The Epistle October 31st, 2012
Staff
Editor-in-chief
Danielle Williamson
Staff Reporters Hope Lemley Ellis Nobles Kourtney Wadkins John Williamson Kelsi Allman Lexi Long Chelsea Hubbard
Contributing Writers Julia Logan Katelanne Whitehead Jonathan Landry
Advisor
Leigh Terrell
Fall show 2012
See page 14 for more
“Some say if you leave out an unwrapped candy bar, the ghost of the baby will come and take it.” Cry Baby Bridge, p.10
“They are attached to unusual objects, perform repeated body movements for comfort, and tend to take comfort in routines.” What is autism? p. 15
“Auburn fans, because they are scary, scary people.” All Around Campus, p. 7
“In case you haven’t heard, there’s an election coming up next Tuesday.” Political platforms, p. 13 1
Letter from the Editor Boo. That’s the sound ghosts make. Grr. That’s the sound werewolves make. Unngh. That’s the sound zombies make. Unngh. That’s the sound students make. Yay. That’s the sound students make when they’re reading The Epistle. This is the part where some starts rolling their eyes and chastising me for promoting The Epistle nonstop. To those naysayers, I respond with this: “Umm whateva major looser. Journalism is da best. Also ur face iz stoopid, so thur.” Luckily, the articles in this edition are not filled with my hypothetical retorts. Rather, Kelsi, Ellis, Hope, John, Lexi, and our newest member, Chelsea Hubbard, have slaved over a plethora of articles. We hope you find them spooky, informative, and engaging. If you find them stoopid, then—well—
you’ll have to excuse us as we take a group excursion to Cry Baby Bridge. And cry. Like babies. So before you don your costumes to go candy mugging, give us wee tykes at The Epistle a chance. Take a moment to peruse through this month’s issue. Proceed with caution: Slenderman, jack-o-lanterns, and the Korean pop star, Psy, lurk in the shadows of these pages. Perhaps more frightening than all of our Halloween articles are the politics features we’ve chosen to include, complete with a chart detailing the candidates stances on a selection of issues. In short, this edition of The Epistle is a paper version of a zombie president. It’ll put fear into your heart. It’ll make you squeal in terror. It’ll give informative speeches. It’ll mention completely unrelated topics, such as autism, Nikola Tessla, and procrastination, just to distract you from the matter at hand. It might even eat your brain. Granted, I may have exag-
gerated that sentence a wee bit. I will warn you, however. Attempting to do the reverse (eating the newspaper’s brain) will result in frustration, tummy aches, wary looks from onlookers, and a chastisement from Mr. Marshall for not recycling. Sincerely,
Danielle Williamson
The highly sophisticated staff of The Epistle. Not pictured: Chelsea Hubbard, Lexi Long, and Kourtney Wadkins 2 | The Epistle | September 2012
By the numbers: Student statistics This month, The Epistle asked students what age people should stop trick-or-treating.
Table of Contents
|4|Editorials |5|Editorials |6|Editorials |7|All Around Campus |8|Spread |9|Spread |10|Spread |11|Spread |12 |Features |13|Features |14|Features |15|Features |16|Sports |17|Sports Sports|18| 3
The procrastinator’s manifesto Procrastination: perhaps the greatest temptation to ever plague humanity. Even now, I am reaping the fruits of procrastination. It is exactly 5:31a.m., and this article is due in approximately four hours. I’ve had five days to write this manifesto—five comfortable days—and now, armed with life-giving coffee and hindered by limited time, I frantically type these words, mentally kicking myself for not having done this sooner. You know the drill: you have a mountain of homework right in front of you. You know that you should probably just get it over with, but… you still have time, right? Besides, YouTube is practically a procrastinator’s best
Disclaimer: this article has nothing to do with giraffes. This article is about politics. I understand why 50% of readers just fled to All Around Campus or the spread. Discussing politics in public is a social faux pas, the equivalent of strutting around in your birthday suit or cursing loudly around small children. Politics make people uncomfortable. It’s a polarizing topic that oft erupts in heated arguments, flung foodstuffs, and awkward silences. Thus, it’s no wonder that people avoid it like the plague. In short, politics has become confrontational. It has been falsely equated with rhetoric and corruption. The negative connotations the American public associates with the word “politics” obscures the true meaning: the business of governing a nation. Government, at any level, affects our lives, whether we’re aware of it or not. Let’s take a trip down metaphor lane. If we’re all athletes playing the sport of life, government is the rules commissioner. It doesn’t yank the base-
4 | The Epistle | September 2012
by Hope Lemley
friend. It reels us into the maze of adorable kitten videos—adorable kitten videos that steal our attention with their infinite cuteness, only to find ourselves at the foot of a mountain of homework and despair in the wee hours of the morning (not that this has ever happened to me, of course). We procrastinators recite our mantra over and over again, “I still have time. I still have time.” And then suddenly, you don’t have time. Suddenly, it’s 5:31a.m., and your article is due that day. But I digress. We claim we can stop at any time. Technically, this is kinda-sorta true. Technically, we could if we really tried. But that would take effort. The black hole of procrastination seems to
Giraffes
by Danielle Williamson
balls and bats our of our hands to suddenly change the sport we play. It isn’t designed to do that. Instead, it makes gradual changes to the field around us, changing how we play the game. Despite what many would have you believe, an appointment to public office does not come with a pitchfork, horns, and a forked tail. A career in politics is a legitimate job path; one that many are drawn to because of the potential it presents to change the playing field for the better. Corruption sneaks into this equation when citizens neglect to monitor politicians’ activities. Ignorance is a blank canvas politicians paint to suit their world view and life goals. Enlightenment is a tougher medium that requires policy makers to put substance to their marks, to fill out the empty lines they’ve sketched. Furthermore, a firmer grasp of the issues leads to a better understanding of what the other “side” might have to say, as opposed to blindly claiming allegiance with a particular party. Selfconducted research and independent
have infinite gravity. Also, those cat videos are really cute. However, we can be strong! We can fight back against the oppressive hand of procrastination! We can work through our denial and begin our inner-healing. We can log off Facebook and exit out of YouTube.We can escape the crushing vortex of time consumption. It will be difficult, but we can and will scale that mountain of homework. Maybe, just maybe, we can—gasp!—actually get some sleep for once. Or maybe that’s taking it a bit too far. Together, we can be strong! Together, my friends, we can throw off the shackles of procrastination! Well… maybe tomorrow.
thought processes provide people with the tools to defend their position and respect others. Simply repeating buzz words heard on MSNBC or FOX leads to a discourse of echoes: a breeding ground for suspicion, name-calling, and partisanship. How is it possible to make an informed decision on who to vote for this upcoming election without a vague awareness of the progress or decline of the economy or the legislation that has been passed in the past four years? How is it possible to evaluate a particulate candidates worth without knowing what they’ve done? Our forefathers made this country a democracy because they had faith in the American people. Citizens can shoulder this responsibility with pride by remaining vigilant. Alternatively, they can let it waste upon the ground, curling inward with a shiver of disappointment. The choice is yours, but remember—the repercussions belong to the nation.
Thomas Edison is a fraud Who was the father of the electric age? If you answered, “Thomas Edison,” you have some reading to do. When most people think of Thomas Edison, they think of the man who invented the light bulb. Well, I have some enlightening words for you; Edison did not invent the light bulb. He simply improved upon the previous 22 ideas of other men that pioneered the light bulb before him. The father of the electric age was Nikola Tesla. Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor that lived during the late 1800s, and his main goal was to invent things that would improve life for all of humanity. All Edison did was figure out how to make the light bulb sell to the public. Edison is the equivalent to the popular meme, “Scumbag Steve.” While Tesla is the equivalent to the popular meme, “Good Guy Greg.” Tesla actually worked for Edison early in his career. Edison offered to pay him the modern equivalent of a million dollars to fix the problems he was having with his DC generators and motors. Tesla fixed Edison’s machines and when he asked for the money that he was promised, Edison laughed him off and had to say this, “Tesla, you don’t understand American humor.” After the subsequent falling out Tesla had with Edison, he went to work with his AC electrical system. This ignited a feud with Edison, who at the time was trying to sell his direct current system. Thus, Edison embarked on a campaign to publicly smear Tesla’s AC and convince the public that it was too dangerous for home use. He did this by paying schoolboys twenty-five cents a head for live dogs and
by John Williamson
cats of the pets from the neighborhood near Edison’s laboratory. He then put these dogs and cats on display and publicly electrocuted them
Nikola Tesla using Tesla’s alternating current. Edison believed the value of his inventions could be gauged by how much money could be made. He was neither a mathematician nor a scientist; he believed he could just hire people to do that for him. Edison was known for rushing to the patent office as soon as one of his employees had something. On the other hand, Tesla was known for discovering things and then forgetting to write them down. Have you ever heard Guglielmo Marconi? You know, the guy who won a Nobel Prize in physics for inventing the radio? Did you know that basically everything he did was based on work previously done by Tesla? After Marconi became worldfamous for sending the first transatlantic message, Tesla responded to this with, “Marconi is a good fellow. Let him continue. He is using seventeen of my patents”? Nikola Tesla = Nicest Inventor... Ever! Ever heard of the radar? You
know, that amazing technology that lets us detect objects like submarines and cruise missiles. An English scientist by the name of Robert A. Watson-Watt was credited with this invention in 1935. Can you guess who came up with the idea in 1917, (18 years before Watson-Watt)? Nikola Tesla; he pitched it to the U.S. Navy at the beginning of World War I when the world was getting its butt kicked by German U-boats. Well unfortunately, Thomas Edison was the head of Research & Development Council for the U.S. Navy at the time and somehow managed to convince them that it had no practical application in war. Wilhelm Rontgen is typically credited as the discoverer of Xrays. Can you guess the moustachedonning inventor who beat him to it and got basically zero credit? NIKOLA TESLA. Also, when X-rays were initially discovered it was believed that X-rays could cure blindness and other ailments. Tesla warned that X-rays could be dangerous, and he refused to conduct medical experiments with them. While Edison, not skipping a beat when the opportunity to be an awful person presented itself, got to work right away on human trials in X-ray experimentation. One of his employees, Clarence Dally, was exposed to so much radiation that his arms had to be amputated to save his life. It didn’t work though, and he eventually died from mediastinal cancer. Dally is considered to be the first American to die from experimentation from radiation (Edison finally invents something original!) In addition to killing his assistant, cont. on page 14 5
Gangnam Style Attention all uncoordinated people of the world! There is no longer a need to fear any situation that involves dancing. Gangnam style is here to save you. This KPop (Korean Pop) sensation has taken hold in America and all around the world. A catchy, electro beat and unrecognizable lyrics have rocketed South Korean native, PSY, into international fame. Even more popular than the song, though, is its accompanying dance, or the Gangnam Style. Gangnam Style is a very simple dance that can be done by just about anyone. It is characterized by its “horse galloping” motion and “lasso arm”. Horse galloping is exactly how it sounds, you gallop… like a horse. The lasso arm is slightly trickier, especially when paired with the “horse galloping”. You
by Kourtney Wadkins
wave one arm around your head in a circle, like a lasso, and place your other hand out in front of you, like you’re holding a saddle. As you can tell, this dance will be a much simpler alternative to the Dougie and Wobble challenged members of our community. Still feel like the Gangnam Style is a little too out there for you? Well, the video actually has a Guinness World Record for most
“liked” video in YouTube history. The video has also been shared and covered by T-Pain, Katy Perry, Tom Cruise, Maroon 5, Britney Spears, and thousands of other people. One of the most infamous parodies was done the North Korean government mocking the original video and one of the current leaders of South Korea. PSY, the 34-year-old South Korean rapper and father of twin girls, has profited from the success of the video. With the song’s translated message being that smart, modest, yet fun ladies are sexy; who wouldn’t love PSY’s quirky dance hit? Whatever your take is on the smashing song and dance combo masterpiece, remember PSY’s life motto “dress classy, dance cheesy.” image courtesy of news.com.au
The ACT: the hidden controversy
By now all of you know about the dreadful standardized test. You know exactly what I’m talking about: the ACT. This test determines where you’re going to college. In other words, it basically runs your life senior year. By now, all seniors have taken the three and a half hour test that is a definite waste of your Saturday. Not only is the ACT a waste of time, but it’s unfair. While most people just accept the ACT’s flaws, there is so much going on behind the scenes. Why do you have to put your gender, race, and other demographic information on the ACT? They are using it for something you may not know about. ACT performed a study incorporating this data to understand the major gap between the scores of opposite genders. They found that females are more thinkingoriented, while males are more likely
6 | The Epistle | September 2012
by Kelsi Allman
just to guess. By not penalizing for wrong answers (like the SAT does, by taking off .25 points for every missed question), the fast-paced multiple choice format suits the quick-guessing males more than the deep-thinking females. Another example of bias on the ACT is its language. It uses slang words that may not be familiar to citizens who do not speak English as a first language. This is very unfair, but many people just ignore it or do not notice. The ACT is used to predict college performance. I totally disagree that the ACT should be used to determine college admittance, and how one is going “succeed” in college. I believe that your work ethic in the classroom, your attitude toward school, your study habits, and your organizational skills are better predictors of how a student will do in college,
rather than a standardized test. When in your college career will you use standardized scores to determine your job? You won’t. Someone’s career and potential should definitely be determined by the characteristics of the person, their study habits, and their work ethic. Instead, college admittance is literally based on the ACT. College educations for many students who are intelligent are denied due to this extreme, ultimate score. Fees and tuition are waived, and millions of dollars of scholarships are awarded to people that do well on the ACT. I do agree with awarding the students who excel on the ACT; however, I do not agree with penalizing the hardworking students who are willing and striving to go to a prestigious college but are handicapped due to a test.
All around campus Ellis Nobles
Alexander Krentel: “Thermonuclear war because it would eliminate all life. Just… gone.”
Jordan Williams: “That they would stop making nutella.”
Kate Sullins Canfield: “Clowns. When we had that pep rally with the clowns, I was hiding.”
Dr. Brousseau: “Sharks, because of the movie Jaws. I was six, maybe seven. It created a kind of phobia. Whenever I get in the water, that anxiety kicks in.”
Harper Chaffe: “Auburn fans, because they are scary, scary people.”
What is your biggest fear? Why?
Mrs. Brown: “Terrified of heights and snakes, but really heights.
Daniela Salas: “Sharks, because they can kill you, and you never know where they are.”
Jonathan Landry: “Crichton, Alabama, because there’s a leprechaun there.”
Trent Larson: “Spiders. Kendall Ann Bailey: Who needs eight eyes “Gum because it’s and eight legs? Nosticky.” body: unless you’re up to some pretty awful things.
Hannah Riggin: “Spiders because they can chase me!”
Raven Mestas: “The Wicked Witch of the West because when I was a kid, my sisters taunted me with her voice.
Joseph Graham: “Snakes because, why does [sic] there always have to be snakes?”
Noah Strickler: “Giant water monsters because you can’t really do anything if you’re in the water and a giant fish is trying to eat 7 you.”
Halloween
While scavaging through the woods, the staff of The Epistle discovered a crumpled note. Who do you suspect to be involved?
8 | The Epistle | September 2012
picture courtesy theslenderman.wikia.com
2012 halloween: Then and Now
by Kourtney Wadkins
Halloween, in my opinion, is the greatest holiday out there. It’s a day where you can be whoever or whatever you want to be. Plus, you get ridiculous amounts of sugar (and who doesn’t like sugar?) Halloween is just magical. But it wasn’t always how we think of it today. Halloween used to be a very religious holiday, not just pagan but also Christian. Halloween got its origins from pagan rituals of worshiping the dead and harvest feasts and festivals. Christians changed this traditional festival slightly to fit their own beliefs. They began calling it All Saints Day. It was a time of feast and prayer for the saints and all of those who had recently departed. While the holiday in itself has survived, many of the customs and traditions that originated with it are no longer widely practiced. We have made Halloween into a more commercial holiday, but some traditions have
survived today. Not many know that trickor-treating or guising was actually practiced in the old days of Halloween. Originally, the poor would go door to door on All Hallows Eve to receive food from the people at each house. Today, kids just dress up and beg for candy. Also, wearing costumes, while not initially done in America, became popular in the States. Haunted houses and haunted attractions such as corn mazes and hayrides also became popular in the United States. Halloween had turned from a religious day of thanks and remembrance into an Americanized excuse to party and fulfill childhood dreams. While we may not celebrate the spiritual dealings behind the original All Hallows Eve, Halloween has become a fun and interesting modern tradition.
Jack. He’s on your doorstep. by Ellis Nobles
The jack-o’-lantern is a very well-known Halloween motif. Jack-o’lanterns are seen on numerous porches and yards throughout October, and it’s not uncommon to see elementary school children carving pumpkins at Halloween festivals. Jack-o’-lanterns are so ingrained into Halloween that no one questions their origins. Surprisingly, these doorstep decorations were not originally made
from pumpkins, but from root crops common to Ireland and Scotland, such as beets, turnips, and potatoes. Pumpkins are indigenous to North America; they were only used for jacko’-lanterns by settlers in America as a substitute for the aforementioned root crops. Luckily, these subjects were perfect for the job. The tradition of making jack cont. on page 15
top halloween costumes (according to Saints surveyed)
Cat
Avenger
Hunger games character
SLenderman images courtesy bestcatanddognutrition.com, wikia.nocookie. net, and imdb.com
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Top Halloween Movies When we think Halloween we definitely think scary, spooky, and horror. Most people want to find the best ways to get a scare. So, what is one of the top ways to raise your “scare scale” during Halloween? The answer is to watch horror movies. DUH! Searching through different internet sites, I derived a list of the best top ten scary movies. Then I decided to ask St. Paul’s students to vote on the movie they thought was scariest. This list shows the results of the scariest movies starting with number 1. The list is as follows:
1. Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) Freddy Krueger, a serial-killer who wears a glove with four blades embedded in his fingers, returns in this thriller and haunts a group of teenagers. Freddy Krueger haunts them in their dreams, and when they wake up it results in their death. They have to try their best to stay awake to protect each other, but when they go to sleep there is no turning back.
2. The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)
The Campbell family has to relocate to upstate Connecticut due to their son, Jonah’s, health. When relocated to Connecticut, supernatural behavior begins to happen in the new home. After research they find out the house has a disturbing history. It was a former mortuary, and the owner’s son served as a demonic messen-
by Kelsi Allman
ger. The Campbell family is haunted in this house with unspeakable terror awaiting innocent Jonah.
3.The Unborn (2009)
A young women tries to fight the spirit that approaches her in her dream. She finds out that the boy that haunts her in her dreams is her lost twin brother that died in the womb with her. She begins to suspect that the boy haunts her because he wants to be born. She reports it to a rabbi and priest, who perform an exorcism.
4. Drag Me to Hell (2009)
A loan officer, Christine Brown, evicts an old, gypsy woman, Mrs. Ganush, from her home. She soon finds out that this was a big mistake because she becomes targeted as a recipient of a supernatural curse. The curse will cause her to plunge into the depths of hell to burn for eternity.
5. Halloween (2007)
Michael Myers has been committed to an insane asylum and escapes after 17 years. His mission is to find his old babysitter, Laurie. However, whoever gets in his way is in mortal danger.
6. The Exorcist (1973)
A devil takes possession of a young girl’s soul.
7. Priest (2011)
been occurring for many centuries. The Church does not accept this idea of vampires. When the Priest’s niece is kidnapped by vampires, the Priest is forced to disobey the Church law to save his niece.
8. Dead Silence (2007)
A married couple, Jamie and Lisa, receive a ventriloquist doll in the mail that results in Lisa’s death. Jamie goes to the town of Ravens Fair, where the doll came from, to find answers to his wife’s murder.
9. Silent Hill (2006)
Rose and Christopher have adopted their daughter that begins sleepwalking and saying the name “Silent Hill”. Rose takes Sharon, the adopted daughter, to Silent Hill and, while she is there the daughter goes missing. Rose goes in search for her daughter in this peculiar town Silent Hill.
10. Saw (2004)
Two men are kidnapped by a serial killer nicknamed “Jigsaw.” The men are made to follow objectives to survive the deadly game. Even if you don’t agree with this list of the scariest movies, I’m positive that you can find a couple movies on this movie list that will indeed give you a scare this spooky October month.
A human versus vampire war has
Cry Baby Bridge
Everyone knows Halloween is a fun time of year. Everybody’s out trickor-treating, attending costume parties, or watching one of the endless horror movie marathons that play on almost every channel. These events are great for the not-so-adventurous person, but if you really want to get into the spirit of Halloween you need a frightful experience that could possibly last a lifetime. One of the best places you can go is Cry Baby Bridge. We’ve all heard of Cry Baby Bridge. There are many stories around it. The most famous is as follows: Many years ago, a woman was driving across the bridge with her baby in the back. A drunk driver was going the wrong way on
10 | The Epistle | September 2012
by Kourtney Wadkins
the bridge and hit the woman’s car head on. She lost control, and her car fell into the water below. The woman was able to escape, but her baby wasn’t so lucky.
It is said that if you drive across the bridge at night strange things will happen. Some say if you leave out an unwrapped candy bar, the ghost of the baby will come and take it. Also, people claim that as they drive across they can see the headlights of the drunk driver’s car. If you sprinkle baby powder on your back window, baby foot prints can be seen. If a haunted house is just not your speed, and you need a little more excitement this Halloween then drive out to Kali Oka Road in Saraland and test the legend of Cry Baby Bridge. And you can decide for yourself it really is haunted.
picture courtesy of dani63.deviantart.com
All Hallow’s Eve by Hope Lemley
Whispering winds ‘round the old oak tree wind Slith’ring they rise, rustling boughs as they climb. The leaves—crackling embers this crisp autumn night, The moon bathes the graveyard in cold, silver light.
An old man takes form and looks down in surprise As he holds up a hand to his translucent eyes. He stretches and yawns and sighs in relief And chuckles, ambivalent to what should be grief.
Silence rules over the shadows so long No sound in the air, save the wind’s whisp’ring song. The world seems to pause, but there is no peace— Something is lurking this All Hallows’ Eve.
He reclines on his tombstone and watches the shades All just coming out of their silent, still daze.
Pale, ghostly children laugh in delight, Chasing ‘round tombstones this Halloween night. Not a care in the world, sprites dance glibly around Twinkling like stars as they fly ‘cross the ground.
The children run higher and higher aloft Surrounded by faeries, like stars shining soft. They bound towards the heavens with hope in their eyes Leaving the earth while they enter the skies. The old man stands up and remarks in great haste, “I guess I’ll be off! There’s no time to waste— I’ve the rest of the afterlife waiting for me!” And he, too, flew onward, his soul fin’ly free.
The stillness is broken, and out of the tombs Come pale, spectral figures to fill up the gloom. They start to take form, but substance they lack Eerily shimm’ring against the full black. They’re part of the wind and they join in its song— The wispy, thin figures are murm’ring along. Intangible ghosts—they are not of this earth Caught between life and death, searching for worth.
As they endlessly hover, each lost and alone— Then silence consumes them—too desperate to moan.
Some cry out in shock, some soundlessly weep, Some wander the graveyard, longing for sleep.
The wandering spirits and poor, wailing souls Refuse to admit that it’s come to a close. They’ll wander the night from this moment on, Lamenting and sobbing as they all float along.
Some sob and some moan and refuse to believe That their lives are now ended— they do nothing but grieve. A girl less than twenty in awful despair Cries, “My life can’t be over! It’s simply not fair!”
Even though you can’t hear them— you’re blind to their plight To their weeping and wailing and shrieking tonight, Just know that they’re wandering— just past the trees— Silently, gravely, on All Hallows’ Eve.
The wandering spirits, directionless shades Circle the graveyard—their shrieks pierce like blades
Congratulations to Hope for placing 1st in Teen Read Week!
picture courtesy of fineartamerica.com
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Well. This is awkward. by Danielle Williamson
Cupid and Psyche, two and there. The steady happy chatstage for the next-run through; lovers from Greek mythology, sit ter emitting from the thespians is then the next five; then the next, together on a couch, gazing into silenced when Mr. Goff calls for the repeating the same blocking and each other’s eyes. They lean forward auditions to commence. lines over and over again. Every Four or five raised hands are actor holds the same script, yet to kiss- --and miss. chosen to read through the first in every performance is different, with a series of preselected scenes. They The narrators of the scene, chunks of each person’s personalmake their way to the stage, some Allie Frederick and Gracie Lester, ity completing those half-formed double over with laughter while the bounding eagerly, others shuffling personas. By the end of auditions, two “lovers” erupt in a fit of everyone has been dunked giggles. in the icy waters of a read “Stay in character!” through, leaving them shivthe director reprimands ering, uncomfortable, and from the audience. The two exposed. reassume their positions, But the thrill of the dunk, the then are interrupted by a adrenaline rush that comes bout of laughter from the from immersion in a role director. Then the entire keeps them coming back cast dissolves in chuckles, for the second day of audiand the scene is lost entions, then the first day of tirely. rehearsal, then the night of “Mr. Goffffff,” one the performance. of the “lovers” groans, “this Last night, in the first pubHallie King, Varshini Venkastesan, and Gracie Lester lic showing of The Metais SO awkward.” And it is awkward. during rehearsal for The Metamorphoses. morphoses, we, the cast of Rehearsing plays such The Fall Show 2012, no longer nervously. Around 10 seconds is all shivered on our own. We huddled Metamorphoses, which contains no fewer than four pairs of roman- the time they have to scan over the together, warming ourselves with scene, to analyze their characters, to support, advice, and solidly-placed tically engaged characters, gets determine how they will transform high-fives. uncomfortable at times. However, into other people. Then “Scene!” is these uneasy moments, no matter And when you-- a student, faculty how raw, are always bandaged over called, and they have to leap into member, or parent-- comes out their half-formed personas and go by the reassuring presence of cast and fills a seat in that theater, you mates, felt in a variety of ways: from with it. become part of a pool for us to The script is like a god, dictating laughter, to hugs, to clapping, to jump into. Without you, we strike solidly-placed high-fives. Moreover, your words and actions. If it calls concrete, and our whole endeavor these experiences become the rope for you to put a reassuring hand cracks. We owe you a multitude of that knots the cast together, transon the shoulder of someone you’ve thanks. forming them from a disjointed never talked to, you do it. If it asks We wish to repay this debt of gratigroup of theatre kids to a cohesive you to scream in terror, you do it. tude with the two months of hard troupe. And when the scene is finished, you work we’ve put into this play, in the It begins in auditions. The sit down and silently hope that you vain hope that we’ve shed our floatprospective cast members scatter didn’t alienate the twenty strangers ies and evolved from dunking to themselves among the theater seats, in the audience by doing so. diving. If not, well. . . gathering into social clumps here Then five of the twenty walk on This is awkward. 12 | The Epistle | September 2012
Political Platforms: what’s what by Hope Lemley
In case you haven’t heard, there’s an election coming up next Tuesday. Here’s what each of the major two parties have to say about some of the most pressing and controversial issues.
Economy
Defense The Middle East Firearms Role of Government
Same sex marriage
Democrat • Strengthen the economy • Cut taxes for the middle class • Bring “new transparency to financial markets, and ending taxpayer-funded band bailouts and the era of ‘too big to fail.’”
Republican • Cut spending • Downsize the government • Reduce the deficit • “Ignite economic growth.”
• Engage in war when it’s absolutely necessary. • Support separate Israeli and Palestinian states and vow to fight against terrorism. • Citizens should be allowed to own firearms, but that that right “is subject to reasonable regulation.” • Role of the government is to benefit and protect the people. • They focus greatly on strengthening the middle class and leveling the playing field.
• “Peace through strength.”
• Civil rights issue • Same-sex couples should have equal treatment under the law. • Also support, “…the freedom of churches and religious entities to decide how to administer marriage as a religious sacrament without government interference.”
Environment/Natural • Wish to protect the environment and Resources invest in clean energy
• Support separate Israeli and Palestinian states and vow to fight against terrorism. • Citizens ought to have the right to carry a firearm wherever they are legally allowed to go. • Downsize the government. • “We look to government—local, State, and federal—for the things government must do, but we believe those duties can be carried out more efficiently and at less cost. For all other activities, we look to the private sector.” • Would pass a Constitutional amendment defining marriage “as the union of one man and one woman.” • Religious issue, not civil rights issue
• Want to let the market decide and support the drilling of oil in America
If you want to learn more, you can visit: http://www.democrats.org/democratic-national-platform http://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_home/
picture courtesy of bluebook.state.or.us
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The “WC” Ever wrote a paper and thought it was terrible? Can’t figure out a topic or how to write a thesis? Or maybe you can’t figure out if your grammar is wrong or right. If any of you’ve ever been in these situations, then you should try out the St. Paul’s writing center. Sponsored by NHS, the writing center is here to provide support and to help upper school students when working on essays, research papers, and
by Chelsea Hubbard
speeches. Using the writing center can help improve your grades on papers. Virtual tutoring is available through email or Skype. Faceto-face options can be scheduled almost anywhere on campus. The peer tutors available are: Macy Vickers, Max Trent, Caroline Nicholas, Shivani Ananthasekar, Carson Blaylock, Taylor Roe, Taylor Wood, Varshini Venkatesean, John
Shreve, Charlie Sutherland, Seth Polansky, Hiro Kamei, Sara Bryars, Rebecca Dill, and Nina Crawford. For teachers, request for peer tutors for a class can be made by emailing Mrs. Holbrook or one of the student directors, Seth Polansky and Rebecca Dill. If a student or teacher has any other questions about the writing center, they can contact Mrs. Holbrook.
Wondering when the writing center peer tutors are available? Day for tutoring Time Type of tutoring Sunday 7-8 p.m. Virtual tutoring Monday 7-8 p.m. Virtual tutoring Tuesday 3-4 p.m. Face-to-face tutoring Wednesday 7-8 p.m. Virtual tutoring Thursday 3-4 p.m. Face-to-face tutoring the first hydroelectric plant at Niagara falls and proved to the world that this type of power was a practical energy source? Nikola Tesla. Who was experimenting with cryogenic engineering nearly half a century before its invention? Tesla. Who held patents over a hundred years ago that were later used in development of the transistor? Tesla. (The transistor is the device which makes the information age possible so you can refresh your Facebook page and whatnot.) Who was the first to record radio waves from outer space, (inadvertently making himself the father of radio astronomy)? Tesla. Who discovered the resonant frequency of the earth? Tesla. This was something scientists couldn’t con14 | The Epistle | September 2012
Thomas Edison, cont. from page 5
firm until 50 years later when technology had caught up to what Tesla’s amazeballs brain figured out in the 1890’s. So, with this incredible mind and all these inventions behind him, Tesla should have been rich and famous, right? Unfortunately, this was not the case. Tesla lived in a time when the world demanded results that were practical and profitable. People (back then) wanted light bulbs and toaster ovens, rather than radio astronomy. Tesla’s contributions were not incremental; they were revolutionary. One of Tesla’s final gifts to the world was a tower near New York City that would have provided free wireless energy to the entire planet. The man who financed
the construction of the tower shut it down when he learned that there would be no way to regulate the energy and therefore it wouldn’t make money. This acquisitiveness and greed plagued most of Tesla’s career, and he spent the majority of it being broke. In addition, Tesla also suffered from a disorder we now commonly refer to as “being completely insane.” Tesla hallucinated and often had a hard time differentiating between what was reality and what was imagination, which is why he spent years alone in his laboratory. Tesla often said that the only time he was happy was when he was cooped up in his lab. image courtesy of wilsonsketchblog.blogspot.com
What is autism? by Kelsi Allman
Autism is in fact becoming one person has the same combinaengaged personal trainer that can more and more common these days tion of symptoms, it is so difficult give the child their undivided attenaccording to psycologytoday.com. to pinpoint exactly what autism tion. Therapy seems to be the best What “autism” exactly is, however, is. Autism can be looked at on a way to help the little ones with their spectrum to understand it better. is unclear and confusing to many. discomforts. Examples of different types of therapy are speech- lanThe scientific term for Autism is Autism Spectrum Disorder guage, physical, applied behavior, (ASD). On this spectrum there and occupational therapy. are many different diagnoses and How can you connect to this? Many people believe that they symptoms. In general, autism is a may not know anyone with this disorder, but more likely than not brain problem that causes kids to have trouble communicating. you might. You may even notice it in small children because this is Not only does autism make it usually where it is first seen. Starthard for them to communicate, ing at a young age, Pre-Schools, but it also affects their behavior. such as Little Tree, help autistic Little ones with autism tend Kelsey Dagget and Kelsi Allman stand with an kids to become more communito misbehave mostly for atautistic boy while on a visit to Little Tree precative while cutting out behavior tention. Autistic children also school with the Service Leadership class. issues. However, no matter how are very sensitive to outside Autism is a brain disorder and the much therapy one may receive, the stimuli, such as bright lights and different symptoms can cause it to disorder still stays in their brain. loud sounds. They are attached to This aspect will stay with them be milder or more severe. unusual objects, perform repeated body movements for comfort, and Now that we know how kids forever. Thus, becomes a matter of tend to take comfort in routines. with autism act, how do we provide others helping and involving them, These are common symptoms that treatment for them? Well, this is an because they are still humans just like you. have been observed in studies of interesting question. If every kid is children with autism. Because not different, then you have to have an o’-lanterns originates from an Irish myth about a man named Stingy Jack, who twice tricked the Devil to get what he wanted. The first time, the two were out drinking together, and Stingy Jack (who was, well, stingy) convinced the Devil to transform into a coin to pay for the drinks. The Devil agreed, but Jack changed his mind and decided to pay with his own money. He put the coin in his pocket along with a silver cross that prevented the Devil from changing back to normal. Jack told the Devil he would release him only if the Devil promised to leave Stingy Jack alone for a year and to not claim his
Jack, cont. from page 9
soul when Jack died. The Devil, infuriated, reluctantly agreed. The second time, Jack tricked the Devil into climbing a tree and then carved a cross into the trunk, keeping him there until the Devil promised to leave Jack alone for ten more years. Again, the Devil had no choice but to consent. Stingy Jack eventually died (bargaining for immortality was apparently beyond his means). God understandably didn’t let him into Heaven. The Devil was fed up with him, so he was denied entrance into Hell, as well. He was condemned to roam the Earth as a ghost with only a burning coal to
light his way, which he put into a hollow turnip. His new name was “Jack of the Lantern,” eventually shortened to “Jack-o’-Lantern.” The Irish and Scottish began to make their own lanterns by carving out their own turnips and beets and putting them in windows or near doors in order to ward off Stingy Jack and other evil spirits. For those afraid of wandering spirits (or maybe just some wandering kids), make sure to put some jack-o’lanterns on your doorstep on Halloween!
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Saints tackle the Toros by Jonathan Landry and Katelanne Whitehead
Friday, October 5— The Saints, currently ranked 5th in the state in 5A, went to Spanish Fort to play the number 3 ranked Toros understanding it was important. The Toros was one of the biggest games of the season for the Saints. As Coach Mask said, “I think it’s two good football teams playing each other. They’re playing extremely well right now, probably as good as anyone in the state.” Both sides prepared for a big game. Leading up to the game, the biggest challenge came in the Toros’ senior quarterback, Joel Poe. “We knew they were going to throw the ball a lot, so we had to prepare for that before we could think about their running game.” said junior linebacker Zavier Carmichael. St. Paul’s fans supported their football team by joining the cheerleaders in a “white-out” to contrast the black and red uniforms worn by the Toros. Tensions ran high before the game as the Spanish Fort players warmed up. Their team was double the size of ours, and they were constantly yelling different things and making loud barking noises. For the cheerleaders it sure was intimidating! As the game kicked off, it appeared that both teams had come to play, but as the first half went on, the Saints took the lead. “We had prepared very well, and came out and played hard. We will continue to get better as we go on,” said junior offensive line16 | The Epistle | September 2012
man Josh Casher. The Saints scored first following a 3 yard run for a touchdown by senior running back Jordan Huff. Huff then scored another touchdown after a 23 yard run. Senior quarterback Bradley Padgett kept this lead going with a 40 yard pass to Tre Williams for a third touchdown. Freshman running back Ostin McPherson finished the half with a 38-yard run and touchdown, making the score 28—7. To many, it appeared that this game was over at the half. However Coach Mask knew that the Toros weren’t finished. “We knew it wasn’t over,” said Mask. “They are too talented.” At the beginning of the second half, the Toros drove 76 yards, ending with a 1-yard touchdown run. This touchdown brought the Saints’ lead down, making the score 28—14. After a failed drive by the Saints ending in a fumble, the Toros had the ball with a few minutes left in the third quarter. Jalen Thompson quickly ended this possession by intercepting Joel Poe’s pass. After an injury to Spanish Fort’s Justin Murray and a series of penalties, the Toros were fired up and quickly got the ball back. On this drive the Toros, drove the length of the field to score on a 2-yard run, bringing the score to 28—21. On the Saints’ next possession, the Saints fought through a tough and time-consuming drive. Saints’ quarterback Padgett
converted two 11-yard 3rd downs with passes to Trayon Tate and Stephen Fleming. At the end of the drive, the Saints faced a 4th and 8 with 1:33 left on the clock. Junior kicker Yannick Wildraut finished the drive with a 46-yard field goal that gave the Saints a two score lead of 31—21. The Saints’ fans chanted “Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na, Hey! Hey! Hey! GOODBYE!” as the Toros’ fans made their exits. With about a minute left in the game, the Toros got the ball back. Toros’ quarterback Poe was quickly intercepted by linebacker Zavier Carmichael and any chance that the Toros had of a comeback ended abruptly. This game was a major victory for the Saints, who move on further into their season. “It was a great victory,” said junior wide receiver Trayon Tate. This loss ended Spanish Fort’s perfect season as well as Joel Poe’s streak of not cutting his hair until the Toros lost a game. Senior defensive lineman Bryan Slater said, “We wooped them…” Junior lineman Keaton Andrus declared, “I played extremely well… and so did the rest of the team.” The Saints have big plans for this season, and it is obvious that they can make things happen with support from their families, friends, coaches and fans. The cheerleaders hope that you will join them in supporting the Saints every step of the way. Go Saints!
The Secret Swimmers by Lexi Long
and State Championships,” states everyone to come out and cheer During the fall semester the big sport that everyone seems Coach Kerns. As of now, the girls on the team as they, “Just Keep have an 8-3 record and the boys to get caught up in is football. Swimming,” as Dory from Finding Everyone is always talking about have a record of 9-2. At the CMSA Nemo says. “the boys of fall”, Friday night High School Invitational, the As a student body, it is lights, the SEC nation, whose team competed against 9 other our job to support each and every team is going to win, the national high school teams. The girls took team and athlete equally; without championship, the Iron Bowl- you 3rd place and the boys were the each team our school wouldn’t name it. If it is anything remotely champions of the entire meet. The be as great as it is. Coach Kerns related to that says that he is flying pig skin, it extremely proud is most likely beof each of his ing talked about swimmers and by someone at he gives all of some point in the credit to the day. Here the entire team in the South, for their early football is more and continuthan a sport, it is ing success. a religion. EvCoach Kerns ery high school brags about the student has his perseverance or her Friday of each of his nights planned athletes from around his or the beginners to her team, and in the more expeeach household, rienced: “We Cooper Brown, a senior member, swims to victory. every Saturday is photo courtesy of Linda Wettermarkhave some ‘rookies’ dedicated to a colwho have stepped up to lege football game, from August swim some unfamiliar events and team works very hard, practicing through November, if not longer. performed well. Their versatility almost every day for about two However, as great as our is as important to the team’s suchours. boys are out on the field, football Not only do these talented cess as are those who are winning is not the only sport going on dur- athletes spend most of their days events.” Each member of the team ing the fall; for instance, here at St. in the water training to make our is dedicated and hardworking; Paul’s we have an amazing swim school proud, they also dedicate who knows, we may have the next and dive team that often goes un- most of their Saturdays competMichael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, or recognized for their accomplishing in meets against other schools. Missy Franklin on our hands. The ments. Coach Tyler Kerns tells me The next big meet for the team next time you pass by one of our that the team is doing very well is on October 27th, where the swimmers, be sure to commend this year. “We are pleased with our team will compete against every and congratulate them for all of early season success, however, we Mobile County team and a few their hard work, devotion, and realize there is a lot of preparaothers from the Baldwin County success. tion to be done before County area. Coach Kerns encourages 17
Nearing the The Epistle’s salute
Football
The Saints have had a dominant season with a 6-2 record overall and a 4-1 record in their area (as of 10/25/12). They will take on their rival UMS this Friday at home, then continue onto the playoffs November 9th. They will play the loser of the Benjamin-Russell-Eufala game. photo courtesy M&A Studios
Zavier Carmichael tackles Spanish Fort’s Sammy Tolbert. Photo courtesy Bill Starling.
Volleyball With a 43-17 record, the Lady Saints have continued their tradition of wreaking havoc on the courts. They hope to three-peat at state this year. They leave for the state tournament today, October 31st.
Varsity volleyball team members. Top row (from left to right): Coach Kelli Hillier, Mackensie Williams, Morgan Eiland, Shelley Spires, Bradley Carrington, Lindsey Kendall. Bottom row: Kittie Harless, MacKensie Moseley, Kaleigh Wilks, and Ali Sutherland. Not pictured: Kourtney Wadkins
18 | The Epistle | September 2012
image courtesy Halo staff
finish line to fall sports
Swimming & Diving The swim team is
coached by Tyler Kerns and Anne Marie Sims this year. They are led by senior team members Cooper Brown and Grace Molyneux. They will swim in the area championships on November 16th. The state meet is from November 10th to December 1st at Auburn University. Image courtesy Bess Nichols
Boys & Girls Cross-Country Cross country girls and boys will run section qualifiers Thursday, November 1st at Mobile Municipal Park. They will run at the state meet on November 10th. Both teams are coached by the St. Paul’s legend, Coach Jim Tate.
Girl’s cross-country varsity team members. From left to right: Siobhan Johnson, Holly Friedlander, Anna Braswell, Alice Phillips, Alana Babington, Boo Krause, and Gracie Whiston.
Rand Whitesman runs during a meet earlier in the year. Image courtesy Leigh Terrell
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name that car by Julia Logan
Students like to identify themselves with stickers on their car. For example, fishermen are proud of their Salt Life stickers, while hunters prefer their Browning deer. And soccer moms proudly display their entire family in stick people (while soccer mom hunters portray their entire family in stick figure deer). Can you identify the drivers of these cars by their stickers?
#1
#2
#3 #1--Case Hillier, #2-Alexander McCall, #3--Hootie Hollister
Coming up
November 2nd.................Saints vs. UMS @ home November 6th..................Election Day November 10th to 12th...Youth Judicial November 12th................Veteran’s Day Assembly November 19th to 23rd...Thanksgiving Break November 28th................Mama Goldberg’s Catered Lunch December 7th..................Epistle distributed
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