Volume 35, issue 1 by Golden Fleece

VOLUME 35 , ISSUE 1 Date Night Asheville... See what you should do for your first date.

See who is headed to play in college.

Asheville PAGE 6

OCTOBER 26, 2012

Signings

Sports PAGE 12

& Commitments

Work takes longer than expected, causes inconviences By ELIZABETH MCBRIDE Staff Writer emcbride.communications@gmail.com

Asheville remains hotspot for campaigns By ARYN EISEN Editor, Golden Fleece ameisen.communications@gmail.com

President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney are on the two opposing sides of the 2012 election. On Nov. 1, North Carolina will take to the polls to cast its vote. While Obama and VP nominee Sarah Palin campaigned in Asheville in 2008,Vice President Joe Biden and Romney also made Asheville a

part of their campaigning tour this year. North Carolina also served as home to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. According to civics teacher, Elizabeth Ford-Ferguson, campaigning is very prominent in Asheville because it is a Republican area with a liberal demographic. Although the state was won by Obama in ‘08, the most recent polls and the mid-term elections seem to indicate the state is going back to some of its more conservative roots. “I think it says a lot that Romney and Biden came here to do their campaigning. They want our states’ 15 electoral votes and are coming here to get them,” FordFerguson said. According to Republican committee volunteer Janey Burhoe-Jones, North Carolina is focused on so much because of its

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new designation as a “swing state,” meaning voting could go either way. “North Carolina has been a swing state since 2008. Buncombe County is also a ‘swing county’ that at the moment is siding Republican as well. The amount of Democrats now voting Republican (is growing),” Burhoe-Jones said. Junior Ellie Collins volunteered at the Romney rally at the US Cellular Center and hopes North Carolina will return to its traditional red on election night. “Republican support in Buncombe County could affect the overall state vote,” Collins said. Buncombe also is one of only a handful of counties nationwide to ultimately vote in favor of the eventual president-elect for multiple election cycles. In 2010, the county moved decidedly back into the Republican camp,

Republican support in Buncombe Co. could affect the overall state vote » ELLIE COLLINS

and many believe that it will likely be won by Romney. When Biden visited earlier this fall, he held a rally at UNC-A, hoping to connect to younger voters. Romney’s trip brought in large crowds to the old Civic Center. “I personally feel it would benefit North Carolina more if the state swung to the democratic side. I agree more with Obama’s vision than Romney’s’,” history teacher Robert Browning said. No matter what the polls say at any given time, it is assured that on election night, thousands around the state and nation will be watching to see if NC will be colored in red or blue.

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Time frame changes in assistant principal search Lamb fills position until new assitsant principal is chosen. By CAROLINE STRAY Staff Writer cstray.communications@gmail.com

photo/EMILY MCCORD/golden fleece

NEW FACE: Kaye Lamb is currently serving as interim assistant principal until the end of the semester.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Quotable

The search for a new assistant principal is being continued as Interim Assistant Principal Kaye Lamb will only be a part of Roberson’s staff through the end of the first semester. According to Lamb, Principal Amy Rhoney is searching for somebody who will easily fit into the staff and have similar goals and ideas. “I think Mrs. Rhoney is generally looking for someone that will share the philosophy that she and the other administration members share,” Lamb said. “That philosophy is very student-centered. She has expectations for the students but she conveys it with

Use your smartphone to scan the QR codes throughout this issue

Overlook Rd. construction continues to cause issues

g n i SwS tate Buncombe considered a ‘swing county’ that will likely have a big impact on the state.

Golden Fleece INTERACTIVE

a smile. There’s a way of being strict without being ugly.” Rhoney has interviewed candidates whom fit the position, but has yet to make a decision. The first step in the process was to ask the School Improvement Team what qualities they would be interested in seeing in the next assistant principal. The list they formed included qualities such as patience, recent classroom or administrative experience, ability to establish authority and good communication skills. “It’s very important that the new administrator not only possess the qualities from the list that was formed, but who also was generally studentoriented,” Rhoney said. “We need somebody who can establish authority but at the same time be concerned with the students’ well-being and be comfortable with the students.”

After forming the list of qualities, an interview committee, which differed from the School Improvement Team, interviewed eight candidates and then narrowed it down to three. They then asked the finalists to come back and spend time before and after school at Roberson. “When Mrs. Rhoney called and asked me to interim, we originally thought it would only be for about a month,” Lamb said. “But things change. Now I’ll be here through the first semester. Mrs. Rhoney has been very accommodating through it all.” According to Rhoney, it is likely that another interim, who is currently unknown, will fill Lamb’s position next semester due to state rules. And, by the end of the year, a full-time assistant principal will have been established.

Construction on Overlook Rd., the widely-used connector between Hendersonville Rd. and Long Shoals, has extended past original plans for numerous reasons. The Department of Transportation (DOT) began the project in July. “We didn’t start with a certain amount of time that the construction would take. We went in, started digging, and found things we had to deal with,” Ed Green said, the Division Maintenance Engineer for the DOT. The purpose of the construction was to widen the road on a dangerous curve that has resulted in many accidents. It was also started to install better drainage system. “We went in to try and improve the safety of the road by widening out the road and fixing some of the drainage to help decrease the need for the deep ditches ,” said Green. Junior Sam Kroman was involved in a serious accident last summer at the sharp curve near near the intersection of Hendersonville Rd. She thinks the construction is extremely useful. “I do think it is beneficial. That road has a lot of dangerous parts, and it’s time they finally do something about it,” said Kroman. However, some commuters who use the road are aggravated with how long the work has taken and are ready for the construction to be over. “As a constant user of Overlook Rd., I was somewhat agitated at first. Now I take a shortcut through Oak Forest. I cannot wait for the road to be fixed,” senior Will Newman said. Additionally, various people who live on the road have been in touch with the DOT to voice their opinion. “Some are very pleased. Some don’t like it because we’ve cut down a lot of trees. But others like it because we’ve cut them out. It also is making the road safer, so they seem pleased with the overall project,” Green said. According to people who live near or use the road frequently also note that speed is a big factor in the amount of accidents that happen. “Although some (of the wrecks) were worse than others, it still isn’t safe. Especially with the way people drive now of days,” said Kroman. Typically, Kroman has to use the road on her way to school. “Every time I pass the place where my friends and I wrecked, it gives me chills and makes me think a lot about the two friends that we lost that night. It brings back a lot of bad memories. It’s a relief that they are finally doing something to prevent future accidents,” said Kroman. According to Green, the project is set be finished within the next month.

“Not really sure who should win the election, but I’ll probably complain either way.” » Bob Roberston

NEWS

GOLDEN FLEECE • OCTOBER 26, 2012

What’s Going On-line?

GoldenFleeceOnline.com Since our official launch in September, our online site has been covering Roberson daily. Below are some of the few stories we covered.

Support the Troops Drama & AFJROTC paired up with WGZM 1350 AM to send letters and posters to troops overseas.

photo/KATHRYN SIZEMORE/golden fleece

MORNING CRUNCHIES: Junior Andrew Webb enjoys his second chance breakfast during class. “Even though there are long lines, I think it’s worth it. It’s really cool that the state can provide this for our school.”

Spirit Week Photos Want to see all your friends dressed up? We have photos from everyday of Spirit Week. Congrats to the overall winner, Camille Smarjesse.

‘Snack Time’ provides students with second chance breakfast New meal program prompts students to eat breakfast. By CASEY GREENWALT Staff Writer cgreenwalt.communications@gmail

Distinguished Young Woman of WNC On Oct. 25, senior Brianna Birchett received the Distinguished Young Woman of Western North Carolina Award.

Pledges Against Bullying Students signed a pledge board for Bully Awareness Month on Oct. 2 to stand up to bullying.

By now, students are adjusting to the change in the school bell schedule that allows four extra minutes between first and second period. These added minutes are part of a plan connected to the new free breakfast program. Students have the option to pick up a free breakfast before school or grab a quick bite after first period. Students will only be able to choose one of the two options each day, however. Three kiosks are set up around the school between first and second periods. They are located in the cafeteria, by

**If you have a Smartphone or an iPhone, you can simply scan the QR Codes next to the stories for direct access to the story. Otherwise, you can search them easily online at GoldenFleeceOnline.com.

doesn’t matter.” The universal breakfast is offered from 7-7:45 every morning in the cafeteria. Rather than the traditional style breakfast, which had been offered in previous years, these meals are ‘Grab-n-Go.’ Students can grab a bag on their way to class and start their day by eating a healthy WATERS breakfast. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. [The meals are] prepackaged to help save time and they have more appeal to kids,” Waters said. If students choose to opt out of the ‘Grab-n-Go’ breakfast in the morning, they can

The federal government decided to do this so no child goes hungry.

SUNDAY

67°/46°

54°/38°

Sunny

THE BOTTOM LINE

The FCCLA & Shear Shack are raising money for breast cancer research by selling pink hair extensions for $10.

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SATURDAY

20% Breast Cancer Awareness

the mural on the history hall, and in front of the main office. This new ‘Universal Breakfast’ provides every student the opportunity to receive a breakfast free of cost. According to cafeteria manager Geni Waters, this program came about in connection to federal regulations addressing the amount of students who already pay re» GENI duced prices for school meals. “The federal government decided to do this so no child goes hungry. It takes away all of the titles such as ‘free and reduced’ meals,” Waters said. “Now we can just make sure that children are eating good and healthy meals, and money

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MONDAY

55°/37° Sunny

10%

Weather

receive a free snack between first and second period at any of the three kiosks around the school. According to Waters, depending on the day, the snacks may be Pop-Tarts, fruit, or packaged food such as a blueberry muffin. She also noted that, despite the longer class change, receiving a snack will not be an excuse for being late to class. Sophomore Lauren Hartmann is interested in the ‘second chance breakfast’ between first and second period. She feels it will be a great opportunity for her to grab a quick snack before lunch. “I’m really excited about the new Universal Breakfast. It will be nice to get free food, especially before second period. I mean, who doesn’t love food?” Hartmann said.

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

60°/39°

49°/30°

Sunny

Mostly Sunny

10%

Your 5-day forecast, brought to you by weather.com

News

GOLDEN FLEECE • October 26, 2012

CO$T of being a

$ENIOR SUMMER/FALL

Graduation Materials

$40

Cap, Gown, & Diploma Cover Who knew we would be paying that kind of money just to all look alike at graduation? Source: Jostens

SAT ACT $50 $27 Late Fee

$35 $50.50 with Writing $22 Late Fee

As if taking the test itself wasn’t awful enough, it’s expensive, too. Source: College Board and ACT Student

College Visits

$50+ Even though the tour of the campus is free, that’s about all that is when it comes to taking the first look at college.

College Applications

Fees

$20-$90 Average $35 Surprisingly enough, you have to pay for the college just to look at your application. Source: USNews.com

Senior Day

$75

Can be paid in increments as needed and fund-raising is available. Off campus senior day has its perks, and it is definitely worth the price.

photo/JAKE HAYDEN/golden fleece

COUNT ON ME: Due to a recent ruling by the Food and Drug Administration, all restaurants or vending machines with more than 20 locations must label the amount of calories in the food or drink. “I’m thrilled that they’ve put the calories up on menus,” McDonald’s owner Christine Nevant said.

New rules will require all restaurants to display calorie count on menu boards McDonalds has already made the change to display a calorie amount By BETSEY HUBBARD Staff Writer bhubbard.communications@gmail.com

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled in March 2011 that any restaurant or vending machine with more than 20 locations must label the amount of calories in the food or drink. According the FDA’s website, the plan is that all qualifying businesses be in compliance by the end of the year. McDonald’s was the first big name franchise to start adding calorie counts to their menus on Sept. 24. According to Marsha Elkins, manager of the McDonald’s on Long Shoals road, customers have definitely seen the change. “People have noticed; they com-

ment when they see we have the calories up on the menu,” Elkins said. For some, posting the amount of calories in the menu can help them decide if the food they are buying fits their diet needs and allows them to decide what is healthier. But really it hasn’t affected the sales since it was posted on the menu about a month ago according to McDonald’s owner Christine Nevant. “I’m thrilled that they’ve put the calories up on the menus. People tend to think that McDonald’s is so fattening compared to places like Panera or Chick-fil-a, but really the calories are the same. People think they are getting something healthier to eat, and with the calories up, people can see that there isn’t a huge difference,” Nevant said. The required new menus are a result of the Health Care Reform Law passed in 2010. According to the act, restaurants meeting certain requirements have to label calories and

provide other nutritional information. The exception to this ruling includes businesses like amusement parks or movie theaters, where selling food is not the primary purpose of the company. Although students have noticed the change, some believe people will eat fast food regardless of the new signs. “I think people might » CHRISTINE take an interest, but probably not. People bought it before, so they will after,” junior Madison Taylor said. The process that goes into getting the calories up on the menu starts by paying for the labor to disassemble the old menus inside and outside.

Then the owner or operator pays for new menus and people to reassemble the menus. But paying for the change didn’t stop the Nevants from changing their two McDonald’s in Hickory. “I feel like kids don’t understand. They think they’re being calorie conscious, but they aren’t; with the amount viewable, kids can get a better education on their food choices,” Nevant said. “Young girls would just buy a frappe thinkNEVANT ing it was less calories then a sandwich, but it actually isn’t.” Whether this new law will make a big impact on eating choices is up to the customer. “This change will educate people and help them understand what they are eating,” Nevant said.

“ This change will

educate people and help them understand what they are eating

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Senior project process to see minor changes Graduation Project sees changes in judging during presentations By JAKE HAYDEN Staff Writer jhayden.communications@gmail.com

Graduation projects are a required assignment for seniors in Buncombe County and are counted as 12.5 percent of the English IV overall grade. In the project, seniors must choose a topic that furthers their education. Senior Andrew Smith chose potato agriculture. “It just really interested me, and I wanted to do something unique that no one else would,” Smith said. Seniors meet with a mentor who is an expert on the topic. They have to log at least 10 hours with a mentor and a minimum of 15 hours of practical experience in their own time outside of school hours. Practical experience can be demonstrated by creating a tangible product, performing a service, or furthering education. Once they have gathered their information and completed their hours, seniors are required to write a five to seven page research paper. Graduation

projects started at Roberson six years ago, but the According to Cole, the main change that might requirements have received changes over the past impact the students is the grading. While presenttwo years. ing a graduation project in the past, three judges Buncombe County started a policy to align the would independently grade rubrics. This past year, a schools. The county started gradunew rule was made that the three ation projects in the fall of 2008, judges must collaborate together, but each school has been doing and grade one rubric. the projects in various ways in “What we’re doing is scafregards to number of required folding. Components are being hours, length of paper, or if learned and built on each year so students need both a mentor and when students become seniors, expert. Some teachers at Roberson they are ready to tackle the have been informally doing the projects. Personally, I’m pushing projects since 1993. my students to see their menDue to the new rules, research tors more often so they get more papers, hours, and time frames experience,” said English teacher » TRISTEN PLEMMONS are consistent with those all across Tristen Plemmons-Bowman. the county. According to English The alignment of the requirements is also deteacher Roy Cole, Roberson has been following the signed to make it easier for students who transfer rubric closely for the past six years, so the changes from other schools in the county to be on the same this year are not drastic. pacing and schedule. “Ms. Plemmons-Bowman and I went to a meet“The main objective is to make similar rubrics ing in August to see the changes in the projects, but Roberson was already caught up, so we didn’t have to so the learning goals are the same. That’s the most do a whole lot,” Cole said. important thing,” Plemmons-Bowman said.

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The main objective is to make similar rubrics so the learning goals

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Opinion

GOLDEN FLEECE • October 26, 2012

TRENDING TOPICS By SARAH DAVIDSON Editor-in-Chief sdavidson.communications@gmail

School, celebs deck out in pink to support cause

At a Loss (for Words)

If you are unfamiliar with the set-up of a traditional newspaper, one of the key attributes is the paper’s ability to speak with one unified voice in something called a Staff Editorial. Each month, this space is dedicated to the opinion and beliefs of this publication as we look to comment on the major issues of our time. After much consideration about what to write this month (besides focusing on the staple issues that most high schools seem to talk about, namely social activities and final grades), we were stuck. Not that there is a lack of important topics out there, but just that we had a hard time deciding what Roberson students truly cared about. So, we’ll ask. What do you really care about? Only sports or passing a class? The horribly overdone topics such as dress code and parking issues? (Granted, those are important-but cliche all the same.) You may think you’re passionate about events such as the election or even breast cancer awareness month. That’s good. But how much are we as a school really doing for these causes? You may have worn pink to that football game, but did you personally donate money to the research for a cure? Did you spend any of your free time campaigning or volunteering for your favorite candidate? You may hate the dress code, but what are you willing to do to change it? Don’t like the tardy policy? Ok, so now what? Sometimes the problem with writing a strong opinion of what the student body is passionate about is that there might not be a lot of things you’re passionate about. So, we are asking for your help. Prove us wrong. We want to know what you think the important issues are. But to do that, we need you to contact us and let us know. Please submit your take on topics you care about. Email us at GoldenFleeceMedia@gmail.com or go online and fill out our form. Either way, we need to hear from you before you can truly hear from us. Thank you in advance for those of you who care enough to let us know what you care about...

‘Grab & Go’ breakfast prevents hunger from causing daily distraction in class Buncombe Co. schools make positive progress to assist needy students. By MARY-HELEN HARDY Staff Writer mhardy.communications@gmail.com

In North Carolina, one in four children, or 27.6 percent, struggle with hunger. This year Buncombe County Schools has upped their game to help end hunger by adding a free breakfast during the school day. “A child who has not had breakfast is going to be distracted. They are thinking, ‘I’m hungry,’” Lynette Vaughn-Harvey, Buncombe County child nutrition director said in an ar-

ticle in the Citizen-Times. Last school year, 640,000 children qualified and participated in free or reduced lunch programs in North Carolina. By adding a free breakfast snack, students no longer have to worry about going a school day without food. Now they can focus on learning. And being hungry is not the only side-effect of hunger. Students can have headaches, be sick, and are less likely to do well in school and athletics without proper food. Here at Roberson, we have set aside 10 minutes in

HARDY Mary-Helen is a junior in her 2nd year of journalism. Her opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Golden Fleece staff.

between first and second period so that students can go get a free breakfast and have time to eat before class starts. Although Roberson and all Buncombe County Schools serve breakfast in the mornings (which can be paid or reduced by the lunch programs), students do not always have time to sit down and eat a good meal before school starts. Having the ‘grab and go’ style breakfast available during the school day allows any and all students to get what they need. Berakfasts include an

assortment of snacks (including PopTarts, fruit, or packaged food). Three food kiosks around the school helps all students get a snack without being tardy, no matter where they are in the school. “It’s so convenient if you haven’t eaten breakfast and you need a snack to get you through the day,” sophomore Camden Carter said of the new breakfast. This new program is funded by reimbursements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The North Carolina Board of Education is trying to focus on ending hunger in children. Now all students can be guaranteed two meals a day for at least five days a week, which is a huge step towards ending hunger in America.

EDITORIAL BOARD Casey Greenwalt Mary Helen Hardy Avery Lindsay Corey Myrick

Established over 25 years ago, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) has greatly impacted the progress of cancer research. According to the official website, NBCAM is defined as a “collaboration of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to services.” This month is an annual campaign to help raise awareness this disease that affects nearly one out of every eight woman. The money raised during this month is directly contributed to help women in need receive mammograms and education about breast cancer. Support of this movement has become increasingly widespread this year, evident from celebrities shaving their heads as well as our own TC cheerleaders using pink pompoms. Country star Kellie Pickler shaved her head on Sept. 5 to raise awareness and support her close friend, Summer Miller, who was diagnosed with breast cancer and is currently under going chemotherapy. Miller stated that “If this compels even one person to change their mentality toward waiting until the age of 40 for their mammogram, then it will be worth it.” Pickler’s selfless action proved that celebrities can indeed prove a valid point by shaving their heads. Rather than doing this for attention or a fashion statement, Pickler simply showed support of a positive moment. Actions such as these are refreshing in the ridiculous celebrity news of today. The push for early awareness is due to the fact that the early the cancer is recognized, women’s chances of surviving significantly increase. This October marks the fourth year that the NFL, in partnership with the American Cancer Society, has sponsored the campaign “A Crucial Catch.” This campaign is also directly designed to encourage women to identify cancer early and receive routine check-ups. To raise money, NFL players wear pink gear throughout October and then auction off the items. The money is donated directly to the American Cancer Society’s Community Health Advocates National Grants for Empowerment (CHANGE) program. Individual NFL players such as Drew Bees and Mark Sanchez were featured on the campaign this year. It is extremely reassuring to know that we can still come together in order to make our country a better place, and create a more positive future. LEADERSHIP BOARD SARAH DAVIDSON

Elizabeth Rand Kathryn Sizemore Caroline Stray Briana Ullman

Editor-in-Chief ARYN EISEN

Editor, Golden Fleece LAURA MELROSE The Golden Fleece is the official newspaper of TC Roberson High School, 250 Overlook Rd., Asheville, NC, 28803. A product of the Communications class, it is published monthly throughout the year and is printed by The Star, 315 E Graham St., Shelby, NC 28150. Opinions expressed in the columns, cartoons, photo illustrations, and letters that appear in the Golden Fleece are the views of the individual writers and artists. All unsigned editorials reflect the opinions of the Golden Fleece staff. As a public forum for student expression, the students determine the contents of the publication without prior review. To receive permission for reproduction, please write the editor. Subscription cost is $20 per year. A single copy is free to all students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the school. Additional copies are $.25 each. The Golden Fleece is a paying member of MCT Campus and Tribune Media Services. All images not taken specifically by the Golden Fleece staff members are used with expressed permission by the original owner. Adviser: Mark Harrison

Publisher

BROOKE GORDON

Business & Project Manager MADISON BARLOW

Editor, GF Online

LEA BURTON

STAFF Lily Anderson Courtney Case Anna Conard

THE BOTTOM LINE

Jenny Downey Brenna Flanigan Victoria Goss Jake Hayden

Molly Hodes Lindsey Hoover Betsey Hubbard Elizabeth McBride

Emily McCord Anne Rand Max Redinger Gena Scully

Henry Sharpe Nikki Thiel Josa Worthy

Executive Producer, GF Current SCOTT SCHREIBER

Technology Director

Questions? Comments? Got an idea? Contact us online or at GoldenFleeceMedia@gmail.com

OPINION

GOLDEN FLEECE • OCTOBER 26, 2012

NEVER SAW IT COMING

2012-2013 GF Leadership Board

TV TOPICS By ARYN EISEN Editor, Golden Fleece

‘Honey Boo-Boo’ captures interest

ameisen.communications@gmail.com

Sarah Davidson Editor-In-Chief

The unusual family may help us laugh but is secretly endearing at the same time. cartoon/ALEX IRWIN/golden fleece

OPINION OPINION OPINION OPINION OPINION

RAND

In 2008, President Obama became the first AfricanAmerican president of the United States. And although he promised hope and change, we have been enduring four years with the only change being a bad one. Jay Leno, the host on “The Tonight Show,” recently joked that Obama

Anne Rand is a sophomore in her first year of journalism. Her opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Golden Fleece staff.

walked into or inherited a huge budget deficit, and if re-elected this year, will inherit an even larger one. As a president, Obama already has some support to win, but Romney provides better needs for the future. Obama has raised the U.S. American debt to $16 trillion, and Romney chooses to fix this problem. Romney’s goals are to build the energy independence, ensure that Americans have job skills to succeed, to open markets that will work for America, cut the deficit, and to champion small businesses. Governor Romney said in one of his speeches that he is “going to deliver recovery and not dependency.” This is the right direction for our country right now. Obama may have been

wanting to “wake up” in a completely new America. He sure did wake us up, but definitely not in a good way. Some are still going to vote for Barack Obama. As president, it is clear that he doesn’t understand our current economic and social problems. As he has been trying to solve them for the past four years, but has not done a lot of good for us. It’s true that Romney does not have ‘presidential experience’. Romney needs to win this election. He has the best plan for our future. Since my generation will be dealing with the problems our government has caused, I know that governor Romney will lighten the load for the next generation.

Madison Barlow Editor, GF Online

Lea Burton Exec. Producer, GF Current

Khloe Kardashian scandal just another publicity stunt to benefit family fortune Gossip about who is her real father just stirs up pointless discussions.

SCULLY Genevieve Scully is a sophomore in her first year of journalism. Her opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Golden Fleece staff.

Here we go again. The Kardashians. They have done nothing life-changing or memorable. They are famous for doing nothing. So when the scandal broke out about the questioning of Khloe Kardashian’s father, it became clear that this was just another stunt to bring in more profits for this multi-million dollar family. Just like Kim’s “marriage”

to Chris Humphries. The Kardashians just want more money. Or fame. Or both. Several men have been considered as the possible father of the youngest Kardashian sister. Some being more outrageous than others. All of a sudden there is an obsession over the difference in characteristics in Khloe compared to the other sisters. And yet, hardly anybody questioned her DNA before six months ago. Although many people argue that Khloe doesn’t look like the other sisters, the question is silly no matter what. And frankly, it’s not really

anyone else’s business. Khloe has stated that she does not need to know who her father is because it does not matter to her. But even that is a cleverly phrased comment to instill doubt. The reason she does not want to get the DNA test done is because she wants to prolong the gossip or the cash coming in from all the talk. Gossip does sell, after all. The truth about Khloe Kardashian’s father may never be known. But one thing we can be sure of is that as long as people keep tuning in, that family will keep giving us reasons to talk about them.

Scott Schreiber Technical Director

Laura Melrose Publisher

cartoon/JAKE HAYDEN/golden fleece

TO THE IMPRESSIVE TCR FOOTBALL SEASON Congratulations to TC football having a great season so far and beating Asheville, Crest, and McDowell. They will be having their last regular season football game tonight against Enka at home.

Raves Rongs

TO UGGS SEASON FINALLY ARRIVING Cold weather and freezing winds means that you can take out the cold weather boots and wear them to school. Let’s just keep in mind that they are cold weather wear. Just keep in mind that 70 is not cold. TO ROMNEY & BIDEN COMING TO ASHEVILLE It’s nice to know that we have many politicians and celebrities who like to come to our neck of the woods.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Aryn Eisen Editor, Golden Fleece

Republicans choose Romney to fix economy, Obama’s failed promises

OPINION OPINION OPINION OPINION

This year, when thinking about what I wanted to write a column on, I realized the one thing that most high school students have in common is our fascination with TV. Whether you watch reality TV or ESPN, it seems that certain shows or networks continue to surprise us as viewers. Each month I will take some time to review and put into perspective a show on a local or cable network. And for fun, let’s start with a bang. Media has a new face in television: her name is Alana Thompson, better known as Honey Boo Boo. The new show, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” aired Aug. 9 on TLC, bringing in 2.2 million viewers and the third highest number of viewers for the network, according to the NY Times. Alana and her mother, June, first debuted on another popular TLC show “Toddlers in Tiaras” in January. Since then, America has had mixed feelings on this very interesting family. Sugar Bear, Mama, Pumpkin, Chickadee, Chubbs, Glitzy, and Honey Boo Boo make up this controversial family. The show focuses on the daily lives of the family and Alana’s pageant life. The family is depicted as them being themselves... “What you see is what you get.” Personally, I can not get enough of this hilarious family. I watch every week and do not see how anyone could see this show as anything less than extremely enjoyable. Some may argue the family is rude or dysfunctional, but I find them a constant laugh. The show was an instant classic that captured my heart simply because of the true reality of the show. For anyone who has seen the show, you know that this family is anything but scripted. I do not see the cause for all the controversy. They are just a family who have made their name by being themselves. According to policymic. com, the new show sparked controversy when implying certain stereotypes of American children, especially those of the South. If someone wants to place blame for the show, don’t put it on the Thompson family, but TLC. The main reason I enjoy the show so much is that I am not necessarily laughing at the family, but rather with them. The light- hearted show is meant to be enjoyed and not imply a deeper meaning. I think the people who do not like the show are looking at it as a serious topic and not just a way to laugh. If anything, the deeper meaning of this show is that every family is interesting and has a story.

Raves & Rongs

Brooke Gordon Business & Project Manager

TO COLD WEATHER AT THE BEGINNING OF OCT. Mother Nature is slapping us in the face with the sudden change in weather. Winter is just around the corner. Summer really is over. Goodbye flip flops and tank tops. See you in the spring. TO THE HOMEROOM SWITCH Even though we will not have homeroom everyday, students still have to go different directions for their homerooms instead of sticking with their normal schedule. TO THE 9-WEEK SCHEDULE The grading period is now nine weeks instead of six. The good? Three extra weeks without parents asking you about the “D” in Biology. The bad? The realization you only have one more grading period left to pull it up.

A quick look at what’s good and what’s bad at TC and beyond.

BY COURTNEY CASE

ccase.communications@gmail.com

FIRST DATE EDITION From lower to higher budgets, there’s always something to do in the area with that special someone.

FOOD Lower Price

Asheville

o c a h C a i n a M

Popular shoe fits variety of styles Chacos reflect the unique style of its wearers Seen in

By Sarah Davidson Editor-in-Chief sdavidson.communications@ gmail.com

Med Price

Higher Price

Asheville has Lots of good food to choose from. Hard to go wrong here.

GOLDEN FLEECE • October 26, 2012

rivers, on trails and the hallways of TC, Chacos are a common sight in Western North Carolina. These open-toed, waterproof sandals are sold in multiple stores in Asheville including REI, Diamond Brand Outdoors, Mast General Store, Frugal Backpacker and Tops for Shoes. According to Bri Simpson, assistant store manager of the local REI, Chacos are one of the store’s most popular products because of their adaptability. “Chacos are really popular because of the shoe’s multipurposes; customers can wear them hiking, climbing or in the water. Once a customer owns a pair of Chacos they come back for more--

they don’t tend to deviate away from the shoe,” Simpson said. Chaco founder Mark Paigen originally designed the ‘Z-strap’ sandal for personal use in the ‘80s while he worked as a white water and fly-fishing guide on the Colorado River. Eventually, demand grew for the sandals and the widely popular Chaco company was launched in April of 1989. According to the official Chaco website, one of the best-selling items is the ‘Z-strap’ sandal, which costs approximately $100. The brand also offers a variety of

boots, tennis shoes and flip flops. Senior Alex Ferraz wears his Chacos weekly and believes that to be a true ‘Ashevillian’ one must own a pair. “I feel like Chacos are just one of those Asheville things. A lot of people get outdoors a lot, and they are easy to throw on without being worried they are going to get dirty or scuffed,” Ferraz said. High demand for these shoes has not stopped. In 2008, the company’s annual revenue was reported to exceed $20 million. In 2009, Wolverine World Wide, Inc. bought the brand but the sale price was not released to the public. WWW, Inc.’s annual revenue for 2009 was reported to be $1.139 billion.

Despite some controversy around the sale of the brand, the popularity of these shoes has remained steady. According to Reynolds High School Young Life leader, Rachel Siegal, Chacos are the ideal shoe to own in Asheville. “I’ve worn Chacos for about three years. I absolutely love them because they’re super versatile and comfortable. I wear them to class, to go hiking and just out and about,” Siegal said. Siegal recently won three $110 gift cards to Chaco. Each year, the company holds a competition called the “Chaco Tan Contest.” Eight categories are offered and ‘Chaconians’ submit photos to win a prize valued over the cost of one pair of shoes. Siegal took a picture at local Young Life camp, Windy Gap, with over 50 leaders wearing their Chacos and won the ‘Biggest Group Category.’ She knew about the competition early in the

summer and was interested in entering. The idea hit her when she attended a leader retreat and discovered how many people owned the shoes. “When I was there I realized just how many Young Life leaders had Chacos on, so I knew that I totally would have a chance if I got everyone together and entered the picture,” Siegal said. Siegal was informed that she won about a month after the contest deadline of Sept. 7. “I was so surprised when I got the email; the hardest part was that I had to stay pretty quiet about it and couldn’t post on any social media because the pictures weren’t going to be posted until the next day,” Siegal said. Siegal has been an avid Chaco wearer for around three years and is looking forward to being able to purchase a couple new pairs of shoes with her winnings.

TO DO Lower Price

Apple Orchards Corn Mazes

Med Price photo/KATHRYN SIZEMORE/golden fleece

Movies Bowling

Higher Price

Live Theatre Concerts Again, just pick something that fits your budget and personality.

DON’T FORGET

Breath Mints Money

Visit us online to see the complete feature by sophomore Victoria Goss.

KICKIN’ IT: All around Asheville, students and teachers can be seen wearing the multi-versatile sandal. From beaches to mountain trails to paved sidewalks, many owners of the shoe testify to the comfort and usability of chacos. “I feel like Chacos are just one of those Asheville things. A lot of people get outdoors a lot, and they are easy to throw on without being worried they are going to get dirty or scuffed.”

Asheville highlights food industry with multiple options Unique local cuisine continues to attract residents and tourists By Brenna Flanigan Staff Writer bflanigan.communications@gmail.com

Food in Asheville ranges from four-star cuisine to down-home cooking. Asheville features over 15 different types of cuisine and nearly 250 independent restaurants according to ExploreAsheville. com. “Even though I have lived here for five years, my family is still exploring the many different restaurants throughout Asheville,” sophomore Cat Jennings said. ExploreAsheville.com refers to the city as the home of the world’s only FoodTopian society, and claims it is a city where food is the centerpiece of daily life and its largest means of production. “I think the food scene in Asheville is thriving and is definitely a big part of the town. Also, I really enjoy how the choices

of places to eat are very diverse and the food here is innovative. The places to eat range from food trucks to fine dining, and that is what I really love,” Emily Patrick who is the writer of the food section in Asheville’s Mountain Xpress said. Sophomore Ivan Torres’ parents own two Elena’s Mexican Grilles and one Casa Torres, all located in Asheville. “It was very challenging for my family to get our restaurants up and running, but the hard work has really paid off,” Torres said. Asheville is a place where many diverse restaurants thrive, bringing inventive dishes from all around the world according to AshevilleNC.com. A local Indian Street Food restaurant, Chai Pani, plans to spread their business and open a sister eatery in Atlanta. Senior Caleb Wooley is shadowing Joseph Scully for his senior project on opening a small business. “I think Asheville is a great place to open a restaurant because the city has so many diverse people and popular locations,” Wooley said. AshevilleNC.com highlights Asheville as a national culinary destination. It states that people

visit Asheville to enjoy a range of local restaurants that feature organic food from local area farms to top-rated international cuisine. “My families’ restaurants get a lot of regulars, but there is always a day where we see new faces I have met people from all around the country,” Torres said. Asheville food is also featured at local festivals such as Bele Chere in late July every summer. Art teacher at Roberson, Ms. Patane, whose husband previously owned a restaurant in Asheville, had a food stand at Bele Chere. “I enjoy the food at the local festivals, but I wish they only had local restaurants hosting food stands; that way Asheville could support its city and the local businesses,” Patane said. A unique aspect about the food in Asheville is the variety of different restaurants and the hideaway restaurants. “I really like how the food in Asheville is different than any other place I have been to or lived in,” freshman Patricia Hogoboom said.

The famous Asheville City Hall building and the building right beside it, the Buncombe County Courthouse, were actually supposed to be the identical structures. However, the political structure at the time pushed for a more conservative look for the courthouse. A more-reserved, yet still “opulent” structure, sits beside the nation’s first Art Deco city hall.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Fast Facts

SOURCE: NPS.GOV

Betcha’ didn’t know some of the neat facts about Asheville. We’ll feature one each month here!

Features

GOLDEN FLEECE • OCTOBER 26, 2012

Annual fall events return By VICTORIA GOSS Staff Writer vgoss.communications@gmail.com

Along with the mountain scenery and cool temperatures, Asheville is home to multiple events held during the fall season, including corn mazes and haunted adventures. “Fall in Asheville has nice temperatures and is perfect for football season. I also love to take drives on the parkway to see the fall colors,” coach Roy Lusk said. The Eliada Corn Maze, located 10 minutes from downtown Asheville, is WNCs largest corn maze. “We opened in September, but our busiest weeks are in October. We work with Maze Play in Idaho all year to plan our design of the maze. This year, it is a child riding a mini bike to represent the charities we do,” Nora Shat, an Eliada employee, said. This is Eliada’s fourth year operating the maze, but the first year without a haunted maze version, which consisted of people dressed up as Halloween characters hidden in a separate maze to scare guests. “Last year, I went to the Eliada Corn Maze. It was really fun, but I got lost. It was totally worth it, and I’ll definitely be coming back this year,” freshman Anna Lewis said. The maze will run every weekend from 4-9 p.m. on Fridays, 10 a.m-9 p.m. Saturdays, and 11a.m.-8p.m. Sundays. The cost is $9.00 per adult and free for children 3 and under. According to Eliada’s official website, 20,000 visitors come annually to experience the thrill of finding their way in a 12- acre jungle of tall corn. Another Halloween tradition offered in Asheville is Pinheads Graveyard. According to the official Pinheads website, their 16th annual graveyard is WNCs only “outdoor haunted house”. Pinheads is located 10 minutes from the Waffle House in Candler/West Asheville and costs $15.00. It is open through Nov. 3 from dark till the last guest makes it out. “When I went to Pinheads last year, the scariest parts were the animals and scary movie characters that would come out of the bushes and chase you with chainsaws,” freshman Amelia Ramsey said. “Last year, we fell down and they were hovering over us with baseball bats--scariest moment of my life.” Pinheads staff dress up and hide throughout the haunted adventure to frighten the guests. However, it’s not always just the staff that gets in on the scaring. “Every year I go to Pinheads with all my buds and we like to scare all the people that are there. It’s definitely one of my favorite things in the fall,” senior Parker Johnson said. For those who are looking to decorate their homes or continue traditions involving carving pumpkins, Asheville offers a variety of locations to find the perfect one. Options include grocery stores to church pumpkin patches, to even the farm next door. “I go to my neighbor’s farm and they grow pumpkins that are, like, a thousand pounds. One time, Dallin and I both fit in one at the same time when it was carved out,” sophomore Cason Curriden said. The WNC Farmers Market has estimated that North Carolina has 3,000 to 4,000 acres of pumpkins. The Farmer’s Market and Hickory Nut Gap Farm are also two popular places to get pumpkins.

photo/EMILY MCCORD/golden fleece

ON THE JOB: Senior Max Fann works at local Neo Burrito in Biltmore Park Town Square. In addition to his job, Fann plays varsity golf on the Roberson team. “My only restrictions with my heart condition are that I can’t be an astronaut or go scuba diving. All in all, that’s not that bad,” Fann said.

Fann enjoys normal teen lifestyle despite childhood heart defects Max Fann was born with two holes in his heart, but has learned to overcome its connected problems

“

By AVERY LINDSAY Staff Writer alindsay.communications@gmail.com

surgeries in his 18 years than most headache my junior year, I knew that people have throughout their whole I would have to get it replaced once lives. He was born with a congenital again,” Fann said. heart defect, which occurs in nine out In the first few months of his life, of 1000 newborns and causes obstrucFann’s body rejected the shunt in two tion and abnormal blood flow. different places including his abdomi“Although a lot nal and shoulder of kids are born regions. The docwith heart defects, tors were finally at times I still feel able to place the different and weird shunt in his head, because of my where it stayed scars,” Fann said. till he outgrew it In March of in the third grade last year, Fann had and then replaced surgery in order it with a larger to replace a shunt one. » GRAHAM WELLS which allows the Fann moved proper flow of fluid to Asheville his from his brain to his heart. This was sophomore year from Florida and at the fifth time he had the shunt either the time, his doctors told him he could relocated or replaced. not play football because the danger of “They are not supposed to have to messing up the valve. However, Fann’s replace the shunt, but I just have bad medical condition has not stopped luck, I guess. When I got a splitting him from participating in other

ax Fann knows what it is like to be partly bald. Last March, after undergoing yet another surgery, he decided to shave his head and had a bald spot where the incision had been made. “When I shaved my head, I got weird looks. But I’ve just gotten used to it and don’t care anymore,” Fann said. Fann, a senior at Roberson, was born six weeks premature with two holes in his heart, and has had more

Max is a really cool guy...he has a good attitude about everything.

”

normal high school activities such as working at Neo Burrito in Biltmore Park Town Square and playing golf for Roberson. Fanns’ golf teammate, junior Graham Wells, said that while he missed three matches last year due to his surgery, Fann was a good sport about his condition and always dealt with it through humor. “Max is a really cool guy, and I love playing golf with him. He would always just joke around last year and say his brain was leaking. He has a good attitude about everything,” Wells said. Fann says he tries to live a normal life and not let his condition effect him dramatically. He enjoys watching his favorite NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys, and hanging out with his friends and family. “My only restrictions with my heart condition are that I can’t be an astronaut or go scuba diving. All in all, that’s not that bad,” Fann said.

A League of Their Own

Popularity of fantasy teams, leagues continues to grow

Students, staff get in on the excitment of this popular hobby By JAKE HAYDEN Staff Writer jhayden.communications@gmail.com

He used to not regularly play fantasy football but now that he has begun winning, he regularly checks his account for improvement. Junior Andrew Webb began playing fantasy football last year in a league with his dad and his dad’s friends. “I really like sports, and I don’t have a favorite team, so it’s easy for me to root for my own players,” Webb said. “Also, I’m doing well this year with a record of 8-1.” According to the market research firm Ipsos, Americans spend an estimated $800 million on fantasy sports every year. A large majority of that money goes to football since 71 percent of fantasy players follow that sport. Fantasy Football is increasing in popularity compared to last year with an increase of 19 percent in users according to ESPN.

The first fantasy sports game was golf and was created in the 1950s. Fantasy Football and other fantasy sports are online games where players can draft, trade, add, drop, or change a roster of professional athletes. Basically, they get to act as a manager for a fantasy team of their choice. Senior A.J. Lemonis is another fan of the game but plays a little differently. “I’ve been playing for three years and check it every day. It’s not very competitive and we don’t bet money, so it’s just for the fun,” Lemonis said. Players compete against friends or the public in a certain league type. These leagues include Head to Head, Total Points, Dynasty, Salary Cap, Auction, and Daily Fantasy. Head to Head is the most popular according to kffl.com. This is where players compete against one another once a week and whoever accumulates the most points over that time

frame gets a win. Points are earned depending on how well the players in a starting roster do that week in their games. The origins of what is now fantasy football dates back to 1962 at Milford Plaza Hotel in New York City. Wilfred Winkenback, Bill Tunnell, and Scotty Stirling formed the foundation and rules for the game. The three men were all devoted fans and employees of the Oakland Raiders football team.

source/MCT CAMPUS

Together they formed the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League or the GOPPPL. This league still exists to date and 2012 is the 50th anniversary. August of 1963 was the first ever draft with a total of eight members. Lemonis likes to draft his favorite players; his overall favorite is Drew Breeze. Webb on the other hand likes Eli Manning because he earned him a lot of points the other week. The

league stayed private until 1969 when it was introduced to a sports bar and more leagues were created as time passed. Spreading of the game continued until 1989 when it became a national sensation with over 100,000 participants. As popularity of the internet and online grew, so did Fantasy Football. CBS launched the first free beta for a fantasy website and the success rate was extraordinary. Today there are an estimated 19 million people competing in public and private leagues nationally. Fantasy Football is now the single most important marketing tool for the NFL. The internet and today’s technology have made it simple to keep track of Fantasy Football. To get started, go to a website that hosts fantasy leagues such as ESPN, CBS, or Yahoo. Here it is optional to either join a public or private league, or start one of your own. Once the basics of making a team are completed, playing, trading, and competing with others can begin.

Entertainment

GOLDEN FLEECE • OCTOBER 26, 2012

‘E.T.’ celebrates milestone with special edition; film gets mixed reviews by contempory standards

Classic film just doesn’t cut it.

30th

By HENRY SHARPE Staff Writer hsharpe.communications@gmail.com

actors shocked viewers with their innocence, as they represented the true meaning of companionship and loyalty. “E.T.” embodied the idea of growing up and the importance of an adventuresome childhood. That being said, “E.T.” is not as noteworthy today as it was in 1982. Today the bar is much higher for movies to be considered a classic, and “E.T.” does not make the cut. To be completely honest, “E.T.” is a little frightening for children Even though “E.T.” is categorized in the family fantasy genre, Spielberg portrays American suburbia as a very dark and disturbing place. There aren’t that many children who enjoy watching a gloomy film about a creepy naked alien that sounds like a 90-year-old man who’s missing a lung. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer movies with a realistic premise, and a protagonist who is either a highly respected professional, or at least over the age of 13. With his production of “E.T.,” Spielberg was the first to make a

Steven Spielberg was praised as an artist of the cinema with his hit sci-fi production and direction of “E.T.” which successfully brought in $11 million in box office revenue in 1982. Audiences across the country were exposed to a heartwarming portrait of a timeless friendship between a lonely, fatherless boy, Elliot, and a lost and equally lonely alien, E.T. Elliot and E.T. quickly make an unbreakable emotional connection and learn that they can communicate with each other telepathically. Each learns from the other as Elliot attempts to help E.T. find a way to communicate with his homeland. In 1982, “E.T.” was recognized as a masterpiece that surpassed the realm of what was considered a “good movie.” There is no doubt that “E.T.” is a classic film. However, should “E.T.” be ranked among the best movies of our time? Back in the 80s, “E.T.” was at the peak of cinematic excellence. The story was touching, and the special effects were outstanding. The child

Across 1. Intuitive feelings

Puzzle ID: #Z805AU

5. Jockey wear

10. Actress Charlotte and family

23 28

20. Rush

ccase.communications@gmail.com

31 34

21. Car seat attachment 43

23. Galway's land

27. All kings, mostly, to Mark Twain

32. Berlin's country: Abbr.

26. "Valse ___" 52

34. Hops kilns 38. Uno + dos 40. Eleve's milieu

47 50

33. Composer Siegmeister and writer Wiesel

58 64

42. Weather report stats 43. "Alas" 45. Tabriz resident

Down

28. Pertaining to aircraft

1. Man from Tallinn

29. J.F.K. or Dubya

56. ___ pump: waste disposal device

48. Reception to introduce a visiting dignitary, say

2. One of the rails

30. Arrowsmith's wife

57. Combo in a small jazz club

3. Props for Sales

31. Long or Block

59. Energy

51. Battery type

4. The "S" in O.A.S.

35. "___ Enchanted Evening"

54. Ready to dish out

5. Strew seed

36. Overly precious, to a Briton

60. Sandler of 'Anger Management'

55. Least sufficient

6. Nest egg choice, briefly

58. Out of favor

7. Thin wood strip

37. Army drill instructor, often: Abbr.

62. Pacific island

8. Toddler's perch

39. Lack of alteration

63. Hospital staffer

9. Sphere starter

66. Greek war god

10. Avenger's action

41. Prefix with plasm or morphic

67. Nylon constituent

11. French girlfriends

68. Cafeteria utensil

12. Dada pioneer

69. "The Untouchables" lawman

13. Cinque e due

46. ___ fatuus (will-o'-thewisp)

70. Slangy "what if..."

18. Clear the winter windshield

49. Actress Verdugo and soprano Obraztsova

71. Sleeve fillers

22. 007's film debut

50. Author Adler

24. Chest rattle

51. Nile dam

25. Evoke

52. 'Have â€”!' ('Look out!')

27. Mil. units

53. Petits fours

47. Ryan of "When Harry Met Sally"

Current events effect costumes due to safety By COURTNEY CASE Staff Writer

26 30

19. Half-___ (pipsqueak)

17. Keep afloat via leg action

15. Praying figure 16. Irish republic

14. Ellerbee's "And ____ Goes"

Anniversary

source/Universal Studios

I define a good movie as a film of the highest quality, being nearly perfect in style, and captivating enough to make me want to watch it again and again. “E.T.” is without a doubt a classic. However, with today’s

standards, “E.T.” should not be ranked among the best movies of the day. In 1982 “E.T.” moved audiences to tears; yet, today it is moving me to give it a less than superb rating.

Theaters limit costumes for ‘Twilight’ premier

Test Your Skill Go to www.Printable-Puzzles.com for hints and solutions!

movie that portrayed aliens in a nonviolent manner. But, I’m not so sure it worked out for him. Aliens are portrayed in movies as scary for a reason. It is because aliens are scary. They always have been, and they always will be. In 2002, “E.T.” was released again for the 20th anniversary. However, there were some seemingly minor adjustments to the movie, and these were not as simple as just clarifying the picture. Spielberg added completely new scenes, altering the movie dramatically. For example, Spielberg personally felt that the gun wielding federal agents were too intense, and that they would be better equipped with walkie-talkies. I see no reason why the weapons would offend anyone in 2002 any more so than they would in 1982, but apparently Spielberg believed they would.

61. Old Tunisian rulers 64. 1960s protest org. 65. Wide shoe

44. Shoulder muscle, in gym lingo

Fans and moviegoers will get a chance to see the last installment of the “Twilight” series based on the four books made into five movies on Nov. 16. Fans that go to any midnight showing get an opportunity to dress-up as their favorite movie characters. Although movie theaters have let them in the past, theaters like Carolina Cinemas most likely will not be allowing costumes to be worn during any midnight showing. Sophomore Scotie Wilcher has attended most of the midnight showings for the Twilight saga and has dressed up for them. “I’ve been to all the midnight showings except for the first one. I dressed up for all of them,” Wilcher said. “I understand why they might not let people dress-up, but it’s not going to be heartbreaking since you’re going to see the movies anyways.” Carolina Cinemas has held screenings for all the movies of the Twilight saga in their loft before the midnight showing Breaking Dawn Part 1. They let their fans dress-up for their midnight showings, but this year will be different for their theater. Assistant Manager Amanda Sweet made it clear that it will definitely be something different with their movie theater.

“That is definitely going to be something potentially different this year with the recent events in Colorado. Due to that event, our theater is no longer allowing costumes or face paint, unless it is a child,” Sweet said. “Unfortunately, current events have taken a toll on that.” The first movie of the saga, “Twilight” hit theaters Nov. 21, 2008. Out of the $70.6 million that it grossed, $3 million of those who saw it came just from the midnight showing in the US, according to The Box Office Mojo. Sophomore Kayla Blair will see it, but probably not right away. “I can’t wait until it comes out. I’ll go see it, but not the midnight showing. I don’t like the crowds,” Blair said. “I’ll probably go see it with a couple of friends.” The book “Twilight” was released in 2005. According to the Hachette Book Group, an estimated 1.3 million copies were sold on the first day. 20 million copies of the four book series have been sold in the U.S. and over 100 million copies have sold worldwide. The series set records as the biggest selling novels for 2008 on the USA Today Best-selling Books List. Junior Liza Jennings enjoys the movies and the books. “I’ve read all of the books. I like the book ‘Bella’ better than the movie because Kristen Stewart has absolutely no emotion. And the books are pretty graphic,” Jennings said. Although over 3 million people saw the midnight showing of “Twilight,” people prefer to read the books because

of more graphics and detail, but not everyone. Junior Corey Whitaker has heard of the “Twilight” series but has not had interest in the movies or books, but would choose to read the book rather than see the movie. “The movies sounded so stereotypical, so I figured that the books were, too. If I did like the series, I would read the books,” Whitaker said. “The books go into more detail, and you get more from it.” Since “Breaking Dawn Part 2” is the last movie of the saga, part 1 didn’t get as many hits as the first movie “Twilight” did. According to the Box Office Mojo, “Twilight” grossed over 192 million and “Breaking Dawn Part 1” grossed over $139 million. Senior Conor McPolin doesn’t watch the movies or read the books but still knows that it’s the end of the saga. “Even though I don’t like Twilight, I feel for many people that follow it. I know they will be sad since it’s the end of the series,” McPolin said. “I know how they will feel since the same thing happened to me with Harry Potter.” The series, The Hunger Games, has become very popular beginning with their books and the release of their first movie. Out of the $152.5 million grossed for the first weekend, $67.3 million of it came from the midnight showing in the U.S., according to deadline. com. Carolina Cinemas opened ticket sales at midnight on Oct. 1. Moviegoers will be able to buy their tickets for the midnight showing in advance.

“GREATEST HITS - CH. 1”

“TAKE ME HOME”

“18 MONTHS”

“HOPE ON THE ROCKS”

“NATIVE

“ALMERIA”

Kelly Clarkson

One Direction

Calvin Harris

Toby Keith

One Republic

Lifehouse

NOV. 19

NOV. 13

OCT. 29

OCT. 30

NOV. 19

DEC. 11

OCT. 22

Clarkson’s upcoming album features 17 songs, one being her hit single ‘Since U Been Gone’.

This album is a follow-up from Up All Night and will include one of their hit singles ‘Live While We’re Young’.

There will be multiple songs already released such as ‘Feel So Close’. Harris and Goulding have collaborated songs on 18 Months.

Almeria is available for special pre-orders on the band’s website: www. lifehousemusic. com

The first version of this album came out in 2009 in Manchester, and now contains ten, long anticipated tracks.

Swift’s new album was projected to sell over one-million copies. It has become one of her most successful albums.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Jukebox

An up-to-date look at new music being released in the coming months.

“EGYPTIAN HIP HOP”

“RED”

Good Don’t Sleep Taylor Swift

BY ELIZABETH RAND

erand.communications@gmail.com

Campus

GOLDEN FLEECE • OCTOBER 26, 2012 iPhone 5 makes waves

What’s Online Now

by Victoria Goss

Fast Tracks

ROTC Blood Drive Success

by Briana Ullman

by Brenna Flanigan

Number of teachers without planning increases from one to 11 since last year Starting next month, the Golden Fleece will be comparing 4 public and 1 private college each month.

photo/EMILY MCCORD/golden fleece

SO MUCH ART, SO LITTLE TIME: Art teacher Nerina Patane assists freshman Margaret Rawlings in Art I on a painting assignment. This is the first year that Patane does not have a planning period, allowing more courses to be offered for art students.

TC staff makes adaptations due to limited budget By JAKE HAYDEN Staff Writer jhayden.communications@gmail.com

Last year, there was only one teacher who taught classes for all four periods. Now there are 11. A planning period can be an essential part of the school day for a teacher. Extra work can be completed such as grading papers, running errands, organizing, or planning. However, some teachers are teaching all four periods. Teachers with an extra class choose to teach that period for a variety of reasons. For a class to be offered, there has to be at least 12 students for an AP course and 20 to 30 for a regular course, with yearbook as an exception. Due to a tight budget, Roberson paid existing teachers to fill in the slots rather than hiring new ones. This makes it less expensive since the

school does not have to pay extra full time employee benefits as they do for new positions. The main reason why this demand for extra teachers arose was due to funding that TC requested and received for increasing AP courses. The number of AP students has almost doubled since last year and classes had to be added to accommodate for the increase. One of the teachers who took on a fourth period was art teacher Nerina Patane. “It definitely makes it a little more crazy, so I try to get here earlier and stay later to get my work done. It’s my first year without planning and I would normally grade, plan, organize, and upload artwork. I don’t mind it because I get more pay, and there are more opportunities for students to take art and AP,” said Patane. Teachers’ salaries are paid based on different variables such as years of experience and the level of education achieved. The amount teachers earn for an additional class is directly connected to their salary. Social studies teacher Mary Whit-

lock also likes it, but the extra class ing in the car and at school events. results in her being abnormally tired. I was grading during the volleyball “Having four periods means you game the other night. Fortunately, I’m get a lot less work done at school incredibly blessed with great students. and have to do They’re patient, forgivmore at home. I’d ing, and sweet about normally grade, the whole thing and make lessons understand that I’m better, or make just tired. My family more enrichment has also been wonderactivities during ful about it,” Whitlock my free period; said. however, all that The English departjust got pushed to ment has the greatest my free time. That current number of means I now have teachers in this setup » MARY WHITLOCK less time for family with three of its teachor school events. ers teaching four periI choose to do it and like it; I’m just ods. The Social Studies and Spanish tired all the time,” Whitlock said. Departments have two teachers with Patane is one of six teachers who is four periods and all other departteaching four periods for only one sements only have one. mester. English teachers Roy Cole and “We have a lot of students and Joi Keen, science teacher Wayne Ham- high demands. With teachers worklin, and Mary Whitlock are teaching ing in these periods, students get four periods all year. This is because more opportunities to fit classes into they have multiple AP courses. their schedules that might not work Teachers like Whitlock are learning otherwise,” Assistant Principal Steve to cope with the adjustment. McCurry said. “I’ve learned to make it work by grad-

various schools using the new access beginning second semester. “We are hoping to have one or two schools on the new program when second semester begins. If everything goes well, we’re looking to have all the other schools in Buncombe County on the new program by the end of the year,” Technology Specialist Robert Frisby said. Schools with the most stable wireless systems will be the first to test the program. Wireless connections are being improved to ensure that all of the student’s data from their personal devices will not overwhelm the server. “As a result of the InTACT grant, all Buncombe County Schools are

being upgraded to have more wireless capacity. A fiber install for the devices has already occurred, but many of the schools are still waiting on the wireless upgrade,” Reynolds Media Specialist Kelli Self said. The many pieces of tape and the markings on the classroom walls seen around Roberson are an indication of the work that was done over the summer to update the schools’ network. “Roberson, as well as Reynolds, has been chock-full of blue pieces of tape which show where new access points are being placed or have been placed for the BYOD Program,” Self said. As a result of these updates, students will now be allowed to bring their personal laptops, i Pads, and

“

I’ve learned to make it work by grading in the car and at school events...

”

County aims to offer internet for personal devices next semester Soon, students will be able to use personal computers at school By COREY MYRICK Staff Writer cmyrick.communications@gmail.com

Students at Roberson use a variety of technology for both entertainment and schoolwork outside of school. Soon, this technology can be used within Roberson’s walls. A specific “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) partition on the school server will be available for students to access free of charge. The current plan is to have a

other electronic devices to be used for educational purposes. The internet access will be filter as it is now, but students should note that any problems they experience on their own devices will not be serviced by the school. “The staff and faculty of each school will receive tutoring to know how to best implement this program,” Self said. Self also mentioned that there is a movement to replace traditional “pencil and paper” with online tools to help students learn and test. “It is very probable that the county will implement all on-line testing. BYOD will allow students to get more comfortable with this idea,” Self said.

We will be comparing the most popular major, class size, tuition, guy/ girl ratios and other important elements to take into consideration when applying for school.

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A place where students & staff can announce events or sell various items.

May

THEMED

GOLDEN FLEECE • OCTOBER 26, 2012

e h T Not Bully d e s U You w o n To K

Panel Member 1: “Personally, I think the definition of bullying is too broad, and I think there is a difference between being teased and being bullied. I do, however, think that physical bullying is definitely an issue.” Question: Do you think people sometimes bully others on accident? Panel Member 3: “I feel that with bullying, you are intentionally trying to hurt someone and it is usually taken really badly.” Panel Member 4: “I think it can be how people treat you in general, and not just what they say to you. It can be how they don’t really listen to you or act like what you are saying is weird or rude.” Question: Do you know of any instances or have you heard of any instances at Roberson where the administration has addressed the bullying issue? Panel Member 1: “I haven’t really heard of anything but I don’t really know how the administration could address anything like that besides just separating the two people with a problem. If it’s physical, then all they can do is split it up one time.” Question: How do you feel about the bullying hotline? Panel Member 2: “To be honest, I think that it is a really smart idea. If you are being bullied, you don’t want to just come out and say it. You want to keep it a secret, and this allows you to receive support anonymously.” Question: Why do you think cyber bullying happens?

Panel Member 1: “I don’t think people make a connection that it’s still real life. They think they can just vent all they want. With face to face bullying, you definitely see the effect of what you are doing.” Question: Do you think bullying is more of an issue online, or in the school building? Panel Member 4: “It’s more just the day-to-day stuff, and I don’t really think that people realize that they’re doing it either. It’s really cliquey here and people just kind of want to stay with their own group.” Question: Is there a difference for bullying between guys and girls? Panel Member 6: “For girls, it’s mostly rumors rather than face to face, and for guys it’s more face to face.” Question: How do you think the school could address bullying and inform students on what bullying is? Panel Member 4: “I feel like it would work better on a more personal level. I think if you tried to announce it to the whole school, half the kids would be texting and talking to their friends. I think it needs to be more personal like a teacher talking to their own classroom.” Question: Do you think the school has a right to hold you accountable at school for things you do on Facebook or Twitter? Panel Member 1: “I don’t think they have the jurisdiction to do that. If you break the law than the government should do something about it, but if you are not on school grounds, then I feel like the school should not bother you.”

Panel Member 5: “I don’t think that the school is being very realistic because bullying has always gone on and I just don’t think they can completely stop it.” Panel Member 4: “I don’t think it necessarily depends on what the school does. I think it depends on how the kids are raised and what the parents teach them and how they see their parents treat others. It also depends on what they were taught to think of other groups of people. I think these things are what really defines a bully.” **This is just a fraction of the discussion that was held. You can find a transcript of the entire conversation online. In the coming weeks, the GF Online will explore some of the issues that were brought up, such as if it is legal for the school to respond to something you post online. Keep the conversation going. Visit us at GoldenFleeceOnline.com.

Demi Lovato was bullied as a young artist, ultimately driving her to an eating disorder which she eventually overcame.

Music Lovato is the newest ambassador for the “Mean Stinks” campaign after she released her album “Unbroken”

“What

Ramblin’

a huge problem. Kids are doing it without even knowing... ”

Question: Is there anything that you want adults or your peers to know about the issue of bullying?

North Carolina is also one of the only states in the nation which has a law against students bullying a teacher.

THE BOTTOM LINE

“ Cyber bullying is

Panel Member 3: “I think it can be worse because more people can see it and it can really affect you for colleges and other things. And in real life, people actually have to own up to what they are doing.”

The School Violence Prevention Act (2009) defines bullying as any pattern of gestures or written, electronic, or verbal communications, or any physical act or any threatening communication, that takes place on school property, on school buses or at any school sponsored function.

“Calling people names and making fun of them online.”

materials were very relevant. She even did a presentation on the effects of cyber bullying and internet safety. “Cyber bullying is a huge problem. Kids are doing it without even knowing and don’t realize the effects By AVERY LINDSAY STAFF WRITER of their behavior. Kids need to start to alindsay.communications@gmail.com listen to warnings, put themselves in the victim’s shoes and do something Freshman Kendra McIntosh was about it,” Archer said. proud as she received the Prudential After the event, McIntosh filled Spirit of the Community Award this out the application for the Prudential summer. Spirit of the Community Award and “It was nice getting recognized for was selected for the national award. my project because I got acknowl“I think Kendra definitely edged for all my deserved the award hard work. It was because there are not an awesome surmany kids like her prise that I won,” who care and actually McIntosh said. do something about McIntosh it. She has such a givreceived local recing spirit and a huge ognition for her “It’s heart. She is willing Your Life” event to stand up for things on Aug. 6 of last she believes in, and year, but she also I give her kudos for received letters of that,” Archer said. praise from the NC McIntosh is not » Deputy Sharon Archer only involved in Girl General Assembly, Congressman Scouts, but is a memHeath Shuler, the US Senate, and the ber of the Ian Somerhalder FoundaPresident’s Volunteer Service Award. tion Kid’s Army and the Mobsters. The project initially started as her Girl The ISF was created by Somerhalder Scout Silver Award Project. who is a major character in the TV McIntosh’s Girl Scout troop leader, show, Vampire Diaries. Penny DeGroat, said that the Silver “I watched Vampire Diaries a lot Award requires a community project and decided to do some research on and 50 hours of volunteer service. Ian Somerhalder. When I found out “It is almost like an Eagle Project, about his foundation and how they but one step below and for the Girl help and protect the environment, I Scouts. It is definitely an amazing acwanted to get involved so I contacted complishment,” DeGroat said. them,” McIntosh said. According to McIntosh, she was As a Mobster, McIntosh is one greatly influenced by her grandfaof six members and is responsible ther’s words to not text and drive for writing articles about important and his recount of Ashley Johnson’s issues such as no kill shelters, being tragic story. Johnson was a former TC eco-friendly, the environment, and student who died in 2010 after she bullying. McIntosh is currently workwas hit pulling out of Roberson while ing on a video campaign against bultexting. lying and goes to Atlanta in a couple In her event, “It’s Your Life”, Mcof weeks to present her product to the Intosh addressed texting and driving ISF Foundation. and other teen issues such as cyber She even had the help of some bullying, drug and alcohol use, seat members of the freshman class who belt safety, and fire safety. The event helped spread the word on the footwas held at Valley Springs Middle ball field on Sept. 4 and spelled out School and had a turnout of around the word “NO”, in order to help Mc150 people. Intosh with her video and her stand It included posters, information, against bullying. and police officers to help with the event and give safety talks. Deputy Sharon Archer was present at the event and thought all the

McIntosh honored with Prudential Spirit of the Community Award.

With the explosion of social media and cell phones, bullies now can find ways to hurt their victims from a computer in their house rather than face to face in a hall.

Question: Do you think that cyber bullying can be just as harmful as normal bullying?

Law

TIFFANY REECE Freshman

McIntosh receives anti-bullying award

Because October is Bullying Prevention and Awareness Month, we are focusing on the growing issue of cyber-bullying.

To better understand the issues that students at Roberson are facing, we have formed a student-based committee to discuss topics that affect the entire school. The members of this committee this month were: Freshmen Jacob Davis & Ashley Land, sophomore Cat Jennings, juniors Jason Horecky & Lauren Whitenack, and senior Alex Zorich. Question: What is your definition of bullying?

Fighting Back

As part of a new section of our paper, the Golden Fleece will be looking at major topics that impact our school and community. Then, we will present related stories and information to better inform our audiences relating to those topics.

Student Panel discusses bullying from teenagers’ perspectives

THEMED

GOLDEN FLEECE • OCTOBER 26, 2012

do you consider

TV Shows

Glee has showed episodes that involve bullying such as when one character, Blaine was seen talking to a homosexual and then the next day he was being called gay.

On ‘Dance Moms’, despite a girls broken foot the dance instructor insisted on her participating but the mother disagreed. The other moms were rude to her about her decision.

Movies

Anti-bullying movie “Bully,” released on March 30, 2012, caused uproar due to its original “R” rating, but after the public protest, was lowered to PG-13. “Bully” is a documentary on bullying across America.

ABC Family released “Cyberbully” on July 17, 2011 about a teenage girl who becomes a victim of cyber-bullying.

to be bullying?”

LEIA FINKLE Senior

MATT BERNHARDT Sophomore

DAKOTA TUCKER Freshman

SARAH BLACK Sophomore

“People calling each other names or being rude to each other over the internet.”

“When someone calls someone else mean names online.”

“Sending hurtful text messages and harassing someone online.”

“When you make someone feel terrible about themselves, or put them down to make you feel better about yourself.”

Each month, we will be asking students in the school to give us their perspective on a particular issue. The opinions expressed in this feature are not necessarily the views of the Golden Fleece or it’s staff.

COMPILED BY JENNY DOWNEY jdowney.communications@gmail.com

Sports

12 Kathryn Black Elon University SOCCER

“I really liked the team and the coaching staff. It also has a more of a variety of SR majors to choose from.” M M I T T E D

Nathan Blaylock Liberty University BASEBALL “It felt like the right place for me to play baseball and has a good team.” M I T T E

SR C

Rachel Bryant Flagler University VOLLEYBALL

SR C

Wake Forest Univeristy SOCCER

“Both of my parents went to Wake Forrest, so growing up I went to a bunch SR of games there.” SR M M I T T E D

Tanner Bush UNC Asheville BASEBALL

SR C

UNC Chapel Hill BASEBALL

SR JR O

Merecedes Ducker Western Carolina SOCCER

“I’ve always been a tarheel fan and it’s been a dream of mine to go there for a long time.” M I T T E D

6th Annual

“I chose Western mainly because they wanted me and the players and coaches SR SR were the right fit for me.” M M I T T E D

Brooke Gordon Lipscomb Univeristy TRACK

“They have a great program that is constantly improving and they also have SR a very close team with Christian values.” SR M M I T T E D

Katon Harwood Clemson University BASEBALL

“I’ve gone to Clemson games forever and have always loved that school. It really JR SR just felt like home.” M M I T T E D

Parker Johnson Wake Forest University BASEBALL

SR C

“I chose Wake Forest because it is a competitive conference, and it has great academics.” M I T T E

Emily McCord Presbyterian College SOCCER

“The coaches were a great fit, and it offers my major, engineering.”

Braxton Davidson

“I wanted to go somewhere near the beach. I felt at home and the team was incredibly nice.” M I T T E D

Maddie Brock

& Commitments

Signings

GOLDEN FLEECE • OCTOBER 26, 2012

“When I walked on campus, it felt right. I could definitely see myself going to SR SR school there for the next four years.” M M I T T E D

Elizabeth Rand Presbyterian College GOLF

SR C

“I decided to play golf at Presbyterian College because I felt as though I was part of a family.” M I T T E D

Each month, the Golden Fleece will announce athletes who have signed or committed to colleges for their respective sports. If you, or anyone you know, has not been covered, please contact us at: GoldenFleeceMedia@gmail.com

Holiday Market

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Food & Snacks Available for Purchase $1 Raffle for a 40” phillips HD TV Donated by Servpro of Asheville

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TC Roberson High School

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Call 828-687-4027 information

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SPORTS

GOLDEN FLEECE • OCTOBER 26, 2012

Soccer continues to win despite losing key players » only lost one game. Stamey is the number one scorer, with 16 goals so far. Senior Hugo Lopez has scored an additional 14 goals. “I stopped playing for the North Meck team because it was too difficult for my parents to drive me to Charlotte three times a week,” Stamey

Soccer from Page 14

players score this year,” said Hodes. “It kind of proves that we are a strong team as a whole, and we don’t really have individual star players.” Since the return of junior Austin Stamey from North Mecklenberg, the Rams have

said. “So I missed the first six or seven games. But we’ve been doing really well this season.” Although the team is looking forward to obvious challenges during play-offs, their big play-off loss last year was to Myers’ Park, whom they will likely face again this

season. “It was difficult losing players such as Trey Hemphill, Nick DeMarco, and Jackson Fischer,” said junior Grant Hiriak. “But we’re looking forward to getting revenge from our play-off loss against Myer’s Park.” photo/MARGO GORMAN/courtesy

»Girls win first conference title in 14 years Volleyball from Page 14

experience outside of school. Seniors Moorea Dippel and Hannah Wright play for Xcel Volleyball Performance. Juniors Kathryn Sizemore and Hope Dickerson, and seniors Rachel Bryant and

Barkowitz play for Biltmore Volleyball Acadamey. Sophomore Cayla Wood plays for North Valley. Barkowitz said that new head coach Michelle Cadavid focuses more on defense and fundamentals, which gives the team a competitive edge in games.

The Lady Rams have also made a name for themselves this year by defeating two teams, Enka and Tuscula, which were previously undefeated at the time they played. They then entered the state playoffs as conference 4A co-champions against South Mecklenburg

on Oct. 20. “This year, everyone has really bonded as a team. When we are out on the court, we play like a team. We use our success to motivate and push us to excel even further,” Dippel said.

photo/KATIE STRAUB/courtsey

Golf wins conference; Rand advances to State

Golf from Page 14

while Williams competed as an individual. “I felt like I could have done better, but Elizabeth did really well. We’re happy that she qualified for state,” Williams said. Roberson’s golf team not only won the Mountain Athletic Conference Championship this year, they beat

the closest competitor by 75 strokes, showing how good this team really is. “We’ve been really good this year. We won every conference match and everyone is really dedicated to the team,” said Warren. Awards were given to Rand for Player of the Year and to Richard Clark for Coach of the Year. Williams also averaged less than 55 and qualified for

regionals. Roberson’s golf team gained six new members on the team. Williams played for her first time as Ram this year, but has been an experienced player before coming out for the team. “I’ve played for two years, but his is my first year playing for the school. It’s a lot of fun and it helps that we have more players than the golf team had last year,” Williams said.

Seventy-four girls competed at regionals, but only the top four teams and 14 individuals attend state. State will be held at Pinehurst #6 on Oct. 29 and 30. At regionals, Williams shot a 112, Lanier shot a 106, and Warren shot a 105. “I’ve been coaching for TC for 12 years,” Clark said. “I’m proud of Elizabeth for qualifying this year. She’s worked really hard for this.” photo/ENGLISH RAND/courtesy

Both XC teams continue winning tradition » Cross Country from Page 14

Hartman believes that as well as they are doing now, the best has yet to come. “Everyone has been improving steadily, but there is definitely room for improvement. I know many

girls have raced well, but we have yet to have our best race as a team,” Hartman said. “Losing our seniors is going to be hard, and we’re all going to miss them, but we have good depth within the team. I know we’ll be able to recover and have a great season next year as well.”

Although the boys team didn’t manage to rank among the 4A and All Class rankings, they still managed to get the title of conference champions. Senior Chris Harpe attributes credit for the team’s succes to the runners and to their coach. “We won conference this

year for the fourth year in a row, and if that’s a testament to anyone, it’s our awesome coach (Devine),” Harpe said. “We lost the top two on our team from last year. It was a pretty big loss, but I feel like we’ve done a decent job of making up for it.”

photo/THERESA GORDON/courtesy

Tennis beats age-old rival on way to conference title »

Tennis from Page 14

“We started realizing that we were doing pretty great after we won the Asheville High match. They are one of our biggest competitors.

I hope that other years turn out as good as this one,” Black said.

ended for the team but the individuals continue to compete in Charlotte.

The last team match was played Oct. 16 against Reagan High. With a score of 3-6, the season

“I’m very proud of the team because we played with grace and respect even when we didn’t meet

our expectations. This season, we were able to form strong bonds with the younger players,” Grimsley said.

photo/LAURA MELROSE/golden fleece

»Seniors lead squad to best record in years Football from Page 14

Suber has 75 out of 122 passes and has thrown 12 touchdowns for a total of 1,063 yards. He has only thrown four interceptions. Besides passing, he also has the longest gain in rushing at 62 yards. “Ever since I was a fresh-

man, I wanted senior year to get here so fast. But now that it is here, I don’t want to leave. I’ve realized that I shouldn’t have taken everything for granted,” Suber said. Senior linebacker Bill Cecil is the lead tackler for Roberson. This year he has had 51 tackles, 52 assists and

one intercept. “I always try to play really hard and do my best every year, but since this year is my senior year, there is more intensity. This is it,” Cecil said. Roberson won conference last year. With a win over Enka, they could become coconference champions this year. The closest Roberson

has ever gotten to winning state playoffs was in 2004 and 2007 when they made it to semi-finals. “We have done well so far this year, and I hope we continue to do well during the Enka game and the state playoffs,” Andy Morgan said.

photo/ELIZABETH MCBRIDE/golden fleece

Cheerleaders invite choreographer to enhance competition routines Team also ordered pink pom-poms for bearst cancer awareness month By LINDSEY HOOVER AND MOLLY HODES Staff Writers lhoover.communications@gmail.com and mhodes.communications@ gail.com

This year, the varsity cheerleading squad has opened up their gym to professional choreographer Java Warren to help make up stronger routines for the team to use when they go to compete later this year. Warren is associated with the Stingray Allstars, a team based in Atlanta, Georgia, but he’s worked in various countries as a choreographer. Warren is a close friend of head coach Bree Hodge. “He usually doesn’t work with high school teams, so we thought it would be a really good idea to try and get him to come and work with us,” Hodge said. “This will help bring something new to our routines that not many other high school teams have.” This year, both of Roberson’s cheerleading teams are expanding their skills in a variety of ways. They are also planning to compete in local, statewide, and even national competitions. “It’s a pretty big deal that he’ll take time out of his schedule to make up the stunts, tumbling, dances

and other elements of our routine,” freshman Cameron Comerford said. On Dec. 9, the varsity cheerleaders will compete in the North Carolina High School Athletics Association statewide competition in Raleigh. This will be their second year they have competed statewide. Last year, the squad finished 2nd out of 19 other schools. There will also be another competition in Raleigh on Feb. 23. The squad also plans on attending the national competition in Myrtle Beach on March 15-17. There are two local competitions that they may or may not participate in at Erwin and Reynolds, both sometime in January. “These girls are so dedicated and hardworking; it will definitely pay off come competition season,” Hodge said. According to senior Lydia McKeithan, the new routines will really improve the team’s scores as they go to compete later on in the season. “I’ve shared so many great experiences with these girls, and the past two years especially have been the best because we started competing,” McKeithan said. “The new routine is the best it could possibly be for the skills we have now.” Another addtition for the team in October is the decision to use pink pom-poms at every possible game during the month.

photo/KAT SIZEMORE/golden fleece

SPIRITED: Varsity cheerleading squad preforms at homecoming pep rally. This year the girls’ had a professional choreographer to help with their routines.

Cross Conference The Lady Rams Cross Country team won the 4A MAC Conference title again this year, marking their 12th year in a row.

Sports

GOLDEN FLEECE • MONTH (##), 201(#)

Strong Showing

Roberson establishes itself as premier program in 4A MAC

This season marks the fourth year of the school’s status as 4A in athletic competition. Throughout this time period, over 500 athletes in 32 varsity and junior varsity sports have been competing for the Rams and have established themselves in the highest ranks of talent among the state. After four years, Roberson seems to have firmly established a name for itself in the state’s largest division of athletic competition.

With a football win tonight, all fall sports will have either won outright, or at least a share of, the 4A conference title. It may seem that the athletic success is recent, but technically, TC has always competed well regardless of classification. Roberson has won the 4A Conference Wachovia Cup and placed in the Top 10 in the state-wide competition each of the past four years. Athletic Director Laura Beatty does not feel that much

has changed after the move up, and is happy with the recent increase in success. “I don’t feel like we have really changed much in the past 10 years. We have great administration, great coaches, great athletes, and a great community behind us. That definitely helps us perform better with that kind of support,” Beatty said.

Here’s a quick look at each sport and their accomplishments this season. Football Cross Country Golf

Soccer

Volleyball

By CAROLINE STRAY Staff Writer

By JAKE HAYDEN Staff Writer

By JENNY DOWNEY Staff Writer

By LINDSEY HOOVER Staff Writer

By COURTNEY CASE Staff Writer

By VICTORIA GOSS Staff Writer

cstray.communications@gmail.com

jhayden.communications@gmail.com

jdowney.communications@gmail.com

name.communications@gmail.com

ccase.communications@gmail.com

vgoss.communications@gmail.com

After the loss of 10 seniors last year, some Roberson fans felt that boys’ soccer would struggle to maintain their usually-high rankings. However, the boys are now ranked 7th in the state for 4A teams. The Rams are 18-2 (7-1) after beating rivals Asheville and Reynolds in overtime. Last year, the Rams finished their season 18-3 overall and 10-2 in the conference, winning the 4A MAC Championship. Junior Jonah Hodes believes the success comes from the team being talented all around. “We’ve had 18 different

For the first time in 14 years, the volleyball team will have a banner hanging in the gym. It was 1998 when Roberson’s volleyball team last held a conference championship. The Lady Rams record has improved from 13-12 last year to a new record of 18-7, this year. “We’re better than we’ve been in a long time, and I think our trend will continue next year. We got a new coach last year, and she has helped us develop a strategy to improve our game play,” sophomore Maggie Barkowitz said. Eight of the current players play for club teams and

Rams football, with a record of 9-1 overall and 5-1 in conference games, plays tonight against Enka. Reynolds High School, has a record of 7-2 overall and 4-1 in conference. A win tonight against Enka, will make Roberson second in the MAC conference. The Rams eclipsed the last year 7-win season with its win against Asheville two weeks ago. “We have done better this year because we have a lot more seniors with more experience. And we have a lot more leadership on the team,” junior Jacob Deaton said. Senior quarterback Noah

As the cross country season comes to a close, both the boys’ and girls’ teams won the title of conference champions. They competed in their conference match on Oct. 17, and they plan on competing in the regional competition on Oct. 27. Regionals will be held in McAlpine Park in Charlotte. The girls’ team took it’s 12th consecutive year winning the title of conference champion; it was the boys’ 4th consecutive year winning it as well. The girls’ team is currently ranked 5th in the state for 4A teams and 7th in the All Class rankings. Sophomore Lauren

Roberson’s golf team has one individual that is going to state this year. Senior Elizabeth Rand shot a 94 at regionals this past Monday, Oct. 22. “With all the hard work over the summer and school year, qualifying for state was one of my main goals. For four years, this is what I have wanted to achieve,” Rand said. Coach Richard Clark and the golf team went to Brushy Mountain in Boone for regionals where four of their players competed. Rand and fellow senior Samm Lanier, sophomore Sarah Williams, and junior Lexis Warren competed as a team for regionals

This year the girls’ tennis team faced the reality of losing four seniors at the end of last year. However, with a record of 11 wins and 1 loss, the team obviously found a way to continue its success. This included taking the conference championship on Oct. 4. Seniors Sarah Davidson, Erin Grimsley, Kathryn Black, juniors Kat Winkenwerder, Ellie Fuller, and sophomore Sarah Black represented Roberson when they faced McDowell and Reynolds at the Oct. 9 qualifier. Five girls moved on to regionals in Charlotte on Oct. 19

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@TCR_Cheer @elena_link @River_Gordon “It’s game day! “TC cross “Hoping to Scales, Kick fills, country girls did repeat at full ups, scorps, so well today! Regionals” stretches, Keep up the #ramnation yo-yos, flip hard work ladies pyramid, #RAMNATION and tons of tumbling for the FIRST game!” #letsdothis

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@sblackattack @claytonnettles “Way to pull “No matter what it out tonight I will always ladies! Love be proud to you all!!!” #TCR be a Ram...” #tennisteam #RAMNATION

Tennis

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@jonahhodes18 @WNC @Caroline “Gameday! Rams prepsports Rawling are hungry. Lets “Roberson “One game go win senior Elizabeth down three conference” Rand commits more to go! #cougars to play college Gunna miss it. getready golf” #avlsports <3” #volleyball #RAMNATION #asheville #ramnation #hsgolf #RAMNATION

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