Students take a trip

The Watchdog

November 2005 Vol. 16 No. 2 C.D. Hylton High School Woodbridge, Va

Students take a trip

By Heather Gioia
News Editor

Seventeen Hylton students climbed onto a school bus accompanied by Mr. Hoffman, Mrs. Holt, and Mr. Bailey, to be the first to take part in a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank in Washington, D.C. The think tank students took part in was about immigration and migration. Dr. Papademetriou, an expert on the issues, conducted the think tank.

CSIS conducts think tanks to gather multiple opinions on different issues. They are asking that students from different schools come in and participate in their ‘ask the expert’ session. These sessions are taped and then posted on the CSIS web page. Hylton was the first school to accept this opportunity.

“I truly enjoyed it [the trip] because it brought me to make my own conclusions and form my own opinion on immigration. Being an immigrant from Ghana, Africa, I was reminded of how lucky I am to be in this nation at this age,” Rosie Essiem, senior, stated while reflecting on her participation in the think tank.

Both students and teachers enjoyed the experience and cannot wait for the opportunity to partake in another think tank. These AP Comparative Government students had studied immigration and migration in class weeks before going on this trip to prepare them to question Dr. Papademetriou. The students were even complimented on their knowledge by one of the cameramen filming the session, who turned to Holt and stated that her students were thoughtful, very mature, and sharp.

The film from this think tank will be posted on the CSIS web page, http://www.globalization101.org/, so be sure to go and look for your fellow bulldawgs exerting their knowledge.

Schools on lock down

The Watchdog

November 2005 Vol. 16 No. 2 C.D. Hylton High School Woodbridge, Va

Schools on lock down

By Heather Gioia
News Editor

Both Hylton High School and Saunders Middle School were ordered into a “shelter in place” Thursday, November 3. Students began to jump to conclusions about why, as the precaution was necessary, despite Principle Carolyn Custards urges not to be concerned.

Students soon began telling stories about what they believed had happened. Include among the stories were such lies as; a man ran a stop sign, there was someone in the school with a gun, there was a man walking down Spriggs Road with a gun, and many others.

While these myths were being spread as explanations for a simple “shelter in place” that did not even last the whole period, students in Jacksboro, Tennessee actually had something to worry about.

A high school student shot and wounded his principal and another administrator, and killed his vice principal at his high school, November 8, 2005.

According to the Tennessee Education Department the administrator and principal were wounded while trying to stop the young man.

Police statements show that the school went into an immediate lock down after the shootings occurred, between 2:30 and 3:00 pm. They also show that two of the victims were airlifted to local hospitals in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Eight months earlier Jeff Weise, a 16-year old, killed a teacher security guard, five students, his grandfather, and assistant, and before taking his own life in Red Lake, Minnesota.

Elementary school students at Arrowhead Elementary School also faced a scary situation as their school was forced into a lock down, Monday, November 7, 2005.

According to the Prince Georges County Police reports, a man attempted to enter the school building through a locked door. When he was confronted by an officer making his daily rounds, he ran for the woods. Police looked for the man, but he was never found.

All of the students were taken into the gymnasium, which has no windows, and held there for several hours. Students and relatives both stated that the event was “very scary” and “scared [them] to death.”

Yet with all the day’s events students were dismissed on time, at 3:20 pm.

With dangerous events such as these really happening, there is no reason for students to start rumors. Hylton’s students should do as Principle Custard asked, and not create stories about what might have happened while Hylton and Saunders were in a “shelter in place”, last thing we want is for a triadic even the does require a serious “shelter in place” or lock down to take place here at Hylton High School.