April 2017 Stinger by The Stinger

TINGE R S THE

Irmo High School 6671 St. Andrews Rd. Columbia, SC 29212

volume 51, issue 4

the student voice of Irmo High School

April 28, 2017

THE

STINGER STAFF

editors-in-chief Lanece Davidson Mariah Kennedy business manager Ashanti Bookman lifestyle editor Josalyn Helrigel features editor Alexis Rollerson opinions editor Jessica McCrae news editor Mariah Kennedy Lanece Davidson sports editor Alexis Rollerson circulation manager Ashanti Bookman photography editor Jessica McCrae staff cordinator Josalyn Helrigel adviser Brennan Davis The goals of The office (room 107) or Stinger are to inform the e-mailed to laneceIrmo High School com- davidson@gmail.com munity about issues of and mariahkennedy@ interest through fair and gmail.com or adviser@ accurate reporting, re- ihsstinger.com. Letters sponsible editorials and may be edited for offenenlightening features siveness, libel, grammar, and to provide an ad- space or style. Requests vertising medium in the for anonymity may be considered in cases of Irmo community. The Stinger is pub- sensitive subjects. For advertising inforlished six times a year (including a spring prom mation or to request a supplement and a year- subscription, please call end senior class supple- (803) 476-3071. School District 5 of ment) by Journalism IIIV newspaper students Lexington and Richland Counties does not disat Irmo High School. Staff editorials reflect criminate on the basis the views of a majority of of race, color, national The Stinger senior edito- origin, creed, religion, rial board. Bylined edi- sex, age, disability or torials, cartoons and per- handicap in admission sonal columns reflect the to, or access to, or treatopinions of individual ment or employment in its programs or activiwriters or artists. Letters to the editor: ties. Inquires should be The Stinger welcomes directed to the Chief letters to the editor from Officer of Human Rereaders. Letters must be source Services (Title signed by their authors IX Coordinator) and and include contact in- the Director of Special formation; the authen- Services (504/ ADAticity of the writer will Coordinator) at P.O. be verified before pub- Box 938, Ballentine, SC lication. Letters may be 29002, (803) 476-8110, delivered to The Stinger www.lex5.k12.sc.us.

2 INDEX

IN THIS ISSUE

Welcome to Irmo High Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fourth issue of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stinger. This is our annual prom issue! We hope you enjoy our stories and read them to show your support. Thanks, Irmo! -Lanece & Mariah

news Irmo prom gets upgraded - 3

features Guide to prom 4-5 Sophomores learn finance-6

lifestyle

Irmo, you just got played- 7 Prom goes back to the future-8

opinions

Caution.... real life ahead- 10 Sharing is caring- 12 Senioritis is real- 13

sports Student athletes get signed- 14 THE STINGER

news

Irmo prom gets upgraded

and old songs. “The students can look forward to better music and decorations,” said Deese. To get hyped up about prom, Irmo’s prom committee decided to do a promposal contest. This is where you show your creative skills when asking someone to prom. The first place winners got a free tuxedo, a free dress from Glitz Glam Pop-up shop, a free dinner certificate for a restaurant of choice, free prom tickets, and a free ride to prom. “The winners were picked by someone out of state that has no relation to anyone at this school. I also MR. PRESSLEY: Pressley is a big fan of prom. contributed to the promposals by getting all the prizes for all the winstaff make sure that the kids are in a safe ners,” said Deese. and fun place. Students go through a lot when it “Well, you know, I just walk around comes to prom, but so do teachers and and make sure that the students aren’t other faculty. Guidance Counselor getting into trouble and sometimes I Chadwick Pressley loves prom. might request a song for a student if they “It’s exciting. I get a chance to see all don’t want to ask. You know, just making the students sure that everyone is having a good time out of their and making sure it’s a safe environment,” jeans and Pressley said. their street Prom has been going on for decades wear; I get and decades, and a lot of has changed to see them over the years, including different styles dressed up in fashion, clothes, etc. with their “The girls spend more money on hair all nice dresses and weave than when I went to and fresh school. Usually you would bring your and on their own hair,” said Pressley best behavMs. Deese has also seen a change over ior,” said the years in prom. P r e s s l e y. “The biggest difference I have seen is “I’m excited that now many students will not go to to get to see prom alone and must go with a group or the trans- date,” said Deese. formation Students, especially seniors, will be they make looking forward to this year’s prom. to come to Because there is a new location, differprom.” ent music and other activities expected A c - and, of course, to see everyone dressed up ROYALTY CROWNS: These are the crowns that will be given to the winning cording to nicely with their dates, friends, or even Pre s s l e y, alone. prom princess, prom king, and prom queen. the teachALEXIS ROLLERSON, features editor ers and 25658@stu.lexrich5.org

Prom is almost here! Irmo High School’s Prom will be held on May 6, 2017 at the Columbia Convention Center in Downtown Columbia. The theme is music of the night. Prom night is the one day where everyone dresses to impress and has a good time celebrating the end of the school year. It is also the day where a young gentleman wins prom king and a young lady wins prom queen. Students also get ready for prom by participating the promposal contest, where you can win prizes to get ready for prom. According to teacher Hope Deese, the relocation for prom was actually the students’ idea. “Multiple students requested to have it downtown.The junior board last year agreed and took a vote to change the location,” Deese said. According to Deese, the space at the convention center is bigger and nicer for the students. After last year’s prom, many students said that the music that was played was mostly line dancing songs

April 28, 2017

NEWS

Local businesses offer services

Irmo High School 2016 graduate Chima Emmanwori brought an all-white suit from Catz Formal. Catz Formal offers a wide variety of male and female formal wear. They carry name brand tuxedos such as Jim’s Formal Wear, Eave’s, and VIP Tuexdos. Although Catz Formal offers an online service, Emmanwori wasn’t too fond of the customer service he received. “ The service wasn’t all that pleasant,” stated Emmanwori. Emmanwori recommended the store to last minute prom shoppers. “It was okay overall but I only recommend going to them if it’s last minute,” said Emmanwori. An organized store makes it easier for customers to get what they need without any hassle. “The store was clean which made it quicker to find the suit I needed. I just had problems finding the right color suit to match my prom dates dress,” said Emmaniwori.

Location: 2224 Airport Blvd West Columbia, SC 29170 Phone: (803)926-7170 Website: www.catzformalwear.com Store Hours: Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m.- 06:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m.- 04:00 p.m. Sunday 01:30 p.m.- 05:00 a.m. Prices: Varies

STRIKE A POSE: Emmanwori poses for a picture before prom in his suit purchased at Catz Formal.

Irmo High School’s prom coordinator and child development teacher Hope Deese offers David’s Bridal flyers and cards to the junior and senior class girls to catch great deals during the prom season. De’Jara Boyd, an Irmo High School 2016 graduate, shopped at David’s Bridal last prom season for her attire. Boyd loved her experience shopping at David’s Bridal. “The employees were very nice and patient with me. It took me no time at all to find the perfect dress,” said Boyd. Not only did Boyd state she loved her experience she loved the prices, too. “The dresses were neatly hung on racks with sale signs above them. My dress didn’t put a hole in my pocket at all. David’s Bridal offers reasonable prices which really made my experience great!” stated Boyd. Dresses start at $99.95 in sizes 0-22. The card Irmo High school students receive also has to coupons placed inside.

DRESS FASHION: Boyd shows off her prom attire before the 2015-2016 Irmo High prom.

Address: 275 Harbison Blvd, Suite MM Columbia, SC 29212 Phone: (803)781-7450 Business Hours: Monday-Thursday: 10:30a.m.-9:00p.m. Saturday: 9:00a.m.-7:30a.m. Sunday: 12:00a.m.-7:30p.m. Prices: Starts at $99.95 JESSICA MCCRAE ,Opinion Editor christiana07@icloud.com

4 FEATURES

THE STINGER

for prom season

Imani Johnson, senior at Irmo High School, attends a nail salon located on Lake Murray Boulevard called Nail Spa which is visited by many female students at Irmo High School. “ Jason is the owner of Nail Spa. All of the workers there are friendly! Jason’s the best though; he’s very fast and clean with his work. Jenny is also a great nail tech. She takes her time to make sure everything about your nails are perfect,” said Johnson. The prices at Nail Spa vary depending on the kind of work you get done to your nails. Nail Spa is open Monday-Sunday. Address: 945 Lake Murray Blvd Irmo, SC 29063 Phone Number: 803-360-8515 Business Hours: Monday-Saturday 10:00a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Sunday: 1:00p.m.- 6:00p.m. Prices: Acrylic Nails: Full-Set of Acrylic $25 & up Fill-In Acrylics $15 & up Gel Nails ( Gelish): Color Gel Polish $20 French Gel Polish $25 Manicure with Gel Polish $30 Pink and White Full Set- Pink and White Fill-In Pink Only 25 Fill-In of Pink and White $35 Manicure: Regular Manicure $15 Pedicure Basic Pedicure $25 Manicure & Pedicure $35 Deluxe Pedicure $35

PROM NAILS: Johnson shows off her nails.

ON THE EASEL

with Denzel Johnson

When did you start doing art? When I was born.

Do you plan to go to school for art?

Yes/no. I want to go to school for art, but jobs in that area don’t pay a lot.

What inspires your art?

Any and everything inspires my art, from little things like rocks to great things like mountains. THE STINGER

FEATURES

features

Sophomores learn finance

In high school, all students are required to take an economics class in order to graduate. In this particular class, students learn about things such as stocks, bonds, the market, and the way money works. We learn all of these things and they help us in the long run, but what about paying taxes, or finding the right career, or even taking care of your family based on your career? These are the essential things that people need to survive and if students are not getting taught these things in the classroom, they are still able to learn it somewhere else. The sophomores here at Irmo High School had the opportunity to experience the learning these things outside of class. They got to participate in a program called “Real Money. Real World.” (RMRW). This program is based in Ohio and is for sophomores, and it teaches them about getting on the path to finding a career and taking care of a family. They use a career that they chose at random and they are provided with a fake family to take care of. The program helps students finance their money and ration it based on their job, family life, and income. Allie Winter, student at Clemson University, made it possible for this program to be here at Irmo High School. “It has to go through a 4H curriculum which is a national organization for youth ages 5 to 19 and we teach all different disciplines from STEM, engineering, agriculture (that was with the chickens) 4 through 4H and this is our money curriculum. Once Mr. Riegel contacted me, he knew about the program from when he was the principle in Ohio, and they used it in their school and so I contacted Ohio State Extension and asked them about the program and they said you can buy it [for] ‘x’ amount of dollars and it can come to South Carolina, so they shipped it down here and I brought it to Mr. Cunningham and then he just worked with the teachers to set it all up,” Winter said. According to RMRW’s website, this program has three different parts to it.

FEATURES

For the first part of the program, students engage in four classroom lessons to prepare for the actual activity and learn the different things they could do with the money and how they can spend it based on careers. The second part is more hands-on. Students do budget management and decision making simulations so they get a feel of how it works. The last part of the program is the evaluation. This evaluation is based on what the students spent their money on during the simulation activity. Through the course of the program, the students will learn about the amount of money that comes

the social studies class, and all of the 10th graders in the school participated in this and they were all assigned at random different jobs that carried different amounts of income and different amounts of education. They also randomly drew how many kids they had. It was assumed they were all married and they were all 27 years old,” Cunningham said. “They came down here [to Irmo] after working with their teachers, they took their income, took away all of their taxes, all if the healthcare, all of the deductions and ended up with their take home pay and then they came down here [Irmo] with a piece of paper that had their take home pay on it and the idea was to take the money from the take home pay and go to all these 12 stations that we had which all talked about things like we have to run your household every month for food, clothing, car payment, cell phone bill, television, all of those kinds of things. They deducted costs of each of those from their take home pay and the idea was to see POSTERS: Posters such as this one were displayed throughout if they had any money left the event to aide students in their Real Money, Real World at the end of the month,” experience. Cunningham said. The program’s desired out of their checks based on taxes health outcome, according to the website, is to insurance, retirement, etc., the cost of give students the chance to learn how to raising a child, how spending affects your save money, do well in school, wait to be life decisions, and what it costs to main- financially stable before having children, tain a household, just to name a few. get a higher education after high school, Irmo High School’s business teacher, make smart financial decisions, etc. In Joseph Cunningham, was another person theory, the students are able to handle who was able to make this program pos- situations better and they will know what sible for the students here at Irmo. He to do when the time comes to start a was one of the people who supervised family. The program was highly successthe students and evaluated them based ful according to Mr. Cunningham and he on their spending. also said that the program will definitely “Mr. Riegel knew about this because be at Irmo High School next year. they used this when he was a principal in Ohio. He wanted to bring it down here ASHANTI BOOKMAN, Circulation Manager, Busibecause he saw the value of it and he saw ness Manager how much it really worked. Of all the ashantibookman@gmail.com students Mr. Riegel decided to do it for THE STINGER

Irmo, you just got played for their 1.4 million left handed customers, adding that the condiments on the sandwich were rotated 180° to suit the left handed consumer. Many customers went to Burger King restaurants requesting the fake sandwich. Many people have pranked their siblings with masks, drawing a fake mustache on their face while sleeping, or the classic prank call. Irmo High School senior Diego Etheredge went with the simple and infamous phone call prank. “[I pulled] a prank to get revenge on my sister. She usually gets random calls from guys she usually likes, so I pretend-

“

April 28, 2017

[When I’m pranking someone] I’m just laughing at them [and] getting nice revenge.

- Diego Etheredge

space vehicle into space that would drag space debris to Pluto to increase its mass so it could become a planet again. To everyone’s surprise, it was all a big joke. The whole objective of April Fool’s jokes is for them to be funny, but that’s not always the case. Some young girls have pulled the “I’m pregnant” prank on their fathers and others took it even further. Irmo High School anatomy teacher Kimberly White has pulled her fair share of pranks like putting shaving cream in her dad’s slippers or short sheeting her brother’s bed, but they don’t compare to the prank that her younger sister pulled on their brother. “My brother and sister are only two years apart so they’re very close and one time my brother’s friends and my sister set up this thing where they put on masks and stuff. They ran up in the yard, grabbed my sister, threw her in a car that he didn’t know and pretended to kidnap her in front of him. It was a very mean joke because he flipped out and they stayed gone for a little while before they let him know it was an April Fool’s joke. He was very upset and they realized it was a bad joke to play because he was actually in tears,” White said. April Fool’s Day is the day for unlimited creativity, laughter, and maybe a few tears. There’s no limit to the pranks you can pull- the options are infinite, just remember that not all jokes are funny or good ones. “All April Fool’s jokes are not good jokes, but that was one they don’t talk about,” said White. You can go big like Taco Bell or even bigger like Richard Branson, but whatever one you choose to do make sure that no one gets too physically hurt or emotionally scarred and also make sure to have fun.

“

Every year on April 1, people pull pranks on their friends, family, and even random people. This day is called April Fool’s Day or “All Fool’s Day.” This unorthodox holiday has been celebrated for many centuries by different cultures, but the origin of it is still unknown to this day. Despite the origin being a mystery, there are many rumors and speculation regarding where it came from. The holiday is believed to have been popularized in England in 1700 (History.com). According to History.com, in the beginning, April Fool’s jokes included people putting fish on other people’s backs and them being referred to as “poisson d’avril” (April fish). It’s said to symbolize a young, easily caught fish and gullible person. The holiday is also linked to a festival celebrated in Rome called Hilaria. The festival, which is celebrated in March, consists of people dressed in disguises. In Scotland, the holiday became a two-day celebration. On the first day it starts with a “hunting the gowk,” (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird which is a symbol for fool) where people were sent on fake errands and is followed by Tailie Day which involved pranks played on people like pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on their behinds. In the past 60 years companies such as BBC, Taco Bell, and Sports Illustrated have pulled pranks on the general public on a much larger scale. In 1996, Taco Bell fooled thousands when they announced they agreed to purchase the Philadelphia Liberty Bell and rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. The fast food chain took out full page ads in six major newspapers, claiming the purchase and renaming. Like any other prank, there’s always a victim, in this case, it was the National Park Services employees. The people in charge of the phones spent all of that day reassuring concerned and angry Americans that the famous monument hadn’t been bought and renamed. Two years later in 1998, Burger King took a full page ad in USA Today advertising a new addition to their menu, the Left-Handed Whopper. The ad called the fake sandwich a solution

ed to be one on the guys,” Etheredge said. Other people have done the phone prank with restaurants or random people saying things like “is your refrigerator running?” among many other comical things. Many people feel good when they’re pranking someone, especially when it’s a good prank. “[When I’m pranking someone] I’m just laughing at them [and] getting nice revenge,” said Etheredge. Celebrities have even joined in on the pranking fun. On April 1, 2017, pop singer Katy Perry pulled a prank on her 60.2 million Instagram followers by posting a major throwback photo of herself from 1999. The singer told fans that the photo would be her new album cover. What a relief for fans when they scrolled down a little further and realized that she was playing a little joke. Sure fake album covers are cool and all, but have you ever “bought” a planet? In 2011, a lot of people thought Richard Branson did. After the former planet Pluto was demoted from being a planet, businessman Richard Branson announced that he had purchased the new dwarf planet. Branson revealed that he planned to send a deep

Sources: History.com, Time.com LANECE DAVIDSON, co-editor-in-chief lanecedavidson@gmail.com LIFESTYLE

Prom goes back to the future Spring is officially here and that The 80s was a special time for the hismeans prom season is in full effect. Prom tory of prom, with hit songs like “I Had is short for promenade which means the Time “formal introductory parading of guests of My at a party,” according to Time Magazine. Life” from At the beginning of the 1900s prom was the popujust a simple co-ed banquet for the grad- lar movie uating classes of American universities, “ D i r t y and since then prom has evolved into a D a n c huge extravaganza that takes a couple ing,” permonths to plan. formed by Since the early 1900s prom has Bill Medley changed drastically from seniors drinking and Jennitea in their Sunday best to today’s lavish fer Warnes. parties.By the 1940s prom had cemented and teen its place in American society, making its movies like first appearance in high school yearbooks “16 Canacross the country, according to Time dles,” “PretMagazine. In the 1950s, with a post war ty in Pink,” economy, schools couldn’t afford expen- and “Footsive venues, therefore prom was usually loose,” to being held in the school’s gymnasium, name just a which was decorated with paper stream- few, romaners. ticizing prom through the radio and the In the 1960s, many proms were can- big screen. celed due to racial tensions. Many high John Zipp, a math teacher at Irmo schools in the 60s High School, were segregated, reminisced which resulted in on his high two separate proms, school prom according to CNN. from the early Planning for 1980s. prom in the 70s be“I went to came more of a ritutwo proms al. Prom was startin 1981 and ing to become more 1983.The of a staple in Americlothes were can culture. Under pretty similar the light of the disco to what you ball, teens gathered guys wear in their pastel tuxnow, I just edos and white floral think that the print hippie dressgirls show a es with their hair little more down to their waists. than they Dancing to the clasused to back Photo Credit John sics we know now, then. Zipp such as “Stairway I mean to Heaven,” by Led JOHN ZIPP AND PROM DATE: Zipp and his prom date they were Zeppelin and “Stay- posing for a prom picture in the early 80s. long dresses; in’ Alive,” by the Bee my girlfriend Gees. at the time

LIFESTYLE

wore a long dress. Oh yeah, and I wore a top hat and had a cane for one of them. I Photo Credit had longer hair; she had the big poofy hair that John Zipp was real popular back in the early 80s. My tux was white and we rented a limo and all that good stuff,” Zipp said. Another very popular aspect of prom in the 80s was that the themes of prom would be from the titles of popular songs of that time. “My wife’s prom was the theme ‘Just you and I,’ and I can’t really remember what mine was. They were playing a lot of harder rock, and we didn’t do a lot of dancing,” Zipp said. Like all decades before, the 90s brought a whole new era to prom. R&B and Hip Hop were the staple music of the 90s, mixed in with Nirvana and boy bands like ‘NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys. The 90s also introduced the shorter prom dress and many other fashion forward movements like backless dresses, spaghetti strap dresses with iridescent material, clunky Mary Jane heels, and, of course, the popular accessory of the 90s - a choker. Prom has evolved with the culture of America’s youth and will continue to do so as trends and styles change. We no longer live in a time when prom is threatened to be canceled if we bring a date of the same sex and there won’t be any ruffle shirts or sky high bangs, but there will always be music, dresses and a good time. They say prom is right of passage and something everyone should experience. It is also one of the last things you do as a high school student, so why not dress up one last time? MARIAH KENNEDY , co-editor-in-chief , kennedymariah5@gmail.com THE STINGER

What’s #trending @ Irmo?

#EARBUDS “They’re very convenient. ” Florence Komena

#TEMPFADE “There’s nothing like a fresh cut.” Jonathan Wilson

April 28, 2017

#CROCS “ You can pretty much throw them on with anything.” Isabella Bounyarith

#FASHION “Having a nice outfit on makes me feel good.” Michael Ntwa

OPINIONS

opinions

Caution.... real life ahead As I get older, I realize how fast I’ve grown up. I still don’t feel as old as I am; I’m about to graduate and it still hasn’t hit me yet. Recently, I’ve been thinking about those times when I was younger and I thought, “I can’t wait until I’m older” and now I’m as scared as can be. Now that I’m older, one thing that definitely hit me is that growing up is no joke and we all need to enjoy it. Growing up is something that all of us have to do whether we want to or not; it’s a crucial part of life. Some of us wish we were older because we think that being an adult is so much fun, or at times, being young can suck, so we try to rush the process. Despite some of the struggles that go into growing up, the process itself is something that shouldn’t be rushed. You should experience everything that goes into growing up instead of trying to cheat the natural course of life. Getting older may feel like it takes forever, but trust me, you’ll wish you had enjoyed the years more thoroughly when they’re gone. We see it in younger girls today. They put on boatloads of makeup and mature clothing, then they look older when

they’re 12 or 13 years old. They’re that age acting like they’re older, but for what reason? On social media there are many girls who don’t look their age mainly because of the amount of makeup they put on. Other girls see that and they think they should follow suit. Pretty soon, they grow up a lot faster than they anticipated because they were trying to copy someone else and look older. Self-esteem also goes into this. Girls try to look like the girls they see online and they lose enjoyment in their young years because they’re trying too hard to look older and use makeup because they think it’ll make them feel better about themselves. I mean why would you be 12 and want to look 20? Makeup doesn’t make you beautiful, it enhances what is already there. You should put on makeup because you want to, not because you think you’re ugly or you’re trying to look five years older. Guys do it too. They put on this facade and ego that says 18 and over, but the behavior says 12 years old. They try to level up to these older guys when they don’t even know the half of it. They don’t know what really goes into growing up

and becoming a man. They just mimic other boys trying to be “men” a little too fast and get themselves in trouble. We all do it. We rush to grow up and then it hits us that being grown or older is not all it’s cracked up to be. We should look at our parents and know that at times even they wish they were young again. We get older and we think that we’re ready to face any and everything, but that is definitely not the case. I mean, are you ready to pay bills, because I’m not. Slow your roll and enjoy these years while you have them because life goes by faster than you may think. Before you know it, you’ll be old, sitting in your rocking chair asking yourself “where did the the years go?” because you rushed everything and decided you wanted to act 20 at 12 years old. You’re only young once, enjoy it while you can before you start have to start worrying about budgets and bills.

LANECE DAVIDSON, Co-Editor in chief,news editor lanecedavidson@gmail.com

KIDS HALL IN THE

Do you think Prom is necessary ?

FRESHMAN SOPHOMORE

“Yes, because if you have a sweetheart, you need to take them.” - Malik Seabrook

OPINIONS

“Yes, because school is boring and we need something to look forward to.” - Serene Alvarez

JUNIOR

“It’s not, but it’s a great thing to do.” - Donnisha Fogle

SENIOR

“Yeah, it’s a tradition.” - Joshua White

THE STINGER

B BUZZ Z Z U B

THE

“ More Life, more good music ”

The Stinger reviews the latest books, movies, television shows and CDs for you! “Get Out to the movies”

“ More Life”

Drake’s fourth studio album “More Life” came out on March 18, 2017. You can listen to the album for free on Spotify or buy the album on iTunes for $10.99. One weakness for this album is the length. The album’s tracklist consists of 22 songs. On “More Life,” Drake calls out haters and references his love life from several angles. Going along with the islands vibe, the rapper uses a lot of Jamaican slang. For example, in “No Long Talk” Drake’s collaborator Giggs uses the term “duppied” which means to get physically knocked out. Referring to his success in the music world, in “Gyalchester”, he raps: “They want me gone,

wait for the kicker. Bury me now and I only get bigger.” In this verse, Drake puts himself with artists like Tupac, Michael Jackson, and others who have passed, but their music still lived on beyond the grave. Drake’s wonderful ability to be versatile is what makes his music fresh and attractive. Drake’s music has you reflecting on your love life, then bobbing your head to a dope beat the next. So, yes, Drake, your music will most definitely live on. If you’re a lover of hip hop or you’re looking for something new and fresh, this album is a good place to start. - Lanece

Music

“Santa Clarit-yeah!”

“Get Out”

If you love a movie with twists, turns, and shockers, “Get Out” is the perfect movie for you. Daniel Kaluuya plays the role of a young African American male dating a female of a different race, played by Allison Williams. Meeting his girlfriend’s family for the first time makes him kind of nervous because he’s the first black guy she’s ever brought home. Things seemed to be going great between the two until unusual things start to happen to the young man after a hypnosis session with his girlfriend’s mother. Missing people soon start to reappear unlike themselves. In the beginning of “Get Out” the actors didn’t

Movie

“ Santa Clarita Diet”

On February 3, 2017 “Santa Clarita Diet” was released on Netflix, as one of their Netflix original t.v. shows. The show which falls into the comedy category stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as the two main characters. Barrymore and Olyphant play spouses living in a upper middle class neighborhood, with their teenage daughter in Santa Clarita california. At first, they seem like just a normal family but then their lives take an unexpected turn. This show wouldn’t be nominated for an Emmy, but it’s still entertaining to watch if you want some mindless t.v. The plot at times can be dull, and the

April 28, 2017

seem like they were playing their roles to the best of their ability. It made the movie unlikeable at first. Further into the movie I realized the actors playing their roles in a weird way connected with the storyline. It turned out to be an amazing movie; the actors played their weird roles so well it will creep you out. This movie has great detail and will leave you stunned. I recommended this film to ages 13 and older. It is not suggested to a younger audience because this film is rated R.

-Jessica

“Dave and Fun”

“ Dave and Busters “

acting might not always be the greatest. Also there are a lot of missing pieces to the puzzle and questions people want answered. Hopefully in future seasons these questions are answered. It is a comedy so it does have humor, and if you’re watching something with Drew Barrymore, you know it’s not going to be a complete waste of time. There are many shows and movies, that are about zombies or the undead, but this one is much different with a little bit of modern twist. -Mariah

T.V.

Dave & Busters has moved to Columbia! It is located at the Columbiana Mall, near the Men’s Belk, and they offer amazing games and family bonding time. “Dave and Busters” is basically like an adult Frankie’s Fun Park. The food is less desirable than the food at Frankie’s Fun Park. For example, the pepperoni pretzel pull apart basically tasted like microwavable pizza. But, on the other hand, the buffalo wings weren’t as bad; they were just like any other old spicy food. One thing that makes Dave & Busters awesome is that the powerup card that you get to

Food

play games lasts longer than the card at Frankie’s. It’s the same process: you put money on the card and get credits to play games. The powerup cards are installed with “chips” which make it easier to play more games instead of refilling your card every time. Dave and Busters is much cheaper than Frankie’s Fun Park and the games are incredible. I recommend Dave & Busters to college students and to people with kids. It is definitely a great hangout and family place.

-Alexis

OPINIONS

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OPINIONS

There are many different ways to make prom a great memory for someone else and give them the opportunity to feel special. - Jessica McCrae

JESSICA MCCRAE, opinions editor jess@ihsstinger.com

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Prom is around the corner! It’s one of the times young girls dream about when they’re little. Getting dressed up, getting your hair and makeup done can be really exciting, but the most important part is the dress! Although prom is a big deal to a lot of girls, there are other girls in high school who still dream of prom because they can’t afford to to buy a dress. Irmo High offers girls who can not afford to get their makeup and hair done the joys of getting it done for free at a local beautician and makeup parlor, but what if they still have no dress? Why not donate dresses to girls who can’t afford them? After proms and pageants, girls sell their dresses on websites such as Ebay and on social media sites and they sell them to stores such as Plato’s Closet. Donating a dress can go a long way. Every girl should get the chance to experience their high school prom. High school doesn’t last forever and donating a dress can make at least one girl’s dream come true. You could get together a group of girls and collect old dresses and take them to guidance. Every girl deserves the chance to experience at least one great high school memory, so look around and ask friends and family members about dresses they no longer need or want and let some-

one else make an memory with it. What’s the point of holding onto an item no longer needed or thought about? Some people do not like the ideas of other girls wearing their dress or they might get a little jealous. You could always alter the dress before you give it to them or they can do it themselves. Small things can always make a big difference. You can help the girl wear different color accessories with the dress or a different color of shoes. Take two old dresses and have them altered into one so the girl you’re donating your dress to can have their own identity and unique look to make them feel beautiful. You can always cut sleeves off of a dress, make slits into the dress or incorporate things they like within their attire. There are many different ways to make prom a great memory for someone else and give them the opportunity to feel special.

Kyra McCants Q: How old were you when you started cheering? A: 8 years old Q: What’s your favorite memory while cheering? A: Making varsity Q: What’s the most difficult thing to learn to do in cheerleading? A: Learning how to tumble

Inside the Huddle Q: How old were you when you started playing soccer? A: 3 years old Q: What’s your favorite memory while playing? A: Getting to the state finals last year Q: What’s one thing you would tell a new member coming to the team? A: To have confidence on the ball and always give your best

Kristen Bane THE STINGER

Senioritis is real

of us have also already gotten into college, so our minds are no longer in Irmo at the moment. We’re dreaming of bigger and better things outside of Irmo High School. We all know that if we have a certain amount of absences that it could mess up our chances of graduating, but somehow that’s still not stopping us. I believe we need to start thinking on a more positive note. We’ve been here since 2013 and now we only a month left, that alone deserves a mini celebration, so why end on a bad note? I don’t think senioritis only applies to school; it’s begun to spread to other parts of our lives - work, sports, extracurricuIt’s official seniors, we only have three more weeks here at Irmo High School. lar activities, etc. Finding the motivation to get out of Since the start of my senior year everybed in the morning one has kept is the literal strugWhen I picture repeating over gle. I ask myself myself in my cap and and over that every morning ‘do gown, walking across “your senior I really need this the stage as my family year goes by so education?’ Then I yells my name from fast,” and now remind myself that the crowd, it makes I’m starting to the end is so close everything just a little see their point. and we’ve come so bit easier. I think evfar, just imagine - Mariah Kennedy ery senior and how proud of ourmaybe even selves we’re going some juniors at Irmo could agree with me on this , se- to be on June 1st. When I picture mynioritis is beginning to be a real thing self in my cap and gown, walking across and a lot of us are starting to suffer from the stage as my family yells my name it. As of today April 28th, we have one from the crowd, it makes everything month until graduation, and it couldn’t just a little bit easier. come any faster in my opinion. Most seniors we only need one or two more credits to graduate, so if we don’t need the class to graduate, half us are now deciding that we don’t need to show up and I’m not an exception. Finding the will power every morning to actually come to school is no easy task. It also doesn’t help if you know you won’t be taking any exams, so what’s the point? These last couple of weeks, classes are MARIAH KENNEDY, co-editor-in-chief, news editor beginning exam review, but if you’re not kennedymariah5@gmail.com taking one, why are we still here? Most

April 28, 2017

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OPINIONS

Student athletes get signed Graduation is coming and seniors are preparing for the beginning of adulthood. While it is easy for soon-to-be JEFF THARP: Tharp got graduates to signed to Newberry Col- catch a cold case of selege nioritis, many of them are pulling through successfully this final semester with sports and academics. It’s the time of the year where the temptation to slack off becomes high, but many of these athletes are determined to reach the finish line. Fees are being paid, supplies are being bought, and applications are being sent. Armed with caps and

gowns, Irmo High School’s class of 2017 are on their way! Over the course of the 2016-2017 school year, many senior athletes who plan on continuing their athletic careers through college had to make the decision of which college they plan to commit to this fall. They’ve received special letters holding endless opportunities from colleges. After sorting through many offers, taking college tours, and determining the pros and cons of each, a handful of student athletes have officially committed to a college. One example of a committed high school athlete is senior Jeff Tharp. He has been playing football for 15 years of his life. Tharp has committed to Newberry College. Some of his biggest influences towards his academic career, as well as his athletic one, are his parents, close friends, and coaches. He has a current GPA of 3.5 and plans to maintain such outstand-

ing effort throughout college and display it long after. Along with keeping up with his current work ethic, Tharp also plans to continue playing football during his full four years of college. “The best advice I can give to current high school athletes looking to play in college is to make the classroom strictly for academics and to work hard,” Tharp said. It takes a lot of effort for student athletes to apply for college. Not only do they have to manage their grades and other academic aspects, but they must make sure they perform well athletically as well. Tharp was able to reach his destination. Teachers, coaches, and parents have done their best to prepare seniors for what they’re about to experience in college. Now, it’s time for these students to take the wheel. College is here.

again 17 What’s something people would be surprised to know Describe yourself at 17 in about you? three words? This is something interesting. Naive, Idealistic, Perfection-

jOSALYN HELRIGEL, staff cordinator josalyn@ihsstinger.com

Christine Steiger

ist. What was your favorite thing to do after school? What’s something people Hanging out with friends would be surprised to know What advice would you tell about you? your then 17-year-old self? This is something interesting. Life is going to surprise you constantly, and it’s better to spend it being true to yourself rather than trying to be who others want you to be. 14 SPORTS

THE STINGER

Prom Playlist

1. “Cupid Shuffle” by Cupid

14. “I Feel it Coming” by The Weeknd

2. “Cha Cha Slide” by Mr. C The Slide Man

15. “Candy Rain” by Soul for Real

3. “Poison” by Bell Biv Devoe

16. “Party Monster” by The Weeknd

4. “Hotline Bling” by Drake 5. “OOOUUU” by Young MA 6. “Caroline” by Aminé

SPORTS

17. “Cold Water” by Major Lazer 18. “You Was Right” by Lil Uzi Vert

7. “Controlla” by Drake

19. “That’s What I Like” by Bruno Mars

8. “Black Beatles” by Rae Sremmurd

20. “Broccoli” by D.R.A.M. ft. Lil Yachty

9. “Swang” by Rae Sremmurd

21. “Needed Me” by Rihanna

10. “iSpy” by Kyle

22. “Drunk in Love” by Beyonce

11. “HUMBLE” by Kendrick Lamar

23. “Love on the Brain” by Rihanna

12. “If It Isn’t Love” by New Edition

24. “Here” by Alessia Cara

13. “Starboy” by The Weeknd

25. “One Night” by Lil Yachty THE STINGER

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3 2 AP Testing No Delayed Opening/ AP Testing 10 9

AP Testing 7

May

AP Testing

No Delayed Opening/ AP Testing

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fri

6 5 AP Testing/ SAT @ 7am/ Interims Prom Distributed 13 12

AP Testing

4 AP Testing

Irmo Pride Day 20

29 Memorial Day/ Holiday

23 26 25 24 27 Senior Exams Senior Exams UnderclassSenior/Un2A&4A/ No 5B & 7B derclassmen men Exams Delayed Open- Exams 6B & 1A&3A ing 8B 30 31 June 1- Half June 1: Underclass- UnderclassDay/ Last Graduation men Exam/ men Exams/ Day for @ 4pm Half Day 5B Half Day 2A Students & 7B & 4A

17 Irmo Choral No Delayed Opening Concert

Senior Exams 1A & 3A

Supporters of The Stinger Centurions

Patrons Abigail Alexander