Chancellor High School, Fredericksburg, VA The Lightning Bolt Celebrating 26 Years of Thunderous News at Lightning Speed! Volume 26, Issue 7 | March/ April 2014 “We Bring the Thunder to Chancellor” Spring Forward Photo and Cover by Megan Church OPINION The Girls’ Tennis Game Column . PG. 14 Team Kicks of the SPORTS Spring Season. Read more about their MLB Previews. PG. 19-24 Season in the Sports FEATURES section. Lessons Learned: Students, Faculty React to Recent Challenges . PG. 27 NEWS STEM Summit...PG. 5 Editoral The Lightning Bolt By Meghan Hannifin that Fredericksburg just can’t a viewpoint on the lessons 6300 Harrison Road seem to shake, we here at The learned from all of the events Fredericksburg, VA 22407 Editor-in-Chief Lightning Bolt hope this issue that occurred in February in [email protected]. Congratulations, everyone! brightens up your days a bit! the Features section. va.us Although it may not always In the News section, you can Really, Chargers, when you seem like it (as I write this, it is find coverage of the evacua- find it necessary to rest and Volume 26 a brisk and breezy 39 degrees tions that occurred last month recharge, this issue will do outside), we have officially Issue 7 and the STEM summit at the the trick. It’s jam-packed with made it to spring! Whether University of Mary Washing- fun and informing articles, so you marked the actual sea- ton. In Sports, you can read take a read and feel free to let sonable vernal equinox with a all about Chancellor’s spring us know what you think! Also, trip to Rita’s for their free cel- sports teams and our first ever as a heads up, the next issue EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ebratory Italian ice, flew a kite Athlete of the Month profile! will include the passing of the Meghan Hannifin in the park, or hid inside and The Opinion section provides torch- therefore, the editorial wished winter would just stick entertainment in the form of will be written by next year’s around, we hope you had a Layout editors a review of The Lego Movie Editor-in-Chief! So, as this is grand time of it, and that it re- Joshua turbyfill and a debate that pits soccer my last editorial, I would like newed you for the busy final against baseball. The issue to thank you all for reading Matthew swartz months of school ahead. wraps up with some articles The Lightning Bolt! It’s been a As we all continue our strug- by the AP Spanish class, and pleasure, Chargers! NEWS EDITOR gle against the cold weather Christopher Heimink Drums and Flags By Matthew Swartz was followed by the Courtland March 29th. They were the OPINION EDITOR Layout Editor Drumline, who wore all black only Winter Guard to place Neil Schubel with green patterns shaped from Spotsylvania. Chancellor let out the boom- like circuits. Their attire and The entire event ended after FEATURES EDITOR ing sound of drums on Tues- music evoked a digital theme about an hour and the audi- Megan church day, April 1st, when we hosted that was reminiscent of Tron. ence began filing out of their the 2014 Winter Showcase. Courtland was followed by seats. The event was not a The event was a celebration Massaponax, who finished competition however as many SPORTS EDITOR of the Drumline and Winter the Drumline portion of the of the performers were in dif- Kaityln Keisling Guard’s hard work in a per- day with a very lulling, dream- ferent classes. But rather it formance. Around 7 PM the like performance. was a celebration of their art- Administrative doors to the gym were opened The showcase proceeded to istry and hard work. to the public for anyone to en- the Winter Guard portion of the “The most was rewarding manager joy the show for free. event, which was started off part was how we got to be a Ashley Prosser The event began with an in- with a performance by Brooke- really good family. We got troduction from Mr. Addair on point. They were followed by really close from the experi- ADVISER the effort that everyone had Courtland and Massaponax’s ence,” stated Fahmy. Ms. Gattie put into their performances. teams, with Chancellor fin- Then the Chancellor Drum- ishing off line took center stage. A row the evening. The Journalism students at Chancellor High School publish The Lightning Bolt, the only official newspaper on campus. The purpose of the newspa- of xylophones and other large Nora Fahmy, per is to factually inform and entertain its readers. As an established open forum for the student body, truth will be the staff’s major goal. It is the percussion instruments stood Winter Guard responsibility of each staffer to adhere to the journalism code of ethics as set by the Society of Professional Journalists, Sigma Delta Chi. The code in a line before the stage and senior, stated states that a journalist can not accept gifts, favors or privileges that could compromise their integrity. All material published will be the result of were quickly manned by the that they had brainstorm sessions by the staff. Subjects stimulating to the majority of the student body will be used. The editorial board, which is comprised of all musicians. The more mo- been working newspaper staff members will determine the priority of the stories and the overall design of publication. The advisor serves to give students a better bile instruments were held on their rou- understanding of the functions and ethics of a free press. The advisor does not serve as a censure. Student editors will decide the material to by other Drumline students tine since De- be published. In accordance with community standards, profanity will not appear in the publication. Students are free to express an opinion on so that they could march with cember. The matters of public interests under the, “fair comment rule.” Under this rule, the student has the right to intelligently criticize the school and its policies. them. Chancellor was outfit- C h a n c e l l o r Editorials reflect the opinion of The Lightning Bolt. Opinion stories reflect the opinion of the writer and do not represent the opinion of the faculty ted in a red, white, and black Winter Guard and administration of Chancellor High School. Controversial issues will be covered from both points of view. School news, as well as local, uniform with a sharp triangu- was also per- national and international events will also be covered. Letters to the editor are welcomed. All letters must be signed and be between 200- 300 words lar pattern. They played out forming again long. They may be submitted to A113 or by e-mailing chhslightningbolt@ yahoo.com. The Lightning Bolt retains the right to edit letters to comply a quick paced song interlaced after winning with journalistic standards. Anonymous letters will not be published. with some melodies and vocal This is your school, help improve it through your opinions, praises, and 2nd place in The Chancellor High School Drumline constructive criticisms. If voiced aloud and in large enough numbers, we sampling from the gym speak- can bring about change. Our ultimate goal is to print the truth and with the Atlantic and Winter Guard pose after the your help we can reach this goal. ers that got the crowd pumped Indoor Asso- for the rest of the night. Chan- Winter Showcase ciation Cham- Photo by Matthew Swartz cellor then took a bow and pionships on THE LIGHTNING BOLT News 3 Chancellor Security Reforms By Megan Church and spend their planning periods bathrooms. Teachers are ally losing much time,” says Meghan Hannifin monitoring the restrooms, checking the bathrooms. Sec- teacher Ms. Hanlin, who finds collaborating with others retaries are checking, admin- that the benefits of monitoring Features Editor and who have free blocks at that istrators are checking,” she outweigh the disadvantages. Editor-in-Chief time, and arranging a monitor says. “But safety is the most “It seems to be stopping fur- Due to recent events, schedule so that no one’s shift important thing.” ther problems of threats.” schools around Spotsylva- lasts more than a half hour. Another downside is the wait It also seems that students nia County are implementing Some teachers monitoring students sometimes have to have been leaving class less new programs to improve the the restrooms were surprised go through before they are often, reluctant to go through security of students and staff. by how easily the system sank even let into the restrooms. the process of signing in and After four bomb threats on the in, and how well the students Security member Mr. Moore out of both their classrooms week of February 24th, Chan- cooperate with it. says that long lines can form and the restrooms. cellor has taken a part in this “[The students] know the outside the bathrooms in be- “I think the monotony of [the security reform. drill,” says Ms. Player, an Eng- tween classes, which causes system] deters people from In addition to the new mea- lish teacher whose monitoring students to be late to class. going to the bathroom,” com- sure that requires students to shift is every other day. “That But the measures have been ments Player. wait until 7:15 in the morning part is easy.” effective so far, according to What if the threats continue? before entering the school, The security measures do Bass-Fortune. She believes “With SOLs and testing com- and until 7:25 to go upstairs, have their downsides.