Have a safe Spring Break
The
Bear
VOLUME 16, ISSUE NO. 4
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Facts
MARCH 8, 2013
www.sjbearfacts.com
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SAINT JOSEPH CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Prom set for Mississippi Children’s Museum By BRIA PAIGE Staff Writer St. Joseph seniors and juniors will celebrate their 2013 prom at the Mississippi Children’s Museum in Jackson – a location students and others say will make the event unique and unforgettable. The Children’s Museum, located off Highland Drive about a mile south of
St. Joe drama department to perform ‘The Music Man’
the Mississippi Agriculture Museum, provides elementary-age children with an interactive learning experience in such areas as cultural arts, literature and health. “I think prom at the Children’s Museum will be so much fun,” said Anna Claire Chastain, a junior at St. Joe. “We are all kids at heart, and we will probably end up running around like the little kids that go to the museum every
day.” The prom will be held on Saturday, April 27, from 7 p.m.-11 p.m.; the event is open to St. Joe seniors and juniors and their invited guests. Allison Tupman, the 11th grade adviser and one of the lead prom coordinators, said that “the Mississippi Children’s Museum was chosen because of its central location, size and availability. “With the growing number of stu-
dents attending prom, it is necessary that our venue be large enough to accommodate a sit-down dinner and still leave plenty of room for dancing and socializing,” Tupman said. “The majority of our event will be held in areas that most people don’t even realize exist.” The junior class is planning this year’s prom. Earlier in the school year, the junior class raised more than $7,000 for the prom budget through the sale of
cheese cakes. Money they raised will fund all of the costs for prom, with the remainder going to the junior class bank account. The entire Children’s Museum, including all interactive exhibits, will be open to all prom attendees. Among the exhibits are a giant, oversized Scrabble game and a large wooden train set. A separate area of the building will be See St. Joe prom, A8
SAVING BABIES
Using prayer and sacrifice, St. Joseph students travel nearly a thousand miles to participate in national pro-life movement
By JACK HALL Staff Writer St. Joseph Catholic School will stage its own production of the award-winning musical “The Music Man” this spring on campus. The Fine Arts Department will stage the play Friday, April 19, through Sunday, April 21. Tickets are $10 for general admission and will be on sale at the door. “The Music Man,” written by Meredith Wilson, is about a travelling con man who comes to town with a scam to start a boys’ band. The town is won over through upbeat tunes and the idea of a town marching band. In the process, the main character decides to do the right thing and creates the band. This will be a very exciting production, according to theater director Rachael Kenyon. “The whole thing, every part, is interesting,” Kenyon said. RACHAEL KENYON “The actors can be as big and comical as they want to be. All of the musical numbers are a lot of fun.” She urged students to plan now to attend. “These performers give so much of their time for this production,” she said. “And they want their peers to come out to see them.” School productions such as “The Music Man” are possible with the support and effort of the student body. Students balance play practice with ANDREW MORGAN academics, sports, and other extracurricular activities. They also build the sets, work the sound board, play in the orchestra, coordinate behind the scenes moving sets and act in the play. Sophomore actor Andrew Morgan, who played a key role in last fall’s production of “And Then There Were None,” landed the lead role of Harold Hill in “The Music Man.” Despite his involvement in fine arts, he said, academics comes first. “If I have a test the next day, I study for it before reading my script. If I want to stay in the play I have to keep my grades up,” Morgan said. Music director Ronnie Russell said he is excited to see so many of his students volunteer their time to play in the orchestra for the musical. He believes that the music, and especially having a live band, adds much to the musical. “It moves along the plot, and the music portrays the same tone as the scene on stage,” Russell said. “The acoustics of the auditorium also improve the See Music Man, A8
INSIDE THIS EDITION
A
Story and photos by Elisabeth Scott
s friends and family waved goodbye in the early-morning chill, a group of St. Joe students prepared for five days of cold weather, personal reflection and spiritual sacrifice – all to save the lives of the unborn.
Top photo: Hundreds of people march on Washington and the nation’s Capitol to protest the legalization of abortion that took place 40 years ago with the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe V. Wade. Bottom photo: St. Joe students Bridget Abadie, left, Sammie Dupont, Mary Kathryn Wheatley and Lucy Loveless participate in the annual March for Life event protesting abortion.
The 107 students were on a mission Thursday, Jan. 24. They were headed to Washington, D.C., to participate in March for Life, which commemorated the 40th anniversary of the legalization of abortion in the United States. “I went on the trip because I believe that every life is sacred,” said Lucy Loveless, a sophomore. St. Joseph students joined other students from Catholic parishes from across the state on the annual trip to the nation’s capital to protest the legalization of abortion. While St. Joe students have made the annual trek to Washington for three years, joining Catholics from Louisiana
on the trip, this MORE INSIDE was the first time Students the Catholic reflect on Diocese of Jackmarch, A4 son sponsored a group. St. Maggie Joe sophomore Smith: March Mary Kathryn leaves lasting Wheatley said memories, A5 she wanted to Nathan Gieb: “be a voice for A personal those who canjourney, A8 not speak for themselves.” “Our generation is making a difference and influencing others through our sacrifices and efforts,” she said. As St. Joe students gathered in the school gym that Thursday morning waiting for their chartered bus to arrive, the tone among them and some chaperones was a mix of nervousness, excitement and anticipation. Bishop Joseph Latino blessed everyone, who were then split into two busses. The buses pulled out of the parking See March for Life, A8
St. Joseph celebrates Black History Month By LONDON HATTEN Staff Writer Black History Month is the annual month to remember the important people and events in the history of the African American culture. The whole month is a celebration of African American history and an acknowledgement of the hard work put in for African Americans to be free. It is also to help people become more tolerant of each other’s differences. The annual month is February for the
United States MORE INSIDE and October for Trip opens the United Kingeyes to civil dom. rights, B5 In 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced the second week of February to be “Negro History Week.” This week was chosen because it marked the birthday of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. It was also chosen because it was the founding
month of the NAACP. “Negro History Week” soon became “Black History Month.” The first celebration was at Kent State in February of 1970. African Americans struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society. Many African Americans fought for the right to be treated equally as stated in the Constitution: “All men are created equal.” Although “Black History Month” was to strike at the importance of black history, there were many critics. Mor-
St. Joe students travel to France, A3 Speech and Debate heads to Nationals, A6 Basketball team nets winning season, B1
gan Freeman, a critic of Black History Month, said, “I don’t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.” Carter G. Woodson said he hoped the week could one day be eliminated – when black history would become fundamental to American history. On Feb. 7, Verna Meyers of Madison led a Black History Month assembly at St. Joseph Catholic School. Meyers mainly explained what black history was to her and how it contributed to her See black history, A8
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