For the BFI feature, see p. 3.
Softball/baseball article is on p. 5.
See the movie review on p. 7.
Bear Facts
The
25¢
A PUBLICATION OF MENA HIGH SCHOOL
Volume 1 Number 5
March 2011
700 S. Morrow St., Mena, Arkansas 71953
Dramatic arts students go center stage by Justin Sattler and Krystal Saulsbury
Jessica Kropp, once again, has gone beyond the norm. This year she decided to present three plays at the Ouachita Little Theater with each of the Theater Arts I classes. In addition, the annual Romeo and Juliet play was performed for 9th grade students. All OLT plays ran March 4-6. The Search for Cindy revolves around Tim, who has a sudden impulse to have his girlfriend’s name tattooed on his back, but when the relationship suddenly ends, Tim realizes his new type: girls with the first name of Cindy. This play was performed by Kropp’s 6th period Theater Arts I class. The name of the 7th period class play was How to Succeed in High School Without Really Trying. In this play, a group of student agents infiltrate a school assembly to reveal
secret tricks on how to make your high school experience the best ever. It’s Not You, It’s Me is a play that shows the brutal ending of ten different relationships. This comedy was written by Don Zolidig, and shows complete genius through the multitude of different ways to break up with that significant other. This play was performed by Kropp’s 8th period Theater Arts I class. For the last five years, Kropp’s drama class has performed Romeo and Juliet. This play helps bring to life the original story by Shakespeare for 9th grade English students. Kropp has personally added 3 pages to the script, including a funny narrator, to make the play flow better and so that the students can understand the play better. Kropp said, “Romeo and Juliet is one of my favorite See Drama on page 6
FLANNERY WILSON AND Kate Self model red for a great cause during the Go Red Fashion Show. (photo by Mat Meade)
ALLISON AUSTIN AND Michael Shelley complete the final act of Romeo and Juliet. (photo by Justin Sattler)
Go Red Fashion Show raises awareness for heart disease by Heather Eikenberg
The Go Red Fashion Show raised awareness for heart disease for the second year in a row in response to a good turnout of last year’s fashion show. The girls at Mena High School displayed their red fashion around the basketball court. The girls also collected donations prior to the fashion show. Julie Gordon, organizer of this event, explained the purpose of the fashion show and how it helps out with heart disease research. “I got this idea from the National Go Red for Women-Fashion Show of Celebrities sponsored by Macy’s. I think it’s a fun way to bring awareness to this organization, give students an opportunity to reach out to a bigger community service project, as well as giving ladies an opportunity to dress up for a great cause. Since the time frame of heart awareness month is around Valentine’s Day and our senior night for winter sports, the “red” serves many purposes. The requirements for participation in the show include accepting donations to American Heart Association and writing a short essay about a survivor of heart disease or steps to a heart healthy lifestyle. Go Red for Women and the symbol of the Red Dress intends
to raise awareness to the fact that women are at a higher risk for heart disease and stroke. The red dress symbol can be found on all sorts of heart-healthy diet choices, like Diet Coke, for example. In my opinion, when students are given these opportunities to be involved in service to their community, it sparks a lifelong commitment to service and charity. They realize that serving others can be fun and rewarding. All proceeds go to the American Heart Association. One last thing about my involvement-I consider my life a legacy to my family and friends that have created the person that I am today. I’ve lost many family members and have seen the suffering caused by high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. I think that the more emphasis we can place on a healthy lifestyle and being proactive with our health, the memories of those we’ve lost can be honored.” The winner for the short essay is Krystal Saulsbury and the winner of the top donation collector is Maddison Liles. This event shows how much people do care about heart disease and how it can be prevented. It’s amazing how one idea and the dedication of students can help out people affected with serious illness and disease.
Page 2
The Bear Facts - Editorials
March 2011
“As Seen on TV” products need to stay on TV by Flannery Wilson
We have all heard the obnoxious commercials advertising items that are all supposedly “only $19.99”, but are the “As Seen on TV” products really worth your time and the money? There are several products sold and advertised on TV, without purpose. Take for example the popular Snuggie®. All it is, is a piece of fleece fabric with sleeves. You wear it like a blanket, so really it’s just like a robe except backwards. The concept is somewhat ingenious but also somewhat stupid. For almost 20 dollars, I don’t think it’s worth the time or money at all. The Pillow Pet™ is another example of an “As Seen on TV” product. Yes, they’re cute. Yes, they’re soft and squishy, and yes, they’re functional. But really, are they worth buying? In my opinion, no. A Pillow Pet™ is literally just a pillow in the shape of an animal. It seems like a very easy way for the inventors, if that’s what you could even call them, to make money. Another waste-of-money item is the Strap Perfect™. Now this object could be argued for by saying it really does have a purpose and use, because it does actually work. It may not be a COMPLETE waste of money, but a safety pin could easily do the same thing without a big price tag. For 5 Strap Perfects™ you pay $19.99, but you can get about 50 safety pins for about $5. There are many more products sold on TV that don’t seem to live up to their price or advertised use. The Bump It™, Booty Pop, I-Renew, Pajama Jeans, and Cami Secret are just a few examples. These things may seem like a good investment at the time, because most of them ARE ‘sort of’ functional, but then again, in my opinion, they aren’t. The problem with a lot of the “As Seen on TV” products is that they’re only good for what they say they’re good for, which is usually only one thing. However, substitutions for these products have many uses. Before handing over $19.99 for something, really think about if you actually need it. You could save a lot of money by just using something different. But the Booty Pop…really?
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Morgan Fletcher; NEWS EDITOR: Kyle Saulsbury; NEWS REPORTERS: Heather Eikenberg, Morgan Fletcher, Manda Ham, Dani Lindsey, Mat Meade, Justin Sattler, Krystal Saulsbury, Kyle Saulsbury, Courtney Shaw, Leonna Smith, Flannery Wilson; EDITORIAL COLUMNIST: Flannery Wilson; FEATURE PAGE EDITOR: Kyle Saulsbury; VARSITY SPORTS EDITOR: Mat Meade; SPORTS COLUMNIST: Mat Meade; SPORTS PAGE EDITOR: Mat Meade; SPORTS REPORTER: Courtney Shaw, CLUB PAGE EDITOR: Dani Lindsey; ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR/COLUMNIST: Heather Eikenberg; CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER: Justin Sattler; ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHERS: Heather Eikenberg, Morgan Fletcher, Manda Ham, Dani Lindsey, Mat Meade, Kyle Saulsbury, Leonna Smith, Flannery Wilson; ADVERTISING
MANAGER: Manda Ham; CHIEF TYPIST: Dani Lindsey; ASSISTANT TYPIST: Flannery Wilson; EXCHANGE EDITOR: Manda Ham; CIRCULATION MANAGERS: Manda Ham, Leonna Smith; STAFF ARTIST: Flannery Wilson; PAGE DESIGN by Desktop Publishing Students: Alex Atchley, Nicole Bobo, Ethan Campbell, Nick Crawford, Jasper Davis, Aly Decoux, Melody Dedmon, Cassie Gear, Katelyn Graves, Manda Ham, Bradley Howard, Jennifer Howard, Aaron Johnson, Dani Lindsey, Ashley Maechler, Jordan Newman, Kyle Saulsbury, Kaitlyn Schoeppey, Phillip Schuller, Leigha Smith, Sammie Talamantez, Cecilia Thulin, Stephanie Vidrine, Daniele Williams, Marissa Willis, Flannery Wilson, and Tiffany Wise; ADVISER: Lisa Schuller
The Bear Facts, a publication of Mena High School, is published monthly October through May by MHS journalism students and is printed by the Mena Star. The Bear Facts is a member of the Arkansas Scholastic Press Association, the American Scholastic Press Association, and the Southern Interscholastic Press Association. Editorials and letters to the editor reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the staff or school. All letters must be signed, and all published letters will include the author’s name.
Advertising rates are $10 per column inch. For advertising or subscription information, address all correspondence to Bear Facts, Mena High School, 700 Morrow St., Mena, Arkansas 71953.
Editorial: Is the Arkansas Challenge really a challenge? Aren’t scholarships supposed to be a challenge? Shouldn’t students have to at least put in some effort to receive the money? Now I don’t know the standards for most scholarships, but I do know that the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship’s requirements are practically at a bare minimum. The scholarship provides higher education opportunities to deserving Arkansans. Conditions include you have to be an Arkansas resident and US citizen/lawful permanent resident; be accepted by an approved Arkansas institution of higher education in a program of study that leads to a baccalaureate degree, associate degree, or a qualified certificate or a nursing school diploma; you must not have already earned a baccalaureate degree; and have to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. For the scholarship there are three different categories: Traditional, Current Achievers, and Nontraditional students. There are several requirements to be met in this scholarship, but the one that caught my eye would have to be that for a traditional student, which means one will graduate from an Arkansas public high school and have either completed or not completed the Smart Core curriculum. One only has to either achieve at least a 2.5 high school GPA or make a 19 on the ACT or the equivalent score. This doesn’t make any sense to me at all. A B average in school is a 3.0, so somebody can just do what it takes to get by in school with hardly trying getting Cs and Bs, and be rewarded with free money to go to college. Also about the ACT score: many students usually make at least a 19 their first time taking the test (if taken in high school). Why would the scholarship board make requirements so low? These scores are practically a piece of cake. The scholarship awards $5,000 per year for a full-time student attending a 4-year university and $2,500 per year for a full-time student at a 2-year college. Most people think that $5,000 would be a lot of money but not when it comes to college; it’ll take a lot more than that. Although the requirements are minimal, beginning with the 2013-2014 school year these requirements will change, and the scholarship will be more difficult to get.
March 2011
The Bear Facts - Feature
Page 3
BEARCAT Foundation, Inc. promotes student success by Kyle Saulsbury
The Bear Facts highlights this month a body that has supported Mena schools for over four years, The BEARCAT Foundation, Inc. This foundation is an entity that many consider to simply be a support group for MHS football, but the truth is that very few people actually have a complete understanding as to what The BEARCAT Foundation, Inc. really is. The BEARCAT Foundation began in the summer of 2006, when $13,000 was raised in one weekend through a fundraising golf tournament. This attracted a lot of attention to the new foundation, and the way was paved for a public entity that could support the local schools in Mena. The founder of The BEARCAT Foundation, P.T. Plunkett, noticed that in years prior to 2006, towns with slightly larger schools, such as Greenwood, had community organizations which assisted public schools, and Plunkett used these concepts as precedents in forming The BEARCAT Foundation. When the Bearcat Booster Club was disbanded in the fall of 2006 and absorbed into The BEARCAT Foundation, members of the Foundation set a goal that all who were a part of The BEARCAT Foundation would be Mena Alumni. That goal, however, would soon change, as more and more people, some of whom were not graduates of MHS, applied for membership. In 2007, The BEARCAT Foundation became legally established as a 501c3 entity, officially becoming The BEARCAT Foundation, Inc. In this way, BFI gained much more community involvement as far as contributions were concerned, primarily because donors were able to claim tax deductions at the end of the year. At the same time, The BEARCAT Foundation, Inc. attained greater credibility by establishing itself as a 501c3 organization, helping make contributors feel more comfortable in the way in which their money is being spent. In its years since the 2006 golf tournament, The BEARCAT Foundation, Inc. has amassed approximately $120,000 in donations to Mena Public Schools. This is the result of the collaborative efforts by two major groups that form BFI: a general volunteer booster club largely comprised of MHS Alumni, and capital support that comes from BFI members such as Bob Carver and Floyd Clark, the same men who had initially proposed the installation of the new turf field. It is widely understood that the goal of The BEARCAT Foundation, Inc. is to financially assist student athletics, but oftentimes one of the greatest misconceptions of BFI is that it’s solely a football support program. The truth, however, is that financial support given by the foundation goes to a variety of fields, a few of which outrank football in resource allocation. According to one of The BEARCAT Foundation Inc.’s Non-designated Donations charts, Ladycat Volleyball received a staggering 14% of the donations, while Bearcat Football landed at 5%. One of the major principles of BFI that Plunkett wants highlighted when it comes to allotting resources is fairness. He understands that all high school sports will have different needs, and he thus wants to ensure that those needs are met equally with those of other activities. There have even been some instances in which the foundation has given designated gifts to specified non-athletic organizations such as the MHS band and JAG. After the 2009 tornado, BFI gave approximately $13,000 to help get the schools back on
their feet. A large portion of that money was spent purchasing new scientific calculators. It just goes to show that The BEARCAT Foundation, Inc. isn’t one-sided regarding the ways it offers support. If there is one area in which Plunkett believes The BEARCAT Foundation, Inc. could use some assistance of its own, it would be membership. The insufficient number of members is a key factor that inhibits the foundation from pursuing many goals that could be attained with more support. Chief among these are the ideas of initializing the construction of an all-purpose indoor facility that would cater to practically all extracurricular activities except bowling, and that of creating a BEARCAT Foundation, Inc. scholarship. According to Plunkett, human resources, or the lack thereof, is a major impediment to the foundation. Ironically enough, a prominent gap in membership is that of parents of high school students between grades nine and eleven. Inversely, a significant number of members are parents of elementary or middle school students. No one can determine the cause of this trend, but one fact is clear: if more parents of high schoolers were to become members of BFI, they would greatly benefit their own children’s years at high school, which is one of BFI’s ultimate goals. “We want to be a part of enhancing the high school experience,” Plunkett says, he himself being an MHS graduate. In the end, The BEARCAT Foundation, Inc. is a far more beneficial organization than many give it credit, and it can only be hoped that, with some insight, such people can begin to have an appreciation for how greatly this foundation has helped this community’s schools.
P.T. PLUNKETT AND Kyle Saulsbury discuss details of The BEARCAT Foundation, Inc. (photo by Krystal Saulsbury) OUACHITA EQUINE CLINIC, INC. Dr. Randy J. Burgess D.V.M.
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Page 4
March 2011
The Bear Facts - Sports
2011 Girls’ and Boys’ Track
BEARCAT AND LADYCAT bowlers Holly Lewis, Lydia Rhodes, and Ryan Lowery qualify for the 2011 State Bowling Tournament. (photo by Justin Sattler)
Date March 3 March 11 March 14 March 31 April 4 April 7 April12 April 21 April 28 May 5 May 14
Day Of Week Relay Thursday Leopard Relays Friday Paris Sr. High Monday Booneville Sr. High Thursday Collin Raye Relays Monday Mansfield Sr. Relays Thursday Merchant Relays Tuesday Scrapper Relays Thursday Coca-Cola Relays Thursday Sr. High District Thursday State Track Meet Saturday Meet Of Champs
Location DeQueen Paris Booneville DeQueen Mansfield Prescott Nashville Nashville Clarksville Pocahontas Tba
Bearcat and Ladycat track is off and running
by Mat Meade and Courtney Shaw
Mena High School’s track and field teams began practicing far earlier than their first meet on March 3. The Bearcats and Ladycats both have been running, throwing, tossing, and jumping for weeks getting in all of the practice and conditioning possible. The first meet of the season was located at the DeQueen Leopard’s home track as teams from all over the 4-A West Conference competed in the Leopard Relays. Head Coach Cody Forga has been training the Senior High Bearcat and Ladycat teams this season. Mena will be competing in 8 regular season meets as well as the Sr. High District track meet on Thursday, Apr. 28, in Clarksville. The Bearcats and Ladycats have been working
hard throughout preseason toward the goal of becoming district champions. The state track competition will be held in Pocahontas on Thursday, May 5. At the conclusion of regular season track events, the state’s Meet of Champions will be held on Saturday, May 14. The location is to be announced. The meet will consist of every event in track and field. Participants will be the top individuals and the top teams competing in every event from all around the state. Mena possesses a smaller team this year which means that everyone is going to have to be in great shape and pull his or her own weight. Mena does not have any home meets this year, but the teams will be able to adapt to the unfamiliar tracks and should be triumphant this year.
MENA BEARCAT FOOTBALL players proudly display their play-off shirts at a banquet celebrating their winning season. (photo by Sherry Newman)
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March 2011
The Bear Facts - Sports
Page 5
Baseball and Softball
2011 Soccer Schedule B e a r c a t s a n d L a d y c a t s Date
Opponent Place Non-Conference Schedule
Time
Team
3/1 3/4 3/8 3/11,12 3/15 3/17 3/29
@Mena Away @Mena Away Away Away Away
4:30 4:00 4:00 TBA 4:30 5:00 5:00
1,2,3 1,2,3 1,2 1,2 1,2,3 1,2 1,2
4/1 4/2 4/5 4/8 4/12 4/15 4/22 4/29 5/2
Greenwood Texarkana Tournament Heavener El Dorado Tournament Ft. Smith Southside Arkadelphia Poteau Conference Schedule Clarksville Ft. Smith Tournament Wickes Dardanelle DeQueen Dardanelle Subiaco Subiaco Wickes
5:30 TBA 4:30 4:30 4:30 4:30 4:30 4:30 4:30
1,2 1,2 1,2,3 1,2,3 1,2,3,4 1,2,3 1,3 1,3 1,2
5/3 5/6 5/13
DeQueen Clarksville State Tournament
@Mena Away @Mena @Mena Away Away @Mena Away @SPORT COMPLEX @Mena Away TBA
4:00 5:00 TBA
1,2,3,4 1,2 1,2
1=Varsity Boys 2=Varsity Girls
3=JV Boys 4=JV Girls
Beasley-Wood Geyer-Quillin Funeral Home
call for a winning season
by Mat Meade and Courtney Shaw
The Ladycats are very excited about the 2011 season. The Mena softball team opened its season on Monday, Feb. 28, facing off against the Dierks Lady Outlaws. The Ladycats have been practicing hard and have a lot of talent this year on the team. Mena possesses 26 athletes on the team, ranging from freshmen to seniors. The Ladycats play 8 home games, 10 away games, and 3 tournaments. Mena is hoping to compete in the regional tournament starting on Thursday, May 5 and later go to the state play-offs to be held Saturday, May 13. The Mena softball team has been practicing every day come rain or shine
at 3:45 at the Mena softball field or at the batting cages until 6 at night, usually spending at least an hour on hitting alone. The Bearcat baseball team has been working equally hard. With 8 returning seniors, the team is looking forward to a successful season. The Bearcats opened their season on Monday, Feb. 28 against the Mt. Ida Lions. The varsity and junior varsity teams faced off against the Lions at Mena’s field. The Bearcats will be playing 6 home games, 12 away games, 3 tournaments, one of which will be taking place in Mena on Saturday, Apr. 9 for their junior varsity team. Mena looks to compete in the district tournament in Clarksville on Friday, Apr. 29.
SENIOR BEARCAT DANIEL Wood signs with Missouri State on a full ride football scholarship. Wood played football and basketball for the Bearcats. (photo by Mat Meade)
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The Bear Facts - News
Page 6
March 2011
Mena FBLA members wow the judges
by Dani Lindsey
Thirty-three of the sixty-five members of the Mena High School Future Business Leaders of America attended the District I FBLA Spring Conference on Monday, Feb. 14 in Fort Smith, Arkansas. They were accompanied by adviser of 23 years, Molly Lindsey. Local FBLA vice-president Dani Lindsey campaigned for District I Treasurer for the 2011-2012 school year and emerged successful. During the day, students competed in various events including written tests, performance events, speaking events, and presentations. Mena FBLA member Anne Beckel participated in the Talent Show and was awarded 6th place for singing Christina Perri’s Jar of Hearts. During Monday’s conference, members were pleased to see that money they had contributed to the Make-A-Wish FBLA campaign resulted in granting a wish for a Fort Smith child suffering from a lifethreatening illness. He will now be able to receive his wish which is traveling to Hawaii. Following new officer installation,
awards were received by these 10 Mena FBLA members: Bobby Skinner, 6 th in Business Math; Trevor Hale, 5 th in Economics; April Ganster, 5 th in Word Processing I; Jordan Fuchsberger, 4 th in Spreadsheet Application; Danielle Skinner and Josh Lochala, 3rd in Desktop Publishing; Connor Purvis, 3rd in Healthcare Administration; Dani Lindsey, 3rd in Word Processing II; Hadley Dahlem, 2 nd in Introduction to Business Communications; and Lauren Schufelberger, 2nd in Hospitality Management. These students are now eligible to compete at the state conference to be held in Little Rock in April. Of the members eligible to attend this year’s state conference, eight students placed in the top ten in their event. These students include: Christa Super, 10th place in Technology Concepts; Luke Callahan, 9th place in Introduction to Technology Concepts; Tiffany Sides and Chase VanDeest, 8th in Business Presentation; Kaitlyn Schoeppey, 7 th in Computer Applications; Riley Philpot, 7th in Cyber Security; Anne Beckel, 6th in Talent Show; and Alex Castro, 6th in Impromptu Speaking.
MHS choir competes at state level Four Mena students attended the Arkansas All-State Choir auditions held at Antioch Baptist Church in Conway on Monday, Feb. 14. The auditions were originally scheduled for Feb. 4, but were postponed twice due to the winter weather that kept the state in its grip. Three juniors from Mena, Lucas Head, Amber Lane, and Austin Stroud, auditioned along with freshman Kassidy Summit, within a field of 720 choral vocalists from across the state. Students who audition for the all-state choir must first have scored in the top thirteen positions in their respective regions. After October’s regional auditions, those students who qualified for all-state auditions learned
W
four new pieces of advanced level music with the possible inclusion of songs written in foreign languages. The students perform the prepared music in a solo audition before five adjudicators. Amber Lane placed in the Arkansas All State Choir at chair 22 in the Alto II section. Amber, along with choir director, Ferroll Taylor, attended the Arkansas AllState Music Conference at the Hot Springs Convention Center Feb. 17-19. After two days of intense rehearsal, the all state choirs performed in concert on Saturday, Feb. 19, in Hall A of the convention center. This was Amber’s second year as a member of the Arkansas All-State Choir.
BRYAN MAYE, TAYLOR Maechler, and Riss Robbins practice veterinarian skills. (photo by Krystal Saulsbury)
Spring Testing Schedule March 08 & 09 April 06 & 07 April 19 & 20 April 26 & 27 May 02 May 04 May 04 May 10 & 11 May 10 May 11
11 grade literacy exam* 9th grade NRT testing EOC geometry exam* EOC biology exam* EOC AP chemistry EOC AP calculus EOC Algebra 2 exam EOC algebra exam* EOC AP government EOC AP English th
* Students who score basic or below basic must take a remediation course.
ashburn’s
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Drama--------
continued from page 1 presentations because I think it helps the students in my class, as well as the English students, to understand Shakespeare better. And I’m very excited to see these new changes portrayed and how the students will respond.” Concerning the OLT productions, Kropp said, “I am really excited about this year’s OLT Theatre Arts I productions. I know the productions will be a big hit for the sheer fact of their obvious talent which can easily be seen in their dedication and stellar dramatic skills in the rehearsals we have every school day. I can’t wait to see how my students perform live. I know all the kind citizens of Mena attending will enjoy watching them perform as much as I do.” Overall excitement from the cast and the production crew for all performances prove that this year’s OLT and Romeo and Juliet plays was Broadway-worthy.
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The Bear Facts - Entertainment
March 2011
Page 7
Now playing
The Green Hornet stings just enough by Taylor Betz
A more light-hearted alternative to Will Eisner’s, The Spirit, The Green Hornet has remained one of the more beloved radiobased super heroes from that pulp crime era, owing its rise in popularity with a serial film series and more famously a television program starring Bruce Lee. Now, The Green Hornet has been brought into modern time by acclaimed Indie-filmmaker Michel Gondry in this update. The film stars, and is co-written by, Seth Rogen who plays Britt Reid, son to a newspaper giant whose father’s death leaves the young playboy Britt with a prestigious news foundation. Britt is a schmuck, whose obsession with being a do-gooder has stalked him since childhood, though his more straight-laced, hardworking father, played by Tom Wilkinson, who needless to say is effective, scowled at him for such childish dreams. Now Britt, along with one of his employees, the supergenius/kung-fu-knowing Kato, teams up to create a superhero duo on the tail of the city’s primary mob boss, Chudnofsky. Co-writers Rogen and Evan Goldberg try pumping a youthful burst of humor and stylized action into this oldie franchise, along with a teaspoon of superhero satire. Unfortunately they aren’t entirely successful. The film’s humor tries to downplay itself, attempting to create a more Indiana Jones style in how it mixes its adventure with its jokes. Considering how genuinely funny Rogen can be, this creates the opposite
effect, leaving the humor vague and not as grand as it could have been had it been obvious. What they manage to nail is the superhero satire, which too is downplayed so as not to be as obnoxious as other superhero satires. It also manages to avoid using a stock-villain, instead creating a “lost in the new age” attitude to Christoph Waltz’s Chudnofsky whose frustration with the new hip costumed characters is a more compelling motivation than most other action-comedy villains. Where The Green Hornet fails is in its loose-footed attempt at well… a plot. It manages to make it up via its cast of characters and style. Seth Rogen plays around with his schmuck personality in a more interesting way than his latter films. Attributing this to a wannabe superhero is more fascinating than one would think. As side-kick Kato, Jay Chou brings a lot of charm and has hit the right chord to make a fun performance out of what could have been a generic, quick-witted fast-fisted secondary character; but the film’s true actor triumph is Waltz, who perfectly captures the vibe: a sort of spacey outlook amidst the colorful craziness. I think that’s the key to enjoying this movie: letting Michel Gondry’s stylish camera work go by despite the lazy plot. Just go with the hit and miss ball of fun that is here. While this truly is a forgettable comedy, there’s enough fizz to make it an amusing film worth kicking back and checking out.
Mena Ford, Inc. ANTHONY EFIRD Sales Manager
Lunch and Dinner Specials Open Sun-Thur 11am - 9pm
KING RANCH
I Am Number Four is out of this world by Krystal Saulsbury
Do you ever wonder if there is more out in space besides just us humans? John Smith is a 15 year-old boy whose problems are unlike those of any typical boy on Earth. John comes from a world called Lorien, but the planet was destroyed in a bleak war with the Mogadorians, a vicious race who destroyed its own world for power. John and 18 others were sent to Earth in the hopes that they would survive and one day go back to their world, yet the Mogadorians followed that ship to Earth and now seek to kill the 9 Garde teens. Though outnumbered, the teenagers have Legacies, or special powers, to fight those
who wish to harm them and Earth. With the first 3 dead, John knows that he is next and is willing to do anything to save those he loves and cares for. I Am Number Four is a collaborated work by Jobie Hughes and James Frey, under the alias of Pittacus Lore, and is a fantastic book that deals with high school, friendship, and of course aliens. It also deals with hope; one line that is repeated in the book is, “There’s always hope. When you have lost hope, you have lost everything. And when you think all is lost, when all is dire and bleak, there is always hope.” This book has been made into a movie that was released Feb. 18.
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1103 Hwy. 71 North Mena, AR 71953 (479) 394-2214 anthonyefird@sbcglobal.net F-150
MENA FCCLA MEMBERS raise $250 for the Children’s Miracle Network. (photo by Kristi Wilson)
Fri & Sat 11am - 10pm
1100 N. Highway 71 Mena, AR 71953 Phone: (479) 243-0822 Fax: (479) 243-0727
200 Grandview Hgts Chris Head Mena, Arkansas 71953 Mary Alice Head 479-394-1169 theshop1@sbcglobal.net
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Joshua Marshall 03-09 Alyvia Castillo 03-12 Katelyn Graves 03-15 Lake Philpot 03-21 Justin Grasman 03-23 Danielle Skinner 03-25
Hannah Bell 03-02 Zachary Phillips 03-02 Holly Lewis 03-22 Dakota Hart 03-24 Zeke McPherson 03-29
MENA CAFÉ
Hwy 71 South Mena, AR 71953
M S A I F S U M M I T V
S R H R E N N I K S Y A
M U S E D O H R C K D R
J H L L A H S R A M R G
K D B P Q L R J D H J I
L N E C R I T O A G C P
H R L M Z H S U M I O S
T J L O H A R T T B G B
Paul Miner 03-09 Michael Berry 03-14 Lydia Rhodes 03-16 Alex Hurst 03-22 Montana McAdams 03-24 Weldon Beaty 03-26
Ashli Foster 03-02 T.J Bigham 03-07 Stefan Ward 03-23 Lauryn Madison 03-26 John Tolbert 03-29
DESIGNING TOMORROW TODAY
Vaughn Engineering, Inc.
Monday - Thursday 10:30 am - 8 pm Friday, Saturday 10:30 am - 9 pm Sunday 10:30 am - 3 pm
Consulting Engineers
Greg A. Vaughn, P.E. President
403 DeQueen Street (479) 394-2885 Mena, Arkansas 71953 office@vaughneng.com
Freshmen
W S M A D A C M G R A Y
Sophomores
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Seniors
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The Bear Facts - Entertainment
Page 8
March 2011
F D V Y D W S G W Q B G
T A H E R R D S N M E K
N S T K N W O X M S X Y
A V R S Q K D F E V S D
M Q I E B U I V S J K O
E O L L E B A C Q N C O
B W E S T F A L L X F P
H P U R U Z M C V A T I
A W A X Y I X P U U L Z
R X T U E G L G M K Y E
T I X J K R H E C Y E M
I C S P C T B I N B K O
Jack Riley 03-01 Megann Matejek 03-07 Brittany Foster 03-18 Joseph Cabello 03-22 Kyle Woody 03-27 Gina Barker 03-30
John Westfall 03-04 Josefina Gomez 03-12 Shelby Horner 03-13 Brittney Sockey 03-14 Casey Bass 03-20 Chase McCormick 03-21
R A E C K R W U N F U W
O O Y C G N Q Y A C R L
F B C M M W X B S W T O
R O R G M A T E J E K B
W B E T Z Y R E K R A B
B I Q C F O S T E R V M
N E S R O X M Y X R C G
S M A Z S R P F D K O O
H H B L O W B Y U W S C
W S C C R E N R O H A I
A C C U T A Y J B B P D
U M Y N C O R B E T T O
Nicole Bobo 03-03 Jonathan Foreman 03-10 Alyssa McCleskey 03-20 Clark Trucks 03-25 Ben Graves 03-28 James Lunsford 03-31
Ariel Hartin 03-10 Tristan Dawdy 03-13 Brent Sockey 03-14 Nathan Corbett 03-15 Nathaniel Faught 03-20 Tyler Cornelius 03-24