May2013 2014 October/November
A Night to Remember NaKayla Williams 4th
April 2014 was not just any ordinary Friday. It was the day that Arabia slayed and conquered all. It was when boys became men and girls transformed into beautiful young ladies. It was no other than… PROM! Prom is the most exciting and stressful time in a student’s life, well for a girl at least-from the dress, to the shoes, down to the color nail polish. It all had to come together. As a female myself, I have to say the dress made you or broke you. The dress you choose to wear that night gave way to how you will be remembered for the rest of the year. The sportiest females had a chance to show their inner girl and for the rest it was a fight to the finish to see who had the better dress. Hundreds of dollars has been spent on dresses, shoes, make-up, and hair so they will look as special as they feel. Appointments are made hours, even weeks, so girls can be prim and proper on their big day. Guys on the other hand had less to worry about. Along as they had the suit and corsage to match their date’s dress, they did not have much to do. Hair cuts could be done the day of and until it is time to pick up their date, the day was theirs. It is amazing how guys go from Jordan’s and Nikes to loafers and dress shoes. Arabia Mountain cleaned up very well. There is no bigger deal than prom. For one night it was not a rivalry between the senior and juniors but a coming together in a civilized fashion. Everybody was dressed so elegantly the little competition going on be-
tween each other was significant next to this great occasion. For the seniors, it was the last time most of them were to see other dress up in that manner. Prom is more than just a dance but a night that inspired harmony and magic. It is a time when you get to break all the rules; go out and do whatever you want!!!It is one night where you are the star. The feeling you get when you walk through those double doors and all eyes are all you is indescribable. To see everyone dressed so beautiful and handsome is a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity for some people. Prom was held at the Hellenic Center in Atlanta from 7 p.m.-11p.m and it was the event to remember. With The Roaring 20s as a theme and Mediterranean food to nibble on until dinner, prom was an unforgettable moment. Even though no punch bowls were spiked, you did not have to be under the influence to feel on top of the world. Neither Instagram, nor Twitter could handle the fire brought to their pages and timelines. Pictures were posted before, during, and after. There was no stopping the flashing lights. But it was after prom where the real fun began. Others and my self went bowling. Some went to dinner, to the few places that were open. Whatever students chose to do that night, prom was a night spent well. And as prom ended and people were waking up from their raging night, prom really became the night to remember.
STUDENT LIFE
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April 19, 2014 marked our first annual Rambroee at Arabia Mountain High School. Ramboree was organized by one of our very own senior, Juwan Thompson, who asked different sponsors to help support the event in many different ways. He put a team together so everything for Ramboree could go as smoothly as possible, and he also had the support of administration on his side for this event to be possible. Ramboree was an event for families in the community to come out and have fun only for $2. In order for this event to become what it was clubs and organizations within Arabia Mountain High school participated and did many different things at the carnival. Also the sponsors donated materials to Ramboree in order for some clubs and organization tables to become what they were. The carnival was supposed to be from 11:00am to 5:00pm but due to inclement weather the committee over Ramboree decided to move the time back from 1:00pm to 5:00pm which caused a change in the whole schedule of Ramboree. I myself being on the set-up committee for Ramboree found that moving the time of the event back allowed us as a committee to prepare longer and also allowed us to see what the weather would bring if the event started later. The event overview included the Rampage frying fries, Dad’s in Action cooking hotdogs and selling other food items along with it, and Beta Club setting up an Easter Egg Hunt for kids 10 and under and also selling slushies. Along with these clubs and organizations, FBLA, National Honor Society also had a part in Ramboree. Last, moon bounces that were brought by Jumpstastic were there for everyone to enjoy. Even though the event was supposed to take place outside many people such as Ms. L. Cooper stated, “The event was really good it just could have been better if it have not rain and if more students came out and supported. We may have had lack of student support show up for the event but the students that came up enjoyed the event to the fullest. Jordan Barron stated, “ If more students came out and participated it could have been the vision it was meant to be, as well if it had not rained that day more families could have been outside and not just packed in two places.” Through all the issues that the Ramboree staff had to face the event turned out to be one of the greatest events Arabia has had all year. For this being the first annual Rambroee it turned out better than what the student body expected. Next year whoever takes it over, I hope goes above and beyond expectations of what the student body is looking for because this is an event that brings the community together every family at a time. Lets build a legacy and start new things for the community to look forward to each year. Advice to pull off a great Ramboree is to not have one person do everything only. Second start a head of time, preferably four to five months ahead of time. Third always get sponsors to support to bring in new business and partnerships to Arabia. Last, market to the target audience around in the community to aspect a big turnout. Now that Ramboree is a new found project that should be steady and grow within Arabia Mountain High School, its time to enhance on it and make it into something great each year.
STUDENT LIFE
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Senior Week: A Week to Remember
Seniors Alexis Young (left), and Demetro Stephens (right) dress up as an Avatar and Army command officer.
Valeria Lake After countless hours of school, assignments, and other obligations given to the senior population throughout the years, the class of 2014 received their week of freedom and relaxation: Senior Week. During this week, each day is assigned a topic in which the students have the option of participating in. The days consisted of Character day, College day, Senior Citizen day, Alumni day, and Black- Out day, in that order. Each day was filled with great fun, laughter, and a sense of accomplishment for the senior class. We had made it this far and were at last granted the privilege to express ourselves through participating in the particular days.
Jamel Hightower poses as a cowboy after a long day of working in the halls of AMHS.
Monday: Character Day April 28, 2014, students had the option of choosing a character that they admired and dress like them. Although many seniors took the opportunity to come to school in casual clothing, there was a large sector of the population who did decide to participate in this day. Some of the characters that walked the halls of Arabia Mountain on this day were Lilo (Maya Norman), Minnie Mouse (Jade Worthy), the Mad Hatter (Kiara Knight), and even Woody from Toy Story (Jamel Hightower).
Senior Jessica Willis stands cute in her adorable Hello Kitty costume.
Tuesday: College Day/ Senior Breakfast April 29, 2014 was dedicated specifically to representing the school that each senior was attending after high school, or desired to attend. Some of the paraphernalia came from as far as Stanford University, UCLA, Harvard, and Syracuse, to some schools that were closer to home such as Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Florida State, Valdosta State, and Albany State University.
Ayanna Walker poses as a church mother in front of Arabia’s famous brick wall.
In addition to representing colleges, the seniors were honored with an amazing breakfast served by the skilled Juniors of Culinary Arts. The juniors served the seniors well, and with a smile which made the breakfast very comforting and happy for many of the seniors.
Wednesday: Senior Citizen Day April 30, 2014 was one of the most creative days at the mountain. Some seniors portrayed many different types of senior citizens through their attire and of course through their great acting skills as they limped, cramped, complained about the young people and their vulgar language, and gave useful “senior citizen advice.” On this day, many of the students who participated gave the entire a great show as they strolled through the hallways and underclassmen made way for their “elders.”
Senior Rodney Barnett poses as a grandpa as Dr. Little scolds some student in the background.
Thursday: Alumni Day/ Senior Picnic May 1, 2014: the most exciting day for the senior class! Although it was not necessarily a dress up day, it was the day of the senior picnic. Each senior received their blue and white or green and white alumni baseball t shirt and wore them proudly as they rode to Wade Walker Park for a day of fun, relaxation, and war. The senior class sponsors and teachers worked extremely hard to prepare for this day by making sure that the check- out process ran smoothly, there was transportation for the people who needed it, there was enough food for each senior, and that the seniors were even accommodated with inflatables. After a while though, the seniors decided that only relaxing on such a beautiful day was not the best way to end their last picnic together. As a result, the class of 2014 held an epic water balloon fight to cool each other down, and just have a great deal of fun with one another. Some people were able to stay dry throughout the entire war; some on the other hand were unfortunate of such luck and were soaked after about ten minutes. Either way, everyone was satisfied with the activities and had a bittersweet attitude towards the end of the year approaching so quickly.
Senior Nettie Brown smiles for the camera as she mimics a real grandmother of Arabia Mountain.
STUDENT LIFE
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CANCELLATION OF SENIOR PEP RALLY Meyanna Gilliam Senior year is the year important to many high school students. It is the year where we work the hardest on school work, and make sure grades are the best for that last transcript! It is the year where we set examples and show who the boss is! It is the year where all the fun happens but also, the year a deadly disease spreads around the entire graduating class commonly known as senioritis. Are we willing to allow one person ruin our last year? All the long nights, stressful days, and determination has been wasted. The last year is supposed to be the most memorable year of high school. Having the senior pep rally stolen right under our nose seems to be heartless to say the least. The decisions of the students affect the whole school. Twenty minutes left in class, a student wasted baby oil on the stairs and caused an administrator to slip. This is very dangerous and could cause permanent injuries. Also, there were pranks happening that week between the underclassmen and the seniors.
Senior, Tayla Resse said of the missed rally, “I believe that our pep rally should not have been canceled. The seniors deserved to have one final pep rally to end our senior year.” Sophomore Tai Conley said, “I feel that the pep rally should not have been canceled. Seniors should enjoy their last year and have as much fun with the opportunities given to them.” Finally Senior Robert Polk says “I believe our pep rally should not have been canceled; seniors deserve to have freedom and the pep rally was one thing we were looking forward to.” Our teachers and staff at Arabian High School will be able to enjoy the pep rally for years to come; however, the class of 2014 will never have that memory. The same classmates that caused the seniors not to enjoy there last year will ultimately enjoy their senior pep rally. I was given the values of what was expected of me since starting Arabia Mountain High in the ninth grade, it seems those values are not upheld by the leaders in the school. Know-
ing how important senior year is for most students it will just break their hearts to be deprived something they were looking forward to for four years. I hope that this does not put a dark shadow on your experience here at Arabian Mountain High School.
The “Not So” Powder Puff Game! Adonis Bradford The Powder Puff game was a great and players on their team. The girls played off stretching in circles and doing their very interesting intense game between more physical and athletic than everyone warm ups led by the coaches. Many girls both the junior and senior girls that was thought. Also they showed they cared and from both sides played extremely well and held outside on the practice field at 4:30. It were passionate about winning the game. contributed
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STUDENT LIFE
As students arrived at Arabia Mountain High School on August 13, 2013 for what was presumed to be another mundane and boring school year there was a shining light for some, that some being the seniors at the mountain, the class of 2014. That Tuesday morning as we sat in our perspective homerooms, it dawned on us that this was our last year of high school. We will never attend another pep rally to do the ram buck, do another USA TestPrep, and cheer on our Rams at a football game. With that thought in mind, months flew by until May arrived. We picked up our cap and gowns and realized that the rest of our lives were about to begin. I went around and asked some of our teachers what they expected for class of 2014 to accomplish in the future and who they expected to really accomplish their dreams. The first teacher I stopped by to interview was Ms. Watkins. She’s a twelfth grade calculus teacher who also taught class of 2014 when they were only sophomores. “I expect class of 2014 to develop better study habits and to be more focused on their future endeavors because they have a lot of potential to accomplish anything they put their minds too if they make these changes” said Ms. Watkins. I’ll be the first to say I don’t have the bet study habits but at least I study! As for the student she ex-
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pected great things out of, she said Kayla Huggins because she reminds her of herself and she keeps it real. Next I went to talk to Coach Pritchett about some of the athletes he coached this year. “I expect class of 2014 to do big things, graduate college and become successful. I expect them to come and give back to the school and tell the students how they were once in their shoes also”, said Coach Pritchett. He also then went on to highlight Gregory Phillips as the student who he expects the most out of in the future. “He has a certain drive and dedication that I don’t think I’ve ever seen in a student before.” I think we all expect big things from the entire “SQUAD!” Last but not least, I decided to stop by Ms. Jones classroom to ask what her thoughts were on class of 2014 and she had this to say, “I
think class of 2014 has honestly been one of the classes I’ve enjoyed teaching the most. They’re a very good group of kids over all. They’re all very respectful and intelligent. They’re the type of kids that make a teacher’s job enjoyable. I see them all accomplishing whatever they put their minds too. I see them going into many diverse fields and I wish them nothing but the best.” For the student that she saw accomplishing big things, she named Taylor McGhee because she’s very smart and sweet and will achieve any goals she sets for herself. I thought Ms. Jones quote exemplified what a lot of teachers and administrators think of class of 2014 as well. I hope we can live up to their expectations as well as our own. The future is ours for the taking!