March 2016 Issue

What is your choice?

Junior reminisces in choice to be pro-life, her reasons behind the decision

Read more on

pg 4

rimson Crier C

Sparkman High School | 2616 Jeff Road | Harvest, Ala. 35749 | Phone: (256)837-0331 | Fax: (256)837-7673 | www.crimsoncriernews.com|

The Crimson Crier |

@TheCrimsonCrier

The

Thursday, March 30 2017, Issue 6

Vaping blows

Vaping replaces smoking, still illegal, dangerous for teens Kaylyn Jones Web Editor

T

he desire to smoke without actually smoking has become suffocating as the popularity of vaping has risen.

Despite the promises of vapes being “non-addictive,” the amount of teens who vape has surpassed the reported cigarette use.

According to Tushar Singah’s studies — an employee at the Office on Smoking and Health Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] — reported that an estimated 2.39 million teens in high school regularly vape.

“I started vaping because I thought it was cool at first and everyone seemed to be doing it. Now that I think about it and look back at it, I do believe I am addicted,” pilot Joe Malone said. “It would always seem to calm me down when I was stressed, and so I just kept going back to it.

Some days, I just wish I could throw it out the window and quit.”

The FDA released a synthetic nicotine last year because of the pressure it harbored from major tobacco companies which resulted in more regulations being added. In 2018, the FDA released their plan to now label their packages that do contain nicotine as a safety procedure.

“Not all juice companies use synthetic nicotine. Nicotine is addictive in any form. That’s the difference between e-cigarettes and actual cigarettes.

E-cigarettes use liquefied nicotine and produce less harmful water vapor instead of harmful smoke. E-cigarettes won’t kill you, but smoking will,” owner of numerous vape stores Stephen Johnson said.

Although it is against the law for a minor to legally purchase a product from a vape store, many resort to online shopping to purchase their fix and are successful. With vaping, a new trend has risen as well. One in four high school students who vape, have tried “dripping” before as recently published in the journal Pediatrics. Dripping is the process of directly dripping the vape liquids onto the hot coils to achieve a thicker hit that allows them to have a “tingle in the back of their throat” according to the lead author of the study and Yale professor, Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin.

“Because I’m about to get my pilot license, I cut back on vaping a while back. I don’t vape as much since I need good lungs — along with being able to pass my physicals — and there’s always been a theory that a person can have popcorn lungs if they’ve vaped over a long period of time.

Even though it is against the law for minors to purchase anything from a vape store, sometimes it doesn’t seem to matter to the shop keepers as long as they’re getting their sales. I started at 16,” Malone said. “My vape contains nicotine and that’s how I have become addicted, and just the act of bringing it to my mouth is addicting alone. It’s become a routine.”

Arguments of whether or not vaping is detrimental to the human body have been sprouting since the act of vaping really boomed around three years ago, although the invention of e-cigarettes can be traced back to the ‘60s. In accordance to the MCBOE Student Code of Conduct, vapes are classified as tobacco, and tobacco possession, the selling or transferring of or use is classified as a Class III offense on school property. This can “result in school suspension, PACE referral and/or expulsion referral” according to assistant principal Jennifer Gray.

“Vaping isn’t good for you, but at the same time, it’s not that bad either if you know what is actually in the juices you are using. Cigarettes have thousands of more chemicals in them than a vape. Vapes have about four to five chemicals in them, and some we actually cook with — like glycerin. If you look for natural juices in the liquids, you can find them as well,” Malone said. “But either way, it’s not cool to me anymore and it’s definitely not worth the price.”

Photo illustration by Alex Myers

Principal welcomes new football coach, future turnaround Christian White Web Editor

T

he hiring of a new coach often brings a jolt of excitement or a curious controversy to any sports program. When Principal Chris Shaw decided to hire the two-time state champion football coach from Tanner High School, Laron White, the school was practically buzzing with excitement for the future of the program.

“Sparkman is a place where you have a good

mix of kids. You have good athletes and the talent is here. I think it is a good place to win,” White said.

White praised the other sports programs at the school and pledged to help improve the ailing football team. He believes that the talent and determination along with newly instilled values and work ethic will bring them to a higher place.

“We want to play tough physical football. That is the number one thing,” White said. “We want to win. There is no bid and process, no two years or three years, we want to come in and work as hard as we can and win right away.”

It is safe to say that coach white is a winner.

With a total of 143 wins and just 30 losses, two state championships, eight regional titles and an 83 percent overall win percentage, it is no surprise that expectations are sky-high.

@TheCrimsonCrier The Crimson Crier crimsoncriernews.com

“He has been very successful everywhere he has been with an incredible 83 percent win percentage,” Shaw said. “He is a great family man and a great person. He cares about the kids and the community and wants to be here.”

With community-wide approval, Shaw is positive he made the right choice and stands by it.

The Sparkman family is hopeful for a great football program that will make them proud in the future.

“As a principal and as a school, you want to have a home-run hire and I definitely think he was a home run hire,” Shaw said. “He is not someone that I have to sit down and explain my decision to.

His resume and character speak for themselves and that makes me excited for the future.”

A Look Inside

News pg. 2-3 Opinion pg. 4-5 Sports pg. 6-7 Lifestyles pg. 8 A&E pg. 9, 12 Spread pg. 10-11

2

News

March 30, 2017

The Crimson Crier

March 30, 2017

O

n the weekend of March 4, the Sparkman Service Organization’s step team won first place in the 15th Annual Jubilee Step Show at the National Voting Rights Museum in Selma. The competition, which high school and colleges across the state competed in, was held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights March.

“The weekend was for the anniversary of Bloody Sunday and to remember those who suffered during it, so the whole event was just to bring it more attention. It was definitely something fun that we could learn from,” junior Aubrey Sales said.

The show was called “Stomp Out to Vote” and it featured a variety of competitors including local high schools, colleges and members of the Kappa League. The competition drew more than 1000 spectators from institutions across the state.

“The experience was life-changing. We saw a lot of things that you only usually only see happen on social media or in the movies, but

we got to experience it ourselves. It was unforgettable.”

Sales said. In a step competition, teams get graded based on execution, costume, loudness, interpretation and the overall cleanliness of the performance. Sparkman excelled in all of these categories, placing first overall.

“At the competition, everyone was happy and excited to be there, and they were having fun and cheering on the other teams. I’m so glad we won. We had the most energy, so the crowd absolutely loved us. Everybody knew our names after the show,” Sales said.

In addition to the step show, the team also visited other locations and took part in other activities on their trip as a part of the Selma Bridge Crossing 50th Anniversary Jubilee celebration. There was a mock trial, a golf tournament, a theatre festival, and even a Battle of the Bands.

“The step competition was Friday night. Friday afternoon we walked around the museum and Saturday we went to a Music and Street festival at the foot of the bridge,” senior Jonathan Everheart said. “It was amazing.

Media center seeks help in getting books Jacob Whitlock Managing Editor

Making your mark. The Scholars’ Bowl team poses with their first place medals. On March 8, they made history by being the first Sparkman team to win a county championship since 2004. Courtesy of Angie Silvey Stomp the yard. The step team celebrates their first place win and commemorates the anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

The team enjoyed a weekend together while also learning a little about history . Photo courtesy of Aubrey Sales.

We got to tour Alabama State University and we got to see the Rosa Parks Museum which was really cool because they showed us live presentation of her protest.”

For the step team members, the competition was much more than just a way to display their talents and put on a fun show.

It was an opportunity to send a message and honor those who sacrificed themselves for the rights we enjoy today.

“I think it’s very important to remember these events in any way possible. Stepping is a way of art. You can use your emotion, intensity and your anger to relay a strong message and in

this case we used it in a positive way. When you perform something, people will truly listen more than if you were just talking,” Sales said.

The step team first gained schoolwide fame when they performed at a pep rally in January. The high school has had a step team for the past three years, but they had never performed in front of their own people.

“It was a much different reaction than I thought we would get, considering nobody really knew who we were. I did not think anybody was going to clap, but then we started and everyone went crazy so it was insanely fun.” Everheart said.

Choir earns big wins at Disney

production by the theatre department.

Other than that, they have nothing until next season. They hope the sport will begin to revitalize in the Huntsville area so they can show off their talent more often and involve more people.

“In the future, I see us with a lot more victories.

Hopefully, we’ll begin to have more competitions locally in North Alabama and dealing with schools in this area. I think it is something that a lot of people would enjoy doing and watching,” Everheart said. “You develop so many cool friendships and learn a lot of valuable lessons, so I hope that step continues to grow.”

Driver’s education instructor explains importance of new driving laws Andrew McCoy Reporter

W

Camille Herren Opinion Editor

V

Happiest place on earth. Choir teacher David Giambrone settles down with his students for a quick voice lesson before the competition. Photo by Cheryl Askew

top three based on that. to make the volume of a ticipant also received a We [were] going for a choir that has 40 people medal they can wear on superior rating. That's when we only have 12 their clothes to signify what we were hoping to but I still think we have that they came. get,” Giambrone said. some work to do,” Rob“We came away with Senior Adam Roberts said. really great scores and erts thinks that the qualThe women’s choir, we competed against ity of their singers is consisting of 22 girls, some really awesome the feature that makes finished second in the high schools. It is a an imtough comprespetition and The word competiton is true and sion.

I was proud not true because we’re competing H e of them for says doing it. Our for the best score we can make. t h a t women’s t h e choir missed judges a superior critique factors such as women’s division and rating by 0.3 points but voice control, tone and the jazz group which I’m not worried about pitch and their choir has 15 members, earned it. It’s just a number. We brings them to the table. third. The jazz group thought it was pretty “It is both the size also received a superior magical and we had a and quality of our singaward which is difficult great time,” Giambrone ers. We are not a large to accomplish according said. group but we are able to Giambrone. Each par-

“

-David Giambrone

“

oices and songs brought home an accomplishment that the choir deemed a great success. Their hard work and rehearsals seemed to pay off in a place known to be the most magical on Earth.

The women’s choir and jazz choir competed in Orlando, Fl. and enjoyed Disney World on March 10. Choir teacher David Giambrone says about 27 schools were represented with judges selecting winners based on what they have heard.

“The word competition is true and not true because we're competing for the best score we can make. We have 20 minutes to do a set of music. We are judged on that and then someone else in the same division will do 20 minutes of music. The judges will compare and contrast and select their

Coaches Chelsea Robinson and Jasmine Jones directed the step team by piecing together the entire routine, including choreography, skits and costume design.

The team prepares by practicing three times a week for four to five hours at a time.

“It was ultimately just up to us to do great on stage, and that’s what we did. We depend on lots of hard work, lots of teamwork and lots of prayers. We trust each other and we knew exactly what to do when we got on the stage. We just believe in each other’s success,” Everheart said.

The step team plans to feature in the upcoming Footloose

ith over 2,000 teens killed in auto accidents in 2014, it is important for students to know driving laws well before hitting the road. Driver’s education instructor, John Entrekin, ensures that he teaches his students these laws.

“Most driving laws are not very well known, and for many that young drivers know they don't follow the law closely,” Entrekin said. “There are a vast amount of statistics on driving habits due to the auto insurance industry, and those statistics show that far and away beginning drivers are much more likely to get involved in a minor or serious accident Entrekin says that most specific driving laws are created for beginning drivers’ safety, including the Alabama Graduated Driver’s license law that was implemented in July 2010. This law states for the first six months, drivers ages 16-17-year old cannot have more than one non-family member in their vehicle.

It also stipulates that these drivers cannot operate a vehicle between midnight and 6 a.m. unless of an emergency. Entrekin says a new change has been added to this current law.

“There has been a change in Alabama that students on a graduated driver's license cannot use their cell phone for any reason in the car while they are driving. This is intended to reduce distractions to the driver,” Entrekin said.

Those violating this law do not lose their license, but are subject to the six month probation being extended another six months.

Junior Seth Romine believes that there are other reasons as to why drivers are easily distracted. He himself is a continuous victim of distracted driving.

“I feel that most people have distraction in the car consisting of their cell phones, changing the station on the radio, even talking to your friends or family in the car can be a distraction that can lead up to an accident,” Romine said. “A distraction for me is that I get easily distracted by things around me, because I am always looking for things around me that could injure my sister and I.”

Huntsville Premier Men’s Hair Care Center

7449 Highway 72, West Suite A Madison, Alabama 35758 Call 256-325-8746 for an appointment or Monday-Friday 9 a.m.- 8 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Team defeats rival, wins county championship Daniella Cardo Reporter

F

or the first time in 13 years, the varsity scholars’ bowl team defeated Buckhorn to be named the Madison County champions.

“These kids have worked hard over the last 3 years to become the best they can be,” Scholars’ Bowl coach Angie Silvey said. “This has been their ultimate goal. There is a Scholars’ Bowl trophy for Madison County, and this year it will be at Sparkman.”

The team competed against the five high schools in the county, defeating Hazel Green, Madison County and New Hope three times and the reigning champions Buckhorn, twice. “[Buckhorn] is strong in a lot of our weak points like literature and art,” captain Jacob Bowling said. “But part of [the reason why they were undefeated] is the coach of the Buckhorn team runs the Madison County Scholars’ Bowl.

He’s a lot more into it, so

he knows how to focus [the Buckhorn team] on the right topics.”

Victory had just slipped out of the team’s hands last year, when Buckhorn was nearly defeated at the county tournament.

Because both the Scholars’ Bowl teams of Sparkman and Buckhorn have excellent players and coaches to guide them, the competition nearly always comes down to the last few questions.

“For starters, I think Buckhorn lost a lot of their really good core [members from senior graduation],” Eric said.

“They care a lot [about winning] and put a lot of emphasis [on effort].

At Sparkman, we’re like “‘ay let’s show up. Beat Buckhorn if we can.”

[Though] we do actually want to win, we’re always in good spirits even if we’re getting smashed. Doesn’t happen often.”

During a competition, the two competing teams are asked “toss-ups” — questions that the players buzz in

and give an answer. If they respond correctly, they receive two bonus questions. The player is allowed to consult their teammates on an answer. A good team has a large variety of players’ fortes. “[It’s our responsibility to know our] things like sometimes we have our specialties,” junior Emily Nguyen said.

“Topics like art or politics. We have two math minded people on the team, so we kinda revolve around because there are some math questions that we have to [answer]. We swap out because there are six of us on the team.”

Ranked the number one player in the county, Bowling was a member of last years’ varsity team. Because he has the most experience out of all on the team, he is highly appreciated within the program

by Silvey and his teammates.

“Jacob does a lot of work for the team,” junior Eric Nguyen said.

“We all chip in [with

the math] and all that, but [he’s] really good at what [he does]. We’re all good friends in the program, so it’s like we are all there for the ride and [Bowling is] the conductor of the train.”

Faced now with nationals on the rise in May, the team will use a different style of questions in order to face off against the other top teams from every part of the country. These questions include audio based questions and more current event topics written specifically for the national competition. “[Last year], a lot of the people on [the team] were strong, but I guess a lot [of the members] were more timid to answer,” Bowling said.

“We been doing a lot better this year, I think [because] we have people who are stronger.

We had a good team, and it is [due to] the new people we have.

[Scholars’ Bowl] helped me make some friends, [and] everybody did their part. It was a team effort.”

Changes to bill could result in less money for schools Saylor Cuzzort Business Editor

T

he Alabama School Choice and Opportunity Act (HB245) includes numerous changes to the already existing charter school law filed in Alabama. Despite changes in the administrative and procedural areas, there is serious concern that the bill will be arranged so that charters can potentially take portions of local revenues away from public schools.

The original Alabama School Choice and Opportunity Act was passed in 2015 to establish the charter system for the first time in the state. The Legislature cited the need for “quality educational options for all students, especially those in “low-performing school systems.” The bill was also foreseen to stimulate initial funding.

“Charter Schools may be necessary and helpful in some situations but it is not a simple solution or an easy fix as some people believe it will be,” superintendent Matt Massey said. “ I am skeptical of how appropriate they would be in all areas. To think Charter Schools are the answer to education's problems is a way simply used to not address the real problems.”

Charter Schools get tax revenue based off their location. With most low-performing school systems located in rural districts with low funding, charters would not accomplish their original purpose of being able to viable education options to rural Alabama. “. Many of them, are only doing this for profit ,” Massey said. “To think they will come in and be a missions project is not the case.”

Although this bill particularly does not

“

closed for a variety of reasons, including low enrollment, financial concerns, and low academic performance.

Failing charter systems lead to the closing of 35 Florida charter schools, 32 charter school closings in California,30 charter schools closings in Arizona, 15 Texas charter schools closed and in Wisconsin 14 charter schools closed.

Of the 272 schools that closed last year, 53 percent were independent, 34 percent were managed by a Charter Man-

“

Managing Editor

News

Senator News Briefs

Step team reflects on time spent, lessons learned on Selma trip Jacob Whitlock

3

The Crimson Crier

We are already underfunding public schools as it is.

-Beverly Sims

allow “for profit” charters there are already proposals on the table to allow them within Alabama. Some of these schools,, known as independent owned schools, are eventually shut down in regards to infringements in the systems. At that time, students are placed back in public schools, although funding for that student was placed in the charter system.

While charter schools were seen to open a vast amount of schools within the last two years, 272 charter schools have ceased operation. These schools

agement Organization, and 13 percent were managed by an Educational Management Organization.

“The schools close which result in everyone including the kids losing,” Alabama Education Association District Representative, Beverly Sims said.

“Public schools then have to absorb these students with less money they began with, ending with everyone in need.”

By placing 100 percent of state and federal funds, per student that moves to attend a charter, into the charter

school system results in the dramatic decrease in funds to maintain classrooms, repair buildings, support both the staff and teachers, purchase new textbooks, provide playgrounds for elementary schools, add advancements in technology and even decreases the additions to school libraries.

“Teachers are digging into their own pocketbook to enhance their own classrooms due to the little funding they receive,” Sims said.

If the new changes pass, local control of community schools will plummet while commissions in Montgomery will then have the right to impose charters on a local system. On top of this provision, the bill will actually require that local systems pay for the charter through their own funds.

“The people who push charters and those legislating them should listen to educators and give us a chance to improve education in Alabama, without political motives or business entities that wish to make profits off our children,” Sims said.

“Until those thing are removed from education in Alabama, we will never reach the full potential in our public schools.”

The library is currently accepting donations as part of a book drive to add more books to its collection. Specifically, they are looking for new fiction books, including trilogies and young-adult series.

“We are looking for more pleasure-reading for the students. I’ve had several students come in and ask about a book and we don’t happen to have it. New fiction is one of the categories we always have a high demand in,” media specialist Pamela Hooton said.

Hooton sent emails out to parents and teachers and created a list of wanted books on Sign Up Genius. She is only accepting hardbacks unless the book comes exclusively in paperback.

“I have started putting up signs, sending emails to teachers and urging them to spread the word. If they would like to donate but they do not know about this list that I made, they can contact me,” Hooton said.

With this initiative, Hooton hopes to bring more traffic into the library and increase student interest in the library’s services. Many students have already pledged their name to books, but the majority of requests have still gone unanswered.

“The whole process is very convenient,” Hooton said. “All you have to do is go online or into a store, order the book, and send it to the school’s address. It’s simple, easy and anyone can help out.”

Senior Andrea Graves is one of the people that has already signed up for donation. She said the library does not seem to have many of the books that are popular among people her age, so she decided to give away some books she has already read.

“People nowadays are reading much more on their phones and other devices, but there is something that is still really appealing in holding a physical copy of a book,” Graves said. “If people can find material they like to read in our library, then I think that would help promote and improve it.”

Upcoming Events National Honor Society Induction March 31 at 9 am in Gym 1 ACT Prep workshop: $85 for four, one-hour sessions on April 4, 6, 11 and 13 from 3:30 to 4:30 If participating in FCCLA Blood Drive on April 6 , please remember: Eat and drink in moderation.

Do not push yourself too hard.

Make sure you meet the requirements.

Tell someone if you feel sick.

Congratulations Congratulations to senior Kya Qvale, for being selected as an Alabama Public Television 2017 Young Heroes of Alabama winner.

Congrats to senior Jayla Walker on being named to the Al.com Huntsville All-Region Girls Team.

Congrats to senior J.P. Fletcher for being named to the Al.com Huntsville All-Region Boys Basketball Team.

Congrats to sophomore Abigail Batt for being Student Of the Month at the Career Technical Center.

4

Opinion

Mar. 27, 2017

The Crimson Crier

Mar. 27, 2017

5

The Crimson Crier

Our Our View : Charter schools are

harmful for education Thanks for the government funds!!

Camille’s Corner

Working towards college is fulfilling Camille Herren Opinion Editor

Charter Scho

A

ols

Photos by Ariel Thomas and Cady Harbin

Journalism program receives little recognition for hard work taking pictures for most all of the events.

It could be argued that you get more out of journalism than any sport or class. The newsroom is more than just a class. We learn valuable skills such as talking to people, sending official emails and leadership.

Yes, you learn leadership on a sports team but this is different. This is the leadership you would use in most office settings.

Working on an often nationally ranked paper is not an easy task. It takes hard work and dedication just like sports. Sure we don't

Your

hit each other or throw a ball but we do have to practice good teamwork and leadership. Leadership is not only holding a position but it is also learning how to lead.

The media has been put on blast with our new president in office but what we do is vital to the community just as the football team serves the community with every game. So please do not walk by the newsroom and tell us we are ‘shoving our liberal agenda down your throat’. There is more hate for us than there has ever been and that is not right.

View

What do you think of program recognition in our school?

“As a member of the Literature Magazine, I think we are forgotten a lot because of the school’s focus on STEM. Poetry and fiction can be just as exciting.”

-- senior Katrielle Wulff

“I do feel like Science Olympiad is not recognized enough. It is kind of silent and we do most of our work during school. It is not very well known.”

--sophomore Reshee Rajan

“I am in photography and we really only have the photo show that gets us any attention. We rarely are announced over the intercom for our winnings.”

--junior Abby Pugh

Photos by Cady Harbin

Pro-Life

Participation in pro-life organization clarifies issue for student

Sidney Al-Dijali Lifestyles Editor

A

s I roam the hallways of school, it is easy to see how different and diverse our students are by something as simple as their backpacks. On the bags of many students, pins help tell a little bit more about the person.

From flags to symbols, the pins I see around the school represent a multitude of things. My backpack is

plain, aside from one pin on one of the front pockets. Although my pin — two small feet — may be small, the meaning behind it is most definitely not.

The two tiny feet that make up this pin represent the size of a baby’s feet when the baby is 10 weeks old, forming in its mother’s womb. The feet show that merely 10 weeks after conception, the baby is growing. The baby has a beating heart and fastly maturing cells.

This baby is very much alive. Although there are multiple signs that life truly begins at conception, abortion is legal in-

our country. Stopping the heart of a living human being has become an everyday, regular practice and it is absolutely disgusting.

Since I began participating in different prolife events, such as multiple Walk for Lifes, my eyes have been opened to the truly disturbing nature of the abortions that occur every day in the United State Before becoming active in the pro-life community, I was made to believe that the majority of abortions were done for victims of rape who had been impregnated by their rapist. Through vol-

unteering and meeting women who have gone through the abortion process, I can see that I could not have been more wrong. The majority of women I have met were impregnated through consensual sex but still chose to have an abortion because they do not want to be burdened with the responsibility of a child.

Instead of facing the consequences of their actions, they chose to take an easy way out, killing the child before they are even given a chance to live.

Although it is completely understandable that raising a child can be beyond scary, there are

options aside from abortion if a woman were to decide that she did not want a child at that point in time. A perfect example of this is adoption.

As I volunteered through pro-life organizations, I met multiple counselors and people whose careers revolved around helping women through the process of finding a home for their unborn child. Instead of aborting their babies, women can easily go to workers such as these to find a home for the child.

Through this, women who may not be able to bear a child still have the opportunity to be a mother.

Although it may be legal in our country, the abortion of a baby is in every way wrong. There is almost no possible way to justify this crime.

Abortion is murder.

There is no difference between killing that occurs in or out of the womb. No matter what the law may say, those who have an abortion have committed a crime against humanity and it needs to be put to an end.

Camille Herren Opinion Editor

A

bortion is a heavy and emotional topic in America. There are those who believe that abortion should be put to an end completely— with no exceptions— and those who believe that it should only be accessible in cases of rape, incest or

Policy

The Crimson Crier 2616 Jeff Road Harvest, AL 35749 256-837-0331 www.crimsoncriernews.com

@TheCrimsonCrier

The Crimson Crier is an open forum for free expression by the Sparkman High School Community. The Crimson Crier is a student-run publication produced in the state of Alabama.

All final design, reporting and content decisions are the responsibility of the student journalists of Sparkman High School under the guidance of their adviser. The views articulated in The Crimson Crier do not necessarily represent the views of the entire staff, Sparkman High School or the Madison County school district. Copies are distributed to the faculty, staff and student body free of charge. The Madison County Record prints 2,000 copies, eight times yearly.

over a woman’s body.

Not only can this open more opportunity for abuse such as a woman having no way out of reproductive coercion, it can also be detrimental for rape victims. In Texas, legislators are trying to pass a bill that allow doctors to not inform a woman of anything wrong with her baby when looking at an ultra sound. This is dangerous and suggests that women do not have the right to know what is wrong with their child or their body.

These efforts to push The Crimson Crier is a member of Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Alabama Scholastic Press Association and Southeastern Interscholastic Press Association, and Quill and Scroll.

The CC is a 2011 Silver Crown winner.

pro-life ideals will only serve to harm women.

While the idea of “only in cases of rape, incest or harm to the mother” may seem ideal, it only looks good on paper. The reality is that most rape victims do not report their rape due to psychological reasons, particularly feelings of shame and humiliation, and if they do report, rape cases can take a long time so an implementation of this idea will most likely serve to harm rape victims, forcing them to have their rapist’s baby. We must

also recognize that outlawing abortion will not stop abortion. It will only result in more dangerous abortions. It will only harm a life rather than saving one.

Those with a prochoice mindset are set out to protect women’s reproductive rights. I am pro-choice because I know that overturning Roe v. Wade would not stop abortions and will only make it more dangerous for women. I am pro-choice because I do not want rape victims to be forced to have their

Letters to the Editor The Crimson Crier will print all letters to the editor as long as space will allow, and may edit letters for grammatical mistakes. All letters to the editor must be signed and include contact information of the writer. Letters can be dropped off at the Sparkman High School newsroom (127) one week after publication.

rapist’s child. I am prochoice because I know that reproductive coercion is alive and well.

And finally, I am prochoice because a woman should ultimately be the one to make that intimate and personal decision. It should not be publicized or up to the government which knows nothing about her or her circumstances. It is a private choice that should be made between her and her doctor.

Editor-in-Chief.....................Emily Baucum

Social Media Editors..................... Danni Jo Grider,

News Editor.........................Ania Stover

Jessica Turnage

Opinion Editor.....................Camille Herren

Video Editor....................................Parker Boothe

Lifestyles Editor.....................Sidney Al-Dijaili

Reporters........................................ Andrew

Sports Editor..........................Griffin Gonterman

Atchley, Dylan Brotherton, Danielle Cardo, Alaura Gordon, Andrea Graves, Quentin Hanson,

A&E Editor.............................Sydney Goggans

Cady Harbin, Lucas Hicks, Andrew McCoy, Alex

In-Depth Editor.....................Natalie Craney

Myers, Libby Reed, Makalya Tomaino, Helen

Copy Editor...........................Aliyah Thompson Website Master.....................Christian White/Kaylyn Jones Photo Editors.............Madison Harding/Ariel Thomas Managing Editor....................Jacob Whitlock Business Editor.........................Saylor Cuzzort

Cartoon by Andrew Atchley

I

f the state legislature makes changes to the Alabama School Choice and Opportunity Act, the changes being implemented could seriously burden public schools. The privatization of education has characteristically been known to take revenue from public schools and is not a wise option for education anywhere in Alabama.

Charter schools are supported by those who want to gain profit off students and do not have a successful record. We believe that instead of accomplishing their intended purpose which is providing more education options and improving them,

Tran, Matthew Walker,Zane White, Bradley Wright Adviser...........................................Erin Coggins, MJE

it will seriously hinder public schools. Because public education in Alabama is already receiving insufficient funding, the imposement of charter schools and the f u n d s meant for public schools paying for charters would be detrimental to public education.

Schools will be provided with even less funds that are meant to pay for necessities and improvements.

Public education is meant to educate all. Charter schools pick and choose who is accepted exclud-

ing those less fortunate, leaving them at public schools with even lower funding than they initially had. This means that those left in public

In Favor 6-2 schools receive lower quality education and less opportunity.

We understand that people want options when it comes to education but efficient public schools are a necessity so that every student may receive proper ed-

ucation no matter rich or poor. The new changes this bill establishes would only harm public schools’ ability to be efficient. Lower funding only equals lower performance. We believe that in order to improve educational conditions in Alabama, we must start with public schools. Instead of taking funding from public education and investing it somewhere else, we must start putting our money back to where it counts. It is said that education is the way out of poverty and if we continue taking money from public education, those in poverty mayt not ever be able to climb out.

that setting aside time to tour colleges that pique my interest can be a nice break from the work. As a freshman, I toured the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. During that first experience, I realized all the factors that can affect my college pick such as location, size and my major. Not only that, but the quality of the dorms and religious affiliation of a college can be important as well. Now as a junior, I have visited Clemson, Lipscomb and Belmont. During these tours and preview days, I realized what I want - a private university in a fun location. I want a college with more opportunities for business majors since I plan to make that my major.

Without touring these colleges, I would not have known my preferences or familiarized myself with my choices. Now that I have my options narrowed down, I can dig deeper into their requirements for admission.

High school is stressful, but the work is all worth it. Whether it is the time-consuming standardized tests or the wonder of touring an unknown university, we can find the value in the end result.

Milk may not provide the health benefits that are usually sought Mady Harding

Photo by Mady Harding

Pro-Choice Making abortion illegal will not solve problem, eliminates choice when the mother’s life is at stake. I believe that abortion is fully a woman’s choice and it is not the government’s job to mandate what happens to her body.

Conservative legislators have recently taken action against abortion which has caused controversy among the masses.

In Oklahoma, a Republican lawmaker referred to women as “hosts” and insisted on a bill requiring women to get permission from the father to get an abortion, which suggests that men supremely rule

Closed

Photo Editor

T

he glass is half empty, your stomach is entirely full, but you can still hear your parents ringing in your ear, “Better finish your milk if you want strong bones.” What if I told you they were wrong?

As kids we were forced to finish our milk at the dinner table. At school a carton of milk was mandatory with lunch. That white liquid was involuntary at every breakfast outing. Why? Our parents told us it was because we were “growing boys and girls.”

Milk, endorsed by numerous athletes and celebrities in the “Got Milk?” epidemic, is said to be filled with abounding amounts of calcium, vitamins A and D, protein and other nutrients that we think are beneficial to our bodies. That is the thing—we think.

Just because we are told it has all the nutrients we could ever want, we believe it. Countless studies have found the complete opposite. One glass of milk contains

foreign animal-made protein, pimple-like pus cells, feces, injected antibiotics and growth hormones as well as an abundance of unnecessary fat, cholesterol and calories. Not what you thought?

Ready for the biggest plot twist ever?

Milk does not actually make your bones stronger. Mind blown. It actually increases calcium loss in bones.

Humans are the only species that drink another species’ milk.

Cow's milk is not designed for humans. It is designed for calves, who only drink their mother’s milk until they are about eight months old. The same rule applies to any other mammal species. So why are we still drinking it?

Imagine a cow drinking a human’s milk. Weird.

Because cow's milk is not made for humans, when we consume it, it deregulates our body’s pH. Our bodies see cow milk as a foreign invader which will cause our immune system to overreact. While fighting off this strange liquid, it actually draws the calcium out of the bones that it is ironically supposed

to be “strengthening.”

People who are lactose intolerant are just an example of why our bodies are not designed to consume milk. They are unable to fully digest it because they lack the enzyme to break it down.

Did you know that when you drink milk you are putting the same pus cells that are in zits in your mouth? I did. You are disgusting.

There are about 1.1 million pus or somatic cells in just one teaspoon of milk. Think about a whole glass of that nastiness.

In addition, most milk you find in grocery stores near you is pasteurized. The goal of the pasteurization of milk is to kill the harmful bacteria by heating it up to boiling temperatures. Manipulating the milk this way destroys some of the nutrients and a majority of the enzymes we think we are getting. Not only is milk pasteurized but it also contains hormones not intended for humans. Cows are routinely given antibiotics and injected with rBGH, a genetically engineered Bovine Growth Hor-

mone, which is a h o r mone t h a t w a s created to unnaturally increase m i l k p r o d u c tion in a cow.

By the t i m e t h e m i l k reachInformation es our from: glasses http://nutritionfacts.org/topics/ at the dairy/ http://nutridinner tionstudies. org/12-frightentable ing-facts-milk/ most h o r mones h a v e b e e n weeded out, but there are still some that slip through. By drinking milk you are consuming a hormone intended for cows, which in return messes up the hormones in a human’s body. Studies done by Harvard Uni-

Got

Calcium?

What is dairy linked to?

Diabetes constipation skin wrinkling

Risks:

breast cancer prostate cancer heart disease Acne Obesity Parkinson's Disease

rt Inc alit re y r as isk ed

W

e are the media. We pat other people on the back, but where is our appreciation?

As a high school student it is always fun to hear your name or your team get recognition for an achievement, but all that is talked about is the latest sports update.

This year is my first full year in the journalism program so it has been brought to my attention the lack of recognition we get. As the year goes on, we win awards just as any other team, but we receive

less acknowledgment and coverage unlike the sports’ teams. At state alone, we won a total of 107 awards. At regionals we received an All Southern for both our yearbook and newspaper along with a Superior for our website and our literary magazine (better than the football team just saying).

A common thought in the newsroom is: we come to support you at your games but you will not even take a paper from us. How is that fair? We work just as hard if not harder. We support all teams by writing about them and

s teenagers preparing for our future, we often have a heavy load on our shoulders. We juggle grades, extra curricular activities, standardized tests and making connections all to achieve our dreams. As a college-bound student, I find that some tasks can be stressful while others can be fulfilling as I am working toward my future.

Standardized tests have definitely proven to be a hardship in meeting my goals.

This school year I have been pushing myself to take the SAT over and over again, hoping to meet the required scores of my dream college.

Over time, I have slowly improved from practice and repeatedly taking the test. Although it is time consuming, this preparation strategy makes me more familiar with the structure of the SAT and decreases my anxiety on test day. If we want to achieve our desired scores, we must press ourselves to practice and familiarize ourselves with the test. Standardized test preparation does take time and effort, but the results are worth it.

While test taking is stressful, I have found

Mo

Spread Editor

Say No to Milk

Natalie Craney

Opinion

Contains:

Saturated Fat Cholesterol Trans fats Chemicals Hormones Dioxins

versity have linked this hormone injection with many cancers in humans. Need I say more?

Now you are saying “What am I supposed to drink?” I am about to come in clutch. Not all milk is evil. There are many alternatives to

pasteurized, hormone injected, pus filled, fake calcium milk.

The most popular alternative is almond milk. It is so easy to make that you could even make it at home.

Soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk and hemp milk are also good substitutes. I am not lying.

To actually make your bones stronger, eat spinach, kale or yogurt. They contain more calcium than milk and they are all easier to digest. Do not listen to your parents about milk.

Next time when you throw one back and you end up with a milk mustache, think about all that calcium you did not get, those pus cells and the hormones and pasteurization particles that are sitting on your top lip. Gross.

Sports

Sports Siblings work to be next family athlete duo in tennis

Student shares story of father’s drag racing legacy

Makayla Tomaino

Shelby Lopez

March 30, 2017

The Crimson Crier

6

Reporter

S

iblings Saylor and Ethan Cuzzort have been around tennis their entire lives. Their mother played when she was in her 20’s and their father still plays today. When they were in elementary school it was just something to do in their free time and a sport to watch on television with the family.

Fast forward to the current tennis season where the underclassmen Cuzzorts are making racket on the court as varsity tennis players.

“I have played in tournaments in my age group for about two years now. When going into high school tennis as a seventh grader, I had my doubts. After I made the team, it was still intimidating to be playing juniors and even freshmen,” Ethan said.

“Once everyone got to know me they made me feel like I was part of the team.”

Ethan decided in fifth grade that he no longer wanted to do football, so he started to play tennis in the neighborhood with his father.

He began to enter United States Tennis Association (USTA) matches where he had three first place titles, nine second

Like sister, Like brother. Freshman Saylor Cuzzort, and her younger brother Ethan, who is a seventh grader at Monrovia Middle School, pose side by side before a tennis match at the Monrovia Middle tennis courts. Photo

by Joe Cuzzort

place titles and a third place title.

“I will never forget the feeling of winning my first tournament.

After battling it out I won the first set 6-3 and pulled out the second 7-5. When the ball went

up, I prepared to hit the winning point which just happened to be the single handedly best backhand I have ever hit,” Ethan said.

Watching Ethan compete in matches and tournaments from the

sidelines, Saylor began to take a more serious interest in the sport.

This is Saylor’s first full year of participating in matches.

“When I first began playing tennis, the sport was just something to

do for fun and to spend time with my family.

Today it is out of the love for the sport and the independent nature of hitting the ball,” Saylor said. “The competitiveness of playing singles is like nothing else you can experience, knowing a point, game and match relies solely on you can at times be intimidating but if you happen to win the outcome is absolutely amazing.”

Ethan’s record in singles is currently 5-1, including a win over an Austin High School senior. “ It’s great to win any match but when you beat someone five years older than you. It makes it a little more special,” Ethan said.

In her freshman year, Saylor has scored some big wins. In her first match, she was down 0-4 but came back to win 8-4. Her win against Whitesburg Christian Academy gave the team their first win in two years.

“Playing a high school sport as a freshman, you might think is intimidating, although it is at times, we are in a position that we look up to upperclassmen and the middle schoolers look up to us. I was hesitant to try out and

even more hesitant to be on the team but was immediately welcomed as part of the team,” Saylor said. “Sparkman Tennis is not only a program with great athletes the athletes themselves are truly amazing people.”

Besides Sparkman coach Ethan Richardson, they are coached by their father. Lessons with their father are a good combination of fun and seriousness.

The two are competitive and often compare the technical aspect of the game.

“Knowing I am not the best always pushes me to practice and overall work harder. Especially when your little brother starts to show you up, even if he’s played longer,” Saylor said. “Ethan is one of those people that can do anything he puts his mind to. He has a natural talent for tennis.”

Saylor takes the same approach when it comes to her team. She feels that they are making strides to being a champsionship team.

“Even though we have not won every match as a team,” Saylor said. “We continue to build each other up and learn from our mistakes.”

Track members look to make strides in throwing competitions Matthew Walker Reporter

R

ecognition follows success.

The unheralded throwing sports for track and field - javelin, shot put and discus - are coming off of successful years and look to be even better in their 2017 campaign, demanding the attention of the student body.

Last year, three girls qualified for the state meet in the throwing sports - senior Glenda Booker, junior April Johnson and senior Katelyn Elliff - all three are returning this year.

Freshman Jon Keiser is also on track to do good things in the upcoming season, and senior Brandon Moore is going to have a chance to break the school record

of 115 feet in discus.

“I definitely plan to beat the school record for discus soon. My unofficial PR (personal record) is already over 100, and I hit that on my first try. I want to leave something behind at Sparkman,” Moore said.

The qualifying standards for the state meet for the boys are 120 feet in the discus, 130 feet for javelin, and 40 feet for shot put.

The girls’ stan-

dards are 80 feet i n the discus, 85 feet for javelin, and 29 feet for shot put.

According to track and field throwing coach, Roger Perkins, three athletes have already hit those qualifying marks in the first f e w

weeks of practice.

“I am excited about this season. Coach Austin did an outstanding job of recruiting athletes and encouraging them to come out and learn how to throw this year.

This year, I have more student athletes than ever before,” Perkins said.

For high school boys competitions the discus weighs 3.5 pounds, the shot put weighs 12 pounds, and the javelin is 800 grams. For high school girls the discus weighs 2.2 pounds, the shot put weighs 8.8 pounds, and the javelin is 600 grams. These weights are hard to throw far distances, so strength training and conditioning is crucial.

Perkins says weightlifting is one of the keys of the sport, and that upper body strength, lower body strength and core strength are all important to success. Muscular endurance is also a major component that the best throwers have.

“I go to the gym at 5 a.m. everyday and work on upper body and a lot of core. We

also practice throwing everyday. After practice I sometimes go to the gym for another workout,” Johnson said.

Perkins has an extensive background in the sport. He was a multisport athlete in high school, playing football, baseball, wrestling, and of course the throwing events of track and field. He continued his track and field career in college at Eastern New Mexico University where he got the chance to see future Olympic athletes compete. His personal bests were 153 feet in discus, around 130 feet in javelin, and he threw about 40 feet in shot put. He began coaching in 2011 when his daughter began throwing for Sparkman.

“It was a great way for me to spend time in the spring and let my competitive nature loose. It was a nice way to get out and enjoy a passion of mine,” Perkins said.

Learning the techniques can be difficult.

According to Perkins, the techniques of the throws usually take

years to perfect. He also pointed out how easy it is to injure yourself if your technique is off.

He is always willing to help the student athletes, and has helped many of them get to the point of near perfection with their technique.

“Coach Perkins is like a second dad to all of us. He is a great role model, and he always encourages me to be the best version of myself,” Johnson said.

Although the technique is hard to perfect, Perkins encourages everyone to give it a try. He emphasized that you do not have to be big and strong to excel. Students of all shapes and sizes could compete at a high level. He says that starting out earlier is better, and he hopes

to see more 7th graders come out in the future.

“Don’t be scared to try it. I knew nothing about the sport and I honestly thought I would go out there looking stupid, but I ac-

t u ally really enjoyed it,” sophomore and first year thrower, Shelby Lopez said.

The track and field team looks to have a solid year and put many student athletes into the state meet at the end of the year after months of hard work and practice.

“If you focus and concentrate on it you can be good at it,” Johnson said. “It’s more practice and technique than anything. It’s mind over matter.”

Its not just track!. Left to right: Senior Brandon Moore competes in discus competition at Bob Jones High School; Junior April Johnson throws in competition.

Photos by Kathie Tomaino

Dr. Charles Brown Chiropractic Physician

March 30, 2017

Reporter

U

sually when someone mentions spring sports, the mind thinks of baseball, soccer, track or even golf. However, my family also thinks of the sport they love—drag racing. Unknown to many, the Huntsville Dragway, less than 10 minutes from campus, acts as a home away from home for racers and their families.

“I’ve been racing for roughly fourteen years,” drag racer Barney Lopez said.

Some people believe that racing is easy. You show up, you press the gas, fastest racer wins.

How hard could it be, right? Wrong. Unless someone has experienced racing first-hand, it is difficult to understand the tedious and meticulous preparation the sport actually involves.

Countless hours and endless dedication go into being a drag racer even though the race itself might only last a few seconds.

“In the past, I used to work on my car a lot more. Now that it’s up and running, we work on it before every race just to make sure it is safe and everything is ready to go,” Lopez said.

Lopez has raced countless times, with a majority of those races being at the Huntsville Dragstrip. Testing his car as often as he can, Lopez is able to finetune and adjust his car for the races around the region where money is at risk.

“I race mostly at Huntsville Dragstrip, but I’ve also been to Valdosta, Memphis, Holly Springs, and Mississippi,” Lopez said.

Whether it is a pro-

7

The Crimson Crier

Family Business. Barney Lopez’s red 1967 Chevrolet Nova, nicely cleaned up beside the family’s racing trailer decorated with their logo on the outside. The Nova was in the parking lot along with opponent’s cars. Courtesy of The Lopez family

tective suit, a special 496 Big Block Chevrolet engine with a fogger nitrous system, or a personalized trailer to transport his 1974 Chevrolet Nova SS, Lopez has all of it and more.

“Money is the biggest sacrifice I’ve had to make,” Lopez said.

“Between my truck, my trailer and my car, I’ve invested over $150,000.”

Not only does Lopez invest money and time but his family does as well. During the season, his wife and children spend weekends and hours at the Huntsville Dragway. From sleeping in the trailer at 2 a.m. to cheering in the stands at 6 the next morning the Lopez family has made the track their second home.

“Time is really the only thing I’ve ever sacrificed. He’s very smart with his finances and doesn’t allow his racing financials to take away from our family,” wife Delnisa Lopez said.

Lopez’s children have been at multiple racetracks since they were in diapers and support their father fully. Originally not having as strong a love for

racing as her husband, Delnisa has grown to love the sport due to her husband’s passion.

“I feel like the president of the fanclub. Our kids wear their Lopez Racing shirts and we drive up and down in the Polaris,” Delnisa Lopez said. Just supporting him and screaming when he makes the pass or we know we’re going to win brings us closer.

As a family we support him, but it scares me every time that light turns green.”

Lopez grew up around cars and has raced for as long as he can remember. Doing this for so long, he has developed a sense of family and friendship with the people around him at the track and uses Huntsville Dragway as a “get-away” when he is most stressed.

“Racing gives me a sense of belonging.

I feel like I’m part of a crowd outside of my normal day and it let’s me escape,” Lopez said.

“I can get away from the everyday stress of work and family and do what I love.”

Fourteen years worth of racing leads

to fourteen years worth of memories. Whether they happen on the one-eighth mile strip of rubber or on the sidelines, the Lopez family cherishes days at the track just as other families remember days at the beach.

“Sometimes I have to prevent my kids from making bets in the stands, but other than that it’s a great experience,” Delnisa Lopez said. “We’ve gotten used to it and it keeps the family unified. It’s just our thing. It’s a Lopez thing and it always will be.”

Along with the hundreds of great times, bad times tend to make their way through. The love of money tends to be the root of all evil and leads people to do crazy things. Whether it may be yelling and cussing or cheating and sabotage, Lopez has witnessed as well as been a victim to this first hand.

“I’ve been sabotaged before and it caused me to hit the wall doing 100 MPH,” Lopez said. “The guy I was racing against in the finals messed with the suspension in

my car overnight and I lost control of my car while I was making my pass.”

Lopez enjoys racing more than anything and also wins more than many other people do. Even if he does not come in first place, beating hundreds of cars and making it to the finals is just as great an accomplishment as any other.

“I won Radiofest two years ago, made it to the finals in memphis in the Outlaw Streetcar Nationals, and was the number one qualifier at Outlaw Seven which is the biggest Radio race in the world,” Lopez said.

One racer who has been a rival of Lopez for years is known as “Mr.6.0”. 6.0 is the class Lopez and hundreds of others at Huntsville Dragway compete in.

“My biggest rival would have to be the Motorcraft car, ‘Mr 6.0’,” Lopez said. “It’s a Ford Motorcraft car with NPTC converters.

His name is Kenny Rollins and he races a ‘67 Dodge Dart. I’ve raced against him for years and he’s always my biggest competition.”

Over all the years of racing and every memory he’s made, one night stands out in Lopez’s mind the most. A race in Memphis became more than just a race when the snow fell.

“My favorite memory from racing would have to be my wife and I going to Memphis to the Outlaw Streetcar reunion in the freezing cold. It was supposed to be the middle of Spring but it started to snow in the finals,” Lopez said. “ It was 2 in the morning and we were laying in the trailer next to a heater, under a blanket, just waiting for the next

Upcoming races at the Huntsville Dragway

April 1

April 7-9

April 14-15

April 27-29 round. It made me realize how much she supported me and loved me.”

Thousands of people watch racing on TV or on the sidelines and dream about being that brave. Lopez strongly supports racing even in the youth.

“I think racing is phenomenal as long as it is in the confinements of the track. The sense of taking something that’s almost out of control and keeping it in control is amazing,” Lopez said. “Keep it off the streets and have fun.

Keep the sport alive.”

Long time friends share love of building cars for racing Griffin Gonterman Sports Editor

R

acing and souping-up cars is more than just a way to pass time for juniors Sam Rector and Jonathan Frady. It is a lifestyle.

The two have been close for years and their friendship on the track and in the shop is still as strong as a heavy-duty pickup truck.

“We started racing a few years ago,” Frady said. “It was at the drag strip in Huntsville, which is actually not too far away from the school.”

Both were at young ages when they learned from their family members how to build anything that had an engine. They started on smaller projects and

moved up from there.

“I actually started building cars when I was really young with my grandpa,” Rector said. “We started by learning how to take apart lawnmowers and building them back up from there. I have mad V8’s with over 500 horsepower. I started racing because i just had the passion for cars and I wanted to see how fast I could go.”

Rector and Frady have worked on numerous vehicles ranging from newer models to antique builds. Each car brings a daunting new task the two are ready to face together.

“Over the years we have worked on several cars from old to new,” Rector said. “Right now I am stuck on a 1971 Chevrolet truck. Over-

all we have built on a boasting number of cars including a 1963 Chevy C10, 1949 Chevrolet, Chevrolet 31, 1930 Plymouth, 1940 Pontiac, 1981 Corvette, 1972 Corvette, 1954 Chevy Bel Air, and some Pontiac GTO’s.”

While the two save up to b u y a new car to build on and test out on the track, they still reminisce about the memories they have shared in the past and are hopeful to create new memories together in the future.

“Yeah we’ve had some trophies before but nothing too big,” Frady said. “We’re not really upscale yet, we

Would you ever drag race?

Yes 51%

used to have a car but at the moment but we are approaching our goal by saving up to buy a n e w circle

track car.

I t will m o s t likely be a 1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.”

Even after the two finish their education they plan t o hold onto their hobby with cars, whether that be together or on their own. Their curricu-

lums in school will help them further their own knowledge of cars a n d how they

work

through engineering and mechanics. “ I ’ m going into a career like mechanical engineering and then on the weekends I will play around with cars,” Rector said. “Then, hopefully one day I can open

up my own shop.”

Frady also carries similar ambitions on what he wants to do in life and where he wants to be in the near future.

“I’m also going to become a mechanical engineer, o r e l e c trical,” Frady said.

“But when I’m not on the job I will always have projects to complete on the side. I do know someone who works with my father at NASA who circle track races in Huntsville, so connections are important in racing and engineering.”

Yes 28%

102 S. Malone St. Suite B Athens, AL 35611 (256) 216-1717 griggsorthodontics@gmail.com

600 Saint Clair Ave. SW Building One, Suite Z Huntsville, Alabama 35801 256-489-4151

No 49%

No 72%

Have you been to the Huntsville Dragway?

8 Lifestyles

The Crimson Crier

March 30, 2017

Student reflects on father’s battle with cancer Bradley Wright Reporter

W

hen hearing the word cancer, worries, sickness and even death are typically one’s first thoughts. Being a 9 year-old boy, when first hearing the word cancer in context scared me, because it was directed to one of the most important people in my life, my father.

My father, Charles Wright, was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer at 31-years-old. Being such a young age, it came as a shock to my entire family.

He tried his best to explain to me and my siblings the situation he was in and how we were going to deal with it--how it was “God’s plan” for it to be this way. I often thought to myself “why me?” “why now?” It was not fair to me that all of my friends had fathers who could play catch with them and take them hunting and fishing, while I had to take special precautions to make sure I did not get mine sick.

I was constantly afraid of what it would be like to grow up without him. He was such an important role in my life, he was not just my father, he was my role model and my best friend.

He started his chemotherapy and radiation shortly after being diagnosed. The treatment was rough on him. He was always in terrible moods because he was not well enough to do the things he normally would do. I would come home everyday after school and talk to him--ask him what it was like to have cancer. The way he described the disease, the feelings it caused him, terrified me. “It’s like something is slowly taking over you, and you can’t do much to help it,” he would say. I was not old enough to truly understand exactly what was going to happen, but I was aware of his condition and how bad it was.

After a year and a half of treatment, he told us that his cancer had reduced 80 percent in size, meaning if he continued the proper amount of treatment he might be able to beat cancer. I was 11-years-old at the time and I cannot describe the feelings I felt hearing those words come from him. I could finally picture him being there to see my start driving, graduate high school, go off to college and start a family. It was the first time in two years that I felt like we would finally have a normal life.

For a short time after the announcement, my father decided to stop treatment. He said he was tired of always being sick and missing out on our lives. I did not agree with his decision, but it was not mine to make. He continuously said, “I’m just tired son. I’m tired of always being sick, I think it’s time for a break.” As much as I loved seeing him better, I knew that down the road it would be much worse, and I think he knew that too.

When I started eighth grade, he was off his treatment for six months. He seemed to be doing much better. He was more active. He would go outside with me, go on walk and try his best to throw the football in the yard with me, but because of a port in his chest, the games of catch never lasted long. I knew he was trying his best, and that meant more to me than the act of throwing.

Christmas time came around, and so did the test results. His cancer had returned. Stage three cancer had now spread to his liver, lungs, ribs and stomach. He was deemed terminally ill. No chance for recovery. From what was third stage colon cancer, had spread to his liver, lungs, ribs and stomach. He was now terminally ill, meaning he couldn’t make a recovery from it. He decided to keep his diagnosis a secret until after our family vacation to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for Christmas. I did not want to go, but my Mom put it into perspective for me. It might just be my last vacation with him.

On the trip I noticed my father was acting out of the ordinary. At nights when everyone was sleeping, he would sit out back in the cold by himself for hours-just sitting. One night I decided to join him. He talked to me about growing up, what it is like being a father and having a family. He always said keep my responsibilities in check and stay out of trouble.

During the days we spent as a family, he would be quiet, which was unlike him. I knew something was up, and I knew it was not good. On the third day, he was too sick to go out and eat breakfast with us, so I faked being sick to stay in the cabin with him. From that point, I knew I did not have much time. I needed to make the best with the little time I had.

When we returned home, I left my father to spend the second half of the break with my Mom. Two days later, we received a call that my father was back in the hospital. It was in the hospital that my father revealed to us that the doctors had given him only two to three weeks to live. I was devastated. My life was going to change forever. On Jan. 23, 2015, my father passed away. I was getting ready to go to school, when my mom told me I would not be going that day. My dad had died. At first, I felt numb. Nothing felt real. I felt like I was still sleeping, dreaming that this was happening. I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling trying to grasp the reality of what had just happened and thinking about how I would never see him again or never get to talk to him again. It was like my world had stopped, and everyone else’s kept spinning. I never felt more alone.

Two years have gone by since his passing, and not a day goes by where he does not cross my mind.

It gets easier to deal with because I know he is not in pain anymore, I know he is not suffering. You never

9

A&E

March 30, 2017

The Crimson Crier

Catch It: April 6-9 Von Braun Center Tickets : $10

Drama will kick off their Sunday shoes Ania Stover News Editor

T

Reminiscing on the Past. Sophomore Bradley Wright lost his father to colon cancer. He wanted to honor his father by telling his story during March, which is colon cancer awareness month. Printed with permission by Bradley Wright

forget the times you spend with the person you lost.

The memories the two of you made together are always present. Sadly, I have forgotten the sound of my father. I often have dreams of the two of us talking, but it is not his voice.

Kids around the world have super-heroes, such as superman, that they look up to or want to be. This is not the case for me. I look to my father, an ordinary man who battled cancer for five years,and still managed to keep his head up to support me and my family when he knew his life was cut short. A hero is not somebody with super-powers, it is someone who is strong enough to look past the situation they are in, no matter how tragic, to make things better for their loved ones.

he drama department is encouraging everyone to kick off their Sunday shoes as they revive the 1980s classic Footloose.

Footloose is a 1998 musical based on the film produced in 1984. It tells the story of a Chicago teen who moves to a small town where the two things he loves the most, dancing and rock music, have been banned.

Senior Jonathan Everheart will play the lead of Ren. This is Everheart's first production at school, he feels it is a blessing to get the part his senior year of high school.

"I knew that I wanted to be in the play for my senior year," Everheart said. “I didn’t think that I would get the lead because I thought I didn’t have all of the qualities it took and I surprisingly did.”

First year drama teacher, Terry Harbison, developed the

idea for Footloose to be his first show through senior McKenna Barlow. Although Footloose was not his first thought when it came to a musical, he liked that it incorporated various aspects of his own life.

"I wanted to do something that would show a bit of who I am," Harbison said. "While I teach theatre and love musicals, I am a rock and roll guy at heart."

Barlow will play the part of Ariel — a teenage girl who is seen as a rebel to her community.

With this being her last year out of five being involved in the theatre program she wanted to make sure that she went out with a bang. Barlow played the lead in Cinderella as a sophomore, a much different type of character than Ariel.

"I wanted to do a different role than the sweet roles I do," Barlow said. "I felt like she would be a really cool character to bring to life, I just felt like all of my strengths were in Ariel."

The process of audi-

tioning for Footloose took several days on its own. Each person auditioning for any role had to prepare a one minute monologue, a one minute song and a dance routine for the show.

"Before [the audition], I was never confident in my singing abilities so I just told him [Harbison] I couldn't sing," Everheart said.

"Then someone told me I should audition for Ren, so I did."

Harbison set up a panel of teachers after school to help him with the audition process.

There were four things he was looking for in each person who auditioned: attitude, work ethic, talent and compatibility.

"I have told my students since the first day of class that everything is an audition," Harbison said. "I have always wanted them to come in with a clear positive attitude."

Barlow loves working with new people.

Having Everheart there

helps her to create new experiences and try something different on stage. "[Everheart] has a lot of talent," Barlow said.

"He really surprised me because he has never done anything like this before."

Everheart knows that having Barlow on stage will make the show great. With someone to lean on and show him the way through his first production the way he needs. "[Barlow] is super talented," Everheart said. "Even if I am messing up and she is not it will still be a great show because she is doing good."

Come to see the show April 6-9 at the Von Braun Civic Center and witness the magic happen.

“I just thank the other teachers and staff members here, “ Harbison said. “They have all been so helpful within the making of this production and I just hope it is something every one really enjoys.”

Exploring the world around them. During their free time, juniors Brooke Dynes, Abby Wallace and senior Hailey Conquest spend their time seeking thrills in the outdoors. All three girls have fallen in love with their respective adrenline-spiking sport and have visited other countries and states to try out their skills. Printed with permission by Abby Wallace, Hailey Conquest and Brooke Dynes.

Thrill-seeking students share extraordinary experiences with nature Jessica Turnage Reporter

"

It's just something fun and exciting and it's very unique and different than most people my age do," senior Brooke Dynes said. "One cave is up in Scottsboro it's very open. There's a waterfall in it. It's a lot of grass in it. It's just a beautiful place to me."

Brooke has been caving for about three years. She is apart of a caving organization called the Huntsville Cave Unit. Her dad was the one that introduced her into it. Since her dad introduced her to the caving adventures, she has lost count of how many caves she has explored.

"We like the life inside the cave. Salamanders, snakes, and cave crickets. The pictures are also great. The best part is the confidence she has gained,” Dynes’ dad, Rick said “We visited a climbing group one night when she was 13. She said she didn't have the strength to do that. Now she has all her own gear and teaches others.”

Brooke says that going into a cave is more of a mental process than a physical one. You just have to be calm and trust the equipment. The hardest cave Dynes explored was over 200ft. She said it was a very tight squeeze and long drop. The cave consisted of many passages. She also loves to see when she caves is the formation in the rock and the lizards that crawl around.

"I've always been outdoorsy and adventurous.

I always wanted to do something and be different.

That is what it is to me. It just excites me,” Brooke said. [My favorite part] just has to be what I see when I go in there. It's a completely a different world in a cave.”

Hailey Conquest Senior Hailey Conquest gets her thrill from the call of the ocean. Hailey’s future career path is to Marine Biology. One activity that helps her to explore her passion of the ocean is scuba diving. She is scuba certified and has been scuba diving six times already, but that is just the beginning of her scuba diving future.

“I love the ocean. I’ve grown up around animals and natural my whole life. I went to summer camp for the first time in 2012, in Sea World and I just fell in love with marine animals and I knew after that summer I wanted to be a marine biologist,” Hailey said Hailey thought after that summer it was only natural to get scuba diving certified so she could thrive in her field of marine biology. She got certified in Belize with her dad two summers ago.

“Diving is one of my favorite activities that Hailey and I do together and I’m so glad she talked me into doing it,” Hailey’s dad, Jeff said. “I was reluctant at first, but she was persistent and now we have accomplished something together that is both challenging and rewarding at the same time.”

Unfortunately since Hailey lives in Northern Alabama her access to the ocean is limited. She makes up for it though by scuba diving whenever she can during vacations.

“Best part is being so close [and personal] because everywhere I travels before I got scuba dived is when we snorkeled. I mean you see stuff when you snorkel but you’re just floating on the top,” Hailey said. “I never really realized how much more you see when you scuba dive. The best part is everything is right in your face. I’ve seen dolphins and sharks.

Even touched sharks. They’re so close to you. It’s just incredible.”

Abby Wallace Junior Abby Wallace is an adrenaline junky and climbing mountain is one of her favorite hobbies.

Abby wanted to try something new, so she thought she would give mountain climbing a try.

“My favorite place to go is anywhere that has heights. Rainbow Mountain or a niche in Colorado, I also go to a Chattanooga to the indoor rock climbing places,” Wallace said.

Wallace free climbs and also does indoor rock climbing. While indoor climbing she wears a harness and uses a hook to help her climb up. The rope is above her and a person is watching. However, when she free climbs all she has is chalk for her hands, gear, and a spotter to help her. Wallace usually goes alone, but her mother sometimes tags along and is a huge support.

“I truly thought she was out of her mind when I found out she was going rock climbing. It’s dangerous.

She finally enticed me to do [it] as well, of course, I didn’t go too far,” Wallace’s mom, Carla Stiles said.

“But it grew on me. I could see now why she [does] it. It became a small addition. I’m glad I do [it] now, even if it is sparingly, it bring Abby and I closer as mother and daughter. It’s just Abby, me and the climb ahead.”

Wallace has lost count of how many times she has rock climbed. Her favorite part of the entire experience is getting to the top. The highest Wallace has ever reached was 5,000 ft above sea level and her goal is to get to 14,000 feet. She contemplates going to Mount Everest and feels that she is up for the challenge.

“I’ve always liked trying new things. I get really excited. It’s like playing a sport,” Wallace said. “[It is a] really tough sport but it’s like playing a sport, [it] makes me feel good because it makes you feel accomplished.”

Getting the beat. Members of the cast use their fourth period to practice the music. The cast rehearsed daily in class as well as after school and on Saturdays. Photo by Mady Harding

Tech team talks role in the play Dylan Brotherton Reporter

F

ootloose is a spontaneous mixture of song and dance, but a strong backstage technical crew is needed just as much as the actors to make sure that all the different aspects of the musical are exactly how they need to be.

The “tech team” helps by setting up props, backdrops, doing hair and makeup, controlling light and sound and supporting the performers and director. A few of these members were asked to give their thoughts on the following subjects: Junior, Evan Gafford (Tech Team) CC: What do you do backstage to contribute to the musical?

EG:I control the sound, mics and props.

CC: What is the most important thing to remember backstage?

EG: Who is where and when they need to be in that exact place.

CC: How stressful is it having to know exactly what to do and where to be at just the right time in the right amount of time?

EG:It is not bad to be honest, the people on stage are most likely more stressed than those backstage.

Senior, Taylor Rowe (Stage Manager) CC: What do you do backstage to contribute to the musical?

TR:The tech crew is the magic of the play.

We add all the flare that makes it go from a good show to a great show.

CC: What is the most important thing to remember backstage?

TR:You need to stay quiet and pay attention. If you miss a cue, you can cause a domino effect of disaster.

CC: How stressful is it having to know exactly what to do and where to be at just the right time in the right amount of time?

TR:It is by far one of the most stressful things. Then again, I am in a position where I am actually running the entire show, so it is thought to be one of the most stressful jobs. Either way the satisfaction of getting it right and hear people “ooh” and “ahh” is incredibly rewarding.

Junior, Chloe Cantrell (Makeup) CC: What do you do backstage to contribute to the musical?

Cantrell: I do the makeup on all of the cast members.

CC: How stressful is it having to know exactly what to do and where to be at just the right time in the right amount of time?

Cantrell: It is very stressful. You have to have so many people’s makeup done at exactly the right time for each and every show.

Roy Ferrante Vice President of Business Development

Uptown Boutique clothing~gifts~accessories

Monday-Friday: 10AM–6PM Saturday: 10AM-4PM 1047 Jeff Rd NW #2, Huntsville, AL 35806

Kenny Miller

Teaching Professional

256-226-3343 Madison Golf Center 401 Lime Quarry Road Madison, Alabama 35758

JIT Services, LLC 125 Electronics Blvd.

Huntsville, AL 35824

Office: (256) 461-7064 ext. 102 Mobile: (256) 783-5560 www.jitservices.com

rferrante@jitservices.com

TEAM

HOPE

MINISTRIES

1801 Jeff Road Suite B Huntsville, AL 35806 256.417.1697

S

10 pread

March 30, 2016

The Crimson Crier

Andrea Graves Reporter

SEX

Lack of sex-ed is dangerous in high school A&E Editor

I

t is a brief conversation in our health class. Merely a conversation. The word “sex” is not necessarily a pleasant word that we as teenagers like to throw around. However, the education of sex is something we need to know more than ever.

I get it, the thought of sex education in school is highly uncomfortable and it is even more “weird” talking about it

with adults, but it will be beneficial to the student body in the future.

Unfortunately, it is estimated that nearly 20 million new STDs transpire in this country every year and half is among the youth— ages 15-24. Sex education in school will teach students sexual risks and ways to prevent them.

We as teenagers think we know everything. In reality, there is so much that we do not know about what can ruin our bodies. The teaching

of STDs such as HIV/ AIDS infections, herpes or chlamydia may be used as a fear tactic but at least we will become aware of the dangers. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to this. The knowledge we would be given would reduce the chances of sexual risks by teaching us how to use safe practices. One of the biggest arguments against teaching about sex in school is the myth that it would increase sexual activity in students.

But how can that be true? The class will not increase the frequency of sex students have but it might not decrease it either.

A sex education class will not just make us more informative on dangers but it will teach us communication skills like refusal. Succumbing to peer pressure can be dangerous for teenagers. With this class, we will know how to refuse sex and not succumb to the pressure of following “the trend”

that teenagers are doing. By studying refusal skills, we will develop them and use them for the future when there is chance we may get in a situation like that. Unfortunately, many teenagers have already been in that sort of situation and the class will prevent those pressuring moments.

Sex education can debunk any false theories that we believe. It is possible that us teenagers do get information wrong and we have to

realize the real truth.

The basis of sex education is not purely sex, it teaches us the value of safe sex, sexual health, sexuality and reproduction. Some of these topics are uncomfortable topics for parents to discuss with their children. It needs to be the school’s responsibility to make us aware which will promote safety and protection within the student population.

When talking about sex, focus on the facts Aliyah Thompson AP Editor

T

eenage years can be a pivotal period of life for some.

During that stretch of time, sometimes lifealtering decisions are made — one of the most notorious among parents being the ‘birds and the bees’ talk.

In past generations, talking about sex with other people, much less in a high school classroom was uncommon. Over time sex — high school sex in particular — has become a less abnormal topic of discussion. Over the 11 years that Principal Chris Shaw has been an administrator, he has witnessed the change in opinions regarding sex as students become increasingly aware of it due to TV, internet and media exposure.

“I know [there’s] a delicate balance on that topic and I think parents are always debating when to address that at home. Unfortunately, sometimes students do not have the support at home,” Shaw said. “And thus, that falls back on the question about public education: What’s the responsibility of public education to educate teenagers about that topic? [There] is a fine line on how to do that.”

And that fine line lies between teaching straight opinion or hard facts. Shaw believes the

line should be drawn at personal, religious and moral beliefs when teaching students about sex in a classroom setting.

“I think [the job] for the school is to be black and white. But as far as the moral and religious — if that comes into play — that falls on either the parents or their family who they live with and if they attend a church, maybe from there,” Shaw said.

“As far as the school is concerned, it’s very important to just give information on the facts.”

To Shaw, tackling the topic of sex should be done in harmony with a student’s parents, guardian or family and the school.

That way, the student gets the information necessary to make informed decisions and fully realize the consequences of any action they may choose to take.

“With our counselors and health teachers, I think it’s important that they let

Photo by Madison Harding

them [students] know that the information is available,” Shaw said.

“I think we’re here serving the best interest of the student. And I think there’s a lot of situations where the students need to go see the counselor to discuss situations that they may find themselves in.”

Although there are resources available and counselors as well as teachers to talk to about sex, there is no specific course dedicated to educating and providing students with information about sex as well as everything that comes with it. If a course focused on information about sex were to be in the works, Shaw would leave the vote to the community and education system. “ I would get a lot of

feedback first … from the central office, from the community, from PTO groups, from students and see if that’s what they really want,” Shaw said.

“I’m a firm believer in providing a studentdriven schedule. If there’s a need based on the feedback, I’m open to that.”

At one point Sparkman did have a class centered around teaching and providing students with information about sex, called CARE. It was a ninth grade class taught

by Darlene Stanford until the program was terminated by the state after the 2013-2014 school year. The class was not required and the class honed in on some of the more internal driving factors behind

sexual activities teenagers may participate in and some of the behaviors before or after having sex.

“I’d say the way a person feels about themselves determines the decisions that they make when it comes to sex and being sexually active. The way you’re raised, dads being present or not present in the household … all that has a factor in why people choose to be sexually active, young [or] old,” Stanford said. “And sometimes, unfortunately, things have happened in young people’s lives; abuse that started a lot earlier than it should.

Self-esteem has a lot to do with why they [teenage students] are sexually [active], earlier or later.”

Despite the strides that have been made over the years in o p e n l y discussing s e x , Stanford thinks that it is still n o t talked a b o u t enough and that s o m e a v o i d talking about it altogether. She believes that this kind of reaction to the topic of sex

The Crimson Crier

S

11 pread

Despite being a mom, senior accomplishes goal of walking across stage at graduation

Let’s talk about Sydney Goggans

March 30, 2016

is more harmful to the student than it is helpful.

“I don’t think you can ever have enough information when it comes to sex, especially at this age because teenagers in general feel like nothing’s going to happen to them and that they can’t get STDs,” Stanford said. “People don’t go walking around saying ‘Hey, I have AIDS!’ or ‘Hey, I have herpes!’ They’re not going to tell you that, but it’s out there.”

Aside from heterosexual activities, sexual activities with the same sex is not discussed in classroom settings.

Stanford believes that it should be, because whichever way one looks at it, sex is still sex, no matter who it is with and the ramifications are just as life-changing.

Furthermore, according to Stanford the way in which sex is viewed by some teenagers can be problematic.

“It’s desensitized for sure. It’s not a big deal anymore,” Stanford said. “I think for some reason now, young people see it as a rite of passage. You know, ‘I’m going to be an adult so this is what I’m going to do,’ when in reality, not doing it makes you more of an adult than doing it. By doing it you add so many other issues that you have to deal with versus the ones that you don’t.”

L

ast April, senior Allison Johnson discovered that she was five weeks pregnant. In late November, Johnson and her boyfriend Gus Andrews introduced their daughter Emerson into the world.

They nicknamed her Emmie.

While her initial reaction upon discovering the news was to panic, Johnson and her family quickly regained their composure and began to make light of the situation.

“I cried for three days. It was a real fun time,” Johnson said. “And of course, everyone was in shock and cried when they found out, but everyone pretty much accepted the situation for what it was and rolled with it.”

Johnson was most worried about how the pregnancy would affect her education and school activities. She explained that while the majority of her classmates had assumed that she had dropped out, she actually ended up continuing her high school education with Madison County Virtual School and finished her last three classes from home for the last half of her pregnancy. Johnson is still technically a member of her high school and is anticipating going to prom and walking at graduation with her classmates.

“It was really hard missing my last pep rallies and feeling too self-conscious to go to the games with my baby bump, but overall it wasn’t too bad,” Johnson said. “I mean, I wasn’t a big school spirit person at the pep rallies anyway.”

Johnson had initially looked forward to the college life and enjoying the beginnings of adulthood.

She had ideas of going to Samford University or the Savannah College of Art and Design and generally relaxing, but her sudden pregnancy diverted her plans.

“I still think about it sometimes, but I’m going to a small community college for a few years and then transferring somewhere bigger,” Johnson said.

In the wake of the discovery and realizing that things were going to change, Johnson was the most nervous about her parents’ reaction to the news. After some discussion, however, they adjusted to the changes and fully supported her.

“We’re all really close. Nothing’s really changed between me and my parents,” Johnson said. “Nothing would change from yelling, so we all came together to support [Emmie] and I swear, she’s the most adored baby.”

After going to the doctor and confirming her suspicions, Johnson started keeping up with the development of her baby and the limitations that would be placed on her during pregnancy. She also experienced some of the major circumstances of a typical pregnancy. “[Pregnancy] was pretty much what everyone was warning me about,” Johnson said. “The vomiting, the crying, the kicking pains, the heartburn, the peeing when I sneezed, but it all went away after she was born.”

Although her pregnancy was tough, Johnson and her baby made it through. Emmie was born a month earlier than her due date, on Nov. 26.

“Because I am a type one diabetic, I developed pre-eclampsia, which causes high blood pressure and severe swelling,” Johnson said. “[Emmie] was supposed to be around five pounds when she was born and she came out nine pounds even.”

Emmie grew rapidly during Johnson’s pregnancy. After she was born, Emmie had to stay in the NICU for six days for minor problems. Johnson’s health had taken a turn at times during her pregnancy — her blood pressure sometimes elevated so high that she had to be wary of possible heart attacks. “[Emmie] was jaundice and didn’t know how to breathe and drink from her bottle at the same time.

She just chugged until her face turned a weird color ... [but] after a couple days she caught on and we were fine. We were really lucky her lungs were developed so well,” Johnson said.

While Emmie had some initial difficulties, both Johnson and her daughter ended up completely healthy.

“I lost 65 pounds in one week from all that fluid,” Johnson said.

Life after having her baby was a definite change from the one Johnson and her boyfriend led before

Are you sexually active?

Yes

No

41% 59%

her pregnancy. In the beginning stages of their relationship, Andrews attended Spring Hill College in Mobile and sometimes drove for six hours in order to go on dates with her.

“He lied and told me he was driving from Cullman so I wouldn’t feel bad,” Johnson said.

“But after the pregnancy was announced, he moved in with me and started working for Verizon.”

Just recently, Johnson and Andrews saved up enough money to move into a new home with their daughter to start their lives together.

“We’re stretched pretty tight on money, but we always seem to make it to the next month. Even though I’m not going to have that carefree life I thought I’d have, I’m happy with what I’ve got,” Johnson said. “And I still go out and see friends, just not as often as I’d like.”

Even though her life changed significantly from the one she had been expecting, Johnson continued on, determined to finish her education with the support of her family and boyfriend.

Johnson’s main inspiration is her daughter’s development and although they have met hard times throughout the experience, she would n o t change a thing if she were to go back. “ I think seeing [her] grow is the best thing.

She’s almost able to roll over and she’s starting to smile and it’s amazing seeing her learn,” Johnson said.

“I would say I would do everything the same way. I mean it was scary and stressful, but she’s my motivation to go to school and be successful. She makes everything way harder, but the love that comes from having her in my life outweighs any obstacle we have to face.”

Johnson’s personal experiences with teen pregnancy have given her a new perspective that allows her to view others in similar situations in a non-judgmental way and provides her with insight about the negative stereotypes surrounding teen pregnancies and the social stigmas teen mothers have to face.

“Just because a girl gets pregnant, [it] doesn’t make her a whore or a slut. I’ve never cheated and [have] always been in a relationship when I was with someone. By most people’s standards that doesn’t make you a hoe, so talking about someone for having sex is stupid,” Johnson said. “Also, no one should be ashamed for making a child as long as they care for it and love it.”

Do you believe health classes here have educated you to the point you can make your own romantic relationship decesions?

Yes 19% No 81%

Photo illustration by Madison Harding

Do you believe high school relationships last?

Yes

40% No 60%

12

A&E

March 30, 2017

The Crimson Crier

St. Patty’s Day in New Orleans

Gadgets X Gizmos

Ariel Thomas Photo Editor

This St. Patty’s Day I had the joy of attending the St. Patrick's day parade in Metairie, Louisiana on the outskirts of New Orleans. This parade was like no other I have been to.

From catching cabbages and pineapples to beads and socks, the overall experience was great and definitely something I'm interested in doing again.

Photo by Mady Harding

Perks are best thing to review when purchasing an e-book

Floating through the city. A hand-built float gets ready to toss beads, cabbages and stuffed animals. Photo by Ariel Thomas

Catch of the day. Those riding parade floats throw beads, pineapples and even cabbage. Parade bystanders gathered the goodies and placed them in bags to take home. I thought this was a photograph that encompassed all the eccentrics the parade had to offer. Photo by Ariel Thomas

“

“

It wasn’t your average parade.

Everything was being thrown.

-Ariel Thomas

They got the beat. A local high school band marches through the streets, playing music and dancing. Photo by Ariel Thomas

Alaura Gordon Reporter

E

-books have nearly taken over paperback books.

E-books are easy to carry around and they last longer than paperback books. Commonly they have been used for long road trips. However, one common concern about the E-books is you have to have internet connection rather than just carrying it along with you.The three common E-books are the Nook, Kindle and iBooks The Kindle is connected with an online website called Amazon which offers to option to purchase books and other products. The Kindle is not just an E-book. It allows one to surf the web and do multiple other things. Kindle also has an app for phones and other devices that can be downloaded.

Everybody dance now. Falling behind his group, a By simply logging into parade dancer in the Metairie, Louisiana St. Patrick’s Day parade makes the most of his time. The parade took an Amazon account, one can easily access place on a Saturday at noon. Photo by Ariel Thomas purchased books and the books purchased on Amazon never expire.

The Nook Paperwhite is for reading purposes only.

The Nook can be linked to an Amazon account and is smaller than the Kindle. With a glare free screen, this device makes for easy reading in a car or sunlight.

This Nook has a longer battery life than a Kindle because it does not allow for apps or internet connection. iBooks are only for Apple products and are preloaded to an iPhone, iPad or MacBook. iBooks are connected to an Itunes account which allows for the opportunity to add to the book collection.

It is also for reading purposes only. Because they can be uploaded to a phone, one does not have to have an internet connection and they are more portable than the other two products.

E-books are definitely a very good thing to have for on the go. They are easy to carry around but the only flaw about E-books is they have to be charged and you have to have internet.

A tale that is old as time gets modern reboot, response overwhelming Cady Harbin Reporter

W

e up

all grew on classic Disney animated movies, whether it was Cinderella, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid or even The Lion King. Even now as young adults we still get excited when a new Disney animated film is released, but nothing makes us more excited than a live action remake of these classics.

The live action remakes started with Alice in Wonderland in 2010, in 2014 Maleficent, then in 2015 there was a remake of Cinderella and following the next year in 2016 with The Jungle Book. This year we have Beauty and the Beast and coming up in 2018, Mulan. As for many Disney fans, they are living the dream.

The first day I saw the trailer for Beauty and the Beast I could not contain my excitement. I could not wait to buy my movie ticket and see the film. I was most excited for the perfect actress that was cast to play Belle, Emma Watson. We all know and love her as Hermione Granger in the Harry

Potter franchise but now a new generation of kids will know her as Belle from Beauty and the Beast. As Belle is many girls favorite Disney princess, it was only fitting to have a beloved actress play her.

The animation was originally released in 1991, this Walt Disney Classic follows the journey of Belle, an intelligent young woman who is taken prisoner in the Beast castle where she is intrigued by the enchanted staff that lives in the castle. There she learns that the Beast is not as unpleasant as he may seem. The animation film includes an outstanding original soundtrack that includes songs that help put the plot into context and make for a better story.

The movie brought in $425 million in box office overall. It was nominated for several awards including the first animated film to win a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, and the first to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. The production of Beauty and the Beast took two years and was the second movie to be created

by CAPS (Computer

Animation Production System), this software allowed a wider range of colors and allowed easier combinations of hand drawn art and computer generated imagery.

Beauty and the Beast is still considered one of Disney’s most beloved animated films.

The live-action stars Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast, this film retells the tale as old as time 27 years after its release. As there is always changes with recreations of films, the major ones in this film is the addition of a song sung by the Beast and a backstory of how he beast

million in box office on opening day alone.

The soundtrack has songs performed by Emma Watson, Dan Stevens and the classic “Beauty and the Beast"

84% 16%

Approve of Remake

Prefer the Orginal

s

became o cruel towards people, and we finally learn what happened to Belle’s mother.

The theater was full of excited fans waiting to see what would be a magical and beautiful experience. Everything from the costumes to the choreography was put together to form the best remake of this classic.

On Friday March 17, the film brought in $64

performed by John Legend and Ariana Grande. I certainly left the theater happier than when I walked in. The film was pure joy and I never wanted it to end.

Every scene and every song put a smile on my face.

The film has received

mixed reviews but is overall praising the songs and sets. However, some Christians are boycotting the film due to a bisexual/homosexual character, which has led to the refusal of an Alabama theater to not show the film. Many people will be debating which one is better, the animation or the live-action. The

1991 original has stunning animations and the live-action has amazing graphics. It will come down to little details between them and the audience’s preferences.

Illustration by Danielle Cardo