The Wakefield Chieftain
Shining a Light on Warrior Nation since 1960
February 2013
Corey Grant named finalist for scholarship award
Daniel Hill ‘13
Early last week, Wakefield Senior Corey
Grant learned that he has become a
finalist for achieving the National
Achievement Scholarship Award, an
award sponsored by the National Merit
Scholarship
Corporation.
This
scholarship is awarded to AfricanAmericans who have shown excellence in
their high school careers. Students
become a semi-finalist by at first scoring
well on the Preliminary SATs.
Afterwards, to become a finalist, students
must continue to show outstanding
performance in high school. Beginning in
late February, most students are notified
by mail if they had become a finalist;
oddly, Corey Grant was notified by a
teacher who said “Corey, congratulations
on becoming a finalist for your award!”
Surprised by this statement, he checked
his mail as soon as he got home and
found a letter congratulating him on
becoming a finalist.
need to continue to do well and see what
comes of it.” There are two different
scholarships that Grant has a chance of
winning. He can first win the National
Achievement $2,500 scholarship which is
awarded on a regional representation
basis; only a total of 700 students will be
chosen for this scholarship. Grant can
also win the corporate-sponsored
Achievement Scholarship Award for
which only 100 students will be chosen.
Finalists must plan to take on a certain
college major and scholarships are
renewable for four years of undergraduate
study. In all, 800 finalists will be chosen
out of the original 1,300 finalists to have
a chance to win these two scholarships. A
finalist can only win based on his or her
abilities, skills, accomplishments, and
overall excellence in high school, so if
Grant continues to conduct himself in
these ways he has a great chance of
winning this prestigious scholarship and
walking the path to future academic
success.
When asked how he felt about becoming
a finalist, he replied, “I’m really happy I
was chosen to be a finalist-now I just
1
COHORT/NASA Launch Howard Trip
By Vilma Sanchez-Vega ‘13
The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) worked with
Wakefield’s COHORT to organize a field
trip to Howard University on February
11, 2013. Though the trip was organized
with COHORT, it was open to anyone
who turned in a permission slip.
Approximately one dozen students went
on the trip, mostly sophomores and a few
freshmen. The goal of the field trip was
to encourage students to look into career
paths in engineering or science, especially
with NASA.
interest in those career fields is “pushing
me to do my best in school.” Luis
Hernandez, also a sophomore, said that
the trip was “eye-opening... I never really
thought about working in outer space or
engineering.” Luis and Francisco both
said that they will consider applying to
Howard University when they are
seniors. Said Francisco, “I like that it’s
really close to home.” Added Luis, “The
campus is really nice.”
The Beltsville Center for Climate System
Observation (BCCSO) at Howard
University (Washington, D.C.) was
established by NASA in 2008 to
“promote research and education in the
study of atmospheric sciences, while
producing a well-qualified, diverse
workforce.” The BCCSO works in
partnership with the NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center Earth Sciences
Division.
Students participated in a number of
activities, including learning about UV
rays and how to protect themselves, the
logistics of planning a trip to outer space,
and observing “planets” made out of clay
balls to gain understanding of how much
technology has helped people gain clearer
images and a better understanding of
outer space.
Students also listened to a short speech
about the importance of going to college
and doing well in school. Francisco
Sanchez-Vega, sophomore, described the
trip as “cool” and “interesting.” Francisco
went on to say that he now thinks that
“maybe I would be interested in a field in
engineering or with NASA,” and that
2
Girls Varsity Basketball Team Compete In Districts Game
Ariel Jones ‘13
The Girls Varsity Basketball had victories
over Falls Church on February 12 in the
first round of National Districts. Lady
Warriors won 55 to 19 in their last home
game. In the first quarter, Falls Church
was down by 3, the score being 10 – 6.
Forward Michelle Noel made 18 points
while point guard Nahdeya Quarles made
22. The rest of the shots were made
through sweat and hard work. The
Forward was Kaitlyn Lyon, centers were
De’mia Smith and Brittany Williams and
the Guards were Olivia Bayne, Jessica
Logue. Lady Warriors showed their
significance during halftime by doing a
chant “1...2...3... SQUAD OUT.” Lady
Warriors had a great first district game;
way to go. This was one of Nahdeya
Quarles best games this season. In the
words of the students, it’s a great day to
be a “Warrior”; in fact it’s a “New Day”!
Also the last girls Varsity game played in
Gym.
lady warriors fell short and lost 44-29.
They still have a chance to make it in the
regional game. Even though they lost this
game their record allows them to go to
the regional tournament.
The
Lady
warriors
made
Wakefield’s fans proud this season with
11 wins 10 losses not including districts.
Varsity lady Warriors have accomplished
a lot this season. Last years record was 8
wins and 12 losses, what a total flip this
year.
The players put so much work and effort
into this season showing the teams
togetherness. Three highlight players are
Simone Mercer, Nahdeya Quarles and
Kaitlyn Lyon. For these seniors this is the
last time they would be playing for the
Lady Warriors. Coach Marcia Richardson
had a great season this year and many
more to come.
The Girls varsity basketball team moved
to round two districts playing against
Edison High School Thursday 14th. The
3
Wakefield Rocks Scholastics Art Competition
Jennifer Delgado ‘14
submit two pieces, 11th and 12th graders
are allowed to submit up to four pieces.
When it comes to the judging there is no
specific set of guidelines, but there are
two different types of classifications: 2D
and 3D, depending on the type of work
students did. No one knows for sure how
many judges there actually are. Since
there are no specific set of rules, the type
of style that might have won a gold key
last year might not win anything the next
year.
Every year a talented bunch of students
are chosen to participate in Scholastics
Art competition by their teachers, either
in art or photography. Scholastics is a
competition where students from
different regions submit their artwork,
whether it is a drawing, painting, or
different styles of photography and
compete to get their artwork recognized
by the judges to win different types of
keys or an honorable mention. Students
in this year’s competition did a great job:
a total of 115 awards (46 gold, 19 silver
and 50 honorable mentions) were earned
by Wakefield students.
Overall, Scholastics has helped many
students; according to their website, “For
nine decades, the Scholastics Art &
Writing Awards have given students a
chance to have their voices heard…the
Awards have grown into our nation’s
longest running program to recognize
student creativity.” A lot of well-known
companies also sponsor Scholastics
including Amazon, The New York Times,
Bloomberg, and many others.
Ten seniors were recognized for their
portfolios which included eight pieces
that showed their art style. Some of the
students who won were Nancy Flores,
Clara Martin, Rossnelly Salzer, Maya
Barnes, Marina Ralph, Sivia Campos,
Alec Jackson, Alex Dimas and Saad
Khan. All of the pieces that won a gold
key on the regional level will go on to
compete at the national level; in past
years students have won awards on the
national level. Photography teacher Jina
Davidson said, “The breadth of Arlington
artists is phenomenal.”
Awards that are available at the national
level consist of Gold medal, Silver medal,
and the American Voices and Vision
Medal. Students can win multiple keys
depending on how many pieces they
submit; 9th and 10th graders can only
4
Arlington County offers Activities for dog days of summer
Tsion Habtamu’14
A Summer Activities fair was held at
Thomas Jefferson Middle school on February
15, 2013 at 6:00 P.M. Over 100
representatives
offering
summer
opportunities for children ages 3-17
attended. It was a great opportunity for
children to explore a variety of summer
camps and programs, including academic and
art programs, sports camps, day and
overnight camps, and camps offering
accommodations for children with special
needs. Teens interested in summer
employment or volunteer opportunities
obtained a list of exhibitors offering these
opportunities at the information booth
during the fair.
best so everyone should walk out with a
jersey,” which most people did. Mr. Shanan
Knox, representative for the Arlington Teen
Program Association, said “[our program] is
one of the most well known camps; parents
are comfortable with because it’s a good
match for any child since its not competition
or cooperation emphasized.” Adding to that,
he said “The organization is sponsored by the
Arlington county teams. We also have family
events and sponsor a skate night on
Saturday’s at Thomas Jefferson Middle
School.”
Those
weren’t
the
only
organizations that were sponsoring activities.
There were organizations sponsoring
activities such as, tennis lessons, Manners
Talk for girls and Girl Scouts. Most parents
and teens were interactive during the fair,
and they asked multiple questions about how
camps recruit, screen and train their staff,
what the ratio of the campers to the
counselors is, the age of the counselors and
so forth.
One of the most popular booths advertised
British soccer camps. The representatives and
trainers fly over for the summer to train
American kids “British Soccer” as they call it.
One of the representatives, Joe Miller, said
“The camp spends over a ½ million dollars
for trainers, the Camp provides clothing, it’s
open for all age ranges and on top of that it’s
unisex, so it’s basically heaven on earth.” He
concluded by saying “We are the best of the
The fair was a complete success. Both the
representatives and teens enjoyed it.
5
Warriors Earn Round 1 District Victory
Lawrence Savoy ‘14
The Varsity boys basketball team was
victorious on February 12, defeating Falls
Church High School 70-37. With this
victory they are now advancing to the
next round of District Tournament on
Thursday, February 14. The Warriors
started the game with a lead against Falls
Church. Khory Moore and Ermias Nega
made multiple three pointers throughout
the first half to hold on to their 10 point
lead for the rest of the game. During the
3rd quarter the Warriors went up 40-22.
In the 4th quarter with two minutes left,
Wakefield was leading 64-35 when Guard
Joey Moore sunk two free throws, to
secure the win. The last time the
Warriors played Falls Church before
winter break, they won by 25 points, 6944. The players weren’t really worried,
but things could’ve changed. Power
Forward Adam Serrano said, “We beat
them before, so we can do it again.”
game 59-60. They weren’t going to let
that happen again knowing that these
were district games and Wakefield could
be the National District Champions. The
Warriors are ranked number one as the
district games started, so they have
automatically qualified for the regional
competition.
The players and coaches have worked
really hard this season; guard #4 Khory
Moore was selected National District
Player of the Year. Ermias Nega was
selected to the 1st Team All-District. The
Warriors had three players selected to the
All-defensive Team: Dominique Tham,
Re'Quan Hopson, and Ermias Nega.
Jalen Carver, Dominique Tham, and
Re'Quan Hopson received a District nod
for Honorable Mention. Head Coach
Tony Bentley was named Coach of the
Year. Warriors definitely have set a high
standard for next season.
The team advanced to the semi-finals and
played Yorktown at home on Thursday
night. The Warriors vs. Patriots was a
very close game, with Wakefield winning
56-54. The boys were upset about how
they played the game, even though they
won, because there were multiple
turnovers and missed free throws.
Wakefield has only lost one game this
season against Hayfield; it was a close
6
The 90’s Are Back
Julia Dumlao ‘14
Camouflage and combat boots; are we
soldiers of the United States Army? No,
we’re the student body of Wakefield
High School. From camo jackets to camo
pants, anything with the camouflage print
is in style. So is anything from the “Thrift
Shop.” Students like to pop tags with
only twenty dollars in their pocket.
“Grandpa” sweaters, old school patterned
jackets, and high-waisted shorts and pants
as well as a variety of different things tend
to be seen a lot in the halls. Like the
student body, their trends are also
diverse.
same way, they like standing out from the
crowd, giving a little outrageous twist in
their outfits.
As for the boys, their trends are a lot
different from girls because they focus on
what’s on their feet. Boys are highly
interested in the Jordan shoes: if you’re
not wearing these sneakers, you are not
doing anything right. Sophomore Nebil
Abdoush said “It’s not even a hype thing
for me; I just like the history behind the
shoes and the way they look.” These
shoes were used during Michael Jordan’s
basketball career and they’re making a
comeback, just like everything else. These
teens do the most extreme things just to
get a pair of these and a taste of retro
designs. They tend to go for the most
outrageous looking shoes; some have tails
attached, some have wings, and some are
just so colorful they could blind you.
Girls tend to go for the “hipster” style.
The term hipster was used back in the
90’s; it was a term to identify individuals
who dressed outside the box. They wore
alternative outfits that leaned more to the
vintage, pin-up girl, and Victorian
fashion. All of this is coming back and
being modernized to fit our time now.
This trend is taking over our school; girls
shop at Urban Outfitters—a well known
store that is strictly geared to the hipster
trend. Junior Madeline Periandri states “I
get all my inspiration from Tumblr, I fell
in love with high-waisted shorts and the
crop tops I saw. They were a lot more
interesting than the regular everyday
wear.” Like Periandri, other girls feel the
Whether you’re in the trend or not,
everyone has their own style; there is no
said norm. Some students dress to
impress in the latest trends; some don’t
care and wear sweats to school, and some
wear jeans and a tee. The only norm we
have at Wakefield is to dress how you feel
and dress for you.
7
New School Construction on Target
Ema Rozario ‘15
A new Wakefield High School is being
built and will finish construction in the
fall of 2013. This new school will have
four floors; the first floor will have the
library, auditorium, the administrative
offices and the aquatics center. The lower
floor will become the athletic wing. The
athletic wing has a main gym, lockers, a
fitness room, and other athletic spaces.
The two upper floors combine the
academic wing; these floors have
classrooms and other spaces for students
to focus on their work.
construction workers will then break
down the old building by starting from
the back of the school where the small
gym is and work their way around.
According to administrative assistant
Delicia Moton, in the old building, most
things are going to move to the new
building and other stuff will be whether
thrown away, sold or given to another
school. The tangible things will be out
like desks and chairs. There are 2,000
new desks and chairs that have been
ordered to put in the new building. The
big ‘W’ that is in the main gym basketball
court will be cut out and will be moved to
the new building. The lockers are going
to be given to Swanson, the marble floors
are being sold, the circulation desks in
the library are going to H.B. Woodlawn
and the old tiles on the ceilings are going
to be sold. Everything in the new
building is different compared to the
building we currently have. We will have
new desks, chairs, tables, heating systems,
etc. The old school will become the
parking lot, with parts of the school on
the baseball field. But the thing that
everyone is waiting for is for the new
school to open.
The old school will be closed on June
22nd, 2013, and the new school will be
opened on August 21st, 2013. The
construction of the new school is on
schedule- everything is being done on
time. The next major phase of the project
is to cover up the building. Workers are
right now working on the interior of the
school and they have just finished up
installing the heating and plumbing.
After they are done with this project, they
will work on the walls. Once this is
finished, the building has to be inspected
just to make sure that everything is okay
and that there are no problems. The
8
Media Center Holds African American Read In
Destiny Willingham 15’
On February 13th 2013 The AfricanAmerican Read In was held in the library
during first and second lunch. The
African-American Read In celebrates the
literary
contributions
of
African
American authors by participants reading
their stories and poems as well as writing
stories and poems of their own. You can
have a Read In anywhere: the works you
read just have to be African American or
talking about African Americans. Also it
has to be held in the month of FebruaryBlack History Month. The students who
choose to participate and get selected will
produce a live recording and be put on a
CD with all the other participants. The
participants also have the honor of being
able to be a guest speaker at their school’s
own Read In. Anyone can participate but
only students have a chance to be
recorded. The National Council of
Teachers of English (NCTE) is the
sponsor of this program and it is strongly
endorsed by the International Reading
Association.
The Read In that was held in the library
on February 13th had several guest
speakers. One was Gregory Taylor; the
Arlington Public Schools minority
achievement coordinator. With passion,
he read excerpts by Langston Hughes and
mentioned how each one he read had
some kind of special meaning to him.
Another guest that attended the Read In
was TeRay Bingham a HILT teacher at
Wakefield who preformed original works.
Mr. Gillespie’s Theater II class performed
an act as well. Wakefield High School
and many other places in Arlington and
the world participate in the Read In to
celebrate how many great African
American Authors there were and are.
9
Wakefield Juniors Sell Candy Grams
Steven Khlen '16
The Wakefield Junior class sold
Valentines
Candy
Grams
from
th
th
Wednesday 6 to Thursday 14 . Students
were able to purchase Candy Grams for
two dollars: a bag to send to a friend,
lover or crush's third period class. It was a
sweet way to send people Kisses, with or
without the actual kissing. As some of
the students were able to enjoy receiving
candy gifts from friends, secret admirers,
or loved ones, there were many colorful
opinions regarding the Candy Grams.
Students who wanted to send a Candy
Gram would have to come up to the table
located in the cafeteria and fill out a
heart-shaped letter that would be
attached to the bag of candy. Delicious
sweets that were inside the small Candy
Gram bags were lollipops, heart shaped
candies, and Hershey's Kisses. The letter
was to have the name of the person sent
to, and the third period class that person
goes to.
Some students sent their Valentines
sweets to their sweethearts; others who
were not a couple sent them to either
good friends, or even just to themselves.
Freshman, Jonathon Moya recalled the
Candy Grams to be "very cheap" and
"worth two dollars for a bag of candy".
The money produced from the Candy
Grams will be used to support the
Seniors' end of the year fieldtrip.
Students that the Candy Grams were sent
to received their gifts on Valentines Day,
Thursday the 14th. It is clear that this
year's Valentines Candy Grams turned
out to be a sweet sale.
10