School Mourns Loss of Joyce Charity

By Charles Condro, Jabberwock Staff Reporter

MLWGS students were surprised and saddened by the passing of Ms. Joyce Charity. Her solid character and gracious personality will be missed by everyone at MLWGS.

Ms. Charity died in her home on July 1, 2008 at the age of 56. She is survived by her husband James Charity Jr., their son James Charity III and their daughter Kristi Charity Harris.

Ms. Charity was born in Amelia County into a family of seven children. She graduated from Russell Grove High School in Amelia in 1969 and earned a Liberal Arts degree from the University of Richmond in 2000. Starting in 2001, she had worked at MLWGS for seven years.

Ms. Charity had the reputation of being very personable, and she had many friends among the staff at MLWGS. Among those was Ms. Karen Hoover, whom she had known for 36 years. The two have been friends since their late teenage years. Ms. Charity eventually became Ms. Hoover’s sister-in-law when she married James Charity Jr..

“She was a talker,” said Ms. Hoover. “She was a very witty person.”

“She is definitely going to be missed,” said Salifya Akers (‘09). “She was a friendly face when I went by the office.”

Many of the staff spoke of Ms. Charity’s dependability, attention to detail and her passion for the school and its students.

“She always used to encourage the students: ‘Go show ‘em how smart you are,’” said Ms. Barbara Marshall, who had her office adjacent to Ms. Charity’s desk.

“She was very hardworking; definitely a perfectionist. Just a good, decent person,” said Ms. Williams.

“She was always the first one here in the morning,” said Ms. Hoover. “She just wanted to be here.”

While Charity may have been her last name, it was also one of her many attributes. She was highly involved in many charitable organizations. She held offices in Young Women’s Christian League, University of Richmond Alumni Association, Presbyterian Women of the Presbytery of the James and the Black Caucus of the Presbytery of the James. She also volunteered at the Family Advocacy Clinic.

“It wasn’t just that she was a member; she was very involved,” said Ms. Hoover. “I don’t think that you can say enough about her.”

“She was always trying to do stuff to help somebody,” said Ms. Williams.

To honor Ms. Charity, members of the staff are thinking of ways to pay their respects to one of their own.



Picture of Joyce Hackney Charity. Courtesy of Hawkes Funeral Home.

Editorial: Ms. Charity, You Will Always Be Remembered

Monday, July 7 was an unusually overcast and muggy summer day, yet hundreds of friends, family, and co-workers of Ms. Joyce Hackney Charity braved the unpleasant weather to pay tribute to a remarkable woman who touched so many lives.

Beginning at 11 am, nearly four hundred relatives and acquaintances gathered into a crowded East End Richmond church to fondly remember and celebrate Ms. Charity’s amazing life of service, love, and compassion.

As I sat quietly in Woodville Presbyterian Church, I was filled with shock, disbelief, sadness. I recalled vivid memories of Ms. Charity’ beaming smile, ready hug, and caring manner that graced the MLWGS office for so many years.

Although so young when she passed away, Ms. Charity had already done more good work in her 56 years than anyone twice that age could ever dream of accomplishing.

As a reporter, I remember frequently coming by her desk to request a copy of the Regional School Board minutes. Ms. Charity would always give me her meticulously thorough and absolutely accurate report even before this document was officially approved and released.

Ms. Charity once spoke of her many late nights at home in front of the computer, painstakingly transcribing the minutes from a tape recorder and carefully editing each sentence.

She was a truly determined and driven person, and in the words of one speaker at her funeral, “Joyce always strived for perfection and was never satisfied until the job was done.”

Her dedication to work was evident at nearly every MLWGS soccer game when Ms. Charity stationed herself on a small chair outside the gate to the field and collected the ticket money.

One night, when ticket sales failed to match up with the cash she had collected, Ms. Charity spent more than an hour with a pad and a pencil, double and triple checking her math. Even though the discrepancy was only one dollar, Ms. Charity would not give up until she found the error.

Ms. Charity’s warmth not only resonated in the halls of MLWGS, but in her community as well. In her spare time, she served actively as a board member of the Golden Heart’s Club, the Bellwood Toastmasters, and numerous other charitable organizations.

In June 2008, just weeks before her sudden death, Ms. Charity hosted a benefit concert at MLWGS for the Richmond Boy’s Choir. For months in advance, she had planned and organized this event, making sure every possible detail was arranged.

In honor of her ever-present support and fundraising efforts for their organization, the Richmond Boy’s Choir has graciously volunteered to perform at this year’s Fall Festival in Ms. Charity’s memory.

In the words of one longtime friend, Marion Cuffee, who met Ms. Charity more than 20 years ago while both women were attending night school, “she was a living saint.”

“Joyce was the kindest soul. If you ever needed help, she was always there, ready to give all of herself for you,” said Ms. Cuffee. “I know she’s gone, but sometimes I still pick up the phone as if I’m about calling her.”

MLWGS and the entire Richmond community lost an angel this summer, but I am positive that the loving spirit of Ms. Charity will continue to live on forever in the hearts of all those who knew this truly beautiful person.

School E-mail Upsets Soms

While MLWGS technology policy has always forbidden student accounts from receiving or sending messages to or from web-based e-mail, this regulation is now actually in effect.

Software now blocks students from opening web-based emails sent to their school accounts. This means students can no longer email things to their school account from their home accounts.

Email providers such as AOL, Hotmail, Comcast, etc. are all considered web-based and are therefore blocked.

Ms. Patti Chappell, MLWGS Director of Technology, attributes the change to the amount of spam web-based emails bring into the server.

“The amount of spam we get is unbelievable. We don’t have a lot of resources in terms of personnel to bring the network back up if something attacks [it].”

“I understand most students have other accounts; however, we give the students email accounts. The expectation is that they will suffice,” said Ms. Chappell.

To some this policy seems strange.

“I find it ironic that I can’t send emails to myself from my home account but I can log onto Gmail from school,” said Zoe Kemp (’10).

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor of the Jabberwock,

It has recently come to my attention that the MLWGS email accounts assigned to us by the administration will no longer be able to receive email from any private accounts. I’d like to take advantage of the school paper to express my dismay, confusion, and disagreement with this recent decision by our esteemed technology administrators.

I personally, as well as many of my friends and peers at Maggie Walker, email most of my assignments to myself from home, so that I can print them out at school in the morning. This strategy works well for me; I don’t accidentally leave my homework on the bus, I don’t have to spend money on my own printer’s ink cartridges, and I get my work in on time.

The school website says that we should use our school accounts on both ends of situations like this, which would nullify the problem completely if the school email application worked on my computer. I have rarely been able to access my school email account at home (for whatever reason), even following the directions presented on the website. The few times I do accomplish this feat, the application is insufferably slow in sending or opening emails that don’t include attachments (for whatever reason). I can only imagine my frustration were I trying to email a ten page Microsoft Word document to myself. I’m sure there are others who can relate.

As convenient as the school account may be for certain tasks, it’s simply not as efficient, easy to use, or high quality as Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, or any of the other email clients most students employ. The school network is (for whatever reason) notoriously unstable, and prone to become completely inaccessible to all students for hours, or even days, at a time. Last year alone, I can remember at least two separate incidents that directly affected me.

I could list a number of other situations in which not being able to receive mail from non-MLWGS email addresses could be a major hindrance (contacting college admission offices, contacting sources for science projects, etc.), but I know that all Maggie Walker students understand this issue just as well as I.

All of this leads me to several questions. Is there a lack of trust involved, here? Are we being punished? Does the administration suspect us of abusing our technological privileges? Is this a way of weeding out the clutter plaguing the Maggie Walker network? More importantly, what can we, as students, do to work with the administration to fix this problem?

Jimmie Lee Jarvis

Class of 2010

A Conversation with MLWGS’ Own Mr. Irvin Charles*

Maggie Walker Alumnus and MLWGS Head of Security shares his thoughts

*Q&A by Danny Yates on September 4, 2008. Note: this Q&A piece with MLWGS Head of Security, Mr. Charles will appear regularly in this year’s Jabberwock.

How was your summer?

I took off the month of July, but during that time I attended three funerals. They were for Ms. Charity, an 18 year old nephew who we lost, and my mentor of many years from the fire department who passed. He [the mentor] had 15 years of service before I even started … in my first house fire he saved my life when I got lost and panicked.

Did you relax some as well this summer?

Yes I did. Even with that sadness, I still tried to salvage the summer. As you know, my daughter is the joy of my life and we had fun.

Tell me about the school security officer training that you led this summer?

That is a state mandated class that I hold for my officers, but I also always invite Richmond’s people. We had 90 or so officers training here for two weeks.

Is it true MLWGS has a new security officer?

Yes, Mr. Steve Sparks, a good man, and one of my closest friends is joining us part-time. He is actually a Walker alumnus, and he just retired after thirty years for Virginia Power.

Talk about the parking permit frenzy...

It’s the same thing every year. I can only work with what I can work with… and the larger classes make it a little harder for the juniors… but they’ll get them [parking passes] next year.

Thoughts for the year?

I’m hoping for a great year… One of the reasons is that the longer I’m here, the better I’m able to get to know the younger students and make connections with them as they go through their four years.

I hope too that we can learn to respect other people and their property. I want to encourage students to take responsibility for their personal belongings and property.

How will this year differ with Mr. Hunt leaving?

My main concern is to send Mr. Hunt out on a high note… I want to send him out having no real security issues in his years here….

Sports Photos

Band plays at field hockey game. Photo by Karthik Ilakkuvan (’10).

Fans cheer on the field hockey team. Photo by Karthik Ilakkuvan (’10).

MLWGS Field hockey players compete against Cosby. Photo by Karthik Ilakkuvan (’10).

JV boys volleyball against JR Tucker. Courtesy of MLWGS’ Volleyball Team.

MLWGS Corner Barbershop Changes Hands

By Danny Yates, Jabberwock Staff Reporter

For as far back as many residents of the Newtowne/Carver neighborhood can remember, the storefront room at the corner of Leigh and Mozelle Streets has always housed a local barbershop.
From year to year, the name painted on the window of this establishment has changed, just as the people behind the glass have come and gone.

This summer, the building lay vacant for two months.

Shortly after the school year ended, Dalton King, proprietor of All Cuts Barbershop and the building’s most recent tenant, decided not to renew his five year lease.

Mr. King, a Richmond area-barber for more than 20 years, closed his shop at Leigh Street in order to pursue other interests. At his new All Cuts Barbershop, located in Lakeside, King plans to expand his role as a certified barber instructor.

Through his company, Virginia Barber School Online, King will continue to teach the barber profession using both hands on training and online instruction.

“I founded the first distant learning barber school in the state of Virginia... right now, I have students who are actually fighting in the Iraq war and taking the theory part online,” said King.

Two months after King and his All Cuts Barbershop left Leigh Street, the empty building found its newest tenant.

In late August, a bold-lettered banner with the words ‘Rock Barbershop’ announced the grand opening of a new hair cutting facility.

The newly unveiled Rock Barbershop is an attempt to break with the tradition of constant turnover that owners say has plagued previous barbershops at this location.

Barber Eddie Espada, known to his friends and clients as ‘Rock,’ is a former native of New York who moved to Virginia in 2004.

“I came to Richmond [from New York] with five hundred dollars in my pocket. A few years later, I own four stores here,” said Espada. “That just shows what can happen if you hold your ground and work hard.”

On their website, Rock Barbershop describes itself as “a place to hang out with the best barbers that Richmond has to offer.”

When asked the origin of his nickname, Espada spoke of a rock’s toughness

“My name, Rock, it signifies strength like Simon Peter, and that I stick together with my family and don’t let myself fall apart,” said Espada.

Rock Barbershop co-owner, Angel Maldonado, also known as ‘Guap-O,’ talked of how his new business is a franchise of another Rock Barbershop on East Broad Street.

“We’re totally different from [the barbershops] that were here before,” said Maldonado. “It all started with Rock years ago when he opened on Broad.”

Workers at the new Rock Barbershop hope to quickly establish a customer base in the community.

“Some customers will follow us here, but we’re looking for new clients in the students,” said Maldonado.

“Our business strategy will cater to the schools. Our next step is to target Union [Virginia Union University].”

Rock Barbershop staff said they plan on launching weekly promotions and offering special student discounts.

According to Maldonado, the appeal of Rock Barbershop also comes from its range of service, “we do everything… shape-ups, designs, dreads… there’s no boundaries.”

Additionally, the owners of Rock Barbershop want to re-brand their facility’s image.

“We want to make it more than just another hood barbershop,” said Espada.

For some MLWGS students, the idea of a nearby barbershop is appealing.

Christopher Richardson (’09) stumbled upon the recently re-located All Cuts Barbershop several years ago.

“Since it was right across the street, I just went there one day. Mr. King was always so nice to me, he was very fair and friendly,” said Richardson.

“I think that it is definitely hard to find a good barbershop like Mr. King’s nowadays. People always need a good barber, and today in our society it is just like ‘cut and go’… you’re now a customer and no longer a friend,” said Richardson.

In a phone interview, King described Richardson his “best customer.”

Extra Information about MLW Corner Barbershop

‘Rock Barbershop’

- Open for less than two weeks

- $12 adult haircuts

- $15 adult haircut with facial

- $10 children

- Special student discount

- Phone Number: 414-4073

- Located: Leigh & Mozelle Sts

‘All Cuts Barbershop and the Virginia Barber School Online’

- Formerly at Leigh and Mozelle Streets, now located at 1152 Wilkinson Avenue

- Call Dalton King at 264-0800 or visit his website, www.virginia-barberschoolonline.com

Rock Barbershop. Photo by Danny Yates.

MLWGS’ Very Own at D.N.C.

By Virginia Cross, Jabberwock Staff Reporter

While many people watched the recent political conventions on TV, Woody Kaine ('10) got the opportunity to experience the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in person.

Kaine traveled to Denver, Colorado, the location of the 2008 DNC, with his brother, Nat Kaine ('08), and his father, Gov. Tim Kaine. The convention, which lasted from August 25-28, was held to rally the party around the Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama.

Due to the long battle in the Democratic primaries, as well as to what some consider a slight of Hillary Clinton as Obama's V.P. pick, some media commentators have highlighted Clinton supporters who are now voting for McCain.

However, what Kaine saw at the convention led him to believe that the situation has been overanalyzed, and even misrepresented.
“I think the disenchanted Hillary supporter turned McCain supporter thing has been blown way out of proportion, said Kaine.

“It seemed like everyone I talked to was supporting Barack wholeheartedly, no matter who they liked in the primary,” said Kaine.

“Everyone was just really excited to be there and to nominate Barack,” he said.

During the four days that Jon Stewart was hosting The Daily Show in Denver, Gov. Kaine appeared as a guest on the show. Gov. Kaine was considered to be on the short list for Obama's V.P. pick, and during the interview, Gov. Kaine discussed the vetting process.

“I did get to meet Jon Stewart, and he seemed like a nice guy," said Kaine. [Having my dad on the show] was pretty cool."

The last night of the convention was held at Invesco Field at Mile High, home of the Denver Broncos. In front of a sold out stadium, Gov. Kaine addressed the crowd, and later that night, Obama formally accepted the Democratic presidential nomination.

“It was just amazing to be there for a speech like that,” said Kaine. “In addition to the historical aspect, it was really cool to be there at a speech with 80,000 people. [That] makes it feel so much more exciting.”

Obama is the first African American presidential nominee for a major political party, but Kaine noted another historical feature of the Obama campaign.

The Obama campaign has relied heavily on small donors to help finance the campaign, creating a far-reaching network of those who contribute to the campaign.

“The grassroots support that [the Obama campaign] has gotten, especially through the Internet, will be something people will be studying in AP U.S years from now,” said Kaine.

Earlier this summer, Kaine volunteered at the Obama Headquarters, where he registered voters and canvassed. Although he supports Obama, Kaine believes that everyone should participate in the campaign process.

“No matter how much time you have to help, [campaign headquarters] can find something for you to do. Even if it’s just for an hour or two after school, it is important to get involved.”

Photo by Woody Kaine (’10).

Barack Obama speaking at the DNC. Photo by Woody Kaine (’10).

Crisis in the Caucuses

By Logan Ferrell (’ 11)

On August 7th, Russian tanks crossed the border into the small Caucasian state of Georgia, signaling the beginning of a much larger deployment and global uproar.

The reason announced to the world was that Russia was stepping in to defend the small separatist region of South Ossetia. In the days before the invasion, this region had been the target of vicious crackdown by the Georgian military.

One week later, Russian troops had entered another breakaway region, Abkhazia, and moved forces to within 25 miles of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. Now, after a month criticism by the nations of Europe and the United States, Moscow has stepped back somewhat, but continues to hold troops throughout Georgia.

Several spokesmen for the federal government, including the president himself, have expressed their outrage at what they seem to find a shocking overstep of international behavior. As much as this sentiment may be shared within the media and the White House, I simply do not see how it is that we could be surprised.

Over the past eight years, the government of the United States has been content with a quiet disinterest when it comes to the actions of Russia, no matter how brazen they may seem.

With the notable exception of our close military and political alliance with Georgia, the general American apathy is even more apparent in the Caucasus. The combustible region, a breeding ground for terrorism and violence, has bred only neglect at home.

For eight years, the Bush administration has supported the Russian “anti-terrorist” operation in Chechnya, an operation criticized by countless human rights organizations for its brutal conduct.

Now, however, the president is “deeply concerned” about the danger presented to Georgian civilians. Where was that concern during the abduction, torture, and execution of countless Chechen civilians? No strong words, no action; the United States remains content to stand by while another “ally” stifles any opposition and ignores human rights.

The August invasion seems to have also awoken the government to the bigger picture; it has responded with strong words and proposed strong action to counter the aggressive Russian regime. This is a regime, whose strategic bomber patrols, the White House dismissed as normal.

The American government did not seem deterred when their “ally” ranked 144th on an international ranking of press freedom, lower than either Afghanistan or the Congo. It would seem that it takes the brute force of Russian armor to make the powers that be awake to the unsavory alliances that they have made.

Personally, I am a strong believer in the power of diplomacy. I think that idea of a “new cold war” could be prevented by dialogue. However, those in power would do best to remember that negotiation without principle is simply talk, and that American talk can affect the lives of thousands.

Hot Topic: The Drinking Age

Kaya Whitlock ('12):

“If they can make the decision to go to war, they should be able to drink.”






Jordan Stokes ('11):

“They’re going to drink anyway, if it was lowered it wouldn’t be such a big deal.”








Niklas Philipsen ('11):

“It should be 16, because kids should learn how to drink responsibly at home.”






Courtney Wynn (’09):

“Once the lure of wanting something you can’t have is gone, usage will even out.”

Hot Off the Press!

By Gabriella Cifu, Jabberwock Staff Reporter

Its title does not reflect art, history, nature, or the ancient world, yet its content includes it all. The Newseum offers exhibits encompassing all types of media.

Lining the exterior walls of the museum, the front pages of the most influential newspapers in the world draws in tourists.

The Newseum holds a room of newspaper front pages from many of the most significant and momentous days in history. Ranging in interests from Pearl Harbor to September 11th, the newspaper cover pages are well organized in roll-out drawers. While intriguing, these drawers are situated in a long and narrow room. The inconvenient shape of the room made it difficult to maneuver, especially when crowded with tourists.

The popular 9/11 exhibit offers a new angle. Complete with a documentary by reporters and journalists who covered the event and were literally feet away from the collapsing building, viewers are satisfied by the insightful perspective: the impact of this unfortunate day on those individuals whose responsibly it was to broadcast it to the world.

This exhibit also includes a wall of newspaper headlines from the days following the attack, which shows the impact of this day on other countries.

The documentary theater is just one aspect of the 9/11 exhibit. Viewers crowd around the artifact boxes and mini-T.V. screens, both blocking the flow of the exhibit, as well as causing ennui to the many viewers who also want to watch the complete documentary and slowly peruse through the interesting artifacts.

However, the documentary is well made, and the emotion is apparent in every reporter. The displays in this exhibit also were neatly arranged, with detailed information prearranged to read as heartfelt stories about the reporters involved in this tragic event.

There are limited artifacts when compared to other 9/11 exhibits. However, they commemorate William Biggart, a skilled reporter and photographer who died documenting the event.

As a fun addition, the Newseum presents an interactive opportunity to televise a news broadcast. Participants may choose their background setting and subject matter and read a teleprompter, emulating professional reporters. The Newseum provides these mock reporters with a picture of their experience and a link to view their broadcast online.

This exhibit shows just how hard it is to read a teleprompter, while having to do a “live” broadcast. It’s entertaining to rewatch the broadcast, as well as watching reports from other Newseum attendees. Unfortunately, this experience carries an additional cost to the entrance fee at the museum.

A highly visual exhibit on the Berlin Wall includes several large pieces of the wall, as well as the only East German guard tower in the U.S. Visitors are allowed to stand in the tower, where there are realistic sound effects of guards shouting and marching.

While the Newseum is on the whole unique and informative, it is not set up to accommodate many visitors in any one exhibit at a time. The theaters are small and the seating provisions are even fewer. There is a 4-D I-MAX highlighting some of the great journalists and reporters of our time, which is unfortunately relatively short.

While many museums in the D.C. area are free, the Newseum charges twenty dollars per person. Consequently, many tourists may bypass this museum for one of the other equally intriguing, free museums in the locale.

However, the Newseum is well worth the visit. Its variety in subject matter and unique concepts make for a new and exciting addition to Washington D.C.’s recognized collection of museums.

The main entrance of Newseum. Photo courtesy of http://onlinenewswatch.blsci.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/newseum-06.jpg