Dukes' Dispatch

8
Susan Ortiz Staff Writer Advice: (n) an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action, conduct, etc. Also, it is something all students look for as they make their way through their high school years, arguably four of the toughest years encountered. But students do not have to make their high school journey alone. At Gloucester High, the Counseling Department supplies all students with the guidance they need to be successful through high school and even for their college and other future ambi- tions. Over the years, the high school’s counselors have gained the trust, respect, and confidence of the stu- dents. From feeling the simple schedule changes, to the overwhelming college planning process, and even careers after college graduation, the counselors of GHS are the throughout it all. High school counselors may not be present during the college years, but they are still willing to do everything in their power to prepare students for their future endeavors. If a student does not have the proper tools when going into college, the lack of preparation reflects poor preparation from the high school staff, primarily the counselors, for they are sup- posed to give students what they need to be successful. The rate of high school graduates is increasing steadily ever since 2003, and this is not the year for a decline. Gloucester High School D ukes’ D ispatch 6680 Short Ln. Gloucester, VA 23061•[email protected].va.us Thursday, October 28, 2010 VOL 34 Issue 2 •Providing a pathway for student voice on campus and throughout the community• Logan George Staff Writer “Our team is really good. We’ve had shutouts [in almost] every game so far,” says Hannah Joyce, a junior on the Varsity field hock- ey team. Hannah is the team’s top scorer on Varsity, and has at least one goal per game. Hannah has been playing all game, every game. With the team’s skill, it is no wonder that the team has such a good record. Unfortunately, Varsity isn’t un- defeated anymore. On 10/13, the Dukes lost in overtime to Denbigh. Losing 1-2 was very dishearten- ing, especially to the seniors. Many of them were hoping for a win on their Senior Night, and as you can expect, they were upset and tears were shed. Coach Finerfrock com- mented on the game, saying, “Our Varsity team played well, but the scoreboard did not reflect this.” Coach Miller gave the players a pep talk after the game. “He said just to keep our heads up. Now we know how it feels to lose and we don’t want it to happen again,” says Junior Morgan Reed. “So, we just have to work harder. He said that we are a great group of girls.” With two more games (Grafton and Warwick), the team has a chance for redemption. Warwick was sup- posed to be played earlier in the year but was cancelled due to in- clement weather. Meanwhile, JV had handled their own against Denbigh. Winning 6-0, the girls were very pleased. Goalie Susan Ortiz for JV says she’s happy that JV is still unde- feated. “I told them to fight and win this one for the seniors,” says Coach Fin. “My girls are very close with the Varsity players, and it was hard for them to see the Varsity players so upset, so they wanted to win for them.” Both field hockey teams practice together almost ev- ery day. It is no wonder that the girls have a special friendship. Ms. Finerfrock has some pre- dictions for the final two games against Grafton and Warwick. “I see [Varsity] winning big against those teams. Warwick is our last district game, so it is really impor- tant.” Ms. Finerfrock was correct; the Dukes came out on top both times. No matter what had hap- pened, however, the Varsity team is guaranteed a spot in the play- offs. Unfortunately for the freshmen and sophomores, Junior Varsity doesn’t get to play in a postseason playoff series. While Varsity players have lots of skill, they couldn’t hold off Den- bigh. But with playoffs going on, they can prove that they are still the number one team. • College candor Amanda Pryor Staff Writer According to the No Child Left Behind Act that’s what the freshman class will have to ac- complish. By the year 2014 all 506 students of the freshmen class will have to graduate in order for Gloucester to meet the required 100 percent graduation rate. This means that every student of the Class of 2014 must receive a diploma in a four year pe- riod if Gloucester High School plans on meeting the adequate yearly progress goal and “on-time graduation.” The Education and Secondary Education Act, also known as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was signed into effect by the former President, George Bush, in January 2002. This act requires each state to set annual goals to see if the students are acquiring certain skills to be proficient in reading and mathematics. The schools that meet these goals are qualified of making adequate yearly progress. This feder- al act hopes to improve the reading and math scores of students across the nation. Although Gloucester High School has met these goals in past years, it failed to meet the AYP proficiency rate in 2009-2010. In order to meet the AYP goal for last year, Gloucester needed to have a proficiency rate of at least 81 percent in reading and 79 percent in mathe- matics. But Gloucester is not alone. Throughout Virginia only 1,104 of 1,836 schools have met these requirements. Every school is required to meet the AYP benchmarks, which increase each year, until the year 2014 when the No Child Left Behind Act requires every high school to be 100 percent proficient in reading and mathematics. Schools are always trying to improve, but once we reach that 100 percent, Dr. Beverage questions “where do we go to improve?” No one knows exactly what will happen if the 100 percent goal is not reached. If AYP requirements are not met in two consecutive years, there is a possibility of the school be- ing identified for needing school improvement or giving parents the choice of choosing to transfer their child to another school. AYP separates students into different sub- groups; white, black, Hispanic, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged, and students with limited-English proficiency. If one of these subgroups does not make the AYP requirements then the whole school does not either. AYP sets the same standards for all students even though all students are not the same. News Briefs An unfortunate upset A defining season Larkin Stone Editor-In-Chief This year may have been the Dukes’ chance to really show the district what the boys from Glouc- ester have been working towards. Some predicted a 4-6 season, which really wasn’t a stretch, but after heartbreaks and meltdowns, the standings read 2-6 (wins over Granby and Heritage) with two games left. Yes, heartbreak has been abun- dant this season. After what ap- peared to be an upset of Bethel at home, the Bruins rallied in the sec- ond half and put the game away, 36-35. At homecoming the Dukes came out strong. The offense was clicking on all gears, and the de- fense was making stop after stop. However, the Raiders came back, outscoring Gloucester 35-7 after the quick start to save the game. Is there a recurring theme here? Why, yes, there is. The reason LOOK ONLINE www.dukesdispatch.org ALSO www.twitter.com/dukesdispatch www.facebook.com/dukesdispatch INSIDE Student Life...................................1-5 Op-Ed.................................................6 Entertainment.................................7 Spotlight...........................................8 School counseling office is a jack-of-all-trades •Assistant Principal, Dr.Boland leaves GHS to assume the same position at Jamestown High School •Undefeated GHS Field Hockey endures first loss of the season to undefeated Denbigh. With Denbigh’s win over Menchville, GHS falls into second place in the District. District tournament begins as of press time. •GHS Golf placed fifth in the Region for the first year in GHS history. Sophomore, Zack Robb moved on to the State Tournament At Nansemond River Club in Suffolk, Robb shot an 84 and a 79. •Supervisors voted 4-3 to approve the school fund- ing change for the fiscal year 2011-2012. Supervisors voting for categorical funding were Bobby Crewe(Gloucester Point), John Northstein(Petsworth), Michelle Ressler(at large), Gregory Woodard(Ware). Supervisors voting for lump sum were Buddy Rilee(Abingdon), Louise Theberge(at large), and Carter Borden(York). GHS Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) news: -Register your Food Lion MVP card and your Target RED card to Gloucester High School to earn additonal dollars for the school. -Donated 50 dollars to each class for homecoming float supplies -Monthly meetings are on Thursdays at 6p.m. in the Duke Rock Cafe. Win a laptop! -Write a cool, well-written essay in the Dominion Strong Men and Wonmen: Excellence in Leadership series Student Writing Contest -Visit www.dom.com •All official winter sports tryouts begin November 8: Boys & Girls Basketball Wrestling Swimming Indoor Track •2010 Gloucester County Public Schools United Way Campaign: Live United Give United is underway with donations being made daily. No child left behind, literally Susan Ortiz/Dukes’ Dispatch As seniors attend their final months in high school, counselors will be doing everything in their power to keep the graduation rate rising in the coming years. Continued on p. 2 Dread the Red Will there still be life in the stands this season? the most haunted places in Gloucester. Page 3 Page 3 506 to walk across the stage in 2014 Continued on p. 2 So many, so close Continued on Page 3 Staff Writer Danielle Moore VS. Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerburg Photo:mctcampus.org LARKIN STONE/ DUKES’ DISPATCH Seniors quarterbacks Connor McNeil and Zack Tarpey exchange words in practice. Continued on p. 3 Day In the Life of... Robert Freiermuth Back Page PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/ DUKES’ DISPATCH

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Gloucester High School's student newspaper Gloucester, Va.

Transcript of Dukes' Dispatch

Page 1: Dukes' Dispatch

Susan Ortiz

Staff Writer Advice: (n) an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action, conduct, etc. Also, it is something all students look for as they make their way through their high school years, arguably four of the toughest years encountered. But students do not have to make their high school journey alone. At Gloucester High, the Counseling Department supplies all students with the guidance they need to be successful through high school and even for their college and other future ambi-tions. Over the years, the high school’s counselors have gained the trust, respect, and confidence of the stu-dents. From feeling the simple schedule changes, to the overwhelming college planning process, and even careers after college graduation, the counselors of GHS are the throughout it all. High school counselors may not be present during the college years, but they are still willing to do everything in their power to prepare students for their future endeavors. If a student does not have the proper tools when going into college, the lack of preparation reflects poor preparation from the high school staff, primarily the counselors, for they are sup-posed to give students what they need to be successful. The rate of high school graduates is increasing steadily ever since 2003, and this is not the year for a decline.

Gloucester High School

Dukes’ Dispatch6680 Short Ln. Gloucester, VA 23061•[email protected], October 28, 2010 VOL 34 Issue 2

•Providing a pathway for student voice on campus and throughout the community•

Logan George

Staff Writer

“Our team is really good. We’ve had shutouts [in almost] every game so far,” says Hannah Joyce, a junior on the Varsity field hock-ey team. Hannah is the team’s top scorer on Varsity, and has at least one goal per game. Hannah has been playing all game, every game. With the team’s skill, it is no wonder that the team has such a good record. Unfortunately, Varsity isn’t un-defeated anymore. On 10/13, the Dukes lost in overtime to Denbigh. Losing 1-2 was very dishearten-ing, especially to the seniors. Many of them were hoping for a win on their Senior Night, and as you can expect, they were upset and tears were shed. Coach Finerfrock com-mented on the game, saying, “Our Varsity team played well, but the scoreboard did not reflect this.” Coach Miller gave the players a pep talk after the game. “He said just to keep our heads up. Now we know how it feels to lose and we don’t want it to happen again,” says Junior Morgan Reed. “So, we just have to work harder. He said that we are a great group of girls.” With two more games (Grafton and Warwick), the team has a chance for redemption. Warwick was sup-posed to be played earlier in the year but was cancelled due to in-clement weather. Meanwhile, JV had handled their own against Denbigh. Winning 6-0, the girls were very pleased. Goalie Susan Ortiz for JV says she’s happy that JV is still unde-feated. “I told them to fight and win this one for the seniors,” says Coach Fin. “My girls are very close with the Varsity players, and it was hard for them to see the Varsity players so upset, so they wanted to win for them.” Both field hockey teams practice together almost ev-ery day. It is no wonder that the girls have a special friendship. Ms. Finerfrock has some pre-dictions for the final two games against Grafton and Warwick. “I see [Varsity] winning big against those teams. Warwick is our last district game, so it is really impor-tant.” Ms. Finerfrock was correct; the Dukes came out on top both times. No matter what had hap-pened, however, the Varsity team is guaranteed a spot in the play-offs. Unfortunately for the freshmen and sophomores, Junior Varsity doesn’t get to play in a postseason playoff series. While Varsity players have lots of skill, they couldn’t hold off Den-bigh. But with playoffs going on, they can prove that they are still the number one team. •

College candor

Amanda Pryor

Staff Writer

According to the No Child Left Behind Act that’s what the freshman class will have to ac-complish. By the year 2014 all 506 students of the freshmen class will have to graduate in order for Gloucester to meet the required 100 percent graduation rate. This means that every student of the Class of 2014 must receive a diploma in a four year pe-riod if Gloucester High School plans on meeting the adequate yearly progress goal and “on-time graduation.” The Education and Secondary Education Act, also known as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was signed into effect by the former President, George Bush, in January 2002. This

act requires each state to set annual goals to see if the students are acquiring certain skills to be proficient in reading and mathematics. The schools that meet these goals are qualified of making adequate yearly progress. This feder-al act hopes to improve the reading and math scores of students across the nation. Although Gloucester High School has met these goals in past years, it failed to meet the AYP proficiency rate in 2009-2010. In order to meet the AYP goal for last year, Gloucester needed to have a proficiency rate of at least 81 percent in reading and 79 percent in mathe-matics. But Gloucester is not alone. Throughout Virginia only 1,104 of 1,836 schools have met these requirements. Every school is required to meet the AYP benchmarks, which increase each year, until the year 2014 when the No Child Left Behind Act requires every high school to be 100 percent

proficient in reading and mathematics. Schools are always trying to improve, but once we reach that 100 percent, Dr. Beverage questions “where do we go to improve?” No one knows exactly what will happen if the 100 percent goal is not reached. If AYP requirements are not met in two consecutive years, there is a possibility of the school be-ing identified for needing school improvement or giving parents the choice of choosing to transfer their child to another school. AYP separates students into different sub-groups; white, black, Hispanic, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged, and students with limited-English proficiency. If one of these subgroups does not make the AYP requirements then the whole school does not either. AYP sets the same standards for all students even though all students are not the same.

News Briefs

An unfortunate

upset

A defining season

Larkin Stone

Editor-In-Chief

This year may have been the Dukes’ chance to really show the district what the boys from Glouc-ester have been working towards. Some predicted a 4-6 season, which really wasn’t a stretch, but after heartbreaks and meltdowns, the standings read 2-6 (wins over Granby and Heritage) with two games left. Yes, heartbreak has been abun-dant this season. After what ap-peared to be an upset of Bethel at home, the Bruins rallied in the sec-ond half and put the game away, 36-35. At homecoming the Dukes came out strong. The offense was clicking on all gears, and the de-fense was making stop after stop. However, the Raiders came back, outscoring Gloucester 35-7 after the quick start to save the game. Is there a recurring theme here? Why, yes, there is. The reason

LOOK ONLINEwww.dukesdispatch.org

ALSO

www.twitter.com/dukesdispatchwww.facebook.com/dukesdispatch

INSIDE

Student Life...................................1-5

Op-Ed.................................................6

Entertainment.................................7

Spotlight...........................................8

School counseling office is a jack-of-all-trades

•Assistant Principal, Dr.Boland leaves GHS to assume the same position at Jamestown

High School

•Undefeated GHS Field Hockey endures first loss of the season to undefeated

Denbigh. With Denbigh’s win over Menchville, GHS falls into

second place in the District. District tournament begins as

of press time.

•GHS Golf placed fifth in the Region for the first year in

GHS history. Sophomore,

Zack Robb moved on to the State Tournament

At Nansemond River

Club in Suffolk, Robb shot an 84 and a 79.

•Supervisors voted 4-3 to approve the school fund-

ing change for the fiscal year 2011-2012.

Supervisors voting for categorical funding were Bobby Crewe(Gloucester

Point), John Northstein(Petsworth),

Michelle Ressler(at large), Gregory Woodard(Ware).

Supervisors voting for lump sum were Buddy

Rilee(Abingdon), Louise Theberge(at large), and Carter

Borden(York).

•GHS Parent Teacher Student Association

(PTSA) news:-Register your Food Lion MVP card and your Target

RED card to Gloucester High School to earn additonal dollars for the school.

-Donated 50 dollars to each class for homecoming float

supplies-Monthly meetings are on Thursdays at 6p.m. in the

Duke Rock Cafe.

•Win a laptop!-Write a cool, well-written

essay in the Dominion Strong Men and Wonmen: Excellence in Leadership series Student

Writing Contest-Visit www.dom.com

•All official winter sports tryouts begin November 8:Boys & Girls Basketball

WrestlingSwimming

Indoor Track

•2010 Gloucester County Public Schools United Way

Campaign:Live UnitedGive United

is underway with donations being made daily.

No child left behind, literally

Susan Ortiz/Dukes’ Dispatch

As seniors attend their final months in high school, counselors will be doing everything in their power to keep the graduation rate rising in the coming years.

Continued on p. 2

Dread the Red Will there still be life in the stands this season?

the most haunted places in Gloucester.

Page 3 Page 3

506 to walk across the stage in 2014

Continued on p. 2

So many, so close

Continued on Page 3

Staff Writer Danielle Moore

VS.Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerburg

Photo:mctcampus.org

LARKIN STONE/ DUKES’ DISPATCHSeniors quarterbacks Connor McNeil and Zack Tarpey exchange words in

practice.Continued on p. 3

Day In the Life of...Robert Freiermuth

Back Page

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/ DUKES’ DISPATCH

Page 2: Dukes' Dispatch

Student Life

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According to the Kids Count Data Center, Virginia’s overall rank was 16 on a scale of 1-50, with one being the highest and fifty being the lowest. They determine this number by looking at the values of the ten key indicators and then standardizing those scores. The key indicators are based on the well being of children. These indicators are infant mortality rate, percent of low birth weight babies, child death rate, teen death rate, teen birth rate, percent of teens not in school and not high school graduates, percent of teens not attending school and not working, percent of children living in families where no parent has full-time, year round employment, percent of children in poverty, percent of children in single-parent family. There are many numerous factors that impact the education of children. We cannot expect that every child will learn the same as another because these outside factors affect every child in different ways. Schools across Virginia are not exactly sure how they will reach a 100 percent graduation rate, but Gloucester students have noticed a cou-ple of changes with Gloucester’s grading scale. Although this change may seem small, it could

make the difference between a student failing and a student passing. “Will it help? Yes. Will it fix it? No.” says Dr. Beverage. Even though this can help students keep their grades up, it does not mean that it will be as ef-fective for every single student. Beverage believes that the 10 point grading scale is a “step in the right direction.” Last year, some people noticed in the Course Description Guide for 2010-2011 that there was an added credit in Financial Literacy to the gradu-ation requirements for the class of 2014. Gradu-ation requirements can be changed by two dif-ferent groups; the School Board and the State of Virginia. Now in the Course Description Guide the Financial Literacy credit has the word “POST-PONED” written in capitalized, bold, black let-ters. This credit has been postponed because of “unfunded mandates.” An unfunded mandate is when the state sets requirements, but does not provide the funds to carry out their plans. Without the proper funds it is harder for schools to function properly. The No Child Left Behind Act was signed about ten years ago, before the major economic problem. Those in office in 2001 were

not able to predict that the economy would have a drastic effect in the school system. To truly make sure that “no child is left behind” students and teachers have to work together.

Every single student and teacher needs to give 100 percent if there is any hope of having a 100 percent graduation pass rate. •

Counseling Not only are counselors available by appointment, they set up events. Many occasions pertain to the se-nior class, such as college fairs and planning series. The College Planning Series is a helpful step in getting accepted to college. When walking through the halls of Gloucester High, students are seen wearing clothing to represent the schools they want to attend or simply support. But not everyone is aware of the struggle it is to get into some of the elite colleges they desire to be accepted to. Rivalries like Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia are going strong in high schools, perpetuating the rivalries that await them at these highly ranked schools. Attending the planning series will be the rivals of VT and UVA, the universities of North Carolina, Mary Washington, Old Dominion, Longwood, Richmond, Christopher Newport, George Mason, Radford, and Wil-liam and Mary.These are some of the top colleges and they will be bringing students the information that can help them throughout the entire year. The series is held

in the school library, each day having a specific topic to be covered.Some important dates to remember:November 10: Scholarships/ Financial AidFebruary 16: Resume WritingMarch 16: Making the Most of a College VisitApril 13: Application Process/Making a DecisionMay 18: Saying Goodbye…Making sure you are pre-pared to leave for college Counselors do not only set up stuff for college planning, they are also present for personal and social development. This includes the guidance department going around to classes and teaching children about self-respect and skills for being responsible. There are also special presentations on bullying, anger manage-ment, and healthy relationships. When these topics need elaboration, students can set up appointments to be counseled individually or as a group. The counselors are even split up by grade level and last name to ensure a more personal relationship; this

provides counselors with a better understanding of the students. The counseling department is broken down even more when it comes to 12th grade, for a lot of attention is to be focused on making the seniors suc-cessful. Also, there are other members that are always available to everyone. Mrs. Daniel, the career coach, and Mrs. Mahoney, the psychologist, are here to be consulted by students who feel they have problems that can be directly associated with their fields. After walking across the stage at graduation…re-ceiving the long-awaited diploma…and saying good-bye to the school that has housed the past four years of education, one will look back and think of the good times, rather than the obstacles throughout. Even though those obstacles will be put out of memories, the twists and turns all throughout are still part of the jour-ney. And to make that journey as smooth as possible, the Counseling Department tries to relieve most of the stress. They want all students to succeed just as much as the students themselves. •

AMANDA PRYOR/ DISPATCH

Important Dates

November 1, Monday-Girls volleyball district tournament

November 2, Tuesday-Boys volleyball district tournament

November 4, Thursday-Cross Country Regionals

November 10, Wednesday-College Planning Series- scholarships and finacial aid night -Winter and Sping sports physicals

November 12, Friday-Report Cards issued

November 17, Wednesday-Fall sports awards ceremony-Scholastic Bowl competition

School is not in session...

Monday, November 1Tuesday, November 2

Wednesday, November 3

Wednesday, November 24Thursday, November 25

(Thanksgiving Day)Friday, November 26

Continued from front page

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Page 3: Dukes' Dispatch

Student Life 3Thursday,October 28, 2010 Vol. 35 Issue 2

Editorial PolicyThe Dukes’ Dispatch reserves the right to

select which letters to the editor are in each issue. Letters to editor must be limited to ap-prox. 150 words and must be accompanied by the students name, contact information, and signature. The Dukes’ Dispatch will not print obscene, malicious, libelous or unsigned mate-rials. Letters must be submitted in an orderly and timely fashion. All opinions in the Dukes’

Dispatch solely reflect the ideas and beliefs of the author of the material whose name

appears in the byline; all opinions of letters to the editor are those of the author. The Dukes’

Dispatch does not discriminate in any way, shape, or form against the general public and the staff keeps an open mind while reporting,

editing, and reviewing information.

Voice BoxWe want to hear your voice.

You can submit any letters to the edi-tor, art/photo contributions, or other

articles by dropping them in the Voice Box on the bulletin board across from room C167. Include your name, grade,

phone number or email.

Letters to the Editor must be within 150 words and school appropriate.

Students get rowdy to support team

Elle Reid/Amber Phelps

Managing Editors

The 2009 basketball season did not lack support and did not boast a quiet atmosphere. Many students in years past have complained about the lack of motivation and support for sports teams, but last year a new tradition changed that for good. Last year’s graduates Andrew Peterson, Matt Fischgrund, Colby Wig-gins, Chad Prince, and a few other outspoken students started showing up to support their friend James Leonard as he played for the Varsity basketball team. Soon they went from being typical supportive fans to something so much more. “We (most of the baseball team plus Chad Prince) were just all around excited about the basketball games. All of us would watch college games together and when the high school season started we decided ‘Why not go crazy for our senior year?’” says Andrew Peterson. Matt Fischgrund says, “I’m a huge Duke [University] Blue Devils fan and I really like how they get involved to root their team on, and I thought it’d be a good idea to start a student section at the high school before I graduated.” The boys took a trip to Wal-Mart and found referee costumes on sale after Halloween. Dressed as blind referees, Matt, Andrew, and Colby headed to the boys varsity basketball game to cheer on the team. Their rowdy and inspiring cheering brought in more fans, so the group decided to step it up. “We just really wanted to do something that would leave a mark from our ‘squad’ at GHS and I think we really did accomplish this by doing what we did. I definitely think our efforts boosted school pride at GHS.” Varsity basketball coach Christopher Morgan was the person who coined the name ‘Dread the Red’ for the designated section while on a road trip with his family. “While I was vacation this summer, I saw a person wearing a T-shirt with a slogan supporting her school. My family and I had a five-hour drive left and started talking about a slogan for GHS,” says Coach Morgan. “Af-ter some word play, the slogan was born. I have recently found out that Radford University uses this slogan.”

The boys’ varsity basketball team pulled in their first win last year against Heritage in overtime, and many people believe that the help of the student and parent fans made that possible. “I honestly think a large part of it was because of our student section. The team has said before that they didn’t win that game,” says Peterson, “the fans did.” Last year, a poll of the coaches within the district said that Gloucester High was the most improved team, as well as having the hardest gym to play in, largely because of the rowdy and spirited section. “This is because of the students of GHS,” says Coach Morgan. “As far as the student section, I thought it was tremendous help. Coaching and playing in the Peninsula District is no easy task. From one to ten, every team is very good. Having any type of advantage is huge for us” Some may say that support from fans can greatly benefit a team. Peterson, an athlete himself, says that energy from the crowd truly does create better performance from a team. Fischgrund agrees, saying, “It’s a lonely feeling to go out there and not have anyone rooting for you at all, or people just joking on your efforts.” The question now is whether the ‘Dread the Red’ student section will still be around this season now that the students who started it have graduated. The boys made sure they had juniors last year who would carry on the tradition, and bring it to a new level. Perry Morris, a senior this year, also participated in rooting for Gloucester’s varsity basketball players. Peterson has confidence that Morris, along with senior Cody Weaver, will lead a student section that is just as spirited and energetic as last year’s. “We are planning on posting flyers in the school to get more people to come,” says Morris. “We also plan on talking to lower classmen and encourage them to join us.” Morris also plans to ask the students who were involved last year to spread the word about the student section to boost the number of people at the games. “Wait until the first game of the season and go find Perry Morris. I will guarantee you that the GHS student section will be bigger and better than ever,” says Peterson. The spirit of the basketball student section transferred over to the boys’ varsity baseball team. Many fans showed up to the team’s games in the spring, which helped support the players and possibly played an important factor in their winnings.

“Toward the end of our baseball season we saw probably the best turnouts to any Gloucester High school game as far as students, teachers, and parents of people that didn’t even play baseball,” says Peterson. “And I really feel that this is one of the reasons that we were able to give GHS its first state win in baseball.” “We were told by referees, coaches, other fans, and players that we were fun to watch, but the players told us it pumped them up too,” says Colby Wiggins. Most of the students who started the ‘Dread the Red’ section -- Pe-terson, Fischgrund, and Wiggins, have graduated, but they expect that it will continue and plan on stopping by to see how it’s progressed. Coach Morgan believes that the student section will continue to grow and help spread Gloucester High spirit. “We are planning on selling the T-shirts with the “Dread the Red” slo-gan. It would be a tremendous advantage to fill the section every game,” says Morgan. “I am looking for big things out of the student section and I am quite sure that Perry Morris has some great ideas planned.” •

Moving forwardthe opposition was able to mount comebacks in both of those games was not a lack of talent. There is no shortage of talent in Gloucester. The reason is this: fatigue. This is one of the simplest concepts of the game. No player can go 48 minutes and still be able to play at a high level in the fourth quarter. The Newport News and Hampton teams stack up on the sideline likewise to a college or pro team. No less than fifty players, and more importantly, independent offensive, defensive, and special teams units. That would be why so many close games have slipped out of Gloucester’s grasp. However, the play-ers make no excuses for their faults. “We are a conditioned football team, and if Coach (Merchant) didn’t think we could do it, he wouldn’t put

us in that position,” says wide receiver/backup quar-terback Connor McNeil. It is good to see that the players are not slighting themselves, but there is no doubt that a larger team would help. Hopefully, as the younger players come up to varsity, they will fill out the team and can help the program continue to rise. But was this the season to make an impact? Some may say so, as this year’s senior class is one of the most talented in recent memory. Basically the entire offensive unit will be leaving, which as explained above, means that the entire defensive unit is leaving as well. In a nutshell, a high majority of starters will be gone come next September. However, Coach Mer-chant has overcome this before, with impact players leaving every year, dating back to the days of Tommy Reamon Jr. and Ray Harris. But with the JV team’s success, along with another year of experience for Coach Merchant, GHS football is headed in the right direction. “The team achieved things this season that we haven’t done in a while, and...the JV team is 3-3 through their first six games, (which) shows that the program is on a definite rise,” explains McNeil.Hopefully, the upcoming players can continue to get better, and can close out games in the future. Coach Merchant has been working for three years now to bring GHS from the bottom up, and with a seventh place standing in the district, he is starting to see his goal materialize. However it shakes out, two wins this season is better than last season, and improvement is what matters for Dukes football. •

Dukes’ DispatchEditor-In-Chief

Larkin Stone

Print Managing Editor

Elle Reid

Online Managing Editor

Amber Phelps

Layout Editor

Ryan Wheless

Copy Editor

Susan Ortiz

Student Life Team

Taylor ClarkeAmanda Pryor

Tatyana White-Jenkins

Michele Johnson

Web Design Team

Drew AndersonFaith PollardKatie Smith

Logan George

Danielle Moore

Layout Team

Jessica Edington

Jordan Cheresnowsky

Tales of TidewaterTricks to get the treatsDanielle Moore/Katie Smith

Staff Writers

The Tidewater Region of Virginia is home to some of the most eerie ghost stories. Revolutionary soldiers, Confederate wives, and lost souls roam around the re-gion bordered by the Chesapeake Bay. The Peyton Randolph House in Williamsburg is one of the oldest houses in Virginia. It is said to be one of the most haunted places in the area. Several Colonial Williamsburg tour guides have reported mysterious oc-currences. Many other people who have had first hand experiences claim that an evil force was trying to push them down the cellar stairs. On one occasion, a secu-rity guard overheard a bustling noise coming from the basement. As he began to descend down the basement stairs, the door was slammed shut and locked behind him. He felt a mysterious force holding him down and claimed the life was knocked out of him. His colleague came looking for him and as he knocked on the base-ment door, it oddly unlocked itself and opened. There is an old mansion across from Ware Academy called Church Hill. The story goes that the daughter of the wealthy house owner fell in love with a soldier. When her father learned of the affair, he forbid the re-lationship. Ironically the soldier died in war soon after, causing turmoil in the woman’s life. She lapsed into a coma; however, her family thought she had died. They buried her in a shallow grave over the hill behind the plantation. A greedy butler devised a plan to dig up the grave and take off all of the jewelry that was bur-ied with the woman. On an extremely snowy night, the butler started towards the grave. After digging it up, he saw a beautiful ring on the girl’s finger that would not come off. He took a knife and detached the

girl’s finger, waking her up. The butler fled the scene and the young girl, in shock, attempted to crawl back to the house. When she finally made it to the door, it was snowing so hard that the noise overcame the tapping of her fingers. The next morning her parent’s discovered her frozen to death beside the door. The legend goes that on the first snow of the year, the girl’s blood is vis-ible from the grave to the doorstep and you can hear a light tapping on the door. Old House Woods is one of the strangest para-normal sightings in the state; from pirates burying their treasure, a witch’s green light, a full Spanish galleon, to vanishing cow ghosts. The Spanish Galleon will come from the beach and go and hover over the woods, docking in a grove of the trees. It is said that when the soldiers come down from the ship, the woods would light up and you would hear the sound of digging shov-els. The Witch’s green light is a warning to all of those who over stayed their welcome. The light appears and flashes 3 times before departing; though the light is intense it won’t obstruct your night vision. Heed the warning of spirits and ghouls of the forest, and you might just be in for an attack. Now remember, don’t go too far into the woods or you might disappear. Various people have gone into the woods and vanished after approaching the treasure at too close a distance. The tidewater area isn’t the only home to ghostly spots. Virginia is rich in spooky history and no matter where you travel to, you are guaranteed to see some-thing paranormal. Halloween isn’t the only night for these occurrences. The living dead roam around the state, scaring many.•

Katie Smith

Staff Writer

Reese’s, Snickers, Dum Dums, M&Ms, Skittles, Tootsie pops, War heads, all these free treats galore that is out of one’s reach on Halloween due to the fact that the age cut off for trick or treating is 12 years old. But even though we can’t trick or treat doesn’t mean we can’t get any of the treats. The best thing to do in order to make that true is to help out the younger sib-lings get the most treats possible— that way you can get some of the prize. In order for that to be realized you need a route that is good enough to get enough candy for the both of you. There are many roads and routes where pos-sibility of getting the maximum amount of candy. Holly Springs is a well populated area with 39 houses. “There’s like 800 people…maybe, that’s including the parents” commented Brian Fry a sophomore. Also, those “800” people are people from about 6-12 years old with “quite a few little ones.” Another drawback is that arriving early is essential. If arrived too late, the candy will be gone because once the clock strikes 6, the legal time trick-or-treating begins, it is free game. For those who are “safety first” about their pre-cious little brothers/sisters the main street trick-or-treat is for you. Recently Gloucester county has been sponsoring a trick-or-treating route down Main Street where several different businesses participate in hand-ing out teats for the trick-or-treating. The Silver Box, Split Enz, the fire department, several Restaurants and even Dr. Timothy A. Leigh, a dentist on Main Street, participates in the handing of treats. This route full

Halloween themed decorations and faux fog, perfect for the little kids. For less populated areas, Dunstan Hall is the place to go. Since it was made recently not many people will be going there and the recently moved in people don’t know how many kids will come by so they often over-compensate. Also it is also quite large in size, with several culdesacs. Not to mention that since there are less people you don’t have to arrive early, and you could do route several times. If scaring is more appealing then Beaver Dam Park is the place to be. Traveling down a trail in the woods, and the only light is the moon and the few flashlights that you brought. The trail contains different ways to scare the peo-ple that partake, with noise makers and enhancing the natural fright of the night. A frightful experience that is wonderful to share with family and friends, seeing who will the first to scream, laugh or even disappear. It’s even scary enough that kids under 9 years old must have an adult accompany them. “I think it’s scary when you’re walking by the wa-ter, and people jump out at you, and everyone starts running” commented Sam Russell, a sophomore. If in-terested the entrance fees are $6/person for ages 13 & older and $4/person for ages 12 & under from 7 o’clock to nine. Trick or treating starts at six o’clock and ends at eight. Be careful to not be caught going to the same house multiple time. When going trick or treating with younger siblings, be wary of the road and suspicious figures. Also if parents/guardians aren’t with you, you are responsible of the safety of both you and the younger siblings. •

DUKES’ DISPATCH ARCHIVEAndrew Peterson, Matt Fischgrunf, and Colby Wiggins dressed as nerds to raise

spirit for the basketball team last year.

JEREMY HUMPHREY/ DUKES’ DISPATCH

People visit the Peyton Randolph House in Williamsburg.

JEREMY HUMPHREY/ DUKES’ DISPATCH

Holly Springs is one of the most popular Trick-or-Treating routes in Gloucester

Senior, Connor McNeil pitches the ball in practice earlier this season.

LARKIN STONE/ DUKES’ DISPATCH

Continued from front page

Page 4: Dukes' Dispatch

Running ahead

Faith Pollard

Staff Writer

The Dukes’ cross country team ends their season undefeated and topping the district. The team earned several top finish places at district meets and invitational events. The Dukes have proven to be a force to be reckoned with as they continue defeating teams who challenge them. This season is showing how strong Gloucester’s Dukes are as they trample most of the competition. The front run-ners for the boys against Woodside were Logan Pitchford, Cameron Cross, and Tyler Price. On the girls side Elisabeth Drake, Megan Hogge, and Morganne Roundy took first, second, and third place also defeating Woodside. The boys and girls on the cross country team do their best at practice and meets. All of them work hard at practice to improve their times. Sophomore N’kem Boyd happily said, “We have been train-ing very hard since August and our hard work is starting to pay off as the season comes to a close.” Jacob Florio, in his second year on the team said, “I feel it’s been a good season. It’s been fun, it’s been hard. All together it’s been really good.” With the regular season at its end, the cross country team has high expectations for Districts. Coach Sujansky is hoping “for a repeat of last year, however, there is some tough competition in the district.” Both teams won first place last year, so the anticipation for what is to come this year is running high. Seniors Caroline Parker and Kath-ryn Prochnow mutually agreed that personally at districts they want to obtain personal records. Also, Prochnow expects the two teams “to be District champs again.” For the seniors, this will be their last Districts to run in. When asked about future cross country plans, Parker with high spirits said, “I hope to run at Wash-ington and Lee University.” Another Senior Ashleigh Polk also replied “I plan to run in college.” Polk is planning on joining the cross country team at Emory and Henry College. Overall, the cross country team trains hard for every meet and especially Districts this month. They deserve the upmost support from their fellow students. Their representation of Gloucester High School is hard work and determi-nation. •

Bump, set, spikeLogan George

Staff Writer

Volleyball can be played any-where. You can play at the beach, in the yard, or in a competitive dis-trict setting. All of us learn about the rules and simple strategies in gym class. But if you want to step it up, try out for the Varsity vol-leyball team. The boys volleyball team has been on the top of their game for a while now. They are usually in the top three of the district. They have been serving and spiking their way to two district championships, pounding the ball and the opposi-tion. With their record, it’s no won-der that they are one of the top

district volleyball teams. Volleyball is fun to play, in gym or on the team. “Volleyball is a good sport, and it’s always fun. I love every-thing about it,” says Donald Edg-

erly. “You always have to try your best.” Donald has been playing since his freshman year, and now he is in 12th grade. Since he has been playing for four years, he is one the most experienced players on the team. And he loves to play volleyball. But it hasn’t always been that way. “I started in freshman year and I didn’t really like it. Then I got into it and now it’s my favorite activ-ity,” explains Donald. Many people that I know play sports they didn’t like at first, but then it grows on the players. But we can’t forget the girls’ V-ball squad. They have a hard train-ing regimen that starts way before the first game. The whole team shows up to practice the spikes,

sets and passes. “We practice serving and hitting over the net, because that is pretty important,” says Sam Russell, one of the varsity girls. They also do a lot of passing drills and “lots and lots of running.” They condition hard and have something to show for it. Last year, they were the dis-trict champs for the first time. The girls and boys teams have their own banners hanging in the main gym with the lists of championships each team has won. Both teams are hoping to re-peat their accomplishments from last year. “We have a great team this year, and I think we can go to districts again.” Sam is very enthusiastic about this year, because she wants a chance to compete against

other good high school teams. The girls know how to dominate if they can continue their streak from last year. Through intense training and a lot of commitment, both teams could go all the way. •

Boys’ Coach Chris Thomas gives a lecture abouot technique

Elle Reid/Dukes’ Dispatch

Donald Edgerly explains his volleyball career

Elle Reid/Dukes’ Dispatch

***Political ads paid for by the local Democratic and Republican parties. The Dukes’ Dispatch does not endorse either political party.***

Homecoming 2010

Photo: Kim Chandler

Jeremy Humphrey/ Dukes’ Dispatch

4 Student LifeThursday, October 28, 2010 Vol. 35 Issue 2

While the seniors cheered their way to winning the spirit stick, the sophomores captured the

first place float award.

Homecoming King and Queen Perry Morris and Deana Nutter

Page 5: Dukes' Dispatch

5Op-EdThursday, October 28, 2010 Vol. 35 Issue 2

Stop. Breathe.Jessica Edington

Staff Writer

School has only been in session for two months, and already many Gloucester High students are count-ing down the days until summer vacation. Of course, no one likes homework. If you took a poll, it’s highly unlikely that very many would claim to enjoy climbing out of bed before the sun has peaked its head over the horizon. And sitting in a desk for over six hours is not really anyone’s idea of a great time. But wait a second. Aren’t these supposed to be the best years of our lives? Somewhere, amid the English papers and Biology notes and Geometry problems, we’ve lost part of the meaning of high school. Students are so stressed out with everything on their shoulders that they’ve ceased to really enjoy what should be some of the happiest memories of their lives. When was the last time since summer you spent an entire day not worrying about some assignment or upcoming deadline, and simply had fun? For most students, the answer is probably a very, very long time ago (as in, in a galaxy far, far away). But really, for many of us, this is exactly what our high school careers feel like: our childhoods and carefree days of no responsibility are light-years away. This is the transition period between childhood and adulthood, youth and maturity. Students are expected to carry more and more responsibilities, from handling classes and homework, to holding part time jobs, to being ac-tive members on sports teams, and many other activi-ties. Teenagers hardly ever fall under one stereotypi-cal category anymore. They are expected to do more than one thing; in fact, they are often expected to do a superhuman amount of things. Isn’t this what we’ve always wanted? To be treated like adults as opposed to children? Then why is there so much complaining going on is the halls of GHS? It’s a nice idea, to be treated like someone who’s able to take care of themselves. But actually having to take care of yourself? Not quite as much fun.

High school is meant to prepare students for “the real world,” or life after the classroom. When your time at GHS is up, you’ll leave as a mature (and probably even legal) adult. So it’s only logical that students are given more responsibilities and expectations. But you also have to consider, this is the last chance you have to be a kid. Not a kid in the sense of crayons and blowing bubbles (unless that’s your thing). But a kid in that you can be free from worries and to-do lists, and be able to learn and grow from things you enjoy. Things like riding your bike or fishing, reading a book or enjoying the company of your friends, shooting hoops or building cardboard box forts. These years, whether you’re a senior, freshman, or somewhere in between, are the last years you’ll really have a chance to do things like this without worrying about jobs and work and bills and all the other things those grown-up people have to worry about. So what are you doing with them? Chances are, you’re probably somewhere in between, maintaining a delicate balance between responsibility and recreation. This is fantastic. You don’t want to completely ignore the serious aspects of your education and commitments, but you don’t want to give up all of your teenaged years to the demanding crusade for a successful future. For some more so than others, however, it’s becoming more and more difficult to find a spot for the fun in their lives. Today, there’s an increasing pres-sure for all students to attend some kind of college be-fore they enter the work place, despite whether or not higher education is the path they feel is right for them. This pushes students to take on more difficult classes and a more intense workload, to fill their schedule with extracurricular activities, volunteering, and sports, and to try to stay sane on top of all of it. It’s just too much. So how do you counteract this? I’m not suggest-ing you drop it all, not in the least. Instead, try to remember that you do need some happiness in your life. Whenever you’re feeling overly stressed out, or that you have too much to deal with, stop for a minute, take a deep breath, and remember something that made you smile once. Every now and then, take a day off and do something you really enjoy. Or even if you don’t have time to do a full day, take an hour off, and read a book, talk to a friend, watch your favorite TV show, or bake some cookies; cookies make nearly everything better. Just remember, when you’re trying to take on the world: you’re only half an adult. You’re still part kid, too. And kids need time to play. •

Creating violent minds?

Dukes’ Discourse

-Tyler Lothian, Junior

-Marcus Squires, Senior

-Levi Reeves, Freshman

-Carley Atwell, Sophomore

-Holly Jackson, Senior

-Jay Monfort, Sophomore

The [anti] social networkDanielle Moore

Staff Writer

Does anyone even remember MySpace? In the last decade, social networking sites are among the most popular. Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr are just a few of the most visited websites on the internet. In the last few years these website’s names have become verbs! But with all of these advances in social technol-ogy, it leads one to ask if it is truly doing more harm than good. Mark Zuckerberg was just another college stu-dent, a college student with a bright idea. The Harvard sophomore at first created a website called “facemash” which used the faces of students from nine dormi-tories, put two side-by-sides, and asked viewers to choose which member was “hotter.” He recruited his three friends Chris Hughes, Dustin Moskovitz, and Eduardo Saverin to develop what is now Facebook in their Harvard dorm room. What started out as just a “Harvard thing” was soon hitting all of the ivy-league schools such as Stanford, Columbia, and Yale. And before you knew it, Facebook consumed about one in every fourteen people, 500 million users. Zuckerberg

is now the youngest billionaire in the world. Facebook was intended to bring people from far-away places together. But as we sink farther into what has become the digital age, all it is doing is drifting people further and further apart. One of Facebook’s many downfalls is that it’s free; everyone and anyone can join. The social website has been in the center of several controversial issues. It has opened the door for cyber bullying, murder, stalking, and many extremists groups. There are groups set up that anyone can join on the website, ones that can cause some major effects on the people they involve. And thanks to the new news feed, anyone of your friends can see each thing you like, join, or comment on the homepage. Let’s face it, most people don’t like confrontation. But when some people log onto their accounts, they suddenly get the nerve to do something they ordinarily wouldn’t do outside of the web. The epidemic called cyber bullying is sweeping the nation’s youth. Websites like Facebook have aided this devel-opment in the past few years. Yes, I am an avid Facebook fan. However, I real-ize that in this world bad things can happen to any-one, so it’s necessary to acknowledge your internet boundaries. Some people do not consider the fact that once you put something on the internet, it’s there for-ever. When you update your status, consider what you are telling your friends. I can pretty much guarantee that at least one person on your Facebook account is not your true “friend”, maybe an acquaintance, maybe someone you’ve seen around school. Do you want a guy you’ve never even talked to have an open view of not only your public life, but your private life too? •

“If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive,

who would it be?”

“I would have dinner with Chris Morgan because he

is a nice looking guy.”

“I would have dinner with Snooki because she looks like Brittany

Masiclat.”

“I would have dinner with Bob Marley because he’s a cool dude.”

“I would eat dinner with Rascal Flatts, because

they are my idols.”

“I would definitely eat dinner with Lady Gaga

because her dinner would be amazing.”

“I would have dinner with Kurt Cobain, because he’s

really hot, just saying.”

Drew Anderson

Staff Writer

Violence and video games have always gone hand in hand. It can be argued that violence is a component in most video games on the market. This is certainly the case with the more popular games. Ac-cording to the UK Interactive Entertainment Associa-tion, the top purchased computer games for 2010 are: Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty, The Sims 3, Mafia 2, etc. all feature violent aspects. Some would argue that The Sims series doesn’t feature violence. Yet according to the ESRB the game features crude humor, sexual themes, and (ta-dah!) violence. So what exactly is video game violence? The ESRB describes violence as “Scenes involving aggressive conflict. May include bloodless dismember-ment.” Most gamers would agree that playing violent video games does not cause them to develop violent tendencies. But experts disagree. Craig Anderson, a distinguished professor at Iowa State University says that “Exposure to violent video games directly causes increased aggressive thoughts and behavior, and decreased empathy and prosocial behavior in the youths to them.” These studies analyzed results of previous litera-ture (books, movies, television shows) and compared them to video games’ effects on violent tendencies using statistics “meta-analytic procedures.” A meta-analytic procedure involved taking results from multiple experiments/studies and combining the results. So what do these “experts” propose we do about

this crisis? Well Anderson believes that we as a society need to “…make it easier for parents—within the limits of culture, society, and law—to provide a healthier child-hood for their kids…” Based on Anderson’s answer, we are left to as-sume that he has no idea how to do this. He offers no solution except for a broad statement. Not to men-tion that there is already a system in place to make it easier for parents to provide a “healthier childhood for their kids.” It’s called the rating system. That system is in place for the sole purpose of informing the con-sumer about the content in a game. So what more can game companies do? If a parent decides to buy their nine year old a mature rated game, that’s their deci-sion and the government has no right to tell them no. These “experts” studied 130,000 people world-wide. According to Mercury News.com, Michael Pachter, an analyst for Wedbush Morgan Securi-ties, says that roughly 52% of people own a gaming console in the United States alone. That’s roughly 156,004,023 people .0008% of gamers in the U.S. So, needless to say, this study doesn’t encompass even one percent of gamers worldwide. If video games increased violent tendencies in people, why is it that violent crime is the lowest it has been in seventeen years, since the introduction of violent video games. According to disastercenter.com, the violent crime rate dropped from 1,926,020 in 1993 to 1,318,398 in 2009. If video games increase violent tendencies, shouldn’t the statistics point to a rise in violent crime since the introduction of “violent” video games? These experts are taking an alarmist attitude rather than a logical one. Some experts even point to banning certain games based on their content. If we ban inappropriate games, then wouldn’t the government eventually be led to ban all inappropriate television, movies, music, etc; these extremists are supporting censorship. I say leave the video game market alone, statistics show that they have little to no effect on crime. •

Page 6: Dukes' Dispatch

6 EntertainmentThursday, October 28, 2010 Vol. 35 Issue 2

Reach(ing) for the starsLogan George Taylor Clarke

Staff Writers

Halo has been one of the front runners in the video game industry. Halo: Combat Evolved was the first big hit on Xbox. And now, ten years later, the Bungie crew is finishing a long and well-selling series in the sixth game, Reach. For those who don’t know the Halo storyline, the main series is centered on Master Chief, a hyper lethal type of super soldier called a Spartan. He is the last of his kind. However it will not appear that way in the game, for this installment is a prequel to Halo: CE. Master Chief fights with Marines to defend Earth from the alien religious cult called the Covenant. The Covenant is made up of many alien spe-cies ranging from frail Grunts to powerful Elites. While fighting them, the humans stumble across an ancient parasite called the Flood, who infect living beings and turn them into zombies. The plot of Reach re-volves around a squad of Spartans called Noble Team, and you play the role of Noble Six. He’s the new member to the team, re-

placing a lost teammate and taking a posi-tion that “would rather be left empty,” says Carter, the commander of Noble Team. Kat specializes in electronics and her call sign is Noble Two. The sniper, Jun, and the point man, Emile (pronounced Emeel), are called Noble Three and Four, respectively. Finally, Jorge is Noble Five. He takes the role of a heavy support gunner and demoli-tion expert. Jorge and Kat usually are the two that support you while everyone else stands by to run the operation. As with all new games in a series, there are several big changes. Health has returned from Halo: CE and ODST. When your shields go down, you lose health which can only be regenerated by using health packs. Probably the biggest change is the inclusion of Armor Abilities. Armor Abilities are a new feature that is a refined version of equipment used in Halo 3. They have a cool-down time and can be reused rather than only being a one-time-use sort of thing. While some pieces of equip-ment, like the Drop Shield or Bubble Shield have returned, they have new twists. Drop shields are destructible and heal health while you’re inside. Other abilities are new, like a Hologram, Sprint, and a Jetpack. Two really fancy ones are Armor Lockup

and Evade. Lockup makes you totally in-vincible, but you can’t move. Evade lets you roll a long distance to dodge grenades, bombs, and tracking projectiles. Another new thing is the fact that cosmetic armor changes can be seen in Campaign and Firefight, not just in Mul-tiplayer. New armor is unlocked by going up ranks, and can be bought using credits

gained from playing the game. Some can be unlocked by going on Halo Waypoint, an online website that unlocks armor and achievements. You can combine several different armor types and colors. There are eleven different armor parts to change, from helmet type to knee guards. Assassinations (a melee attack that results in a one-hit kill) have been redone.

They now are like miniature cut scenes that are context-sensitive using knives or miniature energy swords. Each as-sassination involves sneaking up behind and holding the melee button. Elites and Spartans have different animations. The final big change is how the reticule (the aiming symbol on the screen) will bloom, or get bigger. Like shooting from the hip in Call of Duty, the more you shoot, the worse your aim is. Accurate weapons, like sniper rifles, get very inaccurate when used in rapid fire. While Reach is the best shooter game I’ve ever played, yes, even better than Modern Warfare 2, there is one thing I don’t like. In Halo 2 and 3, players could look for mini-objectives called skulls. When found, they can be activated and they change the mechanics of the Cam-paign. For example, the Catch skull makes

enemies throw more grenades, and the Fog skull makes the motion tracker disap-pear. The skulls have already been found in Reach, so you don’t have that extra side quest to do after you beat the Campaign. I don’t like this, but it’s a small problem and it’s the only con to purchasing the game. All in all, Reach is a total winner. Bungie’s Halo series has gone out with a bang. •

Blast from the pastA parody of parables

Clash of the classicsJordan Cheresnowsky

Staff Writer

From the people who could not stand to watch teenagers pick up another vampire book comes a rather large number of paro-dies. However, these are not making fun of Twilight outright like Vampires Suck, the movie that changed the way many people saw the popular series. These parodies are more towards the literary side of the craze, turning classics such as Pride and Preju-dice, by Jane Austin, into entertaining titles like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith. These mash-ups combine the origi-nal text of the author with the entertaining view point of how the classics should have gone about the stories. Written in the exact writing style of the original author, theses parodies appear as the pre-editor versions of the original stories. One of the newest releases into the parody family, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, also by Seth Grahame-Smith, is a perfect example of this change of plot. Everyone has known since elementary school that the Civil War caused by the fight over slavery between the North and South, right? Wrong. Ac-cording to Abraham Lincoln’s recently

discovered “secret” journals, the Civil War was a daring crusade to eradicate vam-pires from the United States. Or so says Grahame-Smith. Another notable parody is Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, by Ben H. Winters, where “The Alteration” brings sea creatures to attack the unsuspecting ladies and gentlemen in Regency-era England. In Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter, by A.E. Moorat, the newly crowned Queen Victoria must vanquish all the demons in England if the country will ever become a world power. Little Women and Werewolves, by

Louisa Alcott and Porter Grand, the sup-posed “original” draft of the classic, tells of the three girls dealing with their neighbors turning into werewolves. Other notable parodies are Emma and the Vampires and Emma and the Werewolves, both rewrit-ten versions of the Jane Austen classic Emma. To some this stream of parodies may seem to be refreshing, given the in-your-face “undead” craze that has gripped America for the past two years. For oth-ers, these parodies are a way to find the motivation to read books which they may

have otherwise never touched. What could possibly be better than having the “Little Women” defend themselves against their werewolf neighbors? However, most may want the entire craze, parodies and all, to disappear completely. Like many people in America, they are tired of the endless fight between the living and the undead. Luckily for those people, according to Brendan Riley, a pop culture expert and English professor at Columbia College Chicago, the craze is just about over, even if only temporarily. “It’s hard to produce serious works

within a genre once pop culture starts mak-ing fun of it,” claims Riley. “Now that the vampire trend is being ridiculed, it might be a sign that it’s time for the genre to take a break.” This does not mean that vampires are going to disappear completely, though. There is still one more Twilight movie to go, Breaking Dawn. With that movie will come another wave of posters, books, TV shows, and movies based around vam-pires, as well as t-shirts, backpacks, and various jewelry. Stephanie Meyer is work-ing on another installment, this time a version of Twilight from Edward Cullen’s point of view, titled Midnight Sun. To those complaining about another Twilight book, there should be no need to worry. With the way the series has been progressively los-ing popularity, a retelling of the same story should not light the craze on fire again. If it does, then just prepare yourself to laugh at all the entertaining parodies that come along with it. As of now, there is already a paro-dy appearing in the very near future, this time for the theater. “After Dusk but Before Daylight” is an improvised version of the Twilight for the stage from Director Scott Woldman. The comedy opens at Metrop-olis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights mid-October. •

Jessica Edington

Staff Writer

For those of you who have not yet heard of David Sedaris, it’s about time you pick up one of his books and commence to laughter. Award winning humorist, comedian, and writer Da-vid Sedaris has just published his latest book, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk. A humorous collec-tion of short stories featuring animals as the main characters, Squirrel Seeks Chip-munk is sure to get a laugh out of even the most serious read-ers. Sedaris’ charac-teristically dry humor is evident yet again in this book, and he relies heavily on the irony that is preva-lent in many of his other works, includ-ing his other collec-tions of short stories and personal essays, Barrel Fever, Naked, Holidays on Ice, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and When You Are Engulfed in Flames. Although the stories in Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk are about animals, they are all animals that have very human-like character-istics and face situations much like the ones we en-counter every day. Each story is a bit like a twisted parable that contains some kind of lesson about the every day, middle class life. Some of the stories are

a bit lighter themed than others, such as the first, “The Cat and the Baboon,” which is a comic inter-pretation of gossipy hair dressers, or “The Toad, the Turtle, and the Duck” which is a commentary on po-litical correctness and the absurdity of waiting at the DMV. “The Parrot and the Potbellied Pig” deals with sensational journalism and “Hello Kitty” is an amus-ing look inside an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Many of the other stories have a much darker theme or ending, however. In “The Motherless Bear,”

Sedaris addresses the issue of people who use sympathy just to get attention, and in “The Mouse and the Snake,” what happens when people become too obsessed with their pets. The very depress-ing story of “The Vigi-lant Rabbit” includes a rabbit who takes his job too seriously and cuts off a unicorn’s horn, thus destroying all the happiness in the world. Though some of these subjects may seem a bit ridiculous and silly, this is exactly what Sedaris is aiming for. He wants the reader to be put off guard by the cute animal theme, so that when he ad-dresses the more seri-ous issues, it comes as almost a shock. Still, the absurdity of using animals as characters is enough to make

even the darkest stories funny is a twisted sort of way. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk is a fairly quick read and a great idea for anyone who hasn’t been exposed to Sedaris before and is looking for something “out of the box.” •

PHOTO: GOOGLE IMAGES

Are you interested in playing a Winter or Spring Sport at GHS?Then you need to have a sports physical!

The athletic department is offering physicals for $20.00 on November 10th at 2:45pm in

the Nurses Clinic. You are not allowed to try out for a sports team without a physical so get yours done now. Forms are available in the main office, and must be completed and signed by a parent or guardian. Students are required to be pre-screened by the school nurse before school or during lunch prior to the physical date. Please wear or bring shorts & t-shirt. If you have any questions please see Ms. Hunter. This is the last time physicals will be given for this year’s sports.

PHOTO: GOOGLE IMAGES

PHOTOS: GOOGLE IMAGES

News1. Nintendo Playstation 2 is released in the United States.2. The 100th space shuttle mission is flown.3. The USS Cole is attacked by suicide bombers under the guidance of Al Queda and Osama Bin Ladin on October 12, 2000. Seventeen American soldiers are killed and 36 more are wounded.4. The George W. Bush vs. Al Gore presidential election is in full swing.

Sports1. Major League Baseball Playoffs: the New York Mets vs. the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees vs. the Seattle Mariners.2. Mike Tomlin coaches his first season with the Pittsburg Steelers.

Movies & Music1. Nelly Furtado’s debut album, Whoa, Nelly! is released.2. Ludacris releases his album, Back for the First Time.3. Green Day releases their album Warning. This was one of their least successful albums.4. Disney releases the childern’s Halloween themed movie, The Little Vampire.

Major Events in October of 2000

Page 7: Dukes' Dispatch

7EntertainmentThursday, October 28, 2010 Vol. 35 Issue 2

CD Reviews

Lil’ Wayne has found a way to amaze the public and set new standards for the music industry yet again. This time, he has managed to release his EP I Am Not A Human Being while in prison, and on his birthday even. While waiting in line at the store or waiting for the download to finish, many Weezy fans will not quite be sure what to expect. His last release, which was also his first attempt at a rock album, Rebirth was met with mixed to negative reviews. While his attempt at rock was one to be ad-mired, it simply was not there. Weezy F Baby is known as a rapper, and that’s what he should stay. Overall, all of the songs on this EP are listenable, but some people like to listen to a record from start to finish, with the songs in order. If this sounds familiar, you may have some trouble following Wayne on this new-est journey of his. He includes many different styles, such as the tough and gritty verses of his older days, to the slow love songs, to the rock-esque sound he used on Rebirth. This conglomerate grouping of genres normally would be a great thing. But see, the only problem here is that he jumps from style to style so often that while listening my first time through, I was completely lost. Even though there is a point to complain about with that, “Right Above It” provides a wonderful break in the last third of the album. Definitely the highlight of your purchase, Drake and Wayne both deliver their verses smoothly, and both play with words like nobody else in the game, throwing metaphors around freely. Realistically, I have a feeling this work was only put out as something to hold off the hungering fans while Wayne was in jail. The real treat will be next year when The Carter IV is released. When it comes down to it, all the hardcore Weezy fans should be picking up I Am Not A Human Being, but for all of those casual listeners, just wait a little while and get The Carter IV. •

It’s been two years since Kings of Leon rocked the world with major hits such as “Use Somebody” and “Sex on Fire,” yet the band’s name is still on the tip of all music lovers’ tongues. Two years may not seem like a horrendously long time to wait, but for KoL fans, that wait has been long enough. Come Around Sundown, the band’s fifth studio album, was recently released to those avid fans, and the overall consensus is that the album pleases. The first track on the album, “The End” is a powerful ballad that is hard not to put on repeat and hum along with. Of course, there is irony with the song title considering it is the first song on the CD, but fret not, the genius of the music doesn’t end after that tune. To relieve the moody and somber feeling from “The End,” the next two songs “Radioactive” and “Pyro” provide a much needed pure-rock lift. Both have an upbeat tempo, and incase great guitar solos as well as a dominant drum presence. The next song “Mary” is one of their catchier songs. The chorus of “ha ha ha” would seem to be underwhelming and simplistic, but in this particular case, simplicity works very well. But, by far, the two best songs on the album have to be “The Immor-tals” and “Pickup Truck.” Both may not be the most upbeat works on the CD, but what they lack in a fast tempo, the make up for in the meaningful lyrics. But then again, when have Kings of Leon not put out a song with catchy lyrics? Critics are torn by the album though. Music listners who got hooked on the band through songs like “Use Somebody” find that Come Around Sun-down is just a wonderful continuation of their 2008 CD, Only By Night. But those who loved KoL before they were a radio sensation fear that the band is making a leap into a commerical sound rather than staying true to their roots. But if the album is judged solely by its content, then there should be no quarrel. It is a brilliantly mastered CD with that sound that is purely Kings of Leon. •

Arcade Fire is a band that never aims for anything less than grand statements, which has made the band very, very popular; but it is also their greatest weakness. Funeral, was wracked with agony and grief, but what made it one of the transcendent records of the 2000s was that it avoided easy answers. You could tell how much time and emotion went into the making. In their new installment The Suburbs, you cannot detect it at first. Though it is lengthy and a lot to sit through—more than 70 minutes of music—there seems little reason to believe that this album will catapult Arcade Fire to even greater heights. Amid this disquieting beauty, the 16 songs and fragments melt one into the next, populated by interlocking characters and images. A memo to shuffle-obsessed iPod listeners: Even more so than its two predecessors, The Suburbs is an Arcade Fire album designed to be heard as a whole in a specific sequence. A story told through the vocals of frontrunner Win Butler. The music puts the imagery of lonely keyboards, anxious strings, and sadly chiming progressions. While some may compare this to The Cure others take the road towards Springsteen. Just when you think you have figured out the sound, it jolts into another direction. It is nearly impossible for me to put Arcade Fire in one single genre. They defy most modern music. This album was extremely well thought out. If you are into progressive indie, or just want to experience a new sound, this album is definitely for you. Arcade Fire should definitely become a household name if this album takes off the way that I know it can. This album, however, is not for everyone. If you have a distinct taste in one certain genre of music, I would advise you to stay away. This is for the people of multi-derived taste; very edgy, very good. And the best part is it will only set you back a measly $10. •

Larkin Stone

Editor-In-Chief

CD Title: I Am Not A Human BeingArtist: Lil’ Wayne

Genre: Hip-hop/rapPrice: $9.99

Our Rating:

“When it comes down to it, all the hardcore Weezy fans should be pick-ing up ‘I Am Not A Human Being, but for all of those casual listeners,

just wait a little while and get ‘The Carter IV.’”

Case 39

Michele Johnson

Staff Writer

The movie starts off like any other scary movie that involves children…he or she pretends to be the sweet-est, most innocent thing in the world, and then BAM! The whole family and anyone the child has come in contact with die a sudden and (most of the time pain-ful) death. Case 39 appears to be no different, in fact, it is similar to the 2009 movie The Orphan. Renee Zellweger plays the role of social worker Emily Jenkins, who is investigating the family of Lil-lith Sullivan, because of the emotional split with her parents. Emily believes that Lillith is being abused by her parents and demands that she be taken away from them, and her wish is granted once she finds out that Lillith’s parents try to kill her by putting her in their oven. Lillith is soon saved and placed in a children’s home, but with a lot of begging, she convinces Em-ily to look after her instead. While Lillith is placed in the care of Emily, her parents are placed in a mental institution. Once settled in, strange things start to happen around Emily and two weeks after Lillith moves in, a boy kills his parents and the phone call that was placed to the boy before he kills his parents came from Emily’s house. Lillith, suspected of having something to do with the happening, undergoes a psychiatric evaluation with Dr. Ames and while being evaluated she turns the whole session around, questioning and threatening him. Later that night he gets a phone call and all of a

sudden hornets start to come out of his body, fright-ened by what is happening Dr. Ames kills himself. It is starting to seem like everyone one Lillith comes into contact with dies and as Emily finally starts to be-come fearful of Lillith, she goes to visit her parents for some answers and what she finds out is that Lillith is a demon who feeds off people’s feelings. Lillith’s father tells Emily that the only way to kill Lillith is in her sleep and after she leaves Lillith’s parents end up…you guessed it…dead! No one believes Emily and her friend, Detective Barron, who thinks that maybe she should get some help, well, that is until he gets a strange phone call from Emily’s cellphone that is be-ing used by Lillith. Realizing that something might be wrong, Barron grabs his gun and rushes to help Em-ily, however, he ends up shooting himself when Lillith makes him think that he is being attacked by dogs. Is she giving you the creeps yet? Emily is desperate to rid herself of Lillith so she gives her a cup of tea with sleeping pills. As Lillith sleeps, Emily sets the house on fire, but unfortunately for her, Lillith escapes unharmed. Police show up to bring Emily and Lillith to a place to sleep and while fol-lowing the police to the temporary home, Emily drives off a pier. Emily tries to escape the sinking car and at-tempts to lock Lillith in the car and she succeeds. Too bad it’s not over yet. As Emily is swimming back up to shore, Lillith suddenly appears and grabs her leg…what happens next? Emily breaks free and has finally rid herself of Lillith. So, it isn’t anything new…same plot as every other movie I have seen that is similar to this. In my opinion it is not worth the money that you would be paying at the movies…if anything, wait till it comes out and rent it for a dollar at redbox. •

Got a CD, book, or movie you want us to review?

Post it on our Facebook page’s wall.

www.facebook.com/dukesdispatch

“Whether you love or hate Kings of Leon’s gradual change, it’s hard to say that the Nirvana-Creed sounding band produces bad music. In

fact, they produce chart topping hits.”

Amber Phelps

Managing Editor

CD Title: Come Around SundownArtist: Kings of Leon

Genre: RockPrice: $9.99

Our Rating:

“Though it is lengthy and a lot to sit through—more than 70 minutes of music—there seems little reason to believe that this album will catapult

Arcade Fire to even greater heights.”

CD Title: The SuburbsArtist: Arcade FireGenre: Indie/Rock

Price: $9.99

Our Rating:

The new Orphan?

Taylor Clarke

Staff Writer

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Page 8: Dukes' Dispatch

8 Thursday, October 28, 2010 Vol. 35 Issue 2

“I feel like I’ve got another family; I feel like it’s more of a bond out there.”

Senior Robert Friermuth began playing football in his backyard before becoming the proud jersey number 9 for the Gloucester High School Dukes. Having never played on an organized team before coming to Gloucester High, this impressive player has been on the team since freshman year. However, football is his way of staying in shape for his true passion: pole vaulting. Claiming that pole vaulting is, “for people who are crazy” and “live on the edge”, Friermuth has placed fourth in the district and sixth in the region for the sport his coach talked him into when he was a sophomore. Friermuth says he would like to continue pole vaulting in college, and would go anywhere that would offer him a scholarship to do it. During the home football game against Bethel on September 24, Robbie Friermuth was kneed in the side by a player on the opposing team, the force of which ruptured his kidney. It was the first play on the kickoff return, and Friermuth had his first time in. The Coach warned him to watch out, because there was a good chance that they would kick it to-wards him. Sure enough the football came sailing towards him, and bounced in front of him. When he jumped on it, Friermuth said that one guy touched him, but another player was still coming at him full speed. Though he is unsure whether the act was intentional or not, as he was getting up the opposing player’s knee landed him in the side. Fighting through the pain, Friermuth was able to play through the entire first half of the game. When mentioning that he was starting to have trouble breathing, Friermuth began to vomit up blood. Immediately he was rushed to the hospital, leaving the game with Gloucester leading in the score. As they were giving him shots, Friermuth told his sister, who had come with them, “Just keep me updated on the game.” When the hospital attendant told him later on that night that there was two minutes on the clock with the game playing in Gloucester’s favor, Friermuth knew that Bethel would come back. Just as the ailing player had predicted, the game came out with Bethel as the victors, the final score being 35–36. “When I found out we lost, that’s when pain started kickin’ in,” Friermuth claims. “I felt like I was going to die.” Despite the pain he endured, in Friermuth’s opion, “It was an exciting experience.”

Typical Morning: Wake up, get ready, and go to class.Typical Afternoon: Get out of school early, and go to talk to Coach Perrin about college.

Football or track practice starts at 2:30 and ends at 5:30.Typical Night: Get home after practice around 6:00, do homework, and go to bed.

--------Favorite NFL Team: New Orleans

Favorite College Football Team: OregonFavorite Movies: Transformers, The Blind Side

Favorite thing to do in the area: Going to Yorktown Beach--------

Future Plans: Attend George Mason to continue pole vaulting and study to become a coach.

Compiled by Jordan Cheresnowsky and Jessica EdingtonPhoto Credits: HR Varsity, Google Images