Vol. VI, Issue IV 739 Academy Lane, Newport News, VA 23602 May 2009

hampton roads academy

the compass

Mr. Harvey reminisces with senior writers

AMERICA BUYS BAD BUSINESS

Page 2

Opinion

NEW ATHLETIC REQUIREMENTS

Page 2

Opinion

FAKE TANS REPLACE SUN

Page 5

Features

SENIOR COLLEGE PICKS REVEALED

Page 8

Features

Mr. Lewis heads south to lead S.C. upper school

A question for the ages: Rita’s or Sno Zone?By Andy Parrish

Day-in and day-out, the senior lounge is a breeding ground for all kinds of arguments. On the first day of spring, “Free Rita’s Day” as many of you are aware, one argument rules supreme: the debate as to which is better between Snow Zone and Rita’s

Italian Ice. As with many arguments in the

lounge, we were calm, and respected each others’ opinions and let everyone speak without interruption. As a result, though, we could never come to a definite conclusion.

Knowing that the proof is in the pudding, or in this case the frozen dessert, I decided that this was too important to let go, especially since I knew Rita’s was incomparably better.

The results of the poll taken by “The Compass” were overwhelmingly in favor of Rita’s. Sixty-seven percent of the student body would rather have an Italian ice exploding with real fruit flavoring. Fourteen percent of you would rather have crushed ice with artificial flavoring. After reading this article, the 19 percent who have had neither should use this crushing defeat to try Rita’s. I recommend a Georgia Peach Gelatis, my personal favorite.

By Marcy JohnsonIt is time for us all to say goodbye to our

beloved Dean of Faculty Mr. Lewis. After seven years at Hampton Roads Academy, he is ready for a change.

The Lewis family will move to Colum-

bia, S.C., over the summer. His youngest daughter, Anna, who currently attends HRA, will make the switch as well. Jenny Lewis, however, is an HRA senior and is still de-ciding on which college to select.

Mr. Lewis began as the head of the up-

per school and kept that position for four years, until he became the dean of faculty three years ago. Mr. Lewis has had a lot of involvement in recruiting new teachers and senior projects.

Farewell, Mr. Lewis!

By Ian McFarlane

Editor’s Note:A few weeks back, se-

niors Ian McFarlane and Alex Fenker went to talk to Mr. Harvey on matters

of utmost importance: reminiscing about times long gone. The text of

their conversation follows:

Fenker: So this is your first sixth grade class all the way through 12th grade, so what does that mean to you?

Mr. Harvey: It means a lot to me because it’s the first year

when no student in the school ever remembers another Head-master. And there’s not a final-ity, but clearly an end of an era

and a beginning of a new time. It becomes a legitimacy is-sue. There are three sources of legitimacy for a leader, not success, not accom-plishment, not performance, just legitimacy. He’s legit, he’s “the Head.”

A committee interviews you a board says, “You’re the guy,” and they give you the keys to the office, they give you the parking space, you’ve got the trappings, you’re the head. The second is charisma. Obama is loaded with charisma; it’s the source of his legitimacy, his speaking power, his articulation and it works well for him. Cha-risma is very fickle as a source of legitimacy. It can be very ef-fective and it can also bite you. Because sometimes people hate hot dogs and I’m sure they’re going to resent Obama for his high profile. The third and final, and most effective source of legitimacy is tenure. You’ve been around a long time, people look back at your tenure, they assume you’re the head, you’re in place. It allows you some cushion because if you make a mistake or make people mad, they don’t immediately say “Let’s get rid of this guy” because you’ve been around

long enough that it doesn’t oc-cur to them that you some day might not be the head. That’s an important part of reaching this point. People think if you’ve gotten there before them, then you’ve been there forever. So it is important. This is an impor-tant milestone.

McFarlane: Let’s see what we can remember from sixth grade, specifically…

Fenker: I remember meet-ing with you in the classroom, and you had us all sit down.

Mr. Harvey: That was eighth grade, I think.

Fenker: I thought we had a meeting with you in sixth grade, too.

Mr. Harvey: I think I re-member the eighth-grade meet-ing because that was when the class had begun to gather a lot of support and affection from the faculty, the middle school faculty loved that class in eigth grade. I remember, walking into the eighth-grade version of that meeting, thinking that this was a special class and that it was one to watch. And there were thoughts about how long you are going to stay. And I remember thinking, and that is another poi-gnant part of our history, where I am going and wouldn’t it be poignant if we came together and left together, wouldn’t it make for a nice graduation speech. Well, that didn’t work out. For better or…for better. But there is that moment, that

See Q&A on p. 3

Mr. Harvey, headmaster of Hampton Roads Academy

By Ian McFarlaneThe most recent trend in

American politics is the advent of multi-million-dollar bailout bills. The supposed purpose of these bills is to prevent the economy from halting complete-ly; however, this plan of action fails to recognize that borrowing money isn’t always an effective solution.

For starters, many of the bailout bills, including the second-to-most-recent one passed during the Bush admin-istration, included $250 billion of provisions for things not even remotely recovery-related. Modernizing of the power grid and government-funded residen-tial insulation program appear on these bills frequently; over $200 billion of this particular bill was made up of tax cuts and fiscal support to social programs like Medicare.

These bills claim to rein-force the failing infrastructure of America, but in reality they are inefficient and place tax dollars in the hands of those who aren’t

business owners. In fact, even stimulus checks

sent to each working American were usually used to pay debts or invest. The entire purpose

of these checks is to get people spending money, but paying off debts and investing gener-ate much less economic activity than direct spending.

The most dangerous side effect of borrowing against our country is lack of faith in the American government as a direct result of perilously high national debt. Because of the apparently inevitable interac-tion between the government and the economy, poor interna-tional esteem of the American government’s ability to handle its own economy will decrease frequency of foreign invest-ments, depriving our economy of additional factors which drive economic flow, the same flow which stimulus packages claim to expedite.

In reality, all are a short-term solutions with horrible long-term implications.

2OpInIOnBailout buys back bad businesses

May 2009Vol. VI, Issue IV

Sporting the new requirements

Suttle at conference

By Manmeet Dhindsa and Madison Curran

As the school year comes to an end at Hampton Roads Academy, there has been a lot of talk about new graduation requirements.

Starting with rising fresh-men, physical education require-ments will change. Everyone from the Class of 2013 and after must have two semesters of P.E. before they are able to graduate.

A first-semester course that everyone will be required to take is a program called Fitness for Life. For the second-semes-ter course, they will be able to take a number of different elec-tives, which have not yet been decided. However, there is talk of many new exciting programs, such as aerobics and yoga. This new program will take the place of the system that is used now.

The purpose of this new program is to better fulfill the mission statement of our school, which states that HRA prepare students intellectually, physi-cally, artistically, and morally.

However, there were many other reasons for instituting this change. According to Dean of Faculty Mr. Lewis, “Many students were participating in sports for the wrong reasons.” Many students were trying out for teams that they were not

truly interested in because they needed to fulfill their sports requirements.

With this new program,

officials hope that students will have the opportunity to partici-pate in activities of which will foster a lifetime of health.

Staff ReportHampton Roads Acad-

emy junior Caroline Suttle attended the recent National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C.

The conference was a series of experiential simula-tions, site visits and meet-ings with national leaders in which Suttle learned leadership skills. Activities in which she participated include:

- “If I Were President,” a simulation on execu-tive decision-making and how decisions are made at the presidential level have world-wide significance. Suttle took on the role of a real-life advisor or the president in a fictional administration. In her role, she tackled a foreign policy crisis over a conflict be-tween Russia and the United States. Eventually, the scholars reached a mutually agreeable solution to the crisis.

- Along with her col-leagues, Suttle also toured famous D.C. sites, includ-ing the Korean War Veter-ans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

- Explored the legisla-tive process on Capitol Hill, beginning with a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives.

- A “Testing the Consti-tution” simulation, exploring the Supreme Court by exam-ining its most famous deci-sions and an introduction to legal reasoning and debate. Suttle debated the constitu-tion and case law surround-ing a car passenger’s Fourth Amendment right to privacy or a police officer’s need for safety during a traffic stop. The details of this simula-tion were plucked from the real-life case of Arizona v. Johnson.

- A panel discussion on the roles and responsibilities of the press.

The CompassStaff Listings

Editor-in-ChiefIan McFarlane

Managing EditorMinnae Chabwera

News EditorsAlex Fenker

Madison Curran

Sports EditorEdward Smith

Features EditorsEmily Smith-GeorgeCourtney Schengber

Graphic EditorsAlastair Bird

Trevina Joseph

Opinion EditorsJoel Stultz

Marcy Johnson

Copy EditorsIan McFarlane

WritersAndy Parrish

Nick Livingstone

3SportSNew coaches enliven HRA sports

May 2009Vol. VI Issue IV

Walsingham is HRA’s biggest sports rival, according to pollBy Edward Smith

The students of Hampton Roads Academy have spoken loudly and clearly: By an over-whelming majority in a recent Compass advisory survey, Wals-ingham Academy of Williams-burg was selected as HRA’s most fierce and most loathed athletic adversary.

Some may ask, why such rise in unpopularity for our Tidewater Conference of In-dependent Schools neighbors to the northwest? One possible solution is the intense hoops ri-valry which has developed over the last two decades for the title of best independent school team on the Peninsula.

The last four meetings between Walsingham and HRA have been standing-room-only crowds with exciting play and nail-biting endings. This in-cludes the game in 2007, which concluded in overtime after questionable calls lead to a Walsingham three-pointer to tie the game at the end of regula-

tion. The game last year includ-ed a jeering match between a Trojan forward and former HRA center Lucas Pervan after a hard foul at the rim.

Then again, maybe we dis-like Walsingham because the “School of Educational Excel-lence founded by the Sisters of Mercy” shows no mercy

towards adequate basketball seating. During this season’s meeting a Walsingham, a Trojan faculty member relocated the HRA student section four times during the game while purpose-ly and obnoxiously cheering. However, because imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, HRA did the same.

By Edward Smith As the sports editor of “The

Compass,” I have interviewed numerous coaches who have two things in common. Their teams are rebuilding and they have been at Hampton Roads Academy for fewer than five

years. Now,

as a former psychol-

ogy student studying under Mr. Lewis, the outgoing dean of faculty at HRA, I am aware of certain variables that can correlate to produce a specific outcome. But as an HRA athlete since the sixth grade, I have witnessed how the high faculty

turnover can negatively affect HRA athletics.

Though all but three varsity coaches have been at HRA five years or more, my football team alone has seen more assistant coaches arrive and depart than the New York Knicks coach-ing staff. In a specialized sport like football, different coaching techniques can often contradict the teachings of prior coaches; defensive schemes or offen-sive formations can conflict. In addition, athletes become so attached to a certain coaches that they quit the sport entirely because they are unable to co-exist with the new coach. I bet I have observed more sour rela-tionships with new coaches at

HRA than Terrell Owens has at his many pro football stops.

So the question remains: Is a possible HRA’s slump in the Headmasters’ Cup standings directly related to the negative team chemistry stemming from constantly-changing coaching styles? We have not been in serious contention since 1998. Head softball Coach Mr. Ron Sims accepts it could be a plau-sible theory. “It can be tough for kids to get used to a new coach-ing style,” he said.

But the head man of the rebuilding softball team stated that the most notable issue fac-ing HRA varsity athletics is the lack of senior athletes participat-ing in multiple sports. “I guess

senior year there is a lot going on and they find other stuff to do,” Coach Sims said. “On our team, four seniors decided not to come back to play.”

One solution is already be-ing practiced when hiring new faculty members to the HRA Community. Mr. Lewis said that teachers who coach are often considered more favorable for positions than those who are not as involved. “Teachers who coach seem to stay longer and are more involved with the kids,” he said. “The ultimate is to get more teachers to coach.”

With more teachers coach-ing students will be capable of thriving both in class and sports, he said.

Photo courtesy of The LogHRA players tip off against the rival Walsingham squad in a recent basketball game at Carpenter Gym.

opINIoN

other moment when I send you off on graduation day and stay behind. So, I don’t remember the sixth- or seventh-grade versions of the meeting, but I remember the eighth-grade version of that meeting. In fact,

I might have been sitting on a stool. I remember feeling “up”.

Fenker: We were a little shorter, too.

McFarlane: No, I was a little shorter, you were a lot shorter (they laugh).

Mr. Harvey: I remember the class reaction; I think I was

trying to say “Do you under-stand?” I think I might have even said that. And I remember getting kind of a muted re-sponse.

McFarlane: We weren’t sure what to make of it, I think. We could have taken the words literally and that might have

made the most sense. But you know there will always be people who say things and don’t mean them literally. I don’t know, some people interpreted it differently than others. For instance, some people thought that this was a speech you gave everyone. Just how special was our class, and did that favor transfer over in the transition from middle school to high school?

Mr. Harvey: I do make the same speech over and over sometimes, especially sixth-graders. But that day I wasn’t, it was true that there was an extraordinary commitment on the part of the faculty. In fact, at other times, I think I told other audiences about how this class was the most admired or loved class in my memory by the faculty. It [the faculty’s favor] didn’t travel; I mean it traveled for a while, but it wasn’t as if you came into the upper school and blew them all away. I think part of the faculty’s affection for you was because you were dutiful. In fact at one point, every once in a while, I got a jarring note back because I had a tendency to say, “Remember this is a class that was loved by the faculty.” And I remember at least once I got a note back from one of the more crotchety upper school faculty saying, “Yeah, sure the middle school fac-ulty loves them. Middle school faculty loves anything that’s perfect.

Q&A Cont’d fromp. 1

By Madison CurranAs the spring days begin

to get warmer and the much-anticipated fourth quarter comes to an end, everyone is counting down the days until they can hand in that final exam and burst through the doors to greet sum-mer.

The arrival of summer means a break from the hectic pace of high school, not having to worry about homework and, most importantly, getting a tan.

Being tan is the ultimate source of acceptance, especially in the summer. So when the earliest signs of summer appear, every teenaged girl in her right mind suits up and hits the beach for some hardcore tanning.

But what about those girls

who just seem to stay tan all year? The ones you pass in the hallway and think to yourself, “Was she born with it? Or is it Maybelline?”

4FeaturesFake tans safer, somewhat sketchy

May 2009Vol. VI, Issue IV

By Minnae ChabweraEvery year for your birthday,

Christmas or other special occa-sions, teenagers receive money from family and friends. But within a month they all wonder how their money disappeared and where it went.

Now we have a little bit of insight as to where all of our money eventually ends up. According to a recent survey, 61 percent of Hampton Roads Academy students responding to the survey said they spend their money on movie tickets and lose half of it by buying candy, ICEEs and sodas from the over-priced theaters.

Some students end up hav-ing their money disappear into the pockets of many fast-food restaurants. Fifty-four percent of HRA students get Chick-fil-A, 31 percent Tropical Smoothie, 27 percent Plaza Azteca, and 24 percent Wendy’s. Thirty-five percent of HRA students stay at school and snack on food from the vending machine and 22 percent gorge on energy drinks of all kinds.

With all of the delectable fast food around, how can you resist? But, to try to work off all of that wonderful fast food, students spend more money on gym memberships; the only bad thing is that 26 percent of HRA students have wasted their money on gym memberships because they are never or barely

By Courtney SchengberFaculty and students at

Hampton Roads Academy care deeply about community service. Not only do the upper-schoolers need a minimum of 40 volunteer hours to graduate, but also built into the school calendar is a day devoted solely to helping out around the com-munity.

The Day of Caring is widely anticipated throughout the school. For some students it may serve as a break from classes, but for others is has proven to be a very rewarding experience.

To prepare for this day the high school is broken up into small groups with one or two teachers as their advisors. Some groups do labor-intensive yard work and others go to a pre-school or provide assistance at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, also known as the S.P.C.A. Still others may remain at school to work on projects for their clubs.

Mrs. Chris Contakes, ad-visor for the National Art Honor Society, and her stu-dents worked on art projects throughout the day. Some went to Warwick Forest, a retirement and assisted living community, to hang artwork and brighten the environment. The rest of the students either worked on memory portraits for orphans in Honduras or threw and glazed pottery bowls for the “Empty Bowls” project.

Another group of students, along with advisors Mr. Bryce Kiser and Mr. John Hilburger, went to the LINK Warehouse, an organization helping home-less people by providing them with clothing, furniture and resources to help them get back on their feet.

Mrs. Elaine McDermott and a small group of girls went to the Early Steps Center in Wil-liamsburg, a daycare for under-privileged children and families. They split up in groups and played with the children.

What do those girls do in the summer? There is no way they could possibly get any more tan. Regardless, it’s hard not to admire them. It must be difficult to be one of a few abnormally tan girls surrounded by a sea of pale.

The dangers of tanning are evident, though. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime, ac-cording to the American Cancer Society, and five or more sun-burns double your risk of devel-oping skin cancer.

However, dermatologists also agree: Artificial tanning methods are not created equal.

An “Indoor Tanning Fact Sheet” published by the American Academy of Dermatologists says tanning equipment, which includes all artificial light sources, including beds, lamps, bulbs, booths, etc., emits ultravi-olet radiation similar to the sun and in some cases may be even stronger.

The medical web site Medi-cine.Net recommends sunless tanners, lotions, sprays, etc., that color the skin artificially, as safer alternatives.

Whatever their secret may be, we wish them all the best with their tanning endeavors this upcoming summer.

Poll explores students’entertainment spending

HRA students venture out during ‘Day of Caring’

used.But with all of that fast food

being consumed, how can you get to it without driving? I doubt anyone rides their bike or walks to eat fast food. Seventy-two percent of the HRA students who can drive see their money get guzzled up from regular gasoline prices, 22 percent from premium prices.

Despite high prices of gas and how it eats a chunk out everyone’s wallet when filling up, HRA teens deem it worth it when they end up at the mall buying clothes, accessories, and such. Sixty-two percent of HRA teens spend their money on clothes and 28 percent, on shoes, and 4 percent on gifts for friends and family. But, even with all of the new clothes and wonderful food, life would be boring without music. Sixty-five percent of HRA teens spend money on iTunes buying the lat-est music.

So, if you’re money seems to evaporate, refer back to this article and see if any of this sounds familiar.

By Andy ParrishThe beach has always been

my favorite place to go no mat-ter what time of year and with the summer quickly approaching I have a few recommendations of places to visit.

Whether you are into surf-ing, skim boarding, boogie boarding and fishing or just sitting in the sand, there is a beach for everyone. Everyone may know about Virginia Beach and Nags Head but these to over-populated beaches barely scratch the surface.

Virginia Beach is a great place to drive to for the day and hang out on the beach by the boardwalk if you can find an empty patch of sand. There is always activity if you do not want to just sit on the beach. At night Atlantic Avenue is buzz-ing with excitement and street

performers. For a weeklong vacation,

Nags Head is not a bad spot. The waves are okay, but the sand is coarse and can do some damage if you wipe out on your skim board or ride your boogie board on the shore break. The traffic is dreadful on the week-ends, though, and if you are heading through Duck to Pine Island or Corolla, allow lots of extra time. Heading south, however, traffic flows a little better. Also there are a couple of good surf shops along the way. WRV is always good but the Pit and 17th Street Surf Shop are down at Mile Post 9. No trip to 17th Street would be complete, however, without some Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries from right next-door.

5FeaturesMid-Atlantic beaches abundant

May 2009Vol. VI, Issue IV

The Virginia Beach Boardwalk

Oregon Inlet

If fishing is on the list of things to do while down at the beach, Avalon Fishing Pier has been a great destination ever since Kitty Hawk Fishing Pier was destroyed in a hurricane. For the bigger fishermen, a charter out of Oregon Inlet to the Gulf Stream for tuna and dolphin will be more than satis-factory.

For more intense action like the up-and-coming sport of kite boarding, Salvo is great place to enjoy the sound and the ocean. By the time you get that far south on the Outer Banks the traffic dies off and the beaches are less crowded. Cape Hat-teras is just as nice and for those cloudy days that you do not want to sit on the beach; there are plenty of historical sites to enjoy including the Cape Hat-teras Lighthouse.

Farther south is my favorite beach destination, Ocracoke Island. There is no bridge to this Island. The only way to get to this beach is by ferry or small airplane. Here the beaches have glistening white powdery sand that seems to be endless. The

best part about this beach how-ever is the fact that if you have a four wheel drive truck you can drive on the beach. Just because your Subaru Outback has four wheel drive do not try and drive on the beach. You will bottom out and you had better hope a nice person with a truck, shovel, and a tow strap slows down to give you a hand.

The only negative side of the Island is that everything but Howard’s Pub dies by 9 p.m. No matter which beach or beaches you enjoy this summer, you will have a good time. Take your friends and family and do nothing but hangout and enjoy yourselves.

By Emily Smith-GeorgeProm is the most-talked-

about, most-anticipated high school event. It is the culmina-tion of senior year and, with-out it, high school would not be complete. Hampton Roads Academy’s prom will be May 23 for all juniors and seniors, and those select sophomores who get asked.

From the very beginning, prom is all about planning and preparing, starting with the perfect dress. Most girls’ choice is to wear a long dress, and we spend weeks searching for the perfect dress.

The perfect dress is differ-ent for each girl; some choose loose and flowy, others tight and fitted, some like prints and patterns, while other prefer plain and simple. Whatever the case, the perfect dress should be the one that makes you feel confident and beautiful. Once the perfect dress is chosen, next comes the date.

Boys, when asking a girl to prom, make sure to go all-

out. The better the invitation, the more excited your date will be. For example, it is one thing to be stopped in hallway and asked, but it is much more special and exciting to be asked at the OpSmile Talent show in front of everyone. Once the perfect date is in place, next comes making sure your apparel matches your date’s.

Boys’ tuxedos should match their dates’ dresses. In order to do this properly, do not just ask your date what color her dress is, because what is pink to you may be very different from her idea of pink. Instead,

ask to see a picture or even do what seniors Marcy Johnson and Evan Rutherford did last year by shopping for the tuxedo togeth-er. This completes the outfits for prom; next comes transporta-tion.

Limos are the top choice for how to arrive in style for prom, but not the only option. Do not rule out other options like party buses. If all this seems like too much, driving yourselves is always an alternative. In the end the mode of transportation to get you to prom and later to after-prom is whatever makes you feel comfortable.

After all these arrangements are made your planning still is not over. Next comes plan-ning where you will take your pictures before prom, as well as clothes for after-prom. Popular choices for picture locations are City Center, Port Warwick or your friends’ backyards. What-ever your choice, make sure your camera is fully charged are you are ready to pose.

The choice for what to wear

to after-prom is much simpler than your decision over the dress and tux. It is just a mat-ter of deciding if you prefer to wear jeans and a t-shirt, shorts or sweatpants after a long night of dancing. Once that choice is made than prepare yourself for a fun night of food and prizes once you enter after-prom.

Preparing for prom is all about choices, but in the end it is about feeling comfortable and having the best possible prom night. Remember, the details are important and do not wait until the last minute to book your limo or choose the dress. The longer you wait, the more stressed you’ll get. So, as prom is approaching fast; girls should start looking for their dress, and boys should be creative.

Ocracoke Island

Perfect prom plans perplexing

expression in the piece earned her not only $50, but the recog-nition she deserves as an aspir-ing artist. Second place went to Trevina Joseph’s colorful portrait of fellow senior Lucy Goodson titled “Lucy Love.” Third place overall in this com-pletion went to Amanda Eisner for her beautiful photograph of “Ben.”

NAHS is one of the most active organizations in the art community. This honor society was established in 1978 by the

National Art Education Associa-tion for high school students in grades 10-12 to inspire and recognize students who have shown an outstanding ability in art. With the patient and car-ing guidance of beloved HRA ceramics teacher Mrs. Contakes, NAHS hosts numerous and out-standing events throughout the school year.

This year HRA had the in-credible honor of having Ivanka Mincheva from Hampton as the judge. She was born in 1948

in Bulgaria and studied for six years to receive her degree in sculpture and ceramics in 1974 from Nikolai Pavlovich Acad-emy of Fine Arts in Sofia.

Mincheva’s medals have been purchased and permanently displayed in the British Museum in London, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, and in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. Her works are owned and dis-played in the Bulgarian National Gallery and the Museum of Modern Art in Sofia, Bulgaria; the Museum of Medals in Hun-gary; the Museum of Humor in Gabrovo, Bulgaria; the Mu-seum of Medals in Slovakia, the Charles H. Taylor Art Center in Hampton and in many other museums all over the world.

6 FEATURESNAHS show winners named

May 2009Vol. VI, Issue IV

By Trevina JosephThe National Art Honor

Society at Hampton Roads Academy hosts a highly antici-pated juried art show every year in March.

Whether you are in ad-vanced art classes, introduc-tion to art or don’t even take art classes at HRA, anyone is welcome to enter artwork. The judging of this show was done by an unbiased person - from the art community outside the walls of HRA - who decides the winners during a school day. As the hallway is blocked off so that the juror may make his/her decisions in private, anxious students wait patiently for the award ceremony in the evening.

The purchase award of $125 went to Livia Irwin’s charcoal drawing titled “1,2,3.” The can-did expressions and meticulous detail make this an impressive piece to hang the halls of HRA for years to come. First place went to Susan Schell’s “Self portrait 5.” The shadows, the contrast and the beauty in her

By Manmeet Dhindsa and Courtney Schengber

Since last year’s Operation Smile Talent Show was full of skilled acts, people had been widely anticipating what was to come in the 2009 version of the show this year.

The show was at 7 p.m. April 25 in the Svein Lassen Auditorium. Hampton Roads Academy students and faculty alike gathered together to see their peers display their wide array of talents. From the musi-cal talents of senior Greg Vogt, to the comedy by Mr. Tom York and Mr. Ron DeChirico, there was never a dull moment throughout the night.

However, the talent show required much more preparation than just a few band practices. Ms. Heather O’Toole and the Operation Smile officers were busy behind the scenes working to guarantee that this show was as good, if not better, than the ones before.

Whether it was taking time

Photo by Christine ContakesPhoto category winners Amanda Eisner, Madison Curran, Alastair Bird and Molley Warters accept their awards from Ivanka Mincheva, center, visiting judge.

Photo courtesy of Ms. O’TooleSenior Mario Buffa was one of many performers at the Annual Operation Smile Talent Show.

By Minnae ChabweraThe annual yearbook assem-

bly is a time when every student and faculty member joins to-gether in the auditorium to hear the yearbook theme for the year revealed, see the first yearbook presented to Hampton Roads Academy Headmaster Tom Har-vey and watch the graduating class cross the stage to receive their personalized yearbooks.

This school year the year-book assembly is planned for May 26, a day that the senior class has looked forward to for at least four years and perhaps much longer. The assembly al-lows seniors to return to HRA and have all of their friends sign their last yearbook at their soon-to-be alma mater.

Though the theme is a secret, this year’s seniors will receive the 50th edition of The Log, the official name for the HRA yearbook.

The 50th anniversary of the yearbook and of the school is the most important anniversary at Hampton Roads Academy thus far. HRA was established in the fall of 1959, and after as many as seven years of anticipa-tion we, the class of 2009, will be commemorated as the 50th graduating class.

Yearbookassemblyannounced

HRA’s got talent, as illustratedby Operation Smile fund-raiser

out of their busy schedules to hold auditions, calling sponsors or advertising for the show’s cause, Ms. O’Toole and the of-ficers worked diligently to make sure their audience was pleased

by the end of the night.The HRA community has

always been supportive of the club’s cause, which was shown this year, after the club raised $4,090 dollars from one night.

By Emily Smith-GeorgeAs the college office has in-

formed us multiple times during the past few months, summer is a time to do something produc-tive. It is the opportune time to do that extra volunteer work you have been putting off, or get a job which will help your college resume and your wallet. Sum-mer jobs are a way for students to raise some extra money to save for college, a new car or even just some gas money to get them through the week.

Whatever the case, many students at Hampton Roads Academy have found that a summer job is a great way to increase their weekly cash flow. Along with saving money, sum-mer jobs give students a chance to expand their college resume and give them experience in certain fields. One popular sum-

mer job for students at HRA is lifeguarding. This gives students a chance to relax by the pool, tan and make money as long as they are paying close attention to those swimming in the pool. Summer jobs are not always the most glamorous; they can be tedious, boring, and sometimes even dirty, but in the end they give you experience and money

so they are worth it.Along with summer jobs

comes summer volunteering, which many of the students at HRA have participated in over the years. For some students this is a way to earn the necessary community service to graduate, but for so many more it is about improving themselves and their HRA community.

Senior Sarah Matheson has found a way to enrich her life by volunteering as an art teacher at the Boys and Girls Club dur-ing the summer, while others choose the life-changing experi-ence of a mission trip. Whatever the volunteer opportunity, it is a productive way to spend the summer that makes you feel accomplished while helping others.

There are many ways to spend a summer, whether it is reading your summer readers for Advanced-Placement English, catching up on some much-needed nap time, or spending a day lounging on the beach. Whatever the case may be, don’t forget to serve your community and yourself through summer jobs and volunteer opportunity. Use your summer time wisely.

7FeaturesSummer jobs line students’ pockets

May 2009Vol. VI, Issue IV

Ipod Touch v. Zune

Warped Tour brings diverse music, culture to Verizon Virginia Beach Amphitheater

for a full day of moshing, and seeing the return of such high-demand acts such as A Day To Remember, 3Oh!3, The Maine, Streetlight Manifesto, Less Than Jake, and Underoath, the Virgin-ia Beach Warped date seems to

By Nick LivingstoneFor more than a decade,

the Vans Warped Tour has come to Virginia Beach and, sadly, its presence has been mostly neglected by Hamp-ton Roads Academy. But as those students who attend this festival of monster music and BMX biking know, the Warped Tour is more than a concert. It’s a lifestyle.

Featuring ska/reggae bands such as No Doubt, Sublime, 311, Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake and Matisyahu, Top-40 rock bands such as Incubus, Staind, Blink-182, Weezer, Fall Out Boy, My Chemi-cal Romance, Finger Eleven and The Offspring and rap/hip-hop acts such as Eminem, The Black Eyed Peas and the recently popular Gym Class Heroes, the annual Warped Tour lineup reads like a glos-sary of any band worth taking notice of from in past 14 years.

One might be wondering how can you play as many as 80 bands in one day at a place like the Virginia Beach Verizon Wireless Amphitheater? Well, the answer is in the setup. The tour clears out a massive part of the parking lot and sets up a good six or so stages across the parking lot, and in the center,

all of the bands have their own individual merchandise tents, selling cd’s, t-shirts, hoodies and bumper stickers. There are also tents from the sponsors of the tour. This unique setup allows multiple bands to be playing at a time, so that no matter what time it is, there’s always a band playing that suits your taste.

Perhaps the most applause-worthy thing the tour has done lately has been its decision to go green. Now using an entirely solar-powered mobile stage and bringing on hundreds of cleanup volunteers for the post-concert cleanup, the tour has made a conscious effort to reduce their carbon footprint.

This relatively cheap (typi-cally $35) all-day festival is the high point of many a teenager’s summer, serving as a meeting point for extreme sports, music and friends. From the beginning, the tour has been sponsored by the massive Vans Shoe Co., and has recently been sponsored by the Hurley clothing brand, KIA, and Ernie Ball, a guitar equip-ment company.

This year proves no excep-tion to the rule, Warped ’09 looks extraordinarily promising. Once again being sponsored by Red Bull and Monster energy drinks, which are necessary

be another day to remember. So grab a friend, grab some tickets, and come on out for what will be one of the most memorable days of your summer.

By Joel StultzThe iPod, from Apple, and

the Zune from Microsoft have been in competition since the Zune was first released. The iPod Touch and iPhone brought innovation to the iPod. Listed below are some of the outstand-ing features of the latest ver-sions of these two products:

The Zune:There are five different types

of Zunes currently on the mar-ket: Zune 4, 8, 16, 80, and 120. The largest, the Zune 120, holds up to 30,000 songs, 25,000 pic-tures, or 375 hours of video. You can tag songs on the radio that you like to download later for your Zune. You can even update your Zune without cords due to its new “Wireless Sync” feature. A new feature for the Zune is a Wi-Fi connection so that you can download music anywhere straight to your Zune with what

is called the “Zune Pass” by paying a monthly fee.

The iPod:There are many types of

iPods in stores. The newest and most intricate one is the iPod Touch. Like its name suggests, instead of the usual wheel, it has a touch screen. Like the Zune it can receive a wireless con-nection and download music straight to the device rather than having to connect to the com-puter. It has a very large screen. The iPod Touch can do nearly everything that the iPhone does except for make calls and text message. It can download games and applications, just like any other phone. Probably the most popular feature for the iPod touch, however, is the fact that it can connect to the internet, like the Zune. The iPod Touch, how-ever, can also get direct access to Youtube.com.

Lifeguarding has proven a reliable source of summer income for HRA students.

8 FEATURESClass of 2009: College Selections

May 2009Vol. VI, Issue IV

Congratulations to the Class of 2009! Like seeds scattered by a spring breeze, Hampton Roads Academy students leave the school as graduates and, next fall, resume their educations in the world of higher education. Here is a list of the colleges and universities they will attend, as of press time.

Fair winds and following seas, The Compass Staff and Mr. Lidington

Illustration by Alastair Bird