People just tend to judge

The Watchdog

January 2007 Vol. 16 No. 2 C.D. Hylton High School Woodbridge, VA

People just tend to judge

By Heather Gioia
Features Editor

Not everyone is the same, we all know this. Unique things make us different from each other and one of those things just so happens to be race.
Hylton has many biracial students walking the halls. You probably brush arms with them in the hall and maybe even work together on a project, but what is it really like being biracial?

Just about all biracial students love it; they say they get the best of both worlds.

“[It makes you] more tolerant. You have a better mix of beliefs, values, and traditions,” said junior Marisa Gidwani, who is Indian and Caucasian (of Italian and Spanish descent).

Having two cultural backgrounds opens these students up to different customs, foods, and holidays not common to everyone.

“For Thanksgiving, if we have twelve dishes, six will be African and six Italian,” explained Rachelle Cook, a freshman, who is Native American, African American, and Caucasian.

The majority of the biracial students at Hylton feel that same way. Being biracial merely gives them the opportunity to have more friends from different groups. It also gives students a different view of people when picking their friends.

“I fit in everywhere,” said junior Dillon Mayhew, who is African-American and Caucasian.

With all of the fun and the freedom being biracial provides it still has challenges. Gidwani explained how because her father married outside of his Indian race, his parents, whom are both Indian, do not accept her family.

“My dad’s family is not accepting of the biracial relationship at all. My mom’s family is more embracing. I see my mom’s parents and am closer with them because my dad’s [parents] see our family as dishonorable,” explained Gidwani.

For some students, everyday life is different because they are biracial. Typical holidays have an awkward twist, and evening dinner may consist of food not many people recognize. As students and part of the Bulldawg Family, everyone must do their best to embrace everyone and their backgrounds.

“In school, even here at Hylton, sometimes I feel a little bit of tension from kids of that one race [Indian], because I don’t really embrace just that one race,” Gidwani explained.

But not everyone follows the traditions or allows race to be a great factor on their lives; for some, race is just a category other people use to classify them and it doesn’t change what they do. It merely is just part of who they are.

“We don’t do anything that’s really white or black,” explained freshmen Ceila Thomas, “I don’t think of myself as a race. I’m just me.”

Goal: keep resolutions all year

The Watchdog

January 2007 Vol. 16 No. 2 C.D. Hylton High School Woodbridge, VA

Goal: keep resolutions all year

By Heather Gioia
Features Editor

Remember this? Last year you chose to make your New Year’s resolution getting straight A’s for the rest of the school year, but you came back to school after break and completely forgot about the history test, which killed your grade. Making the same resolution this year, you hope that you can do better as you quickly think back on New Year’s Eve and wonder, “Do I have a test when we get back to school?”

Each year it seems everyone makes a New Year’s resolution, and each year it seems no one keeps it. So now it’s mid-January and resolutions have been made. Will people keep them, or have they already been broken?

Resolutions can be made in any aspect of life: school, sports, friends, family, health. This year and in previous years, education, family, and health seem to be the main areas of improvement.

Senior Shannon Abrell resolved to “work my butt off to get into college.” This is a resolution continued from last year when she hoped to get good grades.

In 2007 many students are hoping to improve their grades by doing their homework. Students must do four things to improve their grades: show up for school on time, show up for class, do the assigned work in class and participate, and do their homework.

But the real question is how to go about doing this?

Step one: Be sure to go sleep at a reasonable hour to be able to wake up between 5 A.M. and 6:45 A.M. Allow enough time to get ready for school by gathering school supplies in a backpack and picking out the next days clothes. Breakfast eaters — keep a box of breakfast bars or granola bars handy for the dash out the door in case there is no time for a bowl of oatmeal.

Step two: Develop a route to take each day to get to class, be sure to have it pass your locker a few times, and follow it each day. What makes many students late is the extra chatting in the halls — do not do it! Finally, be seated when the bell rings, not standing by it or strolling to it, but sitting in it. This year, teachers are cracking down on the tardy policy, and part of the policy now being enforced is being in your seat when the bell rings.

“All students must be in their seats when the bell rings, or they are tardy,” explains Judith Williamson, foreign language teacher.

Step three: When handed a worksheet — do it, and do the bookwork. Hate working alone? Ask the teacher if the class can work in partners or groups; sometimes hearing thoughts of others helps to improve on an individual’s ideas. Be sure to participate, especially in foreign languages. Do not be shy about attempting to answer some questions; make an effort in the class.

Step four: Set one hour aside each day for homework, before you watch TV or jump onto MySpace and AIM. Try to do your blue day homework on blue days and gold on gold, and be sure to give time each day to do any projects that you may have due in a few weeks.

If you fall short and show up late to class once or twice, do not stress about it; it happens to everyone. Just do not make a habit of it. Seniors, while you may be suffering from “senioritis,” college acceptance should be the drive that pushes you to succeed in your last year here.

Senior Tommy Moore has followed through with his New Year’s resolution for 2006. Moore wanted to improve in school and since New Year’s last year, he has.
“I pushed myself,” said Moore, “I want to go to college.”

While some students focused on academics, others have focused on different aspects of their lives this year.

“My New Years resolution is to have a Janet Jackson body, a toned body,” said sophomore Michelle Gnoleba.

Junior Bill MacDonald’s resolution was “to get a life—live in the moment.” While MacDonald may not have achieved his resolution last year, he will be striding towards that goal in 2007.

“[New Year’s resolutions] are the best way to see what you have accomplished in the past year. To see where you are at and what’s changed,” explained sophomore Aisha Kamara.