Latino Liaison to the Governor Visits T.C.

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Sindy Benavides first began serving as Deputy Director of Constituent Services and Latino Liaison under the Kaine Administration. Appointed by Governor Kaine, Ms. Benavides worked with the Director of Constituent Services to ensure that the needs of constituents throughout the Commonwealth were met in an efficient manner Currently, she work as Director of Gubernatorial Appointments in the Secretary of the Commonwealth. In her role as the Latino Liaison to the Governor, Ms. Benavides works closely with Latino Leaders, organizations serving the Latino community, and the Latino community throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Ms. Benavides is the daughter of immigrants and extremely proud of the immigrant heritage. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia, where she graduated Valedictorian of her class and studied Political Science with a minor in Spanish. She later received her MA degree in International Affairs from the School of International Service at American University, Washington, DC.

Ms. Benavides is an alumna of the Sorenson Political Leadership Program through the University of Virginia and the Virginia Executive Institute and Minority Political Leadership Institute through Virginia Commonwealth University. She is currently in the 2009 class of the National Hispana Leadership Institute.

Ms. Benavides believes in giving back to the community through public service. She s the Founder and President of LULAC (Richmond Council), Secretary of LULAC (VA Chapter), Secretary of the Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia, Co-chair of the Multicultural Services Subcommittee of the American Red Cross, Member of the Alexandria Scholarship Fund Board of Trustees, Member of the Planning Committee, Civil Rights Memorial Unveiling, Co-Chair of the Richmond Hispanic Youth Symposium, and member of the Multicultural Advisory Board, Virginia Housing Development Authority. She serves as a mentor and tutors high school students at Wakefield High School in Arlington and TC Williams High School in Alexandria.
itical Leadership Program through the University of Virginia and the Virginia Executive Institute and Minority Political Leadership Institute through Virginia Commonwealth University. She is currently in the 2009 class of the National Hispana Leadership Institute.

Dear Tina…

Dear Tina,

All my friends are going to beach week after graduation and no one invited me. I’m really confused about this because I always thought I was really popular. No one hates me and I’m always with them anyway. Should I just invite myself or rent my own house? I’m really upset about this.

On My Own Beach

Dear Beach,

I think you may have gotten mixed signals from your friends. Maybe they just assumed you were going and did not mention it to you. Ask them about it and if they are awkward and fumbling then no, it wasn’t a mistake. If that is the case then don’t worry about. You’re going to college soon anyway, where you’ll meet tons of new people.

Dear Tina,

Summer’s coming up and I want to break up with my girlfriend. I think summer is a time to be free and not have any commitments. I talked to her about it, but she doesn’t think it’s a good idea. I really like her but I won’t be here a lot and I don’t want to put myself in a bad situation. What should I do?

Single in the Summer Read more

Introducing Theogony’s New Senior Editors!

Next year Theogony will be led by rising seniors Alex Goldfarb, Miranda Branch and Alex Hampl.  Congratulations to three fine journalists!

New College and Career Center

The new College and Career Center (CCC) opened on March 12th. Five T.C. Williams students were chosen to perform the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including Adina Bhatti, the president of Project Discovery. After a brief intermission for refreshments, Robert Massa, the vice president of enrollment at Dickinson College, made a speech titled “Selective College Admission Process: What Contributes to Success.” Read more

Who is Sofia Schedler?

On June 14, 1994 in Vienna, Austria, Sofia Schedler entered the world. Born to Scott and Kara Schedler, Sofia was the youngest of three. Her brother Charley four years older and her brother Harry was three years older. Later to come would be the fourth and final child of the Schedler family, Angie, who trailed Sofia by two years. Read more

Social Security And You

How is it that senior citizens without any kind of job are still able to afford homes, cars, and other necessities?  The answer is Social Security.  Social Security is a program enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression.  The basis for the plan is simple: one pays a percent of their paycheck into the system from the day they start working, and they are able to access that sum when they retire.  In theory it should work perfectly.  However, the plan was doomed to fail thanks to the end of World War II.  Soldiers returning from the war were elated, women who had gained many new rights as a result of their new roles during the war were equally ecstatic and as a result the two groups came together and “boomed.”  Many babies were born and the population skyrocketed. 

 This surplus of workers served the country well during the Cold War, but when they got old enough to collect their Social Security, the government had to pay out a sum unheard of in previous years.  Luckily, due to the lack of contraceptives and general confidence of the era, the second generation was large enough to pay for all of the old timers.  Faced with the rampant fear due to the threat of nuclear war, there was far less merrymaking taking place with this second generation, resulting in a slowed growth of the population.  Now that these older workers are knocking on the door asking for their entitlement, today’s workers simply cannot meet all of the seniors’ demands.  The pool of social security is running dry, and there almost definitely will not be anything left by the time we are old enough to access it.

How did the government not foresee such a turn of events and calculate accordingly?  At the time of the program’s conception, the average life expectancy for Americans was under 60 years.  Social Security cannot be accessed until age 65, so the government did not think it had anything to worry about.  Science and generally sustained peace since that time have risen that age to well over 70, so the government has had to pay out a much greater sum than it ever intended. 

Now that the problem has been identified, what can we do to fix it?  Current taxpayers are paying into the system, but it is unlikely the money will be there by the time they retire.  One possible solution is to simply halt current taxpayers from paying into the system, and reimbursing them when they reach the appropriate age.  However, that is a large window of time, and many things can change between now and then.  We would still need to get some kind of help for seniors, as Social Security currently keeps about 40% of people over the age of 65 out of poverty.  However, 37% of the nation’s income goes to paying these elderly people their lifelines, tax dollars which could be used instead for a variety of other ends.  The government needs all the money it can get in this economically challenged time, but it is unclear whether President Obama will address Social Security any time soon.  He has larger, more current issues to deal with right now.  As the problem continues to grow however, it is clear something has to be done, and soon.                                                                                           

           

Attention Seniors!

There have been a lot of rumors recently about this year’s graduation. Seniors should have received a letter in the mail explaining the details of the event.

 

This year, graduation will be held in the main gym and will begin at 11 A.M. on June 25

Seniors must arrive at the school at 9:30 A.M. to prepare for the ceremony

Each senior will receive FIVE tickets for the gym and TWO tickets for overflow seating in the auditorium.

Seniors will get their tickets when they receive their caps and gowns on June 16^th and 17^th.

 

After graduation, seniors will have the opportunity to attend the All Night Graduation Party.  It will be held at Chinquapin Rec Center from 11 P.M. to 4:30 A.M.

Ticket price is $25 until May 31, $30 June 11 and 12, cafeteria lobby during lunches, June 16 and 17, gym lobby during lunches, June 19 before graduation rehearsal (gym lobby), and a last chance $35 at the door, cash only.

 

 

For information on other senior events this year check out http://www.acps.k12.va.us/tcw/seniorspage.php

 

 

Preparing For Fantasia

May is Asian heritage month in the United States.  One way we celebrate Asian heritage here at T.C. is with the Asian Club’s Fantasia performance.  The Asian club is composed of people who want to learn more about Asian culture and history.  The club does their best to celebrate Asian holidays, such as the various Asian new years.  They have been meeting since September.  Led by junior Cynthia Zhu and senior Katharine Pornchareon, the club works hard to honor the Asian way of life. 

 

The highlight of the Asian Club activities is the Fantasia Performance.  Fantasia is a production that showcases the Asian heritage and talents of the club’s members.  One notable performer is senior Parrish Sauls, who sings, dances and choreographs many of the performances for the production.  Another is senior Uyen Vu who, along with her group, performs a Vietnamese hat dance.  These and many other performances, including a fashion show, hip-hop performances and more are sure to make Fantasia an enjoyable sight to see.  The message of the performance, according to the club’s presidents, is to respect Asian culture, while experiencing the many wonderful traditions associated with it.

 

Fantasia is scheduled for Friday, May 22nd in the auditorium.  Authentic and elegant cuisine prepared by such restaurants as Thai Lemon Grass and Sampan Café, will be available for purchase beginning at six o’clock.  When everyone has finished eating, Fantasia will begin.  Tickets are $7 at the door, but you can get them for $5 if you order in advance.  They will be available for pre-order beginning Thursday, May 14th in the cafeteria during all lunches.

 Profits from the show will contribute towards the end of the year trip the Asian Club is planning.  They are looking forward to going to Virginia Beach on May 30th.  For more information, or to see what you can do to contribute or be a part of Asian club, contact Zhu, Pornchareon, or Sarah Kiyak, the club’s sponsor.         

Silence is Golden

     Have you ever found yourself saying, “that’s so gay?” The Day of Silence, headed by GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network), has been officially celebrated every year since 1996 and aims to erase that phrase (and the thinking that goes along with it) from your memory. Founded by students at the University of Virginia, the day aims to echo the silence that sexual discrimination brings about.  It protests the harassment of LGBT students (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) face everyday because of their sexuality.  To participate in the Day of Silence, students choose to be silent throughout the entire day or for a shorter period of time.  All students can participate in this event regardless of their sexuality, and the more students that participate, the louder the message: everyone deserves respect for who they are, no matter what their sexual preference is. 

            This year, the Day of Silence was held on April 17^th around the country, but because T.C. did not have school, students participated on the 16^th.  As well as professing their silence, students and teachers who participated in the event wore special t-shirts and carried “talking cards” around which stated their reasons for their silence.  The number of participants this year around the country was likely to be an all-time high after last year’s high participation.  “In 2008, hundreds of thousands of students from more than 8,000 K-12 schools, colleges and universities organized Day of Silence events,” according to www.dayofsilence.org. 

            T.C. Williams is a diverse school, both ethnically and economically, but is also diverse in its sexual minorities as well.  “It is another part of our diversity that we can celebrate and be happy about,” said Erin Fitch, an 11^th grade English teacher as well as a gay rights advocate. “By supporting the Day of Silence, you’re saying I respect your right to be who you are.”  The Day of Silence not only brings a fresh national outlook on gay rights, but reminds students at T.C. that their peers are supportive of their choices. 

            The Day of Silence is not the only way to support and stand up for gay rights.  Gay is not a synonym for stupid, so when you hear others use the word in that context, do not be afraid to speak out and correct them.  This not only applies to the word “gay” but to other harmful words too. By one person standing up for what they believe in, it can lead to many others speaking out. For more information on what you can do to support gay rights, visit Erin Fitch, the faculty sponsor of the Gay-Straight Alliance, which meets after school on Thursdays.    

 

Man on the Street: Best Part-time Jobs

Getting a job is one of the most important things a young person can do. It teaches responsibility, allows you to become more independent and most importantly to many, lets you make and manage your own money. There is a surprisingly wide variety of part-time jobs available for high school students to choose from. Even with unemployment rates up amidst the current economic downturn, there are still many great opportunities of employment just waiting to be sought out. With the summer fast approaching, employers are going to be looking for more part-time work than any other time of the year. Read more

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