MLWGS Students Enjoy Snow Day Fun

By Virginia Cross, Jabberwock Staff Reporter

MLWGS students submitted their favorite stories and photos from last week's snow days.

Photo courtesy of Emily Bird (‘10)

“It started when we were having a snowball fight at Byrd Park, and we found icicles hanging from the field house. We took them off and started fencing.”- Scott McClellan, (’10)

Photo courtesy of Woody Kaine (‘10)

“We were sledding at the capital, and we thought we should build a snowman. Since we were at the capital, we wanted to do something nerdy, and since it would have been too hard to model a snowman after the George Washington statue, we started making a regular snowman. Then, we decided to cut out Tim Kaine’s face symbol from a poster, and we put that on the snowman. People were asking us to take pictures of it!” - Callie Guy (’10)

Photo courtesy of Danielle Stephens

“I was going to make a snowman, but I was having trouble getting the snow to stick, so instead I carved a dino out of ice with a spatula. I used carrots for the teeth and claws, and the back is made of icicles.” -Danielle Stephens, (’12)

Photo courtesy of Kathy Battle (‘10)

“I was just going to stay inside and drink hot chocolate because I didn’t have any snow clothes, but my sister and I decided to go out and play in the snow. My dog loves the snow, so I played around with her.” -Kathryn Battle (’10)

Photo courtesy of Kenzie Grasso.

“Riding horses in the snow was cold! Some of the horses were scared of the snow, but my horse was fine. Later, we made the mistake of throwing snowballs at the horses, which made the horses freak out. Then, we got in trouble for it.” -Kenzie Grasso, (’10)

Parent Disagrees with Recent Editorial’s Suggestion for Mr. Morton to Cut His Salary

Dear Editor,

In response to the article “A Suggestion for Mr. Morton”, I am not quite sure how asking Mr. Fred Morton to give up a portion of his salary will be a gesture of solidarity. Mr. Morton has worked all his life and has earned several retirement compensations. The man served our country; he is entitled to every dollar he gets.

He worked for other Virginia school districts and VCU; he is entitled to every dollar he gets. Now he has another job, as the director of Maggie Walker Governor’s School.

Either he is an overachiever or a man who loves his job in education. I would think that the $100,000 plus salary he will receive when it comes down to hourly salary will certainly be adequate compensation for all the hours he works, and he will be working his tail off.

I for one am sick of people who think that people who work hard, and earn their dollars, do not deserve all their money they have worked hard to accrue. Mr. Fred Morton is our new director and we will foster a positive relationship with him among the MLWGS family, but not by asking him to relinquish some of his salary.

That is as absurd as asking each faculty member and student to bring in a part of their earnings for the year to make up for the deficit. We will survive these tough economic times.

Debbie Sawyer
A MLWGS parent

Board Room Renovations = $9K

by Elaine Hillgrove, Jabberwock Staff Reporter

The Maggie Walker boardroom underwent some minor but expensive renovations on March 10 and March 12.

"We are finishing the boardroom, where we are putting in hi-tech equipment," said Ms. Bronner, PTSA President. "We've put a projector in."

The projector is not the only new thing being added to the boardroom, though. Controllers for the projector, a VCR/DVD player, and a phone were also added.

Ms. Patti Chappell, Assistant Director of Technology, said that these renovations cost “around $9,000.”

According to Ms. Chappell, these renovations were not done at the time the whole school was renovated because of budget concerns. It was not considered necessary to have a projector in the boardroom.

However, “we found out there are more and more times when it would have been beneficial to have one in there," said Ms. Chappell.

“When there were presentations that needed projectors, we would have cords all over the floor.”

The room is now able to receive phone calls and conduct conference calls. It is also internet/computer accessible.

“Now the boardroom is in the 21st century,” said Ms. Chappell

The boardroom undergoes a pricey renovation. Photo by Charles Condro

Idol Mania

By Gabriella Cifu, Jabberwock Staff Reporter

We’re done with the auditions, the dreaded Hollywood week (for both contestants and viewers), and top 36 eliminations. The Top 13 have been chosen, and the ever anticipated countdown begins for who will be the next American Idol.

There have been several changes to the show this year (both good and bad). To begin with the traditional Top 12 was expanded this year to include Anoop Desai, one of the most popular contestants among fans, despite his often less than stellar performances.

However, because an additional week was not added to the show, two contestants were eliminated in the first week. However, I think this flexibility was a good idea, because it gave viewers one more chance to see several of the singers that had not had consistently good performances, but were nonetheless early favorites of the fans.

A rule concerning eliminations has also been implemented. In past years, fans, and judges have been shocked when contestants (such as Chris Daughtry) were voted off the show long before expected. To avoid similar issues, the judges have been given the right to nullify the elimination of one contestant over the entire season. The following week, two individuals will be eliminated, yet producers hope this will limit the chance of a great contestant being voted off too early.

This past Wednesday, Jorge Nuñez and Jasmine Murray were the first two contestants of the top 13 to be eliminated. Both had unremarkable performances and the eliminations came as no surprise to fans or judges. When asked if they would like to reverse the eliminations of these individuals, the judges were quick to say no.

Kara Dioguardi, a respected songwriter and singer, has been added as a fourth judge to the show. I was initially against the idea of a fourth judge; a sentiment that has not changed in the slightest. To begin with, they already had a good balance of judges.

The kind, but out of touch with reality Paula, the brutally honest, but reliable Simon, and the dependable, but often incoherent Randy result in three diverse judges that are well-known and loved by all Idol fans. Kara is clearly the oddball out. It seems she has personality swings, and she goes from being overly nice like Paula, to trying to be more critical like Simon. Dealing with Paula’s quirks was painful enough, but we are now forced to deal with yet another judge who doesn’t offer a unique personality to the panel.

Even though it is only the first week, there are some clearly identified favorites that are predicted fly to the top. Sixteen year old Allison Iraheta is astonishingly good not only compared to the other teenagers in the show, but the entire mass of contestants. Although she is certainly not the best singers, she will have the support of the younger generation throughout the competition, and will definitively be in the top contestants.

Danny Gokey is one of the top two singers on the show this year. His voice has a beautiful gravely pitch, and he has had consistently solid performances this season. My only criticism against him is that he does not have the stage presence that many of the others have. But I can definitely see him being successful in the future based on vocal ability.

Adam Lambert is hands-down one of the best contestants the show has ever seen. He truly has it all: vocal range, a great personality, a unique image and incredible stage presence. His history of musical theater may make some of his performances look like acting, but there is no doubt that he has an incredible voice and even more astounding range.

The last contestant of particular interest this year, Scott Macintyre. He is the first contestant on Idol that is blind. However, he does not need any kind of sympathy support because he has a stunning voice, and is great with his accompaniments on piano during his performances. While he may not be the best singer, he certainly is not letting his disability slow him down in any way, and is predicted to be a more popular contestant this season.

Although they are still in the process of separating the good from the great, several of the season eight contestants are simply in a league of their own.

There is no telling which contestants will pull ahead and stay original each week, but with the changes this year the show is promising to be as popular and entertaining as ever.

The judges of season 8 deliberate on a contestant.
Photo courtesy of http://www.blogcdn.com.

Spring Sports Review

By Karthik Ilakkuvan, Jabberwock Staff Reporter

A grand slam. An 11-2 blowout. And two 1-0 shutouts. Too bad none of those were for Maggie Walker.

Baseball: After an impressive (for Maggie Walker, at least) 9-11 season last year, the baseball team has lost five players, including star player Will Roberts, currently playing for the University of Virginia.

“It’s a rebuilding year,” co-captain Joey Surma (’09) said. “We’ve got a new coach, Meade Langhorn, who used to play for the Kansas City Royals, who’s a lot better than the previous coach. He’s actually making us do work.”

With five freshmen and three other new players on this year’s team, the season looks promising for the future. For now, they’re going to have to work at it, after a tough 14-4 loss to Hermitage to open their season.

The game started off on a sour note, with the pitcher walking the first batter, hitting the next two, and giving up a grand slam to the fourth. Probably due to nerves, eventually things settled down, and Maggie Walker outscored the opposition, excluding the first two innings. There’s still more to work on, though.

“We’re still looking for managers who like to bake, look reasonably attractive, and need community service,” Surma said.

Softball: A new assistant coach and two freshmen should bode well for the team this year. Opening the season off with an 11-2 loss, it doesn’t look too promising, but there’s not too much to worry about.

“All that we want is to be better than the baseball team,” co-captain Becca Diakun (’09) said.
Spectator Scott Clark (’09) had the following to say about the game: “The air was temperate, but the wind was biting and strewn with dirt and pieces of metal. The girls played hard, they were fierce with heart and unity. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to defeat the intimidating kinetic force that was Hermitage. But I was proud of the girls, for kicking aside their doubts and fears and just having fun with the game. I was proud to be a witness of that awesome phenomenon. I was proud to be one of their fans. I was proud to be a student of Maggie Walker.”

Boys’ Soccer: If there was one theme to last year’s season, it was close games. This year’s no different. A 1-0 loss to Monacan in the Prince George tournament, the boys’ team was able to keep the opposition out for most of the game.

“Our defense was organized, but we just couldn’t put one in,” Peter Slag (’09) explained. “They scored on a brilliant shot.”

With star keeper Dan Laws (’11) holding his own, this season should be another one filled with close games. One freshman starter on offense should help, but this year’s goal is to win a few games and get into the district tournament. Captains Max Schick (’09) and Marcel Rodgers (’09) lead the charge this season.

Girls’ Soccer: What’s the worst way to start off a season? A loss, yes. But what’s worse? To lose 1-0 to Manchester on a penalty kick. It’s how things started out for the girls’ soccer team.

“I think we did pretty well holding them off,” co-captain Kelly Diaz (’09) said. “We’re getting used to playing with each other. In general, I’m hoping we’re going to have a good season.”

Qualifying for regionals is the main goal this season, and it’s a genuine possibility with a few good freshmen coming on to the team, as well as captains Rachel Semus (’09), Amanda Watson (’09) and Diaz leading the way. They continue their season with a game on Monday against St. Gertrude, who is coached by ex-Boys’ soccer coach Dan Park.

Boys’ Tennis: The high point of the spring sports season, the tennis team beat Patrick Henry. Ahem, they massacred Patrick Henry. 8-1 the final tally, the boys’ went 6-0 in their singles matches, winning all six matches in straight sets, dropping only one game throughout. Freshman Ryan Murphy, playing in the six spot, chalked it up to a freshman mistake, winning his match 6-0, 6-1.

Losing no seniors from the top 6 last year, things look promising for the tennis team this year. Captains Michael Armstrong (’09), Will Weber (’09), and Ziyi Gao (’09) hope to make regionals and even states this season.

“Our opposition has withered away while we are filled with strong, new members,” Gao said.

Girls’ Tennis: The news for this year’s girls’ tennis team? It’s not that there’s a junior playing #1, but it’s who that junior is. Jocelyn Powelson (’10), in her first year of Maggie Walker tennis, is leading the Maggie Walker lineup, with Amanda Randall (’09), Andi Davis (’09), Emily Zhang (’11), Kelsey Miller (’12), and Kameron Adams (’09) playing two through six.

“We should have a really good season,” Kelsey Huffer (’09) said. “We have a lot of new people who play year-round, training not just during the tennis season. That’s really the most important thing they can do.”

Losing two top-six seniors, it looked like this was going to be a rebuilding season, but with new members, the team was able to overcome two close singles losses to beat Patrick Henry 5-4.

Outdoor Track:
Abbie Pettigrew (‘09) practices her hurdle skills during yesterday’s workout.

Diversity Consultants to Begin Interviews

Eighth Graders and Current MLWGS “Minority” Students Participate in Focus Groups
by Danny Yates, Jabberwock Staff Reporter

Current MLWGS students and prospective eighth grade applicants will be interviewed next week as part of an ongoing diversity study and review of the MLWGS admissions process.

“From what I understand, they [the consultants] are talking to minority students already in the school, as well as those who were accepted but decided not to come,” said Mr. Hunt

On Monday afternoon, the four consultants will visit MLWGS and local middle schools.

Selected students and their families received letters inviting them to informal but confidential half-hour interviews. A list of survey questions (see back page) was also included in the mailing.



Dr. Tonya Moon (left) and Dr. Catherine Brighton (right) are the two diversity consultants who will visit MLWGS next week. Moon and Brighton were also recently awarded a $2.2 million U.S. Department of Education grant for a four year study of diversity and gifted education in Henry County, Virginia. Photo courtesy of Dan Addison, University of Virginia.

Cafeteria to Change Hands

by Charles Condro, Jabberwock Staff Reporter

Every three years at MLWGS, it comes time for a new contract to be given to a group to provide lunch services.

On January 20, an advertisement was posted on the MLWGS website asking for proposals to be submitted from vendors by Friday, February 27. Prospective vendors were invited to a pre-submission conference and tour of the facilities on Thursday, February 19.

“We have taken groups on walk-throughs,” said Mr. Phil Tharp. “And Ms. Jones of course does not need a tour… At this time I am expecting three proposals.”

When the Governor’s School changed buildings from Thomas Jefferson to Maggie Walker, the Chesterfield County Public School system was initially in charge of providing lunch services for the students.

Chesterfield did this at a loss of $20,000 a year. After two years the school was faced with either finding a new vendor to provide lunch or find a way to offset the debt that Chesterfield County was accumulating.

Since then, the Regional School Board has awarded three-year contracts to bidders. The school provides all of the equipment at an estimated cost of $107,224.39, and covers the cost of utilities. The school makes no profit off of the sale of lunches. All of this is done in order to allow the vendor to turn a profit while offering reasonable prices.

The current vendor, Cake Sculptures by Michael, will not even be sending in a proposal for a new contract. Mr. Michael Wilson, the owner, said that he has only been able to serve 20% of the students and faculty. While he cited the nation’s current economic troubles, other reasons Mr. Wilson gave were that MLWGS only has one lunch period and clubs meet during lunch.

“My time here at Maggie Walker has been rewarding,” said Mr. Wilson. “I have enjoyed the relationships I have made with the students and faculty here… Unfortunately, it is no longer economically viable.”

A member of Mr. Wilson’s staff, Ms. Pamela Jones, is submitting a proposal. She is Mr. Wilson’s business manager, and she is submitting the proposal from the vendor Serve1.

One point on the advertisement that many students are excited about is the listing of breakfast from 7:45-8:30am under serving times.

“It is good thing that they might bring breakfast back,” said Dan Laws. (’11). “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”


Ms. Pamela Jones, currently a cashier for the MLWGS cafeteria, has submitted a bid for next year’s food service. Photo by Charles Condro.