COMING ATTRACTIONS: OG Drama, HCLO set stage for upcoming performances > PG 6
thewarriorbeat
Vol. 53, Issue 7 April 23, 2015 Oak Grove High School www.thewarriorbeat.com
INSIDE
Newspaper, yearbook bring home awards from state competition
CENTERSTAGE!
By: Lucy Pruitt Staff Reporter
@Lucy_Lu_too
OPINION
Misconceptions of the millenial generation: Where do they come from? > PG 5
SUBMITTED PHOTO
CELEBRATING WITH HIGHER LOVE
WARRIOR BASEBALL
Heading to the playoffs > PG 3
Centerstage is victorious after a successful competition in Orlando, Florida.
Show choir heads to Chicago
By: Casey Ford Staff Reporter
@caseym_ford
On Saturday, March 21, the Oak Grove High School Centerstage show choir traveled to Orlando, Florida, to compete in the FAME Orlando Show Choir competition. For twenty years, FAME Events has produced professional-level events for show choirs around the country. Through the development of the
By: Hannah Lee
BALANCING ACT
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How do athletes balance sports and academics? > PG 9
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS
Is love a science? > PG 10
working diligently to put on its best performance that weekend and was very pleased with the result. Senior Centerstage member and FAME-named Best Male Vocalist JB Bounds expressed his gratitude to everything and everyone who has helped make this show choir season a successful one. “I’m proud of this group for all of the work we put into our show this year. I think I See CHOIR > PG2
See AWARDS > PG2
Culinary team travels to California
ON THE STAGE
OGHS students shine in Jungle Book > PG 2
National Show Choir Championship series, FAME aims to expose, enhance, and encourage the talent of many young people and provide world-class staging and lighting to do it. A regional competition, FAME Orlando hosted nearly twenty high school choirs from around the country, and Centerstage was awarded second in their division, as well as the Best Visuals caption award. The group had been
That’s right, Warriors! Oak Grove’s favorite newspaper and yearbook staffs have gone another round at the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association, and this time they came back champions. MSPA was founded in 1947 to help student journalists in Mississippi improve their journalistic and communication skills, and the convention for high schoolers is held in Oxford where classes and seminars are hosted before finishing off with the awards show that names the best writers, staffers, and journalistic schools in the state. These annual conventions are encouraging to newspaper and yearbook staffs across the state each year because MSPA reassures them that high school journalism is not a lost art and is a valued aspect of any college application and can lead to many different job opportunities if pursued. At the 2015 MSPA competition, Oak Grove High School’s newspaper The Warrior Beat and yearbook, The Warrior were awarded over 70 titles, winning the most recognition of any school in attendance by a large margin.
nical errors but felt the students sold their concept,” culinary arts @Hannahblanklee (Instagram) teacher Debbie Miller said. The restaurant concept was he culinary arts team at “Deep South Blues,” a bluesOak Grove is not just good at creating edible themed establishment with perand delicious pieces of formances from local artists. art, but it is also excellent at sell- Chambliss says the idea stems ing a restaurant concept, which from creating a relaxed and comevidently showed off in the man- fortable setting. Menu items include southern classics and agement compeinspired dishes tition hosted in Jackson’s In order to win, we had to such as the Bonconvention cenput a lot of time and effort nie Rae Rockin’ ter. Over fifty schools into our project to really sell Soup, an original meal named for from all over the state our restaurant concept to competed for a chance the judges and make them the restaurant’s to go to Disneyland believe in the concept the theme. Part of winning the state in California for the way we did. competition did National Restaurant - TYLER CHAMBLISS, 12 not just come Association’s ProStart from the pure talcompetition. The team competed among others from ent and passion of the team, around the country and received however. The fluidity and the positive feedback from the judg- tight-knit cohesion with which es. “The team did great. The the team worked under tied evjudges said we had a few tech- erything together. Staff Reporter
ART OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The OGHS Culinary Arts team takes home the first place trophy at the state competition and then moved on to compete at Nationals in Anaheim, California. Pictured (left to right): Jordan Clark, Shameria Jones, Katie Green, Justice McCoy, Tyler Chambliss.
Tyler Chambliss, a senior in culinary arts, said, “It was an extremely competitive environment with a lot of diverse projects to compete with. In order to do well, we had to put a lot of time and effort into our project to really sell our restaurant concept to the judges and make
them believe in the concept the way we did.” Though being introduced to new ideas and new people are a key section of competing in entrepreneurial tournaments, the culinary arts team impressed the judges with their dedication and passion to the restaurant concept.
2 news
coming
UP
Speech & Debate State Championships APRIL 24-25 Regional Track Meet @ Meridian APRIL 25 Softball Playoffs APRIL 25 Debate Team Auditions APRIL 29 Baseball Playoffs APRIL 30 Drama goes to NYC MAY 1 OG Band Concert MAY 2 Mother’s Day May 10 Speech & Debate NIETOC Championships MAY 7-11 Cross Country Tryouts MAY 7 State Track Meet MAY 8
The Jungle Book Oak Grove students shine in annual play
By: Katie Williams Editor
@katiewilliams97
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his year, Warriors Take a Bow productions presented their 6th annual spring show on Thursday, March 26, at the Oak Grove Primary auditorium. Past shows included Snow White, Peter Pan, Charlotte’s Web, and the Wizard of Oz. This year’s show was The Jungle Book and was performed by OGHS and OGMS community-based classes. The play follows Mowgli, a child raised in the jungle and his friends Baloo the Bear and Bagheera the Panther as they convince him to leave the jungle before the tiger Shere Khan arrives, but in typical Disney fashion, Mowgli is not able to make it out of the jungle. Oak Grove’s own Ms. Megan Hogue wrote the adaptation that the community-based classes performed. Mrs. Jane Thomas served as the
play coordinator. Reed Blackburn played Mowgli. Brett Matheny presented his rendition of Baloo. Emilee Flurry performed the role of Bagheera, and Allen Jones was Shere Khan. The play also featured many other roles, like elephants and monkeys. Grace Duggan, Madison Woodard, Laundin Lang, and Julia Null served as narrators. Each year, members of the OGHS and OGMS Junior Civitan clubs accompany cast members on stage as “shadows” to assist with lines and blocking. Club members also volunteered as stage hands, light and sound technicians, and worked the front of the house. Audience members included family and friends of the cast members, and the cast members’ friends from other schools. The actors were extremely happy that their special friends from work came to watch them perform.
Drama Spring Show MAY 12 & 14 Last Day for Seniors MAY 19 Graduation Practice MAY 21 Speech & Debate NCFL National Tournament MAY 21 Last Day, 60% Day MAY 22 Graduation MAY 23
I WANNA BE LIKE YOU
MYCAH KENNEDY PHOTO
Middle school student Reed Blackburn and high school student Brett Matheny love performing in their plays. They are part of community-based classes.
The cast members and their “shadows” spent many hours practicing for this performance, and all of their hard work paid off. Allen Jones, who was Shere Khan, is proud of his friends in the play. “We worked really hard and practiced during school,” Jones said. Jones said, with a “roar,” that his favorite part of the play was playing the tiger. “My favorite part of acting is saying a prayer before the show. It means that the show is being performed for God,” Jones added. All funds received through ticket sales, DVD sales, and tshirt sales benefit the ARC of Hattiesburg. Jones believes the hard work definitely paid off and The Jungle Book is the best play that Warriors Take a Bow has ever performed.
MYCAH KENNEDY PHOTO
JUST KITTEN
SENIORS: Graduation Practice
MAY 21 Reed Green Coliseum
9:45 a.m.
CHOIR
Continued from PG1 speak for all of the seniors when I say we especially appreciate the support shown by the students and staff,” Bounds said. While it certainly demands a sense of discipline and devotion, showchoir is “the funnest [sic] thing I do” for many Centerstage members. “Showchoir is fun. It’s so awesome to see a group of people that all really want the same thing and work together to achieve it,” junior Centerstage member Caroline Glaze said. She also echoed Bounds’ con-
beat’s bits
“We just didn’t feel finished after Orlando. That’s why we are working hard to raise the money and perfect our show for Chicago.” JB Bounds agreed. “Going into Orlando, I felt that our show was pretty solid. With just under a month until Chicago, we’ve had a chance to step back and breathe for a minute. Now that rehearsals are back in full swing, I feel that we have an opportunity to approach everything with a fresh perspective, and fine-tune our performance for Chicago,” Bounds concluded. Centerstage is set to compete a final time at FAME Chicago on April 25, 2015.
NEWS
GERMANWINGS FLIGHT CRASHES
The Germanwings Flight 9525 from Spain to Germany ended in tragedy when 150 passengers went down in an intentional crash into the French mountainside on March 24, 2015. The co-pilot held responsible for the wreckage of Germanwings Flight 9525, Andreas Lubitz, allegedly struggled with depression, was deemed “unfit for work,” and was tested for suicidal tendencies prior to the crash. The pilot’s quick departure for the restroom opened the window for Lubitz’s plan to nose dive into the French Alps and become a tragic success.
AWARDS Continued from PG1
N E W S PA P E R
• Mississippi Newspaper Editor of the Year - Taylor Parsons • Mississippi State University Communications Scholarship - Taylor Parsons • University of Southern Mississippi Communications Scholarship - Jenna Clair Lee • 1st - Best in Show • 1st - Advertising Design • 1st - Sports Writing • 2nd - Best of Mississippi • 2nd - Print Design • 2nd - Opinion Writing • 2nd - News Writing • 3rd - Feature Writing • 1st - Newspaper Cartoons - Taylor Parsons • 1st - Page Design - Kirk McCarty • 1st - Reviews - Luke Anderson • 1st - Entertainment Writing - Lucy Pruitt • 1st - Sports Column - Jonathan Brent • 1st - Feature Writing - Olivia Diaz • 1st - News/Feature Photography - Abby Anderson • 1st - News Photography - Abby Anderson • 1st - Advertising Design - Mary Morgan Gratwick • 1st - Sports Photography - Mary Morgan Gratwick • 1st - Nameplate Design - Tia Bullock • 1st - Centerspread Design - Tia Bullock • 1st - Front Page Design - Andrew Rigel • 2nd - News Writing - Taylor Parsons • 2nd - Personal/General Interest Columns - Taylor Parsons • 2nd - Sports Features - Kirk McCarty • 2nd - Reviews - Lucy Pruitt • 2nd - Opinion Writing - Katie Williams • 2nd - Sports Column - Jonathan Brent • 2nd - Sports Writing - Jonathan Brent • 2nd - Feature Writing - Samantha Papp • 2nd - News/Feature Photography - Ariel Cobbert • 2nd - Advertising Design - Mary Morgan Gratwick • 2nd - Cartoons - Grace Wilkes Mozingo • 3rd - Cartoons - Taylor Parsons • 3rd - Inside Page Design - Taylor Parsons • 3rd - Reviews - Katie Williams • 3rd - Sports Column - Jonathan Brent • 3rd - Sports Photography - Ariel Cobbert
YEARBOOK
2014 YEARBOOK
• 1st - Best of Mississippi • 1st - Advertising Design • 1st - Cover Design • 1st - Student Life Copy • 1st - Table of Contents • 2nd - Student Life Photography • 2nd - Student Life Reporting • 2nd - Student Life Photography • 2nd - Clubs & Organization Photography • 2nd - Sports Copy • 2nd - Overall Design • 2nd - Sports Photography • 3rd - Graphics / Art • 3rd - Multimedia Integration
2015 YEARBOOK
Emilee Flurry pauses to belt opera in her role as Bagheera in The Jungle Book as community-based teacher Megan Hogue looks on with pride.
tentment with this year. “I’m really pumped our hard work payed off at the Orlando performance. I’m excited that we’ve done so well this year because it sets the tone for my senior year and gives everyone something to keep working towards next year,” Glaze added. Along with its First Runner Up title, Centerstage was invited to progress to the national competition in Chicago in late April. While there was some debate over the show choir’s next move, the students, along with their parents and director, Darren Dale, have decided to accept the invitation and advance to nationals. In the words of senior Centerstage member Will Ford,
April 23, 2015
ARKANSAS PASSES RELIGIOUS FREEDOM BILL Citizens of Arkansas are riled over the approval of a religious freedom measure that some believe may be discriminatory against homosexuals. Although there is already much controversy over the state law in Indiana, Arkansas continued to approve this bill, not considering the possibility of negative feedback. This new bill gives business owners the right to turn away customers with different beliefs. Many citizens disagreed with the bill and compared the situation to segregation. However, some business owners support the law, believing that because they do not agree with homosexuals’ lifestyles, homosexuals do not have to agree with the way they run their businesses.
• Yearbook Staffer of the Year - Madison Dyar • 3rd - Sports Reporting - Jonathan Brent • 1st - Business Ad Design - Abby Anderson • 1st - News / Feature Photos - Mary Morgan Gratwick • 1st - Table of Contents - Amanda Phillips • 1st - Opening Page Design - Elizabeth Lawhead • 1st - Division Page Design - Elizabeth Lawhead • 1st - Graphic Package - Sally Autry • 1st - Spread Design - Sally Autry • 2nd - Graphic Package - Elizabeth Lawhead • 2nd - Academic Photo - Sally Autry • 2nd - News/Feature Photos - Madison Dyar • 2nd - Spread Design - Madison Dyar • 2nd - Graphic Art - Tatum Nace • 2nd - Division Page Design - Amanda Phillips • 3rd - News / Feature Photos - Mary Morgan Gratwick • 3rd - Senior Ad Design - Madison Dyar • 3rd - Business Ad Design - Aly Abel • 3rd - Spread Design - Aly Abel
By: Emily Burnett| Staff Reporter
PROPOSED END TO COMMON CORE? A bill that will put an end to Common Core in Mississippi has officially been sent to Governor Phil Bryant for a final signature. The bill passed in the Senate 87 to 29 and passed in the House with only six ‘no’ votes. If this bill is approved, all aspects of Common Core, such as the PARCC test, will supposedly be eliminated from Mississippi curriculum. However, some believe that the bill will not benefit Mississippi’s education. “This bill means nothing. It’s nothing but smoke and mirrors,” Senator Chris McDaniel said. Although some have had their doubts in the whole voting process, most believe that the elimination of Common Core will enable Mississippi schools to be ranked amongst the highest in the U.S. and possess stronger academic standards.
sports 3
April 23, 2015
Warriors roll into the playoffs for the Warriors, who finished the night with 11 hits. @JonathanLeBrent With only two district losshe Oak Grove Base- es, the victory sealed a third ball team is heat- straight division title for the ing up right at the Warrior. Not only did the Warperfect time in its riors seal a district title with the 2015 campaign. Fresh off of a victory, but they also clinched a 5-1 victory of crosstown rival first round bye in the 2015 6A Sumrall, the Warriors boast a playoffs. Twenty-six games into the 19-7 record on the year, along year, the Warriors are led in hitwith a Divison 5-6A champiting by senior shortstop Matonship. thew Guidry. Guidry is .444 The win for the Warriors over the Sumrall Bobcats on with 36 hits, 7 doubles and 19 Monday night consisted of RBI’s. Junior catcher Austin a JC Keys complete game. O’Flynn is hitting .316 with 25 The complete game was Keys hits, 6 doubles and 16 RBI’s. fourth this year, and second Keys and Guidry lead the team in homeruns with two apiece. against Sumrall this year. RBI’s for the Warriors Most recently, Guidry hit a came from a Drew Boyd single 3-run homerun to right center in the first, a Jonathan Brent against Taylorsville on April 11. On the mound, the Wargroundout in the first and an riors are led by Keys and Boyd. Austin O’Flynn sac fly in the Both have been lights out with second. The other two runs records of 6-0 and two shutwere scored on outs. Keys has Bobcat errors. a 1.01 ERA We should be a strong On April contender in the playoffs. We with 71 strike9, the Warouts while riors needed a vic- just have to play our game.” Boyd has an tory over district foe - DANIEL MOORE ERA of 1.06 Brandon to clinch Junior centerfielder with 53 strikeanother Division 5-6A title. The Black and Gold outs. The Warriors seem to like the did just that, by a convincing score of 9-2. It was Keys again position they are in as a team who threw 6-plus innings of headed into the postseason. “I work against the Bulldogs think we are right where we with sophomore Drew Boyd need to be this year. Our team coming in to finish the sev- is great, with plenty of heart to enth. Boyd was 1 for 3 on the make it all of the way to State evening with 3 of the Warriors again,” junior catcher Austin 9 RBI’s. Sophomore third O’Flynn said. “We are a family. We are all baseman Mack Pickering and on the same page and share a junior center fielder Daniel Moore each tallied two RBI’s common goal. There is some-
Bleacher Report
By: Jonathan Brent Sports Editor
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By: Jonathan Brent | SPORTS EDITOR
thing special about this team, and I’m excited to see how far we can go,” senior shortstop and USM signee Matthew Guidry stated after the Sumrall victory. “We should be a strong contender in the playoffs. We just have to play our game,” junior centerfielder Daniel Moore added on the Warriors’ postseason. With the first round bye, the Warriors will play their first playoff series the week of April 28 - May 1 against an unknown opponent to be later determined.
MARY MORGAN GRATWICK PHOTO
MARY MORGAN GRATWICK PHOTO
PETAL GOES DOWN...AGAIN
(TOP) Sophomore Drew Boyd throws a pitch against Petal on April 2 at home. (BOTTOM) Junior Tyler Standland slides into home to score a run off of a Lakon Wilson hit against Petal. The Warriors won the game 6-5.
Track team members qualify for Regionals By: Drew Herring Staff Reporter
@drew_herring2
At Oak Grove High School, a tradition of athletic success exists. From the swim team to the football team, the Warriors have always strived to work harder than their competitors. This year’s Warrior track teams have been no different. This is Coach Ryan McKenzie’s second year of coaching the boys’ track team. McKenzie coached at East Marion High School before becoming the Warriors’ coach, and he enjoyed great success there. This season has been a bit of a rebuilding year for the boys’ track team as Mckenzie lost many talented seniors who lead the team to multiple victories last year. However, Mckenzie has been very pleased with the way this year’s
team has worked and performed in their meets. On Monday, April 20, the boys’ and girls’ track teams traveled to Meridian High School for the district tournament. In this meet, the Warriors faced talented Meridian, Petal, and Brandon High School teams. Junior Bayley Peoples came in first place in the boys 1600 meter race. Peoples has been running track and cross country since his freshman year, and after his race, Peoples said that he is excited about how the team has performed this year. “We are doing well in all of our events. We have grown closer as a team, and we are all working really hard to get better each day.” Peoples also competes in the 3200 meter race. Coach McKenzie was impressed with how his team ranked against these teams. “The team did great today. They functioned
ON YOUR MARK
Sophomore Alexis Kelly concentrates to get her start in the 4x2 relay at the district track meet held at Meridian High School on April 20.
well as a unit, and overall I’m very happy with their performance.” On the girls team, junior Cristina Friend has enjoyed her first season. At the District meet, Friend ran in the 4x400 event and came in third place overall. When asked about her performance personally and her team’s performance in the meet, Friend replied, “I felt pretty good about it. There were some really competitive, talented teams in the meet, so I think we did really well.” In the 3200 meter girls race, sophomore Aubrie Ware finished second with junior Ally Abel finishing fourth. Sophomore Sinclaire Green finished second AIR IT OUT
ALY ABEL PHOTO
ALY ABEL PHOTO
ALY ABEL PHOTO
(LEFT) Trent Parker, 10, catapolts himself up over the bar in the pole vault event at the district track meet. (RIGHT) Xavier Daniels, 10, finishes the triple jump in the district meet.
in the 1600 meter race. Junior Adicia Yarbrough came in first place in the shot put event. In the high jump event, senior Madison Johns came in second place. This is Coach Sisson’s second year of coaching the Lady Warriors track team. She has loved the opportunity to get to know the girls personally and help them improve as runners. Like the boys’ team, Sisson’s team lost valuable seniors last year, but that has not slowed this team down. They continue to show up to practice and work so they can continue to execute well at this level of competition, and most importantly, they continue to win. Coach Sisson is very impressed with her team. She hopes to continue to coach the girls track team after this season. Both Coach Sisson and Coach McKenzie are looking forward to seeing how their teams fare in regionals.
(Before you read a word of this column, just know that I am writing this just hours after my beloved Duke Blue Devils won their fifth National Championship. Needless to say, I’m amped.) One of my favorite parts about the sports world is how it can go from so dead to so alive so fast. Last column I opened talking about how boring the sports world was with only the NBA and NCAA Basketball making headlines. Since then, it has been one of the craziest months of sports that I can remember, and it wasn’t only because of March Madness either. The NFL made headlines with some crazy trades and acquisitions, and the MLB is officially underway at last. March Madness, you’ve done it again. I didn’t think it was possible for a 1 seed to win the National Championship yet the entire tournament still be classified as “unpredictable,” but it was. Of course there were the UCLAs, the Georgia States, the Daytons and the UABs that won games they weren’t supposed to in the round of 64, but none of them made Cinderella runs. The unpredictable part of the tournament came in the Final Four oddly enough, and that was a Kentucky loss. Everyone and their brother had the Wildcats winning the tournament doing the unthinkable and going 40-0. The Wisconsin Badgers had other plans. Credit Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker for playing large parts in two of the best basketball games I’ve ever watched. The second one of course was in a losing effort to my Duke Blue Devils and Grayson Alllen and Tyus Jones particularly. I can understand the people that hate Duke, it’s just like hating the Yankees or Patriots. I just don’t understand how people can hate Coach K. The dude defines the term ‘legend,’ he coaches the game the way it’s supposed to be coached. The NBA Playoffs are just underway, with the hometown New Orleans Pelicans making it to the playoffs for the first time since the franchise’s name change. Again, I like the Warriors and Hawks this year though. Although you can never count the Spurs out, or a team that Lebron James plays for. The MLB season is in full swing, and so is Adrian Gonzalez. The Tigers, Mets, and Dodgers have the best records in the league so far in the young season. Also, the Cubs just called up minor league stud Kris Bryant this past week, a guy I’m very excited to see play over the next many years. Next month I’ll be writing my senior farewell, so this means this will be my last column. I would like to thank everyone for reading it all year. It’s people like you who made this column the best sports column in the state. Just kidding, nobody else entered in the category. Got heem.
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April 23, 2015
sports
Lady Warrior fast pitch welcomes new talent, prepares for playoffs These players include junior Katelyn Carmichael, who has @samantha_papp stepped into the right field posin athletics, the gradua- tion; junior Jourdan Jones, who tion of an extremely tal- has stepped into the left field poented senior class typi- sition; and sophomore Heather cally results in a team Stanley, who has stepped into a that struggles to succeed in the pitching position. Along with following season. This season, Stanley, senior Kristen Martin however, the Oak Grove soft- has been pitching while also ball team has been an excep- playing second base when she is tion to that trend. While the not pitching. “I’ve liked to have 2014 graduating class included the opportunity to play different three college-bound softball positions this season,” Martin players that had s t r o n g said. “I want to help my team in any way I can.” presences on The Lady the field, sevWe have really been working Warriors have eral players on on patience at the plate. We the 2015 team have have been trying to discipline seen much success offensively stepped up to fill ourselves to choose good this season pitches to swing at. those empty spots. with an averLast season, Oak - KENDAL DANIELS, 11 age of 8.2 runs Grove graduated scored per game. Mahalia Gibson (pitcher), Kalyn Watts (outfielder), and Third baseman Carly Crawford, A’Breana Yarborough (out- who is verbally committed to fielder), all of whom had strong play softball at Mississippi Colbats and strong defensive skills. lege, has been swinging the bat This season, many younger well with a batting average of players have filled these spots. .545. First baseman Kendal By: Samantha Papp Staff Reporter
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Daniels, who is verbally committed to play softball at Nicholls State University, has also had a great season this far with an average of .545. In addition to strong offensive skills, Oak Grove can boast strong defensive skills. Even though there are several players playing new positions this year, including a completely rearranged outfield, the team only made 10 errors in the first ten games. On Friday, April 3, the Lady Warriors played in the Lamar County tournament and faced Sumrall and Purvis, defeating both teams. In the game against Sumrall, Martin was the starting pitcher and earned the win, while Stanley pitched a little more than an inning of relief. Stanley also pitched the entire game against Purvis. The defense was almost flawless, with only one error in both games. Oak Grove also flaunted its offensive abilities during this tournament; the team combined to have 21 hits and 19 runs scored with
NO MERCY
ABBY ANDERSON PHOTO
Sophomore varsity pitcher Heather Stanley delivers a strike to a South Pike batter. Stanley earned the win that night as Oak Grove defeated South Pike 20-0 in three innings.
four home runs. “We have really been working on patience at the plate,” Daniels said. “We have been trying to discipline ourselves to choose good pitches to swing at, and I think we did that this weekend. With the win over Purvis, head coach Gary Ivy reached his 300th career softball win at Oak Grove. Ivy’s career at Oak
Grove has been filled with such prodigious feats, and this accomplishment is simply another notch in Ivy’s belt. The Lady Warriors have not played much in the last few weeks due to rain, but with playoffs beginning this weekend, Ivy will look to lead the Lady Warriors to yet another successful season.
OG Archery places second at State By: Grace Wilkes Mozingo Staff Reporter
Archery season has finally come to an end, after a particularly competitive year for the OGHS Archery Team. After scoring second at the South State Qualifier, the team began preparing for the final and most important competition of the season. At practice everyday during fourth block, the archers attempted to simulate the State competition. Each archer shoots eight rounds consecutively and anywhere from 10 to 15 meters away from the target. The eight combined rounds take around an hour to complete, which also benefits team members by
keeping up their endurance and strength. In the end, all the practice paid off for the archers who competed at State in Jackson on April 20. Parker Woolbright scored as the top male shooter for OG with an impressive 280 out of 300, and Andrew Pace was offered the opportunity to further compete for medal placement in the State Games of Mississippi in June. The total team score was 3199, with OG placing second overall out of 13 schools. Last year’s South State and State tournaments garnered a large turnout, and a number of new schools joined in on the sport. Spectator interest has even grown since the new season began. “Even at practice at Temple, we notice
people coming over just to watch our team shoot,” Mrs. Donohue, the archery sponsor, said. Donohue took over the position as sponsor after Shauna Hedgepeth left two season ago. Even though this is the team’s fifth year, this semester marks the first time that school offered archery as a spring P.E. elective class. There are 44 archers on the 2015 roster, many of whom had never picked up a bow before tryouts back in December. While some opt to purchase their own equipment, the team, through various donations and the school, has been able to provide all members with practice equipment, such as bows, targets, and arrows. With all the new talent, practice
is a vital part of the whole program, but this year the complication of having to shoot outside has made training more difficult. During January and February, the team practiced on the field near the track before they eventually moved to the Temple gym. This has been advantageous because weather can no longer keep the team from training. “I have watched our scores soar from that point. Everyday practice really helps with my team’s consistency and confidence,” Donohue said. The new training facility, combined with practicing everyday, helped prepare the archers for the more competitive second half of the season. This archery hype is starting
Champion. Lawhead says that the bracket challenge made her a bigger basketball fan. “I learned that basketball is kinda cool and the games can be pretty stressful. The competition has definitely made a fan out
of me and I’ll definitely be watching next year,” she said. With Lawhead graduating and heading to Southern Miss next year for college, tune into see who will win next year’s challenge.
to reach the collegiate level. Universities have begun offering showcases in which archers compete in front of college recruiters for various scholarships. The opportunity to shoot on the collegiate level has only heightened the OG Archery Team’s incentive to work harder than ever. “It is a very competitive atmosphere. All of the team members are trying to do their best, and everyone is so supportive,” Addison Rivers, freshman archer, said. With all of the added pressure, the OG Archery Team finished out the year strong and have high expectations for the upcoming season.
Lawhead shocks OG, wins bracket challenge By: Jonathan Brent Staff Reporter
@JonathanLeBrent
This year’s NCAA Basketball Tournament was nothing short of insane, and so was this year’s winner of the 2nd Annual Bracket Challenge at Oak Grove High School through The Warrior Beat. Senior Elizabeth Lawhead correctly picked the WisconsinDuke championship game and Duke National Champion en route of claiming the victory. “Honestly, I’ve never been much of a basketball fan at all. We filled out brackets in Mr. Hipp’s class, so I thought it would be fun to give it a shot,” Lawhead, a Star Student, said. “I mostly just used the numbers (seeds she was later told they were called) and added a few twists to keep it interesting.” Those ‘twists’ that destroyed many brackets in the first few rounds include UCLA, UAB, Georgia State, and Dayton all winning their first round matchups as double seeds. However, only UCLA made it to the sweet sixteen out of the Cinder-
ella-wannabes. The biggest part of the bracket for Lawhead that set her apart from most of the competitors was that she had Kentucky losing in the Final Four against Wisconsin as opposed to running the table and finishing off the undefeated season. “I knew Kentucky was undefeated, but it seemed too cliche almost, so on a whim I picked Wisconsin over them. That gave me the upperhand because I don’t think many people did.” The strategy paid off for Lawhead, as the Wildcats did indeed lose to Wisconsin in the Final Four, only to be defeated by Duke in the National Championship two nights later. Lawhead admits to running victory laps in her room when Frank Kaminsky and the Badgers beat Kentucky. Lawhead finished the contest with 141 points, in a challenge that awarded one point for a correct pick in the Round of 64, two points in the Round of 32, four in the Sweet Sixteen and so on until winning 32 points for correctly picking Duke as the National
SHE’S A WINNER
Shocking all those who participated in filling out a bracket for the NCAA Basketball Tournament, senior Elizabeth Lawhead came out on top in this year’s Warrior Beat Bracket Challenge. Lawhead prevailed over many avid basketball fans and correctly predicted Duke to take home the title.
April 23, 2015
opinion 5
OPINION
Generation Misconception Are older generations underestimating our generation?
TAYLOR PARSONS ARTWORK
By: Grace Wilkes Mozingo Staff Reporter
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ids these days: spoiled, angsty, uncaring, unprepared. We have all heard this same speech about how the youths of the world are careless and rely too heavily on new technology. We are the generation that elders predict to fail. Teenagers are harshly criticized for anything they do, but are these critiques justified? American society is one in which we live to work, and the pressure to produce successful individuals has seeped into the school system. Academic success
has become a requirement to becoming a successful adult in the future. Having information and knowledge so readily available has only added to the mass of reasons teens are simply expected to excel in school. On top of that, one in every four high school students over the age of sixteen has a job. Next, teens juggle activities and sports and clubs, and adolescence becomes an uphill battle that many do not find to be worth fighting. High school dropout rates are rising, but could it be because of unreachable expectations? To older generations, these high rates signify laziness within a generation instead of pinning that stereotype onto the few
who actually did drop out. Generations before us also find our generation to be lacking in manners. Most teenagers understand the line of authority and what lines you can and cannot cross: teachers, parents, elders. While we are guilty of lacking respect, this issue stems from values that differ from those who were raised in previous generations. Technology and social media have opened up the average teenage mind to the many social issues that exist in this world. These new advances have opened up a platform on which teens and adults alike can discuss, protest, and support social and political issues or movements. Opinions can
be molded through the media then posted online. What past generations may have considered bold is now simply considered involved. I fear that older generations lump entire people groups together. They have created this myth that young people are misinformed, dispassionate delinquents. While every generation has its fair share of delinquents, saying that everyone born in the 90s to present will be a failure is close-minded. Misconceptions about our generation are plentiful, but judging an entire age bracket as a whole is nearly impossible to begin with.
pgrade or dow grade?
By: Katie Williams, Editor, @katiewilliams97
Attention Hattiesburg residents. The beloved Connie Cone has recently added a second drive-thru. The drive-thru has increased business and happiness; customers are able to get their sno cones more quickly. Of course, the walk-up stand and sitting areas are still available, but the additional drive-thru definitely makes things more convenient when you’re in a hurry. Here’s to summer 2015 and the many sno cones I will be eating.
Twice the sno cones upgrade
downgrade Senioritis continues to strike Seniors: 27 more days of school! While this may seem like very few days, the plague known as senioritis continues to strike every senior at OGHS. Each day seems longer and longer, and the desire to do homework, let alone come to school, is decreasing at an increasing rate (I really hope Ms. Welch catches this). Hopefully these days will fly by with the many senior parties and graduation preparations. But for now, hang in there, seniors.
thewarriorbeat The views and opinions expressed on this page are of an editorial nature and do not necessarily represent the views of The Warrior Beat staff, advisers, school faculty, or administrators of Oak Grove High School or the Lamar County School District.
Oak Grove High School 5198 Old Highway 11 Hattiesburg, MS 39402 601.264.7232 www.oakgrovehighschool.org
On March 14, E! premiered a new series called Royals. This show focuses on a fictional royal family in Britain, and oh, it is fabulous! If you like Gossip Girl, then you’ll love Royals. Yes, it is what my father would call trash television, but this show is extremely addictive. Thankfully, if I can’t catch the show when a new episode comes on, E! is very generous with re-running the show during the week. Kudos to E! for another time-wasting TV show.
You’ll never be royal
upgrade
downgrade Why is college so dang expensive? As a senior, I’m becoming more aware of the price of college, and my education at Mississippi State University is going to be a lot cheaper than one at Harvard, but it is still so much money! The cost of attending college is slightly impractical, but not having a college degree is even more impractical. I don’t think the cost of attending college should be reserved only for those who can afford it, and one shouldn’t have years of loans to pay back. I don’t know who to talk to, but colleges, please lower your cost of attendance.
EDITORS Taylor Parsons, Katie Williams STAFF REPORTERS Samantha Papp Casey Ford Christian Rapetti Lucy Pruitt Abby Nguyen Alyssa Bass Mary Morgan Gratwick Olivia Diaz Emily Burnett Hannah Lee Grace Wilkes-Mozingo Jonathan Brent Jenna Clair Lee Drew Herring DESIGNERS Tia Bullock Andrew Rigel PHOTOGRAPHERS Mary Morgan Gratwick Mycah Kennedy ADVISER Joy Davis
6 insider
April 23, 2015 7
The show must go on Local theatre groups set to deliver performances
Jesus Christ Superstar
Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera By: Taylor Parsons
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ince its founding in 1976, Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera has brought quality entertainment to the Pine Belt residents and a creative outlet for community members to share their talents with their neighbors. In its 39th season, Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera has already presented Nunsense and Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat. May 7-10, Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera will bring Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice’s rock classic Jesus Christ SuperStar to the Saengar Theater. Loosely based on the Gospels’ accounts of the life of Jesus, Jesus Christ SuperStar is a two-act Broadway phenomenon of the 1970’s, and HCLO looks forward to presenting it this Spring. Oak Grove senior Jackson Bounds will be joining the cast as Peter. Statistics teacher Mr. Simmons will be performing in his second HCLO production as a member of the men’s chorus. Former Oak Grove General Music teacher Mr. Tim Breland will also be in the men’s chorus. Cast members of all ages look forward to performing an entertaining show. The iconic musical accounts the last seven days of the
life of Christ (Miles Doleac). The show opens with apostle Judas Iscariot (Joseph VanZandt) growing concerned that Jesus’ followers are an opposing threat to the Roman Empire. Judas has the first solo song of the show with the high-wailing rock anthem “Heaven on Their Minds.” The songs range from said anthems to folk-rock ballads like Mary’s “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.” Upon its release in 1976, Jesus Christ SuperStar was nominated for five Tonys, including Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. The musical’s 2000 revival was nominated for Best Revival of a Musical Tony Award but lost to Kiss Me Kate. The 2012 Broadway revival was also nominated for Best Revival of a Musical Tony Award but lost to Porgy and Bess. As of 2014, only nine shows have been nominated twice for Best Revival of a Musical Tony Award for two different revivals. Jesus Christ SuperStar shares this honor with Grease, Annie, Cabaret, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, and more. Tickets for the production will go on sale April 13th for HCLO members and April 20th for the general public.
Amelia Earhart OGHS Drama
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By: Olivia Diaz
ak Grove High’s theatre department will perform its show spring Amelia Earhart on May 12 and 14 at 7 p.m in OG’s drama room black box in D115. Tickets are $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for students. “The show is basically the story of Amelia’s life from her first flight that made her a household name until her disappearance,” Mrs. Allmon said. Amelia Earhart was the first female pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and is the world’s most famous female aviator. She was born on July 24, 1897 in Atchinson, Kansas. Earhart’s grandparents raised her until she was ten years old. Unlike most young girls at the time, Earhart was a tomboy by heart, climbing trees and shooting rats. Since Earhart’s father struggled to keep a job, her family moved several times, and Earhart had to attend different schools. During her high school years, she attended six schools and still managed to graduate on schedule. In school, she was considered a bright student and devoted reader, but her teachers did not favor her independent spirit. She attended Ogontz, a respected women’s college, in 1916. One year later, when the United States took part in World War I, Earhart worked as a nurse’s aide in Canada. In 1920,
Earhart took her first flight and decided that it was her destiny to fly. Within days, she took her first flying lesson. Within months, she bought her own airplane and nicknamed it “The Canary.” She didn’t have a natural gift for flying, but she worked until she mastered the skill and, in 1922, broke the women’s altitude record. After that, Earhart broke more records. In 1928, she became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. In 1935, she became the first person to fly across the Pacific. In 1937, she attempted to fly around the world but disappeared when she flew over the Pacific Ocean. Junior Caitlin Leiva will play Earhart, junior Tony Reimonenq will play George Putnam, and junior Caroline Green will play the Reporter. Also, an ensemble will take on many roles throughout the show. Allmon recommends that those who want to see the show better buy their tickets quickly because the black box has a limited amount of seats.
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
May 7-9, 7:30pm May 10, 2:00pm Saenger Theatre Downtown Hattiesburg
Amelia Earhart May 12 at 7:00pm May 14 at 7:00pm Oak Grove Black Box $7 for adults, $5 for students
April 23, 2015
8 features
Oak Grove senior bound to succeed JB Bounds expands creativity, set to release Mississippi Tea EP By: Casey Ford Staff Reporter
@ caseym_ford
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p and coming on the music scene is senior musician JB Bounds. Bounds has long been a fan of all types of music and has played and sung it for as long as he can remember. With a couple of tracks on iTunes and much experience performing, Bounds has gained a wealth of experience in the entertainment industry and has decided to take the next step in his musical career and release an album. “I’ve been quietly planning on recording this for a while now. I released a 2-song EP in November entitled Color/ Colour, mostly for promotional purposes. I needed something that I could go into venues with and actually hand to the manager. Both of the tracks on the EP were recorded with former Oak Grove student Will Murphy. But I’ve had this project in mind for quite some time. I’ve just been waiting on the right time to pursue it,” Bounds explained. Called Mississippi Tea, the EP will debut several songs Bounds has written over the last few
years and will later record in Laurel. “Initially, when I started writing these songs, there was no clear intention of any sort of project. I was just trying to write something different, for me at least. That sort of mindset remained for a couple of months. At this point I had four or five songs that went really well together. When the idea to actually put an album together first surfaced, I knew that I’d need more tracks. But instead of digging through previous lyrics and ideas to fill space, I decided to pursue a really solid EP with the current material that I had. It fit the sound that I was going for,” Bounds said. And that sound, while hard for Bounds to classify, is largely folk influenced, with a bit of country as well. Bounds expressed his excitement for the world to hear this album because it differs so much from anything he’s used to. With many musical influences, including John Mayer, John Martin Davis Band, The Bros. Landreth, and local artist Oh, Jeremiah, Bounds tends to follow a certain musical style and was excited to stray from that a little bit and explore with this new project. Bounds especially wanted this album to speak for his experience in high school; he wanted it to mean something
for this place and these people. “I’ll always consider myself a fan of music before an artist. And as a fan, I want to experience a complete story and not just one or two singles. For me, writing the EP was about telling a story. It was very important to me that each song had the same ‘setting’ or ‘color’ - sort of like remembering exactly where you were or what you were doing the first time you heard a certain song. I want people to hear the south in this record. This EP, especially the title track, very much represents what Oak Grove means to me,” Bounds declared. Oak Grove students and faculty certainly have much to look forward to. From YouTube covers, show choir performances, and other events in the Hattiesburg area, Bounds has earned many opportunities to become comfortable with putting his sound out for all to hear and making a name for himself in the community. So much success at such a young age comes from Bounds’ deep love and appreciation for music. “Music has been such a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. I don’t know exactly what it is. I think music gives everyone a voice, you know? When you don’t know exactly how to say
what you’re feeling, the music does it for you. I’m terrified of coming off as ‘cheesy’ to the entire campus by saying this, but I truly believe that music is the most powerful tool we have. It brings people together. It doesn’t care what color you are, or what shape you are, or what your ACT score is, or what God you worship. It assures you that whatever you’re feeling at this point in your life, at least one
other person is in the exact same boat.” The highly anticipated Mississippi Tea should be available to the public in early August. Listeners are encouraged to keep up with Bounds’ Facebook page for updates. In the meantime, Bounds will continue to play local venues, including a benefit concert for DREAM of Hattiesburg in late June.
Magee has been featured in Hattiesburg American and Signature Magazine for her exceptional talent and newly formed business. With a name originating from her own, Liza Rose Designs is Magee’s own business through which she sells her art and she advertises her designs primarily through Instagram. Recently, Magee designed a shirt for WUSM which is available at Weekender Studio in Midtown Market. She also will have a pop-up shop at Weekender on May 31 where she will sell all of her t-shirts with her original designs. Although only 17, Magee has taken her passion for art and proven that at any age, anyone can follow their dreams. “The advice I would give to aspiring artists
who want to share their passion with the world is to keep going. Things may not go like you want them to, but doors will eventually open for new and unexpected opportunities. Never compromise what you believe in for the sake of a job or opportunity. Even if your designs don’t currently fit the desired mold, eventually that design will make you feel all better for staying true to who you are,” Magee said. It seems as though she has taken her own advice and has made a name for herself in the local art world, inspiring her peers and other artists alike, by turning her passion into a business that makes others and herself happy.
Elizabeth Magee:
Taking hobby to the next level
By: Jenna Clair Lee Staff Reporter @jenta12
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uring elementary school, most students are struggling to color inside the lines or stay on task when given a fun assignment. Very few request to take personal art lessons for fun. OGHS junior Elizabeth Magee is one of those few. After seeing an older friend’s painting and asking about it, Magee found out about Nona Lee’s art lessons. She begged her parents to let her take lessons and eventually convinced them to agree to weekly art lessons with Nona. Magee wanted to absorb all the art knowledge
that she could, but actually learning how to draw wasn’t the only thing she wanted. Magee wanted to learn how to use painting to express her passion for art and show off her talents and abilities, and so she did, and it all started with a ukulele. “Last year I got a uke for my birthday and decided it was just too plain for my liking. I transformed this little yellow instrument into something completely different and unique,” Magee said. After she was pleased with her work, she posted a picture to Instagram. Not really expecting a big reaction, she checked the app later that night and had received countless comments and likes. People loved her design. “It was really nice and kind of over-
whelming to know that people recognized my gift and believed in my ability,” Magee said of the wild reaction. Even with her influx of social media followers and growing fan-base, she still stays true to her beliefs and originality in her designs. Magee often expresses her faith in her designs. Her pictures often include Bible verses and deep thoughts, and she credits God with speaking to others through her designs. With a passion this innovative and exciting, a young artist has to have a workspace. Just like her designs and vision, it’s quirky and cool: she likes to work in coffee shops, preferably the hipster hangout, T-Bones. Since the initial fame she received through social media,
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April 23, 2015
An apple a day keeps Windows away Exploring Apple’s history and future
By: Alyssa Bass Staff Reporter
@alyssatrechelle
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ince Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak created the famous company in 1976, Apple products appear to be popular worldwide. However, the company was not always successful. It all began in Los Altos, California, when Wozniak enlisted Jobs to help him build Apple Computers in Jobs’ garage to sell, and soon after, Intel product marketing manager and engineer Mike Markkula funded the growing company. Cofounder of Sun Microsystems Scott McNealy said that Jobs “broke the glass ceiling” by creating a successful company at such a young age. Sadly, the core of Apple grew sour when Jobs was fired from his position as director in 1985 allegedly due to his er-
ratic and temperamental demeanor. Following Jobs’ extermination, Jobs founded the NeXT computer in 1985 and earned a profit of $1.03 million, and in 1986 he bought the Graphics group (now known as Pixar) and was named the executive producer. Jobs didn’t return to Apple until 1996 when Apple announced that it would buy NeXT, which eventually evolved into Mac OS X. For almost thirty years, the company exclusively sold Apple computers and experienced low sales, but Jobs’ return as CEO dramatically changed the company’s marketing strategies. The company’s launch of the iPod in 2001 and iTunes store in 2003 signaled the beginning of a prosperous future for the company, with 125,000 iPods sold in the first year. Jobs continued to update and release the iPod with new features and experienced greater sales numbers every time. Finally, Apple was a leading competitor in the electronic industry. In 2007 Jobs released the first iPhone, a
touch-screen smartphone with basic functions like calling, texting, emailing, and browsing. Time magazine later proclaimed it to be the Invention of the Year. Encouraged by the success of the iPhone and iPod, Jobs was devoted to keeping Apple addicts wanting more with the annual releases of newer and often slimmer versions of the iMac, iPod, iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV. Jobs became a likeable symbol of the company to consumers, who gladly contributed to his earning billions of dollars per year; Apple was taking over the world. Sadly, Jobs resigned in August of 2011 as CEO; Apple and Walt Disney Company shares reportedly dropped a total of 6.5 percent hours after the announcement. Jobs died two months later in his home due to a relapse of his pancreatic cancer. After his death, Apple fanatics pondered Apple’s future without Steve Jobs. Would the company become complacent and become the next Microsoft? Since Jobs’ resignation and death, Tim Cook, a quiet and less charismatic leader, bravely
succeeded Jobs as CEO of Apple. Despite the naysayers and continued decline in shares, Cook refuses to live in Jobs’ shadow. According to Fortune magazine writer Adam Lashinsky, “He seems, at the end of the day, to be honoring one of Jobs’ dying requests: that Apple’s management not ask ‘What would Steve do?’ and instead do what’s best for Apple.” With this attitude in mind,
Cook is able to continue to excite consumers with new innovations, like the Apple Watch and updates to currently loved Apple products. About 645,000, Apple products are sold everyday; as long as Cook remains optimistic and innovative, that number will continue to grow.
THE LINE ON
CELL PHONES What brands of phone are OGHS students using?
*103 students responded to this survey.
BALANCING THE
WEIGHT The reality of collegiate athletics scholarships
By: Abby Nguyen Staff Reporter
@2BusyBeingAbby
America has a long list of traditions that make the U.S. calendar uniquely “American.” After lighting some million pounds of explosives to celebrate resolutions no one will keep, the average American can look forward to a year full of hot dog eating contests on the Fourth, a family get together that rivals Thanksgiving to watch some crucial playoff game, and a spring brimming with the appropriately named March Madness. If that’s not American, what is? The nation’s obsession with collegiate level sports is something that a very select group of people will ever understand, but nonetheless all tend to be
swept up in the sweaty over-enthused festivity of it all. Americans obviously embrace March Madness because it’s one of the most watched televised events of the year and rakes in a staggering billion dollars in profit annually, smothering the most American tradition of all: a good ole’ Super Bowl. And the reason why March Madness is able to force such a profit is because just about everything that can be sponsored is sponsored from the moment the players cut down the net to what ladder they use to do it, but that’s fair. A large majority of the proceeds go to the participating schools anyway. Amazingly enough though, out of the billion dollars, the college athletes see no cent of this profit because they are labeled student athletes and are given a free education
and national exposure to play. Afterall, a series of games aimed at exposing a wildly talented group of young athletes can’t be anything but good for them, right? The point, many argue, of athletic scholarships is to provide aspiring professional athletes some spotlight so they can hopefully be part of the puny 2% of college kids who move on to go pro. What ends up happening to the other 98% of student athletes that don’t score a job in the NBA or NFL isn’t something people like to focus on too much. Student athletes are supposed to prioritize their educations while balancing their athletic schedules, but how exactly can they do that? College is a change; everyone knows that. Students are expected to adjust to living on their own, managing their own schedules, navigating confusing college campuses, and for student athletes, on top of all of the regular college student struggles, finding some sort of sports versus school balance. This balance, by the way, assumes that the athletes first don’t get injured and lose their scholarships and
second, make time enough to study so their grades don’t suffer and lose their scholarships. Richard Sherman, current cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, discussed how demanding his college schedule used to be. Sherman reminisced about early morning weight sessions which were immediately followed by class which was immediately followed by practice which was hopefully followed by time for eating which again, was immediately followed by yet more practice. With all of this additional strain to an already huge work load, it goes without saying that some athletes need some help in raising their GPA’s to meet minimum sports requirements. This is where the University of North Carolina found a rather interesting solution to this pervasive problem. They, for years, had allowed their athletes to enroll in so called “paper classes” to boost their GPA’s to a 3.0, the GPA required to hold onto sports scholarships. These paper classes in downright bizarre languages like Swahili weren’t actually classes at all, rather
they were merely grades that appeared on report cards for the sake of boosting GPA’s. So while students from around the country compete their entire high school careers for athletic scholarships, what exactly do those scholarships entail? For Richard Sherman and an infinite number of other college athletes, athletic scholarships bind students to such crowded schedules that are almost impossible to manage, and for all but the 2% drafted, the struggle is all for nothing.
BALANCING THE
TIME
6:00-7:00 7:00-8:30 8:30-9:20 9:30-10:20 10:20-12:30 12:30-1:20 1:20-2:00 2:00-5:00 5:00-6:00 6:00-7:00 7:30-10:00
Weights/Conditioning Break/Breakfast Class Class Break/Lunch Class Break Practice Training Room/Treatment Dinner Study/Tutoring
10 entertainment
Hey, I just met you , and this is crazy Add love and science to yield Married At First Sight By: Abby Nguyen Staff Reporter
@2BusyBeingAbby
We’ve all done some pretty crazy things in the name of love, right? Paris started an entire war because that married woman, Helen, was kind of cute. Samson gave up the secret of his strength to woo Delilah, and Romeo drank the drink of death because his Juliet played dead a little too well. The thing these three couples have in common is not only their acts of intense, “can’t go on without you” love, but also that these couples were barely celebrating their “month-aversaries” before their dramatic conflicts broke out. While it may sound crazy that people in the ole’ days courted with such speed, it is really not as crazy as it sounds, after all, there are speed dating parties popping up all around the country. The question of how far a person would go in the name of love has dated back to pieces of literature older than Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and continue to stick around like crazy ex-girlfriends in more modern books and movies like The Fault In Our Stars. Couples meeting and falling in love and getting married nowadays happens in a series of sequels and is wrapped up in a two part finale movie, and as rapid as this may seem, at least Edward and Bella
knew each other before walking down the aisle. Six young and single New Yorkers have willingly said, “I do,” to participating in A&E’s Married At First Sight, a televised experiment where the six are expected to legally marry a literal stranger. Several self-proclaimed “experts” playing Cupid believe they have broken down love to an actual science that can be applied to real people. Surprisingly though, the show first chooses three men and three women based on his or her general level of attractiveness and then pairs the six candidates to each other instead of following The Bachelor’s model of prioritizing one participant. As can be expected, the show has garnered controversy from marital experts and defenders of “traditional marriage.” Experts have called the show “a dating show with a legal twist at the end,” but for a process that’s only ever happened once before, there isn’t really much to criticize. Married At First Sight’s first season gave three couples the same mandate of marriage, and one year after the season’s premiere, two out of the three original couples are still happily married making the show’s success rate a strong 66% as opposed to The Bachelor’s success rate which hovers somewhere around a measly 16% after twelve years running. Season two of the show intro-
duces an interesting cast of eligible bachelors: Davina, the independent, career driven woman was matched with Sean, an E.R. nurse that’s a risk it all romantic. Ryan D., who is inspired by his grandparent’s near instantaneous chemistry, is matched with Jessica, who seems to be mostly terrified of dying alone. Ryan R., who is classic good guy material and adopted his orphaned niece, is paired with
Jaclyn, who comes off as pretty darn superficial when she openly admits that she’s turned off by Ryan’s physical appearance. All throughout history and continuing into the present, people have done some pretty interesting things in the name of love with varying amounts of success, and as for the prospective success of the newlywed couples debuting on Married At First Sight, it is merely too soon to say.
What’ s appening to safety? Talking to strangers online isn’t any safer By: Taylor Parons Editor
@partay97
“Stranger Danger” is a concept that has been discouraging children from following men with candy in vans for generations. Parents teach their children that not all strangers look like the villains in cartoons; the bad guys can be everyday, ordinary people. Children should be wary of anyone they do not know well. As with most rules, “do not talk to strangers” dies down as people grow older. An adult can talk to whoever he or she chooses. Today, teenagers rebuke the rules and regulations in regards to strangers in a whole new way. Phones have become the con-
nection between strangers from all over the world. Apps like Tinder, Flinch, and Fling put anyone who so chooses directly in front of complete strangers. Whisper allows people to share their darkest secrets with complete strangers. Ask.fm allows strangers to ask inappropriate questions and hide behind a keyboard. Down allows strangers to meet up because they are both “down for a good time.” Obviously, apps connecting strangers are growing in popularity. So obviously, teenagers straying from the no strangers policy is good. Many relationships and friendships form from meeting strangers. Straying online, however, may not be the wisest of ideas.
beat’s bits
In 2013, Fox News reported that a 21-year-old man, Ronald Peterson III, had used the Whisper app to lure a 12-year-old girl to a hotel room for sex. The two conversed on the anonymous secret sharing app, and Peterson convinced the girl, who claimed to be 14 years old, to sneak out of her home to meet him at Lynnwood Hotel in Seattle, Washington. He was later arrested for suspicion of second degree rape of a child and charged with luring and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes. “I’m smarter than that,” readers may be thinking to themselves. “I would never put myself in that situation.” And perhaps not, but why risk safety for a silly phone game?
Preventing teens from downloading the most popular or talked about apps is no easy task, so teens who choose to have some of these interactive apps should be aware of the appropriate ways to use them. Everything taught in a basic safety seminar applies. Location stays a secret. Personal information remains personal. Nothing gets a reveal. The incident with Richard Peterson III accurately displays the “Stranger Danger” concept. Conversing with strangers is an inevitable part of life, but are these apps really the best way to do this? Teens really should consider the possible outcomes when using any anonymous app and learn that “Stranger Danger” exists.
ENTERTAINMENT
PRINCE HARRY MARCHES OUT OF ARMY After serving in the British Military for ten years, Prince Henry of Wales, otherwise known as Prince Harry, has revealed that he is leaving the Army. While serving in the military, Prince Harry finished two tours in Afghanistan, earned the rank of captain, and qualified as an Apache pilot. According to a close friend of Harry’s, he decided to leave the Army to finish his mother’s, the late Princess Diana’s, work. Still, he refuses to switch back to civilian life so quickly. He plans to participate in many projects this summer, such as the Walking with the Wounded project, an expedition around the country in which he’ll join veterans.
FAREWELL UNTIL THE MOVIE, DOWNTON ABBEY
After its sixth season, the sought-after British TV show Downton Abbey will come to an end. In 2010, the show debuted on ITV in Britain. Since then, it’s blossomed into an internationally popular drama. It premiered on PBS in 2011 and became its most-watched show ever. The show has gained so much popularity, in fact, that the show’s creator, Julian Fellowes, and executive producer, Gareth Neame, have considered the development of a Downton Abbey film. But, the idea is not yet set in stone.
April 23, 2015
ality
PARSON
By: TAYLOR PARSONS, Editor Prompted by my extreme case of writer’s block (or senioritis), I will be using this edition of my column to make a big announcement: School is out for the rest of the year. This is your last day of school, guys! If you fell for that, you’re probably not all that bright. Exciting news like that would be revealed in a much bigger place than a high school newspaper column. But seriously, special edition of Parsonality ahead! I urge you to actually read this one if you’re one of the meanies who doesn’t actually read the paper. Well, I doubt most of you are actually nervous about this, but the 2015-16 Warrior Beat Editor and Copy Editor are….DRUM ROLL PLEASE No drum roll? Alright. Well, the honors go to Lucy Pruitt, editor, and Abby Nguyen, copy editor. You two are great writers, leaders, and people. You will do an incredible job leading this paper to another year as one of the best in the state! Katie, Mrs. Davis, and I have put much thought into who would be the best two for these jobs, and with your different writing styles, high levels of creativity, and obvious friendship, you two will work together incredibly well. My advice to both of you and the rest of next year’s staff is to write about what people care about. Keep this relevant. Keep it exciting. Next year will be fantastic. Just don’t have too much fun without me. I’m gonna slide the laptop over to Katie now for some final words. Katie here! Abby and Lucy, I am so excited for you two! I have loved watching you develop your writing styles, and I can’t wait to see what next year brings! You are both so creative and have such different writing styles; I cannot wait to see what you bring as editor and copy editor next year. Best of luck, and don’t have too much fun. Next year’s staff: always do your best work and don’t be afraid to step outside of the box. Like Taylor said, write about what people are interested in. Just don’t write too many relationship editorials. Everyone knows how much I hate those.
By: Olivia Diaz | Staff Reporter
BRANDY, THE NEXT HART OF CHICAGO Recording artist and entertainer Brandy Norwood won a Grammy in 1999, recorded hit songs like “The Boy is Mine,” starred on the sitcom Moesha, and even starred as the lead role in the 1997 version of Disney’s Cinderella. Starting on April 28 at the Ambassador Theatre, Brandy will introduce herself to a new audience and take on the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago the musical. Chicago takes place in the 1920s, a decade full of risk takers and rule breakers. Women began to defy the social norms of the early twentieth century and aspire to gain independence. The story is about two women, Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, who use their crimes to become celebrities and manipulate the media. With remarkable songs like the “We Both Reached for the Gun” and “Cell Block Tango,” Chicago is a haven for stars making Broadway debuts.
April 23, 2015
entertainment 11
The Divergent Series: Insurgent It’s so crazy, you’ll swear it’s just a simulation
By: Jenna Clair Lee Staff Reporter @jenta12
A
supposedly wellmeaning hero and a feisty protagonist battling countless inner demons put together, plus a little level-headed Theo James and some rough factionless equal Insurgent. Kate Winslet and Shailene Woodley return to the big screen for a second installment of the young adult novels-turned-movies, The Divergent Series. Not returning is the beloved Neil Burger, director of Divergent. Robert Schwentke jumps into the now-crumbling futuristic world with similar style to Burger, but with a fresh spin on the movie that slightly deviates from the plot of the book, resulting in mixed emotions across the board. Insurgent is filled with action, romance, and emotional moments: the average movie-goer’s ideal cinematic adventure. Insurgent picks up almost directly where Divergent left off. Tris (Shailene Woodley) and her handsome accomplice Four/Tobias (Theo James) are running from Jeanine (Kate Winslet) and other law-enforcers that are out to stop them. After shortly taking refuge with the Amity
faction, Tris, Caleb, and Four have an ugly run-in with the factionless, a very large group of people who have chosen to be without a faction. After Four tells them that his real name is Tobias, they lead the three to a woman who is revealed to be Tobias’s mother, Evelyn Eaton (Naomi Watts). Eventually, Jeanine figures out that she needs Tris in order to open a box that is extremely important to the society as a whole. Tris symbolically sacrifices herself and subjects herself to physically and mentally taxing simulations in order to open the box. After fake deaths and character redemption/ character disappointment, Tris opens the box to reveal a revolutionary message. There is life outside the fence and the time has come to explore beyond the boundaries that have purposely been set by the government long ago. Divergents are vital to the continuation of humanity. Tris is the hero and Jeanine has been wrong all along. The information fills everyone with a hope that there is a better life outside of the fence, perhaps the first time we’ve seen hope in this warped futuristic world. The romance between Tris and Four is sweet and inspiring, while the sibling-ship between
Caleb and Tris is confusing and frustrating. Caleb’s deliberate decision to work against Tris is the ultimate betrayal. On the upside, the new characters add life to the film and keep the mood from becoming too straight. The cast does a great job of representing each faction accurately and equally. While the ending scene of people slowly making their way to the fence wants to be emotional, it ends up being a bit cheesy and leaves the viewer with many questions, hopefully to be answered in the third installment of the film series. Very little of the movie actually happened in the book and very little of what actually happened in the book made it to the big screen. While diehard book fans are livid over these major embellishments and subtractions, others find the movie as a stand-alone film to be great. The plot is never slow, the acting is raw and real, and the special-effects are incredible. Regardless of whether or not the movie followed the guideline of the book, Insurgent is a consistent continuation of a marvelous series. Also, Theo James. I give it 5 stars.
»» Shailene Woodley originally cut her hair short for her role as Hazel in The Fault In Our Stars and kept it the same to play Tris in Insurgent. »» This is the third movie that Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort have starred in together in the last two years. »» The only character who swears in the film is Eric. »» In the book, Tris is afraid to hold a gun after a bad accident, but in the movie she holds one without a problem.
Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children:
Not your typical young adult novel. Worth the read.
By: Katie Williams Editor
@katiewilliams97
I
guess I’m not the stereotypical teenager. I absolutely love to read, and the books that I like aren’t the typical John Green novels. Maybe this is why I enjoy the Miss Peregrine’s series written by Ransom Riggs. I first picked up Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children at Square Books in Oxford this past summer. This series is not the type of book I
usually gravitate towards either, but I decided to try something new. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter. Miss Peregrine’s begins with the death of the narrator’s, Jacob’s, grandfather. Jacob’s grandfather was always
different, but his family attributed this to PTSD after serving in World War II. Jacob grew up hearing tales about his grandfather’s adventures in Cairnholm, Ireland. Jacob’s grandad also had a strange collection of pictures from his time in Ireland. These pictures included images of a floating child, a shape shifter, and an unnaturally strong girl. Well, Jacob suffers nightmares after his grandfather’s death, and no amount of therapy or medication will allow him to
sleep peacefully. Eventually, he suggests taking a trip to Ireland to allow some closure after his grandfather’s death. In Ireland, Jacob is determined to find the house his grandfather grew up in. Jacob and his father make it to Cairnholm, and Jacob soon begins exploring. He eventually discovers a decrepit house which resembles the one his grandfather grew up in, but his exploring gets him in trouble. He attempts to go back the next day and is taken captive by a girl who can light herself on fire and a boy who can become invisible. These children take Jacob back to their house, one that looks exactly like the one Jacob’s grandfather grew up in. At this house, Jacob discovers the children in his grandfather’s pictures. Pictures that he thought were photoshopped are actually real. Jacob then meets Miss Peregrine. Miss Peregrine is an ymbryne and acts as a mother to all of the peculiar children. As an ymbryne, Miss Peregrine is able to manipulate time and thus keep the children protected from the dangers of the real world. The children live in what is called a loop during the earlier part of World War II. Basically, this loop causes the children to remain in the same day forever. Jacob learns that his grandfather was peculiar, and even more surprising, Jacob inherited those
peculiar powers. He can see a hollow. Hollows are the biggest danger to the peculiar world because besides peculiars, they are the only people able to break into the loops. Jacob’s grandfather left Miss Peregrine’s loop to become a hollow hunter and to protect the peculiar world. Throughout the story, Jacob and Emma, the girl who can catch herself on fire, develop feelings for each other, and eventually they learn that the peculiar world as they know it is in danger. All of the ymbrynes, who are keepers of the peculiar world, are being stolen, and Miss Peregrine’s loop is the last to be raided. Miss Peregrine’s peculiar children are some of the last left. The story continues in The Hollow City, and the third addition to the series is coming out September 2015. I particularly enjoyed how fast-paced this novel is. I was unable to finish the novel because of my busy schedule first semester, but when I picked up over Christmas, I was able to start exactly where I left off. Ransom Riggs is able to captivate readers and leaves them wanting more. I am anxiously awaiting the third book and the movie, which is set to premier in 2016.
April 23, 2015
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