“Everybody get up, get crunk, do the Ram’s Buck!” Arabia Mountain students could be heard cheering from A hall to E hall as they made their way to the gymnasium. As the underclassmen filled the gym with a certain bewildered excitement our upperclassmen took their seats for the show we knew we were about to witness. Teachers and parents lined the upper level track as well as the gym floor making it a packed house for the first pep rally of 2013-2014 school year. To kick off the pep rally, the AMHS Funk Machine and our drum majors made their way into the gym to give us the unique sound they’re known for. The Jewels then strutted their stuff and took center stage to give us an electrifying performance that did not disappoint. Not only were we treated to a performance by the band and dance team but the AMHS Emeralds could be found on the upper level track giving
us yet another great performance. Our pep rally hosts, Jordan Barron and Vaughn Dowdley, then opened the pep rally by getting our classes involved with the “Rock the Green and White” chant along with our varsity cheerleaders. Of course the freshmen looked confused and dumbfounded by what to do during the chant and by the time we got to our senior class, they had rushed the gym floor to show how to really show spirit and get pumped to our own remixed beat played by the Funk Machine. Our varsity cheerleaders then gave us a spirit-lifting performance which included two cheers and lots of high-flying stunts. Lastly, our pep rally host called the football
team to the floor as we pumped them up for the upcoming game later on that night against the Stephenson Jaguars. As the pep rally came to a close we all had a chance to
show our school spirit and, not to mention, meet Rocky the Ram if we hadn’t already done so. He dished out all kinds of dance moves. Go rams!!!!!
Below: The beautiful and talented Jewels perform during the pep rally.
Above: Seniors Amber Gaines and Veronica Lightburn get excited. Above: Ms. Black keeps a watchful eye on the freshman as they enjoy their first pep rally. IN THIS ISSUE: Meet the Staff……………..………..p.2 A Sit-Down with Dr. Rhone…....p.3 Clues for College….…….….p.4 The First Week of School…..p.4 Senior Drivers……………….......p.4 “Rocky Says” Column…………........p.5 Movie Reviews………................p.5
Senior Class Sponsors……....p.5 Summer Time Fun……….......p.6 Meeting w/ Coach Pritchett…...….p.7 Marching Band…………..……...p.7 New Teacher Round-Up…………...p.7 Football……………….……………...p.8 Cheerleading……………………….p.8
Freshman Survival Guide…………..p.9 Middle School Memories…………..p.9 Student Poetry……………….……..p.10 InstaRAM Photos………………....p.11 Crossword Puzzle, etc…………….p.12
NEWS
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Thank you to our sponsors!
To inquire about purchasing an ad, send an email to amhsrampage @gmail.com.
Angelic Art
Meet The
RAMpage Staff! Co-Editors: Atiya Williamson & Caleb Logan News Editor: Tiffany Daniels Sports Editor: Breanna Watts
Student Life Co-Editors: Nakayla Williams Eric Murphy, Jr. Office Manager/PR Coordinator: Valeria Lake Staff Writers/Photographers: Adonis Bradford Sharidan Coleman Daysha Crosland Dakota Dawson Tim Eboigbe Meyanna Gilliam Chelsea McElderry Jessyca Willis Curtis Wilson Sponsor: Mrs. Rasmussen If you want to be part of the newspaper, submit articles to amhsrampage@gmail.com or via the form on the school’s website! All article types are welcome!
The RAMpage is proud to be environmentally friendly! The paper used to print The RAMpage is made from recycled material. Proceeds from the sale of our paper will go towards an environmental service project.
NEWS
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What’s the Matter with Miley? Tryphose Asra Over the years many teachers and assistant principals have come in and left Arabia Mountain, and this year we have a new assistant principal, Dr. Rhone. Dr. Rhone is from Quincy, Florida and moved to Georgia in 1997 when her husband was relocated to pastor a church here in the area. She attended Florida A & M University where she majored in business and accounting and later went to Walden university in Minneapolis, Minnesota to get her doctorate degree. For many years Dr. Rhone always knew she would eventually be teaching, however, since she didn’t enjoy accounting so much. After moving to Georgia Dr. Rhone worked at Stephenson High School for one year where she taught gifted 9th and 10th grade and later taught at Lithonia High School for ten years where she taught AP 12th grade. Dr. Rhone is new to the Arabia Mountain family and new to being an assistant prin-
cipal and so far she has enjoyed being at Arabia with us. When asked what she would like to accomplish here at Arabia she states, “To maintain the high standards that Arabia already has and to promote more school spirit.” Coming in as a new assistant principal Dr. Felicia Rhone wants to make sure the students of Arabia Mountain are successful and reach their academic and career goals. When Dr. Rhone was in school her favorite subject was English. In her free time she loves listening to gospel and old R&B music, she loves to see romantic comedies, and she loves to be near the water. She does have two children a son who is sophomore at Florida A & M University and a daughter who is a senior at Lithonia High School. So, when you see Dr. Rhone, speak and tell her “hey” because she is new to the ram family so welcome her in.
Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past of couple weeks, you’ve probably heard of Miley Cyrus’ mouth-dropping, controversial performance at the 2013 MTV Music Video Awards that left T.V. stations and social media sites buzzing with talk of the 20 year old’s new identity away from Disney. Some enjoy her new persona, while others don’t particularly care for it, especially parents who once recalled purchasing her previous albums for their young daughters. Now if you’re anything like me, this whole “twerking” Miley Cyrus has left you confused and rather intrigued on what goes with Disney, or any child stars for that matter who just decided it was time to grow up publically. Miley Cyrus, born Destiney Ray Hope, started her acting career with a minor role on the television show Doc and the movie Big Fish. She then landed a gig with Disney, starring as Miley Stewart on the show we most commonly know her from,
Hannah Montana. Since then she’s released 3 albums that have been successful and is about to release a fourth, titled Bangerz. The album is set to be released October 8. which gives her enough time to still be the talk of the country. America’s self proclaimed sweetheart now is headed down a path that some argue is just her growing up, while others just deem her recent behavior as rebellion. Her recent actions have also sparked the basic topic on if children should be given acting roles as too many times a former child actor has been on the news for things such as drug abuse or being in and out of jail multiple times. It’s sparked so many controversies as well to uncover the truth to what Disney is REALLY making these kids do—that’s a topic for another newspaper.
To Thrift or Not to Thrift? Veronica Lightburn So one may ask, what exactly is thrifting? Thrifting is the act of going to a second hand store to purchase gently used or vintage items with the intentions of wearing them again. Thrifting started as a familiar craze but has quickly become a nationwide phenomenon. There are many perks that
come with thrifting. The prices are a major plus and the clothes are a bonus, but the actual act of act of thrifting has got to be the best perk by far. I can speak form personal experience and say that once you start thrifting, it will be very hard to stop! Do you plan on thrifting an-
ytime soon? If so, here are three easy steps to make your thrifting experience as fun and easy as possible: Step 1- Find certain days in which items are on sale or discounted. Trust me you would much rather want to pay $4 for a sweater as opposed to $8. Step 2- Shop in groups to get more than one opinion. I mean hey you choices may be great but it’s always good to get a second opinion. Step 3- While shopping keep in mind any other clothes
you may already own. For example a nice vintage sweater will go really nice with a pair of jeans you already own, some old Timberlands and poof there you go!!
NEWS
College is quickly approaching. Only 3 years ago was the class of 2014 walking into a complete new chapter of life, eager to take on whatever challenges faced them. Well, now the time has come for us (class of 2014) to embark on another chapter of the book that embodies our lives. Many of us are excited and anxious about the idea of college itself. However, some people may not be entirely ready for this new change. Do not fret. This article will give helpful hints as to how to approach preparing for college and even what to look for or expect as one engages themselves with the college life. So, what are the first steps one should take when getting ready for college? Well, according to Ms. Whitfield, 9th grade Social Studies teacher, a precollegiate student should decide what it is that they want to go to college for: "Some people love activities, so they may want a college that has a lot of sports and clubs. Some students are focused on academics so they aren't worried about all of that extra stuff, so before you can decide on a school to go to, that's the first thing I would suggest you do. Once you see what the school has to offer, then go forward in seeing if they have your major or not." We all know that making good grades is essential to getting into a great college, correct? So, what else do we really need to focus on in order to push us above the other thousands of students who are applying and are in the exact position as we are? Mrs. Pritchett, student teacher, told us that we need to "...find out what the requirements or average scores for the SAT and ACT are at the college you're interested in. Once you find this out, study and shoot for
The first week at Arabia Mountain High School was a success! 400 new freshmen took their first walk on our spacious hallways last month. This totals our enrollment to about 1,400 students. Many students found that their first week was amazing and are excited for the upcoming year. Several students had positive remarks regarding the first week of school and are full of exhilaration. Freshman Dennis K. says, “My first day of high school was great and my sched-
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exceeding scores on these tests. This will, in line with your excellent grades, put you above all of the other candidates for the same position." So you might be saying, "Okay, Valeria, I know all of this stuff. What I really want to know is, where are the scholarships, grants, and financial aid packages? Help me out!" Well, below I have come across many websites that will expose you to a variety of scholarships, and just more general information as to how to go to college and be ready to take on the world. Before we know it, May 2014 will be only a blink of an eye away, and we will be crossing over the threshold to the beginning of our successful careers. With these few helpful hints, I know that the mighty rams will have everything at their fingertips!
SCHOLARSHIP WEBSITES: Scholarships.com Cappex.com Fastweb.com Collegeprowler.com/ scholarships Scholarshipexperts.com FINANCIAL AID: Finaid.org Studentaid.ed.gov
ule turned out good too!” Although some may not have wanted their summer to end, as soon as they saw all their friends’ faces they started discussing what activities they plan on joining this year. AMHS Sophomores, Alexis H. & Makayla M., say they are really going to get involved this year. They plan on joining FFA, 4H, and TSA, and Alexis hopes to be the class treasurer. AMHS Juniors, Roland and Devin hope this year we will have a lacrosse team and sophomore Micah B. thinks she will be
The Class of 2014 owns the school. Most of our seniors this year drive to school. But do you sometimes wonder how driving affects a senior’s school life? Well, we have answers from some of our very own seniors on how they feel about driving to school and how it affects their school life. For some students, it might be easy to adjust to driving everyday to school, while for some it might be a little harder. For many of the seniors, driving to school is a privilege not a right. Most have several responsibilities they must keep up with in order to continue to drive to school. When Eddie Revills was asked if there were requirements that he and his parents had to agree on in order for him to drive to school every day, he answered, “Yes, I have to keep my grades up.” Aaron Archer has a
similar situation with his parents. When asked the same question he said, “I have to maintain my grades and also be on time to school.” These are just two seniors but many others agreed to this when asked. Seniors are given many opportunities to have fun and be independent this year, and driving is just one of these. For a lot of seniors driving is one of the many perks they have earned and they work hard to continue to be able to drive to and from school.
a great addition for the dance team. In addition to all the activities, clubs, and sports everyone is anticipating this year's pep rallies! There is no doubt that pep rallies show how great it is
to be a part of RAM nation. With the help of wonderful teachers, and exceptional students this year is bound to be the best one yet.
Arabia Mountain High School admitted 400 new students for the 2013-2014 school year.
NEWS
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Senior year has finally arrived for class of 2014, and you know what that means? It means graduation, senior breakfast, and senior week are all approaching. Now is the time for special memories to be created that will never be forgotten. But before that can happen we need to discuss our senior dues. For the obvious, every class is offered the option of paying a certain amount of money and then participating in activities with your peers. This year is no different; the base amount for our senior dues is $260. This base amount
covers graduation, precommencement, senior t-shirts, senior gifts and lastly Herff Jones. For those who don’t know, Herff Jones is the company that distributes our caps, gowns, tassels and diploma covers. In addition to the base cost, there are also additional costs that include a senior breakfast, senior picnic, powder puff game and the year book. If you choose to pay for these additional items then your total will rise from $260 to $405. To be clear, you do not have to pay for any of the additional costs as all events and
“Honestly, just throw it in the trash.” That’s what Senior, Atiya Williamson, had to say about the littering problem at Arabia Mountain High School. As an environmentally concerned school there are numerous places where students have been designated to both recycle and throw away unwanted items. Yet, there seems to be an overwhelming amount of litter around the school campus. Both teachers and students agree that this really should not be an issue. So why is proper disposal of waste such a big problem on campus? “People at Arabia litter because they feel that since their school is environmentally friendly then they don’t have to clean after themselves,” says Senior Tajae Mills. Many around the school share this opinion and feel that properly disposing trash in and around school is a way of showing respect. To many here, it is downright disrespectful for students and teachers to leave their trash lying around. “They’re more aware of what littering does to the environment,” Tajae continues, “but they still don’t follow rules and guidelines.” ...Not to mention the danger to wildlife around Arabia Mountain. We have a unique biodiversity in the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area and many species of plants and animals call our campus home. “It’s disgusting!” ex-
claims Dallas Turner (Senior). “I think it shows other people and the wildlife how disgusting we really are.” Our litter can potentially be a danger to animals around the school and even cause death, not to mention that food and drink wastes can attract unwanted pests in and around school. Dallas later continued, “There is so much beauty at Arabia Mountain High School but we would never know because it’s kneedeep in garbage.” As an environmental school, we as the student body should be personally concerned about how our decisions affect the native wildlife. It will be a process for us to change student and faculty behavior and their perceptions on creating a safe home for our wild neighbors. However, we have to start somewhere. Students like Dallas Turner are already prepared to assist in ending our problem but we need to raise awareness and help change the mentality of the student population as a school. It all begins with having school pride and starting small. Start a cleanup campaign, pick up trash you see while walking around school and most importantly throw away YOUR trash!
added items are optional. Our senior class sponsors for this year, are Ms. Watkins, Mrs. Mason, Ms.Gilliam and Mrs.Langer. Last year students showered Ms.Watkins and Mrs. Mason with gifts persuading them to take over our senior class responsibilities. To this day some students claim they did not receive all of what they paid for. It was great news to find out we had not only two but four new class sponsors that would be in charge. With the help of these organized and efficient sponsors, many seniors are looking forward to a fun and
successful year! The recent Senior meeting, in which dues were discussed, went well. Many parents and students seemed happy with the changes and also the choices concerning student dues. The location of graduation was also discussed. This year seniors are given a choice between the Gwinnett Arena and Panthersville Stadium. Voting is taking place online on the senior website. All additional questions can be directed towards any of our four senior sponsors.
In the movie 2 Guns, two operatives from rival bureaus meet. Neither realizes that the other is working undercover. For a year, U.S. naval intelligence officer Marcus Stigman (Mark Wahlberg) and DEA agent Bobby Trench (Denzel Washington) are both on a covert mission to infiltrate a powerful narcotics syndicate. Even though both operatives feel they cannot trust the other, Stigman and Trench were forced to work as partners, but continue to eye one another with a substantial amount of suspicion. This movie was highly anticipated and delivered every moment of action and thrill movie lovers like to watch. Another movie to catch is Jobs. This movie is about the early life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs; the movie is captivating as it guides you through his life as he rises from college dropout into one of the most creative entrepreneurs of the 20th century. Though some critics say it presents a one-sided portrait of the late tech icon (Steve Jobs), it is a very interesting film to see. Coming Soon! The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, has been probably the most anticipated film of the year! Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a "Victor's Tour' of the districts. Along the way |Katniss senses that a rebellion is arising but has no clue what’s in store 75th Annual Hunger Games even though this movie is set to release in November it’s one to keep in mind. Finally, in Thor: The Dark World, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) returns to do battle with Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), the vengeful leader of a primordial race that only seek to do one thing and that is to destroy the Nine Realms. Buy a ticket to see if Thor triumphs evil or lets the Nine realms be destroyed.
NEWS
A summer of music blaring through the speakers by artists such as Childish Gambino, Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Big Sean? What about the sweet aroma of buttery popcorn or the fresh smell of the ocean? Doesn’t that sound like great summer to you? Well some Arabia Mountain High School students think so too. And this was just the beginning of a few awesome summers. Most teenagers, including me, look forward to the summer all year. No more school, no more teachers, no more projects, and no more waking up at the crack at dawn. Just warm weather, fun, and the couch to make our permanent living space for the next three months. Some teenagers take the summer as a break from not only school , but a vacation from life and will sit all day and night in the house. Others, such as junior Ellis Watson, saw it as an opportunity to volunteer and help
1. Built in Camera 2. Merriam–Webster 3. Skydrive 4. Dropbox 5. Google Drive 6. Built in Calculator 7. Graphing Calculator 8. Built in Voice Recorder 9. Adobe Reader 10. Thesaurus
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others. While he was at the YMCA, I volunteered at DeKalb Medical. And we weren’t the only ones trying to pack our resumes with our good deeds. Junior Helina Teklu interned at the CDC taking summer school to a whole another level. You could have just traveled like freshman Amber Shaw who visited Tennessee and New Orleans. Junior Helina Teklu also visited Tennessee over the summer, Washington, and New York. Senior Tajae Mills went to visit the East Coast as well as Pennsylvania for a family reunion. Sophomore Marcus went down to the coast of Florida and out to Trinidad. And for those days when boredom strikes or one wanted to take their significant other out plenty of movies came out over the summer to watch movies such as the adventure / action movie Iron Man 3, the hilarious comedy of Hangover 3, and the action packed
Fast & Furious 6 and with so much free time on our hands why not see a movie or 3 just like freshman Shawn Richardson who went to see comedies, animated movies, and thrillers Along with new movies, new music and artists surfaced the radios such as “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke, “Versace” by Migos , and “I’m Out” by Ciara. Jay-Z put out his latest album called Magna Carta-Holy Grail and known artists such as Beyoncé and Rihanna stayed on replay on many iPod’s and MP3’s. And if traveling, going to the movies, and discovering new music was not enough two of the seniors got summer jobs and Six Flags became a second home. As the summer came to a close and students reminisced on what they did the only question left to ask is, what are you going to do next summer?
Students at Arabia Mountain High School are surrounded by technology every day. We use this technology to research, write, type, edit, calculate, etc. This extends to our homes where we continue our schoolwork on our desktops and laptops. But in between our homes and school there isn’t any device within reach where we can check if we turned our homework in on sites like Edmodo or Turnitin or send a message reminding your group that the group presentation is due tomorrow. Actually there is and and its always in your pocket/purse/bookbag: your smartphone. The apps available on your iOS, Android and Windows devices provide the perfect opportunities to check your homework, replace your calculator when you’ve mistakenly left yours at home and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Legend Scheduling Apps
Communication Apps
Class Apps
Other Apps
Document Apps
11. Sparknotes 12. Lync 2013 13. First Class 14. Turnitin
Scheduling Apps- this category features apps that are perfect for keeping you on schedule on when assignments are due, making lists of materials needed for a project or remembering to send documents/messages to your classmates or teacher
15. Prezi 16. Edmodo 17. Studious 18. Any.Do
Class Apps- this category features apps that teachers often use in the classroom such as Edmodo or FirstClass, these apps make checking if you turned in an assignment on time and being aware of messages sent to you easier
19. MyHomework Student Planner 20. EZ Schedule 21. Top Task List
Document Apps- this category features apps that allow you to edit Microsoft office documents on your mobile device or even make new documents from scratch
22. Pages 23. Office Hub 24. Office 365 25. GoogleDocs
Communication Apps- this category features apps that assist in group projects to assist in keeping group members up to date outside of the classroom on assignment progress
26. Notes 27. Skype 28. Kik Messenger 29. Facetime
Other Apps- this category features apps that may not commonly be used, but still provide utility of some sort such as research, online storage, calculators or miscellaneous apps
SPORTS
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AMHS Marching Band Tim Eboigbe The new Arabia Mountain High School head coach of football is a collegiate NFL player: Coach Stanley Pritchett, a graduate from the University of South Carolina. Coa c h Pr itc h et t played for the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, and the home team Atlanta Falcons.
I asked Coach Pritchett several questions about his intentions for the football season (2013-2014). Coach Pritchett says that he chose to work at Arabia Mountain High School so that he could work with the young student athletes at an academic school. Coach Pritchett says that he runs a tough practice
that is intense, physical, and mentally strong. He loves academic schools that are good at sports naming schools such as St. Pius and Marist and preaching that being good on and off the field in sports and education is very important. Also, Coach Pritchett says that he does hire his assistant coaches and he goes based off of experience and comfort around the players. He said that the Arabia Mountain football team has a tough schedule, but their taking it one game at a time. There are no games that he seems to look forward to more than others, but just says, “Every game is a struggle.
Every year there are a group of students that leave high school and a new class that enters. But who would know that Arabia would get a new group of students plus teachers?! Wow. There are a total of 27 new teachers and counting. August 12, 2013 (first day of school) I saw a lot of old faces and new faces. I’ve meet new teachers but two teachers stuck out of the bunch: Dr. McCray and Mr. Joyner. McCray of the math department has 34 years of teaching experience. Dr. McCray taught at G eo r gia P e ri m et er before coming to Arabia. She decided to leave Georgia Perimeter and come to Arabia because
Arabia is closer to her home. Mr. Joyner taught at Durant Middle School in Raleigh, North Carolina. He deiced to leave Durant Middle School because he has an interest in Environmental Science and he also has a relevant background. These new teachers have different techniques on how to educate students. Mr. Joyner has many types of techniques: “Discussions are important to me and seem to demonstrate what students know about a subject, past and present, as well as what they want and need to know. I also enjoy relevant and effective technological applications in order to supplement and
enhance learning and teaching. Collaborative projects (that may include the teacher as well) are great assessments also, and a chance to witness students’ creativity and comprehension of concepts.” All of the new teachers I’ve talked to have told me that they had a great first impression of Arabia. Mr. Joyner said his first impression was that Arabia has a beautiful campus with respectful students. Dr. McCray said that her first impression of Arabia was that is was kindness, comradely of the teachers, administration, and desire of students to learn. All new teachers look forward to a great year.
The Arabia Mountain High school marching band is full of inspired people who love music and treasure it. Everybody in band is an inspired young artist trying to take their talents to the next level. They love performing at football games and competitions. It is never too late to join. If you have a love for music join the Arabia Mountain marching band. The head of the Arabia Mountain High School marching band is Emmanuel Johnson. He has been the marching band instructor since the school opened. He played for Hampton University and the University of Mississippi. He play’s all trombones, trumpet, tuba and guitar. The reason why he did band was because to him music gives you joy, music is your life, and he wanted a chance to impact young lives. Some recent events for the band were the pep rally and the game vs. Stephenson.
New teacher, Mr. Joyner, poses for the AMHS RAMpage .
SPORTS
Its back. The most popular feature of the fall semester. Its time for FOOTBALL. The mighty rams and the Clarkston Angoras locked horns on August 23 at the in the Mighty Rams’ first opening varsity game of the season. The team was lead by our starting quarterback, Senior Trevous Reynolds, who had over 2,000 yards in the 2012 season. The Mighty Rams had no problem running the stampede through the Angoras weak defense, which lead to the victory over Clarkston 40-7. With the help of touchdowns by Senior Gregory Phillips, Junior Jeffery Lowe, Senior Michael Lockhart and Sophomore Marcus Gaye. The Mighty Rams also had interceptions by Seniors Johnathan Slaton and Nasiir Edwards. The Mighty Rams have been preparing for a comeback from last season throughout the entire summer with their new coaching staff headed by Coach Prichett, who pushed the boys to achieve greatness in this opening game. “The team has been impacted so much by our new coaching
Athletes lift weights… cheerleaders lift people! Many people believe that cheerleading is not an athletic sport at all but the 2013-2014 AMHS Varsity cheerleaders beg to differ. This year the AMHS cheer squad is back and ready to dominate. “I feel great about my squad! They worked hard this summer and they are well prepared,” says Ms. Rush the head cheerleading coach. “They also have no problem working together as a team. They’re pre-
LET’S GO RAMS! Support the Cheer Squad at the next game!
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The Mighty Rams at their first game against Clarkston High . staff, he has pushed us beyond the limit which helped us to come out on top,” says Senior Jonathan Slaton. “The team has grown together our, [our] bond has become even stronger, [and] we plan to go out this season and show the rival teams who we really are,” says Junior Carlton Griffin and Senior Chris Daniel. “The team has been impacted only by positivity, we as a team have been able to estimate our teammates moves which helps with our blocks”, says Senior Nasiir Edwards.
“We lost out brothers/ teammates from last year, but they impacted the team so much and we as a team only want them to do they best and live up to their expectations and have a better season then last year,” says Junior Dre Adams. The Mighty Rams would not be the team they are without the supporting fans, including the cheerleaders, band, faculty and staff, and students of course. When the Rams get low and tired they rely on the sounds of the screaming fans and loud unison voices of the cheerleaders screaming “Let’s Go Rams.”
pared and they’ll look nice. Everything about them, will be cohesive.” When asked if she was looking forward to any games in particular, she replied without hesitation, “Miller Grove!” Ms. Rush’s favorite cheer is the Long Cheer. Its new so many of you may not be familiar with it, but if you were present at the Clarkston game, you may have been able to get a glimpse of it. The cheerleaders looked stunning at the game, and even though the rain did cause a slight dilemma, that didn’t stop the AMHS cheerleaders (and fans) from shutting it down. Equipped with their ponchos, the cheerleaders kept the spirit alive and well, and the fans were intrigued. The cheerleaders were so enticing that the long time dedicated fan, Senior Jordan Barron, felt the need to join the
cheerleaders in their cheerleading showdown! The Clarkston game showed true dedication from the AMHS varsity cheerleaders and gave many of us the impression that squad is surely on their A game this year. Among the many girls on the squad this year, there are a few new ones, some having never even cheered before! Among these group of girls is senior Delaria Ridley. Having never cheered before, Delaria is a newbie on the team but doesn’t give off that vibe at all! “We don’t put each down,” says Delaria, “We all work together and support each other as a team.” When asked which games she was looking forward to the most, “Stephenson and Southwest, even though all are important. I look forward to all of them!” Delaria’s favorite cheers are “It’s
During halftime, it was time for the Marching Rams to set the field on fire with the loud, beautiful music of Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are.” We can’t forget about our beautiful dancers, the Jewels, and lovely flag girls, the Emeralds. These lovely young ladies and gentlemen of our marching Rams showed the fans of Arabia Mountain and Clarkston what it really means to be a part of the Arabia Mountain High school student body. Senior Jordan Barron was caught cheering with our cheerleaders when the rain put the game on halt but that didn’t stop her school spirit. She is what many people can call a “True Fan of Ram Nation.” She is present at every game along with her best friend and president of the Arabia Mountain senior class Vaughn Dowdley. “There isn’t a reason why you shouldn’t come to the game its Ram Nation for life, TURN UP,” says Senior Jordan Barron. With fans like her there should be no reason why the mighty Rams football team can not achieve victory in every game.
Cheerleaders Delaria and Brianna are ready to cheer!
Great” and “Stomp and Shake It”. When asked if there was anything she wanted people to know about her squad, “We’re coming headstrong and we’re ready to dominate and take on the best cheerleaders in Dekalb, which we are a part of. And were ready to support our school.” The cheerleaders can next be seen at any game or AMHS pep rally. Just know if you’re prep aring to see them they’ll be willing to bring it!
STUDENT LIFE
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So what is High School Really like? Is there going to be more work, more stress, or is it just like the movies? If you have had thought like these you’re not alone. There are many freshman students here at Arabia Mountain High School that have thought about all these scary things. It’s going to OK, because the seniors will be giving you the guidelines and the do’s and don'ts of being here at Arabia Mountain High School.
At Arabia Mountain High School the most important rule is to wear your uniform correctly or, as an administrator would say, “abide” by the dress code or you will have in school suspension. Every morning once you walk through those two double doors your uniform must be correctly worn and you must have solid color shoes on. “Tuck those shirts in,” Ms. Davis says every morning while students walk through going to class. There are many parts to the dress code at Arabia Mountain but once you learn them all and get used to them it will be a breeze rather than work.
The next four years of high school have finally come and they should be the best years of your life. You should want these four final school years to be full of laughter and fun. In order to have a great high school make sure not to do anything that you will regret or mess up your reputation. The most important thing is BE YOU!! Never act like you're someone else, which is what others call being “fake.” If your friends can't accept you for who you are then they are not your real friends.
Work is a lot of what you do at Arabia Mountain, but trust me; it will all pay off once you graduate. One thing that you must do in high school is STUDY! If you don’t study, your classes will be very hard to pass. Freshman year is a very important year in high school and can set you up for college. So keep those grades and test scores up! GPA is another important factor in high school because when you become a senior and begin to apply to colleges they look at that. If your GPA is high do your best to keep it that way.
Who said high school has to be all work and no play? In high school, extracurricular activities are one of the important things that colleges look for. Joining extracurricular activities is a great time to explore your interests and try new things. Extracurricular activities are a great way to meet new people and make new friends. Some extracurricular activities go on field trips, and that is a great experience. You will be able to visit places that you’ve never thought you would go and discover. This can also open up many opportunities for you. Scholarships, Internships and maybe a job could come from joining extracurricular activities in school. I hope this information on how to survive here at the wonderful Arabia Mountain helped because it will be needed. These are just a few pointers on how to make your four years of high School go by quick and easy. I know the work is going to be a little challenging but that’s what the great teachers are here for , so If you need any help ask someone and they will be happy to help you. Have a great year and remember keep those shirts tucked in and always be you!
Meyanna Gilliam Middle school was always exciting for me but the most exciting year was eighth grade! I decided to interview new freshman and discover what there favorite memories from eighth grade were. Freshman, Obeymi, says, “I remember the eighth grade ball and going to Steak and Shake afterwards.” The eighth grade prom was the most popular event enjoyed by a variety of students. Freshman, Taylar, says, “I remember eighth grade
week. It was fun, a lot of activities, and nice. Also the event prepared us for high school.” Middle school was the most memorable time for many new Arabia students. The experiences amongst the Freshman were different, some enjoyed their eighth grade year while other are excited for a fresh start in high school. Sophomores, Natalee and Micah, both enjoyed hanging out with friends. Micah was a dancer and was very out-
going. Natalee enjoyed cheerleading and thought her teachers were nice. “The first time getting lockers are also fun”, says freshman Cameron. Cameron also tried the infamous school lunch for the first time during his middle school years. Memories are always good to look back and reflect on because you may be able to learn from them. If they are bad memories, we can always learn what not to do and the right
steps to take to make better decisions. Good memories required more knowledge in order to have a greater outcome, and better situations. Many Freshman felt that their eighth grade year was important to their development as students. Overall, the lesson is past experiences can oftentimes be essential to creating success on the future.
STUDENT LIFE
p. 10
Black Woman They'll tell you that black is beautiful. But won't hesitate to remind you that light skin is the right skin You're wrong if you resemble anything that has a little night in it and That's the image that has been imprinted in our minds as we try to bleach away the black Spend hours trying to scrape away the dark dirt like impurity that is our skin As we try to pick off the pigment and Melt away the melanin that we've been cursed with They'll tell you that your beauty is a curse But this takes on a new meaning to the black woman Who for her whole life has been seen as nothing but a piece of meat Her skin so dark knowledge can't shine through All she good for is curves and attitude Oh, and don't forget She angry too. The way we've been portrayed this is no surprise Keep your head down black woman Don't look them in the eye Hide your shame Perm your hair till its pin straight and maybe then they'll accept you Kinky hair is not cute Keep it straight like all these white women do and you'll be just fine He won't hide you in the shadows He'll be proud to say that she's mine Black woman they'll ask you Why your eyes so dark Why your lips so thick Society's image of beauty Black woman you don't fit this Black woman you gotta fix this Why your hips so big Why your nose so wide It seems the darker the shade the deeper the insecurities inside us reside We've been brain washed by the television screen. As I look on TV I can't seem to see Anyone that is defined as beautiful that looks like me Or my fellow sisters They tell me from a young age that my hair is considered nappy That my skin is too dark Seems that you have to be light, if you wanna be happy
And this begins the process In which we are processed and mold ourselves in order to become what we've been told is pretty This starts the self hate that is so prominent in our black community today The black men prefer the white And we black women can never seem to get it just right They keep us in the shadows Only receive affection behind closed doors But of course Why would he love black woman Black woman can't even love herself And I say this full of remorse But black woman let me tell you For those whose skin's as dark as the sky that holds up the moon Your beautiful With the deepest of roots With hips wide enough to mother the entire human race With a mind so elaborate That you can escape this labyrinth of self hate and self pity With lips that are not only sensual and sexual but able to speak ones mind Black woman opposition will make you stronger Your beauty radiates and pulses through your entire being You are more than just a piece of meat The original queens of Africa And you are a queen. Black woman don't look them in the eye if they can not respect you Keep your head up black woman You are beautiful And you are worth being shown off Do not settle for less Because regardless of what they tell you You are beautiful.
-Anonymous
The RAMpage is proud to accept all works of creativity— poems, photographs, short stories, etc. To submit, please send an email w/ the subject “Creative Submission” to
amhsrampage@gmail.com!
STUDENT LIFE
p. 11
Ready for the show!! Senior and Pep Rally co-host Vaughn Dowdley prepares for the show! #WorkHard #AllSmilesHere
Best Friends!! Some of our Seniors hanging out!! #BestFriendsForever #FunAtTheMountain
Strike A Pose!! #Candid #ReadyForClass
We’re always looking for a good story! #RAMpageReporter #BeReady #SeeThatWork
Ready for the pep rally yet? #PepRally #Candid #SeniorsAlwaysTurnt
These students are ready to put in work! #PracticeTime
These ladies are always ready for pictures! #ArabiaMountainLadies #Seniors
CHEER! Our very own ladies of cheer always have time for a quick snapshot! #CheerleadersRock
Let the #Seniors show you how to do it!! #WeGotSpirit #TooTurnt #SeniorsAlwaysReady
The cRAMpage CROSSWORD PUZZLE By Tim, Sharidan, Dakota, Chelsea & Eric Across 3. school club currently selling chocolate as a fundraiser 5. cost of school newspaper 7. country where our foreign exchange students are from 8. county where our school is located 9. first name of school student body president 10. the name of the dance team 11. the last name of our principal 12. animal that got stuck on the baseball field last year 13. the newest assistant principal 16. the name of our mascot 18. this year is Mr. Swanson's _____ year at Arabia 19. number of p.e. credits needed to graduate 22. closest mall to AMHS 23. our new head football coach 24. the school we played the night after we had our first pep rally Down 1. school colors 2. what does EIC stand for? 4. where mr. down went to college 6. principal before mr. swanson 14. cost of parking permit per semester 15. the epic poem most seniors read at the beginning of this year 17. location of senior hall
SUDOKU!!!
Ask-A-Ram A monthly advice column, with answers by Nakayla. :-) [All questions are anonymous.]
Q: What should I do if I am being cyber-bullied? A: You should try your best to ignore the person bullying you. If that does not work block them from your Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. If they do not stop after that, just stay off the social media sites or you can confront the person in a nonviolent and talk the issues out. Please submit more questions to the Ask-A-Ram column at amhsrampage@gmail.com or complete the form accessible via the school’s website. You can also use the QR code here!