Annandale campus Police Officers Tony Ong and Andrew Jenkins pull over dispatcher Chase Briggs in a reenacted routine traffic stop.

It’s happened to many of us. We’re driving along, maybe late for class and going too fast or looking for a parking space and not paying attention to how we’re driving. Then we see blue lights flashing behind us. No matter who we are, we get nervous. We may wonder what we did wrong, or we may know. But even if we do know what we did, we don’t all know what to do next.

People tend to love police officers when they need their help and curse them when they get a traffic ticket. But the officer walking toward your car has a job to do, and part of that job is to give tickets to anyone violating traffic laws, which still apply on campus.

Remember, the officer may be nervous, too. He or she doesn’t know if you are armed or how you’ll react. And violence can happen anywhere.

According to Officer Tony Ong of the Annandale campus police, the protocol for a traffic stop begins with activating the police vehicle’s emergency lights, followed by calling the stop in, running the license plate to check for warrants and looking for anything out of the ordinary. Then, once up to the stopped vehicle, the officer will scan the driver to see if he or she is hiding something.

If running the tags reveals a warrant, then another NOVA police officer is called to the scene as backup. If no other campus police officer is available, then the officer may request assistance from a local jurisdiction.

So what should drivers do when pulled over?

Ong and Sgt. John Stasiowski, also of the Annandale campus police, offer advice on what to do when the police lights are flashing behind you.

First, find a safe location and pull over, preferably on the right shoulder out of the flow of traffic. Stasiowski said people tend to act in unpredictable ways once they notice the police lights. Some stop immediately in the road, so the police have to be prepared for anything.

After pulling over, keep your hands on the steering wheel. If it’s dark, turn on the exterior light. Lower the window in order to communicate with the officer.

Be prepared to show the officer your driver’s license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance. Stasiowski said that all three of these must be carried by drivers when operating a motor vehicle. So even if you have a valid driver’s license, if you left it at home you could still get a ticket.

So what should drivers NOT do when pulled over?

Stasiowski stressed that, when stopped by the police, you should not get out of your vehicle. The police don’t know what your intentions are, and it’s seen as a threatening move.

“It may be the practice in some other states for the officer… to motion the violator back to their vehicle, but that’s not the way it’s done in Virginia,” stated Stasiowski.

He also advised not to argue with the officer.

Not signing the ticket will result in being arrested and taken before the magistrate, according to Stasiowski. He added that signing a ticket is not an admission of guilt. It’s an acknowledgement that you’ve received the ticket, which is also a summons to court to answer to the charge.

Ever wonder why officers ask drivers if they know why the police pulled them over? Stasiowski said that sometimes the driver will reveal something else. Once, he stopped a woman for making a left turn where that action wasn’t allowed. After asking her if she knew why he pulled her over, she said it was for driving too fast.

Ong said he often hears the excuse: “I didn’t see the sign.”

He’s also heard: “I’ve only been driving for a couple of days,” which he doesn’t find credible.

“They make it seem like it’s something they’re not supposed to know immediately,” said Ong.

Another common excuse is: “I didn’t know.” This excuse doesn’t work because drivers are obligated to know traffic laws before getting a driver’s license.

“This reason why I’m stopping you is not something new,” he added.

Students aren’t the only ones who need to follow traffic laws on campus — the college faculty and staff are issued tickets if they violate the law.

Most NOVA graduates eventually work in such areas as in offices, in selling, as nurses or perhaps in an auto shop. Not Kris “Savage” McCray, 28, who smashes bodies and bangs heads in a cage ring in mixed martial arts.

Mixed martial arts includes striking and grappling techniques and appears to be a combination of boxing, wrestling, kick boxing, and jiu-jitsu. MMA fighting has become popular on network and cable television, such as on Spike TV, and on pay telecasts.

McCray was born the middle brother in a career Army family and is of a diverse background, including Caucasian, African-American, Mexican, Russian and Austrian origins. He has always excelled in athletics and enjoyed bodily contact activities. He was brought up in Germany, where he played soccer, football and basketball. McCray wrestled for three years in high school and studied kick boxing, karate, and tae kwon do.

Growing up, he enjoyed watching fighting shows and trying the latest techniques on his two brothers. His brothers, however, did not give in easily, especially the oldest, who grew to be 6 foot 5 inches tall and 230 pounds heavy.

His family returned to the U.S. in 1998 upon his father’s retirement, and McCray wrestled during his senior year at Woodbridge High School. He enjoyed a good relationship with the long-time wrestling coach and assisted with the Woodbridge wrestling team in its training and practices, including learning new holds and conditioning, and with competitor advice during matches over the next five years.

After graduation, McCray held a number of jobs, including working on a military security contract and as a bouncer and a butcher.

He attended classes at the Woodbridge campus from 2001 to–2004 and came close to receiving a degree in General Studies, with biology being his favorite class.

He also joined the active Army Reserves, where he received his nickname “Savage” for the ferocity with which he attacked his duties, like digging foxholes, while in training.

Continuing his interest in combat sports, he studied jiu-jitsu while also instructing at Gold Medal Grappling in Woodbridge, an affiliate of the Lloyd Irvin Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness Academy.

His work there helped spark his interest in mixed martial arts, and he began fighting amateur MMA competitions all over Virginia in 2007 and 2008, compiling a perfect 9-0 record.

McCray then moved up to professional bouts, with his first fight in October 2008 in the Ultimate Warrior Challenge series. His first four fights were in that series, often staged at GMU’s Patriot Center. He has won all five of his pro fights, the last one in November 2009, all in the first round and four by submission holds when the opponent gave in when locked in an untenable hold, such as the rear-naked choke or the shoulder lock hold.

With his successes, McCray tried out for The Ultimate Fighter 9 and 10 challenge series, which appear on Spike TV, but it turned out he was not in the desired weight classes.

Finally, TUF 11 tryout was for the middleweight class he was in. He was selected and won his preliminary bout in Las Vegas to progress to the final 14 fighters and is on Team Ortiz.

The fighters go through an elimination tournament, with the winner receiving an Ultimate Fighters Challenge contract as well as a cash prize. The fights, which began airing March 31, are shown in one-hour segments on Spike TV at 10 p.m. on Wednesdays.

McCray lost his first fight in TUF 11 on a third-round decision, but was given new life when he was chosen as one of two wild cards who will fight for a chance to reach the quarterfinals.

In that fight, he won after one minute of the second round when he forced his opponent to submit with a wrestling hold.

Wrestling appears to be McCray’s strong point. After the win, McCray explained, “It’s good, you know? A lot of people, when they get second chances, they perform like they did the first time around. And I wanted to show at least a change in my performance. And that’s what I did.”

With the win, McCray moves to the quarterfinals. He was selected to fight in the third bout, which appeared on Spike TV June 9.

Though the MMA bouts appear to be very violent, the generally soft-spoken McCray said that he has never seriously hurt anyone. He said the lesser fighting time compared to boxing decreases the chances for serious injuries, as the competitors fight three five-minute rounds. Also, the referee can stop any fight when a fighter appears unable to defend himself or is injured badly, and a fighter himself can retire if he is caught in a submission hold.

McCray now trains full-time at the Lloyd Irvin Academy in Camp Springs, Md., where his lives in a fighter-occupied house. He trains three times a day for two hours each and twice on Saturdays. He plans to fight every several months, but only against quality fighters whose defeat would move his career along. He is under contract to the UFC, which pays him a certain salary and rewards him further for victories.

In his spare time on Sundays, he enjoys visiting his family in Woodbridge, where the competitive family often engages in badminton. He has a daughter, Octavia, 15.

McCray’s father is very supportive of his career, and his mother hopes that he keeps his pretty face intact.

Looking at his future, now that he has progressed to a profession he truly loves, McCray hopes to fight into his 30s and then perhaps become an athletic director or sports teacher.

Though McCray can only fight in UFC events, he made a guest appearance at UWC 8 Judgement Day extreme cage fighting event at the Patriot Center on May 22, where he signed autographs. The event, part of a series which takes place every several months, included fighters such as “The Hulk,” “The Magician,” “The Choir Boy,” “The Mountain Man” and “The Butcher.”

information on these events is available on UWCMMA.com and www.Facebook.com/UWCMMA.

Jerry Boyd prepares fresh squid for a Vietnamese dish at his home in Fairfax, Va.

NOVA plays host to a wide variety of students and faculty. All manners of talents are displayed on campus, from musicians to football players, and from computer wizards to fashion divas. Annandale campus boasts a very special inhabitant; however, Gerald Boyd, Dean of Languages and Literature, has a talent which makes him very popular in the office. He is a professional cook.

Dean Boyd started his cooking career at the age of 15. He was a dishwasher in his home state of Pennsylvania. When his father, who was in the military, was stationed in Germany for several years, Boyd sampled the best food of Europe.

In high school, Boyd was active in sports, and always ate a healthy, balanced diet. When he attended college at George Mason University, he worked as a waiter at Fritzby’s. Working full time on top of his schoolwork, he was able to pay for his education, receiving his Bachelor’s in English and his Master’s in Linguistics, all while being promoted from waiter to bartender, and eventually to manager.

Boyd says all the skills that he learned working in the food business helped him get to where he is today. Management skills are required in both a food service and an educational environment, and therefore, he was able to quickly move up the ranks at NOVA. Starting as an ESL professor, he went on to become the Coordinator of Continuing Education, and then, eventually, to dean. He has been dean of Languages and Literature for 10 years. Boyd proudly displays his culinary awards alongside his academic awards on the wall of his office.

On top of his duties as dean, he also keeps up with his contacts in the food industry. He is often called on as a consultant for menu items at local restaurants, and always looks for ways to help support NOVA with his connections, and vice versa. He has also been the co-author on two books, The Accent of Success, and From the Classroom to the Boardroom. He has also been on a television show called “Delmarva Cooks,” on local access cable aired on the eastern shore.

Despite being an excellent cook, Boyd is very modest. He does not like to be called “chef,” as that is a title one earns from years of hard work and a degree in the culinary arts. He does admit that he could, however, most likely pass the final exams for culinary school.

Boyd has been married for 19 years. He has two daughters, both of which are very talented musicians, and have won multiple awards for their talents. His wife cooks for the kids every day, and Boyd himself cooks every night for his wife. A dish you might see on the Boyds’ dinner table would be skillet chicken with braised Brussels sprouts and stuffed poblano peppers.

Boyd is working on his PhD in Higher Education at University of Maryland. He does not plan on opening his own restaurant when he retires, but will likely continue working in the field which he enjoys so much.

Dozens of students auditioned, performed, and were sent home, until only the finalists remained. At 7 p.m. on March 26 the finals will be held at Schlesinger Hall at the Alexandria campus. Eight students with great talent will compete to hold the title of NOVA Idol, as well as cash prizes for third place, second place and the Idol.

NOVA Idol is an annual competition for area high school and NOVA students.

Below are the interviews of five contestants the Fortnightly was able to catch up with.

Erika Anderson

Erika Anderson has been singing for as long as she can remember. She has always wanted to be a serious musician, and has taken her singing to venues such as the Crystal Cathedral and the D.C. Convention Center. She started her professional career after meeting her manager while working at a deli. She plans on getting her degree in music, with a minor in business, and plans to attend a prestigious school of music, along the lines of Berkeley or the Peabody Institute. Her favorite artists include Billy Holiday and Beyoncè.

Stacy Dumas

Stacy Dumas.

Stacy Dumas was seven years old when she decided she liked to sing. She loved the movie “Annie”, and wanted to be like her favorite star. Dumas landed her first paying venue at the age of 10, when she auditioned for a dinner theatre, and was accepted. As she grew up, she was always in the chorus at her school. She has been on the road with Uplifting People, a not for profit organization, and has performed in countries like Australia and Mexico. Dumas has also published her own album, called Finally I fly. She likes to listen to Amy Grant, a gospel singer. She has been the music director for many high-school theatre departments.

EJ Jung

EJ Jung first started singing in her elementary school choir at the age of 12. She realized she liked singing, and that she had a knack for it. She has performed in several contests hosted locally by Korean record companies. The first time she entered one of these contests, she received second place, while only 14 years old. She hopes to become a producer one day helping indie bands find their way. She enjoys listening to Ella Fitzgerald.

Terri LaGoe

Terri LaGoe has been singing for 30 years. Her first real experience singing was for the NOVA Community Chorus, which she joined more for a social outlet than a creative one. Soon, she was taking  Class Voice, a vocal class at NOVA, and then eventually enrolled in private lessons. LaGoe has been the soprano section leader for the Washington National Opera Chorus, and often sings at her church, Church on the Hill, in Alexandria. She has performed with the Washington Philharmonic Orchestra, and sang Carmina Burana at the opening of the Schlesinger. She wants everyone to know how much she loves NOVA for it’s great opportunities and excellent teachers.

Ashley Williams

Ashley Williams began her musical career at the age of three. She started singing in church, and eventually joined her school’s chamber choir. Her entire family is very musical, and Williams’s favorite singer is her own mother. She recently tried out for the spring musical at her home school of Potomac Falls, where she also plays the clarinet in the band. She is a member of a professional rhythm and blues band.

Alex Gioeli and Erin Lindgren perform together in the band Glass I.

A Centreville-based band is set to hit the airwaves and the local music clubs this spring. Their music, a fusion of piano and violin instrumentals set to an electronica backdrop, challenges its audience to redefine rock music.

The Black Cat is filled with admiring fans, and the two-member ensemble with a flair for the theatrics captured their hearts and pulled in their attention to the musical spectacle. Alex Gioeli, 19, has always dreamed for this scene to come to fruition. Turn a pedestrian gaze at Gioeli and see nothing out of the seemingly mundane college sophomore. Open an inquiring eye and see a passionate and ambitious musician looking to make it big one day.

When he’s not studying at Northern Virginia Community College, Gioeli is a musician in his band, Glass I, with girlfriend Erin Lindgren.

“Our music is modern emotional music using classical instruments,” he said, excitement sparkling in his eyes.

Inspired by the likes of Radiohead, Amanda Palmer and Incubus, Gioeli writes songs as naturally as he breathes air. He uses computer programming to record electronic beats, to which he adds piano and drums to the mix. Lindgren plays the violin and is the co-lead vocals of the band.

“She has an incredible voice,” Gioeli said of his bandmate’s soulful crooning.

Glass I is nothing short of a creative and theoretical approach to rock music. The band is not afraid of blazing a new trail and creating a sub-genre of its own.

“It’s very different from the normal rock band line-up of guitar, drum, bass and vocals, but that doesn’t mean we don’t make music that you can rock out to. We’re doing a lot of experimentation with different vocal techniques, and both of us are learning a lot about what our instruments can do with every new song that we write,” Lindgren added.

The musical chemistry between the Gioeli and Lindgren can be attributed to their relationship outside the band. Having met two years ago at a mutual friend’s concert, their love for music drew them together.

Lindgren was classically trained vocally and has been playing the violin for eight years. Gioeli, on the other hand, learned the piano by himself. He started playing with the instrument first when he was in the second grade, but it was only last year when he took the initiative to learn it.

Upon driving home with Amanda Palmer playing on the airwaves, he was suddenly struck with the inspiration to learn the piano. According to Gioeli, Palmer wasn’t trained, nor could she read music notes, but was determined to learn it by herself. Gioeli took this as his cue to learn the piano and create his own music.

Lindgren recalls that Gioeli spent five hours just learning how to play. “He is still teaching himself piano and doesn’t know how to read music, but that doesn’t stop him at all,” she stated.

When asked to paint a picture of his future, Gioeli said that he would want to be touring or writing for his second or third album in five years. If music doesn’t work out, he plans to work for a music magazine in New York to buy time until he can tour.”

Music is the only option for Gioeli, and he is working hard to get to where he wants to be. He wants to be able to connect with his fans through his music, and be able to reach out to them in a way that language alone can’t.

“I want them to be able to say that my music saved their [lives],” he said adamantly, his eyes full of promise.

The band already played in Jaxx Nightclub in Springfield last October. They’re looking to score more gigs this year, specifically hoping to play in Jammin’ Java in Vienna and the Black Cat in D.C.

The local music clubs should make way, and people should start taking notice. Glass I started recording this winter. The band has songs available on their MySpace page at myspace.com/glassi, and is set to create new songs that will hopefully find their way to local airwaves.

Woodbridge Academy of Dance performing around Halloween at the Lake Ridge community event. Left to right: Kelly Ludwig, Ravyn Tynes, Milos Crvic, and Michelle Purdy.

Milos Crvic is an international student at NOVA’s Woodbridge campus. He was born in Belgrade, the capitol of Serbia, in 1989. He started dancing at the age of 10 while attending elementary school. The only reason for dancing, at that time, was to get to know a girl he liked. After a few years, the girl and most of the new friends left the dance school, giving Crvic an opportunity to think of the real reason for attending the school. At some point he wanted to quit but then realized that his love for dancing would not let him do it. Over the years passion for dancing grew, and he continued learning new techniques.

Crvic came to the United States in 2007 as a foreign exchange student to complete his senior year at Woodbridge Senior High School. There, he was involved in dancing section at the Center for Performing Arts, where he performed twice during that his senior year. After graduation he went to Serbia for a summer break but came back to the U.S. as an international student majoring in business administration.

Since 2007 until present time, he has been a member of Capitol Movement Project and Woodbridge Academy of Dance. He has performed in both of the companies and has also been volunteering and teaching at WAD since 2007.

Crvic’s friends set up a workshop for him when he visited his home country for the second time, during the summer of 2009. There were about 35 to 40 people at the workshop, which was “a bigger turnout than expected,” Crvic said.

Woodbridge Academy of Dance is a dance school that offers different styles of dance to people of all ages. In 2008, the Prince William Chamber of Commerce has recognized the Woodbridge Dance Company as the “best cultural and arts organization of the year,” According to the WAD web site. It won a lot of competitions over the last few years, and there is an upcoming competition in Pennsylvania where WAD will participate.
Teachers at WAD are highly trained. Lucetta Furr, the artistic director, is a Julliard alumna who has been teaching at WAD for seven years. Woodbridge Academy of Dance is a home of the Woodbridge Dance Company, a nonprofit organization that organizes two recitals, one in December and one in June, every year. Though Crvic is volunteering and teaching at WAD and dancing in most of the performances, his GPA is 4.0. He should be given a round of applause for being able to take on that much responsibility and succeed.

Crvic is planning to get his B.S. in business and M.B.A. in dancing. He already applied and got accepted in business and dance programs at G.M.U., Missouri State University and Shenandoah University. But he decided to finish NOVA first and then reapply.

After he is done with studying, Crvic may go back to Serbia and open his own dance company or stay in the U.S. to work in the financial field and, at the same time, teach dance and perform.

He said, “As long as you have a goal and somebody is supporting you in reaching it, if you give your all, nothing can stop you. Life is short – live it to the fullest.”

If anyone is interested in the studio where Crvic dances and teaches, visit www.woodbridgedancecompany.com.

Esther Clark stands by a Russian rocket.

Esther Clark, a rising star in academic excellence and leadership at Northern Virginia Community College, just turned seventeen this summer. She started taking classes at NOVA in 2006, and since then she has risen to the position of President in two of NOVA’s most prestigious organizations. She has also represented the student body in the Annandale’s Campus Council.

Clark has a unique academic background. She was home schooled with her brothers and sisters and started her dual-enrollment at NOVA when she was fourteen. “My parents are my principals and my teachers” says Clark, “It’s a teaching style that really goes with the flow.” Clark will receive her high school diploma in the spring, and the 62 college credits she has already earned are a great starting off point for her future.

Taking college courses at such a young age set Clark apart. “Nobody guessed that I was that young, I felt like an undercover secret agent of something” says Clark, “I also felt like I was bragging when I mentioned my age, so I kept to myself as much as possible.”

She didn’t keep to herself for long. In the spring of 2008, she joined the honor society Phi Theta Kappa and became a senator in the Student Government Association. Later that fall, Clark became the youngest SGA President in recent memory. Under her leadership, the SGA initiated a number of changes on campus. They organized blood drives every semester and college-wide SGA meetings to incorporate all six campuses. The Student Government also co-hosted the homecoming dance that spring to raise money for relay for life. They were successful in raising over a thousand dollars for cancer research in one night. Clark also helped produce the orientation video for the Annandale campus.

Her experiences as President of the SGA were formative to her leadership style and opened up new opportunities for her. “The best part was that I got to work with so many diverse people. My senate was composed of people from at least seven different countries. I got to learn about different cultures and develop leadership skills,” said Clark.

As her term as SGA President came to an end in spring 2009, Clark was nominated for President of Phi Theta Kappa. She ran a fair campaign against her friend Shamaila Iqebal, who now serves as PTK’s Historian. “She’s the most experienced PTK President we have ever had since she is fully engaged here at the college,” says Professor Dick Wilan, the faculty advisor of Phi Theta Kappa.

Since the semester began, she has conducted officer meetings to help and encourage her four Vice Presidents with their endeavors and prepare for the PTK induction ceremony of over one hundred new members on October 16. She has also attended a leadership conference at the University of Virginia for PTK members and plans to attend an honors conference at the College of William and Mary at the end of the month.

Off-campus, Clark is an active volunteer, athlete, and international competitor. She worked at a homeless shelter in Fairfax last semester, and now volunteers tutoring homeless elementary school students. She also used to play soccer on a Division 1 team for Washington Area Girls Soccer. Clark has been building model rockets competitively since 2002. She has traveled to Poland, Russia, Spain, and all over the United States to compete. Next year, she plans to compete in the International Rocketry Competition held in Serbia.

“A couple of days ago, I finally realized what I wanted to do when I grow up!” said Clark, “I definitely want to work for NASA.” She has found a way to combine her love of chemistry, biology, and outer space in a rewarding career as an astronaut with a specialty in bio-chemistry. “My greatest fear is not achieving my goal and not being able to go to outer space.”

“I can’t wait for her to succeed! I’m so excited to see where she goes!” says friend and fellow PTK member Shamaila Iqebal. Esther Clark has become a great leader at NOVA, but she’s not done yet. This NOVA student is reaching for the stars!