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rimson C Crier

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

The

Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014 Issue III

WWII Veteran Recounts War McMurran

familiar

is

face

a

Army Col. Jim Bowie can still

at

recall his first day at war as if it

school where

were only yesterday.

he used to visit annually

“The first thing that struck

to

me about going to war for the

speak to the

first time was the might and

Erin Coggins’

what we can actually bring to

Great

Wars

bear. It’s not until you actually

c l a s s e s.

see the United States mobilize

His

in a major way that it really

photo

graces

the

impresses you,” Bowie said

social studies hall

Erin Stender & McKenzie Ashmore In-depth Editor & Opinion Editor

B

newly

ullets whiz by.

Hall

Mortars explode.

With

A wail rises from

“I remember the

In a sit

cold weather [most],”

down conversation

World War II veteran Harold

w

McMurran said.

i

t

h

As a private in Army, been

one of thousands of soldiers facing the tyrannical forces in Europe in 1944. McMurran joined the Army after asking the drafting

poisoned with remember

cyanide. a

I

German

office how long until he would

POW making our mashed

be shipped out. The answer was

potatoes,” McMurran said. “I

not long.

couldn’t get word out to my

“You’re full of adrenaline.

mother back home that I was

You don’t know [if you’ll

in the hospital so she thought I

survive]. You’re nervous. [After

was missing for a few weeks.”

all that],coming home was

McMurran

recalls

his

the best feeling in the world,”

encounter with a Nazi SS officer

McMurran said.

that his comrades captured.

McMurran, a part of Gen.

The gleaming SS patch drew

George Patton’s Third Army,

McMurran’s attention and he

saw action on Utah Beach in

wanted it as a keepsake.

June 1944. He was poisoned by

“He didn’t want to give it to

a German prisoner of war and

me. So, I told him he would sit

reported missing to his mother

down and cut it off or you will

back home.

be laying on the ground and

“I got very sick and went to

I’ll have it,” McMurran said.

the infirmary. Doctors said I had

“He cut it off and gave it to

Veterans Day: a history

Infographics and illustrations by Beryl Kessio

to adapt. In war, everything is

Heroes.

uncertain — everything but training.

McMurran, one will be told about the horrors of boot camp where real bullets were shot, the devastation

that

comes

with seeing friends killed and seasickness that many soldiers faced on the trip to and from Europe. He does not have kind words to say about the legendary Patton, just that the General sacrificed lives for his own glory.

“I

remember

Patton

saying that he would get something done if the Army would give him a big truck to send all the dogtags back in,” McMurran said.

“You’re

had to learn a lot of things that,

of Imax D-Day and the

even in training we had never

local Veterans Day parade,

experienced,” Bowie said.” You

McMurran is a community

sort of get the knot in the pit

hero.

of your stomach-- hey this is

“Veterans Day is the one day

it. I think a lot of us ended

we can be seen. I’ve marched

up writing that last little letter

in the parade for the last 20

home to your wife just incase

years,” McMurran said.

something were to happen.”

Earlier this year, McMurran

For veterans, Nov. 11 is more

was awarded the highest

than a day off. It is a day to recall

medal that can be given to

their comrades in arms, both

a foreigner for the Battle

those who made it home and

of France. To McMurran,

those who were left behind.

the

medal

validated

his

“I’m

@TheCrimsonCrier The Crimson Crier

crimsoncriernews.com

certainly

thankful

unwavering belief that the

that we have so many that

experience has forged him

Americans elect come into our

into a more patriotic man. He

voluntary service amazes me.

has no regrets.

It’s [Veteran’s Day] a time for

“What I want from [youth today]

is

remembrance.

Without veterans, we wouldn’t

me to be extremely thankful for those individuals making that decision,” Bowie said.

have what we have today,” McMurran said.

WITH HONORS. Harold McMurran poses with the medal awaded to him by the French for his work liberating the country on D-Day. Photo by Erin Stender

Even today, soldiers feel the weight of war long after coming home.

A

veteran

of

both

Operation Desert Storm and Iraqi freedom,

1954

Congress approves the establishment of a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

Nov. 11 is chosen for the date of the ceremony

1919

not

premiere

1921

President Wilson proclaims the first Armistice Day

unprepared,

really sure what to expect. You

This is hell. This is

McMurran was

formed

and

Center’s

me.”

was

Rocket

medic to the right. war.

war

something to which he needed

speaking

Space

Bowie,

the

appearances at the

the left. The cry for a

the

of

in

For

Congress directs the President to issue an annual proclamation calling on the observance of Armistice Day

1926

A Look Inside

President Eisenhower changes the name of the legal holiday from Armistice Day to Veteran’s Day

Information courtesy of: http://www.history.army.mil/html/reference/holidays/vetsday/vetshist.html

News pgs. 2-4, 16 Opinion pgs. 5-6 Lifestyles pgs. 7-9 Sports pgs. 11-13 In-Depth pgs. 14-15 A&E pg. 10

2

News

Nov. 20, 2014

The Crimson Crier

Blast from the past

QA &

Cheerleading coach Lisa Aderholt and English teacher Debbie McMickin share their experiences from high school REACHING OUT TO THOSE IN NEED. Tables line the walls of the lunchroom, filled with clothes and shoes for anyone who is unable to provide for themselves. If any students need extra clothing, feel free to take whatever is useful and necessary. Photo by Ian Keel

Cafeteria extends spirit of giving back

Carla Mack

Photo Editor

Inspired by a student’s gesture of appreciation, Cafeteria Manager Tammy Hudson decided to take a stand for something close to her heart and help students in need.

“I was inspired by a student here at Sparkman, Aiesha Desarme. She touched me in a way that inspired me and made me want to do something for other people who had recently experienced disasters in their life,” Hudson said.

Desarme’s family recently lost their home to a fire. Hudson began accepting donations from the student body on her behalf to help her family get back on their feet. In light of this situation, Hudson did not want this to be a one-time thing for Desarme, but for anyone recently affected by tragedy in their lives.

“Mrs. Hudson’s efforts touched me; she represented the act of giving. She’s making a conscientious effort to help unify the school as well and I think her efforts can affect many lives within this school, with help from students and the community,” Desarme said.

Hudson’s main concern is the lack of contributions coming in. She is worried that there may not be enough acknowledgment among the

student body that the donations are going on, or that the students just are not coming together enough to help one another.

“I really feel like the students here lack a close connection to one another as a whole. They could be closer as a student body, as well as we could be closer as a faculty,” Hudson said.

Another concern of Hudson’s is the privacy for those wanting to come and get items as well as drop items off.

At the moment, those who want to bring in donations have to take them to her, but she wants a more private location where students can feel comfortable getting items.

“Mrs. [Beverly] Massa suggested I find a better drop-off and pick-up location for the items, like a room specified for this purpose. At the ninth grade school, after the tornado happened, they had a room full of clothes,” Hudson said.

Hudson knows that not every student can participate in donating items, but she believes more students could donate things. Whether donations are clothes that no longer fit, or clothes that are simply unwanted, she accepts all donations possible.

“I know that everyone is not rich here, but to go through your closet and find one or two things you may not want any more is easy,” Hudson said. “Not old stained clothes you might throw away, but clothes you wouldn’t mind giving to another fellow student.”

ERROR 404: GRADE NOT FOUND ACCESS classes show faux grades, anger straight A students

PatrickRickles Reporter

T

he first nine weeks is over and classes have already handed in their final grades. One of these classes is the ACCESS Economics class. ACCESS classes are courses that are on the Internet and provide no face to face interactions between students and teachers. However this process presents its own challenges for the students taking this course.

“It’s very hard to retain something … for different subjects without a teacher,” junior Jordan Sturgeon said.

Some students were not even aware that they were placed in an Internet class in the first place. After the first few weeks, it is nearly impossible to get out of ACCESS classes. Other students also believe that it is difficult to get around technical difficulties.

“If the computer didn’t have the software or if it wasn’t up to date or if the website wouldn’t work then you would miss five questions on the test,” Sturgeon said.

By then many students taking economics were in trouble. This affected many people’s otherwise perfect GPAs. “I’ve never made one B in my high school

career, and I made a C in that class,” Sturgeon said.

Many students complain that the class is too difficult without a teacher in the classroom teaching them exactly how to do their assignments, especially in the foreign language classes. More students complain that they had too little time to properly do their work.

“It was so much work to do in such a limited amount of time,” Sturgeon said.

However not everyone feels that ACCESS is as bad as students make it out to be. Stacy Palmer, a teacher who monitors the students during their ACCESS class, says that the benefits outweigh the difficulties.

“We have been offering ACCESS classes online here at Sparkman for about eight years and it has been a success,” Palmer said.

Palmer says that the class is a great way to learn a language that Sparkman does not offer regularly. She also says that it is a great way to prepare for college courses.

“This is another way to prepare you for the future,” Palmer said.

Some students however still remain unconvinced that the benefits outweigh the seemingly countless problems and difficulties associated with the ACCESS classes.

“I’m never going to take another online class again,” Sturgeon said.

Nick Arnold

Layout Editor

Crimson Crier: When did you go to Sparkman?

Lisa Aderholt: I graduated in 1989.

Debbie McMickin: I graduated in 1986.

I know that’s shocking.

CC: What clubs/sports were you involved in when you went to Sparkman?

LA: I played volleyball, I played softball, I ran track and I did cheerleading.

DM: I was on the dance team, I was a class officer and I was on prom committee, but dance team was the biggest thing.

CC: Compared to the issues at Sparkman now, what were some issues back then?

LA: Skipping was always an issue, just like it is now. When I went to school, less than a mile up the road was a restaurant called Echo valley that a lot of the kids would like to get lunch at.

DM: If I look at it from a teacher’s perspective, you would think it was smoking, but people would just go outside to have a smoke break. I don’t think they saw that as a big deal.

CC: What were some of the most memorable moments?

LA: One of the things that was special to me was my senior year. It was the first time Sparkman went to Nationals and I was captain of the cheerleading team that year.

DM: I remember it just being a lot of fun being in high school, and after I was out of high school, I missed it. I am worried that the students now are not having enough fun being in high school. I feel like their goal is to hurry up and get as far as they can from here.

CC: What is one trend you would bring back?

LA: I like how the guys had their pants up to their waists all the time. The big hair, I guess I will never let that go out of style since I have big hair, so I guess I’ll never leave the 80s because my hair is still that big.

DM: I love the big bottom jeans-it is the hippie in me-I like the bell bottom stuff and the hippie look.

Other Alumni:

History teacher Ben Stevenson (2007)

History teacher Jennifer McKinney (1999)

Photos courtesy of The Senator yearbooks (2004 and 1999)

Nov. 20, 2014

The Crimson Crier

Move over, Little Debbie:

News

3

Keeping up with

ALL THINGS SHS

Principal cooks up family favorites in classroom

The

theatre department

competed in the Trumbauer District Competition on Nov. 7-8. Fifty-two Superior awards were brought home in individual categories.

Aiesha Desarme Reporter

F

rom holiday cakes to homemade crafted Santas, students judge that principal Michael Campbell’s talents in cooking, baking and creating crafts are impeccable.

Working in the kitchen is no unfamiliar task for Campbell. Since childhood, under the instruction of his grandmother and mother in his uncle’s bakery, Campbell’s skills in baking exponentially improved through the years.

“As a family we never went out to eat. We always ate at home, so you learned to cook or bake at home,” Campbell said.

Last year, in a “Beat the Boss” bake-off, Campbell won with his carrot cake, decked out in cranberries, raisins, Lifesavers and other sweet treats. While Campbell has conquered making pastries and desserts, he also enjoys other types of cooking.

“I also love barbequing. I just don’t have as much

time as I want to,” Campbell said. “Anytime you make something and you put all the stuff together, you see a finished product and that is so cool.”

Because of Campbell’s exceptional abilities in baking, food and nutrition teacher Karoline Webster invited him to teach her second and fourth period classes. He taught the classes how to create turkey Rice Krispy Treats.

“The students thought it was cool that the principal came in. I mean, how many times do you find a principal that has those abilities? ” Webster said.

Campbell enjoyed teaching students what was once taught to him. Not only does he enjoy seeing a finished product in his treats but he also values the people he shares them with.

“Everybody has an element, something they’re really good at. The fellowship of [cooking with others] is when you make something and you see a finished product [while bonding in the process],” Campbell said.

Photo Illustration by Rebecca Fox

Senior works with organization, cultural icon

Erin Stender

The Crimson Crier won third place at the NSPA/JEA competition and convention in Washington DC on Nov. 9.

Individual awards from the Crimson Crier and The Silhouette Literary Magazine include: Senior Erin McGrawHonorable Mention in Commentary Writing

Junior

Savannah BullardHonorable Mention in Sports Writing

Senior Beryl KessioSuperior in Newspaper Layout

In-Depth Editor

Strong, Smart, Bold. These are the words of Girls Inc. These are words that 66th Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice is working to instill in young girls today. Young girls such as senior Beryl Kessio. “[Girls Inc.] actively inspires girls. They don’t really take a passive role. They’re actually working one on one with the girls. They [provide] role models that really show girls that they don’t have to fall into a statistic. I think that’s really important today,” Kessio said.

Kessio was nominated by teachers and given the chance to attend a retreat by Girls Inc. and a panel discussion with Rice. The charge for her nomination was lead by teacher Erin Coggins.

“I emailed Mrs. Haynes and said ‘I really, really think Beryl’s the perfect candidate. This will be a great opportunity for her,’” Coggins said. “A lot of my friends that teach here know Beryl and they thought the same way. So we worked together and she got the nomination.”

On the weekend of Oct. 24, dozens of girls from schools such as Huntsville City, Madison City and Madison County attended the You’re Amazing retreat, a weekend retreat hosted by Girls Inc. to prepare the girls for the panel with Rice.

“We all came together and we got to know each other. We participated in activities that formed a greater bond between us so that when the day came that we were going to be at this event, we would be able to be around each other in an effortless way,” Kessio said.

The weekend retreat allowed the girls to prepare for the week ahead. It also lead to strong bonds among the girls.

“It really made me realize how intelligent and relatable these girls are. They’re doing really good things within their communities. I think they exemplify that quality of active participation and bettering the community,” Kessio said.” They volunteer a lot and they are really involved with activities that empower girls and women. That’s really what Girls Inc. is about.”

While Kessio was expecting to meet Rice, she was not prepared for the task she would soon be assigned.

Near the end of the retreat, the girls were asked to vote for a moderator to lead the panel discussion.

Kessio was chosen.

“I was shaking. The hardest part was trying to come up with things on the spot. I knew the general topics that we were going to cover but as far as transitions go and introducing different subjects, I just had to come up with it on the spot,” Kessio said.

All of the girls were given the chance to invite family and friends. Kessio did not forget where the opportunity came from and invited Coggins to attend.

“When I got there and I went to find her, she told

Junior

Grace DickersonSuperior in Poetry Writing

Each year, writers all around the world participate in

NaNoWriMo,

which stands for National Novel Writing Month. Learn more about how to get involved at nanowrimo.org.

A FORCE FOR CHANGE. Condoleezza Rice waves to her audience as she makes her exit. Here she stands to the left of Editor-in-Chief Beryl Kessio, who moderated the discussion panel at the Girls Inc. fundraiser Photo courtesy of Girls Inc. Huntsville.

me her parents couldn’t come because they work a lot and that she needed the support. I just melted. It made me feel important,” Coggins said. “As a teacher sometimes you wonder whether you’re having an impact or not. I think that hit home that, to this incredible child here, I do mean something.”

Kessio was granted an experience that would quickly become one of the most memorable of her life. ““It was really inspiring to be in the presence of someone with so much power and influence yet she carried herself in a way that was very relatable. When she was communicating with us, you could really tell that she actually cared about what we had to say and she offered some really, really amazing advice to us,” Kessio said.

While Rice’s advice inspired many, the most memorable moment for Coggins will always being seeing one of her own shine.

“I don’t have any children so for me it was a ‘proud momma moment.’ I couldn’t help but smile. It was kind of like for that one night I gave birth to Beryl and she was mine,” Coggins said.

Inspired and motivated, Kessio hopes to take all she has learned and achieve her goals.

“I think the experience and opportunities we’ve been given by being able to interact with her in such a personal way [are] invaluable,” Kessio said. “This is a once in a lifetime thing. I’m so thankful to Girls Inc. and Sparkman High School for giving me this chance.”

There will be no school on Nov. 26-28 in order for students and faculty to celebrate

Thanksgiving

with their families. Have a fun and safe holiday, Senators!

Congratulations to senior Brandon Martin for scoring a perfect 36 on the ACT!

4

News

The Crimson Crier

‘Good grief!’

Nov. 20, 2014

Peanuts production set to hit school stage Zachary LeQuieu Reporter

T

he first of 50 Peanuts’ television shows, “Charlie Brown Christmas Special” has been seen by millions of viewers since its debut in 1965. That means no pressure for sophomore Daniel Dyer, who is set to play the iconic role of Charlie Brown in the drama department’s upcoming performance.

Daniel will make his Sparkman Theatre Group debut as the lovable cartoon character, a surprise role for him.

“I signed up for Linus and Charlie Brown, but I didn’t expect to get the part,” Daniel said. “I’m a sophomore and it is cool that I get to play the lead.”

Daniel agrees that it is difficult to portray such an iconic character, but he has been hard at work trying to perfect the role.

“It’s such a classic special of Charlie Brown.

He’s trying to find out what Christmas is and Lucy encourages him to produce a play,” Daniel said.

The play mimics real life for Daniel, who was encouraged to audition for the lead in the play by his sister, Charity, who will take the stage alongside Daniel as Lucy.

“I am super proud of him. It is his first year and he gets the lead. He worked hard to get the role,” Charity said. “It’s going to be fun to play opposite my brother.”

Charity, too, is playing

an iconic character like the mean-spirited Lucy.

To prepare for her role, Charity takes a minute to stop being herself and start acting like Lucy.

“I relate to Lucy,” Charity said. “We did back stories in class and I saw that we really related.”

Sophomore McKenna Barlow will play Charlie’s sister, Sally, in the November performance.

Barlow is excited to play the lighthearted and funny character.

“I think like a kid when I need to get in the character of Sally. Watching the show a million times also helps,” Barlow said.

The three actors will take the stage on Nov. 21 and 22 in the school cafeteria. The cost of admission is $5.

practice makes perfect. Daniel Dyer rehearses his lines for “Charlie Brown Christmas Special.” The sophomore will take the stage Nov. 21 and 22 as the lead, Charlie Brown. Photo by Kayla Fernandez

Students, teachers discuss different learning styles Aliyah Thompson Reporter

F

or years, different styles of learning have been incorporated into the classroom in countless ways. With the introduction of technology and more advanced teaching methods, students and teachers have been able to expand learning to an entirely different field.

Junior Stanley Koryta

Koryta is a logical, verbal, aural and solitary learner.

From a young age, he has had his own method of learning.

Just a decade ago, the curriculum for public schools was different. Every student had to learn math, science, English and history the exact same way—whether it was effective for all of the students or not. Teachers did not take how their students learned best into consideration because they did not have to. It was believed that everyone learned the same way.

“In second grade, I ended up getting bad grades.

The way I would do my math problems the teacher didn’t approve of because it wasn’t the way she taught it. Although I was getting them correct, she was still counting my answers wrong,” Koryta said. “Now, teachers are a lot more lenient with that. So ever since middle school I’ve been getting A’s, B’s, and now I make straight A’s.”

Koryta reads over the subject of what he is learning and also listens to the teacher lecture to ascertain that what the teacher is saying is correct. He usually does not like working in groups because his classmates rarely want to put in an equal amount of effort, which causes him to do most or all of the work in the end.

“My learning style has actually allowed me to understand multiple perspectives of a concept. So even if I never knew the concept beforehand I could try to make assumptions about the concept, assuming that they’re correct, I’ll be able to learn easier,” Koryta said.

Sophomore Alex Vera

Vera is a visual, verbal and social learner. He tends to rely on visual examples like the CrashCourse videos

by John and Hank Green to help him better interpret what he is learning, and he also likes to use SparkNotes to help him in English.

“For history, I read a lot more, try to pay attention to the subjects, and get involved to better understand what they’re talking about, since history is more like a class discussion,” Vera said.

At times, he cannot learn just by listening: He is unable to catch all of the little details because what the teacher is saying goes by much faster than looking at and interpreting a picture or reading text.

“In ninth grade I had a good science teacher, and she would put pictures on the board, try to draw pictures for everyone to see, and [draw an] outline of what it’s about instead of just book work,” Vera said. “It helped me a lot, and I did better on the tests and quizzes.”

Chemistry teacher Teresa Hodge

Hodge is known for her in-class, hands-on projects.

She tries to provide her students, who are mainly

physical and visual learners, with varied tests that either have different types of questions rather than one type of question or she assigns her students with projects that she takes as a test grade instead of giving them a traditional test.

“What I try to do is incorporate a lab with the unit that I’m doing, so they can get up and actually do a hands-on activity to try to keep them engaged. I also try to make sure that I keep all the different activities that I’m doing to about 20 minute blocks,” Hodge said.

“I try to do a wide variety of writing, reading and mainly visual with videos and things like that…so they’re not doing the same thing for an hour and a half.”

Hodge is a verbal learner, which provided little difficulty for her in college. While in college she would rewrite the notes that she had previously taken. She would also make pretests for herself by creating questions based on the material and try to answer the questions.

“I could see if I was a kinesthetic or visual learner it would be harder…especially in college, because you don’t get up and move around a lot,” Hodge said.

“You’re either reading or writing; those are the two main learning styles in college, which makes it difficult for a lot of students.”

Sophomore Aalieyah Finley

Finley is a verbal learner while in class; she has to write down what she is learning, otherwise she will not remember it. Even though she is a verbal learner in class, she is a physical learner when it comes to cheerleading.

“They tell you what to do and you just do it… eventually [your body] adapts. When they tell you to do something, you just have to do it—whether you know it or not. You may not actually know what it is yet, but eventually you’ll figure it out,” Finley said.

English teacher Crys Hodgens

Hodgens is a visual, verbal and sometimes aural learner. As a child she loved to play games on the Nintendo and Atari, which caused her to be a very visual learner.

“Every other class that I had, I could adapt to that teacher’s style except math, because math was the exact same. Even though I went to four high schools in three different states, it was the same math teacher with the same style, just a different face and different name,” Hodgens said. “Back then there was no engagement of any sort, so I was a D student in math, all four years of high school.”

Hodgens’ students are mainly visual and physical learners, and in order to cater to her students’ learning styles, she asks them what they need in order to learn better and also tries to interpret what they may need to understand and learn more easily and effectively.

“The one thing in English that I really like is that non-fiction element; because study after study has proven that the male student is a reader of non-fiction, and prefers non-fiction,” Hodgens said. “When you’re in school, you do predominantly fiction. So there’s a stigma attached to that, that English is more of a girl subject. Common Core allows us to bring things in that are going to appeal more to those males. It also challenges me with ways that I can bring in ideas.”

What’s

YOUR learning style?

VISUAL

Visual learners learn the best by seeing the material with their own eyes. These types of learners enjoy watching educational videos such as CrashCourse and thrive in classes such as math and history. Powerpoint presentations and teacher-conducted demonstrations all appeal to visual learners.

AUDITORY

Auditory learners get the most benefit of learning by hearing the information being taught. These types of people do not enjoy online classes due to the lack of lecturing teachers, but thrive in discussion-driven classes such as English and foreign languages. Lectures and video clips give audio learners the best learning experiences.

KINESTHETIC

Kinesthetic learners, or hands-on learners, get the most information by performing the work themselves.

These types of people hate sitting in desks and crave the “learning by doing” subjects, such as science and art.

Kinesthetic learners like classroom projects involving DIY components and in-class activities.

Graphics by Noah Lombard

Nov. 20, 2014

5

The Crimson Crier

S

Opinion

TAFF EDITORIAL

Cartoon Illustration by Noah Lombard

Implementing learning styles in the classroom I

t is often debated whether the current system accommodates each student’s learning style. But is it really the schools’ job to accommodate the individual or educate the masses as efficiently as possible?

Of course certain students will gain more from having content

presented in one way versus another depending on the way they absorb information best. But as human beings we have an incredible capacity to understand concepts in a multidimensional way.

Most educators understand this. Learning style theory should not be the only thing that affects lesson variability Teachers should meet the

students have, it might be difficult for teachers to accommodate all students Diversifying lessons to further engage students is easy. But no matter how much educators accommodate the masses, there will always be people left behind.

diverse needs of learners learn effectively, a safe, by intuitively gauging accessible learning the way students have the environment must first best understanding of the be a priority. curriculum High school is a The solution to this time to learn about and problem is not solely understand the world to create around lessons for us. With Editorial staff specific t h e approved this learning editorial unanimously various styles. In learning order for styles students to t h a t

Opportunists make money off country’s fears of Ebola Eric Beshears Reporter

N

ew York businessman Todd Spinelli has come under fire for selling a fraudulent Ebola prevention regimen.

The Vitamin C supplement claims to protect users from Ebola by preventing the breakdown of healthy cells.

This sounds great but there is no scientific data to back up the claims made by Spinelli.

Dietary supplements are not regulated therefore they cannot be tested for effectiveness or user safety.

The absence of federal approval has not stopped the product from selling over 14,000 packages since Oct.1.

Precautionary products are posting record profits because people are scared.

Most of the products are significantly more practical than Ebola C. 3M’s particulate respirator sales are up more than 4,000 percent since late September. DuPont has had to increase production of various models of biohazard suits in order to meet the need in West Africa as well as in the American healthcare system.

Although they are both

profiting off of fear there are two major differences between legitimate companies like 3M, and greedy fear mongers like Spinelli. 3M is a long standing and trusted manufacturer of industrial and medical equipment that has yet to raise prices on high demand products laboratory such as respirators. Todd confirmed cases Spinelli only released Ebola-C for $35 per package total cases laboratory when American fears of confirmed cases the disease peaked. This is total deaths borderline crisis gouging. total cases 3M’s products have been proven effective, EbolaC has not been tested total deaths or even reviewed by any legitimate third party and prior scientific research has not been conducted to prove or disprove the effectiveness of Vitamin C laboratory against Ebola. confirmed cases I am a strong supporter of free market economics so I do not believe Spinelli total cases should face any criminal charges or punishment. total death Nothing Spinelli did was illegal; the consumers are responsible for holding merchants accountable.

Although Spinelli’s There is approved vaccine or medication for Ebola. product exaggerates the effects of the supplement Facts courtesy of www.cdc.gov it is not completely fraudulent as research has shown that large daily doses all viral infections. The C is to increase your intake milligrams.

Although against Ebola it will give of Vitamin C are somewhat best proven way to get the until your stomach hurts increased Vitamin C intake you a greater resistance to effective at preventing proper dosage of Vitamin then decrease by a few will not immunize you all viruses.

The Pointed Facts

of the Ebola outbreak

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Policy

The Crimson Crier

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

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

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

The CC is a 2011 Silver Crown winner.

Editor-in-Chief......................Beryl Kessio News Editor.........................Savannah Bullard Opinion Editor.....................McKenzie Ashmore Lifestyles Editor..................Victoria Lewis Sports Editor........................Will Bartel

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

Entertainment Editor............April Oberman

Reporters..........................Jonathan Hatchett,

Dominique Satterwhite, Zach LeQuieu, Patrick Rickles, Libby Reid, Emily Baucum, Madison Harding, Melissa Grant, Erin McGraw, Aiesha Desarme, Aliyah Thompson, Eric Beshears, Ian Keel, Breanna Walker, Bakhari Massey and Hannah Cox Adviser.........................Erin Coggins, MJE

In-Depth Editor........................Erin Stender Copy Editor...........................Alex Holmes Website Editor.......................Noah Lombard Photo Editor..........................Carla Mack Layout Editor.........................Nick Arnold Business Editor......................Caroline Barlow

6

Opinion How would you classify Black Friday?

Nov. 20, 2014

The Crimson Crier

“

I think its a good way to drum up business and get people outside to spend some money.

”

- junior Chris Little

“

Social insanity. The consumers get a lot of really good prices, but at the same time they’re putting themselves at risk.

- senior Caleb Toney

”

“

It’s better for the marketers because they might spend three dollars making an item while they sell it for 30 dollars.

- senior Hannah Beck

”

Photo Illustrations by Ian Keel

Trade Black Friday craze for more low-key online sales Alex Holmes Copy Editor

Y

ou wake up to an alarm you set extra early, only to wait in traffic with others who have done the same. You then wait in lines longer than at the DMV, all for a shot at a general item priced 50 percent off of a marked up price. There is one on

the shelf — you breathe a sigh of relief. You begin to reach for it, until someone else reaches out and grabs it before you. You capture their soul crushing grin forever in your memory; your quest ends with no reward.

Black Friday is one of the most popular days to get Christmas shopping done, but a large sale is no excuse to treat others

poorly. Every year, there are Black Friday stories about people getting trampled, as if materialistic gain is an excuse. To make matters worse, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving.

Irony presents itself in the close proximity of the two days, which are altogether antagonistic.

Consumers see Black Friday and think all about the money they could be

saving. There is more at work behind the nines and fives on the end of tags — everything is designed to leave consumers one step behind. For example: the ol’ mark-up, markdown. Prices on goods are often inflated to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price and beyond.

Stores then reduce the price from the MSRP to make it look as if the

consumer is getting a deal, when in fact consumers are getting the short end of the stick. Making buyers go starry-eyed over makeup that is 60 percent off an overblown price is a dream for marketers.

Most stores offer sales year-round. Year-round sales are not publicized as much as the holiday shopping season, which to the informed consumer

means that there is less competition. One caveat is that you may have to hang onto your gifts until Christmas, but that is no excuse to skip out on longsought for deals.

Do not be consumed by ruses hoping to capitalize on your need of instant gratification — be an informed consumer. What you do not know can hurt you.

Kenzie’s Korner Understanding history is important in all things McKenzie Ashmore

You can open your presents When we get home.

Opinion Editor

O

nce known as an innocent day for girls to ask boys to a dance, Sadie Hawkins Day is now

tainted.

When students hear of homecoming week, we excitedly plan our wardrobe for spirit week. A popular day during any spirit week is Sadie Hawkins Day. The day allows us to dress like the opposite sex for the amusement of faculty and classmates.

We have lost sight of why Sadie Hawkins Day was created. Urban Dictionary defines Sadie Hawkins day as “an occasion when women take the initiative in inviting the men of their choice to a date.” The fact that our society has allowed the tradition to change is preposterous.

Starting in 1934 as an innocent cartoon TV show, “Lil’ Abner” brought the idea of women catching their own partners. The main character waited 15 years for a potential mate, but as time moved forward her father decided to change the tradition. The girl’s father set up a race where she could catch a husband, drag him to the finish line and marry her. The people of the small town felt this should be an annual tradition. Thus, starting Sadie Hawkins Day. A dance did not make an appearance on the cartoon until years after the show’s premiere date, but by 1939 dances were celebrated by colleges all over the country. The dances were the night before the race and girls would ask boys to dance. At times girls would step on the boy’s toes while at the dance so when they raced they could not run and get away as fast.

Our school has not had the privilege to participate in the original form of Sadie Hawkins Day due to the fact that society has allowed the change. Allowing a tradition to die out makes people question the main priorities of our society. There is also the thought that if society lets this tradition slip away, who is to say they will not let government affairs slip away? We should keep traditions within our nation. Even though the day started in the 1930s, it could be modernized but with the same initiative. Having a dance is one way to bring the tradition back. Other schools have had the opportunity to have dances, where girls ask boys.

It was considered an annual tradition, adding to the experience of the day’s purpose.

The traditional sense of Sadie Hawkins Day has increased its participation. In order for the day to earn its popularity back, we can intertwine a modernized version of the day into our celebration. The popularity of the modernized day will only expand society’s acceptance of it. Though we will revolutionize the day, we must keep in mind what its true meaning is.

There is nothing wrong with having a day where we dress up like the opposite sex and amuse peers, but the name should be changed and Sadie Hawkins day should redeem its initial purpose.

Cartoon by Noah Lombard

Student tires of working adult co-workers’ shifts Erin McGraw Reporter

I

t is no longer uncommon to walk into a store, fast food establishment or restaurant and see a plethora of working high school students. Our age group is becoming increasingly more independent, and with that independence comes responsibility.

Getting a job is one of those responsibilities many of us choose to take on.

Working provides numerous benefits, including that nice little wad of pocket money. Being able to fill up our own gas tanks is fulfilling.

Buying that shirt or paying for our own luxuries provides a sense of pride that is irreplaceable.

One of the downsides, however, is

having to work on holidays. Yes, it is true that someone has to work, but high school students tend to get the short end of the stick. At both jobs I have had, I was the first on the schedule to work days such as Halloween, Christmas Eve and the Fourth of July. Even managers have admitted that I was working because I was “more available.” Naturally, I had no say in this since holidays are usually “blacked out,” meaning employees are not supposed to request off for the given area of time, so getting the day off lies in the luck of the draw.

From experience, many adult coworkers feel it is fair that they have the higher chance at not being scheduled to work holidays. While this is understandable, it does not always hold up. Students that work have little free time. Going from

school to work to bed leaves little room for a social life or participating in friend and family activities, for which holidays provide the perfect opportunity to have parties and get-togethers.

The ability to get holidays off should not be determined by age, but by seniority in the workplace.

Those that have been working the longest or have proven to be a reliable employee should be given the opportunity to request off. This gives incentive to the other employees to improve and creates a reward system for those that deserve it.

Age is not a factor in the quality of work, so it does not make sense to pick and choose who works based on age. Age should not automatically provide privilege, hard work should.

Letter to the Editor I’m writing to you about the article about teachers being able to break in line in front of the students. I just want to clarify that the lunch ladies and myself do not like it when teachers just bombard themselves in

front of students. When we have our meetings at the beginning of the year—this includes all lunchrooms in the county—there are many complaints with the lunch ladies. But this topic is at the top of the list.

We have approximately

130 employees here at Sparkman and there are only about 20 staff members that eat daily.

But our job as the cafeteria staff is to cater to the students: that is what we are here for. I guess the lunch ladies just do

not want to make a scene because I am sure that I would be reprimanded. As I told students early during lunch one day, we will always be here for them for nutrition and love.

Tammy Hudson

Cafeteria Manager

Nov. 20, 2014

The Crimson Crier

7

Lifestyles

HINDERING

HOMOPHOBIA Photo illustration by Noah Lombard.

Navy Seal tells journey in new book Author with local ties recounts the challenges of being gay in his conservative home and as a United States Navy SEAL Emily Baucum Reporter

F

rom the age of six Brett Jones knew exactly who he was.

Though he may not have been completely aware of how he would go about living his life as the person he wanted to be, he would eventually find a way.

In the fall former Navy SEAL Brett Jones released his personal autobiography “Pride: The Story of the First Openly Gay Navy SEAL.” His story is about how pride motivated him with being openly gay and many other obstacles he faced before and during his involvement in the Navy SEALs. “The book kind of does embellish every aspect of that word [Pride]. Both good and bad. Because pride has many different definitions,” Jones said.

Jones wrote “Pride” with the intention of giving it to his son Ethan once he turned 16.

After he had finished it and showed it to his brother-in-law the plan changed. His brotherin-law said it was so good that he should share it. He decided his intended audience would not only be gay, lesbian or transgender , but all individuals who were struggling with who they were.

“I also would really like to get to that ultra conservative group because I think it changes peoples mind when they really get to know you. And I think that’s a step closer towards respect because somebody can believe my life is immoral or sinful, and I’m absolutely fine with that, in fact I can respect that,” Jones said. “I’ve had my brothers who fought and died for that right. So for other people it’s just that, I want them to respect me as I respect them.”

Growing up in a military family meant traveling all over the world and never really having a stable home. The longest Jones stayed in one place was three years. His father was a Colonel and his mother was a stay at home mom. “[It] was hard because in that time period you get to make friends and then you have to uproot that life and move on and find new friends,” Jones

said. “My dad worked really hard so our family never needed anything. He always provided food and a house and other necessities, but emotionally there was probably a lot lacking there.”

Jones says he was six years old when he first realized he was gay.

“It’s kind of like one of those things that you just know. As long as you’ve known that you like boys, it’s been the same for me. The thought of being with a girl probably grosses straight girls out a little bit. Well it does the same thing to me as well. It’s exactly the same but different,” Jones said.

He kept his sexuality a secret from his family for 10 years until one night his mother overheard a phone call between him and a gay friend. They were talking about a guy Jones was dating. Jones’ mother, a strong Christian, considered homosexuality a sin. Jones was kicked out of his house and driven to a hotel by his brother.

“Being in that hotel room was probably one of the longest nights of my life. I came very close to killing myself. Thank God I didn’t,” Jones said. “My friends and everybody found out very shortly after that.”

Despite his mother’s beliefs on homosexuality Jones has a completely different perspective. They have agreed to disagree so that they can continue to love each other without always being at each other’s throats.

“Ultimately at the end of the day I believe in God. I know it.

I feel it. I’ve got a relationship with him. He moves me and directs me and tells me when I’m screwing up or when I need to get my butt in gear.

I’ve got that relationship and as anybody who has a relationship with God knows, that is sort of the way he communicates with us,” Jones said.

When Jones was living in Egypt he overheard a conversation between his father and his brother. They were talking about some Navy SEALs. The group of Navy SEALs came to the embassy they were staying at, the same embassy Jones’ father was working as an ambassador’s aid. Jones was intrigued because even though

his father was a high ranking officer he was not allowed to see them.

“So that’s where the seed got planted. Over the years I would read about them and learn more and more. The more I learned and the more I read, the more I just wanted to do it,” Jones said.

A SEAL’s duty is to perform special operations for the Navy under any condition.

These conditions can vary from sea, land and air warfare.

They prepare you for the most difficult situations a SEAL could possibly face. Jones expectations about what being a SEAL was were jarred.

“Before I joined the Navy SEALs I thought it was going to be like that movie with Charlie Sheen where everyone gets a little pager,” Jones said.

“I had the worst idea of what a SEAL actually did. It was by far a lot different than what I daydreamed it being.”

Jones had to go through the initial boot camp which he described as really easy.

Once he got to SEAL training there were a series of tests that progressively got more difficult.

“It’s a very physically and mentally demanding experience. Our dive physics courses are intense and fast.

You’ve got about a week to learn every single one of the formulas and be able to apply them to real life situations. It’s test after test after test after test for six months,” Jones said.

Out of these six months, one week serves as Hell Week. It starts with breakout where they come through with machine guns, flash crashes, smoke grenades and the fire hoses.

Though said to be fun, it only lasts about 30 minutes. The rest of the week is filled with constant activities. The most time one gets to sleep during the week is around two hours, if you get lucky.

“You don’t get any sleep.

It starts on Sunday night and doesn’t end until Friday afternoon. After the breakout you’re either doing races, carrying boats, paddling out past the waves, Log PT, O courses, or even swimming.

I mean it’s just non-stop stuff from Sunday night until

Friday,” Jones said. “Obviously when they secured Hell Week and they told us it was over it was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had in my life because Hell Week was not easy.”

Training was so intense that roughly 130 men withdrew before Hell Week was complete.

Jones’ class started off with about 160 guys and it ended with 30.

“The thing I found the hardest was dealing with being cold. Being cold has a way of making time slow down. It makes your misery that much more intense. For six months it’s just being cold, almost borderline hypothermic cold,” Jones said.

Jones credits willpower for getting him through most of training.

“I believe God gave us all individual gifts and mine was willpower. I see willpower as that force or voice that you have sort of deep inside that pushes you to do things that you normally wouldn’t feel comfortable doing,” Jones said.

After training Jones joined a platoon. Once he joined a platoon he tried to get into as many schools as he possibly could so that he could attain a variety of skills. A couple of the schools Jones attended were FreeFall, a skydiving school where they jumped at altitudes so high Jones had to be hooked up to a oxygen tank, and Breacher, a school that teaches SEALs how to get into almost anything by using explosives on doors or picking locks, to name a few methods.

“S.E.R.E. (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) School was definitely the most interesting. That’s where they take you and they make you a prisoner of war. It’s like going to jail but in another country so they can torture you and try to get information out of you,” Jones said.

Things were well with the SEALs until Jones received a phone call one morning regarding a voice mail he had left for his boyfriend Rick. Rick worked in the Navy as well.

Without thinking twice he had accidentally slipped those three special words, I love you. Rick’s assistant who was angry with him over a previous argument

listened to his voice messages without his knowledge. With the intent of seeking revenge she reported the voice mail, and Jones found himself answering a phone call telling him to head to the airport to catch a flight to Norfolk, VA. “I was terrified. I really thought that was it. I’m going to get kicked out of the Navy.

It’s going to be a dishonorable discharge. Thank God I called a friend of mine and he gave me the number for the Service League Defense Network in D.C., otherwise I would have been so screwed,” Jones said.

“Without them I would have lost my job.”

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, DADT, was a policy put in place to restrict members of the U.S. military from attempting to reveal the sexuality of closeted men and women in the military.

Though repealed in 2010 the DADT was active while Jones was in service.

“Truly if the DADT policy was in effect then I should have never gone through the things I went through because I didn’t tell anyone and nobody asked,” Jones said. “The problem with the DADT policy was that the military just had to be a whole lot trickier with discovering your sexuality.”

Once Jones’ case worked its way to completion, he was then asked to return to the Navy SEALs because the buddies he had worked with did not care that he was gay. They knew what kind of operator and SEAL he was despite his sexual preference.

He denied the request to stay in the Navy, and was then offered to be flown down to Key West to teach a combat swimming course, a class which he taught until the day he got out of the Navy.

“There was that esprit de corps bond you have between your Navy SEAL buddies where you become closer than even brothers. We form a love where I know that if I’m ever with another Navy SEAL he has got no problem dying to save my life,” Jones said. “And he knows that I have the same exact love for him as well.”

8

Lifestyles

Nov. 20, 2014

The Crimson Crier

Passion for recycling drives junior Melissa Grant Reporter

N

etflix, relationships and social activities dominate the life of the average American teenager, but junior Shreya Pokhrel breaks the pattern with her passion for saving the environment. Her enthusiasm for all things eco-friendly began in middle school.

“In eighth grade, I asked one of my teachers to put a recycling bin in one of their classrooms. They agreed, and I got two other teachers to do it,” Pokhrel said.

Pokhrel has madeadifference at schools she attended since middle school. From Monrovia Middle to Sparkman High, she has jump-started multiple programs to raise awareness of the environment and promote recycling.

“I started the Green Team at the ninth grade, and we put recycling bins all over the school, and we had this huge competition that everybody loved. I’m the president of the Environmental Club, and we put recycling bins in the classrooms and pick them up,” Pokhrel said.

The majority of those who recycle simply throw their cans in a bin and have it ready for pick up when the truck comes around once a week, but

Pokhrel takes it one step further and reaches out to those who lack the push and drive that she has. She brings a human face to the campaign for saving the environment.

“I’ve always believed recycling is good, but Shreya brought out the more passionate nature, the more outgoing nature [of recycling],” junior Miranda Pardue said.

Her influence has impacted more than just the schools who took on recycling programs.

Pokhrel reaches out locally to spread awareness of recycling and being environmentallyconscious, from her neighborhood to community centers.

“In my Nepali community, I put recycling bins whenever we have functions. A lot of people in that community are learning, because they didn’t recycle before, what you can recycle and what you can’t recycle. They’re getting to recycle at their own house,” Pokhrel said.

Most people are not as informed as they should be when it comes to environmental matters. Whether it is due to uncertainty about which materials should go in the bin or indifference toward the planet in general, Pokhrel serves as a prime example for those with little education in recycling.

“If people throw something away that could be recycled, I

tell them, ‘That can be recycled, and you should recycle it.’ They usually pick it up and put it in the right bin. When I’m not there, they carry on doing that, and then people see them doing that, and it’s a ripple effect,” Pokhrel said.

Everyone knows the catchphrase “reduce, reuse, and recycle,” but only 40 percent of all recyclable material is actually recycled, according to GreenWaste. There is an obvious lack of action that Pokhrel seeks to reconcile.

“Some people just don’t care at all, but if you tell people that there’s an issue, then they’ll start to care and get more into it,” Pokhrel said. “They’ll start getting passionate about it and hope to make a difference.”

There is a distinct difference between doing something and having a passion for doing something. When someone simply does something, there is little emotion or reason behind it, but when passion is involved, others are pulled in and share the same strong enthusiasm.

Pokhrel spreads her fervor for recycling to all who will listen.

“Most people just [recycle],” Pardue said. “But Shreya is one of those go-getters who gets it done and achieves her goals and also helps educated others about the whole issue of the environmental cause.”

GREEN THUMB. Junior Shreya Pohkrel, creator of the Green Team, views recycling as a priority. Photo illustration by Ian Keel

Student discusses mom’s battle with breast cancer Balancing being a mother, in the military while fighting cancer proves difficult Dominique Satterwhite Reporter

W

ith the passing of breast cancer month, I wanted to sit down and have a talk with my mother about her struggles as a breast cancer survivor. My parents only told me what they thought I needed to know, but I wanted to get inside the true story of my mom’s struggle. You never really know how strong someone if until you test them.

My mother has shown that even something as big as cancer can never really stop you from persevering.

Sickness has no preference and it can creep up on you at the last moment you would expect.

Getting cancer is not something you plan. Cancer is common in women, but you always hope that you will not have the day when you find that lump.

In October of 1998, my mom had come out the shower and was doing a monthly exam of herself when she found the lump. Sometimes lumps can be tricky, so she went into medical facility and they said they wanted to wait another month to see if the lump would decrease in size. They did a pinprick biopsy in November and found it was actually about a golf ball size mass. She was shocked. It was the last thing she expected. She had to go through certain treatments and stop playing softball for a while along with bowling. She could not do the things she would usually do for about a year.

My mother is a strong woman, but even chemo can take its toll. Having three children is already a hassle, but adding work to chemo can be the downfall to any great women.

Being a mom while going

through surgery and chemo was rough. Mom had a newborn along with two other daughters.

She was a soldier and had a job to do, so a lot of things changed for her after surgery. Her life was delayed in doing certain things.

She could not pick up her kids from day care, or go to a softball game. We were overseas, so traveling wasn’t an option she had anymore.

Normalcy gave structure back to this new chaotic life.

The training she learned in the military gave her the courage to push on and fight for her life.

She joined the army as a telecommunications operator, working on different types of laptops and building computers.

She was out of full-time work for about six months. She had to work part-time because she could not stay up too long due to the chemo. Her job was inside working with computers, so she still maintained what she was doing.

Rising from the ashes of the destructive disease that took a year of her life, my mother soared into remission. This newfound outlook on life gave her the chance to share her knowledge to women everywhere.

My mom feels great that she is still in remission. She still has to go yearly for her checkups and mammograms. She still examines herself because that is how she found it in the first place. It is a blessing. In 1998 my mom was 38 years old, not even 40 yet and she found out she had cancer. Her surgery was in 1999 and since then she has been cancer free. It is recommended that women over 40 should have a breast exam, but being a woman you need to know your own body and when there are changes.

She was not 40 so that myth it is just a percentage. Women have to know their bodies and seek medical advice when they feel a change. Yes, women over 40 should have a check. My mom calls it a yearly “well women’s checkup,” which is from the head to toe.

The ending to a story can sometimes be sad, but this book only opened up a new door.

It turned this survivor into a fighter against breast cancer.

My mom is an advent with the Susan G. Komen, and

supports Liz Hurley every year.

She likes to go out and speak to young and old women about knowing yourself. We donate to cancer in general because cancer has been in our family.

I have had one family member die of stomach cancer and one of lung cancer. My aunt was also diagnosed with breast cancer. We just support the research and the facilities that provide support for those who have been with cancer.

Dealing with any illness can make you feel isolated. You are never alone. People out there care about you and are riding that train with you. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

She was a soldier when this happened to her and she speaks out to ladies going through this and to the military. Breast cancer does not just affect women, men catch breast cancer too. I have learned to be knowledgeable.

You have to be able to do your own research about treatments and medications. My mom took therapeutic group counseling, provided by the military. There are support groups out there that help you if you need the help.

Being married to someone who is going through some sort of cancer can add stress to the relationship. My father had to become the rock for all of us and take care of my mom.

My parents were both military active duty at the time.

It was difficult because my dad could be deployed at any moment. The army offered my mom medical retirement, but this was one of the things she felt like she could come back from. My dad had to become Mr. Mom and Dad. Dad has always been a “jack of all trades,” there has been nothing that has hit him that he could not overcome.

Some family members break up because of an illness, but not us. He was the glue that held us all together while my mom was going through treatment.

When the options where given that my mom could go 50-50 and take a piece out or go 80 percent and take the whole thing out, he thought that he could live with a part of her missing but not with her being gone. My dad is my dad; there is nothing we can say that he will not do.

I wanted to get insight from

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FAMILY MATTERS. Junior Dominue Satterwhite with mother and family. Photo courtesy of Dominique Satterwhite

My mother is a strong woman, but even chemo can take its toll.

my dad to see how the other half lives during a time of crisis.

His strength provided hope and guidance for my mom, but because he was being strong for everyone else he did not have time to show his true feelings.

My dad got to tell me his side of the story and I thank him every day for being there to support her.

He was apprehensive and scared because he did not know how serious it was or if she could recover from it. She was a softball and basketball athlete and he did not know if it would keep her from doing what she loved. For a time it changed his life because she was not able to do a lot of the things she was doing in the past but as the months went on and she recovered she got to do a lot of things she had missed. God blessed her with being able to let her move forward with her life.

With my mom out of commission, my father had to step up to the plate. The partnership forged between my parents was shifted to a oneperson job.

Once my mom got sick,

my dad had to take on more responsibility. He had to take us everywhere and get my mom to the hospital for her treatments.

All of that changed his life, but it was a blessing just to have her. He was elated and very happy that they had got most of the lymph nodes out. It was a blessing because a lot of people that get cancer have it again, but we were glad that hers did not come back.

Taking away from this experience you get a new view on life. God has helped my family through this time and showed how strong my father’s faith really is.

He learned that you always have to be faithful and only God can make those changes. He thanks God for my mom and for me and my sisters.

What I have learned from this sit-down chat with my parents is that you always have to hope for the best. My mother taught me how to examine myself for signs of breast cancer.

Always be aware of yourself and what is going on in your body.

Your body is your temple, so cherish it.

Nov. 20, 2014

The Crimson Crier

9

Lifestyles

DREAM. DARE. DO. Free Spirit scholars pose in front of the White House. The program was started in 1999 to honor Al Neuharth, founder of USA Today, the Newseum and the Freedom Forum. Photo courtesy of Beryl Kessio

Student reminisces about journalistic opportunities

Beryl Kessio

Editor-in-Chief

I

t was one of those days when the halls are so empty, I kept thinking I was about to be tardy. My class had six people in it, and we were sitting in a circle around our substitute talking about the future. Little did I know that the course of my future was about to be changed.

The past few days had been spent in nervous anticipation, giving way to obsessive e-mail

checking. I looked down at my phone the moment I received an e-mail notification. The subject line read: “WINNER - 2014 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference.”

My excited shriek pierced the quiet of the room. I haphazardly explained to the others what I was so excited about while happy tears streamed down my face. I was a Free Spirit scholar.

The Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference is held every summer. Fifty-one students, each representing one of the 50 states and the

District of Columbia, converge at the nation’s capital for an unparalleled experience rooted in journalism and the exploration of the First Amendment.

Over the course of the week we engaged in Q&As and debates, toured DC and forged new friendships. Every night we sat in a circle discussing the world around us. Political philosophy, religion and current events were all spoken about with a fervor and level of intellect uncommon with

teenagers. Apathy was nowhere to be seen. We shared our struggles, our stories, our passions with one another. We spoke in hushed tones during the taping of “Meet the Press”, danced our hearts out on the Potomac River cruise with the coolest DJ I have ever met, explored every captivating floor of the Newseum, all while flooding Instagram with countless photos of our adventures.

We had one once in a lifetime opportunity after another. We learned from Pulitzer prize winning reporter Sara Ganim, who uncovered the Sandusky scandal. PBS anchorwomen Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff, like many speakers we met over the week, affirmed that journalism is not dead; it is evolving.

In riveting detail, Freedom Riders Dr. Rip Patton and John Lewis shared their memories of violent inequity during the civil rights movement, leaving me in tears. Our questions were diligently answered, our minds opened to new perspectives; it all seemed unreal.

Though Neuharth passed away in April 2013, his presence endured throughout the conference.

At our commencement ceremony, we

watched a video of Al. On the screen before us was a man in a red sport coat and a smile that made his twinkling eyes crinkle. Al, chatting with sharpwitted candor, offered advice to us. Before us was a man who believed life was too short not to take risks, even if it meant failure, a man whose legacy breathed life and diversity into newsrooms around the country.

He dreamt. He dared. He did.

What was I doing? What was I going to do?

Before the conference, I was asked to describe why I am a free spirit. I was at a loss for words. How does one even begin to define “free spirit”?

In those moments after the video while I was having an existential crisis, I had a moment of clarity: I decided right then and there that I was going to be a journalist. I also decided that I would embody the qualities of a free spirit in everything that I do. To me, a free spirit is compelled to gaze upon the brilliant flashes of love and beauty that fill the universe. A free spirit is driven to spend life in the wanderlust of musical vibration, feeling the ecstasy, creating pure moments, learning from those around her, all while refusing to give into apathy.

Because of Al Neuharth, not only will I dream and dare, I will do.

Infographic by Beryl Kessio

Harding Auto Repair Total Car Care Headquarters 145 Jim Harding Way Huntsville (256) 726-8505 jimbo222mx@gmail.com

Coupon $19.99 Oil Change, Filter Change Free Tire Rotation

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10

The Crimson Crier

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Art Highlight: Taylor Fugate Madison Harding Reporter

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hy make ramen noodles when talent can serve up a five star dish? Having fun times cooking with his mother creating nourishing dishes for guests has helped recent graduate Taylor Fugate find a genuine passion for cooking.

“I had theopportunity to attend the tech school and was given an internship at the Westin of Huntsville.

And at this place is where my inspiration came from.

The people I was able to work with really showed me how to cook to not just feed people but nourish their bodies,” Fugate said Fugate credits his culinary teacher and sous chef for the skills he has acquired. His culinary teacher taught him how to follow a recipe, how to build flavors and about food safety— only the basics. The real learning came when he had to apply it to real world, at his internship at the Westin, where his sous chef taught him how to be quick and effective in the kitchen.

“I do have to give credit to everyone in that kitchen for the skills each one of them has taught me. You can’t work in this field without an open mind and without being thirsty for new ideas,” Fugate said.

Starting his profession in the culinary arts at 16, Fugate’s first dish he prepared at the Westin was one of his most gratifying

moments.

The dish consisted of cappellini in a marinara sauce. Another dish he is most proud of is the Fire and Ice shrimp and scallops. Although he is unsure whether or not he is going to pursue cooking in the future, he has learned many essential skills through his job over the past three years.

“It has made me more patient with people, first of all. I have also become more open to criticism.

I’ve also gotten to have some cool experiences such as meeting famous football stars and musicians. I’ve enjoyed the job a lot,” Fugate said.

His family is always the first to offer honest opinions on his cooking experiments. They have been there for him stepby-step from cooking for fun to serving guests who savor his creations. Their adoration and support of his dishes helps him keep testing out new flavors and different combinations. His favorite dish to prepare is a seared tuna steak on a sourdough crouton topped with oiled and salted greens then drizzled with a balsamic glaze and cucumberwasabi dressing.

“This dish holds an abundance of flavors plus it’s also a very pretty dish which makes it my

favorite.

I’ve definitely learned some things about what it takes to be in one of the toughest working environments you can have as a civilian. Experiences in my career have been one of my favorite parts about cooking,” Fugate said. “This year’s Fourth of July I was cooking at Burritt on The Mountain.

I was actually getting paid to grill outside for the fourth! I was even there

long enough to see the fireworks. It was the most breathtaking experience I have ever had. I could see little plumes of color all over Huntsville and even Harvest.”

Fugate’s advice for new chefs is to “grab a cookbook or some recipes and go at it.” He believes practice really does make perfect in this field. When Fugate first started in his

early experiments the cookbook was his best friend. Practice in tech school and during his internship made receiving the job at the Westin a landslide.

“Cooking makes me feel pretty great. There is nothing I love more than seeing the look on the faces of my guests when the dish I have made them blows them away,” Fugate said.

Illustration by: Noah Lombard

Cooler weather means layering up, boots and all Carla Mack

Photo Editor

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ith fall in full effect and winter fast approaching, the time for more climateappropriate fashion changes is upon us.

For b o t h guys and girls,

staying trendy with the fashion fads of today can be tough, so here are some of the top five fall inspired trends of the year.

Quilted vests are a big fall trend for both guys and girls. The piece adds enough warmth for the cooler fall days, while also adding more versatility to an outfit. The vests come in many different patterns to go with any outfit and are a good layering piece

Son of a

for the season.

Booties are practically an essential for the season.

Whether with fringe, a heel or even a sneaker style, the shoe provides enough warmth for those chilly fall afternoons, while maintaining the simplicity of being a smaller boot.

Layering is a usual a fall must. Utilizing some summer pieces and pairing them up with newfound fall ones not only extends

Binge

the wear of the clothes but creates an array of new outfit i d e a s while using them in different w ay s.

Flannels, big knit scarves and leggings make for great layering pieces and are practically essential for

Jonathan Hatchett

N

Viewers bingewatch weekly

1 million

Photo illustration courtesy of Ian Keel

Hours spent on Netflix

Info: www.expandedramblings.com

Plaid print can be a nice accent for the fall. Whether in a scarf or on a nice button down shirt, plaid can incorporate different colors that may be in your outfit all at once. Not to mention a plaid button up can provide warmth as a layering piece and can be an alternative to a typical fall cardigan.

Photos by: Carla Mack

Netflix habits lead to addictions, students relate firsthand Reporter

61%

the season.

Cardigans are great for the fall if you are trying to dodge the full commitment of a sweater. Made in many different materials and ranging between almost any color imaginable, a cardigan can either tie an outfit together or provide a pop of color. In addition to this, it provides that extra bit of warmth against the weather and is a for sure must-have this season.

etflix has been spreading like wildfire; its steady mix of convenience and user friendly interfaces has created a new standard for how things can be done in the media universe.

Netflix has drawn up a long list of users at all ages, each viewing their own specific genre of shows and movies. A strong demographic is high school students: our explorative personalities drive us to watch anything and everything. Senior Stephen Mcelheny and juniors Clayton Harris and Chris Gatlin are users of this site.

“Sometimes during the week [I spend] about four hours a day [watching Netflix]. Then on the weekends it depends on if I’m doing something. It varies; it can be an entire day of Netflix or just none,” Gatlin said.

Chris is what the average user looks like, totally into the way shows and movies can be right at your disposal. This can be a problem; sometimes Chris gets too into a show and assumes he is ready

for the next day of class.

“I’ll think that I have it in class and I’ll get home and watch three episodes [of a show] and I won’t study,” Gatlin said, “and I will end up not doing well on my test.”

Binge-watching is also a hobby of Gatlin’s. It is the act of watching a whole slew of shows in a small amount of time and he is not proud of his inclusion in it.

“I binge-watched the first seven seasons of ‘Supernatural,’” Gatlin said, “I watched about five episodes a day [in intervals] for a couple months.”

Harris is not as dedicated of a user. He mainly watches multiple genres of movies and old shows from his childhood.

“My friends and I would put on a throwback and watch ‘Kids Next Door,’ ‘Ed, Ed, and Eddy’ and ‘Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends,’” Harris said.

Even though Clayton is not as into Netflix as others, he still has his own personal binge days.

“Sometimes I’ll just watch movies the whole day if I’m not doing anything,” Harris said.

Mcelheny uses Netflix to bond with his little sister.

One show that they have taken a liking to is ABC’s Once Upon A Time. Even though they enjoy each other’s company, he still watches his own shows on his own time. One of his favorites is Nickelodeon’s “The Legend of Korra.”

“I watch a show with my little sister called ‘Once Upon a Time.’ It’s about the bringing of Disney characters to life in this one place called Storybrooke,” Mcelheny said. “Legend of Korra is mostly a sequel to Avatar [The Last Airbender] where [Korra] is growing up to be the avatar, but she already knows all of the bending abilities.”

Netflix has proven itself to be a worthy medium of entertainment.

Its convenience shows promise to its already established lifespan.

“One Saturday I woke up and decided to watch Netflix and I sat there and watched ‘Metallica Through the Never’ for two hours. After that I watched the entire first season of ‘BoJack Horseman’,” Gatlin said. “That was a great day.”

Nov. 20, 2014

11 Sports

The Crimson Crier

TAKE THE FIELD. The varsity cheerleaders take the field at the last home game of the year. Seniors and first year cheerleaders, Ben Bundrun, Nick James, and Shanterries Moore have gained valuable teamwork skills by joining the team, even crediting coach Lisa Aderholt for encouraging them to try the sport. Photo by Ian Keel

First year cheerleaders love their sport Libby Reid Reporter

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ven as students’ high school careers come closer to an end, there are still new chapters beginning for seniors Nick James, Ben Bundren and Shanterries Moore. All three are first-year varsity cheerleaders.

“I decided to cheer this year when Mrs. A came and talked to me. She told me to try it and come out to open gym. I ended up going out there and trying it and liking it so I stuck with it,” James said.

The boys insist that cheer can teach you valuable lessons if one is willing to work hard for not only oneself, but one’s teammates too. Cheer would not be possible with a one-man team. Everyone has to be willing to work together for the mutual goal.

“Cheering has taught me discipline and teamwork. At first people didn’t really think cheer was a sport but then once you actually try out for it and get to do the routines you learn it’s very physically demanding. It brought me closer to the student body because as a cheerleader you have to set an example for your peers, and most people look up to you,” Moore said.

Part of being a male cheerleader is fighting the stereotypes associated with female cheerleaders that might cause confusion when referring to the guys. Senior Ben Bundren played football for two years at the school before injuring his knee.

“People have respect but they don’t at the same time because they think why aren’t we doing a more manly thing like being on the football team but they don’t really understand what cheerleading

entails. It’s not sissy like people think,” Bundren said.

“Cheer is a lot more intense because there is a lot more preparation. You can’t just get one week, watch film on it and then go out there and compete against a team. I mean it’s months of preparation and you don’t see your competition until you’re at the competition. Cheer is harder in different aspects.”

Coaches can have a huge impact on the character of a team. The cheerleaders speak highly of coach Lisa Aderholt, saying she does a good job of helping the cheerleaders acquire life skills along with teaching them the foundation of cheer.

“The best part about being on the team is making friends and the challenges that you have to face, especially with Mrs. A. She’s set everyone on the team to a higher level and throughout the routines we move up a step from harder stunts to harder tumbling,”

{

Moore said. “It’s definitely helped me become a better person because Mrs. A held us to higher standards. It helped me improve my grades, and it helped me with communicating because I was pretty shy before I joined the team.”

The cheerleaders insist that having courage can make or break any situation and that joining the team as seniors helped them to grow closer to new friends and even their parents.

“I didn’t cheer starting off my freshman year because I played football and wrestling. I really wanted to cheer but then I was kind of scared to do it because I was worried of what people would think such as my dad or my coach. Senior year I finally gained up the courage to try out and I really enjoy it. My dad supports me now,” Moore said.

I ended up going out there and trying it and liking it so I stuck with it.

--senior Nick James

}

Junior supports brother during football career Caroline Barlow Reporter

E

very Saturday the Flowers family drives from Huntsville to Fayetteville, Arkansas to see the Razorbacks football team face their next opponent. Their favorite player is defensive end Trey Flowers who happens to be part of the family tree.

Junior Summer Maclin, Flowers sister, has been to every game this season with her family.

“My favorite thing about Trey playing college football is the traveling.

Every Saturday my family and I pile into a van and drive to the stadium to watch Trey. The farthest we have traveled is to Dallas, Texas, but the normal drive to Fayetteville, Arkansas is about eight hours,” Maclin said.

When they get to the stadium all the Flowers family has to do is flash their ID to prove they are related to Trey.

“We get family tickets that are reserved for us, so we just have to show our ids at the gate. The seats are pretty good and there are enough for my immediate family to go, so we all get to enjoy the game,” Maclin said.

Playing college football was always a dream for Trey so when he became a prospect he decided he wanted to play in the SEC. “Arkansas was his top choice to play in college because he really wanted to play in the SEC and most of the other schools that recruited him were smaller schools with smaller football program,” Maclin said.

Flowers knows that he made a great decision by signing with Arkansas because every team they play challenges him to play his best. The fans also contribute to his love for his school and football team.

“One thing I love about playing for Arkansas is that it is in the SEC,

the top college football conference. We play the best teams week in and week out. Another reason is the fans because of how encouraging they are after a win, lose or draw they still love us,” Flowers said.

Over the past four years Trey’s fame has slowly grown, but it has not affected the way that Trey treats his family and friends. Flowers’s fame has caused him to appreciate his family even more.

“My fame has made me appreciate my family more. I realize they were there before the fame, and that even after my fame ends I know family will still be there.

As Flowers’s final game as an Arkansas Razorback approaches the excitement of the NFL draft is beginning to become reality to him and his family. It also has caused Flowers’s to realize how much he has enjoyed his college football experience.

FAMILY AFFAIR. Junior Summer Maclin poses with her family and brother, Trey Flowers at an Arkansas football game. Photo courtesy of Summer Maclin

“College football has allowed me to develop bonds with players, coaches, and staff for four years. Another thing is that it has been a stepping stone to be where I always wanted to be, in the NFL,” Flowers said.

Maclin and the rest of the family expect Flowers to be drafted into the NFL after this season.

“Hopefully my family and I will get to attend the draft,” Maclin said.

Being drafted into the NFL can altar a persons life, but the Flowers family believes that playing in the league will not phase Trey.

“Trey’s life will change if he plays in the NFL because he will have to travel a lot more and he will have to be gone for longer amounts of time, but his attitude towards his family and the game will not change,” Maclin said.

Television is a large part of college and professional football so the Flowers family is still getting used to seeing a relative on TV every Saturday during the fall.

“Seeing Trey on TV isn’t as weird as I thought, but it is really great to see that my brother is successful

in doing what he loves,” Maclin said.

High school football players all over the United States have the dream of being playing football in college, and Flowers has accomplished this dream.

Now Flowers is explaining how to be successful as college football player.

“Playing college football is a life changing experience. As a student athlete you must learn how to manage your time, and realize that you may not be able to do the things regular students can do,” Flowers said.

12 Sports

Nov. 20, 2014

The Crimson Crier

TO THE MAT. Junior varsity wrestler Brandon Coin pins his teammate O’Marcus Robinson to the mat during practice. Both the varsity and junior varsity temas take to the mat this weekend to start the official season. Photo by Beryl Kessio

Wrestling prepares to make history Team members insist that they will continue to build a program

Hannah Cox Reporter

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hen the wrestling team was founded in 1994 by Keith Henderson, Zack Hightower immediately joined the team.

In the span of Hightower’s freshman through senior year only six people placed in the state championship. In the 2002-03 school year, Henderson left the school to go teach at Arab High School and Dan Stiles stepped up and continued to coach the wrestling program for a brief amount of time before he too, left — leaving our wrestling program without a coach from Sparkman.

After Hightower graduated high school in the spring of 1998, he went to Alabama A&M University for three years on a football scholarship

until he injured himself and transferred to Cumberland University for two years. After Cumberland he transferred to Athens State to finish up his history degree. Once he completed college he got his first teaching job at Monrovia Middle School as a history teacher. While at Monrovia he joined the wrestling staff in 2005.

Four years later he came to Sparkman and became the head coach.

“In the 2007-08 school year the wrestling team was worse than when I started,” Hightower said, “because there was no continuity, the finished product just wasn’t good.”

Slowly but surely the team began improving under the watchful eye of Hightower. Leading 35 team points ahead, the varsity wrestling team won their first ever tournament last year at the Leeds

Invitational. Along with their victory, the team won their first ever trophy – a double pedestal colored green and gold.

“We could have lost every match in the final round,” Hightower said, “And we still would have won. It was mathematically locked in.”

Along with winning the Leeds Invitational, the team placed second in the Oakgrove Tournament and beat Buckhorn High School for the first time. There were no returning state qualifiers in Hightower’s first year coaching, yet after four years of him heading up the coaching there were eight state qualifiers consisting of Cameron Harbin, Kaden Nichols, Chris Leatherman, Joshua Little, Alex Oppman, Roderick Woods, Stone Clark and Brandon Moore. Seven of these state qualifiers

will return this year with renewed vigor and determination to take the title of AHSAA Wrestling State Champion.

“My goal this year is to be the first person in Sparkman history to win a state championship,” sophomore Cameron Harbin said.

Becoming a 7A school this year has also brought a tougher schedule and less events. With eight people able to qualify for the state championship last year, the number was cut in half this year. “[My] proudest accomplishment was making it to state last year,” junior Kaden Nichols said. “[I’m] looking forward to [moving up to 7A competition] because I like a challenge.”

Making this year even more of a challenge, wrestling PE has been taken away because of the

lack of wrestlers. Twentyfive wrestlers are needed to make a “class” for the sport practice period. Due to many of the wrestlers also being football players and having football PE, wrestling did not have a high enough number to make the qualifications for a course.

“The lack of Wrestling PE will affect the wrestling team because we lose weight training and as a result of that we have less strength,” Cameron Harbin said The team’s next tournament at Bob Jones High School is right around the corner – Nov. 22.

The first tournament at Sparkman will be held Dec. 20, and on Feb. 14 the season will come to a close, ending with the state tournament.

Freshman football ends undefeated Bakhari Massey Reporter

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ithout spring football training the freshman football team ended their season undefeated.

Due to coaching changes at the varsity level and the retirement of the former freshman coach, the team was left without a coach until coach Larry Sevier was hired over the summer. The team finally came together in the beginning of June eager to get things going.

“I was a little worried how the team was going to work together after not having a spring training,” Garrett Bodine said. “We seemed to gel quickly, though.”

After years of Sparkman Middle vs. Monrovia Middle rivalry, the players had to come together and learn how to win together instead of competing against one another. With a fair record from middle school teams, the team had high expectations coming in. The players and coaches made progress day by day as to learning how to get along and establishing the new offense that was brought by varsity coach Chris Cagle.

“I liked the offense we had the coaches helped us learn it and be successful with it,” Hunter Gibson said.

The team opened the season against James Clemons, coming out on top winning 48-28.

The

Rundown

Swim vs.

Hazel Green W Columbia W

TAKING IT IN. Freshman Garrett Bodine runs toward the goal line to score a touchdown in the Bob Jones game where they won 20-16. The freshman team finished the year undefeated for the first time in school history. Photo by Taylor Bauermeister

“It felt good winning our first game. It got the butterflies out,” Bodine said.

After the first win, the team had a two week bye which meant more evaluating and getting ready for rival Bob Jones. The team defeated Bob Jones 20-16, one of the best freshman teams in the county.

The team won the rest of their games as well and beat the junior varsity team 33-8 in a scrimmage game. The 2014 team is the first freshman team to go undefeated.

“Being the first freshman team to go undefeated felt good,” Bodine said. “It gives hope to the program in the future.”

Girls’ Basketball vs. Lochapocka 63-26 vs. Jeff Davis 65-44

Upcoming Games

Upcoming Matches

Basketball

Wrestling

vs. East Limestone

Patriot Open

Nov. 21 (A)

Nov. 22 (At Bob Jones)

Nov. 20, 2014

13 Sports

The Crimson Crier

Senior ready to lead Libby Reid Reporter

A

Photo illustration by Ian Keel

Catch the team in action Nov. 18 Nov. 21 Dec. 2 Dec. 9 Dec. 12 Dec. 15

Huntsville East Limestone Johnson James Clemens Hazel Green Buckhorn

Home Away Home Away Home Away

Jan. 3 Jan. 6 Jan. 9 Jan. 10 Jan. 13 Jan. 16

s a freshman, one of the most intimidating things to do is face an upperclassman. Senior Chelsea Robinson knows this firsthand.

Robinson started out her freshman year on the JV girls’ basketball team. A few games into the season she was pulled up to varsity.

“The toughest part about being on varsity was dealing with the older kids and making friends. Of course you would think a freshman doesn’t need to be on varsity. I was always getting yelled at; it was scary,” Robinson said.

Over the past few years Robinson settled in on the team. She is now captain of the team and uses that privilege to help younger players improve their skills.

“Senior year I kind of have more purpose of being on the team; it’s different. I actually have a role. I’m a leader on the team,” Robinson said.

Robinson admits that even as a leader nothing would be possible without the full cooperation of the team. The success the team had last year was because of the hard work and perseverance they put in all season long.

“A team is a group of people who consider one another, who care about one another and who feed off of one another. They use their teammates.

They don’t try to be a one man show,” Robinson said.

Robinson admits every team, good or bad, will have their struggles. It is how the team faces these problems that determine how they will come together. New members are seeing the impact that every player has on one another.

“Some people think because of the age difference — since we have seniors, juniors and sophomores — that it’d be different but everybody pretty much acts the same. We don’t act different than any other team,” sophomore Jayla Walker said.

The players who graduate leave a lasting impression on the girls stepping into the program. Former player and captain Alexis Jennings went onto The University of Kentucky. Her accomplishments drive the incoming varsity members to work their hardest and to have another winning season.

Robinson insists that the team friendships go farther than the court.

“My teammates have taught me to trust them. They really haven’t let me down. They’ve taught me how to trust people even when I don’t know them,” Robinson said.

Along with her teammates, Robinson also trusts her mom. While Robinson was growing up her mother was a single mom working hard to allow Robinson to have the opportunities she has had to play sports and participate in extracurricular activities. Her mom’s impact has encouraged her to reach goals she did not think she could.

“She tells me to go hard in everything and give it my all. She’s influenced me to do my best and to just accomplish what I can by never giving up,” Robinson said.

Buckhorn Bob Jones James Clemens Madison Academy Huntsville Hazel Green

Home Away Home Away Away Away

Jan. 20 Jan. 23 Jan. 27 Feb. 2

Madison Academy Bob Jones Johnson East Limestone

Home Home Away Home

McCall sticks around after star daughter moves on Will Bartel

Sports Editor

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lthough her daughter has graduated, Tracy McCall has remained on the coaching staff for the girls basketball team.

Alexis Jennings, McCall’s daughter and the team’s leading scorer a season ago, graduated and is now competing at the University of Kentucky. Kentucky is renowned for being a basketball powerhouse, with both its men’s and women’s basketball teams consistently ranking in the top 10 schools in the nation. McCall hopes to support her daughter even though she is playing 310 miles away.

“I will make it to as many Kentucky games as I can this season to see my daughter play. Fortunately for me, the nights that the women’s team plays are not the same nights that we play,” McCall said.

McCall has coached Jennings since she started playing basketball at the age of five. McCall got to see her daughter take another step in her basketball journey on Nov. 6 when Kentucky opened their season against Pikeville.

“Alexis is doing well right now. It’s a big transition between high school and college. It’s extremely competitive but we are anxiously awaiting her first game,” McCall said.

McCall’s basketball experience is not limited to coaching. McCall was inducted into the University of North Alabama Athletic Hall of Fame. McCall scored 1420 points while at UNA and averaged 20.2 points as a senior. She also set records such as highest field goal percentage in a season, 58.1, and most free throws made in a game, 19. Her experience as a player has helped her as a coach.

“Playing in college has helped me coach in the way that I won’t ask the girls to do anything that I

haven’t done before or experienced before and they know that. I think that helps them respect me as a coach,” McCall said.

McCall istheassistant coach for a team with high expectations. Last season the team made it to the final game but fell short against Shades Valley. Despite the team losing five seniors to graduation, seven seniors are on the team this year. Head coach Patrick Delay’s GIRL POWER. The team, considered to be in a rebuilding year, has already defeated Loachapoka, 63-26 Jeff Davis 65-44 and came in runner-up to Hoover in the first tournament of the year. The girls philosophy has stayed and hope to repeat their run at the state championship with returners and new comers. The team faces the same despite a area-foe Hazel Green in December. Photo by Greg Machen change in personnel.

“The coaching philosophy is the same “They have a lot of good players and so do we. We as it is every season. We focus on defense, rebounds are working harder so I don’t see them as a threat,” and turnovers. We feel that if we win in those senior Briann Ryce said. “I feel like they are a good categories, then the team has a good chance of being team, though.” successful,” Delay said.

In the meantime, the Lady Senators will take the McCall has confidence that the team can overcome time to watch their former classmate face off against the loss of its leading scorer.

SEC competition on television.

“I think the outlook for our team is very good. We “We are very excited to see Alexis play,” Ryce said. have seniors returning so we have experience, and “We are also excited to see Mayiah Rumph and Tori I think that this experience will help us in the long Brewer who signed scholarships last year.” run,” McCall said.

The team will face their biggest challenges in December when major area play begins and the team faces last year’s area runner-up Hazel Green.

Delayed Reaction “We weren’t able to win the championship against Hoover but now we know the level of play required to compete with the best in the state.”

---coach Patrick Delay on being runner-up in the Hoover Tournament

14

In-Depth

Nov. 20, 2014

The Crimson Crier

Finding ome

Photo by Tiffany Landers

Student shares personal account, adoption trials and tribulations Web Editor

Alone.

That is how I felt as a

child. I had parents, I had friends, but I needed something more.

I needed a sibling. I looked at my friends who had brothers and sisters and longed for what they had.

Despite all their claims that they hated their siblings with every fiber of their being, I wished and wished for a brother.

That wish was granted about 10 years later.

Levi came into my life when I was 15. His mother had given birth at the hospital, and then left him there alone. Without anyone to call “Mama” or “Papa,” my parents stepped in. We brought him home when he was only 11 days old.

My parents took to him immediately (as did anyone who caught a glimpse of him). They took him in as a foster child more than willingly and had high hopes of

adopting him. The road of adoption though, would prove to be difficult.

Before we could adopt Levi, we had to dance with lady liberty and everything her courts had to offer.

The mother decided that she would make an effort to keep the child.

So, we had to go through all the legal processes of allowing her to try to get herself together in order to pass as a suitable caretaker. This meant attending court sessions, reporting to social workers, and allowing the mother time alone with the baby. The entire process took 14 months.

The reason it took so long was because the court wants to try their hardest to make sure the original parent gets to keep their child, which is understandable. It is

always ideal to keep a family from being split apart. We had to wait for her to give a list of potential fathers, and then we had to wait for them to track those

“ loved

him or not (though I knew I was lying to myself). My mother would actually be kept up some nights crying, not knowing what the next day would hold, whether it would be the g o o d news she had been waiting for, the crushing blow that meant it was all over, or another d a y spent in agonizing limbo.

A life where he knew he would be

every minute of

every day.

people down and have them tested. We also had to wait for them to contact all of her family members who could possibly take care of the child. With no father, and no willing family members, she was the only thing standing between us and Levi.

It was a grueling thing to endure. I hardened my heart enough that I told myself I did not care whether we got to keep

“

Noah Lombard

Finally, the day came.

I was sitting in fourth block when I got a text from my mom. He was ours. I rushed home after school and received the news again in person.

They had taken Levi and signed the paperwork to make him legally ours.

My mother had sat in the backseat with him on the way there, and she said he did something unusual.

His face was beaming the

entire way, as if he knew he was about to enter into a new life. A life where he knew he would be loved every minute of every day.

Yes, he was ours; happy as we were though, the stress was not over. We were all constantly concerned over the slightest sign of a slow development. Not because we were all just overly worried because he was from the outside— no, we had a good reason for being afraid. He had been born nine weeks premature with cocaine in his system.

Every day seemed to pull us further into mystery, my mother suffering the worst of it all. Should he not be reaching for things by now? Should he not be crawling by now? Should he not have spoken his first word by now? All were questions that raced through our minds as he came to the supposed “milestones” for baby development. Though he gave us a scare near the beginning, he has shown us that all of our fears

were for naught. He can run, he can jump, and heaven help you if you mention “Mickey Mouse” around him.

There are some dangers in doing foster care. Sometimes you get to adopt the child you have cared for, other times you have them wrenched from your home after even years of keeping them. For us though, it all turned out alright. Except for the small occasions where he gets into things, he brings us so much joy. When people find out that we adopted him, they tell us how wonderful it is and how we must be such a blessing to him. All we can really tell them though, is that he is the one who is the blessing.

Though the entire process was extremely stressful and hard on our hearts, I would endure it all again sevenfold if it meant still getting to see his happy little face.

Nov. 20, 2014

The Crimson Crier

15

In-Depth

Teacher shares experiences, fosters love in local children Savannah Bullard News Editor

I

n every corner of the world, there are people who believe that foster care is only a charity for the unloved and hopelessly underprivileged. Yet, in most cases, this cannot be far from the actual truth. Photography teacher Eric Mittman and his wife Kym opened their home seven years ago to foster children. In that time, Eric and Kym have created a haven for small children who deserve a second chance at a worthy childhood.

“I have always loved children and have wanted to foster and adopt my whole life. God says to take care of the orphans so it seems pretty clear what I am supposed to be doing. The fact that I enjoy it is a bonus,” Kym said.

In agreement to Kym, Eric believes that the most important aspect of their work is that they are working through their faith while giving back to the community. As devout Christians, the Mittman family has used fostering as their way of expressing their beliefs, while enjoying all the love that comes with it. “[Fostering] was laid on our hearts to give back to the community. At first I was a little hesitant but it turned out to be an amazing thing. We felt like we gave these kids a safe place when they were with us,” Eric said.

Kym believes that fostering is quite a worthy cause for anyone who is capable.

She says that even though saying goodbye is tough, it is worth every moment to love her kids as if they were her own.

“It is true that you get attached, and letting them go is like grieving a death.

When they call you ‘mom’ or ‘dad,’ it melts and then breaks your heart,” Kym said.

“However I say how can you not [foster] if you are capable? These children are in need. How can we say no just because we risk getting hurt?”

Eric never planned on having a large family. He says that raising nearly half a dozen children is increasingly difficult on two teachers’ salaries. Yet with three kids of his own and two to three foster kids to add, the Mittman household is hardly ever quiet—and he likes it that way.

“It definitely humbles you when you think about all the things you have to do to take care of your normal life and family, and then you add more kids,” Eric said.

“People usually ask me ‘how do you handle all those kids,’ and there have been some hard times, but it’s been a very good experience.”

The Mittmans have fostered seven different little

ones, ages ranging from one to six years old. Three children have been from Guatemala and their most recent two children have been from the Huntsville area. Through fostering, the Mittmans have seen an entirely new perspective on life. The daily issues that underprivileged children face are far different than the issues of the well-to-do middle class.

“Sometimes the kids we foster come with WIC [food stamps].

So when you go to a grocery s t o r e a n d you’re

handing them food stamps it’s a little awkward,” Eric said.

“Our youngest son Landen has had to adjust the most…he shares a bedroom and his toys with the kids.”

And between all the love and fun, there have been hardships in the family. Some of the children the Mittmans have fostered have not been easy to care for.

And in one case, it was a rarity to feel like their purpose was being fulfilled at all.

“We have had a placement in which the child had mental health issues and tried to hurt our animals. She had—among other things—an attachment disorder, so it was very difficult to feel like we were doing any good in her life,” Kym said.

Despite the dark pasts these children have, the pros vastly outweigh the cons in the Mittmans’ lives. Kym knows that the job is tough, but she and Eric both agree that the job is “very rewarding.”

“Some of the kids we’ve had have never been to the pumpkin patch, have never had ice cream from an ice cream truck, have never celebrated Halloween or Christmas…and it is so amazing,” Eric said. “These kids were freaking out and having a blast and it’s cool that they just become part of the family.”

And the excitement never stops, according to Eric.

He says that the smallest things, such as reading a bedtime story, mean the world to his children. At the end of the day, the biggest thing that matters is the difference the Mittmans are making in the lives of the children who deserve a second chance.

“Even though this person has made bad choices as parents, you are still here to help them with their child and hope that they get their act together,” Eric said. “When the child is brought back into their home the parents can hit the ground running and give their children a normal life.”

But the fun and games does not last forever. The Mittmans hardly ever keep in touch with the children they’ve fostered. Eric says that their job is to “give the kids a happy and successful childhood.” Yet nothing softens the blow of losing contact with the children they grow to love.

“There is great satisfaction in knowing that you have given these kids a look at how a family can be [but] letting them go is like grieving a death,” Kym said. “The hardest thing is when they are going back into a situation that is not what you deem as ‘good enough.’ But then again when you love someone, is it ever good enough?”

Through all the issues that accompany the process, Eric feels as if he has done his work for the Lord well.

Although adoption is not a viable option as of now, the Mittmans love fostering and plan to continue to work in their faith until the Spirit is satisfied.

“I feel like I’ve gone the distance; but then again, God went the distance for us too,” Eric said. “I am open to [fostering forever], but then again if the Peace Core called and wanted me to go live for two years in a different country, I would be happy with that too.”

Local family overcomes medical struggles after adoption A& E Editor

B

“

oy! Ours! Five weeks old!”

Bill Mitchell* excitedly ended a phone call that would soon significantly transform the life of a local family. The miracle on the other side of the phone call was not in the form of a large check or an extravagant gift. This miracle had little arms and legs, and now a new family.

The Mitchell’s first year with Paul included swift and efficient reflexes. On an all but normal night, Paul’s adoptive mother Tracy discovered Paul squirming and gasping for air. Tracy stole Paul from his bassinet and rushed over to the Mitchell’s neighbor, who is a nurse. Soon after it was determined that Paul had a severe case of GERD, or gastro esophageal reflux disease.

“He was ‘spitting up,’ aspirating, and would stop breathing multiple times a day. It was at that point I realized this child was going to give me some serious gray hair, but every minute with him was one we relished,” Tracy said.

Paul was always a “typical” little boy growing up. He met every developmental milestone on time. The family believed that Paul was destined for great things.

When Paul was a year and a half old, his parents vowed to love him until the day they died in front of a local judge.

According to Tracy, it was the easiest promise in the world to make.

Though, something seemed wrong. Paul was still drooling at 18 months and was unsteady on his feet when he walked. The Mitchells took Paul to the ENT doctor thinking an inner ear issue was causing his unsteadiness.

After a meeting with the doctor, the doctor stated “I would bet my career this is neurological.” This worried the family. It was clear that the family knew that their love for Paul could withstand anything, even a possible medical condition.

A new appointment was then scheduled with a pediatric orthopedic doctor to check Paul’s muscles.

“The only muscle that was having an issue at that point was my heart. He [the doctor] told me that he too believed this to be a neurological condition.

It was becoming increasingly clear that there was something going on with our sweet boy. My insides twisted with just how hard this journey was becoming,” Tracy said.

A team of 11 medical specialists joined the Mitchells. Three days after Paul’s neurology appointment, the doctor called Paul back into the office. If he was on his best behavior, Paul would take a trip to the zoo after his appointment. Paul’s parents knew how much he wanted to see the animals.

“Paul has AtaxiaTelangiectasia.”

These foreign words had so much meaning but little understanding to the family.

“The information that came next from the doctor

was so overwhelming that everything inside of me went numb. My heart raced, and I began to sweat,” Tracy said. “‘Rare, progressive, terminal...’

The words all hit me like a ton of bricks, the weight of them crushing me. I blinked and fidgeted. I started to shift uncomfortably and just nodded my head. I vaguely remember him handing me papers. I had no clue what was on them,” Tracy

“

Boy!

His weakened immune system will cause him to have recurrent illnesses and he must receive weekly subcutaneous immunoglobulin therapy.

But, this diagnosis and the factors that go along with it do not alter Tracy’s love for her son.

“We truly believe it is our love and the love of those around us that have allowed Paul to really grow into the person he is today. He is a smart and resilient little boy. He teaches us daily what true character is all about,” Tracy said.

L i f e progressed for the family even if it looked vastly different than expected.

When Paul came into the master bathroom and said, “That’s it! I’m cutting this off!” in reference to his genitals, Tracy began to deliberate what she thought was a phase very seriously.

“I got down to my little guy’s level and looked into his puffy eyes and told him we wouldn’t be cutting anything off that day or any other day for that matter,” Tracy said.

The family began paying attention to Paul more closely. He loved Italian opera, playing with hair and baking.

He treated his toys as one would a baby. Paul’s parents would never have described their adoptive son as masculine to being with, but they decided to bring the issue up with Paul’s therapist.

“

April Oberman

Ours!

Five weeks old!

said.

Ataxia-Telangiectasia, or A-T, is a combination of all the symptoms of muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis and immune deficiency into one condition. Despite the diagnosis, the family went to the zoo just as they promised Paul. Tracy said it was the right thing to do.

Paul will be permanently wheelchair bound by age 10. He will experience he legs progressively giving out and crippling fatigue. His eyes will continue to move in ways he cannot control.

He has no control of his bladder, struggles with fecal incontinence, slurred speech, tremors and has a difficulty breathing.

The therapist made the assumption that Paul was merely gender nonconforming, though it still seemed that Paul was moving further and further away from his gender “norm.” However, Paul did know the difference between male and female. One night, Tracy decided to ask Paul directly about his thoughts. “’Paul, are you a boy or a girl?’ After a moment of sizing me up he responded with, ‘On the outside I am a boy, but in my head and in my heart I am a girl,’ It summed it up so clearly that I really didn’t know what else to say. There was no time for much follow up for he interrupted my thoughts with this question, ‘Mommy, if I make a wish on my stars, will my wish come true?’

‘I don’t know honey,’ was all I could respond with.

He sighed and quietly wished, ‘I really, really want to be a girl,’ My heart broke as it put me in a parenting position that I never imagined being in. As I’ve learned that’s when you have to do two very important things, trust your gut and double check with a professional,’” Tracy said.

Soon, Paul was asking to wear dresses and to be referred to with feminine pronouns.

The Mitchells watched every documentary and read every article and science journal on being transgender to try and find a solution.

On an early church morning, Paul raised her hand and voiced to the congregation that she is

a girl.

“There was really and truly no coming back from that. So we raised our white flag, bought her some girl clothes and let her live life as a girl.

We were scared of what everybody would say and think. This ‘phase’ was not a phase,” Tracy said.

Paul, also known to the Mitchells as Paula, was formally diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria by a psychologist. By this time, the family had endured false allegations to DHR, house, shed and car robberies and countless foul comments for Paula’s choices. Paula was even receiving hatred and abysmal care by medical professionals. The Mitchell family stood firm with the allegations and protected Paul.

“Raising a transgender child is just like raising a cisgendered one. She [Paula] still loves the same things as she did prior to transitioning. Now, her outside matches her inside and there is so much less stress in our home,” Tracy said. *Names changed to protect sources

To read about WHNT news 19 Lee Marshall‘s journey and her connection with foster kids:

16

News

Nov. 20, 2014

The Crimson Crier

One father allows his children to see the parade from greater heights (above left) as the Sparkman High School JROTC Program marches on the streets of downtown Huntsville (above center). Meanwhile, a family shows their patronage by dressing up as characters from the Revolutionary War (above right). Also, the hats of dozens of veterans are displayed on a table by the streets, representing the countless men and women who have fought for our country (below left).

with

LIBERTY JUSTICE ALL and

Editor-in-Chief Beryl Kessio captures some of the patriotism and appreciation displayed at the Veterans’ Day Parade on Nov. 12.

for

Alabama A&M University Marching Band performs in the parade (above).

The Buckhorn High School Marching Band makes an appearance in the parade (above), alongside one veteran family on horseback (below).

A soldier stands with his rifle in respect for the passing troops (above).

Children show their patriotism by wearing handmade hats and waving mini flags (above).

The parade is seen from a furry friend’s point of view (above left) and children stop for some much-needed snacking after the festivities. (above right).