the day the care and respect between each member of the fam-ily remains intact,” said Durso.

Sophomore Meghan Norair has been at FA since prekindergarten, and does not intend to leave. She also loves the ‘family vibes’ FA offers, as well as the opportu-nities.

“I love that I don’t have to be fake when I’m at school, and I also love opportunities like the travel, clubs, and leadership positions,” said Norair.

Norair is not the only one who has found her place within the walls of FA. Freshman Brae Fletcher is new to the school, but shares a fondness of what FA has to offer.

“Socially I think the people are more accept-ing here. Academically, it’s more challenging, but in a good way. It re-ally puts things in per-spective for the future,” said Fletcher.

This year, junior Sam Bradshaw, a former FA student, returned to the community. Bradshaw left in the eighth grade, and attended James Monroe High school for freshman, sopho-more, and part of ju-nior year.

“The student popu-lation here is more re-spectful and welcoming than JM and the teach-ers care much more about students here. I only met with my col-lege counselor once. I wanted a more interac-tive experience,” said Bradshaw.

“Act of Valor” doesn’t receive medal of honor

Upper school structure is solid recipe for success

perspective. They even use some first person angles, which are really cool for the most part, but after a while starts to make the movie feel more like a video game.

The sound is also impressive. The Navy Seals used real, mili-tary issue weapons with live ammunition, which makes the battles sound loud, as well as authen-tic.

Where the actors struggled through the dialogue sections of the movie, they truly shined in the battle scenes. The Seals looked more comfortable as they were wading through swampy rivers in Cen-tral America and sprint-ing through shanty-towns in Mexico.

I found myself not enjoying the movie as much as I thought I would, but I think that is because I didn’t know what I was get-ting in to. I walked into the theater expecting “Black Hawk Down”, and I got a movie simi-lar to “Transformers” or “Pearl Harbor” (or any other Michael Bay film).

People who want vast realism and an em-phasis on character de-velopment should look elsewhere, but action fans will find a night’ s worth of entertainment when they rent the DVD. Just make sure to turn up the volume.

American movies create negative stereotype

by ROOSA BERGthe falcon flier

Before I came here, or before I had any knowledge about Americans by myself, all I knew was the information I got mostly from the movies and the internet.

In a way I never believed that all Americans are like the actress-es and actors in movies, but I must admit that the movies had an impact on how I thought of Americans before I came here. Even if most of the movies are very funny and well-filmed, I think they give a specific kind of stereotype of Americans. For example “Mean Girls” is a very good movie, but I think it gives an unrealistic image of American teenagers, at least of the teenagers at FA.

“I’m sorry that people are so jealous of me... but I can’t help it that I’m so popular.”

That is one of the quotes from the movie. Superfi-cial, for me at least. That is how a lot of people probably think outside of the States: Teenagers in America are either popular and beauti-ful from rich fami-lies, or quiet and not known in the school. I have noticed that in a lot of American teenager movies the teens are also mean,

drunk, overly silly or lazy.

Also families in the movies are usually like that: the man is drunk and has some kind of job and his wife stays home tak-ing care of kids, they eat junk food all the time, gain weight, do not know how to talk ‘deeply,’ and their weekdays are very busy.

However, I have not met any Ameri-can family whose life would be compared to that example. I have met very happy

and receptive fami-lies, where everybody is hard working, or at least trying their best, and ambitious in a good way. So the “in-formation” that those movies give is not al-ways correct.

“It Could Happen to You” is a movie that I think is very lovely. I think it tells something about Americans and their personality. I see many Americans as fair and reliable peo-ple that think about other people’s good, especially their own family’s and chil-dren’s.

In the movie the policeman Charlie wins the lottery and before he wins, he promises a waitress named Yvonne that if he won, she would

get a half of the mon-ey. In the movie there are mean and self-ish people, poor and rich, hardworking and “hardly” work-ing, good and helpful. Charlie and Yvonne are two of the good ones, and they gain everybody’s apprecia-tion during the film, despite of all diffi-culties. The movie is realistic in a way, because I see a lot of Americans as people who have faith and hope, no matter how the life is going.

“Legally Blonde” tells a story of Elle Woods. I do not know if I can say this movie rep-resents only Americans, but I think it still includes some truthfulness.

The story of Elle Wood is believable, because it de-scribes the col-lege time pretty well. The movie reminds me of a quote that I heard once:

“It does not mat-ter how you look like, how wise you are, what you do for living or how much life ex-perience you have, we are all as important and personality is the thing which matters in the end.”

Here in America, people act different-ly. Their life stories are different; some of them are hard-working and some of them are lazy. Some are poor and some are rich. Some are not that nice and some are helpful and car-ing.

From my own ex-perience I would say the movies do not always tell the truth. And that is what I want to tell other peo-ple when I get back to Finland.

In a way I never believed that all Americans are like the actresses and actors in movies, but I must admit that the movies had an impact on how I thought of Americans before I came here.

“

”

Rating: 2 out of 5

7p a g e s e v e n

Opinion

10800 Academy Drive, Fredericksburg, VA 22408

falconflier.netMarch 2012Issue 5, Volume XX 540.898.0020

Staff 11-12FALCON FLIERTH

E

The Falcon Flier is produced by the Fredericksburg Academy upper school newspaper staff to inform and entertain the 216 middle and

upper school students.

falconflier@fredericksburgacademy.org

Students or faculty who wish to express their views in The Falcon Flier are encouraged to submit letters to the editor to:

The publication is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Asso-ciation and the National Scholastic Press Association.

Allegra Massey-ElimIsabel StevenMatt Kirchner Meggie Roche

Roosa BergSamantha King

Wyatt DaviesWyatt Falcone

reporters

Beth Hunley adviser

Mary Gray Johnsoneditor

Simone Wicker managing editor

Lauren Falkenbergdesign editor

Liz Benavidescopy editor

Courtney Hoffmanbusiness manager

Conflicting clock times confusing for everyone

The amount of trust the administration gives to students is enor-mous. Teachers rarely lock their doors, trust students to borrow sup-plies, and even let se-niors leave campus for lunch. But do they have the same amount of trust in students around the campus as they do online?

The laptop program at FA has opened new doors into our educa-tion; we are able to use many online tools both inside and outside of class. But with the pow-er of these technolo-gies, limitations are put on students.

Of course, there are blocked websites due to inappropriate or dis-tracting content. This is achieved through a filter system set to regu-late what web pages we can and can’t view.

I think we’re all fa-miliar with the gray box that says “access denied.” This message has appeared countless times when I’m try-ing to do research. The causes for the dreaded gray box can range from ‘personal web page’, to ‘shopping’ to ‘R-rated material.’

The filter system at FA is designed to block certain pages based on key words. It isn’t able to pick up on the con-

text of the words. This causes useful web pages and sites to be blocked at school, which puts a dent in the amount of online work students can complete during school hours.

Websites like You-tube are not only for some laughs and fun, but can be used in aca-demic ways as well. I’ve had countless as-signments where em-bedded videos are a re-quirement. Youtube is a great source to find ed-ucational videos about a wide range of topics.

But finding and em-bedding these videos is something that must be accomplished at home. Then there is the whole

other process of how to present the project with access to Youtube. The project must be emailed to the teacher, has to be somewhere online where the teacher can access it, or the teacher has to log onto the ma-chine.

This process has caused much confu-sion and wasted time in many different classes. It seems like a problem that could be avoided if internet regulations were slightly adjusted.

If the administra-tion trusts students and treats them like young, mature adults, why don’t we receive the same trust with tech-nology?

by Samantha King

the falcon flier

Dear Parents of Eighth Graders, I hope you’re enjoying the warm weather! I am

writing to tell you more about the college counsel-ing program at FA. Upper school students enjoy a distinct edge in college admissions for the follow-ing reasons:

Students receive college counseling as opposed to guidance counseling. In public schools, guid-ance counselors are responsible for hundreds of students, which inevitably makes the college coun-seling process more difficult and impersonal for each family. Furthermore, most guidance counsel-ors focus primarily on helping students with psy-chological needs, scheduling courses and other as-signed duties throughout the school. At FA, I only work with a senior class of approximately 30 stu-dents. This allows for a personalized approach to college counseling: one that meets each student’s needs.

There is personalized advocacy in undergradu-ate admissions. Because of my professional rela-tionships formed with admissions officers at col-leges and universities across the country, I am able

to advocate personally for your son or daughter in the admissions process. Guidance counselors of-ten do not have the time to call on a student’s be-half, and they are often not involved in admissions counseling associations.

There is personalized assistance throughout the application process. Whether it’s creating an ini-tial list of colleges or brainstorming an essay topic, students at FA receive personalized attention that simply does not exist in public schools.

Best regards,

David WeinerDirector of College CounselingFredericksburg Academy

Weiner promotes college counselingprogram to rising ninth grade parents

Editor’s Note: This letter originally was sent as an email to the rising ninth grade parents to let them know how helpful the FA college counseling program can be for students.

We, as students, have a lot of opportu-nities.

The chance to dis-cover a passion or in-terest is readily avail-able to all of us at FA. We are allowed and encouraged to partici-pate in many different areas, from athletics to drama, clubs to leadership. We have passionate teachers who share their sub-ject with zeal. Numer-ous summer academic programs and intern-ship opportunities are offered to us through FA.

“There is a wide diversity of offerings in dramatic arts and sports. For the size of the school, the pro-grams are great. It al-lows students to diver-sify their interests and allows them to truly find what they enjoy,” said Director of col-lege counseling David Weiner.

Senior Exhibit, started in the second semester of junior year, also provides the opportunity to work in-depth in a particu-lar area of interest. It often illuminates to students whether they want to pursue that interest in college, or do something differ-ent.

There are countless other ways outside of FA to participate in something that inter-ests you: travel sports, church groups, po-litical internships and volunteering, service organizations. The possibilities are there. It’s up to us to take ad-vantage of them.

Even for students who don’t know what sparks their interest

yet, there are meth-ods to find appealing activities. Weiner sug-gests using the Myers-Briggs test and the PLAN assessment to understand your per-sonality and reveal potential careers, re-spectively, saying it, “comes down to what gets students happy.”

Finding an interest in high school doesn’t mean you’ll want to continue with it after college, and it cer-tainly doesn’t mean you have to. Having a passion does help you decide what college is right for you though. Through pursuing a passion you come to realize what programs and social life you’ll want. Finding a spe-cific interest in high school makes the col-lege search a lot easier.

In addition to help-ing you choose a col-lege, getting involved with an activity dur-ing high school teach-es important skills like time manage-ment, commitment and dedication. You discover strengths and weaknesses in your-self and the best ways you interact with oth-ers.

Whether you love doing everything, or aren’t involved in any extracurricular ac-tivities at all, there is something that will make you happy. We have the ability in high school to find a way to continue that in col-lege. Beyond college, we have the chance to make it a career, or simply a life-long pas-sion. But it’s up to us to take advantage of opportunities offered to us.

ACCESS DENIED!MORE LENIENT FILTER SYSTEM NEEDED FOR STUDENTS

The Staff’s Stand

Finding a passion should be students’ focus in high school

backpage the

First “Harry Potter,” then “Twilight,” and now “Hunger Games.”

This series is becom-ing the next in the line of fantasy-fiction nov-els that have soared be-yond expectations and sold millions of copies. We all know “Harry Potter” and, whether we like it or not, “Twi-light,” but what makes the Suzanne Collins’ “Hunger Games” series the next big thing?

This series is set way in the future, where there is no America; there is only Panem. It was comprised of 13

districts, until a rebel-lion that occurred 75 years prior to the story. Now there are only 12, which are reminded of the dictatorial Capitol’s strength each year by the Games. Two “trib-utes,” a boy and a girl, are chosen from each district to enter an arena and fight to the death; this is all broadcast to the citizens of the Capi-tal as a sort of survival show (think “Survivor,” but with killing instead of voting). Katniss Everdeen, the heroine of the novels, volun-teers to be a tribute af-

ter her younger sister’s name is chosen at ran-dom, and this is where the story begins.

Obviously, the story has been enough to give the series a fantastic fan base. According to thehungergames.wikia.com, a fan-made web-site dedicated entirely to Hunger Games facts, each book in the novel has sold almost a mil-lion copies each, as well as 26 foreign editions.

The movie hit the-aters March 23.

Newest saga becomes instant hitThe hunger games

“Honestly, [I got interested in the books] when I saw the movie trailer and people told me I looked like Katniss. She looks like a cool girl with a bow, so I wanted to read it. Everyone said it was really good.”

– Senior Natalie Ducharme-Barth

“I’m a Peeta and Katniss fan!” –Senior Asia Alsgaard

“I’m excited to see the � ghting scenes!” – Senior Mitchell Perry

“From what I’ve heard so far from reviews, [the movie is] pretty consistent with the book, so I’m excited for that.”

– Junior Erin Garay

by LIZ BENAVIDES the falcon flier

cast list

Katniss Everdeen -Jennifer Lawrence

Peeta Mellark -Josh Hutcherson

Gale Hawthorne -Liam Hemsworth

Primrose Everdeen -Willow Shields

Rue -Amandla Stenberg

Cinna - Lenny Kravitz

Cato -Alexander Ludwig

Thresh -Dayo Okeniyi

President Snow -Donald Sutherland

movie vs. book

In the � lm, Katniss gave the “Infamous Mockingjay Pin” to Prim and Prim returned it to her as her tribute Token. In the book, the pin is given to her by Madge Undersee.

In the � lm, every tribute’s uniform is the same. However, in the book, all 24 tributes were wearing di� erent-colored jackets, to distinguish the tributes from every district.

With so many things to watch on television, it’s a wonder students can get any homework done at all. Some concepts are so strange it’s hard to believe anyone would actually make a TV show about them. “American Stu� ers” is a TV show dedi-cated entirely to taxidermy. It follows Daniel Ross and his team in an e� ort to pre-serve people’s beloved pets so that they can be remembered forever.

“Extreme Couponing” is another favorite among viewers. It’s about shoppers in their never ending quest to � nd the best deal. As the title suggests, the consumers go to extreme lengths. They usually have some sort of intricate � ling system. There have even been cases where people have actually been paid for shopping.

And then there’s “Hoarders.” Perhaps one of the most disturbing, yet compelling shows on television. The people on the show have collected so many things that they cannot even access some rooms in their house. They � nd infestations, decade old food, and in some cases, even a few dead animals. If anything, the show will motivate you to clean your room.

Strange television garners more viewers

Jersey Shore

“They’re my inspiration in life.” - Freshman Grayson Batsche

What are your friends watching?

PHOTO COURTESY OF 90210.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF THEHUNGERGAMES.WIKIE.COM

The next generation of overprivileged Beverly Hills teenagers go through dramatic times.

CW, Tuesdays, 9 p.m.

Zooey Deschanel lights up the screen as the ‘adorkable’ Jess, who shares a loft with three guys.

Fox, Tuesdays, 9 p.m.

Based on a comic book, “The Walking Dead” is a riveting drama about the survivors of a zombie apocalypse.

AMC, Sundays, 9 p.m.

This hilarious sitcom follows the social and romantic trials and tribulations of fi ve best friends in New York City.

CBS, Mondays, 8 p.m.

Gossip Girl gives a sneak peak into “the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite” as they go through family hardships and love triangles.

CW, Mondays, 8 p.m.

90210

Gossip Girl

New Girl

Pretty Little Liars

Jersey Shore

How I Met Your Mother

The Walking Dead

Four best friends in high school investigate the mysterious murder of their best friend while being tormented by anonymous text messages.

ABC Family, Mondays, 8 p.m.

Tune in to television’s best of the best

Top 7 most ADDICTIVE TV Shows

The Real Housewives of Orange County

“I enjoy watching the struggle of a modern woman in today’s society.” - Sophomore Je� Good

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES

Compiled by Meggie Roche

The antics of eight housemates as they spend summers together at the Jersey Shore.

MTV, Thursdays, 10 p.m.