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Things our school should be teaching What life lessons do public schools tend to miss out on? Opinion pg. 4
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Thursday Nov. 21, 2013 Issue III
School’s germiest places may come as big surprise Brittany Robertson Reporter
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STEALING THE BLACKLIGHT. Blacklight tests of public places in the school reveal the places most affected by contact with bodily fluids. The places that were deemed grossest by this method included the basketball locker room showers (upper right) and the male faculty restroom (upper left). Photo by Sarah Jarnagin.
enturing into a bathroom is scary enough, just thinking about every germ known to man squirming around, and some people never think that it is as bad as a desk. This may surprise people, but toilets do not even crack the top five of the germiest places in school. Vending machines, water fountains, computer hardware, sink faucet handles and tabletops, like classroom desks and tables in the school cafeteria are considered to be the breeding grounds of harmful bacteria. Even a girl’s purse has some pretty nasty things inside like used tissues. “The school could be cleaner but we have the biggest school with the most students, the job of cleaning something that size to a greater degree cannot just fall on the shoulders of the custodial staff. It requires all of us to clean our spaces,” Nurse Laura Strong said. The school is equipped with hand sanitizer dispensers in every classroom, and dispensers in the cafeteria. However,
due to lack of funding, teachers have to use their own money out of pocket to buy hand sanitizer. But even without hand sanitizer, traditional soap and water is always available. “Using soap and water is the biggest and best germ fighter available,” Strong said. Biology teacher Leslie Machen performed an experiment with her class. They covered the whole school, taking samples off of surfaces such as the water fountains and vending machines and they were able to see just how germy the school was. “It was a biology class about nine years ago at Sparkman High School. I let the students swab any surface in the school and we took them back to the lab. We grew the bacteria on agar plates and determine that the water fountains, vending machines and door handles were the worst,” Machen said. In one study, done by http://www.itsasnap.org/, only 58 percent of female and 48 percent of male middle and high school students wash their hands after using the bathroom.
Of these, only 33percent of the females and 8 percent of the males use soap. Nearly 22 million school days are lost annually due to the common cold, and more than two-thirds (32 million) of schoolaged children (aged 5–17 years) in the United States missed school in the past 12 months due to illness or injury. “We are never going to get rid of germs, viruses, and bacteria, no matter how much you clean the school, they are brought in by every person, every day,” Strong said. Other than soap and water, germs can be prevented in various ways: 1. Avoiding close contact, pretty basic. 2. Stay at home, it will help prevent others from catching the illness. 3. Cover mouth and nose, remember germs are airborne too. 4. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth, these are easy entrances for viruses and bacteria. “Germs are not just on “things,” they are air borne as well. All you have to do is cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing and wash your hands, it’s truly that simple,” Strong said.
In light of tragedy, family speaks out, absolves blame Heather Webster Lifestyles Editor
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hen lack of mental help permits empty seats and grieving hearts, change seems inevitable. Though Daniel Adamek, father of the late Christian Adamek, advocates more options and a larger medical presence directed toward mental health in the community, comments from 12th grade counselor Dedra Muhammad have shown the extent to which faculty members have been meeting and surpassing their job requirements in order to assist students suffering from mental disorders, to prevent students from feeling as though self-harm or suicide is the only option ahead of them. Counselors have been working with Alabama Crisis services for two years to educate both students and teachers to the signs of depression and what should be done to aid
suffering students. With depression and suicide attempts seemingly becoming rampant among high school students, news-watchers are quick to blame administration, much like Adamek’s situation, in which Principal Michael Campbell was facing a petition on change.org requesting his termination for what the author claimed was inadequate handling of the situation, an argument based mostly on poor information. “To suggest [Christian] took the drastic measures he did because of consequences he was to face for his actions just five days before, no matter what the real extent of those consequences, is a terribly over-simplistic viewpoint. That line of thought belittles the situation and is a distraction from addressing the real problems,” Adamek said. The school has a system for students facing
depression or suicidal thoughts, with 12th grade counselor Dedra Muhammad heading the
F A C T S
students. Health classes now include a session on what to do if a friend is suicidal or appears as if he
friend expressing suicidal ideations, and then they should report it to an adult. If the student reports it
whether the threat is imminent. Either way, a guardian is contacted. If necessary, we’ll contact an agency so that the child may receive further assessment,” Muhammad said. Even with all of the precautions taken—with the counselors reaching out to all members of the community—being one of three counselors responsible for scheduling and graduation demands from parents and students alike at a school with almost 2,000 students seems to leave little room for counseling students facing harassment, issues at home and mental disorders. In matter what, Adamek believes that student should still seek guidance in the face of Courtesy of the Hazelden Foundation such conflict. or she is going to commit to a teacher, the teacher “Our children have to bodily harm. follows the instructions cope with the stresses “If a student has gone from the Alabama Crisis through health class, he Services PowerPoint. or she knows some things We, as counselors do an CONT. pg. 02 that they should say to a assessment to determine
The FACTS of Suicide Warning Signs
eelings of anxiety, anger, hopelessness ctions of aggression or recklessness hanges in personality and behavior
hreats of self-harm or attempts thereof ituations of major change or intensity
program. Two days before Adamek’s suicide, Alabama Crisis Services conducted a teachers’ session, including a PowerPoint on handling situations involving suicidal
A Look The Crimson Crier Inside crimsoncriernews.com @TheCrimsonCrier
Adamek
News pg. 2-3 Opinion pg. 4-5 Entertainment pg. 8 Spread pg. 10-11 Features pg. 6-7 Sports pg. 9&12
2 News
The Crimson Crier
Nov. 21, 2013
Landmark scholastic journalism case visits Birmingham
Mary Beth Tinker visits with newspaper staff, teaches about First Amendment Kasey Stender Spread Editor
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ights: we all have them. Even students; though it was not always thought so. One of the most important and influential cases for students’ rights, Tinker v. Des Moines, reached the Supreme Court in the late 1960s and changed freedom for students across the entire country. The ruling was that, by suspending the group of students who wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War, the school violated their First Amendment rights. One of those students, Mary Beth Tinker, has started the Tinker Tour,
Adamek CONT. pg. 01
of family issues, school performance issues, social issues—trying to understand where they fit, and all while they are experiencing all new feelings driven by the flood of physical and chemical changes of adolescence. Further, they must deal
a trek across the US in an RV to talk about her experience and to promote youth rights and freedom of speech and press. Her parents set the example to stand up for one’s beliefs early in her childhood, standing up against segregation and the treatment of others and being kicked out of churches for it. She also saw the Civil Rights Movement on television, from students marching from a church in Birmingham to the use of water hoses on them. “I wanted to stand up for what I believed in. Those kids on TV just weren’t me. I was shy and scared,” Tinker said. “But I did it anyway. I with the hundreds of other peers who are also trying to cope and most certainly feel, to varying degrees, added pressures from that. Our children need to know that they can find help to remedy the pain they feel from things they don’t likely understand themselves,” Adamek said.
had a little bit of courage.” The tour, which has over 50 stops across the United States, landed right here in Alabama, down in Birmingham, a historic place for civil rights. The Crimson Crier staff and the choir attended the event. The choir performed an original song written about the Tinker case, much to Tinker’s delight. “Thanks for singing that. I have not had the opportunity to hear it live,“ Tinker said. Tinker expressed the strength of youth and the rights they deserve. She discussed the importance of all the young generation and the power they possess. “Our secret weapon is….you,” Tinker said.
BANDED TOGETHER. Mary Beth Tinker displays the black arm band she and her brothers wore to protest the Vietnam War. Tinker wore the arm bands to school in an act of peaceful protest, but the school had previously declared the act insubordinate. Tinker was sent to the principal’s office and was reprimanded. Tinker became the poster child for the Tinker case, which progressed all the way to the Supreme Court. Photo by Riley Wallace
Join the conversation about mental health by visiting www.littleorangefish.org. Or follow along on Twitter and Facebook @littleorangefish.
Theatre sweeps Trumbauer competition, takes home awards Carla Mack Reporter
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BUDDING STARS. Seniors Eric Busby, Michaela Walton and junior Roderick Sims perform “Flowers for Algernon,” this year’s one act play. At the Trumbauer competition, Busby was named best actor and Walton and Sims were named All Star cast members. Photo by Melanie Brown
he theatre department’s dry run at an “Evening with Sparkman Stars” paid off. Just four days later, the troupe swept the Trumbauer competition. Theatre performed various monologues and songs, along with their one act play “Flowers for Algernon” as a practice run for friends, family and fellow students. Theatre member Michaela Walton believes the practice was beneficial and prepared them for their upcoming competition “It was our first time in awhile performing in
front of people who were not students. They have more expected reactions like certain laugh lines. It was good to get a more mature reaction to our play, somewhat like the way the judges may see it,” Walton said. At the regional competition, held at James Clemens High School, they were one of nine schools in our district. After the performance five acts were chosen to go to state, and “Flowers for Algernon” was one of them. Drama teacher Sherry Ryan was proud of how her students performed and their advancement to the next level of competition. “They performed well.
You’re always shocked when you win because there is so much competition, being up against all these places with such spectacular facilities,” Ryan said. Senior Michaela Walton and junior Roderick Sims were named All Star of cast members, and senior Eric Busby was named best actor in the region for the second year in a row. “Although this is my second year in a row winning this award, I am still very honored and excited. You put in a lot of work and it’s great to know people really appreciate it,” Busby said.
Environmental Club encourages green practices, provides recycling Laurel Rogers Reporter
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n addition to most classrooms this year is a cardboard box for recycling. While the Environmental Club has been running the recycling program since 2008, few students or faculty participated or even knew of its existence. This is the first year the program received support from the entire school and Republic Services, the company that takes the school’s trash and now recycling. “We have more people on board for recycling this year. I love the participation I’ve seen from students, teachers and faculty,” environmental club sponsor Twyla Maxtion said. The Environmental Club is thrilled with the involvement of the school so far, but they want to
make a larger, more positive impact on the environment. The Environmental Club encourages students to reduce, reuse and recycle at home and in the community. To make a difference at school, students can recycle paper, plastic and cans. The Environmental Club’s “Green Swag Day, ” a day for students to wear green to support the recycling program and green living, is Dec. 5. The club is hosting a Recycling Collection Competition Dec. 2-13, where the third block with the most cans wins a pizza party. These events are to bring awareness to and gain support from the student body for the recycling program. “It may seem like we can’t change anything, but if we really try and work together, we can make a difference in the environment and our world,” environmental club President Shreya Pohkrel said.
Reduce Reuse Recycle
Place your paper products in the brown recycle boxes near the trash can in each classroom.
Graphic from apl.org
News 3
The Crimson Crier
Nov. 21, 2013
Student hit by car while waiting for bus Katlin Gillespie Reporter
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CAUSING HEADACHES. Senior Keana Swanner displays her bandages after surgery. Swanner has suffered from seizures since she was an infant. Photo provided by Keana Swanner
Student provides insight to seizures Erin Rountree News Editor
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s if high school is not difficult enough for the average student, imagine walking into school every day wondering if it would be the day you experience an uncontrollable seizure in front of teachers and classmates. For senior Keana Swanner, this scenario is a daily reality. Swanner began suffering from seizures as a baby and was prescribed medication, which kept her from seizing until she suffered a concussion during sophomore year. “I had a few more seizures [after the concussion] and I had to go to the hospital,” Swanner said. Doctors have been unable to diagnose Swanner with a definite cause for her seizures, but the fact that she was born prematurely could be a contributing factor. “They didn’t really find a cause, but their thought is I have a cerebrospinal fluid sac on my brain stem and they think that’s causing extra pressure, which is causing the seizures,” Swanner said. Swanner suffers from petit mal seizures, characterized by a short lapse of consciousness that occurs without warning, according to the Mayo Clinic. “From what I know, I just kind of black out. I get really weak so I know it’s coming and I kind of black out and usually I’m really out of it when I come back in and someone has to kind of tell me what happened,” Swanner said. Seizures can have various triggers, including a disrupted sleep pattern and hormonal changes, as well as the use of or withdrawal from drugs and alcohol, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. “My triggers are usually stress, exercise, but the really bad one is fluorescent light when it’s flickering. That’s usually what really gets me,” Swanner said. Swanner has been able to manage her seizures with lifestyle changes and medication. “It used to be really scary and really difficult
because I constantly thought something was going to happen and I never knew when,” Swanner said. “It’s gotten a lot easier because I’ve really gotten it under control and been weaned off the medicine and I haven’t had [a seizure] since. I have my medication just in case and I have a bunch of friends who know how to administer my medication if needed, so I feel a lot safer now but at first it was really hard.” School nurse Laura Strong has responded to several students experiencing seizures at school. “When I am notified a student is having a seizure, I take my medical bag and go to the location of the student. I ask that all other students leave the room and let me and the MERT team take care of the student,” Strong said. Strong says that it is imperative that the response team begin timing the seizure upon arrival, as well as make sure the student is in an unrestrictive environment . “The safety precautions are basically to make sure the student is lying on their back on the floor, make sure any object that the student could hit be moved out of the way, time the seizure [and] call 911 after five minutes of seizure activity,” Strong said. Strong continues to talk to the student throughout the seizure. Different protocols are taken depending on the length of the seizure. “Some students are prescribed medication and I would give the medication after five minutes of seizing and then call 911. Some students stop before the five minutes and in that case a parent is called and the student goes home with the parent. Most students I have had to take care of seize the full five minutes or longer and the medication [is administered and] 911 is called,” Strong said. Swanner has stopped cheerleading and avoids becoming overly stressed to minimize seizures. She is also prescribed emergency medication. These precautions have caused her seizures to virtually disappear.
ophomore Tyree Troupe woke up every morning, dressed for school and walked to the bus. It was his usual routine and nothing could go wrong. Then on Friday Oct. 18, his normal walk across the street to get on the bus drastically changed when an oncoming car hit Troupe. “I got hit at the intersection of Macedonia and Pulaski Pike around 6 a.m. The driver just kept on going when the bus had stopped and the lights and everything were on. He got out, but he didn’t say anything to me. Like he didn’t say sorry or anything, he just looked at me,” Troupe said. According to Troupe the
vehicle was going 45 mph when the driver passed the stopped bus, hitting Troupe in the process. “My friend Antonio picked me up and set me on the side of the road, but I don’t even remember what my reaction was,” Troupe said. Troupe was sent to the hospital by the police officer that arrived at the scene to make sure he was stable and had not sustained any serious injuries. “We exercise all of our safety measures especially in the early morning. We always tell our students to never cross the street until the bus comes to a complete stop and then also at that time, to watch for the oncoming traffic because they may not see the sign, they may
not stop, they may not be slowing down so we tell our students to wait until both lanes of traffic have come to a complete stop then walk across,” assistant principal Maurice Jones said. According to Troupe, the car did not stop whatsoever and continued going past the bus eventually clipping him. The bus driver immediately ran out and asked if Troupe was okay before calling the police. “All the safety precautions were taken by the bus driver. It terrifies our bus drivers to see a kid coming across the street and the car is still moving. So that’s why we teach them, let their stop sign out and start flashing their lights at least a quarter of a mile before the stop that way cars way ahead
see that they’re about to stop,” Jones said. According to Jones, it is rare that a student actually gets hit by a car while waiting on the bus and when it does happen people automatically assume the worst. “It was just some minor scrapes and bruises but of course whenever you hear something like that where a student is hit by a car we automatically think ‘oh boy, death’ or something serious, but fortunate enough that the car was going slow, but not slow enough to avoid the student. But we took every precautionary measure that we could possibly have to prevent that,” Jones said.
College applications behind the scenes:
the process of admissions, receiving scholarships Savannah Bullard Reporter
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enior year is a stressful period for students who plan to be shipped off to college right after they walk across the stage. Preparing for college takes meticulous planning and scrupulous precision when writing those nerve-wracking essays. So much stress is put into college admissions, therefore shouldn’t hassled seniors know where they go? College admissions essays are not required for all schools, but the answers essential to completing admission need to be extensive and comprehensible. Senior Chase Harrison—recently accepted to Auburn University— explains the process in applying for the first fall semester. “When I applied to Auburn, I went online and answered all these questions they had, like ‘why do you want to attend’ and ‘why should we accept you’. Everything had to be about a paragraph each. Finding the right things to say was kind of difficult because of course you want your answers to be perfect so you’ll get accepted,” Harrison said. Harrison, upon applying for Auburn, says the hardest part about applying is the scholarship process. Admission was not hard with the help of his parents, but Harrison explains how his hard work fell mostly into applying for a scholarship. “The scholarship procedure is definitely the hardest part about college applications. I put my all into applying and even though it was extremely tough, the thorough effort put into it is eventually worth it,” Harrison said. College admissions essays are generally only required for scholarship applications and seniors looking to pursue a major along the lines of writing or journalism. However, Katie Bivens—college admissions counselor of the University of Alabama—offers insight regarding the process of applying to a southern college. “We have a team of people that handle the processing of applications. They evaluate transcripts, input GPAs and ACT scores and make decisions on the application,” Bivens said. The University of Alabama does read every application, according to Bivens. Scholarship essays are all read as well, but cannot kill the chances of being admitted. “Admissions essays are required for scholarship selection and literary majors. The essays are not considered ‘make or break’ in your admission. They are just helpful,” Bivens said. “Being proactive” is one of the most important aspects of working through admissions, on the word of Bivens. Harrison agrees that detailed planning is necessary and every method of examination is useful. “I tried everything I knew to do when getting my applications ready,” Harrison said. “If someone is looking
Process of Admission to the University of Alabama
Step 1 Student submits test scores and transcript for review
Step 2 Admissions team reviews application
Step 3 Student submits essays for scholarship application
Step 4 Admissions team reviews scholarship essays and applications
for scholarship opportunities, definitely use Naviance and any other college prep offers. All the preparations that the school suggests for you becomes ultimately necessary. I did everything I could and I believe that earned me the acceptance to my number one school.”
New acapella group formed, plans to perform Caroline Barlow Reporter
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aking music with just your voice is a talent that few have. Having this talent allows you to be involved in an a cappella group, and to harmonize with others. “The Basic Pitches” is a newly formed a cappella group that was open to all students during tryouts. Over 40 students tried out, but only a select 24 people were asked to join the group. Seniors Esther Okuro and Megan Robinson, former members from last year’s group, decided that they should have an open tryout rather than only allowing those in advanced choir to join. “We decided to hold an open audition for the whole school because there are multiple people that can sing but are not in advanced choir. We wanted to give everyone a chance to tryout,” Okuro said. The tryouts were strenuous on Robinson and Okuro because the tryout was open to all, and they wanted to take everything into consideration.
The students were judged on their performance, tone quality, loudness and use of improve. “It was hard to make the decisions because there were so many good people to choose from, and it was also hard because some people weren’t that great and so then you had to be critical but not too harsh. It was also very tiring because it took an hour and a half for everyone to try out,” Robinson said. Now that the members have been chosen the group has already started planning to perform at the choir concerts and hopefully begin to have their own concerts. Okuro and Robinson are searching for small competitions for the group to compete in but for now they are still figuring out how to work together. “Right now our main goal is figuring out everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. We are also practicing on working together, and we are striving for the perfect sound. Hopefully we can accomplish that before next semester,” Okuro said.
4 Opinion
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The Crimson Crier
Nov. 21, 2013
TAFF EDITORIAL Student rights should be guaranteed
egally, a student does not shed their First Amendment rights as they step onto school property. Legally, we are individuals, allowed to express ourselves to the extent that it does not interfere with the safety or learning of our fellow students. Legally, we are responsible and allowed to develop with our unique opinions, habits and identifiers. But beyond the legality, those freedoms have more often tended to fail. In theory, we have the rights, but who is it to say that our expressions are distracting? Mary Beth Tinker and company made theirs a silent protest: black armbands which spoke for themselves
against a present conflict. They did not argue, they did not fight, they did not parade in front of the school shouting obscenities; they were still admonished by the administration. Today, it seems that we fight that same battle for our rights of self-expression. We are suspended for our senses of style: our dyed hair and our sometimes unusual piercings. This hypersensitivity toward things that are no longer sincerely distracting to students is only burdensome and limiting to our rights. But even in those cases which the administration cannot or does not do anything, the student body can administer
their own punishment. Students can be brazenly beat down by their peers for their sexuality, their intellect and their chosen means of selfexpression. It is up to us, the students, to determine the power the rights granted to us by the First Amendment hold. Legal battles fought to grant students rights must not be in vain. The ability to use our bodies, ideas and voices as channels in which to express ourselves is a powerful privilege. We must remain vigilant of what these rights mean to us as students and press for the First Amendment freedoms that Mary Beth Tinker and others sought to expand.
Editorial staff approved this editorial unanimously
In Kessio Missed It...
Boehner stands in way of progress Beryl Kessio Opinion Editor
As the votes were revealed, the cogs of destiny churned in the direction of progress, but only for a moment. For the first time in an almost 40 year legislative battle, the Senate voted on a measure to protect LGBT employees from workplace discrimination 64 to 32. The Employment Nondiscrimination Act, or ENDA vote marks a national shift in opinion towards LGBT matters, from the repeal of “don’t ask don’t tell” to the striking down of DOMA. According to Politico, 68 percent of Americans— counting 56 percent of Republicans —support a federal law that protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans from being discriminated against at work.
Hold on. You mean to tell me there is not a law that already mandates that? It is shocking that a person can be a hard worker, receive exemplary peer reviews and be punctual, yet can be fired based solely on their sexual orientation. Is it not a no-brainer that people should only be hired based on merit? Based on House speaker John Boehner’s response to the vote, the answer is no. In yet another selfinflicted wound to the GOP — like the botched government shutdown — Boehner rejected bringing up ENDA in the House, claiming the passage of the bill would create “frivolous” lawsuits and hurt businesses. Not so, Boehner. As for the Speaker’s worries about ENDA affecting small businesses,
most American employers— those with 15 workers or less— would be exempt. This would leave mostly large corporations with the burden to modify their hiring practices. No need to worry about ENDA’s impact on religious organizations either — churches, schools and social services agencies, to name a few, are exempt. In a Republican Party struggling to establish its identity amidst immense influence from the farright of the GOP, Boehner is merely a puppet for the Tea Party. When everything boils down, it is a matter of moneydriven politics. Though the chances are slim-to-none, it is high time for Boehner to rise to the occasion and promote a fundamental right—equality.
Impatient driving frustrates all Zachary Lequieu Reporter
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ed lights start flashing, the buses stop but somewhere there will be a person who decides to run the bus stop sign. The dead zone around a school bus is designed to keep students safe from people attempting to pass the bus. Whatever the excuse—late to work, late to school or missing a meeting—it does not matter; it is extremely dangerous and a violation of federal law to pass a stopped school bus. People who do
should never have been given a drivers’ license. Is the need so pressing that it is worth the risk? Chances are it can wait an extra 30 seconds. Another pressing issue when driving is speed limits. Going 55 mph on a 45 mph road can cause an accident or lead to a pricey speeding ticket. Speeding can also cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle. People do not understand that this is a serious issue. Couple this with texting and driving and the road can be a
dangerous place to be. Just like the late for a meeting or work excuse, texts can wait. Just one second off the road and a person’s life can change forever. When people obtain their drivers’ license, they are required to learn the rules of the road. They must pass a written test about these rules. So why when they actually get on the road do they act so carelessly? The solution is simple. People need to slow down. Take a breath. Appreciate life. Leave on time.
Schools fail to teach for “real world:” what you need to know
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Getting older and having a job means sooner or later taxes will have to be filed. But how many teens actually know how to do them? Once they are out on their own, in the big, real world, a person will have to support themselves, pay their own bills and file their own taxes. The majority of students in high school have no clue how to do that.
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Being a teen, it is difficult to know how to manage money. Eighty-six percent of students say they would rather learn about money management in a class before making mistakes in the real world. College is getting more and more expensive these days, and if students do not learn how to manage and save, who knows how they could be affected when that time comes.
Taylor Holder Reporter
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One of the many classes offered at school is Driver’s Education. Drivers Education not only teaches a student how to drive, but also the safety rules of driving. So what happens when someone is going down the road and their tire blows out? How is safe driving supposed to get the tire changed and off the side of the road? High school should really teach students how to change a tire, or simply check and change the oil in their vehicle. Yes, of course driving safely, paying attention to the road and to the surroundings is important, but then again the schools “safety” procedures for driving go out the door when the student is stuck on the side of the road with speeding cars passing by every second.
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Students should make sure they are financially able to afford a car or a house, and what to look for when they seek out these things. Generally, the first time someone goes to look for a car, especially being younger, any dealership will try to sucker them into something they will not be able to get out of, such as, a contract that lasts for years with a vehicle you can not afford, debt from breaking your bank account trying to pay the payments or getting stuck with a vehicle that is going to break down all the time. Students in high school should be prepared and taught to explore all options before making a final payment for a vehicle/ house that could affect them permanently.
Preprofessional academies
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Some seniors in high school are about to be 18 or already are. That means more privileges, such as, being able to vote. But how do you vote? Where do you go? Who do you talk to? Voting is an important privilege in the world we live in today. We should all at least hear about it. The majority of students more than likely have no clue what they need to be eligible to vote, much less where to go, what to do when they get there and what to bring.
Writing skills
Character education Diagramming sentences
Debate skills Coloring inside the lines Integration of Cursive technology Foreign languages
Geometric proofs
The Crimson Crier
Nov. 21, 2013
Opinion
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Dollars & Sense: improving school without a price tag Dakota Shamblin Reporter
Club rules
Physical education
The creation of interest clubs should be encouraged along with making club creation faster. Currently, the process of making a club relies on faculty approving the club. Sports and career groups have clubs, but these aren’t free. Clubs for gardening, sewing, etc. would allow students to meet others with similar interests
Teachers should be encouraged to do more active things in class. Sitting for an hour and a half can be boring, but throwing a short stretch in the middle of class would recapture students’ attentions. Short puzzles can be an alternative for cramped classrooms.
An improvement of sorts
A splash of color
Sorting through the lost-and-found after school every few months would improve the school. Students may not have time during school to go through it or may not be sure that they lost something.
Integrating the creation of decorations in art classes and the use of students’ works around the school would encourage student artists along with improve the liveliness and appearance of the school.
A “lot” of trouble
Trash talk
Leaving the parking lot after school is difficult because one exit is shared with buses and the other opens onto a busy road. As faculty actively discourage loitering, shifts would make leaving the school easier. The shifts can be based on where students park, allowing those with plans after school to get out first if they drive to school early.
Enforcing recycling bins in every classroom would benefit the school. As of now, teachers choose to put a recycling bin in the classroom, but it should not be a choice. These reduce the number of bottles and cans students leave in classrooms and encourage environmentally-friendly practices.
Vulgar bracelets fail to keep populace abreast of serious cause Steven Byrd Copy Editor
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veryone has seen them; those “breast cancer awareness” bracelets that force an uninformed observer to question whether it is really about breast cancer, or the wearer just wanted to wear clothing that said “boobies.” The Supreme Court may soon hear a case, though, on whether it is legal for schools to keep students from wearing these controversial, borderline obscene accessories. Two girls’ suspension from a Pennsylvania school over the bracelets has sparked a national debate over censorship, the First Amendment and students’ rights to freedom of speech and expression. Parallels are being drawn to the famous Tinker v. Des Moines case, in which the Supreme Court ruled that students
do not give up their rights when they enter the school building, that they can still express themselves to an extent, but their expression must be balanced against the school’s need to maintain order. That is precisely what is happening here. Two girls—thought their intentions may have been grand—chose to express themselves in a disruptive manner, with bracelets relying solely on sexual double-entendres to get a hazy point across, and were disciplined for it. Opponents of the suspension argue that the school is denying students the right to express themselves, thus violating their First Amendment Rights. This is not the case, however. In the landmark Bethel School District v.
Fraser, the Supreme Court ruled that “it is a highly appropriate function of public school education to
prohibit the use of vulgar and offensive terms in public discourse.” There is no more public discourse
than what a person is bracelets that are deemed wearing; it is the first thing crude. others will notice when “I heart boobies” greeting that person. bracelets are certainly crude. Nowhere on the bracelets do they mention breast cancer awareness, research, treatment or even breast cancer itself. There are only two phrases printed on the silicone bands, a large “I heart boobies!” and a much smaller “keep a breast.” They are simply bracelets about female reproductive organs. They do not show support for a cause and should not be protected under students’ First Amendment rights; they simply play off of immaturity and innuendo to attempt to gain the support Therefore, it is not only of a sexually-charged allowable, but “highly generation. appropriate” for schools The school is perfectly to disallow the wearing of within its grounds to
prohibit students from wearing the lewd bracelets. Anyone who believes that wearing a bracelet that says “I heart boobies!” is the best way to raise awareness of breast cancer is unfortunately mistaken. Students can dress in pink—the color used to represent breast cancer awareness—don supportive attire, such as T-shirts, bracelets, buttons and even bags, so long as they mention breast cancer, not just “boobies” and participate in events that raise awareness of the disease and fund research for a cure. Breast cancer is a serious disease with serious affects; we should not turn it into a sexual joke about “boobies.” Students wearing these bracelets ought to be disciplined; they are nothing more than a thinly-veiled innuendo masquerading as if it were supporting a cause.
Social media connection brings students, teachers closer together Noah Lombard Reporter
O
ne new notification: You have received a friend request from your teacher. Communication between student and teacher has always been crucial in education. If you wanted to ask your teacher a question before the Internet, you had to track them down in real life. Now, with the convenience of online communication, teachers and students can communicate through things like email or social media. The answer to almost any question is just a couple clicks away. There are some restrictions on teachers concerning social media that should not exist. They are people, just like anyone else, and deserve to enjoy public products. Of course Vector Bushlip the science teacher should not be able to post pictures of himself dancing at the bar. Professionalism has to be a factor. But they should not
be cut off entirely. Teachers have to be able to communicate with their students. Yes, there is email, but not every student checks theirs on a regular basis. Social media provides the medium through which a teacher can say “Hey guys, don’t forget about your assignment that’ due tomorrow!” Facebook is normally an unrelenting vacuum that can derail even the sturdiest of thought processes. It is the last place you would expect to see a reminder to do homework; therefore it is the perfect solution. If the main goal is planted in the distraction, it will be easier to get back on track. From a student’s perspective, it can be a bit weird. No one really wants their teacher to know what their weekend plans are, or why they were not at school that day. IT breaks down the barrier of privacy that social media provides them. However, for some it is an easy tool for communication. Most
students spend more time on Facebook or Twitter more than they spend going through their email. Although it may sound strange, teachers and students befriending one another on social media provides an opportunity to bring them closer together. You could come home from school and be dead to the world because of that one teacher who gave you so much work during class. You form a grudge, and see the teacher as nothing but a source of mental labor. When you are scrolling down your Facebook home feed and see the teacher with their three year old daughter in their arms, you are reminded that they have a life. It slowly breaks down the common belief that teachers enjoy making kids suffer, and have nothing better to do. Without that communication, students and teachers will slowly drift farther and farther apart, thus making school a dreadful experience for all who are a part of it.
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News Editor.........................Erin Rountree Opinion Editor.....................Beryl Kessio Lifestyles Editor..................Heather Webster Sports Editor........................Will Bartel Entertainment Editor............April Oberman Spread Editor........................Kasey Stender Copy Editor...........................Steven Byrd Photo Editor..........................Sarah Jarnagin Ad Editor...............................Daniel Judge Reporters..........................McKenzie Ashmore, Katlin Gillespie, Taylor Holder, Zach LeQuieu, Shelby Balentine, Caroline Barlow, Laurel Rogers, Lauren Noble, Lucas Ward, Logan Grant, Brittany Robertson, Savannah Bullard, Carla Mack, Dakota Shamblin, Tanner Burns, Nick Arnold, Erin Stender, Victoria Lewis, Noah Lombard Adviser.........................Erin Coggins, MJE
Nov. 21, 2013
The Crimson Crier
Lifestyles 7
Anywhere but
HOME Riley Wallace
that I would do good, but still maybe want to come back home later. I was just going to fail. That’s what he saw,” Mason said.
Editor-in-Chief
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“
he told me to leave and I left.” As the curtain drew open on her junior year, Cheyenne Mason’s* life proved some semblance of normality: she made straight As in her AP classes and worked a part time job, balancing responsibility, a boyfriend and a lifestyle that, to any passing spectator would appear stable and fulfilling. Football season was approaching, homecoming was on the horizon and there did not seem like much that could get in her way. From the outside, everything would seem perfect. But before September was out, Mason would be a wanderer, homeless but for the kindness of friends, sneaking trips home to pick up clothing and other necessities while her family was away. Her car would be gone and her contacts limited. With the words “You can call anybody else, but I don’t want to talk to you,” the seemingly perfect world would burn to the ground.
Gone, Gone, Gone
Despite the illusion of positivity around herself and her family, Mason’s relationship with her mother had begun to decline as the summer ended, taking seemingly small arguments and escalating them to volcanic confrontations. Feeling “unwanted and not good enough,” Mason fought back, edging slowly toward the tipping point: a single day in September, when Mason went to visit her father in Decatur against the wishes of her mother, who was angered by her daughter’s interaction with the man who had almost no hand with raising the child. ”[My mom and dad] don’t really talk because they’re divorced. And [my mom] told me to be home from my dad’s in an hour, that she was taking the car and she was taking my phone and that I could sit in my room, and there’d be no going to work and I could ride the bus to school. She threw some stuff up in my face about the past and my family. When I left, my mom said, ‘Leave and don’t come back, and if you get in trouble, don’t call me. If you need help, don’t call me. If you need something, don’t call me,’” Mason said. Mason left the house, taking refuge first at a friend’s house for the weekend, and then bouncing between residences – the houses of her boyfriend and other friends – while trying to keep up the responsibilities that she had taken while still living at home. “Those people I stayed with were the only ones who really knew about it, and what was going on. It was really hard, I’m not going to lie, to find somewhere to live and do it on your own, being young. I didn’t have a car because she took it from me. I had no dependable way to work. I was going to work when I could find a ride. I was depending on everybody else for everything,” Mason said.
The Battle Within
Forced from home, a student learns the true meaning of ‘growing up’
At school, she worked hard to normalize, to keep her grades up and her attitude positive, masquerading before teachers and peers to keep any idea of her hardships from becoming the topic of unwanted conversation. “It wasn’t something I wanted to go around and announce, that I was 16 and not living at home anymore. It was hard because, when you’re on your own, you have to discipline yourself by yourself. You have to go to sleep, you have to wake up, you have to look like you didn’t just crawl out of a hole to go to school. I was making it to school on time and not getting in trouble, keeping my grades up and everything. So that’s what I focused on, school-wise: trying not to let anything look different than it was before,” Mason said. Most students between homes do try to conceal the details of their situations and maintain a convincing illusion of normalcy. “This is a very delicate subject because they do not want their peers to know their circumstances. I think some do have suspicions and care and want to help but many are so caught up with their own problems and life that they are not very observant or compassionate with peers outside of their circle of friends,” counselor Julie Hoover said. Meanwhile, however, Mason struggled emotionally to adjust to her constantly changing residences, living away from home, being away from her family and possessions. The distress was a heavy weight to bear for the teenager, an anchor into a despair that seemed impossible to overcome. “About the third week I was gone, I was sitting at the house I was staying at, not having a way anywhere, thinking about it. I just sat down and cried because I felt like I had nothing because I was on my own. That was my lowest point: realizing and coming to the conclusion that I felt like I had nothing, I was nothing and there was no reason for me to be doing any of this. Not just moving out, but any of it,” Mason said. While Mason combatted depression by staying social, minor communication with her family back home worked against the independence which she had built. Her mother called and texted her, imploring her to come back; a fearful Mason, though, was feign to take the suggestion lightly.
Nothing Left to Lose
Without support from her family, Mason’s various bills piled up, payments for things on which Mason’s life now depended and others which she did not even have access to, including her car, which had been taken as punishment the day she left. “You still have to worry about bills. That’s what I was worried about: I had my car bill, phone bill, I was about to have to start worrying about rent if I had stayed any longer. So you have all the bills you have to worry about; it’s all about maturity and growing up, and you grow up really fast,” Mason said. While Mason was helped by her friends, the school typically helps students who are between homes to alleviate financial difficulty with the help of community and student donations. “We contact outside agencies, such as local churches etc to help students that need clothes, food, school supplies, etc. Churches have contacted me first to see how they can help and that says a lot about what a great community this is,” Hoover said. Beyond financial and physical need, however, Mason was also vividly aware of the emotional absence that moving out had instilled in her. On Oct. 5, she attended homecoming, getting ready at a friend’s house, neither of her parents there to help her prepare or take photos of the effort that went into the night. “It was something that me and my mom did together: she did my hair, I’d be like, ‘How do I look in this?’ And this year, I didn’t have anybody to ask ‘Does this look good?’ and I didn’t have anybody to do my hair,” Mason said.
Coming Home
Eventually, Mason gave into her mother’s requests, still frightened of the consequences, but ready to make a new start in the relationship, packing the three or four bags of belongings she had dragged between homes for a little over a month. Finally, she was going home. “I leave all my stuff in my car, because it’s awkward to go in there. I go in, and she looks at me and I look at her, and she comes up to me, and she’s got tears in her eyes and she hugs me and we sit down and talk and we let a lot of things out, and she apologized again for everything that happened,” Mason said. Since that day weeks ago, Mason says that the relationship has improved, but the tension that once boiled over still exists, only now with possible consequences that both are now painfully aware of and mutually striving to avoid. “I wouldn’t say it’s awkward because it’s not, but the feeling that comes up whenever we’re in the same room together, there’s always that chance that we’re going to get into it again and I’m going to leave again. Or she’s going to kick me out again. It’s that she never thought I would do that. She never thought that when she kicked me out, I would actually leave. I think that once she realized that I would, because I did, she kind of learned that I will,” Mason said. She says that she will not let her past affect the future, and while she recovers from the time she spent away from home and values the friends that offered her shelter, she is grateful for the opportunity to come home. “I was one of those people: I can’t wait to move out, I can’t wait to move out. I’m not going to say that my idea of that changed, because I still want to move out, but it’s not like that. I want to move out because I’m a teenager; teenagers are supposed to want to move out. They want to go hang out, and they think that they want to grow up, but right now, I want to stay at home. It’s a lot easier,” Mason said. *name changed for privacy purposes
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Family Matters
“Once it all happened, a few days later, she texted me saying, ‘I want to make sure you’re okay. I love you. I want to make sure you’re not getting into any trouble.’ Then she started apologizing, and for a couple weeks it was just back and forth, she wanted me to come back, and I was being stubborn: ‘I’m not going to come back. You’re going to kick me out.’ So, this is what I’m going to do, this is how I’m going to be,” Mason said. A stark contrast to her mother’s apologies, however, was her stepfather’s assurance that the teen would not be able to support herself, a fact that Mason learned all too well when one mistimed supply run home resulted in a collision with the man who had been on a trip the day she left. “He was telling me I couldn’t do it on my own, and told me that I was going to fail if I stayed gone. When he said that to me, it hurt because as a parent, they’re supposed to support you and want the best for you. He told me I was going to fail, he wasn’t hoping
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The Crimson Crier
Nov. 21, 2013
Entertainment
8
Cultural traditions influence idea of Thanksgiving Lauren Noble Reporter
F
amilies who emigrate from different countries have adopted the Thanksgiving holiday and the classic tradition of turkey and dressing. Most families have added a twist to their dinner. Senior Wilmalis Justiniano’s family, native Puerto Ricans, has pork shoulders and rice and beans instead of the traditional food. Senior Keana Swanner’s family gathers with other Filipino families. They have pancit and lumpia, fried rice, steamed rice and pizza for the kids. Sophomore Wendy Stevens has fried rice and lo mien. Junior Gissell Altamirano , whose family is Mexican, has turkey, tamales, posole, flan and other Mexican sweet tamales. They have a mixture of American and Mexican cultures. Here are a few of the recipes:
Vegetarian Stew
Recipe by: Esther Okuro
Ingredients: FryChick, carrots, onions, oil, water, paprika, season salt, leaks, tomatoes, Mrs. Dash’s original seasoning, sea salt. Artwork by: Noah Lombard
N ew a utumn s t y l es t o f l a u n t Carla Mack Reporter
T
he time has finally arrived. It is time to put away the short shorts, tank tops and sandals and instead bring out the scarves, boots and jackets. Trends come and go each year; here are some things trending this fall season.
Sweater Weather
Over-sized sweaters are another perfect piece for the fall. The largeness of the sweater seems to almost swallow you with comfort and yet still manage to be stylish. Long enough to cover you while in leggings, you can be cute and maintain decency. When in the city on the go or even in the comfort of your own home, sweaters will keep you warm and fashionable. You can find overRiding Boots are all the rage this time of year and a total sized sweaters in various retail stores, and you can even must-have. Their sleek and tall appearance and dark rich just buy a size up on a regular sweater to get the effect. colors pulls together almost any look. Comfortable and stylish, you can find these boots at stores such as Target, DSW and Uptown Boutique.
Boots fit “ride” in
Started from the bottom
The “neck”st big thing Bold and printed scarves are practically necessary this fall. A printed scarf can add that extra “oomph” to an outfit, while still maintaining the practicality of keeping you warm on these colder days. Whether infinity, knitted, or square, they go with practically any outfit. These scarves can be picked up almost anywhere, in stores such as, Charlotte Russe or American Eagle.
Leggings can be a basic building block of almost any outfit. Whether plain black or printed, they can be paired up with moat outfits. Printed can be the staple piece to an outfit or black may provide balance, either way they function well for days when you just want to be comfortable. Basic leggings are in practically every retail store and you can pick up leggings with funky colors or patterns at Forever21, Wet Seal and Uptown Boutique.
1. Fry all vegetables in a pot 2. Add water to half of the pot 3. Add frychick, turn down heat and let simmer 4. After 5 minutes add seasonings: paprika, season salt, leaks, tomatoes, sea salt and Mrs. Dash 5. Let it simmer for 10 minutes and you’re done
Arroz con Habichuelas Recipe by: Wilamlis Justiniano
Ingredients: 1 lb. raw rice, 1 can pinto beans, 1/2 cup sofrito, 1 envelope sazón seasoning, 1 tbsp. Manzanillo, olives, 1 tsp. capers, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can chicken or beef broth, 1/2 lb. bacon, salt to taste (only if needed), water. 1. In a rice caldero* cook the bacon until it is crispy. 2. Take out the cooked bacon and chop into small pieces. 3. In the same bacon fat, stir-fry the sofrito for 2 or 3 minutes. 4. Add the cooked bacon, the tomato sauce, the pinto beans, the raw rice, and the beef or chicken broth and stir well. 5. Add enough water to cover the rice, about 1 1/2 inch above rice line. 6. Let it boil on medium-high until water evaporates. 7. Cover your pan with aluminum foil (my secret) and cook over low heat for about 35-45 minutes.
Black Friday shoppers fight to the debt Filipino Lumpia Recipe by: Keanna Swanner
Nick Arnold
Quick Black Friday Facts:
Reporter
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holiday of people running, screaming, punching and arguing is upon us. The day of amazing sales—Black Friday. Problems arise when the doors open and floods of people rush through the doors, grabbing for anything that they see on sale. People argue and push for things that they do not need or even want for that matter. If people see a good enough sale they will do whatever they can to get it. “My mother, my two older brothers and I were out shopping at Walmart and we had a plan. First we were going to go sprint for the coffee makers, then we were going to run around and find any good sales,” sophomore Trey Cowan said. Some people completely throw away the spirit of Black Friday. It used to be a day for people to get what they want at a low price. It has become a day where people do whatever they can to get mass quantities of things they do not need, except for the few people that still understand the spirit of it. “We saw that the new Windows 8 laptops were on sale, so we got in line for one. This woman right in front of us grabbed about ten of them. My mother and this woman were about to get to fight when this other nice lady came up and gave us one of hers,” Cowan said. The day leads to unnecessary fighting over the items when the store still has more in stock. This frenzy results in injuries and lawsuits that do not need to happen in the first place. People on this day lose their judgment and
• The term “Black Friday” was coined in 1966 to describe crowded streets before Thanksgiving in Philadelphia. • 49.4% of Black Friday shoppers visited at least one department store last year. • 28.5% of Americans shopped online between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Check out an article about online shopping at www.crimsoncriernews.com
become animals. “I work at Target and I went to get more clothes from the back room. I was going to the little girl’s department and there was this one sparkly pink dress that these two women were fighting over. There was only one left on the rack. Although I had an armful of them, they still started punching each other for that one dress,” senior Bailey Uselton said. Black Friday is so hectic that families sometimes forget that they are with other family members. With so many people trying to get around the store quickly it causes some electrical systems, such as elevators, to stop working. “My grandma, my mom, my brother and I were out on Black Friday and we were going to every store that we could to get the best deal. At one of the stores we went to my family was leaving and they basically left me behind. At another store we were on the elevator going to another floor and it stopped three inches from the floor,” junior Lonnie Denton said.
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 pound ground pork or beef, 2 cloves garlic (crushed), ½ cup chopped onion, ½ cup minced carrots, ½ cup chopped green onions, ½ cup thinly sliced green cabbage, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 30 lumpia wrappers, 2 cups vegetable oil for frying 1. Place a wok or large skillet over high heat, and pour in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Cook pork, stirring frequently, until no pink is showing. Remove pork from pan and set aside. Drain grease from pan, leaving a thin coating. Cook garlic and onion in the same pan for 2 minutes. Stir in the cooked pork, carrots, green onions, and cabbage. Season with pepper, salt, garlic powder, and soy sauce. Remove from heat, and set aside until cool enough to handle. 2. Place three heaping tablespoons of the filling diagonally near one corner of each wrapper, leaving a 1 1/2 inch space at both ends. Fold the side along the length of the filling over the filling, tuck in both ends, and roll neatly. Keep the roll tight as you assemble. Moisten the other side of the wrapper with water to seal the edge. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap to retain moisture. 3. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat, add oil to 1/2 inch depth, and heat for 5 minutes. Slide 3 or 4 lumpia into the oil. Fry the rolls for 1 to 2 minutes, until all sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.
New gaming consoles battle for spot on Christmas lists Logan Grant Reporter
W
ith the holiday season around the corner, an item on kids’ and teens’ wish list is either the Playstation 4 or the Xbox One. Although there have been months to decide between the two, the battle rages on between Sony and Microsoft. Microsoft has designed the Xbox One to be an all-inone entertainment console
rather than just a game console, putting the “One” in the console’s name. The Xbox One now reads BluRay discs, a feature that the Playstation 3 had seven years ago. On the positive side, the console comes with a 500 gigabyte hard drive, approximately twice the memory of the Xbox 360’s biggest hard drives. The console will have split screen capabilities allowing the user to quickly jump between games,
music, movies, Skype calls, etc. Major developments have been made in the new controllers. The Xbox One controller does not have the cumbersome battery pack that was a nuisance to Xbox 360 players, and the controller has been reshaped to fit more naturally in the user’s hand. The price for the Xbox One will be $499. Not to be outdone, Sony has released their highly anticipated Playstation
4, packed with features for the user’s enjoyment. During multiplayer splitscreen, a camera set up with the console will track positions in the room using the new Playstation Camera. If you move, your section of the screen moves with you. In contrast to Microsoft’s policies regarding Xbox Live Gold, Sony provides use of features such as Netflix without any extra cost.
Free is better than paying $50 per year. Playstation 4 can also link with any smart phone to give a second-screen experience. This allows you to use your phone to see things such as in game inventory, download games to your console and watch other gamers’ gameplay. The new Dualshock 4 controllers that come with the Playstation 4 have all new useful bells and whistles, such as a touch pad, built
in speaker, headset jack and the earlier mentioned Playstation Camera. The Playstation 4 will have a price of $399, $100 less than the cost of the Xbox One. The Playstation 4 seems to be the better buy. Both consoles have new features. Between the console costing $100 less and saving $50 a year from memberships, Playstation 4 is better on the wallet than the Xbox One.
SWEET& POETRY 6 Lifestyles
The Crimson Crier
Principal’s life changed verse by verse Erin Stender
Before he finished his schooling, Sims lost his focus and began to question his future. When attending college, Sims joined a fraternity s of this year, the new administrators have made a clear and traveled all over the world. Gradually, his grades began to slip. effort to make the school a better environment for students At his lowest point, he was sitting in the athletics department at his and staff. One such administrator is assistant principal Chris Sims; college, Alabama A&M, when he noticed a poem. The poem ‘Don’t there is never a day when Sims does not have a smile on his face Quit’ by an unknown author, spoke to Sims in a way he couldn’t explain and motivated and a high-five for the him to never quit. nearest student. “’When people As an assistant pull you down, as administrator, Sims’ they often will, When work includes evaluating the battle you’ll fight, the math teachers, is all up here, When making sure all teachers the funds are low and have proper textbooks the debts are high, and overseeing student When you’re laughing, parking and taking care although you’d rather of standardized testing. cry, When you discover Of all aspects of his job, yourself, slowing down Sims is resolute in the a bit, Stop, take a deep fact that the highlight of breath, but don’t you his work is helping the quit.’ students. Just impacting When I was at my and effecting student lowest point, this lives in a positive way is poem was almost enough reward for him. like it was meant for “It’s just interacting me. I said ‘You know with the student’s every what? I think this is day. For me, everything is ordained by some student centered. What higher being.’ and I keeps me going is seeing the smile on the faces of PART OF THE CROWD. Assistant principal Chris Sims takes a part in student lives and their fun at school, took it, memorized it our students,” Sims said. including participating in the football pep rallies. Sims came to the school from Johnson High School and whenever I’m at where he was the girls’ basketball coach. Photo by Sarah Jarnigan a point where I’m kind Sims’s road to becoming an administrator was one filled with difficulties. Since of low, it always stands out to me because it just motivated me to he was young, Sims has seen children being treated differently due keep going,” Sims said. Hoping to spread his message with others, Sims recently entered to their backgrounds. With six other siblings and a single mother, Sims himself understands the struggle some students have when a classroom to share his story about not giving up. The students it comes to facing difficulties during youth. Because of this, Sims in Mrs. McMickin’s second block senior grade English class were has aimed to help kids from all backgrounds become successful and treated to Sims’ story and a recitation of the poem that turned his life around for the better. Senior Brandon Hicks believes that after hopes to make difference in their lives. “My mom wasn’t what you’d call privileged, and so, I saw some his class heard Sims’s story, many in his class were feeling better difference in the way students were being treated and I wanted to about their futures. “A lot of students are in high school and they’re all stressed out one day make a difference in the lives of students and make sure and it just reminds them that if they take a moment to relax and that students are treated equally no matter what background they keep pushing through they can make it through whatever,” Hicks come from,” Sims said. As an administrator, Sims sees the daily struggle of the students said. Hicks recall how motivating Sims’ story was to him and his who do not go home to an ‘I love you’ or a ‘How was your day’. fellow classmates. He felt as if Sims had told students that it was These students are the ones he most hopes to help, wanting them to always know they have someone to talk to and someone that okay to be at a low point because the only place to go from there is up. Knowing that Sims had struggled in school and overcome cares about how their day is going, or how they are feeling. “For me growing up, I wish I had someone who would greet me his academic difficulties to fulfill his dreams helped Hicks and his every day and had something positive to say. That’s my attitude classmate realize that if they never give up,they can do whatever within the walls of Sparkman. I want to be the one that’s always they put their minds to. “It was really inspiring to see that he goes through the same saying ‘What’s up?’ ‘How you doing?’ and feel like are students have thing everyone else goes through” Hicks said. “I think we were all someone that they can come and talk to, regardless of their issue,” inspired by what he had to say and his poem.” Sims said. Reporter
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Nov. 21, 2013
Don’t Quit
a poem by anonymous
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, When funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don’t you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about, When he might have won if he’d stuck it out. Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow You may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than It seems to a faint and faltering man; Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor’s cup, And he learned too late, when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are It may be near when it seems afar; So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.
Want to learn more about Vice Principal Sims? Check out a day in his life at crimsoncriernews. com!
Female promoted to coveted JROTC position Savannah Bullard Reporter
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women’s empowerment movement is rising up in the military program. For the first time in the history of the school’s JROTC program, a female cadet has been promoted to guide on barrier. Freshman Alexis Endres holds the responsibility of carrying a flag at the front of her company in parades. This is a momentous event because she is the first female, notably a freshman, to do so. “[My superiors] saw how good I was at marching and drilling. They asked if I wanted to be trained for guide on and I accepted. Since then they’ve trained me to where I am now, and I marched as a guide on barrier for the first time in the Veterans Day parade,” Endres said. For a young lady such as Endres to take the position— usually given to a male—breaks untouched barriers surrounding gender roles in the military.
Sergeant Gwen Spears describes ensures that all his male cadets a leadership position than you Endres’s new role in JROTC as go through their female leaders will males,” Jones said. not just a step forward in favor for guidance and assistance, Endres’s achievement comes of women, but a “very brave touching anywhere from as no surprise to Jones, and triumph.” personal matters to military- there is no question that Jones “Like cord house phones to based advice. is proud of what a woman in his wireless cell phones, times do “The majority of the leaders company has accomplished. change. Where people once saw in this battalion are females. We “Our women are all us as being in attentive and aggressive. the kitchen, They get things done and they found they make it happen. out that we That is just the way it are brilliant has always been. Endres and have no is a very dynamic young limitations we female, and I can see were thought that she will be one of to have. those women who bring [Endres] is so much to our program leading the in the four years she is way for other here,” Jones said. f e m a l e s Endres, who has to follow been in JROTC for behind her roughly three months, and venture comes from a military out to higher family, and intends COUNTRY TOO. Freshman Alexis Endres salutes the flag she is now roles,” Spears HER to pursue a career in privileged to carry. Endres was promoted to this position over male said. counterparts during the fall semester. Photo by Sarah Jarnigan the Army and military Female journalism. This feat she authorities in the JROTC are the strongest battalion in has reached is proof that she is program are not uncommon. the state of Alabama, and you a diligent worker when it comes First Sergeant Walter Jones will find more young women in to JROTC.
“To do well in JROTC, confidence is the key. You have to know how to get along with others and have good memorization skills. I am very glad that my superiors saw me as a good decision for guide on, and I am happy to be the first female to do it at this school. I plan to work hard and I hope to reach greater heights as I get better,” Endres said. As a student, Endres has high potential in the JROTC program, according to her elders. Her performance in drills and events define her as a conscientious, well-rounded cadet. “I think her male counterparts will look on her and see that she’s breaking old mind sets,” Spears said. “When we went out to our first parade [on Veterans’ Day], I believe all these other cadets from other schools had their mindsets broken of the norm. We are now seeing that we can have a strong young female cadet in a strong young male cadet’s position, and I am very proud of that.”
9 Sports
The Crimson Crier
Nov. 21, 2013
Star senior inks commitment to Kentucky Daniel Judge Reporter
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arents always say to dream big. For senior Alexis Jennings, the dream turned into reality when she committed to play division one basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats last week. Jennings, a coveted prospect for many teams around the country, thought long and hard about her decision. In the end, the Wildcats were the team for her, because their system was much like the one run under head coach Patrick Delay. “It was not an easy decision, it came down to Kentucky and two other SEC schools but I feel great about it because I think the transition will be really good for me because we run the same transition as they do,” Jennings said. Everyone who has known and watched Jennings perform over the years; know how hard she has worked for this and how much she deserves it. There may not be anyone happier for her than her mother, Tracey McCall, a former college basketball player herself. “It is an awesome honor and a privilege and I am super proud of her for putting in such hard work. Most everyone in my family
have been student athletes so we all support her, and we are just thrilled, you know, go big blue,” McCall said. Another one of her biggest supporters and one who arguably has pushed her harder than anyone else in the past few years is Delay. He knows her basketball game from top to bottom, and recognizes all her hard work over the years. “I would like to say it was all me that got her that scholarship at Kentucky, but I had very little to do with it, I just tried to get out of her way and let her do what she needs to do. It is a great honor for her to be able to commit to such a school like Kentucky, a perennial top ten team, but it just goes back to how hard she works all the time. There is athletic and natural ability there but there is a lot of hard work that goes into that too,” Delay said. Jennings is bringing numerous talents with her to the Lady Wildcats; competitive spirit, willingness to succeed, good post play, a deadly three point shot and many other abilities that make a successful division one player. “The same thing she brings to us, she will bring to them. They already told
Cruising to Kentucky Senior Alexis Jennings signs her commitment to the University of Kentucky. Kentucky is a basketball powerhouse with both their men and women’s basketball teams ranking in the top 10 in Division I. Jennings was the Huntsville Times girls basketball player of the year last season. Photo by Daniel Judge
me that they are going to use her at the front of the press because of her long arms and the way she runs the floor. They will use her a lot like we did,” Delay said. Jennings was lucky enough to be able to attend Big Blue Madness, the first public practice for the team, one of the biggest basketball events of the year in Kentucky. This year, the University of Kentucky spent over $400,000 on the stages, lights, to make Rupp Arena a great place to be for fans and players. “I got to watch both the girls and boys play. It was basically a day to
show Big Blue Nation what was in store for them this season,” Jennings said. Jennings did not earn the scholarship herself, attributing a lot of her success to her teammates. They could not be more ecstatic for her, seeing their life long friend take the next step to stardom. “I am so happy for her, she finally decided where she wanted to go, and Kentucky is a great state, especially for basketball. College wise they love their players over there, I know she is going to have a great time and do big things,” senior Morgan Caselberry said.
Other Senators Playing Division I Basketball
Sharin Rivers University of Alabama
Adrienne Webb Louisiana State University
Devin Hankins Lincoln Memorial University
Boys’ JV basketball to contend Sarah Jarnagin Reporter
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BASKETBALL BUDDIES. Elementary student Ethan Cuzzort and sophomore Erik Daneri watch the varsity boys warm-up before the Nov. 8 game against James Clemons. Cuzzort and Daneri will partner up to manage the team this season. Photo by Erin Coggins
Manager serves as mentor this basketball season Victoria Lewis Reporter
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than Cuzzort, a Legacy Elementary School student, will join returning basketball manager sophomore Erik Daneri in the 2013-2014 basketball season. Cuzzort, coach Jamie Coggins’s nephew, thought of the idea of being ball boy for the team at the end of last season. “He asked his mom several times to ask uncle Jamie about being ball boy. Or course, his uncle said yes,” Coggins’s wife, Erin Coggins said. Cuzzort who plays community basketball is looking forward to a great time with the team. It will be a great learning experience for him. Cuzzort
will receive his own jogging suit to match the team, the best part of the deal accorinng to Cuzzort. Cuzzort’s job is to chase down the balls during warm-ups. “My favorite part about basketball is dribbling the ball. I think this job will help me learn more about basketball,” Cuzzort said. Daneri is returning as manager and he could not be more excited. Daneri’s job this year will be much like last year; giving the players water, traveling with the team and helping cheer them on. This will be the first year Daneri and Cuzzort have worked together. “This is his first year. I think Ethan will like this team. We are the best,” Daneri said
According to Daneri, Coggins sometimes yells at the team, but only to motivate them to do their best. Daneri has his own methods for pushing the team to improve. “Sometimes I yell to motivate the team. I give them words of encouragement when they are not doing well,” Daneri said. Daneri has lots of faith in the team and looks forward to being at every game with them. “Being manager is one of the best things I’ve ever done, which is probably why I wanted to return as manager. This year I’m looking forward to winning all the championships,” Daneri said.
hile the spotlight shines brightly on the varsity basketball team after their appearance in the state championship game this past season, the junior varsity team continues to persevere and maintain the record of excellency held by the varsity team. This season, the junior varsity team will play an up-tempo fast break style that focuses on pressure defense. The players worked hard during the off-season to make themselves better players and bring something to the table that the rest of the team can feed off. “I’m playing hard every day, giving everything that it takes and try to encourage my teammates
to play harder and give it everything we’ve got,” sophomore Willie Eutsey said. On the schedule this year, they play almost every team in Huntsville, Madison County and Decatur. “Every opponent will be tough. We have to be ready each and every game,” coach David Hughes said. As is the norm with every sports team, they have their own specific set of strengths and weaknesses that they focus on to become a better team. “Our strength is that we will be physically and mentally tougher than our opponent and that we have a deep bench. I am confident that all of the guys will go in to the game at the right time
and be successful. Our main weakness is that we will not be as big as our opponents. Our pressure defense will need to create turnovers so we can shoot more layups,” Hughes said. Both the coaches and the players look forward to the season with optimism and determination. They all have the same goal in mind: to go undefeated. “I’m not worried about wins and losses. I want each guy to be a better player and a better person by the end of the season. I will be happy if every guy learns how to handle adversity and success in a way that will help them be successful in the future. I am the same kind of coach every year. I demand championship effort. I love this team,” Hughes said.
10 In-depth
The Crimson Crier
Nov. 21, 2013
Extreme haircut transforms life of student
chances are it came from this temple. of Extending further into the religious realm, what in Orthodox Jewish I d tradition, a woman’s e k loo o Beryl Kessio ls hair has always been a a like. It Opinion Editor d e sacred thing. A small group of al reve s s Orthodox Jews interpret the rifene the y it m convention in a literal sense. Married r o nf of co ure. Hasidic Jewish women conform to Jewish assumptions cult s e in hair t a r Law concerning modesty, tzeniut, by covering their about one’s lust Hair il social, hair as to not draw attention from men. While some character ts of and aspec choose to interpret the law by wearing a veil or hat are based al is d n cultur a over their hair, some Hasidic women, once married, , us life ntifier. on outward shave their heads and are destined to wear religio e nic id s appearances. h e t c e n ia wigs for the rest of their lives. an var These stereotypes are des to der and The history of the Hasidic shaving It allu n ingrown. People associate ge alth, eing b m custom goes back to feudal times. in he o r certain hairstyles with specific side f cy, age. A ical exigen Proper Jewish women shaved their hair personality traits. A small facet of g of a biolo reflection to diminish their beauty in order to avoid person is thus tied to how society a entity id it is rapacious landlords who could, by law, n perceives them. The freedom one has ow one’s one’s s m r claim a woman’s virginity before her to express oneself can be hindered eaffi and r ns. groom did. tic io by fear of negative perceptions, but n artis a affiliat s a s n t a Then there is black hair, a subject in reality, differences in style should not Hair ac at people c es. th lv e that has inspired documentaries and s m m iu be anything to split hairs over. e med ress th tivity a p e x r e c countless books. o e ing use t cultur eflect r ir a h h g In the 1960s, a tumultuous time in , m Cultural stuffs Thou ualism formis n id o iv c d h American history, cultural awakening No bad hair days to worry and in e wit n rvasiv a e p . among blacks began. More than just a s is e is about here. In India, Hindus p hair n ereoty t f io s o it d d a n r a t take a pilgrimage to Tirumala hairstyle for discothèque dancers, afros were world istory, to h e f o The iv h h t e a Venkateswara Temple, a a political statement. The natural hairstyle was the be ity and ining p w m t r o r e s t F r in y. ive grandiose setting to lay their a sign of solidarity, accepting one’s natural self lasé eativit nse d uch b s and cr , the imme s e e s s n humble offerings before an and reclaiming one’s African roots. An afro as b one, o comp he bo n t g e t in t l signified the rejection of subservience to v a ea incarnation of Vishnu. A fourth fe f y th tell. is a w o histor s t o u y r f whites. sto t o of the temple’s 50,000 daily I ps lling aspec esting r e t m in Nowadays, the vast variety of n s fa my visitors shave their heads and clu with a otype ore you: e r r e t d hairstyles within the black community is S f hai even beards as an offering to an ining e standing be adlocks, m to ers a g x n E n immeasurable, reflecting the diversity e r i r o d na the Hindu god. Daily, one ton uld buzz the third n with ree me a e o h h ic T t r h e of the black community itself. s m nd of hair is collected. It is later ican A ullet a k. r f of irring m e A a n h a h This has only scratched the surface w t l ed auctioned off to international er wit reen Moha wh nd ou m bas anoth e g h d t of hair culture. As time progresses, sou ers , my s one e e y d buyers. This temple alone is dg ld p e with a re to ju , what wou e clip nd m was ing, w the ever-growing story of hair u ir the top supplier of human hair i If yo It rrify I eir ha h t s beh led. ? n e only evolves further. e o in the international a ing st t tions b e that the solely p m u exh e mo g th s re a ssum hair market. If you your p tin th you a cks is g lo i ld d of ibera ne. u a b o e r o W are wearing l ns t e“ the d do with e liste the a wig or yet ever id th ade, b n y a a m m h e I d h gr ch arian, an wit ybe w e a v e , hav hen Rastaf ht t su he m a t g M s i I ? W n e ist e? tha ave narch i regga a aring n w e a h ” w p awk no uld llet h o u k o e m h M I c e c did Cyrusink th wo fluen s le you th ly Ray il B a litt cision y in mate is e v ss fellow ck. a d hea y cla redne e l e u b q i s e h m ss only po ered omm suc ow . C e , a h m n pp o on eived s of , pe hrow y s t s i e c m i per nquir agnos were to did h I i c , d y r er ghte n mu “Wh flat c n h ear , o u t i d ca la ecti w h h ske . ir wit y d irls a hair?” ant to ience m ff r G w e r p to in u y. ot ma t yo did n ng ex t I cu .” s i i d cu hey tha girl rat you es. T y libe alled as a ught p e a c voi ut m re ap ed m hair t ce o fi e in ab y w enti my nt, s e ff d i e h e o T fid hid at “ ng wh Cutti e con g to d b in owe to h oth me ad n It s true h . I my : ind beh who were me nds ple frie peo the h o w ed car t no
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Would you ever cut off your hair? No? Yes? 46 4 50 students polled.
The Crimson Crier
Nov. 21, 2013
In-depth 11
If you like it you should put some ringlets in it Bria Calhoun Web Editor
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hat do Beyoncé, Dolly Parton, Jessica Simpson, Tyra Banks, Gary Dobbs, Nicki Minaj, Marv Albert, Ted Danson, Andre Agassi, Victoria Beckham, Rihanna, Brittney Spears and about 60 percent of African American women have in common? They all wear hair weaves, wigs and even toupees. Even the best known queen of ancient Egypt wore weaves and wigs. Weaves and wigs started in ancient Egypt. Weave- wearing was considered a form of self expression. Wealthy Egyptians would shave their heads and wear elaborate wigs and weaves made out of their own human hair. The Egyptian men wore more flamboyant wig styles than the women. Hair extensions were also used during the Romantic and midVictorian eras. In those days weave was considered a fashion and status symbol. Hair has evolved. Hair is now looked at as a part of who you are. It may not be right, but it is the way of society now. People of all races use hair extensions,
the correct term to use instead of weave. Weaves are so controversial that a Pastor for Waco, Texas has come out of the church to speak on his thoughts about weave. According to America Preachers Online, Pastor A.J. Aamir says wearing weaves creates a false image and that women who wear them often have low self-esteem and are trying to be something they are not. That sound like a bunch of garbage to me. Just like the tresses that are grown from a person’s head are their hair, so is the weave that is bought online or in a store. Weave is a form of self expression, it is mostly used to add fullness to your hair, to have luxurious tresses, to grow your hair (Yes, certain weave installations grow your hair) or to just reduce the stress that your hair undergoes form heat, chemical, and weather damage. Being real does not necessarily mean being “natural’ or wearing your natural hair. Being real comes from within, not what is put on your head. And my question is this; where are his priorities? Why he is more worried about what is on his congregations head than trying to give a good message? Weaves are not bad at all. When installed correctly and maintained in good shape, weave can become one of the
best decisions. Braids and sewins are the best route if growing hair is the main concern. When just wanting a quick cute style for a while, try tracks, also known as pieces, or maybe even a quick weave or a pronto. But quick weave involves a lot of glue, and to be honest glue is the hardest thing to get out of a person’s hair. Weaves became very popular in the 60s and 70s thanks to chemical relaxers and extensions. Weave is versatile. It comes in any color, any style and any type of hair that could possibly be thought of. You can get 100 percent Human Hair which is kind of expensive but it is good hair; when you hear your friend say I got Brazilian, Mongolian, Peruvian, Russian, Malaysian etc. that means she has some good hair and is going to last a long time. Most of the time you can only get those types of hair online. Now we get to the beauty supply store hair. There is Milky Way, Bobbi Boss, Pink Diamond (my personal favorite beauty supply brand), Outré, etc. they are cheaper and they are pretty good, but not as good as the ones available online. Hair Extensions, Weave, Phony Ponies, Toupees, Wigs, Horse hair it is all the same. Weave is not creating a false image; it is just painting a new image and giving a new look.
Student comes to terms with disease, leads happy life through acceptance
In the 20s, the trend was to have really short hair. The blunt black bob was a hit, especially among the young flapper girls. ICONS: Louise Brooks Pola Negri Gloria Swanson In the 30s femininity came back into hairstyles. The hair was longer and usually not over shoulder-length. Hats were also a big trend. ICONS: Ginger Rogers Marlene Dietrich Mae West In the 40s, the trend of longer hair kept going, some women even had hair past their shoulders. Most women wore snoods or fashionable hairnets. ICONS: Judy Garland Bette Davis Rita Hayworth In the 50s, straight hair was a no-no. Nearly all women curled their hair. Ponytails were finished off with a cute ribbon, especially for teens. ICONS: Marilyn Monroe Audrey Hepburn Elizabeth Taylor In the 60s, trends included such things as beehives, pixie cuts and long tousled waves.
April Oberman
Entertainment Editor
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every day. Senior Jalon Baker has dealt with discrimination because of Alopecia beginning in the second grade. Baker has the second most extreme variation of Alopecia, called Alopecia areata totalis, which causes total loss of hair on the scalp. He had resorted to hiding his secret far from the surface. If having a disease was not already devastating enough, Baker had to cope with being the first in his family to be diagnosed with
“Jalon has always t is the day been a free a girl dreams spirit. One way of, Prom day. The I noticed this was alarm clock sounds that he coped with to get ready for the big people making up day. The girl hits it with lies about him and his aggression, and scrapes disease. He laughed and herself out of bed. She joked around to cover looks ahead to the perfect up how I believe he really blue ball gown she will wear felt,” senior Bria Calhoun for the night hanging on the said. door. With heavy footsteps, His insecurities were she trudges into the bathroom sewn on his and immediately coverings. Seeing closes her eyes. his reflection was Already, she knows an action he had to the consequences face every morning of opening them. getting ready for Facing the mirror, school. Until one she apprehensively day, he had had opens her eyes. As enough. she rubs her head, “During the it reminds her of summer one year, what is missing that I don’t know why, should be present. but I just felt like I Tears rushing down needed to take it her face, she treads off. I felt that it was to the dresser and WHATTA SHINER. Life for Jalon Baker is easier as he faced his disease the right time,” chooses a wig for and took it in stride to become a happier person. Photo by Daniel Baker said. Judge. the special night. A new Jalon How about the Baker walked the other side of the spectrum? a hair loss disease and looking halls of school. A small quantity A massive amount of a man’s different from his classmates. of Baker’s confidence began confidence comes from his “It [Alopecia] hit me pretty to shine after shedding his masculinity. Cartoon characters bad when I was a kid. I used to head coverings. Baker knew such as The Mario Brothers, wear a du rag (A sheer, sheen he did not own the confidence Captain Caveman and Papa Smurf fitted cloth that covers the he desired to have. By the define their masculinity with head) and a hat to school and eleventh grade, Baker learned their facial hair. When a guy’s some kids would take them to stand with his head held friends decide to participate in off of my head. They started high. No Shave November, he has to making their own assumptions “I started to change my realize he cannot because he is of me having cancer, and they attitude and my demeanor unable to grow hair. obviously didn’t know the full about it [Alopecia] by how I These are situations that truth,” Baker said. dressed in certain situations. people who have the disease Baker suffered through years Now everyone is starting to get in which the immune system of continuous animosity. Luckily, a different look of me, and it’s a mistakenly attacks hair follicles, not all of Baker’s classmates good look too,” Baker said. better known as Alopecia, face were on the opposing side.
ICONS: Twiggy Bridget Bardot Mia Farrow
In the 70s, long hair with a center part was the trend. Big wavey hair was also popular as was lots of hairspray and a blow dryer. ICONS: Farrah Fawcett Debbie Harry Jane Fonda The keyword for 80s hair was BIG. Crimping irons were used excessively and there was a lot of backcombing going on, for females as well as males. ICONS: Madonna Cyndi Lauper George Micheal The decade of supermodels, sexy hair and of course the ‘Rachel’. ICONS: Jennifer Aniston Princess Diana Kate Moss
The 2000s don’t really have a distinct style. It’s more of a mixture of everything we’ve seen throughout the years. Recently the ombre look and pastel colored hair has been popular. ICONS: Drew Barrymore Rihanna Cheryl Cole
infograph information from visual.ly
Sports 12
The Crimson Crier
Nov. 21, 2013
Hunting provides calm environment for students McKenzie Ashmore Reporter
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ll through the year there are different seasons of hunting, such as deer, turkey and rabbit. When September rolls around, a new season of deer hunting opens, when last year’s slate is wiped clean. Not only do hunters start their records over but they also get the chance to stay safe while relaxing in the quiet woods. Junior Blake Fitch and sophomores Brittany Rowe and Andrew Billions have experienced the joy of killing their first deer. They started hunting because their fathers took them along on a hunting trip. The first time they felt that happiness and adrenaline rush when a deer stepped their way got them hooked. “My dad took me hunting my first time when I was probably about seven or eight, and it was pretty awesome so I’ve just kept going ever since then,” Fitch said. While hunters are sitting and waiting for a deer to walk out, they have all the free time in the world. As long as they are quiet, hunters can do almost anything they want, but the second they either move too fast or become too loud the chances of them killing anything are greatly reduced. “It’s like a relief of stress; get a bunch of weight off your shoulders and it’s nice and quiet,” Fitch said. Hunters will try their hardest to hunt as much as they can to get the deer of their dreams. When going hunting, at first participants will have to sit for hours before ever seeing a deer. Patience is a vital part of this sport and without it makes hunting impossible. Hunters are only allowed to hunt during daylight hours; the reason is along the lines of safety. Hunting in the dark could put the hunter and others in danger. “It’s a stress reliever being out in the woods alone and the quiet just helps you think and the adrenaline rush you get when you see a deer walk onto the field,” Rowe said. “For three years, every deer season I spend every single weekend out hunting. Friday I spend about two hours out hunting, then ten hours Saturdays and Sundays.” Along with the relief of stress comes the satisfaction of killing one’s own food. When a deer is slain it can give a large range of food for the winter. The meat gained from the deer is stored in a freezer like food that a chipmunk
Deer Season: Bow and Spear: Oct. 15 - Jan. 31 Rifle: Nov. 23 - Jan. 31 Muzzle Loader: Nov. 18-22 Dogs: Nov. 23- Jan.
Turkey Season: Fall season: Nov. 23-30 Spring season: March 15 - April 30 DEER KILL. Sophomore Andrew Billions shows off his recent kill from a local hunting trip. Hunting is a popular sport for students who enjoy the outdoors and takes much practice. Photo courtesy of Andrew Billions
stores to ensure meals throughout the winter. “When I kill my first deer of the season, the taste of deer jerky reminds me of my childhood when I first tried it,” Billions said. Hunting is a dangerous sport, but with the help of safety regulations, hunters are kept safe. In these times their instincts kick in or they run away like a screaming little girl. A large danger of hunting is accidentally setting your gun off and getting stuck in the woods. When hunting, always check your stand to see if all bolts are correctly fixed. If given the choice Billions said that to improve the safety of hunting he would like to make stand ladders safer by applying more straps to ensure safety in the hunter. “I was in the tree stand and one of the bolts came out of the stand, but it didn’t fall but it was scary because it would rock and it was very dangerous,” Billions said.
Dove Season: Sunrise to Sunset Sep. 8 - Oct. 8: All day shooting Oct. 19- Nov. 2: All day shooting Dec. 7-31: Illustrations by: Kasey Stender
Team loses 9 seniors, gains The Tweet Beat freshman transfer point guard How do you feel Johnson joins old teammates on court Tanner Burns Reporter
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ose eight seniors and a star junior, add a freshman. That is the solution for the varsity boys’ basketball team. That freshman is 6’4” Jamal Johnson. Johnson, a point-guard, will contribute to the team by playing through the flow of the offense, scoring when needed and getting the ball into other playmakers’ hands. Johnson loves to compete at the highest level and enjoys the chance to learn from older players. “This school intensity level is higher and it pushes us to compete better; also work harder and make each other better everyday,” Johnson said. Johnson transferred to Sparkman this year after moving from Texas. He had previously played for Monrovia Middle School where he played with current team members. “Coming from Texas I played at Kingview High School, and the intensity here at Sparkman is unmatched. These guys here always push each other to do their best and get better every day. I am excited to see what this team can do,” Johnson said. Senior Nick Zupanich
has been playing with him since middle school in recreational leagues and knows he will shine. “I have played with Jamal and against him and I know he will thrive at the varsity level, and later; after he grows and gets stronger the collegiate level,” Zupanich said. Johnson comes from a lineage of basketball. His father, Buck, played collegiately and professionally, playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 1983-86 and winning a title. Johnson hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps by playing at the collegiate level and with more hard work professional. “Every day I try to compete to my best ability and try to get better each day and it is a challenge just to try to get better,” Johnson said. With Johnson, the team hopes to repeat last year by making it to the state championship. The team knows they have to play in unison and not be selfish. “For the little time I have coached him, he has shown me that he uses the whole court and is not afraid to pass the ball. Another plus is that he can score when needed, for how young he is he has great vision of the floor,” coach Jamie Coggins said. In the home opener against James Clemens,
about the start of basketball season?
Basketball is my stress reliever @ce_sparkman
Excellent start to @_ jamaljohnson HS basketball career leading Sparkman with 15 points and victory over James Clemens @BirminghamStorm
Way to go Sparkman basketball for bringing home the first win of the season! #SenatorNation FRESHMAN FEVER. Freshman Jamal Johnson shakes the hand of senior BJ Johnson as the line-up is called at the James Clemons game. Johnson returned to his roots in the Harvest community a year of playing basketball elsewhere. Photo by Erin Coggins
Johnson scored 15 points. “For the first time out, Jamal played good. He got into foul trouble and had to sit out which hurt his rhythm somewhat,” Coggins said. Coggins looks to Johnson to be a leader on the court and to get the ball to his teammates. “In the first game, Jamal passed the ball well and scored at the rim well,” Coggins said. Johnson’s teammate are pleased with his play.
Senior Sean Berry, who scored 11 points in the opening game, feels the two of them can dominant the court. “It’s very exciting to play with Jamal again. I’ve known him for a long time. He’s a great player and a pleasure to be around. We are going to be fine,” Berry said. The next boys’ game will be against Blackmon High School tonight The game begins at 7:30 p.m.
Sparkman Girls demolish James Clemens 70-24! Awesome start Senators! @Sparkman PTO
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