THE
TILGHMAN PADUCAH TILGHMAN HIGH SCHOOL
2400 WASHINGTON STREET
PADUCAH, KENTUCKY
BELL
FRI. NOV. 23, 2015
VOL. 92 NO. 4
Butler and Hawkins named Mr. and Miss Tilghman by Charli Doss The faculty at Paducah Tilghman high school voted Seniors Reese Butler and Abigail Hawkins as Mr. and Miss Tilghman for the Class of 2016. Abigail Hawkins is very involved in Tilghman activities inside and outside of the classroom. She is well known around the halls of Tilghman because of her positive and uplifting spirit. She has participated in varsity soccer, cheerleading, and Concordia since her freshman year. She is a current member of FCA, NHS, and the Beta club. Abigail is the secretary of the Student Council and Editor-in-Chief of The Bell. Along with all of her Tilghman extra-curriculars, she is actively involved in the Friendship Baptist Church youth group. Abigail Hawkins plans to attend Samford University in the fall of 2016 and major in education or business. Reese Butler is a very active student athlete at Paducah
Tilghman. Reese puts excellence in the classroom first then transfers it to the field after school. He has played on the varsity football team, soccer team, and baseball team all four years of high school. He is a member of the AcademicTeam, Mock Trial, NHS, Beta club and treasurer of the Student Council. Butler is also a National Merit Scholar. Reese Butler plans to attend a four year university in the fall of 2016 and major in engineering. When asked how it felt, Hawkins repsonded, “There are many deserving students for this award, so I was very amazed and grateful. Tilghman is so important and dear to my heart, and I am humbled to be able to represent the school.” Butler added, “It’s an honor to receive the award being among a group of such talented and accomplished students.” Photo provided by Claire Kelly
Hancock named Paducah Bank’s Teen of the Week by Palmer Stroup Tilghman senior Meg Hancock was recently named Paducah Bank Teen of the Week. Meg is the daughter of Sid and Justin Hancock. Meg is a captain on both the Mock Trial and Speech and Debate team, an alumnus of Kentucky GSP. Meg is on the Academic Team, the Paducah Human Rights Commission, President of the National Honor Society, the PTHS Orchestra, and the Kentucky Junior Historical Society. Her passion for her studies is only surpassed by her love for community service. She has recently been named a Duchess of Paducah due to her efforts of putting back into the community. She regards some of her greatest accomplishments as helping host the first ever Candidates Forum at Tilghman and becoming a National Merit Scholar. In her spare time, Meg has to deal with her two cats Pip and Puck and enjoys studying in coffee shops. Some of her favorite pieces of literature are “Les Miserables” and the Communist Manifesto. After graduation, Meg plans to attend a major four year university. She isn’t completely certain what she wants do for a future career, but what she does want is to make a positive impact on the world, which isn’t too far fetched considering all she’s done already. Hancock says, “It was such an honor to be chosen, adn I’m very thankful for the opportunities Tilghman and Paducah have provided me with to puruse my passions.”
Photo provided by Wayne Walden
Prime-Cordia wins Tilghman Cheerleaders Symphony Sing Off Stomp for a Cure by Anna Chambers and Abigail Hawkins
Photo provided to Bell Staff
The Paducah Symphony Orchestra hosted their 5th annual fundraiser, The Sing Off, on November 5th. The Sing Off is a competition in which high school a cappella groups perform to raise money for the Symphony. The audience donated money to the group they liked best; the group who raised the most money by the end of the night was declared the Sing Off champions. For the first time, a Judge’s Choice award was introduced. Schools who participated this year included Ballard Memorial, Graves County, McCracken County, Marshall County, and Paducah Tilghman. For the past two years when Tilghman’s Prime Rib and Concordia competed separately, each group made a name for itself. This year, the two combined to create Prime-Cordia. Due to school functions, not all members of Prime Rib and Concordia were able to attend. Performers included Seniors Travis Crouch, Micheal Hassel, Bradley Duncan, Hasaan Ali, Abigail Hawkins and Anna Chambers; Juniors Tyran Fitzgerald and Zane Birdsong; Sophomores Alec Wadley, Isaac Galliher, Emma Johnson, Audrianna Hughes and Sarah Katz; and Freshman Shelby Durham. They sang Irene Cara’s “Fame” from the 1980 film. Choreographed by Senior Micheal Hassel and directed by Matt Hinz, the performance was a big hit. They received Judge’s Choice and first place in the overall competition. The Melodores, NBC’s The Sing Off Season Five Champions, were the judges for this year’s competition and gave a live performance before awards were given. “I was pleased to see the growing interest in a cappella music within other schools in our area,” Mr. Hinz commented. “I am proud to see Tilghman continue its tradition of excellence.”
by Maddie Chambers and Abigail Hawkins Tilghman’s cheer team On Thursday, Ochad the theme of Step tober 19th, the PTHS Up and represented the Cheer Team particicancer lymphoma, incorpated in the 4th anporating the color lime nual Stomp For a Cure green into their attire. Fundraiser. Hosted by There were 16 teams AJ from 96.9, Amanda who performed, includRoberts from WPSD, ing McCracken Counand PT Alumni George try cheer and dance, Wilson, the event was WKCTC, Heath Middle sold out as people from School, Massac, Lone the community came Oak Middle School, to watch cheer teams Reidland Middle School, from the region perMarshall County, form and raise money Rhythm Factory, Livto cure cancer at the Photo provided by Andrew Shannon ingston County, Main Carson Center. Stage, Ballard Memorial, This year’s theme was Hollywood MovBallard Middle School, Center Stage, Paducah ies. The Cancer survivors were the VIP guest Middle School, and Paducah Tilghman was the and walked in on a red carpet where they were last performance of the night. greeted by the performers of the night. They When asked about the experience, Coach Dawere also treated to a dinner before the show from vid Wade responded, “Each year of Stomp, we Texas Roadhouse. To match the theme, each have learned more about each cancer and how team created a dance that represented a movie of much it means to the survivors. It is also great their choice. Each team also represented a differto see the girls coming together to perform their ent type of cancer and incorporated the colors of routine.” their cancer into their performance. Paducah
See pages 3, 7, See pages 4 and and 9 for Thanks- 5 for Student giving previews! News!
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A Tip of the Hat... by Lucie Tyrrell and Matthew VanHoose
“What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving break?” by Abby Spicer
“Fighting through the crowds on Black Friday.”
Nautica Beasley (9)
“Food!!”
Maurice Cooper (10)
“My Birthday!”
A tip of the hat goes to the men and women across the world that came to support Paris in its time of need. After tragedies struck the city on the evening of November 14, the city of Paris and the entire nation of France were stricken with grief. Different nations across the world would not allow the terrorists to win by striking fear into hearts of the Parisians and other people across the world. Different monuments across the world, such as the Empire State Building, the Christ the Redeemer Statue and the Eiffel Tower changed their lights to blue, white, and red, the colors of the French flag. The fact that so many different cultures around the globe came to France’s aid in its’ time of need gives us hope that even in times of darkness, courage will win.. A tip of the hat goes to Thanksgiving for getting us out of school, letting us stuff ourselves, and giving us the chance to spend some quality time with our friends and family. We love getting to sit the couch with our families and watch some football or the Macy’s Day Parade. While the smells of the homemade feast wafts throughout the house, we begin to salivate and thank the Pilgrims for being totally rad and burying the hatchet 394 years ago. Also, mini tip of the mini hat to those dope hats they wore. A tip of the hat goes to JJ Abrams, director of the newest Star Wars movie. Daniel Fleetwood, a die-hard Star Wars fanatic, was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer with an estimated two months to live. His dying wish was to see the Star Wars movie before he passed away. With the help of his wife and thousands of fans that heard his plea, Abrams got word of Fleetwood’s situation. He invited Daniel to a private screening of the film before its official release. Fleetwood passed away on the morning of November 10, 2015. It’s heartwarming that so many strangers came together to get Daniel’s final wish granted.
...A Wag of the Finger A wag of the finger goes to stuffing. Out of all the foods we eat at Thanksgiving, you are by far the worst. You’re the ugly duckling of the Thanksgiving food lineup. Each and every year, we give you another chance- a chance to let our taste buds mature and fall in love with you, a chance for you to make amends with us. Yet each and every year, you deliver with crushing disappointment. We’re tired of compensating for your dry taste with the tears you bring us. We hope you sleep well tonight knowing you’re the cause of so much human suffering. Maybe you’ll dream up some better ingredients than mushy bread and whatever else you’re made of. A wag of the finger goes to daylight savings time. Don’t get us wrong, we appreciate the extra hour of sleep as much as the next sleep-deprived student, but what we don’t appreciate is this “getting dark early” business. How are we supposed to be productive when our eyes are telling us its midnight when it’s only 5 o’clock? Oh that’s right, we can’t. We should at least receive a couple homework passes or something, to make up for the lack of light. Our brains are solar powered; we aren’t cut out for this. This wag of the finger is brought to you by advertisements, they’re the worst. Can you remember the last time you saw an ad for something you actually needed? All advertisements are good for is placing an inaccurate idea of a product into a consumer’s head. Don’t get us wrong, some ads (especially Super Bowl ads) manage to captivate us or make us laugh. This is not true for most of them, though, and they only get more exhausting after watching the same one countless times over the course of a show. Maybe if companies decide to use more authentic advertising techniques, they will accomplish their goals of selling their products.
Dejah Werden (11)
“Wag of the Finger” and “Tip of the Hat” are trademarks of Stephen Colbert and his TV show, The Colbert Report. Neither Paducah Tilghman nor The Bell Staff claim any ownership of these trademarks.
“I would be judged for saying extra time to train, so I’ll go with extra time to sleep.”
Jackson Rudolph (12)
How not to give up on high school by Anna Chambers
The Tilghman Bell THE TILGHMAN BELL, A PRODUCT OF THE JOURNALISM CLASS, IS AN OPEN FORUM FOR STUDENT EXPRESSION AND IS DISTRIBUTED MONTHLY TO THE STUDENTS OF PADUCAH TILGHMAN HIGH SCHOOL FREE OF CHARGE. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ABIGAIL HAWKINS COMMENTARY EDITORS: PALMER STROUP, ANNA CHAMBERS FEATURE EDITORS: MATTHEW VANHOOSE, ABBY SPICER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS: HANNAH HUNT, DALY SPICER SPORTS EDITORS: MATTHEW VANHOOSE, JACK BOYD BUSINESS MANAGER: MADELYN CHAMBERS STAFF WRITERS: PARKER BELT, JACK BOYD, ANNA CHAMBERS, MADELYN CHAMBERS, WILLIAM DENTON, J. ROBERTO DOS REMEDIOS, CHARLI DOSS, TERI DOSS, HUNTER GRUBBS, ALAYSIA HAMILTON, ABIGAIL HAWKINS, TALIA HOUSMAN, HANNAH HUNT, CLAIRE KELLY. CAROLINE MEINERS, DARBY MOFFAT, KAKI SHADOAN, ABBY SPICER, DALY SPICER, PALMER STROUP, LUCIE TYRRELL, SAMUEL TYRRELL, MATTHEW VANHOOSE, MADDIE YBARZABAL PHOTOGRAPHER: CLAIRE KELLY CARTOONISTS: MADDIE YBARZABAL, TALIA HOUSMAN ADVISOR: SUSAN HANCOCK
Every year we are faced with a very troubling dilemma: to give up or not to give up on high school. November is usually when this mentality sneaks up on us and ruins our lives. It’s so close to Thanksgiving that we can practically taste the turkey and Christmas is just around the corner and we survived the first nine weeks, and…. well, what’s the point in not giving up? The urge to become a terrible student becomes so intense that we all aggressively give up, but not this year! Let me persuade you to maybe be successful and you’ll definitely almost survive an entire four years of high school. Freshmen: If you already want to give up, you’re weak. The only true motivator you have to keep trying is that if you don’t, you will not advance to the next grade, remaining a freshman forever. We are all pulling for you; we don’t even want you to be freshmen. Sophomores: I feel for you. This is the year when life really smacks you in the face and repeatedly kicks you while you’re down. This is the year when high school becomes “not easy.” It’s not really hard, but it’s harder than anything you’ve been thrown into, and it's a harsh reality check no one wanted or asked for. Teachers actually expect you to learn another language. You have to go through life as underclassmen but not the under-underclassmen. You can do it. If you give up, you won’t meet Mrs. Adkins your junior year and that is the saddest possible result from giving up. Keep on trekking. Juniors: Life has continually kicked you in the ribs, but by now you’ve adapted to the pain and hardly feel it. You are strong, you are important, and you are about to drop out of school because this year is so absolutely awful. You start getting college letters and realize that real life is about to happen, but it’s also over a year away, but it’s also so close. Everyone keeps telling you that the decisions you make now are going to impact the rest of your life, but it’s still hard to decide what kind of jelly to put on your pb&j and you’re just not ready. But just think, this time next year you’ll be panicking and overthinking literally every aspect of life… as a senior! Pretty cool. Seniors: You’re so close to graduating that if you give up now, you’ll just look feeble and sad. In all reality, high school is not that bad, and we can all get some really amazing experiences out of it. While the lure of giving up and sleeping all day is very appealing, think about how it will be in 5 or 10 years when you’re working your dream job and emailing your old teachers about how thankful you are for how hard they pushed you. Make it to graduation, friends, you can do it.
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Thanksgiving: the best or the worst The Worst by Caroline Meiners Thanksgiving is overrated. No other country except Canada celebrates it, and it’s based on lies. LIES! Contrary to what every Pre-school to Eighth-grade student is taught in November, the Pilgrims didn’t come off the Mayflower and ask for help from the friendly neighborhood Natives. Large numbers of both parties had to die before the fabled “Thanksgiving spirit” came about. Even after the two groups began to rub elbows, Natives and new Americans fought. This is not what we’re taught as children! Thanksgiving makes me sick. Literally-it makes me ill, and I know that you share my sentiments. Post meal ailments are the worst part of every third Thursday in November. Bloated stomach, nausea, weight gain, and frequent trips to the restroom are enough to ruin any day and certainly don’t make a holiday more enjoyable. After every Thanksgiving meal we all feel like we have become the stuffed turkey our families just ate. Speaking of family, they’re nice sometimes but not in the large masses that Thanksgiving brings them. Aunt Sheri, Cousin Drew, and Twice-removedonce-estranged-creepy-great-uncle-Tom become a little much after oh, about thirty seconds. Quickly their constant questions about your future plans and relationship status become routine and invasive. Let’s not even begin on the little kids! They’re loud, covered in food, and want you to play with them constantly. Also what’s with those classic Thanksgiving foods? Cranberry sauce is nothing but a red gelatinous log of fruit preserves. Cooked vegetables are only good in small proportions, and Thanksgiving brings them in hoards. Turkey isn’t even good; it’s dry, bland, and gravy barely improves it. Actually, gravy is kind of nasty. Gravy is made of animal fat, so actually gravy isn’t kind of nasty, it is full on gross. Thanksgiving is a day filled with lies, annoying family members, and too much strange food. If Thanksgiving is your favorite holiday, you’re probably wrong. All of this being said, when November 26th rolls around, I’ll be at the start of my families’ food line.
I don’t buy it by Matthew VanHoose The tradition of Thanksgiving is one that celebrates family. It inspires feelings of home and warmth and reminds us that even in times of trouble or change, we still have plenty of things to be thankful for. All of these homely emotions are tossed straight out of the window the very next day. As the calendar rolls over to November 27, the joyous feelings of charity and patience are replaced with greed and panic. Alas, Black Friday is upon us. If you’ve awakened from your food coma earlier in the day, odds are that on the fateful Black Friday Eve, you will see dozens of commercials from the biggest retailers exclaiming that their deals are the best, all fighting over who will be fighting over their products in the coming hours. The sharp transition of the traditionally peaceful Thanksgiving holiday and the jarring, commercialized made-up holiday of Black Friday can cause headaches and makes one question the character of Americans. What raises even more questions on the sanctity of our culture’s morals are the events that transpire on the “holiday” Black Friday themselves. Throughout the day you’ll be sure to check your phone and see links to Wal-Mart employees trying to hold back a tsunami of consumers pointlessly. There are few times when crowds of Americans can seem animalistic, but Black Friday is one of them. If a new laptop or some clothes having their prices cut leads to hundreds of thousands of human beings wanting to batter each other, then maybe it’s time to take a step back and figure out how we as Americans want to portray ourselves. Black Friday may hold some allure to people due to its prices, which is understandable. But if it still holds the same allure after knowing fully well that you’ll have to stand in the cold, race against hundreds of other people and fight your way to the cash register, you might want to re-evaluate your decision.
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by Maddie Ybarzabal Thanksgiving is the absolute best holiday. If you think this is false, you are entirely misinformed. Thanksgiving is exactly what it sounds like: giving thanks. And what better way to give thanks than a big feast shared with your family members? Thanksgiving is also a very patriotic holiday. There isn’t one other country in the world that celebrates a Thanksgiving, not even Turkey. Go, America! The biggest part of a Thanksgiving celebration is obviously the food. Your grandfather’s juicy turkey, the perfectly consistent mashed potatoes made by your great aunt, and your fourth-cousin’s mouth-watering pumpkin pie—what more could you wish for? This perfect combination of family recipes makes for the best and most anticipated meal of the year. Of course, a huge Thanksgiving feast can’t be celebrated without family. Family members travel far and wide to come together for Thanksgiving dinner. If being surrounded by your loved ones doesn’t make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, you might just be heartless. Many people argue that there isn’t a Thanksgiving “season.” This is false. There are many ways to get into a Thanksgiving mood. Light a pumpkin spice candle, cuddle up on the couch, drink some hot chocolate, and watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. One of the greatest things about Thanksgiving is, unlike Christmas, it isn’t absolutely depressing when it’s over. Right after Thanksgiving ends, another holiday begins—Black Friday. The morning after you recover from your amazing food coma, you get to walk off those gained calories and hunt for sales at your favorite stores. It can’t be stressed enough how important it is to not just go through the motions on this wonderful holiday. Watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Take part in your family traditions. Break the wishbone with your younger cousin. Help your mom cook the stuffing. And most importantly, don’t forget to say thanks.
It’s NOT Christmas by Darby Moffatt After all the trick or treating, scary movies, and the horrors of Halloween finally come to an end, everyone seems to skip right to Christmas. Come November first, people change their mindset from scary right to merry. Hardly anyone takes the time to notice and appreciate Thanksgiving anymore. For goodness sake, Hobby Lobby has been playing Christmas music since August. It’s time someone stood up for Turkey Day and acknowledged all the homeliness it evokes. Honestly, don’t you think Thanksgiving is tired of always being in the shadow of Halloween and Christmas? Sure, on Halloween, you get a few handfuls of candy, and you get to put those kitty ears to use one day out of the year, but Thanksgiving has much more to offer. First, it’s an ENTIRE day of eating. Who wouldn’t want to participate in that? And that feeling you get when your grandma pulls that steaming casserole out of the oven, and it looks so delicious that you can almost taste it—there’s nothing like it. After your grandma scolds you for trying to sneak a little taste, and you just have to sit there and watch it taunt you, now that’s torture. Don’t get me wrong, Christmas and everything that comes with it is jolly and all, but Thanksgiving deserves some credit. It’s the one day you can stuff your face for hours on end without being judged. Christmas gets a month worth of movies, decorations, gifts, songs—heck, it even has a tree. We could at least show Thanksgiving some courtesy and not make it feel totally unloved. Overlooking Thanksgiving is simply insensitive and just wrong. Your mothers raised you better than that. This year I challenge you to take the time to notice Thanksgiving before you jump right into the Christmas spirit. Who knows, you might even end up being thankful for Thanksgiving.
Thanks for the little things by J. Roberto dos Remedios It’s that time of year again, the time where we sit around an all American and all-diabetic four hour feast and say what we’re thankful for. Some things are truly worth being thankful for, while other items are listed just so that we don’t get glares and threats from certain family members. Aside from family, friends, and bare necessities, however, we should always be thankful for everything in life—small things that make our lives a teensy bit more bearable. For one, we should all be thankful for rubber ducks. Bath time has never been so enjoyable. Rubber ducks beautifully and serenely float around in your bath, mesmerizing you, and making your cleaning experience enlightening. Some would say that our rubber ducks offer a gateway into their own elevated existence. Rubber ducks also sweetly sit around rooms and decorate them, while watching over us from their own transcendental dimension. Oh, and some of them have cute outfits like mariachi members or nurses! So cute. Thank you rubber ducks. We should also be very grateful for the books known as a thesaurus. And no, they aren’t a cool type of dinosaur. The best way to describe this reference book would be to call it, “A bunch of bound pages with words that make my essays sound smarter and more descriptive than I actually write them.” Just look at the difference between, “Hedgehogs are nice-looking,” and “Hedgehogs are cute, adorable, majestic, brown, prickly, more aesthetically pleasing than most human beings, and tiny.” Thank you Thesauri! Thanks should be given to reduced effort staplers. How could we ever go back to using more than one newton of force when pushing down on the stapler? I could injure my dearly delicate hands. But wait! What if I start an assembly line of people where their only job is to staple papers!? That would further decrease MY workload. Thank you to those future employees, too. Let’s not forget Crocs! Just kidding, Crocs are uncomfortable, unfashionable, and unsightly to look at on anyone who is older than three. There are too many things to be thankful for in the world. Too many itsy, bitsy, teeny, weeny, yellow—I mean small things. We still have to be thankful for everything. Be it the dual-usage of Legos as toys or medieval traps or guilty pleasure songs that would bring great shame to ourselves if anyone else knew (Taylor Swift!). Thanks for everything.
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Belt and Blue named November Rotary Scholars
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by Hunter Grubbs The Tilghman Bell would like to congratulate the November Rotary Scholars of the month, Nyla Blue and Parker Belt. Each Wednesday in November, the two attend the Rotary club meetings at the Carson Center. At each meeting the Rotary Scholars listen to a new guest speaker. Belt is a member of the National Honors Society, Interact, and FBLA. He is on the varsity team for football and basket ball, and hopes to attend the University of Kentucky. When asked for his thoughts on the Rotary Scholar program, Belt replied, “I enjoyed getting to meet many different people and listening to our guest speakers. This Photo provided by Wayne Walden experience is outstanding for me and very motivational.” Blue is a member of the Tilghman Pep Club, FCCLA, and FBLA. She is a cheerleader and hopes to attend the University of Kentucky. When asked how the Rotary meeting was, she replied, “The whole process was very interesting. I also liked hearing from different speakers; it was quite educational.”
NJROTC hosts Tornado Triumph sports Challenge by Lcdr. Taylor The Paducah Tilghman High School (PTHS) Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) unit recently hosted its ninth annual Tornado Triumph JROTC Sports Challenge. Nine JROTC teams from seven high schools in Western Kentucky participated in the physical fitness meet held at Paducah Tilghman. In addition to the Paducah Tilghman Navy JROTC unit, Navy programs from Daviess County and Butler County Schools competed. Army JROTC units from Muhlenberg County, McLean County, Owensboro High School, and Fort Campbell High Schools attended. An estimated 250 cadets from the various schools competed in the sports challenge. The JROTC cadets vied for honors in nine events that included a volleyball tournament, tug-of-war and tiny tug-of-war tournaments, around the world basketball shooting, a one mile relay, 50 meter dash, football relay, teamwork challenge, in addition to the overall champion trophy. The Paducah Tilghman NJROTC team won three first place, three second place and three third place trophies during this year’s competition, in addition to the overall championship trophy. The award winning Paducah Tilghman NJROTC program is in its fifteenth year at the high school.
Photo contributed by Lcdr. Taylor Members of the Paducah Tilghman High School Navy Junior ROTC unit that took the overall championship trophy in the 2015 Tornado Triumph Junior ROTC Sports Challenger are: (left to right) Amiya Jones, Steven Robson, Antonio Jones, Jevion Watson, Demarkus Amos, Bryan Davis, Quandre Shy, Quran Dunbar, DuJuan Thomas, De Lesia Hill, Tamara Warren, Jovan Lopez, Michael Staskiewicz, Shutina Hill, Dakota Hinson, Coy Merry, Matthew Bush, Holden Prather, Brandon Purefoy, Shawntrell Milan, Jmyiah Carter, Nakitia Finch, Arneza Fluornoy, Karesha Udley, Delaney Hill, Derrick Hobbs, Anazeah Luten, Nicholas Myers, Malachai Bates, Dillion Augustus, Kevin Hobbs, Jarod Smelosky, Amberly Alexander, Megan Summers, Austin Riley, Tommy Purefoy, Aaron Reed, Carrie Houser, Cheyenne Goins, Corvina Thomas, Travis Myers, and Jaylon Jones.
Class of 2016 Superlatives Academic Team competes Most likely to Succeed: Reese Butler and Meg Hancock Most likely to make you Bleed Blue: Andrew Shannon and Charli Doss Most likely to make you Smile: Jesse Dunigan and Kelsey Miller Most Talented: Michael Hassel and Abigail Hawkins Most Athletic: Sayveon McEwen and Miriah Donelson Best Smile: Devon Hart and Lucie Tyrrell Best Dressed: Palmer Stroup and Shaelyn Tyler Best Looking: Parker Belt and Molly Shannon Biggest Flirt: Epion Lee McCampbell and Cassie Presnell Class Clown: Jerome Kelley and Jessica Tillson
PT Speech team starts season strong by Claire Kelly The Tilghman speech team began its Walden in Broadcast Announcing, and season on November 7 at Henry County, Ella Bailey in Prose. Tennessee. The team achieved one poTaking third place wins were Meg Handium finish and ten top ten recognitions cock in Original Oratory, Palmer Stroup at the Krider in Impromptu Invitational Speaking, tournament. and Michael Seventeen Ellen Walden schools from in Prose. Kentucky Fourth place and Tenneswins went to see competed. Jack Daniels Micheal Hasin Impromptu sel finished Speaking, as tournament Meg Hanrunner up, cock and earning secJack Daniels ond place in in ImproviPhoto provided by Speech Team Storytelling sational Duo, fo rhis performance of Dr. Seuss’ The and Micheal Hassel in Prose. Claiming Cat in the Hat. fifth place were Claire Kelly and Ella On November 14th, at the Calloway Bailey in Improvisational Duo. Earning County High School Laker Invitational sixth place were Jack Daniels in BroadTournament. The team placed second cast Announcing and Claire Kelly in overall and had thirteen Top 6 finalists, Original Oratory. including four category champions. Also earning honors and points for the Earning the title of tournament cham- team were Landon Rutherford in Broadpion were Meg Hancock in Impromptu cast Announcing and Anna Shelton in Speaking, Micheal Hassel and Isaac Gal- Prose. The team members’ combined liher in Improvisational Duo, and Kath- points earned them second place overryn Winfield in Poetry. Named runners- all in sweepstakes. All competitors that up were Hasaan Ali in Extemporaneous took first, second, or third places have Speaking, Palmer Stroup in Program prequalified for the University of Kenof Oral Interpretation, Michael-Ellen tucky state tournament in March.
in annual JV challenge by J. Roberto dos Remedios
On November 14, the Tilghman Academic Team competed in their annual JV challenge. Paducah Tilghman competed against McCracken, Calloway, Graves, and Murray; they placed 3rd overall. Students competed in Quick Recall and written assessment. The tournament was held at McCracken County High School. Written assessments are taken in six categories: Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Arts & Humanities, Composition, and Mathematics. Each school can only let three students test per subject. In Science, Ricardo dos Remedios placed fourth and Marco Garcia fifth; in Social Studies, Coy Merry placed fourth and Joseph Price sixth; in Language Arts, Anna Grace McGee tied for second and Morgan Brewington fourth; in Arts and Humanities, James Luke McGee placed fourth; in Composition, Taylor Willis placed second and Anna Grace McGee placed 3rd; and in Mathematics, Lance Butler placed third, all out of 20 or more students in each subject. Anna Grace McGee commented, “Everyone did impressively. I’m proud of how our team performed, especially with many of us placing in written assessments.” JV Challenge is the only junior varsity oriented tournament in the season, allowing only freshmen and sophomores to compete. The next competitions coming up are the WKAB Qualifying Match on December 3, President’s Cup on January 6, District Governor’s Cup on January 26, Regionals Governor’s Cup on February 16, and State Governor’s Cup on March 19-21.
PT Students win essay contest
Photo provided by Wayne Walden
Paducah Tilghman twelth grade student Palmer Stroup won first place in this year’s Veteran’s Day essay contest. Sophomore Peyton Patel won second, and sophomore Anna Grace Magee won third. They were given a patriotic topic on the sacrifices made by veterans by the local DAR chapter. On November 11th, they were given the chance to ride on the Parks and Recreation float at the annual Veteran’s Day Parade.
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Tilghman sends ten to All-State
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by Will Denton Paducah Tilghman High School auditioned fifteen students in the annual All-State Choir audition. From those fifteen, ten were accepted into the ensemble. Students Claire Kelly (11), Michael-Ellen Walden (11), Audrianna Hughes (10), Micheal Hassel (12), Bradley Duncan (12), Will Denton (11), LaTyran Fitzgerald (11), J. Roberto dos Remedios (11), Zane Birdsong (11), and Alec Wadley (10) were among the students chosen statewide to attend the event. “I had the opportunity to go to All-State Choir last year, which was a wonderful experience, and I couldn’t be more excited to go again this year!” commented junior Claire Kelly on her acceptance to the program. Only four-hundred to four-hundred-fifty students from across the state were selected to attend the prestigious event. Auditions for All-State choir consist of two parts, a quartet performance and a solo sight reading test. These scores combine and then are used to determine whether that student will make the cutoff for that year. Students this year were required to learn the Latin song “Agnus Dei.” The Tilghman choir has been practicing this song since the beginning of the year and plans to use is in their annual concerts. This year’s All-State Convention will take place in Louisville, Kentucky. Students will be split into three separate choirs, a Mixed Chorus, Men’s Choir, and Women’s Choir. The final concert will be held on February 6, in Louisville.
Annual American Studies trip hits 40 by Lucie Tyrrell, Sammy Tyrrell, and Parker Belt Paducah Tilghman American Studies Juniors have come to love the tradition of the annual American Studies trip to Washington, D.C. This past trip taken by the class of 2017 is the 40th trip taken by students at PTHS. According to an article in the 1986 PTHS Yearbook, the tradition began in the spring of 1975 with teachers Mrs. Mary Ann Waltman and Mrs. Rosemary Rudolph accompanying the junior class on their trek. Countless memories have been made over the past 40 years. Classes have met interesting people such as the first African American female congresswoman Barbara Jordan, former speaker of the house Carl Albert, and Senator Morris Udall. One year, the largest blizzard to ever hit the area stranded the group in their hotel in Virginia for multiple days. The students made the best of the situation by having snowball fights and playing games in the snow. In 1995, the class had to rush to visit all the government museums before the government shut down and closed all museums, Arlington, Ford’s Theatre, and the Capitol. The only places that remained open on the usual tour were Mount Vernon, the National Cathedral, and the Kennedy Center. In 2000, the class was in Washington, D.C on election night, when Bush and Gore were tied for votes. Over the years, students have attended different performances, concerts, and plays. The American Studies trip is and will continue to be a wonderful Tilghman tradition for many years to come.
Photo from 1986 Pathways in the Park
Flowing water on Mars improves chance of life there by Sammy Tyrrell On Monday, September 28, NASA unveiled potentially the most pivotal news from beyond the atmosphere in recent years. Evidence from satellite photos has emerged that there is flowing water on Mars, increasing the potential that life exists there now and that Mars will be able to sustain life in the future. In 2011, Dr. McEwen, the principal investigator of images from NASA’s Mars Orbiter, and his team discovered dark streaks running down mountains, canyons, and craters on the surface of Mars. These intriguing steaks would disappear during the colder months and reappear in the warmer months. They were named recurring slope lineae, or R.S.L.s, and many thousands have been discovered. They are surprisingly extensive, stretching all across the surface. However, the idea that these streaks were water was purely a hypothesis until recently. Willing and wanting to test this hypothesis, Scott Murchie of the Applied Physics Laboratory at John Hopkins, had the Mars Orbiter take a closer look. Sure enough, the spacecraft detected perchlorate, or water clogged molecules made up of chlorine and oxygen. These perchlorate salts lower the freezing temperature around them, so nearby water has been able to remain in its liquid form. The salts also prevent the water from evaporating into the extremely thin atmosphere of Mars. The origin of the water still remains unclear, as scientists and researchers can not determine whether it was pulled down from the atmosphere or if it comes from an underground source. Also, the water is not in the forms of rivers or lakes but more of a marshy, damp mud. Further investigation of the damp R.S.L.s is being debated presently, as scientists want to avoid accidentally contaminating the water source, ruining this discovery. For now, the Mars Orbiter will continue examination through photographs and its onboard laser by taking measurements. “This all is tremendously exciting,” James L. Green, director of NASA’s planetary science division, said during a press conference. “We haven’t been able to answer the question, ‘Does life exist beyond Earth?’ But, we now have, I think, great opportunities in the right locations on Mars to thoroughly investigate that.” Information provided by USA Today, NY Times
Close the Deal helps Tilghman Seniors prepare for their future by Charli Doss On October 27, 2015, Tilghman seniors took part in the Close the Deal program. Close the Deal is a statewide program that is aimed at helping high school seniors pursue an education or training after they graduate. The program is run by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistant Authority (KHEAA). Tilghman Seniors were first greeted in the cafeteria on Tuesday morning for a breakfast provided by Artisan Kitchen. After the delicious breakfast, the students were given special instructions for the activities in the gym. The program was started with a speech from David Cook, the Director of Innovation from the KY Department of Education. The students met with community leaders in specific careers, recruiters from a college or university, and a financial aid administrator. The volunteers rotated to different tables of students every thirty minutes. The seniors were prepared to ask questions throughout the program that they felt were relevant to their success in the future. The volunteers were there to assist the students with admissions and financial aid information. Mr. Leo McKinely, Paducah Tilghman graduate and current PTHS math teacher, was chosen as the closing speaker in hopes of inspiring the senior class to strive for more than what is usually given. Tilghman Seniors would like to thank the administration, community leaders, and college and financial advisors for dedicating their time to help us better prepare for the future. When asked why Tilghman decided to partake in this program, Mr. Smith stated, “Tilghman High School is taking part in the Close the Deal program to help students make that transition into their college of choice or a career.”
Photo provided by Charli Doss
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by Charli Doss Sportsmanship is not just the actions performed on the field and court; it also encompasses the fans. It is commonly stressed to the players to respect the opponent and even the referees. Coaches are in constant control, keeping their team’s poise during the game. As fans, we need to have the same respect in the stands. The game times are set when the schedule comes out at the beginning of the season. The players love running out to a big crowd, so being on time to the game is important. Yes, scenarios do happen where you might be late, but don’t expect to have that front row seat. All fans pay the same price of admission, so if you are late, grab an open seat and cheer on the team. Every fan is vital to having a large crowd supporting Tilghman athletics, so treat everyone with respect. Respect is too often missing during the singing of the National Anthem and the Presenting of the Colors. The National Anthem is a constant reminder of our country’s freedom earned for us by our dedicated veterans. Not to mention, our own Band of Blue performs it in front of the crowd at every home game. The Color Guard presenting the flags is our own Tilghman NJROTC students that are hoping to join a military branch in the future. Continue your attention on the flags until they are complete with their drills. As Tilghman fans, let’s be the leader in showing respect for our country every time the National Anthem is performed and the Colors are presented. Keep the respect in the stands because the players feed off of the crowd’s energy. The “Go Big Blue” chant excites our athletes and disrupts the opponent’s rhythm respectfully. As fans, keep the energy positive and stay involved in the game until the final buzzer sounds. Positive energy produces the best result. Do not yell negative comments towards the coaches or players on either side. The players are giving their all to be successful. Coaches prepare the team in practices for multiple game-like situations, but not every play will be executed to perfection, therefore, fans should not be so quick to judge. More than likely, the players are already mad and the coaches realize that the play was shut down. The poorly executed play was not called to make the fans upset. The players work hard every day in practice to improve on their weaknesses from the previous game. Plus, the players are young kids trying to make the best of the sport they play. Mistakes are going to happen, and if the fans can accept this, it is easier for the players to keep their heads in the right place. Positive energy in the stands leads to success on the field and court. Tilghman is grateful for the continuous support from the community, but let’s not go overboard. Let the coaches coach and the players play. Remember, the team is likely to lose games, but it’s what they learn from it that matters. Continue to follow and support Tilghman athletics in a positive way and help cheer on our teams to more championships.
#My Instagram is better by Abigail Hawkins You know who I’m talking about-those who post pictures of their perfect breakfast; those who post about their amazing time reflecting in nature; those who are #blessed to be able to work-out today. In reality, the girl’s daily breakfast consists of crackers on the way to school, reflecting in nature is really her contemplating how to make her dog use the bathroom faster, and the guy’s work-out session lasted about one lonely rep. Welcome to Instagram: the cyber world of how everyone THINKS you live. This app is a very serious competition to see who has the best life. Choosing the winner is a prestigious process based on how many followers you have and your average amount of “likes” per picture. You don’t have a photo of you and “bae” on the beach? Points deducted. Selfies with eyebrows not on fleek? Shame on you. No one cares if you even like your date. No one will ever know if it took you 300 tries to get your selfie just right; you must have these kinds of pictures to make everyone believe you life is better than their own. There are specific methods people use to get the most “likes.” One includes posting pictures that flatter him or her the most out of everyone in it. For example, a girl takes a picture at a bonfire with her friends. Even though the friends may look as rough as they can get, she looks fabulous. Therefore, she posts it. She is surrounded
by accidental lazy eyes and mid-sneezes, but because their inadequacies made her face look better, she shared it with the world. On a side note, if you are ever unsure about how you look in a picture, simply comment how ugly you are so that those who follow you will give you compliment after compliment in attempt to reaffirm you self-esteem. There’s no hurt in building confidence, right? Another method people use to get the most likes is to come up with clever comments under their posts. Lyrics and puns are the most famous in this area. The more creative you are, the more points you receive. However, be sure to spell everything correctly, or else you entire intellectual deception will be busted. At the end of the day, the ultimate goal of Instagram is to make everything you do seem incredibly more entertaining than it really was. That road trip I went on with my friends? I actually slept the entire time in the car. That summer day at the lake? My body ended up being a sun burnt lobster. That dance at my school? Everyone was actually on their phones. Whether it’s through special effects or filters, having the best life seems to be what everyone is chasing after. It is all perceptions of each other, not realistic circumstances that we try to claim for ourselves. I, however, must get back to my yoga and knitting hobbies so I don’t keep my followers waiting.
Scandal riddles the NCAA by Samuel Tyrrell & Parker Belt The definition of a student-athlete has evolved for some over the years. Many believe that the “student” component of a student-athlete has been lost because of the increasing popularity of collegiate athletics. A number of student-athletes themselves do not believe they should have to attend classes because they are only there to play sports. This is exemplified by Ohio State QB Cardale Jones’s tweet, “why should we have to go to class if we came to play FOOTBALL, we ain’t come to play SCHOOL, classes are POINTLESS.” To make matters worse, several faculty members have gone to the extremes of breaking school rules in order to get the top recruit or make sure their athletes are taken care of. A problem with several prominent college athletes is academic eligibility issues. Without the grades, they can not play. A scandal was recently uncovered at the University of North Carolina, involving faculty and staff that wanted to get rid of this exact problem. Students, many of which were student-athletes, were enrolled in “shadow courses” which never met, had no exams, and had one requirement for the whole course: an end of term “paper” that was usually a page in length. It was started by Debra Crowder, and her supervisor agreed and played along with it. The courses began in 1993 and continued for nearly two decades before being uncovered. The NCAA conducted an original investigation in 2012, but found that the program did not favor athletes and no allegations were filed. Recently, the NCAA reopened their investigations, finding UNC guilty of five major allegations against NCAA code. UNC is awaiting their punishment, which many suspect could be quite severe. For decades, many university recruiters have been found guilty of paying top prospects money to persuade them to attend their school, but one university has taken this to a new extreme. The University of Louisville’s basketball program has been accused of paying for strippers and prostitutes for top prospects and their guardians. Katina Powell, an escort, recently accused former assistant coach Andre McGee of supplying $10,000 worth of dancers to players and their guardians from 2010-2014. She also stated the McGee gave her cash for “side deals” including providing girls for sexual intercourse with players. Since then, five former players/recruits have confirmed this accusation to be true. Louisville’s head coach Rick Pitino has released a statement claiming neither he, nor any staff, had any knowledge of the situation. These examples go to show how little academics have come to mean to some student-athletes. The promises of fame and fortune have managed to corrupt athletic programs across the nation. If money, sex, and fake classes are what it takes to bring in top players, then the recruiting system is flawed. The NCAA needs crack down harder on the process to ensure student-athlete integrity and prevent future occurrences.
Hancock’s of Paducah Supports the Speech Team
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FEATURES CHARLIE BROWN LOOK-A-LIKES by Kaki Shadoan and Lucie Tyrrell
How to eat more food at Thanksgiving
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by Matthew VanHoose
Charlie Brown
Linas
Harrison Kelly (12)
Carter Noneman (12)
Every year at Thanksgiving, you are presented with a plethora of delicious dishes and are somehow expected to eat every little bit of it over the Thanksgiving holiday. Well, what if I said there were forbidden methods to gorging yourself on the glorious holiday of the Pilgrims? Well, there are, but be wary, these methods might seem…extreme. First things first, you’ll need a plan of action when you enter the battlefield that is the Thanksgving supper. If you storm in all willy nilly and eat your starches first, your stomach will feel full quickly as the starches expand. Save the turkey for later as well; you wouldn’t want to pass out on your plate halfway through the meal. Taking tips from professional food eater Yasir Salem may also prove beneficial. Salem notes that using water as a waterfall for the food you are ingesting and not just as a thirst quencher is a must. Yasir also claims that wearing spandex, or at least something comfortable, will make the difference when you try and take down an oversized meal. Now that you have yourself a poultry procedure, you can look forward to the main event of the holiday: the Thanksgiving meal. Whoa, whoa, whoa, don’t get too far ahead of yourself, sport; before you can eat your brains out you have to make sure you starve yourself in the two weeks prior to November 26. Think about how much more you’ll want to eat after you haven’t eaten anything for an entire fortnight. Okay, let’s say you’ve followed every tip in this article so far, you’re ready to eat two whole turkeys and enough gravy to flood Paducah like it’s 1937. The final key to absorbing half the dinner table on the fateful fourth Thursday in November is to outrun your stomach, eating all the food as quickly as possible before you feel full. This method is dangerous; as soon as the mounds of food plummet into your stomach, you will more than likely pass out immediately, entering a food coma which could last anywhere between 12 minutes and 12 weeks. You might be afraid, saying to yourself, “Matt, I just don’t think I can eat almost all my body weight in a single meal.” Well, I’m telling you that you can, and you will. Years from now when the dust has settled over the fateful dining room tables, and the last turkey is cooked to perfection, your name will still echo in the halls as the one and only person in history to beat Thanksgiving.
Can’t live with them, can’t live without them Schroeder
Lucy
Sally Brown
Jacob Curry (11)
Jamie Black (10)
Lauren Eickholz (12)
Photos by Lucie Tyrrell and Kaki Shadoan Images from Google Images
by Anna Chambers Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and we should all start mentally preparing ourselves. It is crunch time. Every family is different, but it seems as though we all have a few ridiculously insane relatives that we avoid at all costs. It’s not that you don’t love your great aunt who always brings her Great Dane to dinner and tells you all about her handsome doctor that helps her with her schizophrenia and sneezes on your hair, but you don’t like her. The only way to live to tell the tale of your crazy relatives is to know exactly what to do. When you first arrive at your Thanksgiving celebration, you must have a plan. The preferred strategy is The Loop. The Loop is a gigantic circle along the perimeter of the party in which you must walk. The purpose of this method is to knock out all your insane relatives in an organized, timely manner. If you speak to them towards the beginning of the evening, they are more likely to leave you alone for the duration of the dinner. While performing your personal loop, leave out the relatives you actually enjoy, because chances are they are participating in a loop of their own and would be offended if you loop’d them. Prepare a monologue for your event. Always include your relationship status, current GPA, college plans, and throw in a couple jokes or distracters to remind them that you are still technically juvenile. I suggest having a few pictures of the highlights of your year readily available. You never really know what your 3rd cousin from Nebraska with a sweater made of her cat’s fur will ask or expect of you. While there are no more obvious ways to escape your crazy relatives, there are a few minor things that could possibly help. Stuffing your mouth with food will drive them away; not only is that gross, no one can really tell you to stop because after all, it is Thanksgiving. Sit at the designated “little kids table,” they are more than likely too old to kneel down to talk for a long enough period to actually demonstrate they’re crazy, and you’ll look like an amazing role model for the kids by sitting and playing with them. Try to pretend you aren’t actually related; when they talk to you, act like you’re the significant other of some other family member rather than an actual member. We are all thankful of our crazy families, but we could use a little help pretending they don’t exist, sometimes. I truly hope that you all manage to handle the craziness that will be thrown at you so soon; Happy Thanksgiving.
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American Studies takes on D.C.
The Capitol & National Archives
Colonial Williamsburg by Hunter Grubbs
If you are interested in Colonial times, Williamsburg is the place to go. On Tuesday of the American Studies trip, we were thrown back into the past once we entered Williamsburg. There were old buildings everywhere and people were dressed in Colonial costumes. Both groups toured shops such as the blacksmith, the gunsmith, and the silversmith. Another interesting experience was seeing an old printing press operate. The printer inked the letters up and pressed it to the old timey paper. When the lights went out at Williamsburg, we were hungry. We ventured to the King’s Arms tavern, which does not use electricity. It was fun eating by candle light and listening to a fiddle player. The next night at Williamsburg was vastly different from our other experiences there. We were taken on a ghost tour! Our group was split and sent on separate routes. We got to go to three creepy houses and listen to spooky stories from the past. It was a great experience that let us see how America looked many years ago. All of the places we visited were fascinating and taught our group how blessed we are to have electricity and modern medicine.
The Museums by Maddie Ybarzabal Some of the best and most informative aspects of the trip were our visits to the museums. On the last three days of the trip, we visited The US Holocaust Memorial Museum, The National Gallery of Art, The National Museum of American History, The Newseum, and had the option of visiting the Air and Space and Natural History Museums. The US Holocaust Memorial Museum was our first museum trip. Though we knew about the Holocaust, it wasn’t until we visited this emotionally overwhelming museum that each of us was fully invested and willing to learn about this tragic aspect of history. The exhibits in front of us made it seem so real, as if we were bystanders letting the tragedies happen. It was a difficult but extremely interesting visit, setting the standards high for the next museum visits. Our next museum adventures took place Friday afternoon. Given a four-hour time block to explore the Smithsonian and complete an art-response assignment, we all went on a wild hunt for knowledge. Our first stop in the Smithsonian museums, the National Gallery of Art, can be summed up in one word: beautiful. The building itself is a work of art. It has to be, of course, as it hosts some of the most famous and most beautiful artworks of all time. Each room was filled with breathtaking pieces from Van Gogh’s Self Portrait, to Dali’s The Sacrament of the Last Supper, to Ruben’s Daniel in the Lion’s Den. Truthfully, we could have spent all four hours wideeyed in the National Gallery, however, we had to seek more knowledge and visit the National Museum of American History. Walking into the three-story museum was a bit overwhelming—this building contained 300 years of history. Being short on time and needing some facts for an assignment, we had to pick and choose which exhibits to visit. Some of the favorite exhibits were the First Lady’s dresses and innovations through the years. Our final day in D.C. consisted of one stop, the Newseum. First, we had a 4-D experience that didn’t even compare to those in Disney World (okay…maybe they’re even). This video set the stage for the rest of our time in the Newseum. We learned about media through the years of history and the way it affected the population. Each exhibit was unique and interactive. It’s safe to say that the majority of our time at the Newseum was spent making newscasts and then watching ourselves on big screen TVs. A lot of us really enjoyed our time in the spotlight, possibly inspiring a career path.
by Claire Kelly
Photo by Mrs. Adkins
Cathedral & Library of Congress by Caroline Meiners Our first glimpse of the capital was the Pentagon. Shortly afterwards, we discovered the geofilters for D.C. and the entire bus exploded into selfies and snaps. The first stop of our Capitol Adventure was the National Cathedral. In addition to the main sanctuary, the National Cathedral has several chapels and prayer rooms dedicated to different groups. There are rooms dedicated to children, veterans, and one of the windows is biblical. The gorgeous rose stained glass windows depict scenes from American history. The window dedicated to space missions lets in light reminiscent of stars in space and even has a piece of moon rock, donated by NASA, embedded in the artwork. The National Cathedral is the most gorgeous worship spot I have ever seen and one of the prettiest buildings I’d seen up until that point in my life. Shortly after, it was toppled off its throne. The building that took the cake was the Library of Congress. I didn’t even make it into any of the exhibits because I spent the whole time we were there admiring the architecture and quotes. I took more pictures of the floor and the ceiling in the Library of Congress than I did of anything else the entire trip. Had I been less enamored with the main building, I would have seen exhibits such as Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom, Exploring the Early Americas, and Hope for America: Performers, Politics, and Pop Culture.
On the fourth day of our trip, we were able to visit the US Capitol Building. We took a tour of many important rooms, such as the National Statuary Hall, which includes two statues sent in from each state. We also viewed the inside of the famed Rotunda, but sadly, it was under construction so much of the artwork and architecture was covered by tarp and scaffolding. After we finished the tour, we were able to sit in on the beginning of a House of Representatives meeting. We got to see them voting on issues, and it was fun to see which one of us could pick the Kentucky state representatives out of the crowd the fastest. One of my absolute favorite parts of the trip was going to the National Archives, where the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and other important historical documents are housed. When I was little, I always had dreams about getting to see the US Constitution in person, but I figured that it was lost to time and I would never actually be able to see it. But as I grew older, I realized that the Constitution was still around and that I might get to see it someday. On this trip, I finally got the chance to make that dream come true. Seeing our nation’s founding documents was the experience of a lifetime.
The Monuments and Arlington by Will Denton Some of America’s most iconic moments in history are represented through the different memorials around the National Mall. I really enjoyed seeing the different war memorials that stood for all of the Americans that gave their lives in the various wars we have fought as a nation. To stand in front of the Vietnam Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the World War II Memorial is a humbling experience which really makes you appreciate the country we live in today. Other memorials such as the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Martin Luther King Memorial, and FDR Memorial are just cool to see. We spent the entire evening touring all of the memorials and admiring the view. The last full day of our trip, we visited Arlington National Cemetery. Describing Arlington as large is an understatement. All of the graves there, each memorializing an American soldier or his loved ones, tell the tale of the sacrifices people have made for this country. It was an amazing experience to tour the grounds and see the tombstones of John F. Kennedy and many others. The group also witnessed the Changing of the Guard. For those of you who don’t know, the Tomb Guard guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. No matter the weather, they never leave their post until relieved at the top of each hour. How those guards are able to stand guard, day and night is beyond me.
Middle schoolers and bus rides by J. Roberto dos Remedios
Monticello vs. Mt. Vernon by Talia Housman Mount Vernon was our first president’s home; one would think the home its itself would be gorgeous, no expense-spared, or just magnificently breath taking but this was not so. Monticello, on the other hand, was all of those things. Monticello was Thomas Jefferson’s home; I guess by the third presidency the taste in architecture had gotten better or maybe it was just Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson’s house had a gorgeous arch and was based off of the French architecture that Jefferson had studied when he spent time over there. Now while the Monticello was prettier, the view at Mount Vernon could never have been beaten. The view over the river with the fall trees made up for the house’s beauty or lack of. The tour guides at Monticello were nice, friendly, joked around, and answered our questions well. The guides at Mount Vernon, however, were not quite as great. While they did answer our questions, they hurried us through Washington’s home and occasionally failed to point out major artifacts in the rooms. Both of the houses actually were beautiful, just the experience was superior at Monticello over Mount Vernon.
Now don’t get me wrong, the DC trip is one of the best—no, rather it IS the best trip I have ever taken. But even the best has its flaws. Now the flaws in this trip have nothing to do with poor planning or decision making, but more so the bad timing of same scheduled trips and a weak stomach. Our trip was scheduled between November 1st and November 7th. Apparently, this was prime Middle-Schooler season. And they were not just any semi-tolerable children… They were the obnoxious, loud, disrespectful, and absolutely intolerable abominations. Not to be too pessimistic about a perfect trip, but kids going through the first stages of puberty should not be allowed into any place where a small particle or smidgen of maturity is required. *cough cough* Holocaust Museum *cough cough* (That place was beautiful and somber). Aside from those hellish infantile youth, the only other not-so-perfect part was the bus ride home. Some of you may or may not know the discomfort that is being placed inside an elongated metal tube going 70 miles per hour with at least 30 other people. More conditions arose however, including the utter destruction of a toiletry system in the back, and the devastation wreaked upon students’ belongings by exorcist-style projectile vomiting. Between middle schoolers and vomit, I would still pick those digestive stomach acids. Overall, this trip was still amazing, and I would do it all over again with everyone if I could.
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“Dear Abby”
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Dear Abby, Thanksgiving is almost here, and all my classmates are talking about their annual traditions for the special holiday. I wish I could say I am just as excited as they are, but honestly, I am tired of my family doing the exact same thing every year. Not much of my extended family meets with us, and my activities fade to boredom by the end of the afternoon. How can I make this year’s Thanksgiving different? Sincerely, Burnt Out On Turkey Dear Burnt Out On Turkey, Thanksgiving can be a fantastic day full of family, food, and tradition. I understand, though, your wish for something new and fresh to do for the holiday! Here are some ideas for new traditions! •Change venues- Instead of having your meal at your house, why not switch it to another family member’s house? My family has changed houses from year to year, and it always adds extra merriment. •Plan multiple evening events- Rather than moping around after the afternoon activities are over, plan something to do with your family at night! Going to the theatres to see a movie, putting up your Christmas tree, attending Black Friday, playing board games or having a bonfire are all ideas to keep you from getting bored! •Invite friends- To add company, invite your friends and their families to join your own for Thanksgiving. Laughter and joy are contagious, and you won’t be able to contain them with all the people around you. Remember that no matter what you decide to do, Thanksgiving is simply about giving thanks. Instead of focusing on what is more entertaining to yourself, recognize the blessings around you and the people who love you. It is not about us! I wish you the best Thanksgiving yet. Sincerely,
XOXO,
No Shave November by Darby Moffatt and Kaki Shadoan Every year during the month of November, men channel their inner lumberjack and attempt to grow out their facial hair to contribute to cancer awareness, Although some simply do it to gain bragging rights among their friends. No Shave November started in 2009 in an attempt to raise money for the American Cancer Society, and the fundraiser has made over $2 million in the past six years.
Mr. Lipscomb
Jessica Tilson
Ty Barron
Parker Belt
PT names top six foods This month The Bell asked the students of Tilghman what their favorite food was for Thanksgiving. The six choices were freshly baked bread, turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, ham, and stuffing. The results were organized in a (pumpkin) pie chart below, and shows some very surprising results! Maybe pigs should be the animal mascot for this American holiday.
by Abby Spicer and Lucie Tyrrell
by Talia Housman and J. Roberto dos Remedios
Chris Chumbler
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Artist Alley by Talia Housman
I spy a box office hit by Matthew VanHoose and Jack Boyd
The newest iteration in the James Bond series has been released to rave reviews and a booming opening weekend at the box office. Spectre grossed $70,403,148 in its worldwide release on the weekend of November 6. This successful opening was the second largest of the 53 yearold franchise, falling slightly below its previous installment, Skyfall. This goes to show that the franchise as a whole has never fared better and still shows signs of life despite its age. The lead villain, Blofeld, is maniacally portrayed by Christoph Waltz. Blofield is the type of villain who is always in control. Deeper into the movie, James Bond seemingly starts to gain the upper-hand only to discover he fell right into Blofield’s trap. He gets into the mind of Bond and starts to defeat him psychologically. Another aspect of the film that makes it memorable is the performance by none other than the leading man himself, Daniel Craig. When Craig first became James Bond in Casino Royale nearly ten years ago, many doubted him as the next avatar for the legendary figure 007. Daniel Craig has proved everyone wrong; Spectre is his fourth Bond film, and he shows no signs of slowing down. He’s become the face of a character which inspires awesome images and unforgettable adventures. Anyone who is a fan of the series, or a fan of action packed spy thrillers, should go see Spectre. The film manages to seamlessly keep things fresh and modern, while still giving fans that original sense of wonder that brought them into the 007 series originally. Both diehard veterans of the series and newcomers can find enjoyment of the newest escapades of everyone’s favorite British spy. Whether James Bond is in a car chase in desolate mountains or engaged in a shootout with a super villain, the audience is engaged vigorously. Photo by google images Source: imdb.com
Some things in life take your breath away…
At Jackson Purchase Pulmonary Medicine, Jackson Purchase Pulmonary Medicine Roberto dos Remedios, M.D. Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine 1111 Medical Center Cir Mayfield, KY, 42003 (270) 251-4040
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT New Bullock film has identity crisis
The Bell would like to recognize Emily one app. Emily was in charge of making the Smock as the featured artist for the month. Safari app. She named her app Reverse Safari. She is a 16 year old junior and has been into She used the actual app as her inspiration. At an art show in Ruth Bagget’s Gallery, Emart for two years now and really enjoys it. ily won fist place. She was awardShe started creating about ed this by the Dean of the Murray half a year before she startState Art Program. She also won a ed Tilghman’s art program. one hundred dollar scholarship to Art is Emily’s main focus at a five day workshop for sculpture school, and art history is her and drawing. She will be attendfavorite subject. Her favorite ing that this summer. medium to use for her sculpEmily plans to stay close to home tures is plaster, and she really likes the color purple. Mrs. Photo provided by Talia Housman and go to college either in Paducah or at Murray. She is thinking about Bagget serves not only as her teacher, but as an artist that Emily looks up to going into the business world or the medical field. While she does enjoy creating and makfor inspiration. One of Emily’s favorite pieces she has cre- ing art, she would keep that as a hobby as she ated this year was a collaborative project. Her grows older. group decided to make a large Iphone out of plaster. Each person was in charge of creating Tip from the Artist: Be creative.
We give it back…
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by Daly Spicer Director David Gordon Green’s latest film, Our Brand is Crisis, is a satire loosely based on the 2002 Bolivian Presidential campaign that was chronicled in a 2005 documentary under the same name. Sandra Bullock plays “Calamity Jane” Bodine, a once cutthroat American political strategist who retreated to a sober life of solitude and pottery in the mountains. After six years away from the game, an old colleague shows up on her snowy doorstep in hopes of recruiting her to work on the campaign team of Pedro Castillo, a not so beloved former President of Bolivia attempting to be reelected, but trailing behind 28 points in the polls. After a few adamant declinations, she finally agrees when she hears that her former nemesis, Pat Candy, played by Billy Bob Thornton, is working for the election’s front runner. What Bullock really should have declined though, was this role. The movie awkwardly teetered between comedy and drama, falling flat in the comedy department unless you consider altitude sickness and llama suicide to be funny. Peter Straughan, the screenplay writer, couldn’t quite find the balance. His attempts at making the audience laugh took away from the already sparse time for character development. While he could have been giving an in depth look at why there were thousands of protesters in the streets, or why Jane suddenly cared, nearly fifteen minutes was spent on a montage of her partying with three locals and getting revenge on Pat with a homemade slingshot and a carton of eggs. Without seeing why the protagonist went from being blinded by her competitive nature and the rush of political schemes to feeling an empathetic obligation to the people of Bolivia made it hard to feel that same empathy as a viewer. Our Brand is Crisis was entertaining enough, but going into the movie with high expectations can only lead to disappointment. With a plot that had real potential to raise awareness for misguided globalization and political instability in other countries, the movie could have actually been moving. Instead, it raised awareness for misleading movie trailers and poorly fused genres.
Movies you’ve missed by Hannah Hunt
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl When you first start to watch this film, you are taken into the antisocial life of Greg who is a senior in high school who has claimed to have no friends his whole life because with more friends there's more problems. We soon figure out about Earl, Greg's so called "partner" in making parodies of classic films. Greg denies the fact that Earl and him are best friends, but truly they're inseparable. One day Greg's mother finds out that Rachel, a long time acquaintance of Greg's, has been diagnosed with cancer and Greg's mother forces him to console Rachel. Rachel turns Greg and Earl's lives around as she takes them along on her journey of struggling with cancer. True Story Based on a true story, this film is about a critically acclaimed writer for The New York Times, Michael Finkle (played by Jonah Hill), whose writing becomes disgraced by the public for its invalidity. Finkle soon find s out that accused killer, Christian Longo (played by James Franco), has stolen Finkle's identity. In the efforts of trying to restore his reputation, Finkle goes to interrogate Longo about the highly publicized crime that he has been convicted of. As Finkle conducts his timely investigation, we are sucked into the sociopathic mind of Christian Longo. Amy This documentation of Amy Winehouse goes into detail about Winehouse's very broken and sad rise to stardom. The film is narrated by close friends and family who tell stories of her struggles with addiction and her tendency to become involved in toxic relationships as she tried to become the voice of jazz in the 20th century. Not being able to handle all of the fame and publicity, Amy turned to alcohol and hard drugs to cope with her stress which lead to her tragic death of overdosing. Even though her fatal flaws are hardly hit throughout this documentary, her impact on the jazz world and ability to preform shone through.
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The Martian keeps readers on their toes by Jack Boyd
Author Andy Weir has captivated readers of all ages with his debut novel, The Martian. The Martian is a real-science sci-fi novel that tells the story of astronaut, Mark Watney. He is sent to study Mars on the Ares 3 expedition, but after a freak accident, he is left behind and forced to survive on the barren planet on his own. The novel is written from the perspective of the stranded astronaut. Through his own personal data logs, we get a first hand account of how he struggles to survive on the near-inhospitable planet. Due to his advanced botany and engineering skills, Watney manages to grow his own food and construct complex contraptions, both of which help him survive whenever he is in a pinch. As the novel progresses, we begin to see how Watney’s utter isolation on Mars affects his mental state. Even though the isolation is a strain on Watney, he still perseveres and continues to show his sarcastic, yet pleasant sense of humor. Each day it seems as if Mars throws yet another near-death challenge at Watney. Each time he manages to amaze as he comes up will brilliant solutions to his problems. One question remains; “Will Watney successfully make it off Mars and return to Earth?”
PT sophomore drops epic new mixtape by Claire Kelly Izzy G’s debut mixtape has set fire to the halls of Tilghman. Izzy G Volume 1 has changed lives. It has ushered in a new era of music. Garage Band has been used at its finest degree. The five original songs featured on the album give high-quality music a new definition. The opening track, “Wiki Wiki,” works to set up the rest of the album and get the listener in the perfect mood for enjoying the next songs. Its creative beat, spoken word lyrics, and computer generated vocal effects give the song a unique sound. The song also gives the listener a very in-depth idea of Izzy G’s one-of-a-kind personality. Track number two, “School Song,” is by far the most relatable song of the album. Izzy G’s lyrics take the listener on an adventure through his before-school morning routine and then progress to reveal his true feelings about school and his constant longing for his one true love—his bed. At the conclusion of the song, Izzy G shows off his incredible vocal range, hitting a note that is
Yeezy Season gets slammed by Alaysia Hamilton Was Kanye West’s clothing line a disaster? Kim Kardashian’s husband has struggled to achieve fashion status, and for some strange reason, the fashion world won’t take him seriously. The Yeezy line is just beginning, and with diverse models turning everyday clothes into exotic and expensive vintage fashion, his presentation was unique compared to many of the other shows in the New York Fashion Week. His lively comments about his creative process and love for sweatshirts appeared in multiple interviews, “I was so happy to just show so many sweatshirts. It’s as simple as that. I think sweatshirts are the way of the future.” At an early age, he knew that he wanted to influence the fashion industry. “There’s something about the way clothes fit and feel and the emotion that they give you and the details of them that I’ve been passionate about and addicted to since I was five years old.” Even though West invited all the A-listers to attend his Yeezy Season 2 premiere, it didn’t stop the critics from trashing his controversial sportswear. Everything from the utopian style sweatshirts to the abstract bodysuits seemed to rub the fashion world the wrong way. One of the critics, the distinguished Project Runway judge Tim Gunn, didn’t hesitate to speak his mind, “I think they’re a bunch of dumb clothes. Just basic pieces.” The rapper turned designer continues to argue that his clothing line is the best. Why? “Because sweatshirts are super important.” West wants to raise the bar for the fashion world through design and with his Yeezy Season, he has succeeded. Source: vanityfair.com
inconceivably high pitched. He also uses this song to show off his astonishing beat boxing skills. Izzy G wrote the third and fourth songs, “I Feel Blessed” and “Autotune Jesus,” to exemplify his strong Christian faith. These two songs also allow him to show off more of his vocal genius, and “Autotune Jesus” even showcases his superhuman ability to self-harmonize. The final track, “Chicken Day,” is a beyond perfect conclusion to this album. It is specifically relatable for the Tilghman student body and leaves listeners hungry, craving chicken, and anxious for next Wednesday. I recommend that everyone listen to Izzy G Volume 1. After listening, you will come away as a better person, guaranteed. At only $1 per copy, this album is definitely worth the investment. If you enjoy it (which you will), be on the lookout for his Christmas mixtape, Happy Holla-Days, predicted to drop in mid-December.
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Football team wraps up season by Teri Doss
On October 30, the Tornado played their last regular season game against the Murray High Tigers. After a shaky start that resulted from a couple of special team errors, Tilghman went on to defeat the Tigers 35-21. During the first quarter, the Tigers jumped out to an early lead and scored in the first couple minutes of the game. The Tornado quickly tied up the game at 7 all. The Tigers responded with another touchdown before the Tornado outscored Murray 28-0. The Tilghman defense forced four turnovers in that stretch and didn’t get scored on in six possessions. Sayveon McEwen had three touchdowns and 169 yards on offense and an interception on defense. The other touchdowns on the night came from fellow seniors Aaron Draw and Jordan Prather. This win put the Tornado record at 7-3 heading into the first round of the playoffs. On November 6, the football team kicked off the first round of the playoffs with a win over the Edmonson County Wildcats 42-3. The start of the game was plagued with multiple penalties on both teams. However, the Tornado overcame some of their early mistakes and was led to victory by their seniors who scored all six touchdowns. Quarterback Jesse Dunigan was 9-15 with 225 yards of passing and two touchdowns. Both of Dunigan’s touchdowns were thrown to Jordan Prather who finished the night with four catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Aaron Draw had a strong game with 117 yards on eight touches and two rushing touchdowns. Sayveon McEwen had 59 rushing yards, three catches for 59 yards, and two touchdowns. The defense had a big game as they held Edmonson to only a field goal and intercepted the Wildcat’s quarterback three times. The first interception was caught by junior Wallace McCoy and the second and third interceptions came from McEwen. On November 13th, the Blue Tornado played their final game of the season against the undefeated Elizabethtown Panthers in the second round of the playoffs. The boys were defeated 42-14. The Panthers jumped out to an early a lead and were up 20-0 with seven minutes left in the first half. Tilghman finally got on the board when Aaron Draw caught a pass for a touchdown. After halftime, Sayveon McEwen quickly scored at the beginning of the third quarter cutting the score 20-14. However, the Tornado’s attempt at a comeback was halted as the defense was unable to stop E-town’s powerful offense. The Panthers scored 22 unanswered points to advance to the third round of the playoffs. The Tornado finished the season at 8-4.
Doss sisters sign for golf by Abigail Hawkins On Wednesday, November 11th, the two Doss sisters signed with different universities to continue their golf careers. Teri Doss signed a golf scholarship for Mississippi State University. Also an eight year member of the PTHS Girl’s Golf Team, she ended her high school athletic career by claiming the State title. Teri is the President of Student Council, Vice President of National Honor Society, and a member of Beta Club, and The Bell Staff. Teri plans to major in engineering at Mississippi State. Doss says, “I’m looking forward to being apart of one of the top women’s golf programs in the country and continuing my career at the highest level.” Charli Doss committed to play golf at Murray State University. As an eight year member of the PTHS Girl’s Golf Team, she will continue her athletic career as a preferred walk-on at the University. Charli is a member of National Honor Society, Beta Club, Pep Club, the Yearbook Staff and The Bell Staff. She has also been a manager for the PTHS Boy’s Basketball Team for eight years. She plans to major in Elementary Education at Murray State. Doss says, “It is a privilege to have the opportunity to play Division One golf for a university that chases championships.”
Photo provided by The Paducah Sun
Prather named Biokinetics Athlete of the Week by Charli Doss
The run is over
Photo provided by Wayne Walden
by Hunter Grubbs On October 31st, the Paducah Tilghman Cross Country team made their way towards Marshall County High School for the Regional meet. The runners for the girl’s team were Kate Rogers, Jennai Mitchell, Diamoneek Green, Addie Rogers, and Elise Overlin. The runners for the boy’s team were Taka Oka, Josh Merdock, Cameron Galloway, Hunter Grubbs, Logan Bakehouse, Harrison Kelly, and John Holtgrewe. The girls ran hard and won the meet; the boys took 3rd place, and both teams qualified to go to State. The State meet took place on November 7th. The girls placed 12th and the boys ran well. The runners for the girls were the same as the region meet. Quinn Atnip filled in for Hunter Grubbs and John Holtgrewe. “The team seemed sad the season was over; I was sad, too. When we finished the State race, it hit me that I would never run at Tilghman again,” said Logan Bakehouse. Coach Hamiltion told The Bell, “I am sad to see my seniors graduate because I had a fantastic senior class. I still look forward to next year since we have good upcoming talent.”
The Biokinetics Athlete of the Week Award, featured on WPSD Local 6, is awarded to standout athletetic performances by a high school boy and girl each week. Paducah Tilghman’s senior football player, Jordan Prather, was awarded the Biokinetics Athlete of the Week for his outstanding performance against Edmondson County during the first round of the playoffs. His play against Edmondson County helped push his fellow teammates to the second round. Prather finished this game with four catches for a total of 122 yards and two touchdowns. The second touchdown resulted from a 55 yard catch in double coverage. Jordan Prather finished his senior season with thirteen touchdowns. When asked how this award makes him feel, Jordan stated, “I feel like all my hard work paid off in the long run.” Prather will play basketball this winter, but hopes to continue his journey on the football field for a college team.