Inside
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The Robotic s Te am Qua lifie s for State!
We a ring Rosa rie s in S chool
Hurricane Sandy Deva state s the Northe a st
Tori Frya r Be ats Her O wn Record in the 100M Bu t terfly
BuzZ
November 2012 Volume 11, Issue 3
The
“From the Stinger to...”
2012-2013
Denison High School 1901 S. Mirick Ave. Denison, Tx 75020
Many Thanks, Readers! From the Edi tor
Mickey Mouse Turns 84
“On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence.” -William Jennings Bryan As the holiday season takes its hold on consumer America, this quote seems to speak only of the negative connotations of dependence. You could see Thanksgiving as exhibiting weaknesses by sharing a heartfelt meal with family. But dependence is something that, especially during the holiday season, we must acknowledge and appreciate. It is not shameful to depend on family or friends. In fact, it’s quite possibly the most important contribution of our lives. Whether it’s a mother, a father, a grandparent, or a best friend, each and every one of us depend on the love and affection of someone, or are the person on which someone else depends. This dependence is a sign of strength, not weakness! Only the strong are brave enough to admit that they can’t do it alone. In these times, I look to my family and friends for reassurance that I will get through the latest obstacle. That’s what I’m most thankful for this Thanksgiving: my dependence on my friends and family that reminds me I am only human.
Staff Writer
Devan Holley
COMING
EVENTS Boys Basketball November 16th Against Sanger
Mickey Mouse appeared in his first film on November 18, 1928, marking November 18, 2012 as the eighty-fourth anniversary of Steamboat Willie. Steamboat Willie was a seven minute film by Walt Disney and the first animation to have a post-produced soundtrack. The music was arranged by Wilfred Jackson and Bert Lewis, and Disney provided all of the voices, though, there is only a little intelligible dialogue. It was placed at thirteenth place among the top fifty cartoons of all time. Overall, it was a masterpiece for its time, and earned itself a place in the Library of Congress, after being called influential of its time. Although Steamboat Willie is often called Mickey’s first car-
toon, the mouse had actually appeared in two cartoons prior to Steamboat Willie, Plane Crazy and Gallopin’ Gaucho, which, although they were made before Steamboat Willie, were not released until after. Plane Crazy had a test showing in theatres six months prior to
Steamboat Willie, yet failed to pick up any suppliers. Gallopin’ Gaucho depicts Mickey and Minnie’s first encounter, and was released with sound not too long after Steamboat Willie. Mickey has become highly influential in the eighty-four years he has existed. His occasional appearance in cartoons has increased into his own television show, movie, video games, and his popularity goes as far as becoming the icon of the Disney Corporation, which produces about thirty-six billion dollars per year. The inspiration behind the mouse came from Walt Disney’s pet mouse, when Disney’s demands of an increased budget were disagreed with by Charles Mitnz, who owned the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (who was lost to Universal Studios in a scandal). As a result Disney, Ub Urks, and Lewis Clark designed Mickey Mouse.
November 19th @ Byron Nelson
November 24th @ Keller Timbercreek
Girls Basketball November 16th @ North Lamar
November 19th Against Little Elm
November 20th @ Melissa
2 SchoolLIFE Politics Speak Melody Jarvis
Staff Writer Barack Obama won the 2012- volved because they can’t vote,” 2013 presidential election for an- freshman David Newsom said. other 4 years on November 6. He This is proven from the prior ran against Mitt Romney in a six twelve students who all had valid -billion dollar race and came out informed points on Obama and on top by 303,207 electoral votes. Romney just two days before, but Students from all around the when asked to have them viewed, United States gathered on Channel crickets could be heard throughout 1’s student based election to see just the room. Some students looked how close to the real deal students almost scared to have their voiced could predict. Even at DHS, debates or written opinion seen or heard and six page written assignments by anyone outside the classroom over the election and candidates walls. A statement made at one scattered the halls in an attempt point was that it was important to to inform the brand new voters have a voiced opinion for the future, and the soon-to-come generation. but it just wasn’t going to happen. “It’s important for kids to be inNow not all students formed about who is in lead of their have quiet opinions. country,” sophomore Kyle Jarvis said. “[I’d vote] for Romney, lesser of It seems that students are not two evils,” senior Chris Braisher said. ill -informed or uninformed; Some people, students, teachers they just don’t want others to and parents alike, vote for two difhear their political opinion, ferent people, for the same reason. be it due to shyness or apathy. “If I could, I’d be voting for Out of a class of twelve stu- Obama, simply lesser of two evils, dents, none of them had any- by a long shot,” sophomore Juliann thing to say when asked Heglund said. Juliann states Romabout their political opinion. ney does not have a secure plan, or “They didn’t want to be in- the solid decisions to back it up.
Is it Acceptable to Wear Catholic Rosaries as Jewelry? Staff Writer Devan Holley explains the effects of the new trend in jewelry. Devan Holley Staff Writer
COMMENTARY
Edi tori a l Polic y The Buzz newspaper is a student-generated publication that is produced, edited, and maintained by the DHS journalism staff of room 105. The Buzz encourages student expression and is designed to be a forum for open discussion. As part of its mission to serve as a medium for debate, The Buzz supports and accepts letters to the editor. All submissions must be signed by the author and delivered to Room 105. The staff reserves the right to edit any material. Editorials appearing in The Buzz represent the sole views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration or those of the DHS Journalism Department.
Nov embe r 2012
Around the school I have noticed several people wearing rosaries as an accessory, either oblivious to their true meaning or simply uncaring towards the matter. The act of wearing a rosary for jewelry is very sacrilegious. In the Catholic religion, prayers consist of the “Apostles Creed,” “Our Father,” three “Hail Marys,” “Glory Be,” an optional Fatima Prayer, the five mysteries, which change depending on the day, “Hail Holy Queen,” and preferably a prayer for the pope. Rosary beads are used to count the prayers as they are said, and are meant to help keep in memory certain events or mysteries in the history of salvation, and to thank and praise God for them. You do not have to be Catholic to use a
rosary; anyone is welcome to pray using one. Rosaries are close to the hearts of many people, so it is no wonder that wearing them as jewelry would be considered offensive; however, wearing them as a representation of faith, for prayer or a reminder of faith is perfectly fine. People can easily misunderstand your reasoning for wearing the rosary. If a person insists on wearing one then it might be more
appropriate to wear it under their shirt. Despite their originally pure intentions, rosaries have become a gang symbol, so wearing one outside of your shirt may not always be the safest thing. In many schools throughout the country, rosaries are against the school dress code. This is a safety precaution taken by the school in an attempt to avoid students getting mixed up with gangs. Although I am not Catholic, I still hold respect for its practices and beliefs. Wearing a rosary suggests that a person should be on their best behavior, if said person is rude or says something inappropriate, it disrespects the rosary. If a person does not want to follow the beliefs a rosary suggests, then it would be better if they did not wear it at all.
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Opinion 3
Hurricane Sandy and Her Devastating Effects Callie Keese Copy Editor
On October 22 2012, Sandy was formed from a tropical wave, and upgraded to a tropical storm just six hours later. As it gradually made its way through the Caribbean and into the Atlantic where the storm made land fall along the east coast, it caused havoc among the islands until finally reaching America. With New York City being one of the more populated cities hit, many of the parts of the city badly affected, with many people losing electricity, power, or even their homes completely. “This is going to be a massive, massive housing problem,” New York governor Andrew Cuomo said. In order to help the estimated 40,000 people currently without a
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home right now, NYC has opened up temporary shelters for those displaced, and FEMA has also stepped in to attempt to help the situation by offering hotel rooms for up to two weeks. “We are not going to let anybody go sleeping in the streets or go without blankets,” New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “[but] we don’t have a lot of empty housing in this city,”. As New York attempts to clean itself up before the winter storms begin, the officials are worried about those they have not reached yet. “What I’m most concerned about right now are the people we haven’t met and we haven’t seen.” New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said.
New Recipes for Thanksgiving 2012 Callie Keese Copy Editor
Lately, I’ve found myself to not be a very big fan of fattening and greasy foods. Granted, I’ve never been one to order a Big Mac because I was hungry, but the
this Thanksgiving, here are some helpful ideas on how to make the annual Day-of-Eating a little less full of fat and calories.
idea of anything that can come from a fryer has begun to sound repulsive. Whatever the cause for this change, if you find yourself in my boat and around the table
Instead of the traditional green bean casserole, prepare a side of Green Beans with Golden Raisins from Whole Living’s website. Not only is it much more healthy than the traditional dish, it’s much more interesting. Ingredients 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds 2 tea bags (green or white tea) 4 cups green beans, trimmed 1/4 cup golden raisins 3 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese Directions 1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the sesame seeds on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the sesame seeds are crisp and fragrant. 2.In a large steamer pot, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add tea bags. Place green beans in the steam rack. Be sure the water doesn’t rise onto the rack. Steam at medium-high heat, covered, until beans are bright green, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle raisins into the steam basket and steam for one more minute. 3.In a large salad bowl, toss green beans and raisins with vinegar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Garnish with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
ith w s n ea B n e e ins s Gr i a R en Gold
If cranberry sauce is particularly popular at your dinner, create this Gingered CranberryRaspberry Relish from Eating Well’s website. The relish involves no cooking, making it easy to prepare.
Gingered CranberryRaspberry Relish Ingredients 1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup crystallized ginger, minced, (choose soft nuggets over disks, if possible) 3 cups raspberries, (2 pints), fresh or frozen (not thawed) Preparation 1.Pulse cranberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in sugar and crystallized ginger. Gently stir in raspberries—it’s fine to crush some of them. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to let the flavors combine.
If sweets are a must, try Delish.com’s Sweet Potato Casserole. This version has only 223 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving.
Sweet P
otato C
asserole
Ingredients U.S. Metric Conversion chart 1 organic chipotle pepper, remove seeds 1 1/4cup(s) organic light cream 3 medium organic sweet potatoes, very thinly sliced Kosher salt Directions 1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2.Puree together the chipotle pepper and the cream until smooth. 3.Place a small amount of the cream mixture in the bottom of a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Place a thin layer of overlapping potato slices over that. Drizzle the potatoes with a tablespoon of the chipotle cream and a sprinkle of salt. Repeat using all the potatoes and cream, sprinkling each layer with a pinch of salt. 4.Bake for 1 hour, or until the potatoes feel tender when pierced with a sharp knife.
Nov embe r 2012
The State of D
DHS Robotics The Denison High School Robotics team takes to the road to compete against other schools Devan Holley Staff Writer
On November 9th, the eight member Denison High School Robotics Team traveled to the Texas BEST competition at the University of Texas at Dallas in Garland after obtaining third place in the first level of the competition. “Some of the engineers got together and decided that there was a need to increase interest in engineering jobs because there’s just not that many engineers and over 20 years it has grown nationwide,” teacher Mike Green said to KTEN news. All robots are remote controlled and have a three minute time limit to perform a task based on a theme, which varies every year. The team designed a robot that climbed a pole, retrieved a filled coke bottle from the top, brought it back to the bottom and replaced it with another coke bottle that it brought to the top of the pole; all of which it accomplished with an extendable/ retractable arm. “A friend suggested a traveling pulley which works by a pulley attached to the arm that’s wrapped around a tight braided rope. We built the idea and it worked with great success, finally our robot was ready to go to game day,” senior Tyler Graves said. The team consists of Matt Bernier, Danny Hooker, Joseph Blevins, Zach Fondren, Tyler Francis, Gabe Grey, Landon Henne, and Ryan Sadler, with Michael Green as supervisor. After last year’s crushing defeat, the team was determined to score some points and on the first round they scored a perfect nineteen. “It was just really interesting, and I really like figuring out how to get things to work, it just gives me experience in what I want to do when I graduate.” senior Zach Fondren said. Green said the team finished 19th out of 60, learning a lot about the game in the process. “Our robot performed flawlessly. It did exactly what tasks it was designed to do and did them well. We were plagued with inconsistencies in the construction of the field. This is part of the game but now we know a new piece of the puzzle,” Green said.
Photos contributed to the Buzz by Wade Graves
6
C ommuni t y
The Huffington Post’s Christopher Rosen Shares His Take on Adele’s new single, “Skyfall.”
Adele’s ‘Skyfall’: James Bond Theme Gets Brassy, Soulful Rendition From British Songstress The newest saga in the James Bond franchise hit the Sherman Cinemark at midnight on November 8th and will be in theaters until the 15th. Callie Keese Copy Editor
James Bond has become a cultural icon since he first premiered. Between his dinner jacket, famous lines, and the opening scene every fan is familiar with, it is impossible for pop culture not to reference him in any way. This year not only is the the newest movie of the franchise, Skyfall, premiering, but Bond is also turning 50. “I have my own, personal relationship with Bond, which began when I was nine or 10 years old – when ‘Live and Let Die’ came out,” Skyfall director Sam Mendes said. “We happen to be living in a time when it’s possible to make a big, entertaining, glamorous, escapist movie that also says some-
thing about the world we live in.” The character of James Bond was created in 1953 by author Ian Fleming, becoming a part of twelve novels and two short stories. Since then, Bond has been adapted to TV, video games, comics, and of course, film in which the series has become the longest continuous running and second highest grossing film series of all time. “The Bond franchise’s power — and failings — have always been treated as having less to do with a director or writers than with the guy who dons the tux and wields the gun,” Denver Post film critic Lisa Kennedy said.
In 1962, the first movie of the franchise Doctor No premiered starring Sean Connery. Since then, twenty-three movies have been released, six lucky men have been chosen to play the elusive spy, and countless “Bond girls” have been dazzled. Although the numbers have grown and cast has changed countless times, each Bond is sure to stand out to his audience. “The difference always between Bond and other action heroes is that Bond, no matter how brutal, retains the style and panache, perhaps even the code, of an English gentleman,” Huffington Post writer William Bradley said.
After over a year of speculation, Adele’s “Skyfall” theme song finally exists. Called “Skyfall,” the brassy and soulful tune fits perfectly alongside the work of Shirley Bassey in the oeuvre of James Bond title tracks. “This is the end / Hold your breath and count to 10,” Adele sings on her first song since breaking out with the album 21. “Feel the earth move and then / Hear my heart burst again.” The chorus is a plea that’s partially based on the Bond film’s title: “Let the skyfall / When it crumbles / We will stand tall and face it all / Together.” “Skyfall” was recorded with a 77-piece orchestra at London’s Abbey Road studios. “I was a little hesitant at first to be involved with the theme song for ‘Skyfall,’” Adele said in a statement. “There’s a lot of instant spotlight and pressure
when it comes to a Bond song.” Fortunately, she was calmed by the film’s script (credited to Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan) and the fact that being a part of the Bond franchise meant being a part of history. “I’ll be back combing my hair when I’m 60 telling people I was a Bond girl back in the day I’m sure,” Adele joked. The song debuted at 7:07 p.m. EST, and you can watch the lyrics video above. (A French radio station played an edited version earlier on Thursday.) Adele’s theme could break sales records on iTunes, reports Showbiz 411 writer Roger Friedman. The “Skyfall” theme was released in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond film, “Dr. No,” which premiered on Oct. 5, 1962.
Bond... See If You Have Seen Them All Dr. No (1962-Sean Connery) From Russia With Love (1963-Sean Connery) Goldfinger (1964-Sean Connery) Thunderball (1965-Sean Connery) You Only Live Twice (1967-Sean Connery) On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969-George Lazenby) Diamonds Are Forever (1971-Sean Connery) Live and Let Die (1973-Roger Moore) The Man with the Golden Gun (1974-Roger Moore) The Spy Who Loved Me (1977-Roger Moore) Moonraker (1979-Roger Moore) For Your Eyes Only (1981-Roger Moore) Octopussy (1983-Roger Moore) A View to a Kill (1985-Roger Moore) The Living Daylights (1987-Timothy Dalton) Licence to Kill (1989-Timothy Dalton) GoldenEye (1995-Pierce Brosnan) Tomorrow Never Dies (1997-Pierce Brosnan) The World is Not Enough (1999-Pierce Brosnan) Die Another Day (2002-Pierce Brosnan) Casino Royale (2006-Daniel Craig) Quantum of Solace (2008-Daniel Craig) Skyfall (November 2012-Daniel Craig)
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Se a sona l 7 Weird Thanksgiving Celebrations
November Timeline
Kayla Robinson Editor-In-Cheif
In general, the holiday season dredges sappy Hallmark family moments out from the Christmas decorations closet for two whole months, somehow inciting the desire to gorge on home cooked food and emotions in many people. During these happy memories, families usually follow, or make, traditions that will be followed in the years to come. Some families, though, break the norm and create their own wacky traditions to celebrate all that they are thankful for during Thanksgiving. “On Thanksgiving, we always go to Hackberry Creek in Irving, Texas, which is a giant buffet of fancy food,” sophomore Turner Thornton said. Many families travel to grandparents’ homes for the holiday, but some reach out to the farthest corners of their families, gathering with a large, extended group. “We all go visit the oldest living grandma in the family for Thanksgiving. We eat and sit around and talk,” sophomore Katelyn Holt said. Even the types of homecooked foods at Thanksgiving have become tradition in many households. Many homes this holiday season will be full to bursting with whole turkeys, stuffing, and pecan and pumpkin pies. One way families are starting new traditions is by incorporating new dishes into the Thanksgiving menu. “Unlike most families, ours has an add-on of deer meat along with ham and turkey for Thanksgiving. My uncle’s family likes it so they started bringing it each year,” senior Tara Wood said.
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Mandi Elrod
Managing Editor The month of November has always been a month of celebration for families and cultures all over the world. The last Thursday of the month is known as the day to give thanks and celebrate the plentiness the harvest brings. What people don’t know is that there are dates throughout the entire month that should be celebrated as well. On the first of November in 1914, the bra was patented by a woman named Mary-Phelps Jacobs. She came up with the idea one night when her corset showed through a dress she bought for another social event. Two silk handkerchiefs and some pink ribbon later, Mary had
designed an alternative to the corset. When she tried to show her idea nobody showed any interest in it, so she sold her idea to Warner’s for $1500, where it later became a 15 million dollar item. On November 4th, 1842 Presidents Lincoln married his wife Mary Todd, and 18 years later on November 6, 1860 he was elected President of the United States. Three years later he delivered the Gettysburg Address. On November 9, 1927, giant panda’s were discovered in China, hidden in a forest where local farmers were cutting bamboo. They have since been removed
from their lowland lifestyles and moved to the upper mountain areas, after being pushed from their homes by later settlements. November 10 is celebrated for many reasons. In the year 1775 the United States Marine Corps was created. Direct dial telephone services were available coast to coast in 1951. Sesame Street premiered on PBS television in 1969. On November 11, 1620, forty-one pilgrims aboard the Mayflower signed a compact calling for a “body Politic” just off the Massachusetts coast. Charles Darwin pub-
lished his theory of evolution “On The Origin Of The Species,” sparking great controversy in 1859. Finally on the 30th in November of 1782, the United States and Great Britain signed a peace treaty in Paris, formally ending the Revolutionary War. Through everything that the world has gone through, nothing would be possible without the great works of each and every person who has chosen to be a part of it. Each little thing that happens makes a difference in the world, everything should be celebrated, no matter how small, or how different it may be.
The History Of Thanksgiving In 1621 the first day that Thanksgiving was celebrated, the pilgrims shared a feast with the Native American tribe called Wampanoag, as a sign of thanks for friendship and forgiveness. When the travelers first ran into the Indian tribe they were scared to say the least, but when the people first began to try and plant their plants many of the harvests died, and the Pilgrims were left without food for many weeks. The tribe helped them by showing them how to plant their seeds, and catch fish and other local animals that lived among them. By the time that winter began showing its first signs the pilgrims had enough food to last them, as well as enough to share with the Indians who had helped them. On this day they gave thanks, and welcomed a new tradition. In the English tradition, days of thanksgiving and special religious services became important during the English Reformation. Before 1536 there were 95 Church holi-
Mandi Elrod
Managing Editor
days, plus 52 Sundays, when people were required to attend church, forego work and pay for expensive parties and events. The reforms later reduced the number of Church holidays to 27, but some Puritans, the radical reformers of their age, wished to completely eliminate all Church holidays, including Christmas and Easter. The holidays were
t o be replaced by specially called Days of Fasting or Days of Thanksgiving, in response to events that the Puritans viewed as acts of special providence. Unexpected disasters or threats called for days of fasting. Special blessings, viewed as coming from God, called for Days of Thanksgiving. When people in the States
and Canada found out about this new celebration, they decided to hold their own, setting aside days to give thanks and spend time with their families. It wasn’t made an official day until President Lincoln declared the day to be a holiday. He decided it should be held on the fourth Thursday in November, to honor the end autumn and welcome the new coming winter. It became official through Congress at the time of President Roosevelt, who wanted to move it to an earlier date, but decided it should stay the same. In Canada it was to be held on the second Tuesday in November to honor the finding of the northern passage to the Pacific Ocean. Every year, The National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation is held at the white house. On this day the president is presented with a live turkey, this turkey is then pardoned by the president and its life is spared. The history of this celebration is unclear, but many people credit Harry Truman for starting the celebration.
Nov embe r 2012
Making a
Splash at DHS
At the Austin College swim meet on October 12th, DHS junior Tori Fryar broke her own record in the 100 meter Butterfly. Her new time of 1:04 is two seconds shorter than last year’s 1:06. “I feel really good when I’m swimming. I feel like every time I race all my hard work and time that I put into practice is paying off,” Fryar said. Fryar began swimming 6 years ago, and has since spent a large part of her time practicing. Aside from her busy practice schedule, Fryar also works as a lifeguard at Waterloo Pool. “I swim on a USA team in McKinney. I wake up at 4:40 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for morning practice down in McKinney and then I go to school and have high school practice. Then I drive back to McKinney for USA practice. I have it every day for 2 and a half hours in the afternoon,” Fryar said. According to Fryar, her teammates have had a big impact on her past and hopefully future successes. “I’m really hoping to get a [college] scholarship [for swimming]. And I mean, making it to the Olympics would be nice too! My teammates really encourage and push me to my fullest potential. I couldn’t do it without them. All this has definitely been worth it. Swimming is something I love and that I will never give up,” Fryar said. DHS Swim Coach Joni Durham anticipates a bright and accomplished swimming career for Fryar. “Tori will probably be a finalist at the regional meet, and State is a likely possibility! She continues to drop time in her events, and is very dedicated to her practice schedule… [which] requires a huge time commitment for her and her parents. She is very focused and shows incredible leadership by example on our team,” Durham said. Durham also comments on Fryar’s personality and relationship to her team. “[Tori] is quick to cheer and congratulate other swimmers on their accomplishments. I can’t wait to see what she will do this year, her senior year, and throughout her college swim career,” Durham said.
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