Romeo & Juliet hits Sheldon page 3
Call of Duty Black Ops is here at last! page 3
Sporting events for a cause page 7
a student newspaper
the Talisman
Sheldon High School 2455 willakenzie Rd., Eugene, Or 97401 vol. 46 Issue 2 Nov. 19, 2010
Sheldon students accepted into All-American band
Two Sheldon students get the privilege of performing on Jan. 8 Madison Baker photo editor
Two of the newest U.S. Army All-Americans are walking the halls of Sheldon High School and many students don’t even know about it. These All-Americans aren’t football players, or basketball players or swimmers. They are band members. They have shown the utmost ability in honing their talents. These students have shown their ability to an extent that captures the American spirit. Seniors Kayla Wilkinson and Tim Casey have been members of the Sheldon Marching Band since freshman and sophomore year respectively. Wilkinson is captain of the colorguard and has been a member of the team since her freshman year. She said, “I am excited to be able to work with peers from all over the U.S. that give 100% to all they do.” Casey added, “I am looking forward to
the precision and perfection. Everyone there will want the show to be the best it can be. It will be great to work with a group of devoted musicians.” Casey plays the trumpet and is the leader of his section in the marching band. Both Wilkinson and Casey have spent hours perfecting what they do. They estimate that during the performance season they rehearse between ten and twelve hours per week. In preparation for their season, they participated in band camp that is required for all marching band students at Sheldon, where they rehearsed Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the last weeks of their summer. As two of the 125 students from across the nation, Wilkinson and Casey are Oregon’s sole representatives. Wilkinson said, “[Being an All American band member] means being a part of something that so many people including myself are so passionate about; who put everything they are into their work.” In January of 2011 they will take an all-expense-paid trip to San Antonio where they will rehearse for the halftime show of the U.S. Army All American Bowl that will take place on January 8.
Bre Womack photo
Seniors Kayla Wilkinson and Tim Casey both receive the honor of joining the All-American marching band
Sheldon vs. South rivalry is not like other schools The banter between South Eugene and Sheldon is not that serious at all Maggie Schmaedick features editor Sheldon and South Eugene High Schools have always been in competition with each other. Two large 6A schools in the same town, in the same conference, are going to be rivals. It makes sense. And it isn’t just sports. In all aspects of school, from academics to theatre, Sheldon and South have been competing for years. South Eugene sophomore Cameron Martin said, “Yes, I believe there is a rivalry between the two schools. I know at South we are always excited to compete with [Sheldon].” Martin, along with many students, feels that competition is what drives students to perform. “I think a healthy competition is what pushes us to perform our best.” This definitely shows, as Sheldon and South are some of the best high schools in the state, both academically and athletically. Sheldon and South are “two high achieving schools”, creating a “natural breeding ground for a rivalry,” said Sheldon Athletic Director Matt Binkerd. Binkerd said he has experience with rivalries. He went to high school in Hillsboro, where a major rivalry existed between Hillsboro and Glencoe High Schools. It is “good to have pride in
game because of the rivalry, and at the same time, “these schools work together as a team for a good cause.” One exception to this rivalry is the water polo team. Sheldon sophomore Zulema Iboa, captain of the water polo team, said, “The water polo team has no rivalry with South Eugene, because we practiced with each other over the summer.” Instead of competing against South, it’s more of a scrimmage between teammates. “We support each other during the game,” Iboa added. Junior Sydnie Runciman, also on the water polo team, commented, “[during games,] Zulema scores, and the other team gets excited for her. They’re like, ‘Good job Zulema!’ and we get really excited for each other.” Another activity in which Sheldon and South show a lot of support for each other is in the drama department. Martin said, “I know that the theatre programs support each other by going to each other’s performances.” Many of the drama students are close friends with those from the other schools, and this leads to big support for each other’s programs. The Sheldon and South Eugene rivalry is competition at its best. Binkerd said, “Some people go overboard with things, like vandalism. That’s not the fun part of a rivalry.” For the most part that isn’t the case here. “The student section has been outstanding,” commented Binkerd. The result is a supportive Maggie Schmaedick photos atmosphere amidst a heated and competitive rivalry that will continue for years to come.
your school and to be involved,” Binkerd said. Binkerd added that students who are involved in their school tend to get higher GPAs and generally perform better during high school. Part of this comes from the healthy rivalries between schools. The rivalry between South and Sheldon, for a majority of students, adds to the fun of competition. Many families have good friends who go to South, and competitions between the schools are a time to socialize and support each other. “Everybody knows each other, and that’s a very positive thing,” Binkerd said. “That’s why we have the Mr. Irish game.” In this game, Sheldon and South play basketball against one another to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network. People get excited for this
VS.
Sheldon students display school spirit with great enthusiasm Sheldon school spirit is abundant among students, like rain in Eugene Lindsey Ragsdale staff writer “Go Sheldon High! We’re gonna win this game tonight! We’re gonna fight, Irish, fight! We’re gonna show you the Irish might!” Many have shown their pride by singing this over the years. Sheldon seems to have a lot more school spirit than other schools, and people aren’t afraid to show it! Students at Sheldon have shown their school spirit by going to games, wearing the Irish colors, and dressing up for spirit week. Showing spirit can help Sheldon succeed. “If we hated the school we wouldn’t do well,” said junior Alexis Taisey. So far this year the Sheldon varsity football team remains undefeated and the team is attracting lots of school spirit. In return, the school spirit encourages the football team to do better. “Our football team wouldn’t keep going to state if we didn’t cheer so loud!” said senior Lizzie Gray. Sheldon spirit is different from other schools because of “our supreme leadership and enthusiasm for athletics, academics, and clubs,” said senior
Elliot Fromm. When asked if he thought Sheldon had more spirit than other schools, he said, “duh. We’re number 1. It says so in our fight song.” Some students don’t think that teachers show enough school spirit. “They definitely don’t,” said senior Annalyce Miller. “They should come to more Sheldon events to cheer people on.” There are several teachers who are involved with athletic and academic activities with Sheldon, but you can never have too much support for Sheldon students. The most common ways of showing school spirit are wearing school colors and going to Sheldon events. Gray’s favorite way of showing spirit is “going to all the sports games!” Whenever there isn’t a game or event, students show their spirit by wearing Sheldon colors or clothing around the school or around town. Since Sheldon sports games are themed—there were Halloween and western themed games—it gives students a chance to dress up in different ways to support their school. Fromm wears pink women’s power suits to football games to show his Sheldon spirit. When the upperclassmen really get into showing school spirit, like Fromm, it gets other students to do it as well. “[I love it when] all the senior boys dress up at every
football game,” said Gray. All Sheldon students have the opportunity to support their school, and have fun doing it!
Anthony Rhoads photo
Sheldon students show school spirit by buying and wearing spirit shirts like this new “Voss Out” shirt