By Baja Poawui

Students in Ms. Hunt's Intermediate and Advanced photography class crammed in a rental caravan to make a trip to Prince Georges Board of Education on March 5th. These 7 students were specifically chosen to participate in the Glen Dale-Lanham-Seabrook Park and Planning photo competition. This was created by Chairman Samuel J. Parker and the head of Park and Planning to include high school students in community development planning.
Starting in May of 2008 this program was open to all students within DuVal however "Many students weren't as enthusiastic as I had hoped", said Ms. Hunt, so this year she hand select¬ed the contestants. With impromptu field trips to local historical buildings, a photography competition soon became a history lesson as well. Vesting local Marietta Mansion where Gabriell DuVal himself is buried next to his horse, Senior Aaron Samuels stated, "I didn't even know he existed, then to find out he is buried not that far from our school was even more amazing."
Before the winners were announced Ms. Hunt reminded the students that " just to have your work published is a big deal, and trust me when you begin to realize that everyone in our area will have a copy of your work that will mean more to you than a reward." Then, after much begging the students fi¬nally heard the winners. Receiving Honorable Mention and a certificate were : Senior Aaron Samuels, Junior Chisom Njipu, Senior Danielle Edwards, and Senior La¬nae Alston. In 4th place was Senior Lashae Marshall, who received a certificate and a $50 Best Buy card, and Junior Calvin Crawley in 2nd , who won a $100 Best Buy card.
Both of these winners were truly shocked with their win but the biggest of them all came from Monica Ruis, who took first place and won a $75 Best Buy card. This means her photo will be published on the cover of the next Park and Planning issue, and, on top of it all, received a silver Ipod Nano. When asked on how she felt about such an win all she could say at the time was, " I'm just really shocked." Later, however, she mentioned at the reception how "great of an experience this was," and how thank¬ful she is of the opportunity.
Even though Ruis left with such a big reward no one in the end was a loser; all of the entered photography will be published throughout the next periodical.
"I am very proud of all of my student's I knew they had it in them," said Ms. Hunt.

Fall Out Boy's new album "Folie A Deaux" may not be transcending musical tastes, but it is very satisfy¬ing for loyal FOB fans. The album is rich with base pounding riffs from Joe Trohman and Pete Wentz, the group's lead guitarist and bassist, respectively. "Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet" is a rock ballad/love song. The upbeat tempo and wildly colorful lyrics are nothing new to Fall Out Boy listeners, but to those who have never been exposed to them, the themes often go over their heads. While the band may not be fully appreciated by many, the albumn "Folie A Deaux" is supreme. "What a Catch, Donnie" takes some lyrics from other FOB songs such as "This Ain't a Scene It's a Goddam Arms Race," "Sugar We're Going Down," and "Thnks Fr th Mmrs" and created a mural of what some would call the growth of a band. The song exhibits the voice talents of lead singer Patrick Stump and the creativity of the band as a whole. This thirteen track album does not disappoint this new FOB fan and is well worth the money paid for it. While finding out what each track means on a personal level, the listener may find out what the band meant by titling the album "Folie A Deaux" too.

By Eleadah Clack

Brutha is a new R&B group that mirrors the style and lyricism of the Jackson Five, and Boyz to Men. But apart from the dancing and on-point harmonies, Jacob, Anthony, Grady, Jared, and Cheyenne aka Poppa, have a secret weapon; they're real brothers. They really only 5 of 13 from the Harell tribe, but they take their family ties seriously. Their first single, "I Can't Hear The Mu¬sic", debuted on BET, also the host of their reality show "Brother To Brutha". Brutha's single, featuring Fabolous, is an upbeat tune about the effects of a female intrest while in a club scene. The video is equally entertaining. The brothers' 5-part harmony and hip-hop dance moves capture the attention of the audience.
Along with a record deal with Def Jam and the release of their first album on December 23rd, Brutha also has numerous videos on YouTube. In a series of videos called The Brutha Aca¬pella Movement, the musicians broad¬cast their singing skills to the world. From the sound of their single and the response to their reality show, the album "Brutha" will be a hot commodity on the 23rd.

By Eleadah Clack and Yaa Boateng
Teachers influence the lives of every child in America. To some, teachers are their only role models. But what does it take to become a teacher in Maryland and PG County to be exact? Teachers must take an assessment test called the Praxis to receive a teaching license. This test is required in 44 states, including Maryland. The Praxis assesses basic knowledge of teaching practices, basic language, writing and math skills and after passing you receive your Standard Professional Certification. These things may seem simple, but it's not as easy as it sounds. The tests are long, and they're specified depending on what you plan on teaching. It's not cheap either. The teachers must pay for every test they take, plus pay the fee for their certificate to be renewed every 5 years. To teach more rigorous classes such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes the teacher has to take a test for their Standard Professional Certification.
If it's so much trouble, why do teachers have to do all of this? The tests are important in assessing a prospective teacher's ability to connect with students as well as their knowledge of basic discipline skills. All teachers must become certified at some point in their career if they want to be paid more, but they don't have to be certified to start teaching. The certification means that the teachers are skilled in their subject. According to the PG County Public Schools website only 22.2% of DuVal teacher's had their Standard Certification in 2006, up only 7.6% from 2003. In Prince George's county overall, 27% of classes were not taught by highly qualified teachers, and the percent of standard professional certification was 27.2 (2008). Bowie High School has 52.1% of teachers holding Advanced Professional certifications and only 16.5% Standard Professional certified (2006) whereas Roosevelt had 47% Advanced Professional certifications and 35% Standard professional certification.
National Board Certification requires more time and effort. Mr. Easley, a biology and special ed teacher here at Duval, says that, "without the recommendation of Mr. Miller and the cooperation of my students this opportunity would not be possible". While National Certification is not required, some teachers choose to take that step in their career. Mr. Easley is currently working on his National Certification. He started the process at the beginning of the school year. Mr. Easley has been a certified teacher for over 15 years, and took his original certification test at the University of Maryland. Mr. Easley's prep courses for his National Certification meet one Saturday a month. Mr. Easley says that "the more competent a teacher is in the classroom the more successful our students are and what I found out is that since I've been going through the process is that not only made me a better teacher but I've noticed that my students and staff members have responded more positively to me".
Ms. Hunt, an art and photography teacher took her certification test one and a half years after she first began teaching. Her advice to prospective teachers is to "test right out of college". Ms. Hunt took her certification tests at American University in D.C. Her required tests were math, reading, writing, and art. While the benefits of being a certified teacher are clear, Ms. Hunt says "you'll be taking classes for the rest of your life".

By Yaa Boateng

Would you say that the conditions in Duval High School's bathrooms are inadequate, unkempt, or distasteful? Sanitation in the bathrooms has been a problem for a while, and, if not addressed the problem can degenerate until the facilities are destroyed or permanently locked. The blame does not fall on a specific group or person. The janitors should not be blamed if the students disregard common bathroom conduct, and students should not feel as if they must bring soap, toilet paper, or tissue from elsewhere if there is always a shortage of some sort.
After a careful observation of a lot of the facilities in the school, many conclusions have been drawn. In the boys' bathroom there are absolutely no signs of toilet paper, soap, tissue or their dispensers. It may come as no surprise because the actions of the boys could have been a very important factor in this outcome. One of the janitors from the custodial staff (going by the name of D) elaborates by saying he "was instructed not to place many toiletries in the boys' bathrooms because they use up and abuse the [supplies]." In the girls' bathrooms, there lacks consistency in supplies. There may be certain things the new building bathrooms may have, which the other bathrooms do not have. Like the conditions in some of the boys bathrooms, a number of the girls bathrooms have unbearable smells, not just because they have been used, but there is a certain smell that some bathrooms identify with. Senior Victoria Quartey explains the smells as a "weird cleaner and bleach type of smell," which when mixed with the smell of urine and other things can emanate an insufferable odor. This can call into question whether the bathrooms are cleaned thoroughly or if they have been defiled by the students themselves.
D, from the custodial staff points out that while cleaning the bathrooms he "makes sure the bathrooms smell appropriate," saying that that aspect is the most important thing of cleaning the bathrooms. Many students question, however, how thoroughly the bathrooms are cleaned and have also pointed out that these conditions seem to be better, particularly the bathrooms in the new buildings. Many students prefer those bathrooms over the new older ones, because they're seemingly cleaner and have more toiletries.
"10 minutes" is the overall and average time it takes to clean each bathroom, says D. When asked how long it usually took students to clean their own bathrooms, answers ranged around an hour, and many students doubt whether ten minutes is sufficient.
Teachers, like Ms. Bell, say that "student bathrooms need to be kept clean on a continual basis." This raises the question of whether the students are abusing the bathrooms and if the janitors should be held accountable for that. Senior Greg Cromwell protests, " it's the students fault! The janitors are doing their job and a possible reason for the shortage and lack of supplies/toiletries is the cost deficiency; they rather cut back than see the supplies being wasted." Whether or not the students blame the janitors, the responsibility falls on the custodial staff to make the bathrooms adequate use and on the students to stop vandalizing and abusing the bathrooms.
Possible solutions, some students such as sophomore Abir Chaudhry say could be implemented are; "foam soap (to reduce messiness), toilet seat covers and renewal of supplies more multiple time in the day." This can be efficient, as well as necessary adjustments.

By Toyin Akindele

Our country is now go¬ing through the recession, and we might want to cut down on our expenses. There may have been times when you have purchased some¬thing that is not necessary or times you've bought things just because of its brand name or because your peers have it, so you think that, you must have it too. It might have been a brand new Nike or DC shoe that just came out in stores; you already have lots of shoes but you decide to buy the brand new one just because it just came out. That shoe will also get old just like the other shoes you bought when they first came out, won't they?
Emily Richardson said, "I need to cut down on my expenses since the economy is bad now." Jamie Conrad also said, "we're definitely in a recession." There are ways you can save money just by eliminating small things that you may not even realize you are paying so much for.
-Open a savings account if you don't already have one. It is an easy way to manage your money.
-You can lower your personal expenses like clothes, shoes, jewelry, and so forth by shopping
cautiously. Know the price of what you're buying before paying for it.
-Just because an item is on sale doesn't necessarily mean you should purchase it. If you won't use it, don't buy it.
-Don't buy something just because it looks good. Before buying it, ask yourself, "Is this necessary?"
-Keep track of your calling minutes to make sure you don't go over your allotted time. Also if you don't have unlimited texting, keep track of your texting so you don't go over your limited texting.
-When going grocery shopping, make a list of things you really need so you won't buy things un¬necessarily.
-Is it necessary to buy designer labels? Just because you see a celebrity wearing a designer clothes, you also want to buy it. Let's face it, you may only wear the outfit once. Can you honestly say you can tell the difference between a $200 bag and a $9.99 one from a store?
-Pay your bills on time. That's if you your pay own bills. If you don't pay your bills on time, your overall expenses will increases, so you're paying more than you should.

By Toyin Akindele

Our country is now go¬ing through the recession, and we might want to cut down on our expenses. There may have been times when you have purchased some¬thing that is not necessary or times you've bought things just because of its brand name or because your peers have it, so you think that, you must have it too. It might have been a brand new Nike or DC shoe that just came out in stores; you already have lots of shoes but you decide to buy the brand new one just because it just came out. That shoe will also get old just like the other shoes you bought when they first came out, won't they?
Emily Richardson said, "I need to cut down on my expenses since the economy is bad now." Jamie Conrad also said, "we're definitely in a recession." There are ways you can save money just by eliminating small things that you may not even realize you are paying so much for.
-Open a savings account if you don't already have one. It is an easy way to manage your money.
-You can lower your personal expenses like clothes, shoes, jewelry, and so forth by shopping
cautiously. Know the price of what you're buying before paying for it.
-Just because an item is on sale doesn't necessarily mean you should purchase it. If you won't use it, don't buy it.
-Don't buy something just because it looks good. Before buying it, ask yourself, "Is this necessary?"
-Keep track of your calling minutes to make sure you don't go over your allotted time. Also if you don't have unlimited texting, keep track of your texting so you don't go over your limited texting.
-When going grocery shopping, make a list of things you really need so you won't buy things un¬necessarily.
-Is it necessary to buy designer labels? Just because you see a celebrity wearing a designer clothes, you also want to buy it. Let's face it, you may only wear the outfit once. Can you honestly say you can tell the difference between a $200 bag and a $9.99 one from a store?
-Pay your bills on time. That's if you your pay own bills. If you don't pay your bills on time, your overall expenses will increases, so you're paying more than you should.

By Kim Richmond and Maryietta Smith

"Virgins, condoms, pregnancy, passion, and pleasure." According to fellow Duvalians, these are the first things that come to mind when asked about sex. As we walk down the hallways it's hard to ignore the gossip. It always seems as if everyone is talking about who is a virgin, who's not, who's pregnant, and who's confused. For both girls and guys, the pressure can sometimes be intense, but deciding when it's right for you to have sex is one of the most important decisions you'll make. Each person must use his or her own judgment to decide if it's the right time-- and the right person. We aren't here to "steer you in the right direction" or "influence" you; we are here to break the taboo. So, let's talk about sex, and figure out what's really going on.

Before sex is put into the equation there is some type of connection, whether it is physical, emotional or mental. According to most boys, physical is the first connection made, and then came mental and sometimes emotional. An anonymous male senior said, "the reason physical is the first connection made is because we [guys] are visual; we need someone to look good before we care about the mental." The girls, however, thought that mental was the first and most important connection, and emotional and physical followed in that order. Senior Courtney Dodson said, "the mental connection should be the first connection made because you have to see where a person's mind is before you start trying to get physical with someone." This was the general consensus with most females.

After people make connections, no matter what the order, sooner or later the issue of sex arises. Although the decision to save yourself until you find that special person or marriage is the traditional idea, 88% of the people interviewed made the decision to have sex. 95% of the males interviewed were sexually active. The average age at which they lost their virginity was 13 years old, while some were as young as 12 and in the 7th grade. Nearly none of the young men were "in love" with the girls they lost their virginity to. When asked why they lost it they replied, "I was horny," "I just wanted to," or "everyone was doing it". After talking further to the only male virgin interviewed, we asked "if the opportunity arose in which you could have sex, would you take it, even if you didn't love the girl?" and he replied "yes!". There was a large amount of young men who believe that a relationship wasn't necessary in order to have sex. This wasn't surprising after the majority of young men said they've had multiple sex partners that they weren't in a relationship with and really had no feelings for. After finishing our interviews and looking over the data we noticed that although many said they were trying to please their female partners physically, they never really acknowledged the emotional aspect of sex. Sophomore Diamond Johnson said, "I've seen a lot of my friend's lose their virginity and end up getting hurt. They thought the guys loved them, but they didn't and left them feeling used and unwanted".

The statistics for young ladies were slightly lower with only 76% of the females interviewed being sexually active. The average age at which the girls lost their virginity was 14 years old, right around their sophomore year in high school. When asked why they lost their virginity most females responded, "I loved him," "peer pressure," or "I trusted my partner". Trying to find girls who were really willing to open up and talk about sex was challenging; many girls were embarrassed, ashamed, or scared. Eventually, some girls were willing to share. Most told stories of hurt while some told stories of love. One young lady bravely shared her story with us, a story she couldn't even tell her sister. When asked why she could share with us and not someone as close as a sister she replied, "I love my sister dearly, but I'm afraid she'll judge me or even tell our family. She doesn't believe in sex before marriage, and I just can't. It really hurts that I can't share something as special as that with my own sister." Another female senior shared her experience with us: "I was 15 years old and he was 17. We were both virgins and very much in love. One night he came over to watch a movie and we began kissing; one thing led to another, and he was pulling out a condom. It wasn't what I was expecting to end up doing, but it felt right. I felt comfortable, secure, and prepared, and even though we aren't together anymore, I don't regret it."

After listening to all of the girls, we realized how much they value their sexual experiences. But also, we realized that females put themselves into hurtful situations. Many girls become very vulnerable in relationships and this leads to insecurities and heartache. Everyone needs to remember to set boundaries. You can't let yourself get so caught up in the relationship that you let your needs fall to the wayside and put your partner's wants before your own. You can't use a relationship as your validation. Most people, when asked how they felt after sex, respond with things such as tired, hungry, and relieved. However, one young lady said, "I feel as though I shouldn't have done that." She goes on to say, "I guess it's my way of looking for affection in the wrong places."

As we proceeded, we saw the results of Lil Wayne, Lil Kim, Pretty Ricky and Salt-N-Pepa lyrics put into its latest form. Oral sex is everywhere, and no one was shy about sharing whether they either received and gave oral sex or did nothing at all. 89% of those interviewed admitted to participating in some form of oral sex, including the virgins. 84% of females said they give and received, with only 11% saying they only received, while young men, on the other hand, had 95% give or receive oral sex, with only 31% only receiving. According to one male, when asked why he gave oral sex he said, "because I'm good at it". For most, oral sex is just the prelude to the actual act.

When talking about the actual act, most people said that before they have sex they do worry about the transmission of STDs, especially with the D.C area having such a large HIV/AIDS population. Yet, none of the people asked knew what the word contraceptive was, until we explained that contraceptive is just another word for protection. When asked if they used some form of protection all replied," yes". Still, some admitted they didn't use protection every time they had sex and even preferred unprotected sex because "it feels better". Abdul Kargbo said, "honestly, I don't like using condoms." When asked what message they would like to give to the DuVal public, the majority said they wanted everyone who was having sex to have protected sex; even those who supported unprotected sex said the same thing: no glove no love. Remember that with STDs rising among teens and D.C. having the highest HIV/AIDS percentage in America we as young adults must keep ourselves safe. We have to take it upon ourselves to educate each other and understand the risks of not only having sex but having unprotected sex. Many teens think that STDs, AIDS, or pregnancy won't happen to them, but newsflash- it can. In Maryland alone there are 29,116 reported cases of HIV/AIDS infections with a staggering 24,844 cases in DC, the fourth highest metropolitan area in the US. As many of us know teen pregnancy is a reality. In Maryland alone there are 6,986 births to mothers under the age of 18. With these pregnancies came many complications because of the age of the mother the child is more likely to be born premature or with a severely low birth weight and the mother has a greater risk of suffering with preeclampsia (high blood pressure as a result of pregnancy resulting in seizure), as well as anemia.

Now we all know what a slut, whore, or rolla is and we sometimes call each other those names out of fun, but in reality those titles have very negative and nasty meanings that ruin reputations. "A slut or better yet 'rolla' is person who sleeps around with a lot of people and doesn't care where they do it, how they do it, or who they do it with. They're just nasty!" said seniors Marlisa McCoy and Amiera Tcheffo with a look of disgust. One male said, " You know you're a rolla if me, my boys, and guys I don't even know got some and when I say your name everyone in the room says something along the lines of, ' Yeah she gives that mean bop' or ' she's rollin' with no brakes."

After listening to what everyone had to say about sex, our eyes were opened even more too how the DuVal population perceived it. Even though we hear adults say all the time that, "we're too young," "we're growing up too fast," or that "we don't understand" DuVal proved that whether you are a experienced or a virgin teens know a lot more about sex than we are given credit for. Sex is everywhere; TVs, magazines, movies, songs, clothes, books, dancing, language, schools, and anywhere else raging hormones are located. It's important to come to terms with the fact that sex is a three-letter word that isn't going anywhere, and instead of feeling awkward when it's mentioned we just need to embrace it, and maybe even talk about sex more often, so we can continue to not only protect ourselves but others also.

If you ever find yourself in need of help dealing with different issues feel free to stop by our nurse's office or call one of the following numbers:

Healthy Teens Center

7824 Central Ave.

Landover, MD 20785

301-324-5141

TDD: 301-773-8717

For assistance with addictions and medical treatment you may also call:

Addictions: 301-817-3070

Belcrest Health Center: 301-209-2415

Cheverly Heath Center: 301-386-0159

D. Leonard Dyers Regional Health Center: 301-856-9520

O.W. Phair Health Center: 301-725-8546

Penn Silver Health Center: 301-817-3030

STD Clinic: 301-386-0116

Office on AIDS: 301-386-0210

P.G. County Hotline: 301-577-4866

Abuse Centers:

Rape and Assault: 301-618-3154

Social Services: 301-808-5500

By Eleadah Clack

We have all heard on numerous occasions the voice of our principal, Mr. Miller, reminding some students to "unplug yourself." People listening to MP3 players and iPods are the target of Miller's harassment. Students who have just walked into the building to start their day get iPods taken, even before they have time to put it away. To witness the snatching causes one to feel sym­pathetic toward the student, because no one is exempt.

Why is it necessary to pester students who are otherwise good students who follow all the rules except the iPod rule? Music is part of everyday culture. By taking away the culture of a people you cripple their ability to learn and be productive.

We all know the rule is that students should not bring iPods to school at all. This rule is extremely unfair considering the students who have activities after school, or those who ride the bus. After school is a time when the iPod rule is dismissed. If a student is not even allowed to bring their iPod into the building, they won't have it for after school activities.

For those who ride the bus, public or school mandated, iPods and MP3 players are often a source of refuge from their surroundings. Taking that protection away from the student leave them susceptible to negativity around them, which can affect the rest of their lives. Besides creat­ing a barrier between the student and his or her negative surroundings, iPods help some people concentrate during class. Teachers who allow iPods in class while students are doing individual work are greatly appreciated.

Mr. Miller tells students that the reason the iPod rule was implemented was for safety rea­sons. I have never seen someone attacked by an iPod or MP3 player. If our security cannot defend the students against iPod attacks then that is another issue.

On the other hand, iPods can be distracting to students, and are easily stolen. Many people have had iPods and other music devices taken while on Duval property. This may be the main reason that Miller has implemented a no-iPod policy. To prevent the theft of your belongings it would be best not to bring them to school in the first place. Someone who has their iPod stolen is held responsible for the theft because they broke the rules.

Although the no-iPod policy is slightly unreasonable, it should be taken seriously. If you need to bring your iPod to school, leave it in your locker so it doesn't get stolen. If your iPod is stolen or taken by a teacher, take responsibility and accept the punishments of your actions.

By Baja Poawui

In a matter of seconds, an argument between two individuals turns into a movie scene, and the halls, a theater full of viewers. School fights are the height of some students' day. Why is that though?
Senior John Gladden said, "I know I'm supposed to break up a fight if I see one, but if someone swings at me by accident I will throw a punch back, so I just watch."
On many occasions students who are watching could be caught sneaking in a punch or a kick during a fight just to prolong the fight, and if those involved in the fight are really getting into it, the crowd then makes an arena with their bodies, which signals to other students in the halls to come and watch the fight.
I must admit, if I see a circle of people around a couple of people I start to walk a little slower just to see what is going on. But to watch people beat each other up for your own amusement is low. After bringing up the topic of fights, SGA sponsor Ms. Bond said, "people who fight are truly cowards because they can't walk away from an argument. People who watch are even worse."
Fights also lower the trust administration has for students, which potentially could lead to an uneventful year.
Not only are fights stupid but they are dangerous, especially in this day and age when weapons are so easily accessible. Most people who start fights don't even have a reason and don't care who is harmed.
"I'm gonna just walk up to some random dude and knock him out if I really feel like it," said a sophomore, who refused to give his name.
Risking your life in a fight for approval from friends is just as dumb as playing in traffic. A lot of students here at DuVal need to become their own person, mature, and realize that fighting for every little incident does not prove anything. Allowing someone to upset you to the point of wanting to hurt them shows them that they get to you. Take a chill pill and laugh it off.