Master Issue 1

BROOKE POINT HIGH SCHOOL

Volume IV - Issue I

THE

HAWKEYE

Smells like teen spirit

A look at Spirit Club

SOAR ONTO VICTORY

Homecoming game recap

Scary Now and Then

Are the classics still scary?

Running the extra mile

Training to take States

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What’s Inside?

Running the Extra Mile

Tailgate vs. Football

Homecoming

Spotlight

#RESPECTTHENEST

2

4 5 7 9

Smells like Team Spirit

Worki it out

Scary Then and Now

To Disney and beyond

Community service spotlight: Mary Foley

By Emma McElwain

Brooke Point Senior and Girl Scout of

thirteen years, Mary Foley has impacted

her community in a positive way by

completing her Girl Scout Gold Award.

Foley explains this award as “the highest

honor a Girl Scout can achieve.”

For her project, she built benches at

Stafford Elementary School so the children

would have a place to sit and enjoy the

garden. Foley achieved this project

over the spring and summer of

this past year. She received

help from fellow seniors

Hannah Phillips and Bailey

Krawczyk.

If she were to

change anything about her

project, she would “work on

a stricter time schedule because it was too

widespread.”

Foley’s advice for making a change

in your community is to “look for any

opportunity to help out. No matter how

small the task, it will make a difference.”

Contents

www.girlscoutssa.org

Class size: A case study

Do Black-Hawks prefer small or large classes?

By Hannah Leece

Virginia state law requires

that the ratio of students to

teacher in an English class

for grades six through 12

may be no more than 24:1.

This raises the question

of how class size impacts

learning.

Jeanne Mills, an English

teacher with experience

teaching both small and

large classes, said that

although teaching a large

it can be difficult because

there’s less space to move

around.

On the other hand, senior

Heidi Turnitsa said she

would prefer a small class

because “you get more

attention from the teacher.”

Similarly, senior Christian

Balmer prefers a small class

better because “[he gets] a

lot of one-on-one time with

the teacher if I need it.”

enjoys teaching a large class.

She said she likes it better

because “it can be a lot more

dynamic.” Regarding the

downsides of a large class,

she commented, “There’s a

lot more grading. I feel like

I can’t give individualized

attention to [my students].”

Better

class gives

late

the ability to

than

have Conversely, science

never

more opinions and feedback, teacher Emma Cavanaugh

An inside look at the new late work policy

By Emma McElwain

With the new

school year comes

a new late work policy.

According to the new late

work policy, the focus will be

“on changing the behavior

for submitting late work

instead of academically

penalizing students, which

presents a false picture of

what a student knows and

does not know.” The new

policy has three layers of

correction. The first time

a student fails to turn in

an assignment, he or she

will receive a warning. The

second late assignment

results in parent notification,

and after a third assignment

is late, the student can be

referred to the Learning Lab,

an after-school program

designed to give students the

opportunity, space and help

necessary to complete their

work.

Principal Tammy Houk

said, “Our late work policy

was designed to help

students from submitting

late work and to notify

parents when work was not

being submitted on time. …

The Learning Lab is available

for all students to get help

after school from teachers. It

is a place for those students

not completing work to get

the help to complete it.”

However, students are

forming their own opinions.

Senior Amanda Marshall

said, “ I have learned that if

I procrastinate, there will

be consequences”. However,

freshman Jackson Foreman

said it is a change from

middle school because “They

[teachers] don’t take points

off; they just give you other

consequences.” Marshall

feels as though the

policy has been

changed for the worse

because “it’s not a behavior

issue like they’re making it

out to be.” If Marshall could

change anything about the

policy, she would “find other

consequences because the

ones set are not effective.”

Foreman on the other hand

would keep it the same.

Regardless of student

opinion, the policy

is here - at least

for the remainder of

the year.

Academics 3

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4

Running the

Extra Mile

BP’s Cross Country team trains to take States

Determination

and hard work.

These words

epitomize Brooke

Point Cross Country

team. Not everyone

sees all the time

and effort devoted

to Cross Country.

Team members run

anywhere from five

to ten miles daily

and a meet every

Wednesday. Runners

train on and off the

track, as well as before,

during and after the

season to keep up

their stamina and

conditioning.

Senior David

Munoz’s goal was to

become team captain

since he joined cross

country his freshman

year, and this year he

was able to achieve

that goal. “Since I

first joined cross

country four years ago

I wanted to become

team captain and

this year I succeed,”

He shared “ I also

participate in winter

and spring track,”

as well as having an

important role on the

Cross Country team. In

regards to the future,

Munoz stated, “I don’t

plan on running or

participating in track

in college, but I will

continue distance

running in order to

stay active.”

Possibly the team’s

most passionate

member, senior Blake

Brandes stated, “I’m

on the team but I’m

not one of the higher

members, I’m on the

lower side.” Brandes

joined the Cross

Country team in his

sophomore year and

he explained, “I joined

track because I really

needed a more positive

way to release stress

and burn off energy to

get into better shape.”

He also stated, “I fell in

love with the sport and

I now participate in all

three seasons of track

(winter, spring and

Cross Country).”

Team members

spend most of their

time running, but

that doesn’t stop

sophomore De’jah

Sanders from

By Julie Gazzoli

participating on the

swim team. “I joined

track my freshman

year after discovering

that I did well in the

sport. My whole family

on my dad’s side

participated in track

so in a way I joined

because of them and

because of genetics, I

guess,” Sanders shared.

Sanders is placed

fourth in girls and

typically runs about

42 miles a week,

anywhere from three

to six miles a day.

Regarding the future,

Sanders stated, “In my

senior year I want to

be able to jump 5/9

and I want to be able

to make states in all

seasons of track, and I

also wanted to be able

to get a scholarship for

college.”

Cross Country is

now over for most

of the team, but

the top runners are

now training and

getting prepared

for Conference on

November 3rd. Good

Luck Black-Hawks!

Athletics

Tailgate

versus

FOOTBALL

Pregame Preparations

As football seasons comes to an end, the

BP Tailgate crew continues to support our Black

Hawks. Going to game after game, the Tailgate

puts so much effort in their school spirit.

Though how they do it is the real question.

Tailgate is a group of students that come

together in the student parking lot with Brooke

Point spirit wear, food to grill, and paint. Though

they get ready together, some students have a

pregame routine of their own. Senior Ireland

Twiggs explained, “Before the football games,

we usually go to the store pick up some stuff,

have a barbecue, and I get really hype for

the football games at the tailgate.”

Senior Matthew Cooper also has

a similar rountine. “Usually my

friend, Lane and I go to the

store, get some burgers

and people just show

up,” Cooper said.

They remain in

the parking

lot and

p u t

Kameron Neely

By Kiara Neely

Senior Matthew Cooper

paint on each other’s bodies,

while the food is being prepared.

On the other side of the school,

the football team starts their pregame

routine by watching movies. Then the

team splits off between defense and offense,

some working in the gym while others continue

the movie. Sophomore Tre Ross said “I just

stay with the football team all day. We watch

movies, go to dinner, and then get ready for the

game.” After that, the team puts on their gear

and heads for the field, ready for a win. Senior

Maurice Jones stated, “I’m focused, trying to

keep my emotions controlled because all I’m

thinking about is the game.”

Back with Tailgate, the group of students

begin with their journey to the field, ready to

support their team. Some tailgate members

have been a part of the club since their freshmen

years, but they all had different motivations to

join. Cooper explained, “My sister had done

it when I was a freshmen here, so I just kept

the tradition going.” Senior Eric Olson, on the

other hand, joined the club because, “[he likes]

Brooke Point and [he likes] to grill.” Mostly,

students joined to support their school and

football team.

Finally, the game begins and chants are

heard from the Tailgate section of the

bleachers. The football team fights to

win the game for Brooke Point and

begin their journey to Nationals.

Sophomore Kameron Neely

Athletics 5

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Homecoming at Brooke Point is a very exciting time but it all centers

around the Homecoming football game. The Blackhawks kept the streak

alive at the Homecoming by winning 55-17 against hometown rivals

North Stafford. This was a huge game considering North Stafford took

out Brooke Point in the playoffs last year. It was a well fought game in

the 1st quarter but then the Black-hawks played smarter and harder for

the remainder of the game. “This is probably one of the most important

games we will play this year. We have to show that we are the better

team and get our revenge from last season,” said Deven Colby before

the game. “They’re a good team and we can’t take them lightly, we have

to bring our best.” Colby said when asked his feelings and predictions.

“We have other things to worry about than our record.” Colby sasy

when asked about the win streak. After the game, Colby stated

“The win feels great, but we were just doing our job.” Coach

Tommy Buzzo had a few words to say after the game as

well, “It feels good, last night was a big victory for

Since

it’s

the only

dance most

underclassmen

get to attend,

the homecoming

dance is expected to be

spectacular, and a staff of

highly-dedicated volunteers

make sure it meets those

expectations.

Although the dance is a one-night

event, it takes a lot of preparation.

According to business teacher Amy

Ellis, the night had been in the making

since last year. Another important part of

the homecoming is the lead-up. “I think all of

the proposals are kind of silly - good for building

excitement for homecoming night,” Ellis said.

All the students who enjoyed this year’s homecoming

dance owe it all to the efforts of volunteers and staff-members

who started showing up at 9 am and spent 12 hours setting up

the City of Lights.

us. We feel great about it and we are going to get

ready for our next game. We think the win streak

is exciting and were trying to keep it exciting,

but we are not trying to have success end

us, we want to stay focused.” Overall this

was a great addition to the Blackhawks

undefeated season.

By Sebastian Laws and

Cameron Vasquez

Photo by Julie Gazzoli

SOAR

ON TO

VICTORY

Bleeding Black and Red

Monday October 3rd, Color Day

Tuesday October 4th, Music Genre Day

Wednesday October 5th, Good vs Evil

Thursday October 6th, Destination Day

Friday October 7th, Spirit Day

Homecoming

weekend is an

exciting time for

all members of Brooke

Point High School. The

weekend kicked off with the

homecoming football game, and

it was followed by the homecoming

dance. Many Brooke Point students

were excited to attend.

Unlike past years, homecoming was much

earlier in the year. Julio Bermudez explained, “It

was a lot better at the end of October. Having it this

early is too soon.”

This year’s theme was City of Lights, which was wellreceived

by the Brooke Point community. Bermudez stated,

“I think it’s really nice. I enjoyed the props.” Likewise, freshman

Heather Duenas said, “It’s a cool theme; it’s pretty smart.”

This year’s homecoming dance was anticipated by many, and Bermudez

BP UNDER THE LIGHTS

and Duenas agree that is was a pretty successful dance. How is next year’s

homecoming dance going to top this?

By Hannah Leece Photos by Nathaniel Bowman

Behind the scenes

Student Life 7

6 Student Life

Student Life 7

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Club

spotlight

Knitting Club

Knitting club is a fun

environment where

everyone can relax and

learn something new.

Margo Rayner plans

on knitting scarfs

during the

Holidays to

dontate to

those in

need.

Movement Club

The

Movement

club is a

club that is

working to start

conversation and

education about

global issues . Giving

students an opportunity

to stand up for what they

believe in .

College Cafe Club

8

The

College

café Club

is a club

where you

can talk about

your future, and

how to prepare for

college. It is a student

started club as well.

Smells Like Teen Spirit

By Madison Barbee and Rebecca Gregory

As the school kicked off into the new year, people

scrambled to join new clubs. This included the latest edition,

Spirit Club. Senior Matt Cooper, junior Jet Hayes, and senior

Lane Williams, the founders, introduced the concept of Spirit

Club. Shylo Seaman, the club sponsor, believes that she could not

have picked three better students to run this club. The very first

meeting was a hit with participating students who were eager

to get involved. The three student founders were especially

surprised by the number of Black-Hawks looking to show their

spirit.

For those wondering what the spirit club is all about,

it is a way to make the school and students a more united

community. “This club is for everybody, not just the sports

aspect of this school but every aspect,” Matt Cooper said. During

upcoming meetings the founders hope to accomplish tasks

like making posters, creating chants, and going over the

upcoming events. The meetings occur the last Friday of

every month and anyone can become a member.

One of the most important aspects of the club

is how welcoming everyone is, and they

would be glad to have any new

members. With the help of

our school community,

our spirit can unite

us as one.

Student Life

work it out.

Finding balance between real world

Balancing work and school, along with extracurricular activities are seen as impossible to many,

though these three students have made the impossible, possible. Many students at Brooke Point have

learned how to balance school and work, yet how these students do it is questioned.

Katherine

Martinez-Weaver

“I work at Weis and I also

Bryce

work at least 16 hours a

week. To balance school

Pratt-Smalls and work, I talked with my

managers and they also felt

that school was more important than work, so

I get time to homework at my job. I feel that

the benefits of working is meeting new people

because I am a cashier, I get to talk with

others. I don’t regret getting a job because it

helps with time management between school,

marching band, Germana, and all that stuff.”

“I work at Baba Ganoush and I work 10 hours a week. I balance my

schoolwork and my job by scheduling a time to do homework and

keeping my things organized. I find the benefits of working to be

money and experience. Then I don’t regret getting a job because

it helps me become more independent and have future experience

so I can get a better paying job.”

Amaya

Estrada

By Kiara Neely

Photos by Emma McElwain and Kiara Neely

“I work at the Sugar Shack in

Stafford and I usually work 8 to

10 hours, depending on the day.

Sometimes it gets hard to balance

school and work but I try to do

my schoolwork before I go to work. So I can get

a healthy amount of sleep, a healthy amount of

everything going on. The benefits of working are

you get money for doing what your manager tells

you to do and you get to interact with people, get

to know people in your community. I don’t regret

getting a job because I like having a job.”

Student Life 9

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To Disney and beyond

By Gabriella Ramirez and Caitlyn Rulapaugh

Photos by Julie Gazzoli

In 2017 Disney is coming out with three

sequels to their most beloved movies:

“The Incredibles,” “Toy Story,” “Cars”, and

many more. The Brooke Point students are

excited to see each film. Sophomore Isaiah

Scypion responded, “I am looking forward

to The Incredibles the most, I have been

waiting for this for years. We have waited

such a long time, and they left us on such

a cliff hanger so I just cannot wait” he

explained.

Freshman Gregory Pilji had a different

answer, “Honestly, I would go with cars 3

since I really want to see what happens.”

A Spanish teacher, Samantha Christopher

is most excited to see “Toy Story 4.” She

shares, “I think I am most excited for

Toy Story, because I like the idea of toys

having their own lives.”

When the original films appeared,

most of the students at Brooke

Point were children. Sophomore Grace

Duckworth answered, “I was a big fan of

the Incredibles when I was a child, and I

still am, I am sixteen now so when “The

Incredibles” came out I was around six.”

Sophomore George Yuschak responded

with, “I am for sure looking forward to

“The Incredibles 2.”

“You see, I was a child, around 5 or

6, and I liked it. The story was good

and it deserved to get seen.” Samantha

Christopher,

who was

most excited

for Toy Story

4 responded,

“I was maybe

21 or 22

when I first

saw it, but

have seen it a

million times

now!”

These films

were made

enjoyable with

very lovable

characters.

Scypion

responded, “My favorite character

was Frozone and still is! I loved his

quote ‘Honey, where’s my super suit?’”

Christopher said, “I like Mr. Potato head,

but I also like Mrs. Potato head now,

especially her line ‘Honey, I packed your

angry eyes!’.

Pilji on the other hand, answered,

“My favorite character then and now is

definitely Mator. He seems like he has

loved everything, but he also has a serious

side to him. He also comes up with the

cringiest stuff to do.”

All three of these movies will be

premiering during the summer of 2017.

This may not seem far away, considering

that it’s already 2016. But after a 5-12

year wait, fans are overjoyed with the

announcement of the sequels to come.

https://ohmy.disney.com

Scary

Now

and Then

By Nathaniel Bowman

Fear is an instinct built into

the mind of every human being,

but has it evolved over time? Scary

stories have been part of the everchanging

world we call Earth for

hundreds of years. Vikings taught

their children that if they did not

behave they would be kidnapped

in their sleep and whipped for all

eternity, and rebellious teens were

forever cursed with images of

Freddy Krueger haunting them in

their dreams.

October will always be the

best month to kick back and watch

all the horror classics, but are

they still scary now that society

has undergone so many changes?

Several members of the Brooke

Point family were interviewed about

their opinions of horror classics and

horror movies now. Many student

were asked what the first horror

movie they remember watching

was, and whether the found it

scary. Freshman, Youness Echane

responded, “It was a movie called

Child’s Play. I was terrified.” Senior,

Parker Seibenschuh answered, “A

movie called Children of the Corn.

It was not really scary. It was a

clown movie, and clowns are not

scary.” When asked if they still found

http://www.clipartkid.com

Are the

classics

still scary?

their first horror movies scary they

both had similar responses. Parker

Seibenschuh answered, “Nope, taxes

are scarier.”

What makes a horror movie

scary? That is exactly what we asked

members of Brooke Point. English

teacher, Jade Johnson responded,

“For me, whenever there is a

supernatural element involved.”

Sophomore Elvis Mejia answered

explaining, “Probably what is a

common fear in society. Right now

we all fear clowns because of recent

events.” When asked why movies

that may have been scary years

ago are no longer scary, Elvis Mejia

explained, “What was considered

scary has changed. Society changed.”

Junior, Robert Cline was

asked on his opinion on what he

thought made older movies scary.

He answered, “Less gore, and more

superstition. Vampires, werewolves,

and ghost.” What is considered scary

is forever changing and evolving,

much like the human mind. We can

only assume that 10 years from now,

our horror movies will be children’s

books.

www.psd-dude.com

http://www.clipartbest.com

10

Entertainment

Entertainment 11

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Stand

styk

out

By Angel Donato, Jye Anthony

Layson and Chloe Moore

Trends come and go, but the concept of style

remains. What makes people really stand out is taking

trends and making them their own by recycling them and

mashing them together. Many people choose not to dress

the way they want to because of the negative remarks they

might receive. Despite this

obstacle, BP is

home to some students

who aren’t

afraid to stand out.

“I wear graphic tees, platform

shoes, and flannels.”

“I want people’s first impression of

me to be ‘Oh, she’s artistic.’”

Freshman Anallisa Ayala

“I wear cat ears, animal accessories, and animal

collars; it just expresses my interest.”

“My makeup and my wigs mean the most to me; it

just says I don’t care what people think about how I

look.”

Senior Chyna Smith

The Hawkeye is the official student magazine of Brooke Point

High School. All articles are student-written.

It is a forum of student expression.

Views expressed are those of the student writers and editors

and are not necessarily shared by the administration or staff of

Brooke Point High School.

The staff strives to uphold the highest journalistic ethics and

standards.

Editor in Chief – Regan Flieg

Assistant Editor in Chief – Julie Gazzoli

Academics Editor – Emma McElwain

Athletics Editor – Kiara Neely

Student Life Editor – Julie Gazzoli

Entertainment Editor – Nathaniel Bowman

Cover photo by Julie Gazzoli