October 2015 by crimsoncrier

the

Crimson

Crier Volume XXVI

Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2015

Salt Life

Student reveals love of sea, scuba diving experience

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Issue II

pg14

Beating the odds

Education budget runs dry, concerns citizens Savannah Bullard In-Depth Editor

he Alabama Legislature has approved a budget turnaround that the state has not seen in decades. With approved tax increase — notably, a 25 cent increase on cigarette sales — and an $80 million shift from the education trust fund to the general budget, we are looking at an approximate $200 million budget fill. “There are a lot of cuts in it. It’s not a good budget. It’s not a perfect budget,” Gov. Robert Bentley said in an al.com interview with Charles J. Dean. “We have struggled. We have worked so hard over this year to try to fundamentally change the way we budget in the state of Alabama.” While Bentley believes this bill is a fantastic way to bring Alabama out of crippling debt, educators and students are irate. The $80 million education transfer will put a sizable hole in the ETF, making it increasingly difficult to provide a proper fiscal cushion until the money is replenished. “The Education Trust Fund still has a portion of the use tax which was initially proposed to be completely removed from the ETF. Education was looking at losing $225 million in use tax revenues, but in the end, the approved General Fund budget settled on $80 million,” superintendent Matt Massey said in a weekly briefing to Madison County Schools faculty and staff. “Despite the changes, no major reforms occurred in the General Fund revenue stream, so we will likely be facing some of the same obstacles when the legislature returns in February.” A general complaint regarding the budget spans from teachers and students to state senators. And some state senators, like Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, believe that this is not a simple transfer: this is a robbery. “This [transfer of education money] is a cop out, a cop out by the Republicans who will not expand Medicaid and who will not raise taxes on the big businesses in this who do not pay their fair share. Instead, they are willing to put this on the back of school children,” Singleton said in a comment for al.com. Most believe that taking the money from the education trust fund is an asinine move, destined to ...this makes the public ask why our set Alabama schools up for failure. keeps taking “Punish one the children; step they don’t forward vote. Yet kids and two pay attention steps V really pay back attention,” an anonymous al.com commenter said in response to Bentley signing the budget. History teacher Chris Paysinger regards the budget as an “easy out” and says that the fate of the state of Alabama lies in the hands of people who would rather patch problems than fix them. “By establishing the Rolling Reserve a few years ago, they have found themselves a way for Alabama to take money from education when education has been a good steward of the money and had built up extra,” Paysinger said. “By taking money from the ETF, they have undermined any progress the state has made and will ever possibly make.” The proposed budget transfer is rumored to benefit Medicaid, prisons, Mental Health, Human Resources and the state court system. However, after the state closed almost all mental health hospitals in Alabama last spring, this makes the public ask why our legislature keeps taking one step forward and two steps back.

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Legislation

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Teacher shares cancer experience, road to recovery Sidney Al-Dijaili Reporter

ome teachers help us learn the basics of math and science, but others teach us much, much more. On Feb. 10, 2015, the life of history teacher Jodi Blanchette was forever changed. After collapsing in the attendance office, Blanchette was rushed to Huntsville Hospital. Following a series of tests, she and her husband learned the true severity of her condition. “The results came back and I was diagnosed with Central Nervous System (CNS) Lymphoma,” Blanchette said. “The tumor was on the right side of my brain spreading over to the left side. I remember the look on my doctor’s face when she said I had cancer. My husband and I were shocked.” After coming to terms with her diagnosis, Blanchette decided she was going to fight. On February 20, just 10 days after her diagnosis, Blanchette began an aggressive session of chemotherapy. “I never looked back,” Blanchette said. On March 23, after only three chemotherapy treatments, an MRI showed that the tumor had stopped spreading and was completely gone. “My doctor said that this was amazing,” Blanchette said. After three additional chemo treatments, the results of the first MRI remained the same. The consistency of the tests allowed Blanchette to start down the road of remission. Because CNS has a history of coming back, she had a stem cell transplant surgery to help prevent the cancer’s return. Since Aug. 24, Blanchette has been home recovering from the surgery. Though she is growing stronger everyday, the cancer’s effect still lingers. Along with the loss of her hair, Blanchette has limits to what she can and cannot eat. “I have a very strict diet, “ Blanchette said.”I cannot eat food that is not prepared by me. There is no going out to eat.” Cancer drastically changes its victims, but in some ways the situation

@TheCrimsonCrier The Crimson Crier

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teaches the patient — and the people who surround them — lessons about life. “I have always lived life to the fullest,” Blanchette said. “but this year has been given a whole new meaning. I have never been so scared in my life. I have changed in that I have learned not to sweat the little stuff.” Joy Monroe, who is subbing in for Blanchette until her return says, “It’s just a reminder that at any point your life can change and that when things get tough, you can fight and keep going.” The support of others has also changed Blanchette, while bringing people in her support group closer together. “I had the support of my family and friends, and people I did not even know praying for me,” Blanchette said. “I have always treasured the love from my family and friends, but this has elevated it to a whole new level.” In times of hardship, support from family and friends can truly change a situation reminding the victims that they do not stand alone. Monroe has been a part of Blanchette’s support group. “It’s nice to know that there are so many people at Sparkman who are nice and supportive of each other,” Monroe said. With the help of doctors, Blanchette is recovering and says that this year, she will be returning to the job — and the students — she loves. “I want my students to know that Mrs. Blanchette is a fighter and that I want them to embrace life,” Blanchette said. “The golden rule is just not to learn for the grade, but for the gift of knowledge.” Blanchette says that she followed this philosophy in communicating with her doctors during her treatment. She researched about all the different medical procedures and medications to be able to communicate intelligently with her doctors and used

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that knowledge to keep positive. “The knowledge that I was part of my health solution and not just part of the ride, I feel went a long, long way in giving me a very positive outlook towards beating this cancer,” she said. Throughout her battle

Found Inside

with cancer, Blanchette has learned so much to help fellow cancer patients struggling with their diagnosis’. “The advice I would give to a patient that was just diagnosed is to never give up,” Blanchette said.

STEP BY STEP. Teacher Jodi Blanchette smiles for the camera as she walks to regain strength. Blanchette hopes to be healthy enough to return to work by the end of the year. Photo courtesy of Jodi Blanchette

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News pgs. 2-3, 16 Opinion pgs. 4-6 Lifestyles pgs. 7-9 A&E pgs. 10-11 Sports pgs. 12-13 In-Depth pgs. 14-15

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The Crimson Crier

2 Oct. 15, 2015

New character education program takes hold Reporter

Contentment others. “Having these values, ResponsibleAyctiv t e students form the attitudes and Ambitious ni g Peaceful i actions that are the hallmark

always go over and beyond the call of duty. With that being said, every adult in this Leadership Humility of safe, healthy and informed building is a character ity educator by virtue with s communities that serve as the er foundation of our society,” ivion students,” Askew said. D it Askew said. “All adults are role b Past character education Kind models. We will make m A programs consisted of words of the every effort to see that Loving Leadership this program does not fail week and bulletin board material. Focused These programs failed. Askew hopes again. Our students are too that reinventing the program will important to us.” allow it to succeed. Robotics teacher “We have an excellent Rachel Simons feels faculty and staff here that previous at Sparkman attempts H i g h a t School. They

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ssistant principal Cheryl Askew has been given the task of overhauling the school’s character education program. This new program will focus on building character in the student body. “Since students spend over 900 hours per year in school, we as teachers and administrators need to be proactive in helping develop supportive environments where students can develop into healthy, caring and hardworking members of society. I feel it is our job to help build character in these young men and women,” Askew said. The goal of the program is to teach students to understand, care about and act on core ethical values such as respect, justice, civic virtue, citizenship and responsibility for self and

Kind-hearted

character education have failed due to the lack of follow through by the administration. She thinks character education should be valued. “Students need to have help with ethical and moral direction. Students really do not realize how much what they do right now has consequences for the future,” Simons said. Askew’s program will include a student of the month. The faculty will nominate students monthly based on special qualities and for displaying the character education word of the month. A ceremony to honor the students will be held monthly in the school media center. Askew feels just being nominated for the award is a big deal. “This award means that teachers have noticed special qualities in the students,” Askew said.

Kind Open-Minded Meek Wise Endurance

Legislation cont. from pg 1 “It does not address the problem that Alabama has a broken tax system,” Paysinger said. “Alabama has more loopholes than anyone can even remotely imagine in the tax codes. If we don’t improve the state overall, we’re not going to improve as a state.” And this is not just a case of switching around some numbers. About $222,000 of education trust fund dollars has been spent on out-of-state airfare, food, mileage and lodging for legislators, according to Inside Alabama Politics journalist Bob Lowry. So not only has general purposes shrunk what little is in the ETF, but some of that finite money has been wasted on leisure for legislators. This brings up the fact that these government officials, the very ones who are using precious dollars for their own personal benefit, are the ones who will make the decisions about Alabama economics and change the fate for educators and schools statewide.

Griefgroup,counselorprovideopportunityforhealing,comfort Emily Baucum

Social Media Editor

enth grade counselor Donna Halcomb intends to fill a void in the school’s counseling services by creating the Grief Group, a program dedicated to helping students who have lost a loved one cope with loss.. This idea sprouted in Halcomb’s mind at the beginning of her career and she has continued to take it from school to school with her. She has dealt with the same grief as every other student that has lost a loved one. A while back, one thing led to another and one evening she welcomed Hospice into her life. “Hospice is an amazing program,” Halcomb said. “One of the things that they do is if a family has a family member that is terminally ill, they actually come into your home and provide complete services for that family.”

Halcomb experienced this firsthand when her father was diagnosed terminally ill. Hospice provides a doctor who is accessible at any time, a social worker and a Chaplin to help the family during the death process. “They offered us counseling services for everyone in the family after he passed. They came to the funeral and sat with the family, right next to us, to wrap their arms around us,” Halcomb said. They have another program where individuals transition through elementary, middle and high schools offering their help, completely free. One just has to simply call and ask. Senior Jazmin Strait came to Halcomb with the idea to incorporate this group into the school. “I want to let everybody know that they’re not alone through it. It’s really nice because I started a group at my old school in Oklahoma,” Strait said. “It would be nice to have something started

here. I know a lot of people here have cancer or are going through it, whether it be them or someone else, and I want them to know that there are people who they can talk to.” One example of an activity in Grief Group is a memory box. Each member will receive one blank white box. Members will be encouraged to put any recollection or memory they have of their loved you that passed away. They can write whatever they want on it and put whatever they want inside of it. “It can be something simple to start with and it can be something that will grow throughout the years,” Halcomb said. It does not matter the age with grief group, if one loses someone close to them, they will go through those stages of grief. Whether they be a six year old in first grade, a middle school student, a high school student or an adult, everyone goes through those same stages of grief.

OUT OF THE BOX Students use nmemory boxes to reconnect with the memories of their loved ones. Photo Illustrated by Hayleigh Pitts

“The first stage is shock. The second stage is denial. The third stage is anger. The fourth step is depression and then recovery,” Halcomb said. “It’s important for them to understand when they’re feeling that way, or for a parent to understand if their child is expressing anger in such a way they’ve never seen. It’s grief. It’s a stage

and what we try to do is to let anyone get stuck in a stage. Interested students should sign up in Halcomb’s office. The group will meet every other Tuesday for six weeks or until there is good enough closure to begin a new group. Members will meet in the conference room in the library during third period.

“Unfortunately I can’t do it during every lunch period but third is the longest period,” Halcomb said. “During that time, we will do a lot of activities that will help the students deal with a loss. The first groups I really want to be for someone who has lost a parent, a brother, a sister or someone who has played the role of a parent.

Principal encourages community service Patrick Rickles Web Editor

ith the administration changes and other new policies coming this year, the administration has decided to make a new rule that will help improve the community and the school as a whole. Principal Chris Shaw has suggested a new rule that states that all clubs should consider participating in some sort of community service. “I think it’s important for clubs to give back to the school and to give back to the community,” Shaw said. Shaw was surprised when he learned about the former policy on clubs and community service. Before, clubs were not encouraged to do any community service, although some clubs such as the basketball team and key club do them anyway. “I was under the assumption that this policy was already in

place, that clubs do require some type of community service,” Shaw said. Shaw saw the need to add to clubs’ traditions of helping others by stressing the importance of being involved in the community to every club. This will help increase the amount of time that students are out improving the community. He believes that this new rule will help strengthen the school’s reputation and focus on what is most important: helping those in need. “I think that doing a couple of activities that benefit the community is a good thing,” Shaw said. Most organizations and clubs already do community service in addition to their activities. The football team’s “Walk 4 Water” event is one example of their contributions to the community. Another organization that relies heavily on volunteer work is the National Hon-

or’s Society. Members of this organization are expected to work over 50 hours in the community. Sponsor Emily Pate has recently taken over the organization, but already has opinions on how students, and people in general, should view community service. “I think that anytime people, students or not,can help one another it shows selflessness and it shows gratitude for what you have,” Pate said. With various clubs and sports already participating in community service, Shaw’s announcement encouraging charity may influence clubs to begin to support those in need. This may be the key to helping Sparkman become a more prevalent part of the community. “I think a lot of these things not only make our school stronger, they make our community stronger,” Shaw said.

PRO

{opinion}

Media platforms connect world like never before Erin Stender Editor-in-Chief

ocial media is ruining communication. What has the world come to?” You hear it everywhere, but does it hold true? Sure, communication has evolved from pens and paper or face to face but has it truly become obsolete? Social media has shaped the story of the 21st century. It has opened the floodgates of communication and made the world a smaller place, connecting humanity and paving the way for a new world of collaboration and innovation. Social media is bringing more and more people together each andeveryday. On Aug. 27, 2015 over one billion people logged into Facebook all at once. People from all walks of life are being brought together through the power of social media. A 17 year old boy in Harvest, Alabama now has the ability to interact and connect with someone previously inaccessible, say artist Taylor Swift or author John Green. Social media has shed light on the vibrant day to day life and cultures outside of what one knows. Suddenly, an American finds someone on Tumblr from India who has the same interests or an Spainish subscribes to a British Youtuber’s channel who brightens their day. Social media has allowed for acceptance and has brought human beings closer than ever. As technology advanced, so did media, becoming more efficient and easy to access. In this very second, over 10,777 tweets are being sent, over 2,721 pictures are being uploaded to Instagram, one hour of video content is being added to Youtube, etc, etc. News, pictures, novels and much, much more are being spread like wildfire. On June 15, 2009, the New York Times published an article analyzing the power of social media in regards to a movement in Iran, an antigoverment fight against the limit on Internet access and communications throughout the country. Citizens used social media as a way around the restrictions of traditional state media control. The article, written by Brad Stone and Noam Cohen notes that “Iranians are blogging, posting to Facebook and, most visibly, coordinating their protests on Twitter…” The Iranian people began to label their antigoverment demonstrations as the “Twitter Revolution.” People found hope amongst one another through Facebook, through Twitter. Social media is not just something to rant about your math grade on, it is a tool that can spark revolutions and spread change. In a nytimes.com article, published on Sept. 19, 2015, journalists Farhad Manjoo and Mike Issac dicuss Ahmed Mohamed,

the 14-year-old boy in Texas who was detained for bringing a “hoax bomb” aka a handmade clock to school, and the power of social media. Without social media, this “moment of contemplation for the whole country” would be left an “unknown local issue.” In an article published by CNN headlined The upside of selfies: Social media isn't all bad for kids, journalist Kelly Wallace reports on a study by the nonprofit child advocacy group Common Sense Media. The study found that 28 percent of teens surveyed in a pool of more than 1,000 13- to 17-yearolds said social networking made them feel more outgoing versus 5 percent who said it made them feel less so. Twenty-nine percent said it made them feel less shy versus the 3 percent who said it made them feel more introverted. When polled on relationships with friends, 52 percent of teens said social media has made them better versus just 4 percent who said it has negatively affected those relationships. So where does the stigma come from? It seems that the fear of change and the “unknown” have been targeted and that same apprehension has spread throughout traditional media. It’s time we stop blaming social media and instead blame ourselves.

Nowadays, social media is seen as just another mundane part of life, not as a miraculously petite source of infinite information. Social media is an incredible tool in the arsenal of progression and should be treated as such. It is an invention created at the height of human innovation. The world is changing. We cannot go back, and nor should we. Of course, social media will have downsides — everything good does (public school, anyone?) — but the benefits far outweigh these fears. We should not be afraid to move forward. Social media offers us access to instant news and communication. It has blown the doors right open on human collaboration. It has offered humanity tools for the future. And so I challenge you, reader, to move forward, undaunted and embrace this new age of human collaboration.

To say that social media is detrimental is to lie through your teeth. Talk to an elder and they

12 % GOOD will tell you about the days of letters and telegrams. They grew up with newspapers in their hands, not CNN. Naysayers take for granted how easily communication across the country and the world is now. They curse Twitter, even as their hands graze the keys to a Facebook post. “Cyber-bullies!” they cry in defense, but bullies are a fact of life. True Instagram can be a new weapon in their arsenal, but without it, would they be any less vicious? Social media has found itself in the “misunderstood” boat, when it is purely just evolution of communication. All this is not to say that there is not value in faceto-face interaction, nor that social media cannot hold negative effects. It definitely does — cyberbullying and some self-absorption, to name a few — but overall the spreading of knowledge has changed the world for the better. Social media allows for everyone, from London’s wealthiest billionaire to Syria’s oppressed child a chance to be heard and have direct access to knowledge. This access to knowledge can impact lives and influence history.

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The Crimson Crier Sept. 17, 2015

Unplugging brings teenagers back to a healthy life

Savannnah Bullard In-Depth Editor

ll throughout the day, teenagers are constantly flipping through their phones. It is a vicious cycle: check in on Facebook, subtweet a few snarky remarks, snap a selfie, document the entire event on Instagram and repeat. And this can all be done during something as simple as lunchtime. Social media, while trendy and entertaining, has taken over the way time is spent. Nowadays, leaving a cellphone sitting idly by can cause such a whirlwind of anxiety because teenagers

cannot go without their apps for too long. It’s ridiculous. People are missing the

little things that make life beautiful because their eyes cannot stray from the screen. Teenagers get so caught up in what is trending that they lose sight of what is truly important. And not only can social media be harmful, but it can be dangerous. Since smartphones became everyday household objects, teenagers have been exposed to sending explicit messages — better known as “sexting.” Popular photo-sharing applications, specifically Snapchat, make it easy to believe that sending a four to five-second explicit photo is carefree, fun and safe. Yet most teenagers do not know how dangerous it is to utilize the Internet and throw their own bodies on social media. Research done by

Do you spend at least 2 hours on social media everday? NO 36 %

YES 64 % Is social media good, bad or both?

the Internet Watch Foundation estimated that 88 percent of “self-made explicit images” are stolen from their original upload location. This means that “safely” sending a pornographic photo, believing it is gone after the allotted time limit,

6% BAD

BOTH 82 % Why do you use social

media?

5% NON E % H 13.5 P UP WIT KEE S D N E FRI

79 %TH BO

2.5 % NEW S

is ultimately impossible. “Psychology Today” magazine also notes that risqué photos sent through sites like Snapchat are often retrieved by pornography sites and can be made available to the public. PT also states that the average age of “sexters” varies from 16 to 17 years old and 28 percent of these teens have admitted to sending a sext. It is sickening to believe that young adults are putting their livelihoods in danger for a few seconds of sexual thrill. The consequences are dire and the danger is real: relying on social media, especially sexting, can be incredibly harmful — even life-altering — to teenagers and young adults. There have been a myriad of studies devoted to figuring out what excessive social media does to teenagers and what qualifies as “excessive” use. Bradford Health Services, an organization that centers around addiction and intervention, has researched what it means to have a genuine social media addiction. One article states that if people find themselves “becoming so

absorbed in social media that you are neglecting work or school, ignoring your family and pets and withdrawing from people and activities you used to enjoy,” there may be a problem. When social media is allowed to eclipse everything else and the user soon fails to fulfill responsibilities because of it, that is the picture perfect example of living an imbalanced and dysfunctional life. Social media has been known to cause stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation and even depression. If improperly used, constantly making social networks a priority in life does the complete opposite of what being connected is supposed to do. Improper use of social media disconnects the user from reality, throwing them into a whirlpool of virtual oblivion. We lose touch with the “real world” and our lives become fiction, relying on 140 characters and 6-second videos to tell our stories for us. It is heartbreaking to believe that a tiny screen can resonate louder than who uses it. I realized that I had become a victim of becoming too “plugged-in.” I always complained of being exhausted and I constantly said I was way too busy. What I did not see was that being on my phone and laptop was a defining factor in why I never had time to spare. So, after countless nights of avoiding sleep in order to keep up with all the latest posts and photos and neglecting homework and family time, it was decided that enough was enough. Sleeping in class and relying on coffee and sheer willpower to survive was becoming a struggle and something needed to be done. So my mother configured my home Wi-Fi to automatically turn off at 10 p.m. every weeknight. While this sounds like capital punishment to some, it proved to change my entire perspective on social media and how it is used. I got at least seven hours of sleep each night, books were dusted off and finally read, homework was done long before the wee hours of the morning. It has been great. This little project, along with what I see on a daily basis, opened my eyes to the fact that social media really can be a monster. Being dependent on apps was unnecessary and extremely unhealthy, and I slowly began to reacquaint myself with the beauty of simple, organic, physical interaction. The biggest thing I have learned from unplugging is that life moves fast and it stops for nobody. I do not want to miss the beauty of my life because my face stays buried in a screen. Teenagers need to realize that there is a lot of good that comes from social media: it is a handy tool that can be used for plenty of great things. However, there are dangers and loopholes that need to be observed. There are limits that need to be placed and all it takes is a little willpower to plug back into "real" reality.

{opinion}

The Crimson Crier Oct 15, 2015

Our Our Alabama legislature transfers money View : to make up for lost expenses R

ecently, the Alabama Legislature approved the transfer of $80 million dollars from the Educational Trust Fund to the general fund. It has also been stated by a handful of state senators that this transfer, while made under good intentions, is more of a robbery than a transaction. To add to this initial upset, the transfer was originally supposed to be $225 million. This tidbit is surprising, seeing that a quality education is vital for the future of our children. Despite this fact, moving

Kenzie’s

Corner Corner

McKenzie Ashmore Opinion Editor

s my birthday approaches, I wonder about the world lying ahead. What can come from turning 18? There are a variety of milestones throughout our lives, but turning 18 is one of the biggest we will face. We come head-to-head with issues and experiences we never dreamed we would be in. The problems our parents stressed over for years are presented to us in small doses and we learn to cope as we transition into adulthood. We begin to understand what the world has in store. Though it can be stressful, the age of 18 signifies becoming an adult. Adulthood means making decisions. With making our own decisions comes the chance of falling on our face, hard. The question is: should we be afraid of failure? The answer is simple, no. We should not fear failure. Mistakes have a way of teaching us the right from the wrong. Fearing failure will only hold us back from our

the money is indirectly neglecting students and educators, who should be first priority. It is not a secret that the Alabama tax system is crippled and outdated. Sin and vice taxes -- like relying on a 25 cent cigarette tax to offset a fraction of the General Fund debt -- has always been like a refuge for Alabama legislatures. We understand that measures have to be taken in order to account for what is missing, but this does not mean that the ETF and educational institutes themselves should be hit.

It seems that this issue has continued for years, yet not a thing has been changed in how we approach the situation. The ending idea is always, ‘lets just cut this much, it’ll be alright’. Sadly, it has not helped. Even the tax raise in cigarettes has not helped as tremendously as one might think. No matter how high the number of individuals that buy tobacco is, a 25 cent increase will not dramatically affect millions of dollars. In the eyes of millions of dollars, 25 cents is merely nothing.

If we are cutting as much as we are from different departments, then maybe it is time that we get our act in order. Let’s stop thinking that it is permissible to steal money from other departments. Let’s stop thinking that by raising a few taxes on a few items will solve our problems. It is time that we sit down and come up with a solution. So for the future of not only our state but every department in our legislature, it is time for us to make a change and get our priorities under control.

Turning 18: What is it about? true potential. So instead of tucking our tails between our legs with overwhelming fear, let’s face our failure with confidence, laugh at the mistakes we have made and move on. Becoming an adult does not just mean making the small decisions, there are also grandeur ones. One of the most talked about decisions we make as an 18-year-old is voting. The chance to select our nation’s future leader and dedicate our time to the process. This decision is as many are, important. But the importance of this specific decision can effect our country as a whole. One may ask, why does this matter? Statistic by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University, indicated that 21.5 percent of youth age 18 to 29 voted in the 2014 election. There are around 46 million youth eligible to vote, of those individuals around 9 million voted in the 2014 election. Those votes alone could make all the difference in who runs our country. Becoming knowledgeable about candidates can only allow for the best decision of our president. This decision can make or break us as a nation. The best option for all children becoming newfound adults is to pay attention to politics.Then, make

a choice and vote. What else does turning 18 entail? The chance to finally decide on what permanent ink design or piercings we want to get without our parents’ consent. Tattoos and piercings have become exceedingly popular amongst our generation. According to the Statistic Brain Research Institute, 36 percent of U.S. citizens ages 18 through 25 have at least one tattoo. As for earlobe piercings, 83 percent of the U.S. population has their earlobes pierced. Piercings and tattoos have overtaken the years just before turning 18. The constant scrolling of Pinterest, Google and a multiplicity of websites for the perfect design take over our lives. We plan for this chance of freedom and a chance to have new, meaningful art decorating our bodies. We finally get to make a decision on our own. These factors may be polar opposites, but both symbolize our chance to change the life we live. It is our chance to change the nation. It is our chance to decide. We should not scurry or hide from our responsibilities. We must face them head on. Do not be afraid of turning 18, instead let’s thrive from what we have learned and make our adulthood the best it could ever be.

Hiding behind screen names does not make cyberbullying right Zane White Video Editor

he sun went down hours ago, but the luminescent glow of the laptop’s screen is too luring to leave. Instead of lips, fingers fly creating words across the page with only one key difference. These words may not feel to belong to the creator. They might come from a name created by them. A screen name: a name that may alter if not completely warp the personality of the user is being used, and how that is used has a huge impact on not only the user but others as well. Every individual has done it at some point, posting something that we would never actually say in person. Whether it is a rude comment or outright insulting, we still do it. We hide behind a screen name and hurt others. It seems a

little hypocritical when it is thought about. All of us have been hurt online by words someone else has posted, but at the same time we do it ourselves. We cyberbully. Screen and user names are used to protect the user and sadly, that only goes so far. Those names will not save us from others trying to hurt us. We will still see other’s words and thoughts. On the other hand it is thought that a screen name protects someone when they decide to be hurtful to others. That is simply not the case. Again, the screen name can only protect us so far. Nothing online is private no matter how protected or safe we think we are. If someone sends hurtful messages, spreads rumors, posts hurtful or threatening messages online, circulating mature pictures of someone and a myriad of other offenses, legal action can be taken against the bully. If something is posted, know Policy

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@TheCrimsonCrier

The Crimson Crier is an open forum for free expression by the Sparkman High School Community. The Crimson Crier is a student-run publication produced in the state of Alabama. All final design, reporting and content decisions are the responsibility of the student journalists of Sparkman High School under the guidance of their adviser. The views articulated in The Crimson Crier do not necessarily represent the views of the entire staff, Sparkman High School or the Madison County school district. Copies are distributed to the faculty, staff and student body free of charge. The Madison County Record prints 2,000 copies, eight times yearly.

that others might be hurt and that hurt might very well take a toll on their life, or take it all together. A study by Yale University shows that victims of bullying are almost 9 percent more likely to consider suicide. In contrast to the saying, stick and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me, words do damage people. They do hurt. Remember that next time a mean message might be sent. It is true that words hurt but there is another side to this story. Not all posts are meant to hurt people yet people choose—yes choose— to allow these words to hurt them. We live in a day and age where people are so easily offended that it has reached a point of complete ridiculousness. The saying sticks and stones may break my bones, only works if you refuse to let the words hurt. Everyone must do their part to make the saying true. Yes, words can hurt, but we do 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. 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.

Photo illustration by Hayleigh Pits not always have to let them. Ignore the message, report it and forget it because it is not worth being hurt over. Most of those people that want to hurt us are only doing that to make themselves feel better and if that is what you have

to do to be happy than they most likely may even have it worse than those being bullied. All of us look at this problem and want it fixed but at the same time we are the problem. If anyone wants the issue of cyberbullying

Editor-in-Chief......................Erin Stender

and hiding behind a screen name taken care of then the first step is to stop it when we do it ourselves. Read that message before it is sent and think of how it would feel if that message was sent to us ourselves.

Social Media Editor..........................Emily Baucum

News Editor.........................Aiesha Desarme Opinion Editor.....................McKenzie Ashmore

Reporters..........................................Sidney Al-Dijaili, Parker Boothe, Griffin Gonterman, Jacob Gray, Cameron Harbin, Mya Harrell, Tessa Jackson,

Lifestyles Editor..................Victoria Lewis

Jaida Johnson, Kaylyn Jones, Hayleigh Pitts,

Sports Editor........................Aliyah Thompson

Erikka Samuel, Charlotte Stanley, Ania Stover,

A&E Editor.................................Libby Reid

Makayla Tomaino, Jasmine Turner, Hailey Watts, Christian White, Zane White and Jake Wilson

In-Depth Editor........................Savannah Bullard

Freelance Artists...........Kayla Wagner, E.J. Jerez

Copy Editor...........................Jonathan Hatchett

and Dwaist Hughes

Website Editors....Hannah Cox and Patrick Rickles Photo Editor..........................Madison Harding Managing Editor.........................Nick Arnold Business Editor......................Camille Herren

Adviser.........................Erin Coggins, MJE

{opinion}

The Crimson Crier Oct. 15, 2015

Autumn: basic girlsf

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Libby Reid A&E Editor

ach autumn brings along crisp air, changing leaves and pumpkin spice lattes, but the true “coming of fall” can be seen when the high school fashionistas break out the leggings and leather riding boots. It is true. Fall is for “basic” girls. To understand this phenomenon, let us try the old “you might be” thought process. You might be basic if your favorite fall drink is a pumpkin spice latte, or PSL. Nothing screams basic like walking through the courtyard on a brisk school day morning with your hot

coffee your

hand. Let us face it: if you had let yourself sleep rather than getting up early to grab it, you would not even need it. Only the dedicated and elite can afford to be this basic. You might be basic if you go pumpkin picking with your ‘punkin.’ Every fall, porches are littered with various types of pumpkins and gourds. But as any basic girl should know, you never (and I mean never) go

for scarves, lattes

p u m p k i n every morning, put on your p i c k i n g leggings, sweater, boots and a l o n e . then search for the perfect scarf. The scarf is everything. Fall is known for switching cold chain necklaces for Whether warm knitted scarves. Being you take basic requires owning at least your best friend, five, if not more. boyfriend or You might be basic if you potential bae- you are a crazed football fan who go with someone. does not know jack squat An Instagram about football. If you are picture involving on Twitter every game day a caption such as hashtagging and supporting “falling for fall!” is your team. When game required. time comes around, you You might sit down on the couch with be basic if you phone in hand and tell accessorize all of all your followers a short your outfits with a synopsis of your thoughts on scarf. You get up every play. Yet, if you were asked to name five players, you would struggle to do so. There is no shame in this. Another fan (no matter how

clueless) adds to the support. You might be basic if your most recent emojis contain autumn leaves and coffee cups. Having these emojis in your “recents” just makes it obvious that you are excited about the changing colors in the trees and the aroma of freshly brewed drinks. Who would not be? It is the simple things like this that make fall so enjoyable.

Syrian situation calls for Middle East to step up Griffin Gonterman Reporter

ore than four years have passed since the beginning of the Syrian Civil war and there is still no end in sight. The projected population of Syria this year is around 22 million people. Of these people, more than half of the population have been forced to leave their homes. At least 7.6 million people are internally displaced within Syria’s border. So far more than four million have fled to neighbouring countries as refugees. Most refugees have relocated primarily to Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan. Increasing numbers are attempting to reach Europe at all costs. Germany looks to be taking around 800,000 applications for

asylum this year and could be taking around 500,000 more annually. The United Kingdom may be taking 20,000 over the next five years. Many more European nations are taking in refugees. The United states have been pressured into providing asylum for the refugees. The United States and Syria are separated by nearly 6,500 miles so why is it such a big deal for us to take in refugees? Is it because we're a world superpower? Russia, who is also a world superpower, has refused to take in refugees and have blamed the west for the European migration crisis. In 2012, one year after the Civil war had started in Syria, Russia proposed a peace deal with Western powers for Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad to step

down. This deal could have ended the civil war and prevented one of the biggest refugee migrations since the second world war. This just shows that the U.S is not as strong or smart as other world superpowers and could eventually fall off the top from major debt and poor leadership. Another region includes the Gulf states in the middle east that include the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Most of these countries have said no to the refugees for irrational reasons. These two groups are Muslim brothers. I want to know why they would not take them in. The United States could easily take in 10,000 refugees as President Obama has proposed but plans to bring them in by

Photo courtesy of Griffin Gonterman the 100,000s would not be a good idea, especially since we already have an immigration problem at our border. What we need to do as a country before we start bringing in large quantities of refugees who we do not even know who they are and have been told they are mostly young men is to fix our national debt at almost

$19 trillion and resolve the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who migrate here every year. Whether we should find a better way for South and Central Americans to come here legally, gain citizenship and do all the things that any other legal immigrants would have to do, or if it's to keep them from coming here all

at once. If we do bring in random unknown Syrian refugees, we should take in more women and children than men for obvious reasons. In the end it should be other Middle-Eastern countries who should step up and take these refugees in, not countries on the other side of the planet or across an ocean or sea.

Cecil the lion incident proves more compassion needed Jasmine Turner Reporter

magine you are on a safari in Africa, standing in awe of the wildlife that the world possesses. While hearing birds chirp among the treetops, you admire the lions playing from afar. As you observe the creatures in the distance, you snap a photo with your camera to capture the absolute beauty that you are witnessing before your eyes. Now envision a world, without such elegance and beauty, that is taken away because a poacher decides to destroy life that

beholds meaning to the world. A dentist from Minnesota, Walter J. Palmer, was found innocent of poaching charges for murdering a cherished creature of nature. Cecil the lion was a beautiful blackmaned lion that drew crowds at Zimbabwe Hwange National Park in Africa. In Africa, the penalty for poaching is up to ten years in prison or a fine of

Cartoon illusration by Marshall Johnson

$100,000 or more. Palmer was not charged and he claimed that he “relied on expertise of local guides.” Why was the dentist found not guilty when he was the person who shot the arrow and the gun? African officials should not have let Palmer go on bail, because he slaughtered a well-known animal that is part of the endangered species. The

endangered species should be protected from these poachers, but most of the killers are not even caught. Instead of putting the blame on himself, Palmer accused the professionals for his cruel act. The park guides on the tour are not responsible for Palmer’s misconduct. He killed an animal that was special to the community and to the world. For that, a measly $1,000 bail was not the proper punishment. This man is among the various reasons why animals are diminishing by the numbers. The laws protecting animal poaching seem exceptionally vague. A hunter is able to kill a lion if they pay a set amount of money. An animal's life can not be bought with any amount of money. It seems like the hunters are provided with the ability to kill any exotic animal without repercussions, if they pay to do so. Killing an animal for no

purpose is not illegal; with a proper license you can hunt in certain areas. The laws do not proclaim that a hunter can not shoot a certain animal, therefore they can shoot a cheetah on public land. More elaborate laws on poaching could stop the death of endangered animals. If anymore endangered animals, such as the African Lion, continue to be killed by poachers, they will eventually die out and the poachers would not be punished. Cecil the lion suffered a slow death— but not only that—he spent the majority of his life in a national park, where he was merely an “amusement” to tourists. We as human beings enjoy watching nature and marveling at their beauty, but our way of doing so is capturing animals and “taming” them. Animals deserve the free will that we as humans are given. They should have the right to raise their young and

roam the land as we have the opportunity to do so. They can not live a normal life if they are placed in cages and examined by tourists. We can enjoy their existence while they are in their natural habitat. By doing this, we are not inconveniencing them, nor disturbing them. We are not only harming these animals, but we do not even take a second glance as to what is happening to the species. Not only are they dying from being held in captivity, but poachers are hunting them and killing them as a “prize.” The government has provided protected areas for endangered animals, such as Cecil, which is a part of the African Lion species. It is hard to visualize a person killing an animal for fun. Hunting an animal for food is one thing, but taking its life for no reason makes absolute no sense. Animals have life and they serve a purpose in the world just as we do. If we alter nature, we alter the beauty of life itself.

{lifestyles}

The Crimson Crier

6 Oct. 15, 2015

Senior athlete mentors Harvest Elementary student ASSIST. Practicing before school, senior Cris Gill mentors Nehamiah Pearson about the game of basketball. Gill and Pearson feel that they are a perfect match and have become like brothers. Photo by Hayleigh Pitts

Aliyah Thompson Sports Editor

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h e n basketball coach Jamie Coggins told his team about the need for mentors at Harvest Elementary School, senior Cris Gill was the first person to volunteer. It was an opportunity that he simply could not pass up, having understood the need for a positive role model. Gill grew up never knowing his father, while his mentee Nehemiah Pearson lost the father he once had. Gill knew all too well the struggles of growing up without a father, much less a father figure, as he had no choice but to figure out on his own what being a man meant and apply it to himself. “I just had to mentor him. Not because of Coach Coggins telling us we had to, [but] because of the fact that he lost his dad. I know where [he’s] coming from. I’ve been from house to house, from parent [to relative], and never had a father figure in my life,” Gill said. “I’ve grown up with my little brother all [of] my life. And he doesn’t have a father, so

we [both don’t have] dads. I would try to be his older brother [and his] father because my mom couldn’t do it. She can’t teach him how to be a man. [So] I would try to teach him how to be a man. And that’s what I want to do for Nehemiah.” The basketball players visit the school twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Gill has only been acting as Pearson’s mentor for a month. Although they have spent a short amount of time together, Pearson has started to exhibit the beginnings of a new and improved attitude. “ I noticed a change the second time I came. He was more happy, because the first time I met him he was quiet and the second time he was more into talking to me,” Gill said. Despite Pearson being the mentee, he has unintentionally managed to open Gill’s eyes to a different perspective.

“I told him [that] if he’ll be good, I’ll buy him a pair of socks. So when I gave him a pair of socks, [I’d] never seen him smile that big,” Gill said. “To me, it was just socks. But I used it in the same form. If somebody gave me something I really wanted, I’d be happy too.” Gill and Pearson often discuss school, sports and Gill helps Pearson with math, which he struggles in but considers his favorite

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him pick through the socks.” Among the other things they regularly discuss, is Pearson’s behavior. Before Gill started mentoring him, he was constantly getting into trouble, fighting and refusing to do his work. “He probably doesn’t get in trouble at home, so he brings it to school, thinking it’s okay. We talk about him not getting in trouble, not talking back a lot, not putting his hands on other

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“Ijusthadtomentorhim.Not becauseofCoachCogginstelling uswehadto,[but]becauseofthe factthathelosthisdad.Iknow where[he’s]comingfrom.” - Senior Cris Gill

subject. There is also one particular topic that never fails to catch Pearson’s attention and excitement. Socks. “We talk about socks ... I don’t know why. He always asks to see my phone to look up some socks,” Gill said. “So I’m trying to buy a big old bundle of socks and have

of socks — Pearson strived to do better in school, finally having someone to hold him responsible for his actions. “He tries to be good. He’s gotten a lot better. I get a weekly report from his counselor,” Gill said. “She said he’s been a lot better, he’s been participating more in class and he’s doing a lot of good stuff in class.” Pearson had needed someone to talk to about the daily issues that he struggles w i t h ; someone he could relate to, as well as look up to. And he found that — in Gill. Despite Pearson’s reluctance toopen up at first, there was an undeniable bond that had been forged when they met. Eventually, his view of Gill evolved from that of a mentor, to a brother. And just like an older brother, Gill’s impact on Pearson was significant. “He talked to me about how I was feeling and after that I felt great. When I got

students. He stutters a lot, so they [his classmates] joke on his stutter and he’s so quick to smack a kid. We work on that. That’s why I’ll be like, ‘If you do good, at the end of the week I’ll buy you some more socks.’” Not wanting to disappoint Gill — and also wanting his weekly reward

in class, everything changed,” Pearson said. “I was quiet in class and finishing my work and trying my best to earn new stuff.” Harvest Elementary School guidance counselor Emily Scroggins has known Pearson since he was in the third grade, but did not truly get to know him until this school year. She played a key role in the start of the mentoring program and thought that Pearson might benefit from it. So she called his mom and asked if she would like her son to be a part of it. Excited for this opportunity for her son, his mom quickly gave her consent. “I was hoping Nehemiah would realize [that] he had someone who is [pushing him] and that he would realize it is cool to behave and make good grades,” Scroggins said. Scroggins did not know how Nehemiah would react to his mentor, but she could certainly hope for the best. “After the first time they met I saw him smile for the first time all year. He asks every day when he will get to see Cris again,” Scroggins said.

Student attends prestigious dance camp Jonathan Hatchett Copy Editor

an, woman and child have experienced dance ever since the dawn of time and humanity’s love for it has never ceased to grow. New senior student Courtney Taylor has known dance was her life for quite a while. Every step and motion, while fluid, stays expertly precise when in her capable hands. This past summer, she was blessed with the opportunity to attend the Virginia Governors School for Humanities and Performing Arts, an affair only 25 students from Virginia were allowed to attend to represent the art of dance. “We stayed there for a month [June 25 to July 28] and Monday through Friday, from 9 to 5, I had dance classes,” Taylor said. “[Every morning,] we took [either] a ballet class or a workout bar class. [That was where] we would go to the bar and do ballet, but with weights. Or [we would do] Pilates.” Taylor has experienced all different types of music throughout her own career, but the melodic enemies she ran into on the dance floor drove her to the core of herself. She had seen one of these beasts before; a lumbering trumpetmouthed, metal-eyed, snare-bellied creature she knew and loved. She emerged victorious and, with the help of her enthusiasm on the matter, reinforced her love for music of one sort: jazz. “My favorite [style of music to dance to] is probably contemporary or jazz,” Taylor said. “The jazz we did there was kind of hard-hitting and intense. I like speed, so that was my favorite.” Taylor also ran into tap; the not-so silent killer, but her encounters only made her stronger. Were it not for

her unbreakable spirit and the 25 other dancers in the conference by her side, she would not have come out on top. That and the freedom the girls experienced while at their host school, Radford University. Times of rest really helped take the edge off of the weeks’ strict schedules. “When ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ started, the dancers would reserve one of the lounges and make a whole bunch of popcorn or cookies and just sit and watch and hang out. We did that on Monday nights,” Taylor said. “We [also] had time after the 9 to 5 schedule where there was open studio on Tuesdays and Thursdays where we could go and choreograph things for open-mic night[s] on Fridays. We had dances every Saturday too.” That was not all, though their list of activities were already piling rapidly upon one another. Their events branched into program-scheduled ones — bigger than the weekly dances — those of which were also plentiful and successful. “One weekend we had Govstock, [an event] kind of like Woodstock. There would be a bunch of tables set up where you could donate money to charities and we’d have bake sales and that money would go to charity, or some of the kids that were there for [the] theatre or vocal [programs] would get up there [on stage] and sing constantly. You could sit on the lawn and just listen and dance with friends.” Since the 33 day program overlapped the Fourth of July, the Governors school made the best of it with a traditional celebration. Thus, red, white and blue filled Taylor’s senses, along with bright flashes from nearby firework explosions in what came to be her favorite memory at the program. “I think the Fourth of July was my favorite [time]. All of the dancers got together on the lawn and we all sat and listened to music, took tons and tons of pictures and, later that night, went to a fairground and watched fireworks. It was [primarily] getting to know people [and] getting to know

JUST DANCE. After their final dance performance, senior Courtney Taylor and her dance peers pose together for a photo. Photo courtesy of Courtney Taylor

them better because it was our first weekend there, so getting to know them and where they were from and just anything about them was just really neat too.” The cord of ones’ heart is only plucked when they find the right note and Taylor has found hers. To put it in her terms, now that she has found her rhythm, she now dances to the beat of her own drum. “It was the best experience ever, it was amazing,” Taylor said.

{lifestyles}

The Crimson Crier Oct. 15, 2015

Student shares scuba diving journey Hayleigh Pitts Reporter

deep he sea – filled with colors and animals unknown to those on land – until someone has the chance to explore the uncharted depths of the vast blue ocean. Junior Hailey Conquest got the chance to do just that. Having been snorkeling several times

before, Hailey decided to take it a step further by becoming a certified scuba diver. Hailey and her father went to Belize to become certified scuba divers. “Just that experience of getting certified with my dad and spending that quality time with him and doing stuff like that made me more grateful for things and the opportunities that I have. It makes me want to spend more time with my

dad because we get to have that in common and do fun things together,” Hailey said. The process of becoming certified consists of going through a course with a professional scuba diver, a written test, shallow water dives and deep water dives. However, the first step is watching videos about the equipment and safety. “Our dive instructor shows us how to get all our gear ready and make sure everything is properly attached and everything. Then, you have a closed water dive which is in a pool at the shallow end where you can stand [and] practice using the equipment. It’s not anything serious. You have two shallow water dives and then you actually get to go out. You have to take a written test [then] go out

and do your deep dive and, if everything goes well, then you take a written test that’s [about] 60 questions. You get a booklet and study. You have to take the test and pass it in order to get certified,” Hailey said. Hailey was prompted to learn how to scuba dive after her summers at Sea World Camp where she got the chance to work with marine biologists and explore what they do. “We basically worked with marine biologists and got to see what it’s like to work there and get to swim with dolphins and with the sharks [and] talk to people that work there,” Hailey said. These camps are a way for Conquest to get a handson experience of what it is like to be a marine biologist, the field she wants to go into. Her mother, science teacher Ginny Conquest, believes learning to dive now will benefit her

daughter in the long run. “She wants to be a marine biologist and she had already snorkeled several [times] and loved it. Obviously, being a marine biologist she’s probably going to have to learn to scuba dive,” Ginny said. Having grown up with a mother who teaches zoology, Hailey’s love for animals began when she was young. Hailey trooped through childhood facing the two things most people run from: snakes and spiders. “I have a love for animals and she’s always enjoyed that ever since she was little. [She’s] never been afraid of spiders and snakes like most students and she started about four years ago

really liking t h e marine stuff because she started going to Sea World camp. She’s done that four years in a row and that got her more into the marine field,” Ginny said.

Assistant principal leaves his mark on St. Jude Kaylyn Jones Reporter

t. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is the one and only national cancer institute that is solely dedicated to children of all ages. Assistant principal Jonathon Barron was granted a job at St. Jude as a child life specialist for about two years, his time there being enough to have wonderful experiences that have impacted his life greatly. “What I took away from the experiences was the amount of fight such little kids have to endure pain, treatment, illness [and] being away from friends and family,” Barron said. A child life specialist’s job was to help normalize the environment for kids who were receiving treatments for chronic or critical illnesses and their siblings. As these children moved to St. Jude, the hospital worked with their teachers from back home and even had a school in the hospital. To help the children adjust, they celebrated every holiday, had play therapy sessions, playrooms for the younger patients and teen rooms for the teenagers. “They were there for six months to three years, depending on what the treatment was for,” Barron said. Barron provided medical play to the younger kids during diagnostic teaching. He helped with coping and grieving for the families whether it was the potential loss of the child or death of the child, helping the siblings deal with the fact that their brother or sister was going into treatment and helping children — if the situation was terminal — understand the grief and loss process.

“I always looked at it as, the nurses and doctors took care of the physical needs of the child and our job was to take care of the emotional cycle social needs,” Barron said. To be a part of the grief and loss process with the family was what Barron found remarkable and something he finds that most people do not understand. To be able to hold the hand of a child as they are dying, even though it sounds morbid, or to be there for a family who loses a son or daughter was one of the neatest experiences for Barron. “[As a] part of the grieving process, we made hand molds of the patients for the families as a [form of] remembrance for them,” Barron said. Barron vividly remembers a certain little boy, who was four-years-old and he diagnosed with neuroblastoma and with this type of cancer, the older you are, the worse it gets as far as the survival rate. “The whole community knew this little boy, and he was devoted strongly to his religion,” Barron said. The boy was described as a fireball of energy who everyone loved, but what stood out the most about him was that he had the knowledge to say things normal four-yearolds would not know. He understood God and faith was easy for him. He was a kid before he was a kid with cancer and regardless, he still played and made sure to have the best childhood he could receive before it was his time to leave the world. The boy understood what was going on and knew the treatments he was receiving. When it was time for another round of treatments, he looked at his parents and said, “I’m done. Let me be done.” He was ready to let go, so they did not pursue treatment and he soon passed away a few

FAMILY VALUES. Posing with his family, assistant principal Jonathon Barron often reflects back on his time at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Photo courtesy of Jonathon Barron

days later. When he died, the local fire department had a fireman’s parade for the boy as they would a fallen firefighter. “He fought for as long as he could, but he made his decision,” Barron said. Although Barron no longer works for St. Jude due to complicated work hours and being away from family and friends, he makes sure to still be a part of St. Jude. He regularly donated platelets, plasma and whole blood for patients and research, but now Barron contributes financially. “Working at St. Jude was the most memorable and best job I have ever had,” Barron said.

The Crimson Crier

8 Oct. 15, 2015

{lifestyles}

Rachel’s Challenge leaves impact on students Savannah Bullard In-Depth Editor

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ost juniors are familiar with Dave Cullen’s 2010 nonfiction book “Columbine.” As a required summer read for Advanced Placement students, “Columbine” highlights the April 20, 1999 massacre that went go down as one of the worst American high school shootings in history. Arguably one of the most influential people of the Columbine shootings is Rachel Scott, the first victim of the massacre. For 16 years, Scott’s ideals of compassion and virtue have been shared all over the world at assemblies, memorials and rallies through a biographical, motivational organization called Rachel’s Challenge. Michaela Simonds, a spokeswoman for Rachel’s Challenge, says that Scott’s story impacted her life in a way like no other and has created a career path full of hope and promise. “When I heard this story, I was just starting college and it really touched me. I had always wanted to do public speaking so when I graduated college I sent in my application and have been sharing Rachel’s story ever since,” Simonds said. As a Colorado Springs native, Simonds was closely in tune with what happened in her state. She says she was only eight years old, so the memories are blurred and there was little understanding, but the weight Columbine carries is still immensely evident in her life. “I remember there was so much mourning,” Simonds said. “It was everywhere: on the news, at church. There were songs written about it, things being dedicated to it, there were all these books that were written about it ... And even though I didn’t know exactly what had happened — I was only eight — I knew it was a big deal.” Simonds and her Rachel’s Challenge team recently visited the Madison County school system where they shared Scott’s codes to children and adults in schools across North Alabama. “[Scott] just always dedicated her life to acts of kindness, so after she died her family received all these phone calls and letters and emails from all these people who she had touched and impacted,” Simonds said. “So we share those stories to encourage students to implement those ideas in their own lives.” And even though they could not travel to Alabama for this outreach, Scott’s father Darrell and over 30 presenters frequently travel the country to keep his daughter’s legacy alive. “After Rachel died, her dad wrote on her coffin ‘your life will not be in vain.’ And after reading the stories that students sent to them about their daughter’s life, he was like, ‘my daughter didn’t die for no reason,’” Simonds said. “They’ve been doing this for 16 years; they’re so dedicated and so on fire for her story.”

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Rachel’s Challenge especially reached junior Carly Busby, who attended the assembly on Sept. 24. Busby says that after reading the biography for her summer reading assignment, she became emotionally invested in the story and developed a personal bond with those who were killed, especially teacher Dave Sanders. “That was really the hardest thing to read through because [Sanders] said he just knew what had to be done and he didn’t have a doubt in his mind of what he had to do,” Busby said. There was hardly a dry eye in the gym on the night of the assembly. Busby, who sat quietly and listened at the top of the bleachers, recalled what she had read over the summer and was moved by the compassion shown through Scott’s life. “Columbine is very intense,” Busby said. “So when you apply something like Rachel’s story to something so bad as Columbine, like Coach Walker said, God can take a horrible experience and turn it into a good, hopeful outlook for everyone else.” Another audience member, junior Cassie Chapman, says she was touched by the story of Scott standing up for a classmate with special n e e d s . Chapman and her friends decided that it was high time to show more compassion in their own school, and plan to act on what they learned at the assembly. “When we walked out, we were like ‘hey, let’s do this,’” Chapman said. “We’re going to make T-shirts, but we want to do something where we show random acts of kindness, whether it is putting sticky notes on the lockers or putting Hershey’s Kisses on all the desks.” Chapman’s plans are going to take a good bit of support from the student body, administration and faculty, she says. However, her enthusiasm, fueled by Rachel’s Challenge, is enough to start a chain reaction of her own. “Before Rachel’s Challenge, I treated life as ‘wake up, go to school, come home.’ But now I look at people and think about how they may be going through something or they may be having a tough time,” Chapman said. “You really learn how to take a couple steps back and actually talk about things — you learn how to read the book before you judge its cover.” Busby also plans to start showing more compassion in her daily life. As someone who already makes an effort to always be kind, Busby says that Rachel’s Challenge is just what she needed to reaffirm her values. “I’ve always been a very compassionate person, but [Rachel’s Challenge] reestablished the fact that I need to make sure [that] I’m not looking for differences. We’re all strangers and we’re all going through stuff,” Busby said. “If you just smile at people and say ‘hi’ in the hallway, it’s one of the biggest things you can do because sometimes people just need to be seen.”

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“After Rachel died, her dad wrote on her coffin ‘your life will not be in vain.’ ” - Michaela Simonds

Student breaks barriers, follows dance passion Hannah Cox Web Editor

ast spring, as the grass was turning green and the flowers were beginning to bloom, Heidi Knight’s School of Dance was joined by one more. Sophomore Elijah Vargas began a new chapter in his life that stemmed from receiving a simple MP3 player. “I started dancing because of my desire for music. Ever since I got my first MP3 [player], all I would do is listen to music,” Vargas said. “There is so much in life that I want to learn how to do, so when dancing came to mind I was like ‘That’s something really awesome for me to try’ because it’s not a skill that everyone has.” Vargas’ passion for dancing started with a jazz and hip hop class first, eventually leading to ballet and tap-dancing. Having danced for over a year now, Vargas enjoys all four of his classes equally and spends at least four hours at the studio a week. He does not have a favorite of the four dance classes, but plans on taking more classes in the future. Dancing has opened his eyes and keeps him from focusing on the negative in the world. “It was also digging deeper to find out who I really was and what I really wanted to do. [From there], I just became a fan of the arts,” Vargas said. Vargas’ mother has been supportive of his new passion, but his uncles were a little skeptical. They nearly came up from Hawaii to talk with Vargas, believing that he might be gay. Though being gay is not an issue in his family, Vargas constantly has to fight the stigma that all dancers are gay. “I honestly could not care less because if you ask me, anything in life will be based on our own opinion. I have never met a single person who’s been successful who based anything they did off of someone else’s opinion,”

Vargas said. Male dancers have been around since the 1400s, and yet dancing is still considered a female sport much like football is considered a male sport. This creates much controversy when men decide to dance, as they are labeled as “weak” when they participate in the sport. This harsh, unfair stereotype that accompanies male dancers does not faze Vargas. “Stereotypes are wellpopulated, but I can’t say they were difficult because it really doesn’t matter to me,” Vargas said. “I know that I’m doing what I like to do and if it is something that’s not easy then I’m going to go for it.” His choice to break one of society’s unspoken rules has influenced many around him including his younger brother. Because of Vargas picking up dancing, his brother decided to follow in his footsteps and start dancing himself. However, when his little brother decided to try out for his elementary school's dance team, he was unable to because the team only allowed girls to join. “I can’t say it really angers me, but this is the society that we live in. They’re more focused on the ethnicity of things, separating people from this and that, than they are [in] actually helping people dig deeper to find out who they really are,” Vargas said. Like Theodore Roosevelt said, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain and difficulty.” Vargas has a similar opinion. “Don’t worry about being different. Because it’s all about finding yourself. If you don’t know who you are, how do you expect to succeed?” Vargas said. “If you’re worried about what other people think [of you when] you get older, [how are you going to grow]? You were so focused on other people you forgot what really matters. Nobody’s opinion matters but your own.”

TakeRachel’sChallenge visitwww.rachelschallenge.com to learn more.

ON POINTE. Sophomore Elijah Vargas practices ballet technique at Heidi Knight School of Dance, where they say “Dancing is like dreaming with your feet.” Photo courtesy of Elijah Vargas

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The Crimson Crier Oct. 15, 2015

SGA explains process behind pep rallies Madison Harding Photo Editor

Crimson Crier: How do you decide on pep rally activities?

SGA Advisor Ashly Johnston: We have a meeting each week with the SGA officers and we usually collaborate and brainstorm and think of good activities. Once we have decided which one we like, then we take it to SGA meeting and then they vote on which ones they like.

CC: How do you choose which students and teachers participate in activities at the pep-rallies?

AJ: The teachers are all nominated by SGA members, any student can participate, but they have to come give me their name prior to the event and then I draw how many names I need from each grade.

SHOPPING. The new trend for local boutiques allows shoppers to purchase unusual items. The newest boutique, TRU IDENTITY, offers jewelry, gift items and home goods along with clothes, making it an unusual shopping adventure. Photos by Jake Wilson

New boutiques

Stores offer cool findings Charlotte Stanley

CC: Why do you think the school should do pep-rallies?

AJ: I think it’s a good way to support our athletic teams and come together as a school and build school spirit.

CC: Do you think they actually help our school spirit?

AJ: I do. I think they have helped a lot this year. I can see a definite change in the atmosphere and school spirit we have.

CC: Who all participates in setting up the pep-rallies?

AJ: Usually SGA , there’s a lot of organizations involved, as far as coming together, the band does their thing, the football players, the Scream Team, the cheerleaders, the dance team and a lot of times the students are the ones who are doing their thing too, getting their own class ready, like the seniors last pep-rally did the neon, they did that all on their own.

Reporter

outique(boo-teek):noun: a small shop or a small J Whitener specialty department within a larger store, especially This boutique is not as new as others, but the clothes will one that sells fashionable clothes and accessories or a definitely catch your eye. It originated in South Huntsville, special selection of other merchandise. but they expanded to Madison. Their heavy presence on social media makes it a fan favorite for teenage girls in the TRU IDENTITY Madison area. This makes it easy for them to find their This new, hip boutique based out of Florence has moved next new must-have item. Prices are comparable to other East. Tru Identity is located on Hwy 72 between Academy boutiques in the community. It is adjacent to Dunkin Donuts Sports and Hobby Lobby. Their new store offers an array and Pizza 120. of clothing and gifts for young women and men. Prices are average for a boutique. They range from $30-60, but Epiphany if you are going for jewelry, be willing to spend more. This boutique is often overlooked because of its location. Speaking of jewelry, the ubiquitous pearl necklaces and Amongst their classy choices of clothing, they also offer bracelets every teen wants are available, but reasonably gameday dresses and a sale rack that meets you at the door. priced. A small selection of spirit wear is also available for purchase. This store is nestled between Sunny Street Café and SteakPineapples Out. Don’t miss out on this hidden gem. The next store up is Pineapples, located in Providence. If you are looking for a place for you and mom, you have Shoefly found it. Pineapples does not offer as big of a selection as Although this boutique has been around awhile, it updates other boutiques, but you can find that one special piece merchandise weekly and is worth a visit to find something to complete your wardrobe. This boutique has similar unique for one’s wardrobe. It is pleasant on the pocket book pricing to others, ranging from $30-60. Pineapples does as well. offer a more reasonably priced assortment of jewelry.

Food trucks of Huntsville

Student tells best of the food lot Ania Stover Reporter

CC: Where do you wish to see pep-rallies to go in the future?

AJ: I would like to see more student involvement. I didn’t have, maybe six or seven students from each class volunteer for the last pep-rally, so I would like to see more student involved and want to participate, where it’s almost a reward to get drawn to participate.

CC: Will we do pep-rallies for other sports teams?

AJ: We are hoping to. We are hoping to at least do one in the spring for a collaborative all spring sports. Last year we did do just a basketball pep-rally so we may do that also this year.

Bad Newz Barbeque This truck sells all things barbeque, including Polish sausage. The most bought item is the pulled pork sandwich. The sandwich is tender, tasty and overall just a good meal. This truck serves mainly in the downtown Huntsville area.

Sweet Belles This pink truck specializes in homemade cupcakes. The flavors are true Southern, including red velvet and pumpkin spice. The cake portion is moist with the sweetness multiplying in the icing. They are a perfect combination. This delectable food truck can be seen at food rallies and other special events.

Food Fighters The owners transformed an old bus into a food truck even though at first the transformation was a joke between friends. The Food Fighters sell all things from hot dogs to tacos. Their bestseller is the Clint Eastwood Taco, most enjoyed with their significant house sauce. This truck can be seen at schools, churches, concerts and food rallies.

Maggie Moo’s Maggie Moo’s ice cream is now on wheels. The truck offers the normal flavors seen in their Bridgestreet store, but the truck specialty flavor is Butter Pecan. The ice cream is creamy and full of flavor and they offer unlimited toppings. The fast ice cream shop goes to places like food truck rallies and fairs, weddings and birthday parties.

Bad N ewz Barb eque

Food Fight er

HUNGRY HIPPO Juniors AJ Brien and Amiel Nerelus compete against sophomores Bella Rector and Cyril Jack in a schoolwide game of Hungry Hungry Hippos at the homecoming pep rally. Photo by Madison Harding

ie g g Ma ’s o o M

Sweet Belles

The Crimson Crier

10 Oct. 15, 2015

Aiesha Desarme News Editor

{arts & entertainment }

Land trust

Photos by Aiesha Desarme

County organization preserves natural landscapes

lants and trees are a common luxury. A luxury that is many times disregarded and taken for granted. A luxury that in today’s world must have a band of voices defending it from the consequence of change in an evolving world. That voice is known as the LandTrust. In the late ‘80s, the west face of Monte Sano Mountain was threatened with development. As a result, the community came together to defend the backdrop of the city and produced the state’s first and oldest LandTrust now known as the LandTrust of North Alabama. This organization defends, preserves and maintains natural landmarks within the local region. While preserving natural developments this green organization does something a little different by opening up their properties to the general public. “To protect this land, we hope that many people will get on it and enjoy the environment,” Marketing Director Cathy Maynes said. “The important thing is that people get out and become connected to nature.” The Land Trust’s properties are not just beautiful areas of nature, they are also rich historical sites. The organization is in possession of an original Trail of Tears route. This trail unfortunately collected Cherokee families along the way. “When you’re walking on a Trail of Tears, you can feel exactly what those people felt, being taken in the winter, having to walk all those miles, and putting all their energy into getting over the hills,” Mayne said. “It’s an incredible experience.” These historical sites expand to different vistas of antique memories. From the first mill site, to the tallest waterfall in the county, this organization is a realistic archive of monuments in time. “There are all sorts of little pockets of historical sites,” Mayne said. You come along to some of these really cool places, and then you learn the backstory on it and you say to yourself “Man, that is really neat.” Along with the preservation of historical sites and beautiful land, the LandTrust also aims to instill appreciation for the environment Having one-on-one physical connection with nature,plants the importance of nature preservation and internal healing. Executive Director Marie Bostick believes strongly in this message. “Having people connect with nature is huge. If you don’t have people connecting with nature then they don’t understand the need to preserve it,” Bostick said. “In nature you have a better chance of reflecting, on your life and the things around you and it grounds you and helps you. Everybody needs to have that opportunity.” The preservation of the lands are not temporary.

They are to be concrete additions to the local region for generations to come, Bostick stands firmly on this promise. “It’s not about preserving the land for just today, we look at twenty, forty, fifty to a hundred years from now. We look at preserving land forever and making sure that this place we call Huntsville and North Alabama is always recognizable as Huntsville and North Alabama, it’s not just any other place in the country,” Bostick said. “Nature and our national features have a lot to do with preserving that integrity.”

Above: Citizens of North Alabama enjoy their view and experience of the largest waterfall in Madison County. Left: Locals participate in a Landtrust event. They were able to hike and explore the preserved area of Madison County. The Landtrust sponsors the annual Moon Cave Dance where locals are invited to listen to music and enjoytheatmosphereoftheoutdoor area. The event is open to all ages. Huntsville is known to be built on a large underground cave area. The Landtrusttookadvantageofthisfact to allow locals to enjoy this unique land platform.

Weekend road trip

Spontaneity creates one of a kind experience

Libby Reid A&E Editor

good weekend in a good place with good people is better than good. It is great. In the middle of summer, my mom purchased tickets to go watch the Alabama Crimson Tide play the University of Louisiana Monroe. I ended up inviting my best friend, junior Dalton Gunn, to go with me for the weekend. I left Friday right after school. Since Dalton was on the football team, he would come down Saturday morning with his mother and freshmen Nathan Gunn and Nick Formby. I got to Tuscaloosa around 7 p.m. and my parents and I went to pick up my brother Ryan Reid and close friend Alison Varner for dinner. Now when it comes to road trip restaurants, you only really have two good options. There are the well-known places and there are “hole in the walls” which is just where we happened to go for the evening. We pulled up to a small building with rickety windows and partially tin covered exterior. It was called Archibald & Woodrow’s BBQ and it was some of the best food I have ever had. Following dinner, my parents dropped us back off at Ryan’s apartment. On any given Friday night in Tuscaloosa, football-crazed college students can be seen preparing themselves for the coming weekend. For us, we went to a small get together at an apartment to hang out and catch up with old friends. Around midnight, Alison and I left so that she could show me more of the campus. We started off near Riverside West and made our way towards the Quad. On the way back, we reminisced about all types of summer shenanigans we had performed when the idea hit

us that we might as well perform some more. There is a giant fountain surrounded by many of the Shelby buildings, so we decided to climb over multiple bushes to get to it. After doing so, Alison splashed me with the water and proceeded to give me the weather forecast based on its temperature. Ten minutes later we came upon a bike that was not chained up. We could not figure out why anyone would leave a perfectly good bike laying around, but we knew we had to take it for a joyride. Easy enough to say, we found out why it was not chained up soon after: it was missing a pedal. We tried our best to work with what we had but we ended up abandoning it a few minutes later. By this point, it was almost 3 a.m. so we figured it was time to call it a night. Morning came earlier than expected but it was easy to get up when you knew what kind of day you had ahead of yourself. After getting ready, Alison and I headed towards the Alpha Omega Phi house to meet up with my family and visit our friend Morgan Armstrong. The house was set up to welcome all the parents who were there for family weekend. We left and took our first steps back to the Quad where my parents were hanging out with family friends. As I walked up, I saw Dalton and ran over to hug him. We spent the next couple of hours eating way too much food and walking around. We ended up at the Supe Store and wandered through it. The game started at 3 p.m. so about 30 minutes beforehand, Dalton and I went to the stadium. My mom had mentioned that we had seats in the nosebleed section but we did not realize how serious she was until we hiked up the stairs. We had the last row of seats- literally. Five minutes into the first quarter, Dalton and I took it

upon ourselves to seek out better seats. We headed towards the ramp and walked down what seemed like 10 levels. I did not care where we sat at this point as long as we did. We ended up with great seats. After somehow managing to move down 32 rows, we sat down and kicked back for the remainder of the game. To sum it all up, Bama took the win with ease. Roll tide to that. Following the game, my family, Dalton’s family, Alison and I headed towards a small Mexican restaurant across the street from a Waffle House. The one disappointing part of the game was that the stadium did not play “Dixieland Delight,” but our waiter did not disappoint. He went to the back and moments later a familiar tune came on. The whole restaurant was cheering and shouting the words to “Dixieland Delight.” The rest of the night was filled with whatever we could find to amuse ourselves. It was the type of night where it did not matter what we did because of who we were with. I had to leave that Sunday morning for soccer. I have never felt so at home in a place away from home. I said my goodbyes and hit the road. Going into this month’s road trip, I was concerned that I would have a hard time coming up with any type of story. That is where this trip’s lesson starts. No road trip experience can ever be replicated: not even close. No weekend can ever be exactly planned. Sure, you can have a solid idea of what you are going to do, who you will be with and of course where you will be, but it is pure spontaneity that happens within a moment to make a memory.

Photo by Libby Reid

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The Crimson Crier Oct. 15, 2015

The flavors of fall

Photo by Madison Harding

Pumpkin spice and all things nice

McKenzie Ashmore Opinion Editor

hen the leaves begin to change, the weather takes on a chill and dawn creeps upon us earlier than usual, we realize autumn is just around the corner. But the change in weather is not the only well known change that comes with autumn. The celebration of pumpkins is also popular. In other words, pumpkin spice lattes,pumpkin doughnuts, pumpkin pies and carving pumpkins are the end all be all of fall. Pumpkin spice latte’s are a must during the fall season. The weather is just right for a warm, creamy beverage containing the much anticipated pumpkin spices, steamed

milk and espresso, topped with fluffy, delicious whipped cream. Go to the nearest coffee shop and get fall’s most blissful cup of warmth. A sweet tooth can be hard to please, but with fall’s pumpkin doughnuts, taste buds will be easily delighted. Pumpkin doughnuts are made with yellow cake batter cooked to a light brown that falls apart in your mouth gently, covered in a creamy, translucent buttermilk glaze and lightly topped with a tiger orange sprinkle. Try the nearest doughnut shop to get the first pick at these bodacious delights. Looking for a treat to take to a family get-together this autumn? Well, pumpkin pies are a big hit with families. It’s

soft, yummy contents are easily mixable and can be ready in a day’s notice. So, the next time you bring the dessert, try making this simple and delectable pie. Fall is a time of excessive decoration. Bright oranges and warm browns take over the lives of individuals. Decorations include tons upon tons of pumpkins, but not just any pumpkins, carved pumpkins. Their faces different in all ways possible. Scary and sweet. Funny and sad. There are even people who carve shapes instead of faces. Carving pumpkins is by far the best way to celebrate the pumpkin during our festive fall. Now try carving a shape, face or whatever best fits your mood and sit your pumpkin outside for all to see.

DIY Costumes Affordable Halloween costumes do exist, easy to create at home Parker Boothe Reporter

alloween costumes can sometimes drain the pocketbook, but they do not have to with these affordable, yet creative ideas. All one will need to create these costumes is a few household items and time to make them. If these costumes do not seem to fit your needs, a fast view of Pinterest can offer many more. Photos by Hayleigh Pitts

CASTAWAY Materials: Single: White shirt, scissors, box with FedEx logo on it, tape, volleyball, red paint, paint brushes, beard (optional) Double: White shirts, red paint, sharpie, scissors, box with FedEx logo on it, tape How to: Single: Get white shirt and cut holes in it with scissors. Tape FedEx logo on box. Get volleyball and paint handprint on it. Double: Get white shirt and cut holes in it with scissors. Tape FedEx logo on box. Paint red handprint on second white shirt. Draw lines to represent volleyball with sharpie. Expenses: White Shirts= $13.95 Red Paint= $1.99 Paint Brushes= $5.99 Sharpie= $1.99 Scissors and Tape= Price may vary Volleyball= $10.19 Total Cost: Price may vary due to group/single. CEILING FAN Materials: White shirt and sharpie, foam finger (optional), pom-poms (optional) How to: Get a white shirt and write in big letters “GO CEILING” and then (optional) get a foam finger and go out cheering for the ceiling. Expenses: Pack of 5 white shirts= $13.99 Sharpie= $1.99 Foam Finger/ Pom-Pom= Price may vary Total Cost: At least $15.98

QUARTERBACK Materials: a bunch of quarters, any shirt, hot glue How to: Plug in glue gun and let it heat up. Once it has gotten hot enough, glue quarters to the back the shirt. Expenses: Hot Glue Gun= $6.69 Glue= $7.19 Total Cost: $13.88

IT IS RAINING CATS AND DOGS OUTSIDE! Materials: umbrella, dog and cat stuffed animals, raincoat, hot glue How to: Get an umbrella and plug in hot glue gun to make it hot. Once glue is hot enough, glue stuffed dogs and cats on top of the umbrella. Once the glue has dried, put on raincoat and you are good to go. Expenses: Umbrella= $12.99 Stuffed Animals: Dogs, Cats= $9.99 Raincoat= $7.00 Hot Glue Gun= $6.69 Glue= $7.19 Total Cost: $53.85

BLACK EYED PEAS Materials: Black shirt, black face paint, white duct tape How to: Get a black shirt and make a capital “P” with the tape. Then add black face paint around one eye to make it look as if you have a black eye. Expenses: Black Shirt= $10.99-$14.99 Black Face Paint= $3.99 White Duct Tape= $3.39 Total Cost: $18.37 - $22.37

(256) 489-5242

930 Old Monrovia Road Near Madison Square Mall

{ sports }

The Crimson Crier

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15, 2015

This is the end (or is it?) Athletes discuss what it takes to come back after an injury Jake Wilson Reporter

rom the time they step onto the field to the time they walk off, athletes always have one thing lingering in the back of their minds — injury. Injuries can be a game-altering and life changing occurrence. In high contact sports getting injured is very common and how the players react is crucial. Junior Josh Little dislocated his shoulder during the Gadsden City game while making a tackle. Little had already suffered a series of shoulder injuries prior to this dislocation. “It was already a weaker joint than most of the joints in my body and [I] hit the ground wrong making a tackle and it just popped out of place,” Little said. Luckily, one of Sparkman’s athletic trainers was there to assist Little in the excruciating task of putting his joint back into place on the field. After paying a visit to Sparkman’s sports physician Dr. Stan Davis, Little was placed in rehab at the school and Huntsville Hospital. “It’s a complicated joint, so the rehab process is very strategic and slow. Most of the things we do include trying to get my mind unfocused on the joint, as well as keep it unstable while we do rehab so that I’m not focusing on keeping it stable and then I can really work to get the tendons back in place and become stronger,”Little said. Due to the severity of the dislocation, the rehab processes are lengthy and constraining. Playing means a lot to Little and he suffers the mental pain of not being able to support his team on the field so early in the season. “Sitting out makes me antsy. I’m a person who wants to see the team do well and I want to be apart of all the successes. I want to be a contributor to the process of trying to turn this program around. Having worked out all offseason and becoming a leader of the team; then having to sit out this early in the season is really killing me,” Little said.

THE COMEBACK KID. Senior Dontrell Crayton is checked out by a medical professional. Regular physicals and checkups are vital for athletes in order to avoid life-altering injury. Photo by Erin Stender

Little, wants to contribute to the team’s accomplishments and help build the football program as a whole. Little is a firm believer in the saying “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Although he cannot currently be on the field, by preparing for the day he can. Little believes that this injury will not ruin his career at Sparkman, but will only make him a more capable athlete. “It’s just making me stronger. My mind is stronger, my pain tolerance has gone up and I think that now, after this injury, I can say that I’m a better football player because I’m tougher,” Little said. Quarterback, senior Mason Edwards also experienced an injury early in the season. Edwards was diagnosed with a stage-three concussion after being tackled in the Bob Jones game. He was pacing the sidelines after the hit was delivered. “I don’t remember much but I was told I repeated, “Put me in the game” over and over,” Edwards said. When Edwards tried to run out onto the field after pacing the sideline, it took three people to hold him back. At that point it was obvious that he had a concussion. The medical personnel placed him on a stretcher. He tried to escape the stretcher still yelling “put me in the game.” When in the ambulance, medics administered medicine to shrink the swelling in his brain and stop the aggression.

New soccer coach dives into the game, prepares for a winning season

After leaving the hospital that night, Edwards had a couple of rough days, but not much can keep him away from the game. After passing a series of tests, he was back on the field playing again. Davis works closely with the athletes, making sure they are treated correctly and have proper knowledge to prevent any injuries. He sees a number of sports-related injuries and believes that the most injuries are caused on the football field. “As the Sparkman team doctor, the sport where we see [the] most injuries are where you’ll see me most Friday nights: on the football field,”Davis said. High contact goes hand-in-hand with high risks. As these players enter the field on Friday nights they are prone to injuries but there are ways they can prepare and train themselves to decrease the risks. “The rehab programs before hand, the offseason preparation and then the neuro-muscular control will help in preventing injuries,” Davis said. Injuries are always a hinderance to a player’s athletic ability, but, if treated right can ultimately make them a better, stronger player. As Edwards simply put it, injured athletes suffer a “minor setback for a major comeback.”

Backupquarterbackseizes oppurtunity to impress Christian White Reporter

LET’S GET PHYSICAL. Spanish teacher Mario Limon discusses strategies with soccer players. Limon will be taking over as head soccer coach this spring. Photo by Erin Stender

Courtney White Reporter

fter a few years of having a volunteer coach, the boys’ soccer program will now be led by certified Spanish teacher and coach, Mario Limon. Limon will coach both the junior varsity and the varsity teams. He is not a stranger to the game. He started out coaching youth leagues and has previously coached at Southside High School where he coached junior varsity in his first year and varsity in his second year. “We made it to the third round in the playoffs in the A division,” Limon said. “But I still consider myself a new coach who is soaking up as much as I can from other coaches and players.” Limon explains how the boys must keep their main goal in sight at all times. As the new coach, Limon hopes to create a power-filled setting for the boys using his past coaching philosophy. He expects a lot from the boys, as do they with him. “My coaching philosophy is to have an environment that encourages athletes to learn and develop on and off the field,” Limon said. Although the season does not begin until February, Limon tells how important preseason is for him and his

players. This is a time for him to communicate with the boys and prepare for the upcoming season. “Like I have done every year as a coach, preseason is a time to establish your goals and start getting prepared as far as organizing drills, practices and games,” Limon said. “I myself, also have to educate myself with any new coaching ideas.” Practices have not begun for the season, however, all interested players have met with Limon to discuss the season, goals and commitment. The players came together to meet coach Limon for an interest meeting. Boys’ varsity soccer player Carson Counter gives insight on his feelings toward the new coach. “I like having a coach here at the school because we can go talk to him whenever we need to,” says Carson. Limon states how passion is a very important element in a soccer game. Reflecting on his past experience with coaching, Limon feels as if to have a successful season one must set the bar high. Even if they do not reach it one knows that that they gave it their all. “Soccer is a very passionate sport, if you have ever been to a soccer match you would understand,” says coach Limon. “At a high school level you cannot expect much as you can from a professional, but the passion is still there.”

t was early in the Bob Jones game when sophomore Devin Kimbrough heard, “Kimbrough, you’re going in.” As the backup quarterback, Kimbrough was sent in to replace starting senior quarterback Mason Edwards who was removed from the game with an injury. It was Kimbrough’s time. Backup athletes work just as hard as everyone else on the team but don’t play as often as everyone else and do not get the same opportunities. How do they feel? Devin Kimbrough in particular shared his feelings about the matter. “I didn’t expect to start over a senior,” Kimbrough said. “Sometimes you work just as hard as everyone else but things still don’t go your way. You just gotta deal with it and keep going.” Kimbrough shows a great amount of patience and sportsmanship found only in true athletes by accepting his photo by Hayleigh Pitts role as backup quarterback wholeheartedly. He is always ready to step in and take charge if need be. Although Kimbrough is not playing all the time or the whole game, he is always watching for things that could potentially help the team. “You get to see from a perspective that Mason doesn’t, you know, so I go talk to him about who was open or what could have happened and just try to kinda motivate him,” Kimbrough said. Kimbrough is heavily supportive and, even though he is not always playing in the game, he is always striving to better himself and the team. “Kimbrough’s a great player, a great leader, he’s always ready and if you had to have a backup, he’s who you would want,” football coach Ronnie Watkins said.

{ sports }

The Crimson Crier Oct. 14, 2015

Sophomore makes impression, leads swim team to victories Victoria Lewis Lifestyles Editor

Swimming like the fishes ON YOUR MARKS. Sophomore Collier DeVaney lunges in preperation for the send off. DeVaney is cheered on by swim coach Monica Davis. Photo by Eden Fletcher

ophomore Collier DeVaney started swimming at only eight-years-old as a way to follow in his older brother’s footsteps, but now he finds the source of the passion to be friendship, among other things. “My passion comes from wanting to stay fit and wanting to keep the friendships that [I] have created,” DeVaney said. “ I have always liked swimming and it always feels good to be in the water.” One of DeVaney’s favorite memories of swimming was being in a race where he says everyone was friends after getting to joke around a bit beforehand and he speaks highly of swimming, not only for the friendships created, but for the pressure it puts on him to do well in school. “Swimming has made most of my friendships and it’s a great bonding experience to see the same people every day. In school it really helps because it helps

you stay focused and set goals for yourself,” DeVaney said. DeVaney swam at the Madison Swim Association for about two years to learn the basics of swimming and then moved to the Huntsville Swim Association because his brother Isaac felt like he needed more of a challenge. He says that his parents supply great support, even though he does not wish to do swimming after high school. “I have overwhelming support because my brother just started official visits to colleges for swimming. And I’m sure my parents would like me to pursue that too, but I’d much rather pursue something musical,” DeVaney said. “My swim goals are just to get through high school swimming. I don’t plan on swimming in college.” Swim coach Monica Davis sees potential in DeVaney and said that he adds something special to the team like speed and leadership. “DeVaney challenges his

teammates to be better. He is always willing to help a teammate improve,” Davis said. DeVaney believes that a happy environment is the best environment and always tries to show his teammates support and kindness. “I try to stay happy. If you put your teammates in an environment where you can be nice to them and make them feel like they are family then they will want to come back and keep swimming,” Devanie said. DeVaney says that he has placed everywhere from first to eighteenth. Statewide, he has never placed first, but locally he reveals that he has won first in several things throughout the years. With the swim season off to a successful beginning, Davis believes DeVaney will be a key component in the rest of the season. “He has the potential to put Sparkman’s mens’ swimming on the map. He will be a force to be reckoned with this season,” Davis said.

Who’s your rival? Since Bob Jones is tossed away, athletes deate who the next token rivial is Cameron Harbin Reporter

ince the building of James Clemens, the fierce rivalry between Bob Jones and Sparkman has been lost. James Clemens split the Bob Jones student body, instantly creating a rivalry between the schools. This leaves the school without a true rival which creates the question: who is our rival? “Our rival is either Bob Jones or Hazel Green, but since Bob Jones split into James Clemens they have become each other’s rivals,” junior quarterback Dalton Gunn said. Most of the student body acknowledges Bob Jones or Hazel Green as SHS rivals, but Bob Jones and Hazel Green students do not agree. Sparkman’s rivalry with Hazel Green is limited to basketball, but every game is

extremely intense. “A rival is a team who competes well against your team and challenges you to become a better version of yourself,” sophomore wide receiver Garrett Bodine said. The rivalry with Hazel Green was formed three years ago between the boys, but later spread to the girls as well. The year it began Sparkman had beat Hazel green six times, but a good rivalry has a lot of win-somelose-some. Hazel Greeen challenges Sparkman every year and helps to push them to be better, just as we push them to be. “Every time we face Hazel Green it is a close game but we always find a way to pull off the win,” senior basketball player Darreon Miller said. The best rivals are often the ones who are closest. There is nothing better than having bragging rights for the

year. Rival games draw the biggest crowds and largest support for the teams competing against one another, but Sparkman is determined to enter each game with the same level of intensity. They are focused on competing to the best of their ability against every team and bringing the wins back home. “As of right now, we are more focused on building our program and just trying to get wins under our belt, especially region wins from anyone that we can take them from. Also,we are more concerned with building ourselves as a team, rather than just worrying about beating a specific team as bad as we can. This season as a whole is more important than any one game,” varsity linebacker junior Joshua Little said.

The CC asked 180 students “Who do you believe is our rival?” They said...

70 % 22 % 8% Bob Jones

Hazel Green

Russellville

GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME. Basketball players watch the student vs facuatly basketball game at Harvest Elementary school. The players helped coach younger kids and offered mentoring and support for the game. Photo by Alyiah Thompson

Basketball player demonstrate community service at local elementary school Erikka Samuel Reporter

s part of a mentoring program with Harvest Elementary, members of the boys’ basketball team participated in the student vs. faculty basketball game. The players, Jalen Greene, Maurice Anderson, Darreon Miller, Brandon Miller, Willie Eutsey, Cris Gill and Justin Fletcher held tryouts for the team and conducted practices. Green, Anderson, Gill and Darreon coached the team during the game. The team was made up of both boys and girls from the elementary school. Varsity boys’ coach Jamie Coggins and varsity girls’ coach Patrick Delay served as referees. “The kids were very coachable. They paid attention to detail, followed directions and didn’t complain,” Darreon said. “It was a fun experience.” The game was described as a battle, with the faculty defeating the student team, 53-52. The kids passed the ball well and scored points with relative ease.

“It was fun seeing the kids happy. They were excited to play and played with energy. I liked that they kept encouraging each other,” Darreon said. Anderson made a connection to fifth-grader Aaron Garner while coaching the team and is proud of the relationship that has sprouted and enjoys having someone look up to him.Garner feels the same way. “Maurice encourages me to do my best, teaches me lessons and helps me with my homework. He inspires me and I want to be just like him,” Garner said. “I look at them all as big brothers, which makes me really happy because I have an older sister and it is awesome to have actual guys to talk to.” The partnership between the team and the elementary students was the brainchild of Harvest principal Brett Chapman and guidance counselor Emily Scroggins. The two thought it would be a great way to help kids with problems keep their minds

occupied. Chapman made a call to Scroggins who quickly agreed that the idea was a good one. “I was excited about the program because I believe it would be important for our guys to work with young kids that need a pick-me-up,” Scroggins said. “I told our guys that it is important to give back to the community because the community supports our basketball program. These kids look up to our guys. I emphasize this all the time.” Scroggins has made it a priority to ensure that the students are comfortable with the players. She has also offered advice to both students and mentors on getting close to one another. “I try to tell them that in order to make a strong bond with each other that they have to be open to one another. It takes time but this a year-long program and this game is really going to help them gain courage and have a little fun,” Scroggins said. “The students are learning so much from these men.”

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The Crimson Crier

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I D E N

15, 2015

Exploring what it takes to “excellence our tradition,

We asked 180 students if they have ever faced prejudice. They said...

23% 17% 22% 15% 8% “ 10%

Gender

Ethnicity

Sexual Orientation

He speaks:

whole have been afraid to embrace that type of “different”. The recent movement to legalize gay marriage has succeeded, which only scratches the surface in the battle for equal rights. According to pewforum.org, in 2001 only 35 percent of people in the United States supported gay marriage. But over the years this has evolved to 55 percent. This is partly due to generational change. 70 percent of those born after 1981 support gay marriage in 2015 compared to the people born between 1965 and 1980, which only 59 percent supported gay marriage. It only gets lower from there. Nick Arnold People like myself, who have been exposed to diversity Managing Editor their entire lives are prone to accept people from all walks here have always been outsiders in the world. of life, which shows with the recent ruling to legalize gay People who have been excluded, made fun of marriage. and just outright hated on because of how they But this is not a new problem facing the U.S. This is only act and what they look like. But because my generation has a matter of history repeating itself. grown up in this culture driven world, we have been learning When the first issue of civil rights came up, people were how to accept and be more supportive any kind of person dumbfounded that African Americans wanted the same we encounter. rights that Caucasians had. People were adamantly against We have seen so much diversity in the world that we equality for all people and races, so they turned firehoses have become almost accustomed to it. People are going on African Americans, released dogs to attack them and from hiding their differences to embracing them. People threw them in jail to try to prevent them from protesting and are becoming less afraid to show who they truly are in fear rallying for a cause. Back then people were against others of getting pummeled, shamed striving equality and showing or shunned. We are growing up passion for a cause that they The recent movement in a society where women and tried to stamp it out and put an men have equal rights, where end to it. to legalize gay marriage all races are learning to live The outcome of this has succeeded, together in harmony and where movement was able to create every community whether it an equality that is visible in which only scratches be LGBT, African American, the youth of today. People the surface in the battle Caucasian or anything else are that grow up in the U.S. today for equal rights. being more supported and are not faced with the issue of cherished. racism between their peers. This There will always be people generation is more able to cope who carry opposing views towards diversity and change. with the issue of racism today because they are able to see There will always be those people who have concrete that most people view them for who they really are rather religious beliefs about diversity in society. Their beliefs are than a skin color. set and there is no point in trying to convince them otherwise. There is always going to be the bullying or the brutal, One of the issues involving diversity that is causing heart wrenching violence, but we, as a people and as a controversy in the United States today is gay marriage. nation, need to come together and finish what people have Homosexuals have faced this problem for a long time, but been trying to accomplish since this country first came to have not been able to get anywhere because the people as a fruition: true acceptance and equality.

progressivism, history tend to repeat

Religion

Disability

“

From then to now: how the United January 13, 1958

Erikka Samuel Reporter

June 4, 1919

The federal women’s suffrage amendment, originally written by Susan B. Anthony and introduced in Congress in 1878, is passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate.

July 19-20, 1848

The first women’s rights convention is held in Seneca Falls, New York. After two days of discussion and debate, 68 women and 32 men sign a Declaration of Sentiments.

Inc. vs. Olesen, the United States Supreme Court rules in favor of the First Amendment rights of the LGBT magazine “One: The Homosexual Magazine.” This was the first time the LGBT community was recognized by the Supreme Court.

April 15, 1947

Jackie Robinson breaks Major League Baseball’s color barrier when he is signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers by Branch Rickey.

December 14, 1962 President John F. Kennedy establishes the President’s Commission on the Status of Women and appoints Eleanor Roosevelt as chairwoman.

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The Crimson Crier

T I T Y Oct. 15, 2015

truly live by the mantra: diversity our strength”

Students speak out: coexisting is not enough Erin Stender Editor-in-Chief

black man, a woman and a homosexual walk into a bar…. You expect a punch line, but this joke is not funny. What do these three individuals have in common? The answer: generation after generation locked in battle for equality and rights. From the founding of the United States to now, some things have changed and many have not. Prejudice and the fight for civil rights is a recurring plight in today’s world. “I went [to Selma] when I was in high school,” science teacher Twyla Maxtion said. “We’d go from Friday to Sunday and we would commemorate by walking over [the Edmund] Pettus Bridge. I wanted my students to experience what I experienced in high school.” Maxtion took students in the Sparkman Service Organization with her on a trip to Selma for the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, including junior Jaida Steele. Steele, a passionate advocate for equality, was inspired on the trip to spread her ideals. “Selma was very inspirational to me. I got to have a really great time with people who really want the same thing to happen that I do ﹘ equality in everything, not just race, not just sexuality, white, black, everything,” Steele said. For Steele, attending Selma for the 50th anniversary reaffirmed her belief in the need for acceptance in day to day life. “I think everybody should try to accept each other as we are instead of trying to change people. You can’t change what somebody else does, you can only change yourself,” Steele said. Maxtion has seen what a world of prejudice looks like, as she grew up in a mostly black area short of diversity. “I think the mindset has changed because [integration] is more common now. For me, because I went to an all black high school, we just thought it was supposed to be black [separated from] white. I think it’s common now because we’re in such a mix now. [That] attitude is how it should be,” Maxtion said. Maxtion is raising her own children with that same philosophy of integration, evolving with the world around her. But racial discrimination is not just a particular minority

group fighting for better rights. In fact, it is just the tip of the iceberg. “It doesn’t have to be race. It could be prejudice against a certain group of people because of their religion or because of their gender — it goes beyond race,” Maxtion said. On Aug. 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed, granting women the right to vote. Progress has continued, but for some, like senior Abby McAlister, it is clear that there is still work left to do. “I think we’ve come a long way on paper. Women are making changes, but there’s still a subliminal guilt when we do,” McAlister said. “There’s still an odd drive to prove yourself ﹘ because it’s a man’s world.” McAlister herself has felt that “odd drive” to prove herself, attempting to make her way in a “man’s world” while employed by local restaurants. “I try to place myself in management positions where I work to show male coworkers that I’m not just a cute face that interacts with customers,” McAlister said. “I try to spread awareness and make sure to practice kindness with girls around me.” As an active feminist, McAlister notes that the women’s civil rights movement has moved forward, but she stresses that the progression cannot end there. “My best advice [is] awareness [and] empathy. Our hearts need to be breaking for the sex trafficked girls; for the real oppressed ones,” McAlister said. Women are one of many groups that feel the heavy weight of discrimination in society. The LGBT community

and it’s supporters are a group that has also been burdened with such weight. “My heart hurts for individuals who feel they can’t be themselves. Oftentimes they can; they’re just afraid because of the stigma that they’ve heard from others,” Gay-Straight Alliance adviser Karl Fernandez said. The Gay-Straight Alliance, or GSA, is described as a safe place for individuals across the board who feel that they need support. In meetings, members often share personal stories and experiences. Sophomore Evan Kachel is a student who supports GSA’s message. Born female as Emma Kachel, in seventh grade, Kachel decided he identified with the male gender. Shortly after, Kachel told his parents. Kachel describes a time when his parents struggled to adjust, but within a year his parents were fully referring to Kachel as “he” and Evan. “Now looking back, I’ve seen signs. I’ve always identified with males and felt wrong in my body,” Kachel said. For Kachel, the decision to be himself lifted an incredible burden, but the decision has inevitably come with the hate that has plagued minorities for generations. “Most people are like “Okay, I’ll call you Evan” [but] occasionally, there will be people who are rude but it’s more online. I block them and just kind of get away. I try to mostly keep with my friends,” Kachel said. Life as a transgender student has proved to Kachel that the key to equality is both acceptance and education. He points out that if students would just attempt to understand struggles and stories, like his, they have a better chance of comprehending hardships of a LGBT person. “There are definitely hardships and I wish people understood and didn’t have ignorance. They would probably accept more if they understood the hardships. Just see me as me and not just some transgender kid,” Kachel said. From racial equality to the allowance of women in the workplace to the legalization of gay marriage, progression has lead society to where it is today. But the true road to equality, at least to Steele, still proves incredibly long. “It wasn’t that long ago that we couldn’t sit on the same bus together,” Steele said. Nowadays, [prejudice] is becoming a lot better, [but] we still have an extremely long ways to go.”

Photo Illustration by Madison Harding and Savannah Bullard

States has progressed in 167 years July 8, 1980

The Democratic Rules Committee states that it will not discriminate against homosexuals. At their National Convention on August 11-14, the Democrats become the first political party to endorse a homosexual rights platform.

June 17, 2009 President Barack Obama, the first African American president of the United States, signs a Presidential memorandum allowing same-sex partners of federal employees to receive certain benefits.

June 26, 2015

The Supreme Court Case Obergefell vs. Hodges declares same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states in the United States.

March 24, 2002

Halle Berry becomes the first African American woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress. She takes home the statue for her role in Monster’s Ball. Denzel Washington, the star of Training Day, earns the award for Best Actor, making it the first year that African Americans win both the Best Actor and Actress Oscars.

June 24, 2012

The first Rocket City Pride Parade takes place in Huntsville, Alabama.

The was sitting in her bed and she couldn’t really move. She could sit up, but she didn’t have the energy to walk

Camille Herren Business Editor

“

have something bad to tell you.” At the end of her son’s ninth grade year, Barbara Arnold brought senior Nick Arnold and his sister into the family room. Arnold’s mom had breast cancer. “You could see the sadness on her face and how much she didn’t want it to be true and how much she didn’t want to hurt us,” Arnold said. Arnold’s mother told her children about the cancer at the last minute. It was only weeks before her mastectomy. “It was something you don’t think can normally happen to your family, but the realization that it could just opened your eyes to how much worse it could’ve been,” Arnold said. Arnold’s mother elected to have a mastectomy, which he vividly remembers the IVs that the doctors had given her. Next came chemotherapy. “The removal wasn’t the hardest part for my mom, it was the chemotherapy that came afterwards because it makes you lose a sense of yourself,” Arnold said. “I remember one time she

{news}

The Crimson Crier Oct. 15, 2015

ong Journey

Students, employee deal with emotions of cancer

whole thing, even though my sister and I feared the worst.” Being a female and having a mother or another relative with breast cancer increases

go to check ups so that, if you do have cancer and you do what you’re supposed to, they’ll be able to catch it early like they did my mom’s,”

with “intraductal carcinoma,” a small and slowg r o w i n g cancer. She f e l t

around the

house.” When senior Hayley Jarnagin’s mom told the family she had breast cancer, they were left with many unanswered questions. Jarnagin’s mom had treatments for the cancer but fortunately for their family, it would not be as many as she thought. “My mom had to go through some pretty serious surgeries and thankfully those worked and she didn’t have to have chemotherapy or radiation … the cancer hadn’t spread anywhere else,” Jarnagin said. “My mom was incredibly strong and positive through the

Jarnagin said. Jarnagin’s risk of developing the disease. Jarnagin learned important lessons and routines to prepare her for the possibility of getting breast cancer. “Seeing what my mom went through definitely put into perspective how important it is to go to doctor’s appointments and

Attendance clerk Penny Garner experienced breast cancer firsthand. She was diagnosed

fortunate that it was only in the breast and it had not spread anywhere else. “They found i t in a regular

mammogram. The good news was I would not have to take any treatment a n d it stays only in the breast. I w a s

relieved to know that, but still very shocked because I had no idea,” Garner said. Garner found the process of ridding the cancer from her body to be more difficult than she thought. She felt that she was incapable of doing regular tasks during the day. “I had to have surgery and have everything removed and it was just a shock to my system. It took eight weeks before I was able to do anything,” Garner said. Having been diagnosed early in a routine mammogram, Garner thinks that check ups are important. Garner says she was actually late for the mammogram that found her cancer. “Always get a mammogram once a year and always be on time,” Garner said. Arnold, Jarnagin and Garner all experienced a brush with hope and different effects that breast cancer can cause among family members. Arnold’s mom is now cured and healthy but he was left with a lifelong mantra. “Appreciate all the things that parents have done for you and appreciate the time you have with them,” Arnold said.

Love for family urges students, others to participate in 5K Tessa Jackson Reporter

ince 1999, every year on Oct. 17, over 6,000 breast cancer survivors and supporters participate in the Liz Hurley 5K Ribbon Run. This fundraiser was created to help raise money with donations and has successfully done so by raising over $3 million in donations over the years. The entire Huntsville community, along with small businesses, churches and individuals like coach Jamie Coggins participate in the race. This is the fourth time Coggins has participated. “I try to run every year in memory of my mother, Suzy,” Coggins said. “She was a positive and uplifting

TEN YEARS IN RUNNING. Liz Hurley and participants raise hands in celebration of the ten year anniversary of the run. Hurley is a breast cancer survivior and created the 5K to raise funds for her non-proift organization that funds research. Photo chourtesy of Tessa Jackson

lady who lost her battle with breast cancer at age 54. She would have loved the race and the electricity of it all.”’ This year, Coggins will run with the Hakuna Ma Tatas team. The team has set a goal of $250.

“I was invited to join this team by Barbara Hughes, coach Hughes’ wife. She puts together a team every year. This year she has seven members and with a low goal I ‘m hoping we can easily surpass it and raise

more for this great cause,” Coggins said. Local dance studio owner, Heidi Knight has participated in the run for years. Knight runs to support her mother who was diagnosed with breast

cancer. “I don’t like to run alone,” Knight said. “I get my students to run and support their family members, their friends and the cause.” Sophomore I’dasha

Woods has run the race four times. Woods’ grandmother is a breast cancer survivor and she runs in honor of her. Her grandmother has been cancer free for five years. “She is the strongest person I know. She sees the best in everything and didn’t let cancer get her down. She fought,” Woods said. The main color at the event is pink, the color of the breast cancer awareness ribbon. It is not uncommon to see pink faces and tutus. Like the team Coggins’ has joined, many participants have catchy and often comical names. “The names are fun. The names sometimes bring out the personality in the person. It shows

Save the date

Organization holds event to instill awareness

Mya Harrell Reporter

CCLA began sponsoring a breast cancer walk five years ago to honor family consumer science teacher Karoline Webster’s sister Kris and other victims of breast cancer. Kris was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000. It had been two years since she had gotten a mammogram. The estrogen-fed breast cancer was fairly advanced.

After a few days, Kris went through surgery to have left breast removed. She was announced cancer-free. The cancer did not come back for the next four years. Kris’s doctor put her on preventive medicine called Tamoxifen and said that if she could make it for five years without the cancer returning, then her survival rates are really high. Sadly in four and a half years, Kris’s cancer came back in her bones in the legs. “During the next four

years, she held on strong. By time the cancer was in her lungs, it had gone to the base of her neck and throughout the rest of the bones in her body,” Karoline said. After being on and off chemo and going through experimental treatment, Kris’s body just gave out. The doctors took her off of chemo to give her body a rest on October of 2010. The day after Christmas, she departed. “I was really close to

Kris. She lived in Huntsville and when she passed away, I was devastated. I still miss her terribly

{

Karoline said. The walk will take place Oct. 21 during third block on the football

...having everyone involved in giving back it feels amazing,”

but as time goes on, I realize she is in a much better place. She is no longer suffering in pain,”

}

field track. The money raised will be donated to Clearview Cancer Institute.This

purpose of this walk is to get students active and have them understand that they are helping find a cure and saving lives of women with breast cancer. Games will be present that will cost a dollar. Students will get 20 minutes of walking time. “I feel really great about doing this because my family has been affected by breast cancer so by having everyone involved in giving back it feels amazing,” FCCLA president Payton Williams said.