THE
Starkville High School
JACKET BUZZ Volume XXV, No. 2 • September 12, 2016
INSIDE
Brian Xu gives back
Xu meets with Juniors and Seniors at SHS By Savannah Munn Jacket Buzz Staff
Cafe corwded during after school bus dismissal Page 2
New pep rally rubic set for pep rallies Page 3
Family on the course and off the course Page 6
Brian Xu is giving back to the community and returning to his roots at SHS. Class of 2012 valedictorian and recent Stanford graduate, Xu got both an undergraduate degree in economics and graduate degree in public policy in only four years. Returning home, he reached out to SHS and volunteered his time. The school put him to work speaking to juniors and seniors about life after high school. “You’re not going to be in high school forever,” was Submitted Photo the catchphrase of his first Brian Xu meets with juniors and seniors who signed up for his morning session. presentation on September students met in the library that top schools, like Stan- was a good fit for me. In gen1 during first and second for a more casual conversa- ford, expect high academ- eral schools don’t want an block. tion time with Brian. ics Students also discussed academic robot.” Juniors and seniors gath “What does it take to get the ACT, college essays, and Xu will return to California to ered in the theater to listen into a top school? Besides maintaining GPA; a few also work at Linked In, a Microsoft to Xu’s words of wisdom, ACT, what would help me met one-on-one with Brian company, representing the which were funny and relat- get into a school like Stan- for more personalized help Jacket Nation in San Francisco able while being applicable ford?” asked Reese Dunne, with applications and what and encouraging students to to real life. The next week on a junior interested in a busi- comes next. “Its also about pursue education in efficient Wednesday and Thursday ness major. Brian explained fit. For example, Stanford but fun and fulfilling ways.
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The Jacket Buzz
Jacket Cafe experiencing overcrowding
Homecoming approaching right around the corner
By Mari Hunter Brown Jackets Buzz Staff
By Hailey Locke
The Yellow Jacket Café is overcrowded during bus dismissal every afternoon at SHS. Since the first day of school, students that ride the bus home have been crammed in the café, which has a seating capacity of 480. Transportation Director Kelvin Gibson for the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District says the number of students that ride a bus home each day is seven hundred. That leaves two hundred twenty students without a seat in the Cafe “During the first week of school, bus dismissal did not end until 7:00pm, but the average windup time is about 4:30,” Principal Sean McDonnall said. Each day there are five administrators and four teachers stationed for after school bus duty, monitoring the seven hundred students who take the provided transportation home. According to statistics, each adult on bus duty is responsible for seventyeight of the students in the cafeteria during dismissal.
Before class starts on a Thursday morning the Student council meets in Mrs. Blackwell’s classroom to prepare for the upcoming homecoming week of October 17-21. The process for homecoming week started in the summer time. Each student council member submitted two ideas for the theme, and they narrowed the votes down from there. The process to choose the themes for dress up days is a little more complicated; therefore, the dress up days for the week are still TBA. With all 53 student council members there are plenty of ideas for the dress up days, but it’s difficult for 53 people to agree on one thing: they text in a remind 101 to vote on what they would like the dress up days to be. The whole student council joins in on voting, except for the president, because the president proposes what they vote on. For the events of homecoming
Jacket Buzz Staff
Photo by MH Brown /Jacket Buzz Staff Photo
Students wait for their bus to arrive at SHS to go home.
Another problem is that Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District has a high demand for bus drivers. McDonnall said, “SOCSD hired four new bus drivers. That same day, six drivers called in with extended illnesses preventing them to come into work.” If the SOCSD is caught violating capacity, they can be charged with a one thousand dollar fine that will have to be paid to Mississippi Insurance Department, according to the Mississippi Insurance Department, Fire Code Safety Enforcement website.
September 12, 2016
there will be a car parade, powder puff game, car show, and a semi formal dance. The theme for the whole week is decades. The decades for each class will be 20s, freshmen; 80s, Sophomores; 50s,Juniors; and90s, Seniors. All four classes will be competing to win homecoming week. Categories being judged are hallway decoration, dress up days participation in each class, attendance at events, finding the yellow jacket, dance competition, car show, and most pep at the pep rally. The other schools in the Starkville Oktibbeha School District will all be able to participate in home coming week.
Attention Seniors
The senior patio is now open. New rules are in place to keep the patio open. If any underclassman are caught in the patio, they will recieve a day of ISS. To enter the patio, seniors must show an ID to a teacher to exit the cafeteria door. Thank you to Coach Carlisle’s Class for cleaning up the patio.
Photo by Maggie Miller/Jacket Buzz Staff Photo
Coach Carlisle’s Horticulture I class cleans the senior patio for its grand opening this past Tuesday.
September 12, 2016
The Jacket Buzz
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Pep Club and Ping Pong Club make debut at Club Day By Dawson Burrell Jacket Buzz Staff
The number of clubs at SHS is definitely on the rise. Many opportunities exist to join a variety of clubs at SHS including a few new clubs such as Pep Club and PingPong Club. “Pep Club is a great opportunity to get involved with fellow students to help plan and organize
student sections for major athletic events.” said Co-Vice President, Camryn Dawkins. Pep Club also is in the process of getting busses approved for a number of students to ride to away games for any student who is signed up to be a part of Pep Club. Co-President, Anna Byrd, said,”When we plan a theme for the student section, also known as
‘The Nest’, we try our best to base the theme of The Nest off of the opposing team’s mascot. Ping-Pong Club is another new club at SHS. It’s a club for for anyone who enjoys playing Ping-Pong for fun. The Ping-Pong meets once a week on Thursday mornings at 8:00. These two clubs plus many more Photo by Joah Poople/Jacket Buzz Staff Photo Students engage with club represenwere displayed at SHS’s annual tatives at the annual Club Day. Club Day this past Wednesday.
Pep Rally Rubric has a new look for the school year By Anna Byrd
Jacket Buzz Staff
The first pep rally of the school year was held on Friday, August 19. In the past, the band plays, the cheerleaders perform, and the classes compete for the spirit stick, but this year pep rallies are a little different. Although a pep rally is primarily focused towards the sport of the season, in this case football, here at Starkville High School we’re working to encourage students to get more involved. The cheerleading squad has been working to perfect stunts and cheers, band students come to
chant participation, volume, “Where the Jackets at” spirit yell, and overall class spirit. There are a possible 80 points to be awarded. An informal committee of teachers gather together before the pep rally to get a rubric to be used to score each grade. Assistant cheer coach, Mrs. Blackwell said, “I decided to create a rubric for the pep rally to Photo by MH Brown/Jacket Buzz Staff Photo ensure that all grades have an SHS Seniors participate in the dance off with the football team during the first equal opportunity to win the pep pep rally of the year. rally. The rubric also allows mulThe winner of the pep rally is tiple teachers to judge; it is more school early to beat the heat and practice so their performance is determined by a few of things: about the work put in and more flawless, and each grade unites, How many students are dressed well rounded participation.” incorporating the theme of the in the theme of the week, their game to show their school pride. use of signs and props, cheer/
Leadership Team
Staff
Rachel Adair, Carrington Ashford, Sarah Blanton, Mari Hunter Brown, Dawson Burrell, Anna Byrd, LJ Dumas, KB Hobart, Trey Jackson, Hailey Locke, Madelyn Methvin, Maggie Miller, Savannah Munn, Katelynn Peeples, Joah Poole, Bryan Richey, Clay Roberts, Braxton Stone, Angel Tate, GG Thurlow
Editor in Chief: Camryn Dawkins Faculty Adviser: Angela Hobart
Editorial Policy
The Jacket Buzz is published by the Journalism Department at Starkville High School. The Jacket Buzz is a student-run publication committed to providing SHS with objective information and serves as a forum for student expression. Opinions expressed are those of students and do not necessarily reflect the views of administrators and others in the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. Content decisions are made by student editors. Factual errors will be corrected in the next scheduled edition. Letters to the editor are accepted and published, excluding those that are deemed libelous or disruptive. Unsigned or anonymous letters will not be published. All letters are subject to editing for grammar and space availability. All letters and comments may be e-mailed to shsjacketbuzz@gmail.com.
Opinion 9th grade cheerleaders
Page 4 The Jacket Buzz September 12, 2016
Robertson’s idea to run should cheer for 9th grade cafeteria more efficietly By GG Thurlow
Jacket Buzz Staff
The junior varsity and varsity cheer squads were combined into one squad for the 2016-17 school year. The team gained many new teammates and two new coaches. Because there is no longer a ninth grade squad, Coach Henderson and Coach Blackwell split the varsity team into two groups (a gold squad and a black squad). The squads alternate cheering at ninth grade football games. The way the groups are composed, there is at least one upperclassman (10th, 11th, 12th) at every junior varsity football game. I am one of the sophomore cheerleaders on the squad and personally, not only do I dislike
cheering for ninth grade football, but I also don’t think I should have to. One reason I do not want to cheer at ninth grade games is because GG Thurlow Columnist the players are not in my grade, so I don’t know for whom I’m cheering. Another reason I feel strongly opposed to cheering for 9th grade is I cheered for them last year as a 9th grader, and I really didn’t like it because there was never a band to dance to. There are five freshmen cheerleaders on the new cheer squad. Five girls is enough to be heard when cheering, to have one stunt group, and three motion ripples.
By Clay Roberts Jacket Buzz Staff
Currently in the Yellow Jacket Café there are 3 lunch lines. Combined, they serve almost all of the students and faculty, but the food lines are so congested that some students are waiting up to half of the allotted lunch time waiting in line. Two of the 3 lines serve chicken sandwiches and cheeseburgers daily, and the 3rd serves ‘hot food’ that rotates everyday. I believe it would be beneficial if there was a 4th line added, the cafeteria would run more efficiency. A lternatively, to create variety, the school could change one of two chicken sandwich lines to serve another food or genre of foods, like healthy options. Add-
ing another food line that did not require cooking and was only prepackaged foods (ex. PB&J with a Granola Bar) would cut down on labor Clay Roberts and save time. Columnist Another consideration is, if changing one of the sandwich line to serve strictly healthy food choices, it could also have ice-cream or a desert as a trade off so it would still hold its appeal. These changes are only ideas, and currently things are running well, but with some small changes the lunch time experiencecould on ly be improved from here.
Harambe becomes the punch line of jokes some claiming that he was one of the “celebrities” that died in 2016. Harambe has become a joke in many people’s eyes and is most of the time brought up ironically, which is
their species left in the world. Jacket Buzz Staff This is another reason why people should not take serious topHarambe was a gorilla at the ics and make them such trivial Cincinnati zoo that was shot afjokes. ter starting a scare when a child Harambe the Gorilla did not sneaked into the exhibit and deserve to be shot neither did he threw the child around. deserve to become the butt of evJoah Poole The zookeepers believed that Columnist ery joke in the past few months, the best option was to shoot the after such little consideration. It gorilla in order to guarantee the disrespectful. just proves how lazy, ignorant, child’s safety. Harambe soon beGorillas are endangered, and cruel people can be when came an Internet icon of sorts, meaning, there are very few of attempting to put their problem By Joah Poole
solving skills in stressful situations. Thus, Harambe was not a “Wonderful Hero” or an “Inspiration of us all” he was a gorilla, and childish people don’t want to accept this because they want to have a joke that is very dark and that only a small quantity of people will find funny. To those people I have this to say to you, Get over yourselves.
Sports New goals and coach for SHS Volleyball
Page 5 The Jacket Buzz September 12,2016
By KB Hobart
Jacket Buzz Staff Longevity is important as was evident with seven-year volleyball coach, Lauren Love. However the Jackets have made a change this year and are looking forward to more success. Starkville High athletics hired a new coaching staff for the current season. Head coach, Maureen Whann played at Mississippi state in the 80s. She has coached for 27 years and officiated many volleyball games. “This season our goal is to make play offs for sure and to beat Madison Central,” Whann said. The team has been working on their bonding as a whole team to help on the
Photo By KB Hobart /Jacket Buzz Staff Coach Whann calls a timeout to strategize.
court. “As a volleyball team girls need to bond before you can battle,”said Whann.
Assistant coach Anna Price played volleyball in middle school and high school. She also is a teacher at Sud-
duth Elementary School. Price said, “My goal for the team this season is definitely to make playoffs, but to also improve after every practice and every game.” The new coaching staff has meshed well. “Working with Price is a blast to me [Whann]; we get along very well and enjoy what we do.” The volleyball team is running a new offense this season so the girls have had a lot of changes so far. As a whole the team has made a positive impression upon the new coaching staff. The volleyball team faces their rival, Madison Central Tuesday, September 13, on the road.
Boys’ soccer becomes a fourth block class By Angel Tate
Jacket Buzz Staff
During forth block several sports teams practice including: basketball, football, baseball, and even cheer. Now this year Starkville High has added boys’ soccer to this list. Now that the guys have soccer as a class it gives them the opportunity to condition and practice year round and not just during the season. Junior Reese Dunne said,“The thing I like most about having soccer forth block is the continuity of being a team all year round instead of just during the soccer season. “Every day of school is a day we get to practice; therefore we get a lot more touches on the
ball and better preparation for the season Dunne said. Dunne also thinks it is also really cool to walk with the other athletes to practice while the rest of the school is in class working. “The only thing I don’t like is the heat, but I’m sure once the year goes by it will be fine,” Dunne said. Having soccer as a class benefits the boys greatly, the guys will have much more time to improve their skills before the start of the season. With practicing forth block, the team will miss less class time on game days. The Yellowjackets will kick off their season October 29, 2016, Photo by Madelyn Methvin/Jacket Buzz Staff Photo against Pontotoc. Senior Hudson Grant challenges Senior Vance Dewberry as he tries to find an open man to pass the ball during fourth block practice.
Page 6 The Jacket BuzzSeptember 12, 2016
Ten sets of siblings compete on Cross Country Team running partner to keep me motivated,” A. Musser said. The brother-sister duo of the For many athletes their sports Spradling siblings has not always team is often considered to be been a part of the same team, but like their “family.” For the SHS this year, freshman, Lane SpraCross Country team, that state- dling, has joined older brother ment is taken very literally. Lake on the SHS team. On this team are 10 sets of sib“Last year, my sister was not on lings: the Mussers, the Spradlings, the cross country team with me, and the Mattoxes. but this year she is, which makes The Musser siblings are Shan- things a little bit different. I now ika and Abigail. Abigail, junior, have someone I can talk to about said that she does not think she the day’s workout once I get would have ever started running home. Having her on the team without her older siblings lead- now, also puts me into the posiing the way. tion of being an example for her “Shanika is my primary run- to follow and look up to,” Lake ning partner, which is great be- Spradling said. Another sibling cause when teammates aren’t group on the team is the Mattox around, I always have a built-in sisters. Currently, there are three By Maggie Miller Jacket Buzz Staff
of the four sisters on the team; the oldest sister has already graduated. Younger sister, Libby and older sister, Kate, join sophomore Caroline on the team. “My sisters affect me on and off the course. When I’m slacking or don’t feel like running one morning, they always motivate me to get back on my feet and push me to do my best, every run,” Caroline said. Although it is normal for siblings to want their space from each other and some could never imagine being on the same team, these SHS cross country studentathletes would not have it any other way.
Photo by MH Brown/Jacket Buzz Staff Photo
Lake Spradling crosses the finishline at the Hannah Pote Run for Education. Lake and his younger sister Lane both run on the cross counrty team.
Attendance at football games on the rise out yet again, this time in safari theme as the Jackets beat West Point 28-7. It’s no secret that the As many students have noticed, student body loves showing the Nest this year has had an in- school spirit and that school spircrease this year in attendance. So it inspires the football team. far this season, the Jackets are un“I love football games because defeated and The Nest has been they are a lot of fun and are a big there through it all. part of my high school experiIn the season opener against ence” said Senior Anna Hayden Noxubee, the theme was Safari Taylor. and the Jackets defeated the TiJunior Tyler Dickerson said he gers 24-21. Game two was consid- likesto go to football games beered the most impressive game cause I love to support the team for The Nest so far, as many stu- and we win all the time. dent dressed for a blackout game “I think that it makes the school went to Oxford and watched the look good and it motivates us to Jackets win their third straight perform well.” said Junior quarLittle Egg Bowl by a score of 28- terback Ben Owens. The new and 16. improved Nest has been a big In game three The Nest showed part of the team’s success so far. By Bryan Richey Jacket Buzz Staff
Photo by Camryn Dawkins/Jacket Buzz Staff Photo
Senior Sam Snell and Buzz the Mascot celebrate a touchdown by the Jackets in the student section
“It really pumps up Jeremiah” said Junior linebacker Seth Prewitt. The students and players both
love the way things have been going and hope it can continue. The Next game is at Meridian this Friday.