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Volume 50, Issue 1 • October 2013 • “Illuminating Youth Since 1951” • Lexington High School • 2463 Augusta Highway • Lexington, SC 29072 • 803.821.3400
Photo by Andrew Tran
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ADVISER Ms. Tressie Hays
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PRINCIPAL Ms. Melissa Rawl
MEMBER S.C. Scholastic Press Assoc.
Check ..........................................................................................Capturing Out Kids’ Hearts Page 03
Page 04 ...................................................................................................Opposing Viewpoints Page 05 ....................................................................................................Opposing Viewpoints Page 06 ................................................................................................................Athletics Rank Page 07 .................................................................................................................LHS vs. RBHS Page 08 ...............................................................................................................................Color Run Page 09 ...............................................................................................................................Color Run Page 10 ............................................................................................................Interning Seniors Page 11 ............................................................................................College vs. High School Page 12 .....................................................................................................................Fair Concerts Page 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C o l u m n s Page 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C o l u m n s
The Staff
Jennifer Rogers Editor-in-Chief Catherine Kirkland Managing Editor Camden Windham Promotions Director Hunter Harley Political Reporter
Lauren Matthews Photographer Miles Joyner Columnist Erik Martin Columnist Courtney Geiger Writer
Jane Guerra Writer Madison Shealy Writer Shelby Sulikowski Writer
Publication Policy
Letter
from t he
Editor
I know it’s cliche to say but “time is f leeting.” Recently I was asked to state what my school year resolution is? for a scholarship. I spent a few weeks contemplating this question. It was difficult because I didn’t want to be predictable with the stereotypical, “Get better grades!” but nothing else came to mind. Until I stopped thinking, and it clicked. I realized what this year is teaching me. “Time is f leeting.” I am constantly reminded of this as I go through my senior year. So I decided my resolution will be to learn to cherish each moment a little more. I’m going to make more friends, take more opportunities, and create more memories because I want to make each second count. I want this year to be another adventure. It happens only once. So even though it’s cliché to say “time is f leeting,” I hope that all of us will remember this as we continue our journey this school year! Enjoy the issue! Jennifer Rogers Editor-in-Chief
The Wildcat is published eight times per year for the students of Lexington High School. Student editors shall be responsible for assigning and editing the news, editorial, and feature content of their publication subject to the limitations of responsible journalism. Views expressed in bylined articles and columns are the opinions of the writers.Views expressed in the staff editorials represent the position of the majority of the newspaper staff. Prohibited is expression whichis vulgar, obscene, or libelous.Also prohibited is the material which so incites students as to create a clear and present danger to, or the substantial disruption of, the orderly operation of the school. Student views expressed in newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of the faculty, administration or the school board. All trademark and other proprietary information should be taken as read and respected. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/ MCTCampus High School Newspaper Service Lexington County School District One does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability or age in admission to, access to, treatment in or employment in its programs and activities. The following people have been designated to handle inquiries or complaints. The Chief Human Resources Officer handles inquiries/complaints regarding Title IX. The Director of Middle Schools handles inquiries/complaints regarding Section 504. The Mathematics Coordinator handles inquiries/complaints regarding Title II. Contact these people if you have questions regarding these issues at 100 Tarrar Springs Road, Lexington, SC 29072 and telephone number (803) 821-1000.
Staff
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October 2013
Cap turi ng Kids’ Hearts trying something new Shelby Sulikowski Writer
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y now almost every student at LHS has heard about the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program. But for those who are not clear on the idea, the program is designed to be the beginning of a transformational process. A process in which the teachers, students, administrators, and other faculty members work together to create an exceptional learning environment. Capturing Kids’ Hearts is not a new concept that someone just came up with. In fact, it has been around for quite sometime. The program was founded in 1989 and has affected nearly 15 million students. The program focuses on creating great trust and respect in relationships between faculty and the student body. Another goal is to have everyone at the school work together as a team. “The program is to build trusting relationships between teachers, staff, and students,” said
News
Ms. Joanna Pollock, orchestra and piano teacher. Ms. Pollock’s answer is based on information she learned at a conference that taught LHS staff about the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program. Most teachers and administrators at LHS attended a conference in July, introducing the program to them. At the conference they were told the goals, expectations, and possible end results. Numerous schools that have participated in Capturing Kids’ Hearts have had excellent outcomes. The program is expected to raise the social skills of students, make students work together better and more efficiently, and to help students have a better approach to dealing with misconduct in the classroom. Capturing Kids’ Hearts is also designed to increase the leadership skills among students. Another teacher that attended the summer conference thinks the program is working well. “I have had to write up only one student so far, so I believe it’s working,” said Coach Brendon
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Maxwell Quattlebaum adds his initials to the Public Speakin g I social contract. Photo by
Hoynes, who teaches World History. “It still takes the students to make the system work, and I think they are having fun being able to have a say-so,” Coach Hoynes said. LHS administrators made the decision to bring this program to the school for a reason. This was not just a random act. As members of this school, everyone plays a role in making LHS a better place. Working as a team is required to make this program really work.
October 2013
Oppos i n g Vi e wpoi n ts
beneficial changes are happening in classroom Many responses repeatively appeared on the social contracts. Photo illustration Jennifer Rogers
Jennifer Rogers Editor-in-Chief
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rust is a vital part of every relationship. So why should we not develop a trusting relationship with teachers? Why not with peers? Adding Capturing Kids’ Hearts techniques into every class’ curriculum does just that. Implementing the program is an excellent step in building trusting relationships. Capturing Kids’ Hearts accomplishes creating stronger relationships through several key aspects. One of those techniques is the social contract. At the beginning of the year, every class collaborated to create a social contract. This allowed
Opinion
the students and the teachers to work together to define classroom expectations. The students were able to discuss how they wanted to be treated by not only their peers, but also by their teacher. Allowing students to talk to their teacher about how they wanted to be treated created a sense of respect. Having respect between students and teachers is the beginning of stronger, more understanding relationships. Creating respect between the teachers and students right away will also aid teachers in classroom management. Under Capturing Kids’ Hearts, behavioral problems have decreased. Teachers are writting up less students. This alone shows significant improvements because of the program.
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Another aspect of this program is writing affirmative notes to other students. This encourages positive interaction between students. This technique is not only a positive gesture but also helps build social skills. Many students have gone an entire semester without talking to all of their classmates. This has been a grave downfall in classrooms. However, now with Capturing Kids’ Hearts in place, everyone has more opportunities to build friendships with all of their peers. Adding Capturing Kids’ Hearts into our school’s curriculum this year has begun a positive transformation of classroom relationships. As the year continues, the positive effect will become more and more evident.
October 2013
Capturing Kids’ Hearts Negative good intentions with bad result
Students wait behind Carew Alvarez to sig n their class social contract. Photo by Tressie Hays
Hunter Harley Political Reporter
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hen I first heard that our school was going to change the style of classroom management for teachers, I was not surprised. I have noticed that many teachers have problems managing their classes. I was actually happy that finally our school decided to take some action. Then, I experienced “Capturing Kids’ Hearts” or commonly know as the social contract. After two teachers went through the rules in class, I had one question. “Do the administrators at our school really think that is going to
Opinion
work?” I could not understand why we had to shake our teacher’s hand, write affirmative notes to each other, or even end class with a chant. I also did not understand why we should use hand signs or say “foul” to each other. This brings me to my point. While a positive class with little disagreements sounds fantastic, it is just not realistic. When you bring around 20 students together in a classroom together for 90 minutes, problems will arise no matter what. We do appreciate teachers that tell us what they expect from us, with them also hearing what we expect from them. What we do not appreciate is teachers forcing us to be positive and to use pointless hand gestures.
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What we want from teachers is an interesting style of learning, a little bit of personal freedom, and a reasonable amount of homework. If they would do that, then most students would act fine in class. It has now been a few weeks since the program began and the result is not as intended. Most of my teachers have already stop using it. The lack of enforncement has caused this program to become a joke. I hope our teachers and administrators take the feedback they have received and go back to the drawing board. Solutions to classroom issues are needed but when they are hard to implement and seem superfluous, it is time to try something else.
October 2013
Wi ldcats Risi ng TOP t o the Lexington ranked as one of the top athletic programs around the nation Hunter Harley Political Reporter
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ith five State championships in the past year, winning has become a habit at Lexington High School. Its success in athletics has set a standard higher than any other high school in South Carolina. MaxPreps, a CBS sports website, cited these successes as what led to Lexington being named the 19th best high school athletic program in America. This leads many to ask what makes them unique. Senior Jordan Buster, member of the 2013 State Championship Baseball Team, cited the fans and coaching staff for what sets them apart. “I feel like we are better than everyone else because of our outstanding coaching staff and how hard they work to prepare us,” Jordan said. This success can not only be found in recent years, but also throughout LHS history. School hallways and walls are covered with trophies and pictures honoring past championship teams. Just in women’s golf alone,
Sports
Senior Hope Hartley plays Volleyball and sees the possibility of a chapmionship in the future. Photo by Hunter Harley
Coach Josh Stepp and Principal Melissa Rawl show off the Directors’ Award, a award represntin g the top atheltic prog ram in te sate. Photo courtesy of LHS
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Lexington has won seven of the last nine State championships. Such success is unheard of outside of Lexington. Many Wildcat athletes, though never having won a State championship, are still proud to wear royal blue and gold on game day. This includes senior volleyball player Hope Hartley. “It is an honor to be a part of such a successful athletic program. I feel proud to represent Lexington High School,” Hope said. Hope finds that our competitive spirit has led to many of Lexington’s successes. “We have many rivalries and I see River Bluff igniting a new rivalry with us,” Hope said. The opening of River Bluff is leaving many uncertain if the success of Lexington will continue. Hope does have doubts. “I see the possibility of a State championship in our future.” The future of Lexington may be unknown, but it is known that the successful past shines bright as a beacon of light for future Wildcats!
October 2013
New Ri va ls Gators stir up heated rivalry for Wildcats Courtney Geiger
Student Life Reporter
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or many students the addition of River Bluff High School has been bittersweet as some students left behind their friends and memories here at LHS to attend River Bluff High School for its first year open. Though the split between LHS and River Bluff has been mostly amicable, a new rivalry has begun to heat up between the Gators (River Bluff) and the Wildcats. Lexington High School is not new to rivalries, however. In fact, in years past Lexington has fostered heated rivalries with Irmo and White Knoll athletics -the residue of both is still present today. Now, River Bluff has been added to the Wildcat’s list of rivals. Still a 3A school, River Bluff does not compete within the same region as LHS. However, next year River Bluff is predicted to become a 4A school, like LHS, which is sure to intensify the already budding rivalry between the split schools. Besides significantly reducing the crowds in the hallways and the before/afterschool traffic, the split between LHS and River Bluff has also caused a significant reduction in the number of athletes in the LHS athletic department. With the break up of teams, past teammates are now competing
Student Life
Junior cross counrty runner Aston Diley practices after school. Photo by Courtney Gei ger
against each other which is helping to foster the LHS/ River Bluff rivalry even more. Autumn sports cross country and volleyball have already experienced repercussions of the split. “It was rough on the cross country team because they took our top runners, but we’re working harder now”, freshman cross-counrty runner Courtney White said. Cross country runners must face the new rivalry in a more personal manner. While sports like golf or baseball have minimal physical interaction with opponents, cross country
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runners must run directly next to their opponents. Naturally, this leads to a rivalry-like tension between past teammates who must compete side-by-side. Recently, the LHS girls volleyball team competed with and beat the first ever River Bluff volleyball team. “It’s increased the fan support and it gives the athletes a sense of drive. Because we do want to beat River Bluff, it’s made us more competetive”, junior volleyball player Spanky Hubbard said. Like Spanky said, the new rivalry with River Bluff will serve mainly as point of unification for the LHS student body. Soon we will all have the common goal: Beat River Bluff!
LHS Varisty Girls Volleyball Team defeats River Bluff and wins gold at White Knoll tournament. The Wildcats won the final match of the tournament 2-0 against Blythewood. Photo by Courtney Gei ger
October 2013
Color Me Cra zy 5K
Miles Joyner Columnist
Lauren Matthews Lead Photographer
In March 2013 Grace Anne Martin and Logan Martin finish the Color Run. Three other family members joined them for the run. Photo courtesy of Logan Martin
Feature
Absolutely amazing and thrilling. The [Color Me Rad] atmosphere was always excited and insane. Miranda Collins
Becca Farmer and Cana Rainwater participate in the October 2012 Color Me Rad run in downtown Columbia. Photo courtesy of Cana Rainwater
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October 2013
Miranda Collins shows her before and after look from participatin g in the Color Me Rad 5K on Sept. 28. She experienced runnin g throu gh five different colored powder bomb shot at her durin g the race. Photo courtesy of Miranda Collins
Supporting charity turns into creativity as runners exit race with colorful new look
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bsoulutely amazing and thrilling. The [Color Me Rad] atmosphere was always excited and insane. There were no rules or judgement. Everyone wanted to have fun and get colorful!” Senior Miranda Collins recently took part in the Color Me Rad 5K, a race that covers you with five different colored powders while you run. These style 5K’s have taken off in popularity since the Color Run appeared in January, 2012. Yet, with the most recent being the Color Me Rad on Sept. 28, the bright neon powders of color bombs are still on the mind, and clothes, of many runners. Miranda is one of those runners. Miranda summarized the race as a “memorable experience in which you run or walk with your friends
Feature
and family, throwing color bombs at each other and having the time of your life being RAD.” Not everything about this race was a colorful experience, though. Runners have to prepare for a 5K for days and weeks in order to reach their specefic time goals. From hitting the gym and running on the treadmills to a full fledge workout plan, those who plan to walk or run the race need to be prepared. Some, like Miranda, focused on endurance while others focused primarily on the specifics of running a 5K. Those that didn’t prepare took their time, but that doesn’t matter in the Color Me Rad race where time constraints don’t exist. Running a race that long with no feeling of urgencey is fun but leaves you wondering: What are we running for?
“At every location the race partners with a charity. South Carolina’s was Hot Wheels...donating brand new toys to children’s hospitals around the state,” Miranda said. Before entering the race, runners must pay a fee. A portion of that fee goes to a local charity. For those that missed Color Me Rad on Sept. 28, a 5K that covers you with a colored powerder after every kilometer, the Color Run advertises itself as the “happiest 5K on the planet” where running is fun. The main rule; start with a white shirt and finish plastered with color. The Color Run will be in Myrtle Beach, Nov. 9; and Charleston, Nov. 16. Or, just wait for the Color Me Rad 5K to return in 2014 for a fun colorful race with family and friends.
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October 2013
Worki ng
Michael Parks checks his e-mail at his internship with Surf Pro. Photo by Michael Parks
Class Sen i ors Camden Windham Promotions Director
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Erin Lavisky internin g at Bartlett Financial Photo by Erin Lavisky
Student Life
ith seniors coming closer to moving on from high school, they can take advantage of the opportunities provided for them. Interning is offered to seniors as a chance to be involved in a work environment. This year there are 42 students working at local companies for class credit. Internships range from churches, law offices, and pharmacies to local businesses. Now, how do the seniors gain class credit for their internships? There are many entities associated with earning an “A” for the internship credit. Interns have to complete at least 180 hours in the course of the semester, which averages two hours each day. They also have to complete a writing assignment per nine weeks. Alongside these requirements, they have to receive ample praise from their bosses or supervisors for their accomplishments. Many of the interns are held to high standards at the workplace. Their responsibilities vary from job
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to job based on the challenges presented to them. “I intern at Morgan’s Pharmacy in Gilbert. I observe the pharmacist and pharmacy technicians, enter information into the computer and fill prescriptions. I also get to count pills and put back the inventory of medications,” senior Taylor Turner said.
What are the requirements to become an intern? • Must be a senior • Must have a 2.3 or higher GPA • Must have all prerequisites out of the way or be taking those classes • Must fill out application and turn into district office • All materials must be turned in by the set deadlines
October 2013
The Many Chan ges i n the Mi ght y Leap avoiding pitfalls of college
Erik Martin Columnist
Workload
Notes
Attitude of Instructors
Grades
Student Life
high school perspective college student prespective The amount of work varies There is less work, but more depending on the class a student studying. It is guessed that for is in and studying is optional. every hour of class time, a student should spend two or three hours of study time outside of class. according to SMU. Teachers write notes on the board “Notes are not often spelled out and sometimes they will drop little on the board like in high school. clues of what will be on the test. The professors will lecture, but it is your responsibility to decipher what is important and what is not,” Longwood freshman Ross Beardsley said. Teachers monitor attendance and “Sometimes, if you miss class, it the student will get punished if he does not matter to the professor. skips class. Teachers monitor their Other times, the professor students’ progress. If a person is will deduct points from your struggling, the teacher might talk assignments.” Clemson freshman with them about a plan to get Erik Wendt said. them back on track. The grading scale in the state of “If you are struggling, it is your South Carolina is on a 5.0 scale. To responsibility to seek out help graduate, a student must pass all from a tutor or go to professors of the required classes and pass during their office hours. The both parts of the HSAP test. professors are glad to help. You just have to ask,” Erik Wendt said.
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October 2013
Hear from t he Sta ff gossip creating turmoil in high school Miles Joyner Columnist
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ou never really understand a person until you consider thin gs from their point of view…until you climb into [their] skin and walk around in it” (Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockin gbird). In a high school settin g those words get lost amon gst the day to day drama of many students. Brick hallways echo with gossip about friends f ightin g friends, Facebook drama, and the “he said, she said” of couple’s quarrels. We’re tau ght conf lict resolution every year, and schools work hard to create prog rams desig ned to diffuse ten sion. But does it ever truly work? The an swer, more often than not, is no. All the prog rams desig ned to generate a feelin g of
Commentary
understandin g get mocked by students or abandoned by those in charge of runnin g it. Once those outlets fail, we’re back to every teenagers default solutions; gossipin g and confrontation. Gossip is simple. You tell a few of your enemies’, or recently exed-friend’s, secrets to the school loudmouths. The goal: justify your feelin g of hurt and destroy the competition’s chance of gainin g the support of people that could get involved. If your opponent lacks the social connections you have, then you are dubbed the unoff icial winner. But when your enemy wa s recently a friend, the mutuals beg in to get involved and the f ight to be understood beg ins. We’ve all repeated the details of drama to countless friends a skin g for help (and secretly hopin g for backup). With the time spent workin g for the support of friends, we never take time to listen
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to what others have to say. As high schoolers it can be diff icult to put a side our pride and understand the other side of the story. Relyin g on whispers and snippets of information to piece together the other side, words get jumbled and the real story becomes cloudy. Words are twisted and chan ged to fuel the emotions of a possibly misg uided rage. Picture two friends that have very different idea s on how to handle a situation. Friend A (the one currently in the problem) wants to do thin gs her way while friend B doesn’t think her friend is doin g the right thin g. A f ight ensues that leaves the two ex-friends in the middle of a large misunderstandin g rooted in friend B just tryin g to help someone she cares about. That an ger will never go away until Friend A realizes why it all started. Now imag ine the same friends (A ,B) takin g the time
October 2013
to listen to each other. Takin g time to f ind out what’s wron g without hidin g behind the words of others. No more lyin g to each other and no more sendin g messages throu gh vag ue updates on social networkin g. Finally, everythin g that should have
been said can be said. Even if the friends don’t make up, at lea st the bad blood between them will have gone away and the lies cleared. It’s the ideal senario. Yet so often do we f ind ourselves backed up against a wall, trapped by our own
stubbornness of just an inability to have our side be seen. In the end drama is just drama, high school isn’t permanent, and friendships will fall to make way for new ones. But you will always face confrontation, and have to learn to handle it well.
absurd problem in modern-day athletics Erik Martin Columnist
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ome people want to get things done the fast way (the way that will not take as much time or effort). This concept also applies to sports. The fast-paced “run and g un” offense is sweeping the high school and college football worlds by a storm. Basketball teams like to run and score more points. The fans also like to see points and with that comes “f lash.” Because of this, coaches have been wondering how to slow the game down. Someone introduced the concept of
Commentary
faking injuries to coaches and since then, sports have been changed for the worse. In some sports, like soccer, it has been debated that injuries have been faked for decades. In other sports, like football and basketball, faking injuries is a fairly new concept. “We (The Bears) had a g uy who was the desig nated dive g uy,” √Brian Urlacher said in an ESPN.com report. Faking injuries puts the officials in a tight spot, because refs are not doctors. So naturally, they assume that the player is hurt. Even if the officials knew that a player was faking, there is currently no rule in college or professional football that
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states a penalty for faking an injury. Dave Cutaia, the Former Pac10 Coordinator of Off iciating commented on this in a report by the Oregonian. “The only thing an off icial can do – and this is at every level – is if they see what looks like an injury, they have to stop the clock. We can’t get in the business of deciding whether it is valid or not.” Faking injuries has been going on for years in sports and it needs to stop now before it trickles down to peewee sports. If it does not stop, coaches will start teaching the little kids that this is what you are supposed to do when you get tired.
October 2013