Staff Commentary – Valor Dictus

Senior Carrie Walker, the National Honors Society president, speaks at the induction ceremony in 2019.

Honor Societies: Are they significant to the college admissions process?

May 23, 2020

Life Coming Through the Blinds – EP, Another Sky | Review

December 17, 2019

The English band Another Sky released their new EP, "Life Coming in Through the Blinds," on June 14, 2019. Another Sky, comprised of Catrin Vincent (vocals, piano, and guitar), Max (drums), Jack (guitar), and Naomi (bass), started...

Do Schools Place too Much Emphasis on Testing?

Andrew Lichtblau, Editor-in-Chief

June 3, 2019

Albert Einstein once claimed that a man’s intelligence is not distinguished by his knowledge but instead by his imagination.The words of the man admired as one of the world’s greatest intellectuals of the past century certain...

Building Your College List: “Dream,” “Ambition,” and “Comfort”

Andrea Darmawan, Staff Member

April 30, 2019

Three summers ago, I drove down to southern Virginia with my family and toured my dream school. After the third quarter ended, I traveled to Pennsylvania to tour my “ambition” school. Over spring break, I met my “comfort”...

Which Music Genre is More Popular?

Daniel Martin, Staff Member

January 9, 2019

As a student and teen, music is a big part of my life. Whether it is studying or just relaxing on the couch music shapes my mood and my point of view on the world, because music is so important I decided to dig deeper. My que...

Rams Weigh in on Having a Job

Andrea Darmawan, Staff Member

January 9, 2019

As a high-school junior, I’ve always pondered getting a job. College costs are ridiculously high, after all, and I would love the freedom to spend money I’ve earned instead of having to ask my parents for spending money. Las...

Why Pandora Plus Is a Better Splurge Than Apple Music

Andrea Darmawan, Staff Member

October 4, 2018

I adore music. I’ve been listening to Taylor Swift since I was ten, and I’ve been known to blast Alessia Cara, Ariana Grande, and/or Florida Georgia Line from my iPhone while doing algebra. But last year, when I hit a music...

Are Language department trips worth it?

September 27, 2018

Late march of 2018, I am in an airport wondering about this very question. “Are language department trips worth it?” At the time I had no idea, as I searched around the busy terminal for familiar faces. A group begins to gath...

Why STEM Shouldn’t Have the FCPS Crown

Andrea Darmawan, Staff Member

September 14, 2018

When I think about third grade, happy images of Girl Scout meetings and gaining confidence in my ability to write through winning second place in a short-essay contest come to mind. (Life was so simple back then.) Unfortunately,...

Free from School, but No Free Lunches

Khadeejat Lawal, Staff Writer

June 16, 2017

Free and reduced-priced lunches are something most school districts offer to students in need. Approximately 28% of FCPS students qualify for the free or reduced lunch program their school offers, according to fcps.edu. This means...

Farewell to a Presidential Personality

January 22, 2017

Let’s Stop Glorifying Obama – and All Politicians For That Matter

Amelia Gulding, Editor in Chief

January 19, 2017

As we mentally prepare to inaugurate Donald Trump as the 45th president of the U.S., many people, particularly liberals, are feeling nostalgic over the last eight years of Obama. There are definitely reasons to feel a sense of...