Auburn High School, 405 S. Dean Road
Volume 30, Number 1, May 2012
www.auburnschools2.org
AHS soccer finishes strong By Seth Taylor Sports Editor
The AHS men’s soccer team was 0-3 in Final Four games coming into this Saturday. That all changed when the Tigers won their first-ever state championship by defeating Oak Mountain 10. AHS won Friday night against Enterprise 3-0. That set them up with the OMHS Eagles, who beat Vestavia Hills in double penalty kicks Friday night. Senior attacking center midfielder Tim Harbison said, “It feels so good! We had one goal all season. And to achieve our goal in that fashion was awesome! Couldn’t have been any better!” Harbison was the state championship game’s Most Valuable Player, scoring the only goal of the game with 3:11 left. Sophomore Logan Hill sent a long pass to Harbison who then put the ball in the back of the net to take the lead, which would end up being the game winner. Senior defensive center midfielder and captain Jack Goldberg said, “After 18 years of my life, I have never been so proud of a team and so happy in my whole life. It’s such an accomplishment that took every single one of us. We are so blessed to have such a close team and to come from such a supportive school.” Goldberg bragged on the AHS student body for being “the 12th man” and said they couldn’t have done it without them. AHS head coach Bo Morrissey had been waiting on this for nine years. He said, “The difference this year was that we didn’t get ahead of ourselves. We took things one step at a time and reached our goal of winning a state championship. The men’s team finished the season 26-11, ranked first in the state and number nine in the nation by ESPN. The AHS women’s team also played for a state title on Saturday. They played section rival Prattville on Friday night and defeated them 3-0
as well. That was the third time this season AHS beat Prattville, winning the first two competitions 1-0 and 4-0. The Lady Tigers fell Saturday in the state title to Oak Mountain 0-1 off a penalty kick with 15 minutes left in the game. “You hate to see a game played so well end like this,” Coach Mac Matthews said. “That was an unfortunate call at best, but that’s the nature of the game.” The referee called a penalty kick for a defender taking down the attacker in the box. “From my perspective, the keeper had the ball in her hands. That happened after the play, 50-50 ball at best. It’s just really hard to justify that call, but he’s 10 yards away, I’m 50 yards away,” Matthews said. “At some point, I just have to shut up and move on.” That goal off the penalty kick was the only goal scored in the game, giving Oak Mountain the win. The AHS Lady Tigers finished the season 22-3-2, ranked number two in the state and number 26 in the nation by ESPN. The Lady Tigers also broke the AHS single season goals record this season.
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Loving people, not helping Ben Brinkerhoff Editor
I could start this editorial off with a surplus of facts and numbers about all of the injustice in this world and sound like I care a lot about “helping” people. But that would be counterproductive. In the movie Hotel Rwanda, Paul, a Rwandan humanitarian played by Don Cheadle, thanked Jack, an American reporter played by Joaquin Phoenix, for revealing the genocide in Rwanda to Americans. To this jack replied, “I think if people see this footage, they’ll say, ‘Oh, my God, that’s horrible.’ And then they’ll go on eating their dinners.” A bunch of facts and numbers would only feed into the desensitized “helping of people” that is already in existence in this country. As social justice has become more prevalent in pop culture, its impact on the world has decreased. Bandwagon social justice movements have become a fad in our generation. Wrist
bands, TOMS shoes, posting “make him famous” on your Facebook wall, and t-shirts all seem to serve a higher purpose. World Vision, a nonprofit that works in over 100 countries and has over 3 million donors, markets charity through catalogues like Dillard’s would market clothes. On the surface, all of these practices sound “good,” but if we genuinely want to help, why do we have to have it advertised to us? As Americans, we have such a skewed perspective on social justice. We live in our suburban bubbles and we consume to the point of excess and then give out of it. We do not want to have to sacrifice, making ourselves vulnerable to the needs of others, which keeps us from getting emotionally connected to the “helping” that we do, which then would create commitment to the cause.
Editors: Taylor Branch, Ben Brinkerhoff, Sydney Smith, Trey Van Nostrand Assistant Editors: Payton Beck, Carolyn Starks Copy Editors: Sarahanne Vaughan, Mitchell Warren Sports Editor: Seth Taylor, Fashion Editors: Lauriston Carpenter, Katie Kimberly Assistant Fashion Editors: Alicia Graham, Marlee Yoxall Photography Editors: Peyton Kendrick, Amy Adrian Entertainment Editors: Chase Reid, Ben Parsons Circulation Managers: Samone Brooks, Meredith Walsh Special Events Coordinators: Jake Smith, Tatyana Newman
Business Manager: Abby Farrow, Aaron Yates Assembly Managers: Daniel Cannon, Andrew Hays Archivists: Maggie Rogers, Marc Tucci Webmaster: Courtney Guinane Duplication Technician: Codairious Finley Editors-in-Training: Matt Acker, Alex Beisel, Zsofia Bezdek, Jeff Brown, Tyler Rowell Staff Writers: Peyton Brewer, Su Jin Choi, Cole Feehan, Kevin Frinak, Reed Godbee, Duncan Henderson, Will Hudson, Charlie Johnson, Seth Kendrick, Ga Eon Kim, Debbie Mitcham, J.D. Nutt, Olivia Smith, Stephen Smith, Maeve O’Shea, Will Pinyan, Tyler Thompson Advisor: Mr. John Pennisi Principal: Dr. Todd Freeman
(Continued on page 3.)
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Changes announced for math classes next year By Marc Tucci Archivist The Alabama Board of Education dropped Algebra III with Statistics from the mathematics curriculum and replaced it with two new courses, Probability and Statistics and Discrete Math. Math Teachers Mr. Ben Ward and Mrs. Angelika McGuire will be teaching Probability and Statistics, while Math Teacher Nancee Garcia will be teaching Discrete Math. Ms. McGuire expressed disapproval of the change, but is looking forward to teaching the class again, having taught the course before. Ms. McGuire said, “I thought Algebra III was a good mixed review for students before they took Pre-Calculus.” Algebra III offered some review of Algebra II, and introduced a few of the concepts covered in Pre-Calculus. Mr. Ward said he isn’t too surprised about the change. “The math department usually changes something in our curriculum every few years. Often it’s the same information that gets covered, but they rearrange what math courses
teach which objective.” Ms. McGuire said, “I’m glad the statistics half of Algebra III will still be offered here at AHS. It will be offered in the new class Probability and Statistics, and it will be much more in depth. This course is very similar to statistics courses on the college level, which many students have to take.” Students will use the same textbook that was used in Algebra III in the new Statistics class, except they will cover the entire book, rather than just half of it like in Algebra III. Next year, Ms. Garcia will be co-teaching Discrete Math with Dr. Chris Rodger. Dr. Rodger is Professor of Mathematical Sciences in the College of Sciences and Mathematics from Auburn University. Ms. Garcia mentioned that Dr. Rodger will be using the classroom experience at AHS to help him write a Discrete Math textbook, which he hopes to publish at the end of next year. (Continued on page 14.)
(Editorial, continued from page 2.)
All of the “cool” marketing schemes nonprofits do are because they have tailored themselves to this noncommittal culture and in the long run have made it easier for that culture to take root and develop. There are over 1.5 million nonprofits in the United States competing for this limited support. AHS has been a microcosm of that effect this year. There has been a countless number of awareness and causes marketed during lunch waves, during first period, and on Tiger TV by clubs and other organizations to the point that students have become burned out on supporting and giving. Because each different cause only gets a small portion of our excess, in our pursuit of trying to “look good on paper,” nothing ever really gets done.
At the end of the day what needs to be addressed is actually starting to value and care about humankind. All solutions must have that as its core and that can take individuals on many different paths. One thing we could try as a school would be to could commit to one to three causes each year to really invest into. This would keep us connected to the causes, eliminating the desensitized giving that students get burned out on. It would take some adjustment, but watching the “helping of people” turn into loving people would be a beautiful spectacle. And, in the end we may just find out that those whom we were going to "help" ended up helping us.
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Theater Review: ASF’s The Merry Wives of Windsor By Ben Parsons Entertainment Editor
The Merry Wives of Windsor, a comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written around 1597, was, overall, a rather dull show. Though it had occasional funny moments and faintly interesting characters, the play itself is quite simply not one of the Bard’s best. The AHS seniors in AP English recently took a field trip to see the play, whose story begins with John Falstaff, an overweight knight known for his adventures with women, sending identical love letters to two well-off married women, Mistress Ford and Mistress Page, in an attempt to obtain some of their wealth. Meanwhile, three suitors are presented to Mistress Page’s daughter, Anne, in the hope that she will marry one of them. The show’s actors provided the limited greatness that the show had. The performers who portrayed the Merry Wives, Vanessa Morosco and Cheri Lynne VandenHeuvel, struck me as great actresses who had obviously spent a great amount of time developing their characters and bringing them to life. The actor who stood out to me the most, however, was Peter Simon Hilton as Master Ford. He gave a delightful and downright amazing performance that demanded attention every time he got onstage. From his escapades parading around in a laundry basket to his clever disguise as Master Brook (which was only a moustache and monocle) to his repeated screaming of the word “Buck!”, this fine young actor displayed an enormous amount of professionalism. I was not as impressed with the set design as I was with the acting, though. A construction of Windsor castle sat in the background for the duration of the play and although I am aware that the Alabama Shakespeare Festival has no curtains on their stages, making it impossible to move or even cover this particular piece of scen-
ery, I still felt it unnecessary to keep it in the background for the entire production. In addition, some set pieces, such as a gate meant to establish boundaries around a small field, were blatantly ignored, which was distracting and unprofessional. I also didn’t completely agree with the decision for the actors to not wear microphones. Everyone projected efficiently most of the time, but there were some points of the play where some dialogue, and probably some jokes, was missed completely. The costumes were astounding and their color scheme and historical accuracy really helped bring out the personality of the characters that donned them. Falstaff’s darker browns and blacks demonstrated his status as a lustful knight while the Wives’ bright colors displayed their destructive creativity. The lower class characters wore clothes and cloths that seemed to appear dirtier, and Masters Page and Ford sported splendid 19 th century formal attire. I didn’t notice any of the actors wearing make-up, meaning that it was done extremely efficiently. Overall, The Merry Wives of Windsor was far from a great show. I hesitate to make these judgments because ASF’s production was actually astounding, with the real problems lying with the play itself. The plot was slow, the characters were not well defined, and the comedy was almost too thick and broad to understand. However, what the ASF actors and production team brought to the play was really great. Therefore, I am confident in saying that ASF continues to display excellence, their only flaw being the play that they chose. Entertainment Ben’s Rating: Slightly tolerable
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Tropical Smoothie Café is blended well By Cole Feehan and Charlie Johnson Staff Writers
Tropical Smoothie Café blended well with this review. We had a very good experience with this quick and clean stop-by restaurant. A very nice, chill spot, along with good food and nice service, this café would suit well with young college and high school students. Tropical Smoothie Café is located on Glenn Avenue right next to the new Waffle House in downtown Auburn. It is filled with bright colors of green, yellow, and red on the walls and seats, giving it a Caribbean feel. It goes along with tropical part of the café. For the entrée, they had more options than we originally expected. There were choices between a variety of grilled sandwiches, wraps and flatbreads. We ordered the grilled chipotle chicken club flatbread ($3.99) and the buffalo chicken wrap ($6.99). All wraps and sandwiches come with chips or fruit. The chipotle chicken club came with chicken, pepper jack, bacon, romaine, tomatoes, and chipotle mayonnaise on toasted flatbread. The buffalo chicken wrap came with chicken, low-fat mozzarella, tomatoes, romaine, buffalo sauce, and light ranch in a toasted flour tortilla. Both were very good, tasted fresh, and were all around mouthwatering. The only down part about the wrap is the quantity for the expensive price. We split a Peanut Butter Cup smoothie, which had peanut butter, banana, and chocolate. It was pretty good, but the overwhelming hint of banana almost ruined the whole smoothie. The other smoothie was Peaches N' Silk, which had peaches, strawberries, and banana. It was a very fruity and tasty snack. Everything was quite good, ranging from service to atmosphere to the food. The price was good, and the quality was great. This would be a good weekly restaurant and we recommend this café to people of all ages.
The greatest movie that I can’t describe By Chase Reid Entertainment Editor
Go see The Cabin in the Woods. Do it. For those of you that won’t heed my advice, though, here’s a review. The Cabin in the Woods is a horror film directed and co-written by Cloverfield writer Drew Goddard, marking his directorial debut, and starring Kristen Connolly, Fran Kranz, and Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers). The plot follows five college students that are the victims of a strange ritual killing by a shady global corporation. Mayhem ensues, and the plot takes turns that hardly anyone would be able to guess. For once, the tagline “You think you know the story” is earned. I won’t spoil anything here, but trust me, when the crazy switch is flipped in this particular
movie, it completely delivers. The climax is one of the most gripping, chaotic, and “this is epic” inducing moments in recent memory, making this my favorite movie of 2012. The writing is solid, delivering a good narrative as well as a scathing parody of the modern horror genre, and the directing is great. The camera is almost always in the right place at the right time with the exception of a few small scenes, giving the sense of a panicky rush for survival but not causing motion sickness at the same time. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to review this movie without some intense spoilers of things that I do not want to ruin for anyone. The best that I can do is simply say go watch it. Then we’ll talk.
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Health science internships decided By Payton Beck Assistant Editor
Many AHS students applied for the Health Science Internships for the fall of the 2012-2013 year, but only 17 students were selected. The 17 new interns are Rachael Barnes, Alexandria Beisel, Abby Boone, Chelsey Davis, Kevin Doan, John Marshall Hartzog, Corrine Jacobs, Paula Judit, Kristyn Kuykendall, Mallory Mitchell, Brandee Morgan, Hailey Roberts, Kayla Roberts, Amia Robinson, Joseph Shultz, Emma Thompson, and Quanetria Tinsley. Foundation of Health Science Teacher Mrs. Laurie Osborne said, “The students take Foundation of Health Science. They get to learn health tips, diseases, anatomy, legal and ethical issues, vital signs, and basic nursing skills.” These students don’t just get to sign up casually; they actually have requirements: a 3.0 GPA, passing scores on all sections of the graduation exams, and a math or science teacher recommendation. These interns will be allowed to leave
campus for third and fourth period and go to the hospital. While these students are at the hospital they will watch live surgery, witness child birth, and perform basic care of patients (like feeding and bathing). Mrs. Osborne said, “After 16 weeks, the students can apply for a job called Earn and Learn and are paid.” Junior Abby Boone was nervous while awaiting the results, but when she found out she got the internship, she was very excited and couldn’t wait to get started because she has wanted to do this for a very long time. Abby said, “I’m really looking forward to getting to experience the first-hand workings of a hospital. I want to see if it is what I want to do.” Out of all the things the interns get to experience on this internship, Abby said, “I am really excited to see the ER. In the ER you never know what to expect. Crazy things happen and it is always unexpected!”
Day of Silence sheds light on bullying problem By Maeve O’Shea Staff Writer The Day of Silence is a nationwide, student-led annual event to protest and call attention to bullying against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and asexual (LGBTQA) students, which took place on April 20 of this year. During the Day of Silence, students are silent throughout the day to showcase the silencing effects of anti-gay bullying. Gay bullying is a huge and largely unaddressed problem in schools across the nation. According to bullyingstatistics.org, 9 out of 10 LGBTQA students have been bullied, and in one-third of cases that were reported, the schools’ administration did nothing to stop it. Gay suicides are also a major problem (and often a result of bullying). They account for approximately 30 percent of all completed suicides. This issue is important for students of all sexual orientations, as anti-gay bullying doesn’t just affect LGBTQA students; it also affects students who are perceived as LGBTQA. For every
LGBTQA student who is bullied for her or his sexual orientation, almost four heterosexual students are bullied because people believe that they are LGBTQA, according to the National Youth Association. According to the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Networks (GLSEN), the sponsor of Day of Silence, the Day started in 1996 at the University of Virginia, and has since spread to over 8,000 schools from middle schools to universities. Participants are encouraged to carry “speaking cards” that explain how their “deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by anti-LGBT bullying, name-calling and harassment. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward building awareness and making a commitment to address these injustices.” The cards end with the chilling statement: “Think about the voices you ARE NOT hearing today.”
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Volunteer this summer to help the community By Taylor Branch Editor
There are many community service opportunities around Auburn. Whether you like working with animals or people, there are plenty of ways to help volunteer. East Alabama Food Bank: Some of the work required when volunteering include repacking bulk food in the warehouse, packing boxes, doing office tasks, sorting products, and stocking shelves. Most opportunities are available during regular weekday hours. You must call ahead to check on the scheduling at least two weeks in advance. You can visit the food bank website at http://foodbankofeastalabama.com/donate/volunteer/. Lee County Humane Society: Shelter Helpers and Core Volunteers are the two types of jobs at the LCHS. Shelter Helpers are volunteers who visit the shelter during adoption hours and assist in walking the dogs and playing with the dogs or cats. Core Volunteers have more responsibilities than Shelter Helpers. Some of their responsibilities include helping with fundraising events, cleaning cages, assisting with off-site adoption, and doing computer work. You can visit the LCHS website at www.leecountyhumane.org/volunteer/volunteer.html. East Alabama Medical Center: The EAMC Auxiliary has a corps of Junior Volunteers comprised of young men and women of high-school age. These volunteers help in the waiting areas, deliver newspapers and magazines to patients, and staff the information desk. To apply, complete and print an online form and mail it to the address on the EAMC website: www.eamc.org/ programsServices/Auxiliary.aspx. Storybook Farm: Storybook farm is a nonprofit organization that provides activities for children with physical, mental, social, and emotional challenges. The many ways you can get involved are assisting with field trips and sessions and helping with daily chores and general upkeep. Session volunteers are responsible for greeting families and leading or side-walking during the rides. Applicants must be at least 15 years old, must be committed to volunteering consistently each week, and must complete two training sessions that generally last several hours. If you are interested in volunteering, but can’t commit to a session each week, you can still volunteer by being a Non-Session Volunteer. To learn more about Storybook Farm, visit their website at www.story-book-farm.org/HowToHelp/VolunteerInformation.aspx. BigHouse: BigHouse is a Christ-centered nonprofit organization in Opelika that helps improve the quality of life for children in foster care. There are many different programs, including Kids’ Night Out, Tutoring, Preschool Program, and Food Bank Pick-Up. You must be high school age or older to volunteer for Tutoring or Preschool Programs. You must submit information for a background check for all programs in order to be accepted. If you are interested in volunteering, you can email bighouse@ourbighouse.org or go on their website: www.ourbighouse.org/ index.php/volunteers. Junior Kathleen Hand volunteered at BigHouse and said, “I got to hang out with all the kids in foster care whose parents are at work all day. It absolutely makes my day when I walk in the room and see their smiling faces. It was a heartening experience!” Sophomore Elizabeth Price has volunteered at Storybook Farms and she had a great experience with it. “I didn’t get to work with any of the children, but I got to groom and feed the horses which was fun,” she said.
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Meet Michael Kors
By Alicia Graham Assistant Fashion Editor He went from designing his mother’s wedding dress to being a judge on Project Runway, a reality hit TV show. His enthralling persuasive sale skills mix well with his elegant fitted clothing. He has succeeded in releasing his own menswear, perfumes, and accessories. His love for fashion has made him the man he is today. Michael Kors was born Karl Anderson Jr. on August 9, 1959. After his parents separated, he was granted a new name of his choice at age 5 when his mom married a businessman named Bill Kors. His mother insisted, “If you’re getting a new last name go ahead and choose a new first name.” He chose Michael David Kors. Kors was raised in New York's Long Island. As a toddler, he appeared in Lucky Charms commercials and was a model for national campaign ads. He was a fan of shopping and he said, “I hyperventilated every time a Vogue magazine came in.” He attended New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology in the 1970s, but dropped out after two semesters. In the late 70s, Kors worked at Loather’s, a French boutique, which let him start his career of being a designer by selling his first fashion collection. Michael Kors Women's Collec-
tion was launched in May 1981 and was sold at Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue. Later, Kors convinced Anna Wintour, at the time the fashion editor for New York magazine, now fashion editor for Vogue, to view his collection. Soon enough he started getting celebrity attention from fans like Barbara Walters, an American broadcast journalist. The 90s came and Kors was facing bankruptcy, but he got back on top and launched KORS Michael Kors, a less expensive line. The line expanded enormously, and in 2003 he won the coveted Menswear Designer of the Year Award, the most reputable prize in American Fashion. On December 1, 2004, Project Runway premiered. In the beginning, Kors thought mixing fashion with reality was a joke, but he came around and became a judge, and fans craved his criticism. Today, Kors lives with his longtime partner Lance La Pere in New York City. Numerous celebrities wear his garments, he is a part of many charitable organizations, and he is the Executive Vice President of The Council of American Fashion Designers.
Top Ten Interesting Facts
By Stephen Smith and Tyler Rowell Staff Writers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Nearly 22,000 checks will be deducted from the wrong accounts over the next hour. Even though hand sanitizer kills 99.9% of germs, only .1% of germs actually make us sick. The average person takes 23,000 breaths a day. Albert Einstein used to charge people for autographs. He’d then donate this money to charity. The total weight of all the ants on earth is almost equal to the weight of all the humans on earth. There are more vending machines in Japan than there are people in New Zealand. No two cows have identical spots. Michael Jackson had a meeting in one of the Twin Towers on the morning of 9/11, but missed it because he overslept. Every year, about 2,500 people go to the emergency room due to injuries caused by a toothbrush. Lobsters have clear blood.
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All About One Direction By Zsofia Bezdek Editor-in-Training
A new British band named One Direction quickly conquered the world by sneaking into the hearts of millions of people. The band consists of Niall Horan (19), Zayn Malik (19), Liam Payne (19), Harry Styles (18), and Louis Tomlinson (21). They started their career by competing in the seventh series of The X Factor. However, they failed to qualify for the “Boys” category. They were almost let go when a guest judge suggested that they should be put into the “Groups” category. According to the judges, the boys were too talented to let go. Later, Simon Cowell supported them throughout the competition and they ended up getting third place. After The X Factor, One Direction signed a recording contract with Syco Records. A few month later, their first single, “What Makes You Beautiful,” was released on September 11, 2011. It quickly became the number-one hit in the UK. Soon, their second single, “Gotta Be You,” was released on November 13, 2011, which became the third most popular song. Finally, in the same month, their first album was released under the name Up All Night. Their song quickly spread across the lake, and the boys started to appear on TV programs such as Nickelodeon and Saturday Night Live.
Louis He was born on Christmas Eve He loves carrots and girls who eat carrots He was dumped because he “wasn’t attractive enough” If he was not in the music business, he would become a drama teacher Zayne His name is actually spelled Zain, but prefers Zayne because it’s more original His ideal lady is Megan Fox His favorite color is blue He once dated triplets at the same time Liam He has only one kidney, so he doesn’t drink alcohol He thinks dedicated fans are the cutest His favorite color is purple Harry He prefers girls with short hair He plays the kazoo His lucky item is green underwear He hates when girls call themselves ugly
Interesting Facts about the members: Niall He is the only member from Ireland His lucky item is a pair of white socks He plays the guitar with his right hand even though he is left handed He thinks model girls are intimidating; perfect is boring! From left to right: Louis, Zayne, Liam, Harry, Niall
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Summer and Resort Men’s Fashion By Trey VanNostrand Editor
School’s almost out and it’s time to start planning those summer vacations that are well deserved!
When on those fun-filled vacations, you’ll need the essentials necessary to make sure every moment is adventurous, and what better way to do so than with your summer wardrobe. Like springtime, a bright shirt with a colored pair of shorts is just as acceptable this summer. This is something that you can wear all day at home, while running errands, or ending a day at the beach and heading to dinner for a relaxing evening. Most of us during the summer tend to lean towards flip-flops when it comes to wearing shoes. Flip-flops are so easy for summer because of their versatility and convenience. For the beach bums, just like a bright shirt and shorts, a bright colored swimsuit is a must. This summer there are a lot of striped and ocean-creature-inspired prints on trunks. Your summer look usually is fairly simple with fewer pieces, but it can’t be complete without your favorite pair of shades. There are a lot of sunglass styles out right now, so it’s up to you to find what you like best.
Ralph Lauren Linen Button-down $89
Guy Harvey Blue Marlin Sandals $34.99
Vineyard Vines Sun Soaked Island Shorts $79.50
Maui Jim Navigator $219
Vineyard Vines Crab Chappy Swim Shorts $79.50
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Dauphin Island trip not your typical “school trip” By Courtney Guinane Webmaster
ased scientific research on patches of the marsh and the creatures that live in there. Students also got to do something new this year: They made hats out of items they collected when they went on their walk the first day. In the morning of day three, students made ROVs (Remote Operated Vehicles) out of PVC pipes and motors. The students then boarded the Discovery Alabama. Once out in the bay, students tested the salinity of the water in the bay. Next, the ship drops its trawl net for about 30 minutes and hauls it up onto the ship where the catch is then deposited on a table where students can handle and learn about the creatures that get pulled up. First-timer Freshman Beth Prior said, “I love the hands-on aspect.” Dinner on the third day is now a tradition of boiled shrimp that was harvested on the boat trip, or hamburgers and hotdogs for those who do not like shrimp or cannot eat it. Day four is the last day of the trip. Students get to explore Dauphin Island Sea Labs Estuarium, which is full of tanks that contain mini environments that can be found around Dauphin Island. Staff members give a behind-the-scene tours to students and explain what happens in the back rooms and the husbandry of the animals. Photo credit: Courtney Guinane
Looking beyond the waves, the ocean, the beach, but instead taking a closer look at all things marine life: This is the idea behind the annual Dauphin Island field trip. The first day students already begin to do hands-on work and explore the marine environment. Once students have settled into the old military dorms, they head off to Endeavor Hall where they begin their brief introduction to the geography of the island and beach and what a maritime forest is and what one might find when walking through the forest and beach. At night, students get wet in the ocean with night-time seine netting. A seine is a soft mesh net tied to two poles wth weights on the bottom and floats on the top; it is used to catch fish, shrimp, stingrays and other sea creatures. Students then get to learn about what they caught underneath Discovery Hall. On day two of the trip, students go back to Discovery Hall, but upstairs in the classrooms, where they meet marine educator Carrie Riley. Carrie gives students an introduction to Coastal Oceanography. One of Carrie’s favorite lines when teaching students about different wet lands is, “What is a wet land? ….Land that is wet, duh!” Students then go off to one of the salt marshes found on the island and conduct unbi-
Students Examine Fish Caught With the Trawl Net
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High school golf gets heated By Sarahanne Vaughan Copy Editor
With competition escalating and scores dropping, the atmosphere is just right for the start of high school golf’s post-season tournaments, and the state tournament is sure to be a showdown this year. The boys’ and girls’ teams play a series of tournaments to play for the state championship: sectionals, substate, and, finally, the state tournament. At the sectionals tournament, the team must place in the top four of about nine teams to move on to substate. At the substate tournament, the team must place in the top three of eight teams to move on to the state tournament. At the state tournament, six teams will be present, and the winner is deemed the champion. At each tournament, the boys bring five players to count towards the team’s total score; however, only the four best scores are taken and added to make up the team’s score. The same goes for the girls, but they only bring four girls and take the three best scores. Each team can bring up to two individuals to play, but their scores do not count towards the overall team total. For the boys, sectionals took place at Saugahatchee Country Club in Opelika, and the girls played at Lakewood Golf Course in Phenix City. The boys came in second at sectionals while the girls took the title by nine strokes. For substate, both teams played at Moore’s Mill Club in Auburn, where the girls took home the gold by ten strokes while the boys played clutch in a playoff hole to take the title as well. Robert Trent Jones’ Grand National in Opelika will be the host course for the state tournament on May 14 and 15 for both teams.
The girls’ team has placed very well in their tournaments this season, winning all of their tournaments except three, in all of which the team placed second. The boys have placed in the middle of the pack all year, pulling out some good scores and keeping up with the competition surrounding them. The girls have played as expected so far this post season, and the boys have exceeded expectations with outstanding play. “This may be the best team I’ve ever had,” said Girls’ Coach Mike Glisson. “I’ve never had three girls that could consistently shoot in the 70s. This team is different also because I’ve got three girls who can play college golf. We are a top contender for the state championship, and I expect us to play for it.” When asked about Senior Jessica Roulliard, Coach Glisson said, “To have seen her mature since her sixth-grade year is great. She has put in lots of hard work and deserves to be going to a great school like UAB.” Jessica has won the best overall title of “low medalist” in two tournaments. From 2004-2007, the boys’ team went on a winning streak, earning the state title each year. The following two years, the team made it to the state tournament but didn’t bring home the gold. The girls last won the state championship in 2010 and came in second each year from 2007-2009. “This season hasn’t been as good as it could’ve been for us,” said Junior Jared Bettcher. “The potential for us to win is there; all we need is for everyone to do what they’re capable of. We’ll be there at state, and don’t count us out.”
Page 13, AHS Free Press, May 2012
Auburn Football: A-Day Quite Revealing By JD Nutt Staff Writer
AU football started the new season with the unveiling of three new statues outside of Jordan Hare Stadium: Heisman winners Cam Newton, Pat Sullivan, and Bo Jackson. There was also a new look on the sideline, with three new coaches: Offensive Coordinator Scott Loefler, Defensive Coordinator Brian VanGrouder, and Secondary Coach Willy Martinez. Auburn only lost five starters from the 2011 team, but there was still a lot of work to be done this spring. The annual spring game was April 14 at Jordan Hare Stadium, where more than 43,000 fans showed up. The offense wound up winning 36-27 based on a scoring format devised by the coaches. The offense received points for touchdowns, field goals, plays of 15 yards or longer, and consecutive first downs. The defense received points for touchdowns, turnovers, sacks, and three-and-outs. Sophomore Quarterback Kiehl Frazier was named the Offensive MVP, Defensive End Dee Ford the Defensive MVP, and Punter Steven Clark the special teams MVP. Many of the coaches were pleased with the way the Tigers ran the ball. Tailbacks Mike Blakley, Corey Grant, Tre Mason, and Onterio McClalebb combined for a total of 158 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the day. New trans-
fer from Illinois, Fullback Jay Prosh, helped clear running lanes for the running back. Auburn played three different quarterbacks, including Kiehl Frazier, Clint Mosely, and Zeke Pike. Frazier finished 7-of-9 for 92 yards and showed off his ability to scramble around and make plays. Zeke Pike was 5-of-11 for 48 yards, and Clint Moseley was plagued by a sore throwing shoulder for much of the spring and finished 5-of6 for 62 yards. The most impressive drive of the scrimmage came with Frazier at quarterback, and it covered 80 yards in 11 plays and consumed more than seven minutes. Corey Grant capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run. When Coach Chizik was asked about the decision about the starting quarterback this fall, he said, “We’re not ready to pull the trigger (on a decision) any time soon that I see.” The best news for the defense was that it generated consistent pressure, led by Dee Ford and LaDarius Owens. Ford and Owens combined for four tackles for loss and three sacks. Leading the secondary was Ryan Smith and Ryan White who each had four tackles and one break up. Chizik told AuburnSports.com after the game, “We have a couple of guys that have really stepped forward in rushing the passer. They’re going to be difficult to block in certain situations.”
2012-2013 AU TIGERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE 09/01/12 09/08/12 09/15/12 09/22/12 10/06/12 10/13/12 10/20/12 10/27/12 11/03/12 11/10/12 11/17/12 11/24/12
vs. Clemson Atlanta, GA at Mississippi State Starkville, MS vs. ULM Auburn, Ala. vs. LSU Auburn, Ala. vs. Arkansas Auburn, Ala. at Ole Miss Oxford, MS at Vanderbilt Nashville, TN vs. Texas A&M Auburn, Ala. vs. New Mexico State Auburn, Ala. (Homecoming) vs. Georgia Auburn, Ala. vs. Alabama A&M Auburn, Ala. at Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
Page 14, AHS Free Press, May 2012 (Continued from page 3.) Ms. Garcia said, “Discrete Math is unlike any math most AHS students know. This isn’t your typical math class where the teacher gives a lesson on how to solve specific types of problems, and then you do 40 practice problems. Discrete math involves learning counting and pattern methods to solve deeper thinking problems.” On the math tree, Algebra branches off into Calculus, and Discrete Math branches off into Statistics. Ms. Garcia said this course is common on the college level, but not in high school. One of the things Discrete Math explores is the logic and reasoning behind many of the statistics ideas previously taught in Algebra III. For example, many statistics problems for Algebra III were something like the following: A tchart is shown with average income on one side, and years in graduate school on the other. The question reads, “Predict the income of an individual who receives four years of graduate school.” To solve these problems in Algebra III, the student had to graph the values on a scatter plot and use certain statistics formulas to determine the answer. Students in Discrete Math also explore logic questions. For example, students are given a map of the United States and are told to color each state a different color so the same color doesn’t touch. The student must figure out the least amount of colors they can use.
Ms. Garcia said, “To the average person, this seems like a rather unimportant problem, but these are the kinds of concepts that electricians use when building a circuit, or computer programmers use when programming a computer with binary code.” In Probability and Statistics, the students will not only learn different ways to solve these problems, but dissect the formulas to find out what exactly they mean. Ms. Garcia said students will therefore gain a better understanding of the principles behind math. Another concept explored in Discrete Math is fractals, images that repeat advanced geometric patterns. Ms. Garcia said, “On the surface they merely look like a piece of artwork, but when you take a closer look you discover the math behind them.” Some fractal patterns are based on the Pythagorean Theorem, in which right triangles build on top of each other in a circular pattern. The “c” side of the triangle, the hypotenuse, builds off into more triangles where the other hypotenuses are known as “d” and “e” sides. Some of the fractals students will study appear in nature, such as in conch shells. Ms. Garcia said, “Students have come to believe that ‘math’ is computing formulas and chugging numbers in a calculator, but there is so much more to it than that.”
Track team dominates sectionals By Abby Farrow Business Manager
The track team competed and won sectionals at Smiths Station High School by 85 points on both the boys and girls sides on April 27-28. This was the girls’ third sectional victory in a row. They took first, second, and third in javelin and first and second in pole vault, 300 hurdles , and 100 hurdles. To qualify for state, the runners must finish in the top five in sectionals. All the girls that competed in sectionals qualified for state in one of their events, and as a team the girls qualified in 16 of 18 events. Junior Bethany Kuerten, who ran in the 4x800, 800, and 3200, said, “We had a great success with everyone qualifying, and it was so fun to get closer as a team. I’m excited to go to state
with them and compete against teams from all over the state.” The boys also finished first with a win of 85 points over Smiths Station. The boys took first, second, and third in javelin, long jump, and pole vault and took first and second in triple jump. They also had a number of competitors who finished in scoring positions. They boys qualified athletes in all 18 of their events. Junior Noro Datiri, who ran in the 1600 and 4x800, said, “We all competed really hard this weekend and we are ready to put forth our best performance yet at state.” Coach LaDextric Oliver of the girls’ team said that the team is ready to “smash faces and work hard.”
Page 15, AHS Free Press, May 2012
Envy the MVP By Cole Feehan Staff Writer
The NBA is a league of the best basketball players in the world. It is national, the greatest of the great, come from all over to be in this highly respected, highly talented league. Being there is an honor in itself, but the ultimate individual prize is the league most valuable player (MVP) award. Determining the award though, is difficult. The factoring is complicated with all the categories to be considering. With scoring, assists, rebounding, defense, team player (making teammates better), team win percentage, clutch factor, turnover ratio, consistency It’s the ultimate player for the regular season. The award is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Each casts a vote for first to fifth place selections. Each first-place vote is worth 10 points; each second-place vote is worth seven; each third-place vote is worth five, fourth-place is worth three and fifth-place is worth one. The contenders are the best players in the world, which is easy to spot on the stat sheet. The statistics don’t speak for everything. The intensity, effort, leadership, carrying the weight of the team on your back all goes into consideration for who the best of the best is. The contenders are the best players in the world, which is easy to spot on the stat sheet. The statistics don’t speak for everything. The intensity, effort, leadership, carrying the weight of the team on your back all goes into consideration for who the best of the best is. This year’s top players would have to be Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Tony Parker, Chris Paul and Kevin Love. There are a couple more that could be in the conversation but none as much as these players. Kevin Love is a fabulous player and has transformed from a good, to great, to all-star player in a matter of 2 years which is remarkable. There are very few players you will see transform. There is a difference between developing and transforming. You could call Kevin Love “Optimus Prime”. Two years ago, he averaged 14 points and almost 11 rebounds. To now averaging 26 points and 13 rebounds. Woah. That’s really all there is to say. In the NBA, this is highly rare phenomenon. But because of his mediocre team (Timberwolves) he gets kicked out of the playoff race earlier than others, sorry Kevin. Chris Paul has taken the Los Angeles Clippers, who haven’t been good since… ever. To now a 5th seed in the playoffs. That’s worth a lot of attention and MVP in itself. The newly born lob city is a fun place to watch Blake Griffin jam the ball down the goal’s throat. But Chris Paul, whose stats are down a little, doesn’t have it all or enough to win the MVP award this year. Tony Parker is having a tremendous year with the San Antonio Spurs who have the best record in the Western Conference. With Manu Ginobili always being injured the guard play for San Antonio is rather lacking. Parker keeps them contending however with his fabulous team play and effort. He’s a true all-around point guard who can do it all. On the other hand he is getting older though, so his statistics are showing and declining. But a top 4 pick with regular season MVP! Kobe Bryant, who has become somewhat of a decent player (sarcasm), is playing just as good as ever. Averaging 28 points, almost 6 rebounds, and 4 assists is the best stats we have seen out of him since 2008. And of course being on the Los Angeles Lakers they are certainly in the top 4 teams of the Western side. I’d give definitely give Kobe the 3rd or 4th pick but compared to the next two contenders he doesn’t have enough. No one does except for themselves. Lebron James and Kevin Durant are a different kind of breed of players this season, almost unnatural and certainly unbelievable. Lebron James is an amazing basketball player and athlete in general. As long as he’s around, I never find him far behind the MVP conversation. He’s great there’s no doubt about it, and wherever he goes, he wins. I just don’t think he’s had the MVP type season. If you saw his 2009 and 2010 seasons when he won the MVP, they don’t look or feel the same. Now Kevin Durant gets my number-one MVP vote. The Oklahoma City Thunder are now a powerhouse in the NBA, why? Durant of course. He has put them on the map single handedly with his 28 points a game, 8 rebounds, and almost 4 assists. With the second best record in the Western division and in my mind a NBA finals worthy team, the “Durantchula” should win it all.
Page 16, AHS Free Press, May 2012