AIRPORT HIGH SCHOOL
West Columbia, SC
March 4, 2016
Black History Month festivities feature celebrity food truck owners, TRIVIA, movie buyout, AND many other activities By Eric Hall Hall830@lex2.org Every February is Black History Month, and this year was no exception. The AHS Black History Committee, co-chaired by Mrs. Hightower and Ms. Jefferson, pulled off an excellent assembly with additional activities sprinkled throughout the month. The assembly itself was, of course, the most noticeable part of the celebration. Students gathered into the auditorium in two groups, running an AM double-assembly schedule, on Tuesday, February 23. The assembly began with some opening remarks by student cochair Melanie Sands, who elucidated the setting, themes, and ideas of this year’s Black History Month topic, Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memory. The word “hallowed” means something that is admired and respected, usually because it is old or important. In other words, this year’s theme for Black History Month, determined by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), was all about recognizing important places in the canon of Black History, both good and bad. The assembly continued with some of the participant students
PHOTO: AHS Student News Dr. Brooks introduces guest speakers and celebrity food truck owners Corey Simmons & Ramone Dickerson, who spoke to students regarding the importance of failure as an often necessary step to success.
dressed up as famous people such as Harriet Tubman, Dr. Charles Drew, Jackie Roberson, Venus Williams, and Michael P. Anderson. The students who dressed as these important figures wore costumes all day and gave clues about who they were for everyone else to try and guess. This was followed by a song by the Honors Chorus and students in Mrs. Hightower and Mrs. Kish’s classes. Next was an amazing duet of the song “Amazing Grace,” sung
by Ms. Torres from the Guidance Department and Mrs. Jefferson, a science teacher new to AHS this year. After the duet was an outstanding performance by drill team members Edwin Torres and Robbie Sterky. Their twisting and twirling of rifles combined with beat-like marching movements was met with high satisfaction and applause from the audience. Continued on p. 2
NEWS
2 AIRPORT HIGH SCHOOL Continued from p. 1 And to end the assembly, two guest speakers Corey Simmons and Ramone Dickerson, came to have a word with the students about the troubles they'd faced along their path to success. Simmons & Dickerson talked about their food business, 2 Fat 2 Fly, and what made them pursue their goals and why it’s important not to give in chasing your dreams. The guest speakers this year were especially exciting because they are celebrities, having appeared on a reality program on Oprah’s OWN network and various other shows in conjunction with that, such as Steve Harvey. In addition to the assembly, several other Black Historythemed events occurred throughout the month. Jazz music was played in the library, soul food was served at lunch on the day of the assembly, daily trivia questions were asked by Dr. Brooks on the morning announcements, and the newspaper staff sponsored an essay contest. There was even a 4th block movie buyout on Friday, 2/26. Students could pay $5 to miss that period and watch a movie in the auditorium. A very special thanks to Student Government and the
West Columbia, SC teacher committee members for putting on a great program this year. “I would like to give the Black History Committee members my sincere thanks for all their time, help, and support that was given to make this Black History Month a success,” said committee co-chair Deborah Hightower in an email to the staff. The teachers who assisted included Wanda Sharpe, Susan Jones, Margaret Martin, Karen Kish, Sherkeria Elkins, Tiffany Willis, Tamora Burns, Caitlin Rasmussen, Vicki Stilwell, Tina
March 4, 2016 Seddon, Linda Goodwin, Sgt. Major Ferguson, Christi Cook, Michael Rooker, Deborah Williams, Anne Reamer, Felicia Torres, Dr. Antoinette Elliott, and Leon Jones. The students volunteers were Melanie Sands, Samantha Miles, and Sara Copeland. PHOTO: AHS Student News Bottom left. Science teacher Chanda Jefferson and Ms. Felicia Torres from the Guidance department impress students with their rendition of “Amazing Grace.” Bottom right. The Honors Chorus sings along with members of Mrs. Hightower’s and Mrs. Kish’s classes. Top. Students dress as famous figures in African American history.
NEWS AIRPORT HIGH SCHOOL
West Columbia, SC
3 March 4, 2016
Assembly kicks off March Madness @ Airport, a.k.a. Charity Drive Time By Raven Bradshaw Bradsh345@lex2.org In addition to the Black History Month assembly held on the week of 2/22, that week also kicked off AHS’s annual Charity Drive with an assembly as well. In the past, Airport High School has sent hundreds of kids to camp. This Charity Drive plans on raising over $55,000 for Camp Kemo. Last year, Airport raised a little over $54,000. It was a little under the expected goal, but eve-
ryone is working very hard to make this Charity Drive have a huge outcome. This year’s events include all the pervious events like Jail Lockup, Penny Wars, and the great and famous Food Fest. New events for this year include LipSync Battle, Dodge Ball Tournaments, Glow in the Dark Dodge Ball, Bubble Soccer, and a Public Car Show. While Charity Drive kick off wasn't as “hyped up” like it was in the past years, Charity Drive is
something for everyone in the school to be excited about. Spirits are still high and everyone is looks forward to donating money. If its buying out of class or stuffing your face at Food Fest, we all know its for a great cause. The Airport Eagles definitely soar above all others when it comes to their generosity. Extensive coverage of Charity Drive events will be prominently featured in our next issue, scheduled for release on March 19.
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NEWS West Columbia, SC
March 4, 2016
AHS hosts annual Mr. Eagle pageant to benefit Camp Kemo, goes off without hitch By DeAundre Scott Scott343@lex2.org The Mr. Eagle Pageant was held on Saturday, February 27. Several of Airport’s finest young men, including myself, competed in a variety of categories and theme wear events for the crown. It is like Ms. Aquila for For the contestants, there were two themes to dress for: one being sportswear, where a lot of the contestants shined in their various athletic outfits, and secondly was formal wear, wherein the contestants flirted with the judges and wore fancier clothing. There were many winners in various categories, with Evan Richardson winning Best Hair, Johnathan Bennet with Best Smile, and Chris Staley winning Best Dressed, just to name a few. The overall winner of the Mr. Eagle pageant was 12th grade
student Evan Richardson. Josh Tucker placed second. Personally, my favorite part of the pageant was how everything was just sort of laid back and non-serious. Tanner Glenn, also a contestant, said his favorite part was when the senior contestants did the moonwalk when giving their half turns in the formal wear portion of the competition. There were well over fifty people in attendance, says Glenn, a pretty good turn out all things considered. The event had a good cause behind it with all of the proceeds going to help send kids to Camp Kemo. Campers and counselors from Camp Kemo made an appearance in the pageant.. In the end, there was a good amount of money donated to a good cause to help send kids with cancer to summer camp.
PHOTO: Kreations by Kris Photography Mr. Eagle Evan Richardson with Ms. Aquila winner Josey Dorn.
PHOTO: Kreations by Kris Photography Senior contestants Tanner Glenn, Joshua Tucker, DeAundre Scott, Evan Richardson, Josh Copeland, and Lamar Brooks lined up in the formal wear portion of the competition.
SPORTS AIRPORT HIGH SCHOOL
West Columbia, SC
PHOTO: Tatiyanna Minor Tatiyanna poses in her uniform at a football game last fall.
By Tatiyanna Minor Minor@lex2.org The Airport High Cheerleading team’s season has recently come to a close. As a senior member of the squad, I’d like to share some thoughts on the season and the sport in general. In past years at AHS, our cheerleading team has been known for being the 3A Lower State Champs or runners- up. Well, all that changed during the 2015-2016 year. In other words, the team has been good, despite what naysayers like to claim
about cheerleading not being a real sport. Many people say cheerleading is not a sport, but in high school on a competitive team it is definitely sport. Cheering on a competitive team is a lot of hard word and commitment. It's either you want it or you don't. Being the captain of a cheer team is even harder, as you have to make sure that nearly thirty girls are all in shape, healthy, committed, tight, in the correct order, loud and most important ready for every competition. A lot of people don't really know what cheerleading is, but Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of various events, sporting games or standalone competitions. Back to the AHS cheer team, this year was one of the worst cheerleading seasons ever. To have a high school cheer team you must have a legal coach to watch over you, but this year had some issues with that. This year we went through two coaches. In the beginning of the season everything was okay, I guess. We didn't have the strongest team but we were willing to build one. There were a lot of young girls and more than half the team was new so everything had to be taught to them. It was very stressful, but as a captain I knew if everyone worked hard we would be great; well, at least I thought this was what would happen. On a comp team you go to camp for a week and that's supposed to improve your team and
5 March 4, 2016
also bring you closer together. After coming back from camp, the team was not only better than when we left but we was also more of a family, which is the way it should be. After two months of cheering and towards the middle of football season, we slowly started to see that we were not ready for competition. Only one person had the last say, and that was our coach. Shortly after seeing the team was not ready, our coach had some surprising news for us. She let us know that we was not going to competing and she was no longer going to be coaching us. A lot of girls on the team were very hurt because nobody really understood why, and some thought it was their fault. It was hard to try and keep everyone’s heads up to work hard and stay focused. Once we got a new coach, I thought maybe this coach could help us be better, but every girl on the team lost her faith and started to turn on each other. The new coach worked hard to try to bring us together, but it seemed like nothing was working. The team was a mess; everyone wanted to do their own thing. People outside the schools talked about us and even students at our school talked down on us. Every girl felt betrayed, not just by our coach but by each other. As a captain and senior, I felt like this was my worst cheer season and I couldn't wait for it to be over. It amazed me how one set back destroyed the whole team. But, I couldn't let my senior cheer season go out like that, so I brought my new coach and team together to talk and I told them to stay motivated and make the best of the rest of the season because you can give up on every sport, but you can never give up in competitive cheerleading; you always have to fight to the finish.
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SPORTS West Columbia, SC
March 4, 2016
AHS basketball season comes to a close after great season, final game lost to Marlboro County By DeAundre Scott Scott343@lex2.org
On February 19, our Airport Eagles took on Marlboro County at Marlboro County. Unfortunately, however, we lost. This was our Eagles second round playoff game. It was a long trip to Marlboro for our Eagles, with Marlboro County High School being about a two hour drive from Airport Well, our Eagles came in the first quarter a little sluggish, being down by 5 at the end of the first. In the second, the Eagles woke up and the shots were falling. At the end of the second quarter, the game was tied up before the half. In the third, the quarter went back and forth with the score being tied until the last two minutes of the the 3rd, with Marlboro County gaining a 10 point lead. In the fourth, Marlboro county gained an additional 10 point lead, giving them an overall 20 point lead against our Eagles 72-52. Sadly, our Eagles’ season has come to an end but great
achievements for our seniors achieving 54 wins in the last 3 years so great things still come to our Eagles despite this loss. Overall, it was a great season for our Airport Eagles and
I was glad that my final year as an AHS basketball spectator ended on a high-note season.
SPORTS AIRPORT HIGH SCHOOL
By Colby Spires Spires821@lex2.org Bryson Summers is a teacher and a coach at Airport High School. He teaches Special Education and coaches football and golf. He graduated from Airport in 2005 and went to Presbyterian College. He played football throughout both high school and PHOTO: Colby Spires Couch Summers shows a player how to improve his swing.
West Columbia, SC
7 March 4, 2016
college. Additionally, he is a talented golfer and enjoys playing alongside his players. Being a player under Coach Summers is a fun experience. As a golfer who had never picked up a club until my freshman year tryout, to being a top player in my senior year shows his ability PHOTO: Stock Photo as a coach to teach and make his players into golfers that can per- gion.” As it pertains to the future form in a tournament atmos- of Airport boys golf, he wants a phere. leader to emerge out of the young In an interview I con- group. ducted with Coach SumThe boys golf team is in good mers he hands with Coach s a i d , Summers. Its pool “It's important “Coaching of young talent that somebody the golf under the coachstep up and team allows ing of Coach Sumfor me to become a leader mers is looking to both coach contend for a state so others and learn title in the next 2will follow” more about 3 years according a game that -Coach Summers to Summers. He I really realso offers an invispect.” tation for anyone In talking to Coach interested in golf to attend a Summers, I got a under- match to view some strong comstanding of his plans for petition. this season and his Hopefully, this season will be plans for the future. This a winning one. season, he wants to see the team “challenge Aiken and Gilbert for the top spot in the re-
8 AIRPORT HIGH SCHOOL
SPORTS West Columbia, SC
March 4, 2016
By Josh Talton Talton@lex2.org
The Airport baseball team scrimmaged River Bluff on Friday, February 26th. The Eagles played very badly. River Bluff won 7-0. Airport was not ready to play. They looked and played flat. Although River Bluff is a very good team, they should not have beaten the Eagles of Airport that way. Airport is much better than the way they played. The Eagles were mad about the game and yelling at each other and were just not in the right mindset to play baseball, let alone beat someone. They were not confident at all and it showed. They made errors left and right, they could not hit worth two cents, and the pitchers could not throw strikes. As a player, I was embarrassed of the way we played. As a team we did not play together. We sucked. But, now it’s time for us to get playing the way we know how to. It all starts on the mound. If our pitchers do good and throw strikes, everything will fall into place. Our fielders will be more focused on the game which will create less errors, which will increase our confidence, which will increase our hitting. Coach Perry was not happy about the game, but he was not mad about the game either, and as a player I appreciated this reaction. He was
PHOTO: Airporteaglesbaseball.com The 2016 Varsity Airport Baseball Team.
upset about our body language after we got down a few runs early in the game. After the game he met with the team in right field, as he does after every home game, and explained his thoughts. He said, “We didn’t face adversity well. We got down early and failed to get back up.” He went on saying how upset he was that as many seniors as we have, we do not have any leadership on our team. Which I have a feeling will change very soon. He was also pissed about how we talked to each other. We weren’t positive at all. Everything we said to one another about the game was negative. Our team mates need a boost sometimes and we weren’t giving to them. Statements would be made that would just make someone else mad. No one wants to give
more effort just because someone else gets mad, if anything it will do the opposite. We are a very talented and experienced team. We can shout-out teams and beat them by ten runs or more. That scrimmage was a wake up call for us. The regular season began Thursday, March 3, versus Newberry, and they are no slouch and cannot be taken lightly. This year is going to be a great year for Airport Baseball. So, come out and support us. We didn’t have a huge turnout Friday, but that is to be expected for a scrimmage. We need a lot of support and if you do come out and watch, you will not be disappointed.
SPORTS AIRPORT HIGH SCHOOL
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West Columbia, SC
March 4, 2016
: , By Hannah Crumpton & Bryan Estrada Crumpton259@lex2.org, Estrada636@lex2.org This past weekend, February 25-28, the Boys and Girls Varsity Soccer Teams travelled to North Myrtle Beach, SC for the Nash Tournament. The Nash Tournament was started in 1994 and was founded in order to raise money for college -bound North Myrtle Beach soccer players. The tournament is held in honor of the former North Myrtle Beach soccer player, Michael Nash, who was killed in a tragic accident in 1993. Michael was only two days away from achieving every soccer player’s dream of playing collegiate soccer. The Varsity Girls Soccer Team won their first game on Friday, February 26th, against Georgetown with an amazing 16-0 victory. Not only did the Lady Eagles score a huge number of goals, but they shut out the Georgetown ladies entirely. The Lady Eagles’ second game that day, though, they sadly lost 2-0 against North Myrtle Beach, but to their benefit, it was North Myrtle Beach’s first game of the day and the Lady Eagles’ second. The next morning the Lady Eagles played Myrtle Beach and were sadly defeated and had to return home. The Lady Eagles went 1-3 for the weekend. The Varsity Boys Soccer Team also played their first game on
Friday, February 26th. They played Hartsville and won 4-1. The next day, Saturday, February 27th, the Eagles tied North Myrtle Beach 33. That same day the Eagles played Aynor and defeated them 5-1 enabling them to be able to proceed to the championship game the next day. Sunday, February 28th, the Eagles played Waccamaw. The Eagles not only defeated Waccamaw, but they won with a shutout with the final score being 4-0. The Eagles went 3-1-0 for the weekend. The boys winning the championship was not the only exciting thing that happened at the tournament. From the Varsity Girls Soccer Team, Heather Turner made All Tournament. From the Boys Varsity Soccer Team, Brandon Pope, Jeremy Cheeks, Erick Arellano, and Jimmy Broughton all made All Tournament. Not only did Jeremy Cheeks make all tournament, but he was also named the MVP for the entire tournament. All in all the weekend was a success.
PHOTOS: Bryan Estrada Top. Coach Masone and senior, Jeremy Cheeks receive the tournament champion trophy. Middle. Juan Sandoval, Luis Andrade, and Erick Arellano take pictures after winning the Michael Nash Tournament. Bottom. Airport varsity soccer lines up for a team photo after going 3-0-1 on the weekend.
10 AIRPORT HIGH SCHOOL
SPORTS West Columbia, SC
March 4, 2016
2016 Tennis Preview By Gabriel Hoover Hoover188@lex2.org Airport High School tennis will be kicking off the season with their first match against White Knoll High School on Tuesday, March 8th. Last season was an all time peak for the team; they had amazing players with excellent communication. The team made it to the state final, but ended up losing. Unfortunately, after such a good season, one of the best in the history of Airport, the team suffered the loss of some standouts due to their being seniors and graduating. They lost their number two position Ben Elbrecht, number three Jacob Watts, a transfer student, and number five Jeffrey Green. The team still has lots of potential, but will essentially be rebuilding. Do still expect a good season, though; we have seen some newcomers that are showing great potential, and the turnout of players has been one of the best in recent history. I would recommend keeping your eyes on the newest addition, junior Austin Holbrook, who on only his first day out won himself a position in the winners brackets of the team challenges. Challenges dictate the position that a player will have; there are seven positions to be
played, and the sixth and seventh positions typically play doubles matches. With a little hard work and determination the team is expecting to, at the least, win region. The presence of so many new players is also a positive for the team because they will be the next “generation” of eagles to hit the court, hopefully not resulting in such a severe problem as losing the majority of the team from
previous seasons. The coach this year for the boys’ team is Mr. Michael Williams. Mr. Williams has been the Airport High School tennis coach for the past few years and is a previous athlete himself here at the school. Thanks to his efforts the team has been revived nearly to its former glory. Good luck to the team this season!
SPORTS
11 March 4, 2016
AIRPORT HIGH SCHOOL
Hamlin wins Daytona 500, Johnson ties Earnhardt for most wins By Allie Hall Hall720@lex2.org On February 21st, the Daytona 500 was held, the most anticipated race of the NASCAR season. Starting first, the rookie Chase Elliott, was a top pick to win the 500. Overall, the day was an average day of racing. Matt Kenseth led the last thirty laps, until the final three when things got interesting. Denny Hamlin moved from fourth to first through the backstretch. Hamlin took home his first Daytona 500 win, beating Martin Truex by .01 seconds; this is now the closest finish in the history of the Daytona 500. "I had no anticipations of winning this race on the white flag lap," Hamlin said. "I didn't know we had won. I knew it was close. I saw the pylon change and blink at the last second with the 11. I heard people on the radio crazy and excited and assumed we won at that point.” Last Sunday, the crew traveled to Atlanta to race the Folds of Honor Quick Trip 500. The race was caution free for over 170 laps. Softer tires made for “short pit” strategies and allowed drivers to continue racing longer without as many pit stops. Kevin Harvick dominated by leading the most laps in Atlanta.
PHOTO: bbc.com Denny Hamlin crosses the finish line fir his first Daytona 500 win at his 11th attempt .
However, the biggest news is the win for Jimmie Johnson. Jonson pitted with 48 laps to go, and holds through an overtime restart to record his 76th career victory. Not only does this
secure Johnson for the chase to the championship, but it also ties Johnson for Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s most wins.
PHOTO: Nascar.com Johnson’s car in the lead at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
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STUDENT LIFE West Columbia, SC
March 4, 2016
Spring break without busting your budget By Allie Hall Hall720@lex2.org Spring break is a small sip of summer to get you through the last few weeks of school before your three month vacation. Everyone looks forward to spending their time on the beach soaking in the sun, but what if you don’t have the money to make the trip? Sure, Columbia isn’t as great as Charleston, Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head, but it has a lot to offer that you may n o t k n o w about. Columbiacvb.com, our city’s official tourism site, says, “Columbia, SC will tantalize all with a relaxing, comfortable pace, and an abundance of activities.” And what sounds better than the word free or cheap? Nothing. Here’s a list of some things you can do in Columbia on a budget during your spring break. If you’re itching to be by the water, spend a day on the lake! Lake Murray has a wide variety of opportunities to enjoy the sun and the water at the same time. Whether you’re water skiing, tubing or just tanning to the beach area Lake Murray has
it all for your day in the sun! “I love going to the Lake,” says senior Anna-Leigh Taylor, “it’s the closest thing we have to the beach and my friends and I have a great time!” Maybe you’re into a more quiet, relaxed spot to enjoy the water; Congaree River is the place for you then! Take a day to float down the river from Riverbanks Zoo to the West Columbia River-
“Columbia, SC will tantalize all with a relaxing, comfortable pace, and an abundance of activities.” walk or picnic on the rocks and try to catch a few fish afterwards. Both of these water ready ideas are nearly free, with Lake Murray only charging for parking and the Riverwalk is as cheap as ten dollars per person to tube.
PHOTO: Russell Pauley A bright sunny day at the State House in Downtown Columbia.
Besides water attractions, Columbia also has a lot of history waiting for you to discover it. From the Vista, to Main Street PHOTO: Allie Hall Enjoying a trip to Pelican’s and Five Snoballs for her birthday, Points, the Allie decided to get blue raspberry, one of her favorcapital city ites! has restaurants and local shops to fill your day while exploring downtown. Take a day to walk the grounds of the State House and visit Mast General Store for an old fashioned feeling with a new age flare. If you love the ghost tours in Charleston, try the ones in Columbia during a night out. You’ll be amazed by the stories told during the tours, and you’ll see the city in a new light. Walking downtown is absolutely FREE and the ghost tours are under fifty dollars per person!
STUDENT LIFE AIRPORT HIGH SCHOOL Along with ghost tours in Columbia, there are also many urban legends regarding local paranormal activity close to Airport High School. It is believed that Old State Rd. in Cayce, S.C. is haunted because of a school bus accident during the 1970’s. It is known that if you put your car in neutral over the railroad tracks, it will be pushed off and after there will be small handprints on your back bumper. This is absolutely free, however, go at your own risk. Want something to cool you off while you’re out on the town? Try Pelican’s Snoballs, now with three locations. Pelican’s offers the best snow cones at the best prices. From two dollars to five, it’s almost a steal. PS also offers discounts for military members and for those who dress up as specific characters like Batman. You can’t miss the small building as it’s painted bright pelican blue at it’s Rosewood location, Lexington location and West Columbia location.
West Columbia, SC What’s a snow cone without some SEC baseball? The South Carolina Gamecock baseball team ranked in the top twentyfive is a sight to see this year! Not only is it a good way to cheer for a local team, but it also is a cheap way to pass the time. Most tickets are under ten dollars and every seat in the complex offers a great view of the field. Jerry Price, a senior, says the Gamecocks are headed for a good season, and says he can’t wait to go see them play. What’s more, the stadium is just over the Knox Abbott bridge, not far at all from West Columbia. After you’ve spent a couple minutes in the famously hot Columbia sun, you may want to go inside to cool off. No worries, take some time to explore the South Carolina State Museum. At only nine dollars for general admission, the museum is a great opportunity to study up on some of the great history we have in our state. Now, the SCSM has a planetarium, a 4D movie theater and a blockbuster
PHOTO: Allie Hall On the Congaree River, Hunter LaFrage enjoyed a day of sun, fun, and friends all for the small cost of nothing!
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exhibit which is currently focused on Julius Caesar. If the museum isn’t quite your scene, head over to Spotlight Cinemas on St. Andrews Rd. for a movie at a discounted price. Spotlight Cinemas offers movies at the extremely low price of two dollars and has a concession stand to accommodate your cravings while watching the movies. Although not an upscale theater, Spotlight is under new management and is currently renovating the building to give viewers the best experience possible! Although you may not have the funds to travel a huge distance this spring break, don’t worry. Columbia, S.C. offers a numerous amount of attractions for you and your friends to enjoy at a low cost. For more information on what Columbia has to do, visit http://www.columbiacvb. com/things-to-do/ to plan your weekend or find even more things to do during your spring break!
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STUDENT LIFE West Columbia, SC
March 4, 2016
Valentine’s Day: Modern holiday, medieval origins By EJ Hiers hiers788@lex2.org Every February 14th, thousands of cards, chocolates, gifts, and flowers are exchanged as a sign of love and adoration to their special valentine. The day we call Valentine’s Day is devoted to celebrating romance and spending time with one’s significant other. The day is actually named after a Christian martyr, St. Valentine, and dates as far back as the 5th century. But where does this come from? There are a few possibilities; some suggest that it originates from the legend that St. Valentine went against the king’s wishes concerning single men in the military and continued to marry couples in secrecy. Other myths say that he helped Christians escape captivity from places where they were beat and tortured and that he was caught and sentenced to death. Another legend says that while imprisoned he fell in love with the warden’s daughter and before his execution wrote her a love and farewell letter, signing it “your valentine”. When it comes to tradition, Valentine’s Day customs are some that don’t change very often. Many people think that gifts, cards, dinner, and a movie are all you need to complete a Valentine’s Day date. However, some people, such as senior Zach Feaster, believe that those are impor-
tant, but that the most important part is to spend it with somebody you love. He says that the ultimate goal for Valentine’s Day is to “show your significant other how much they mean to you”. When asked to elaborate,Feaster said, “It’s not about the holiday; it’s about spending it with the one you love.” Zach has been in a relationship for almost a year, saying that an ideal date would dinner at Miyabi’s and a drive-in movie. With a spending budget of $45, flowers and personal letter are tokens of love that he chooses to exchange with his significant other. He also finds it important to get something, whether it be expensive or not, to get your “valentine” something just to show that you’re thinking about them. Valentine’s Day is a holiday t o show each other’s meaning, so in many people’s cases, budget is not important. In total, 18.9 billion was spent last Valentine’s Day. 52.2
million was spent on flowers, 50 million of jewelry, 38.3 million on apparel, 18.6 million on specialty gifts, 7.2 million on movies, 7.1 million on restaurants, and 1.2 million on salons and spas. Candy is also a huge part in people’s spending totaling out to 1.2 million alone spent on candy. Whatever you did on Valentine’s Day, with or without a significant other, the ideal of romantic love should be celebrated.
POLITICS AIRPORT HIGH SCHOOL
West Columbia, SC
15 MARCH 4, 2016
Trump yet again dominates in Gop polls, wins SC GOP Primary &Super Tuesday By Nicholas McGee McGee419@lex2.org
This weekend was a historic day for South Carolina voters. Republican voters had the widest range in choice of candidates ever for a South Carolina primary, with a total number of sixteen candidates from which to choose.. They were able to choose anyone from mildmannered candidates like Jeb Bush and Ben Carson to the political sparer's of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz and many personalities in between. Donald Trump, the longtime Republican frontrunner, keeps his winning streak alive by winning his second consecutive state after South Carolina’s primary on Saturday the 27th. While Trump continues on seemingly unchanged, Ted Cruz’s bid to the White House took a bit of a hit on Saturday as he fell to third in South Carolina behind Marco Rubio’s surging poll numbers. Second place for the Rubio camp is considered a big win because the South Carolina vote acts as the biggest swing vote factor for undecided voters in other southern states. These states look to our state’s primary due to its “first in the south” vote. Although it was a close race
between Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, this second place victory gives Rubio the best chance of dethroning the “outside-the-box” candidate of Donald Trump. Born into a family of immigrants, Rubio has a good chance to win the Republican nominee for President of the United States. Trump was born into a wealthy family and many voters associate this to him not having to work hard to get where he is today as a powerful businessman. In this aspect, his closest rival in Rubio and Cruz are indeed very different. Following the primary this past Saturday several candidates had the final nail put in the coffin of their political campaigns. Former Florida Governor, Jeb Bush, would have made history being the third person in his family to become President, but critics called him weak and unambitious, which lead him to suspend his campaign on Saturday night after a fourth place finish in South Carolina. Dr. Ben Carson fell in the poles as well, but remains running for the nomination still standing on his campaign motto that the American people want a president who will
stand up for our nation. Although Donald Trump continues to soar in his newfound political success, tradition would suggest that the Republican voters in America want a faithful, honest, and smart man who can garner bipartisan support to help send our nation in the right direction. Whether Trump will go on to be that man, remains to be seen, but his current run of success is nothing short of noteworthy. Similar events occurred on super Tuesday or March first 2016. Republican favorite Donald trump all but seals the deal to be the Republican presidential nominee. Donald trump won seven states and continues to lead in the polls. Marco Rubio had a big second place finish in south Carolina, but senator Ted Cruz goes back to second by winning three states on super Tuesday. Rubio only won one State but stays in the presidential bid because of his home state of Florida. If Rubio wins Florida, which he is projected to do, then he could have a chance to win.
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OPINION West Columbia, SC
March 4, 2016
A NEW FOUND RESPECT For uncontrolled anxiety By Lyric Harrison Harrison724@lex2.org In 2005, 6.7 percent of the us population age 18 and older suffer from some sort of mental illness like depression or anxiety. Some people experience these feelings daily or nearly daily for no apparent reason, making it difficult to carry on with normal, everyday functioning. These people look like everyone else but inside there is a war. I personally have both depression and anxiety. It had been controlled enough with medication but one of the struggles with this illness is finding the long term medication that works for you. some people can find theirs in one try. For others, like me, it takes a few tries to find the right one. While finding the right medication you can have severe spells of the illness. While most people without the illness say it’s all in our heads and some say we can control it, in reality it is a chemical that our brain doesn't have enough of and the side effects can cause trouble concentrating and living in general. Anxiety can cause you to feel like you should
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panic, cause you to shake and worry. this makes working nearly impossible. depression causes similar problems include sleepiness or lack or energy or motivation to do anything. Now, with that information, imagine living your everyday life like this. Imagine shaking and not being able to control it. Imagine feeling like you are drowning on land. Seems hard, doesn't it? Well, 6.7 percent of people live with this every day. They act normal because they are afraid to show weakness and be judged. I personally have a new found
respect for people who live with uncontrolled anxiety and or depression. in the little time that I have had with the sever symptoms I wonder how people live with that as a normal. I definitely respect them and they deserve more respect form everyone, especially in school situations. If you are struggling with uncontrolled anxiety or depression, several resources available, including the Samaritans’ crisis hotline at (212) 673-3000.
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2016 Oscars feature diversity drama, LOW ratings; winners still deserving By Austin Phelps Phelps621@lex2.org The annual Academy Awards aired Sunday night on ABC. According to Variety.com, an estimated 34 million people worldwide tuned in to the program; even though that seems like a lot, it was actually the lowest number of viewers in 8 years. Coverage of the awards on ABC began at 7:00 with red carpet interviews, with some cable networks beginning as early as 6:00. Most of the focus of this portion of the coverage revolved around fashion, with the quintessential question of “Who are you wearing?” being asked by pretty much every interviewee and proving that the clothing worn at the ceremony is almost as important as the films honored. At the 88th Academy Awards, "Spotlight," the film about the Boston Globe's investigation into priest abuse, won for best picture. Leonardo DiCaprio, heavily favored to win for lead actor, won his first Academy Award, after four previous acting nominations, for his starring role as a man who survives a vicious grizzly bear attack in “The Revenant.” His director, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, had just gotten his second directing win in a row for "The Revenant," having previously won for last year’s “Birdman.” The film came into the night with the most nominations at 12 but only won three.
Overall, "Mad Max: Fury Road" has the most bragging rights, with six statuettes from 10 nods in total. The major upset of the evening was Sylvester Stallone's loss to Mark Rylance of "Bridge of Spies" for supporting actor. Stallone has previously won an Oscar related to the Rocky series in the 1980s, when he won for best screenplay; yes, believe it or not, Stallone was the creative mind behind the famous film franchise. The evening marked the climax of one of the most controversial Oscar seasons in Hollywood history, as a bitter debate over the lack of any acting nominees of color for the second year in a row roiled the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Several Hollywood heavyweights, including actors Will & Jada Smith and director Spike Lee, boycotted the event. Others, including host Chris Rock himself, accused the naysayers of making mountains out of molehills. While certain minorities were indeed snubbed this year, including black “Creed” director Ryan Coogler and starring actor Michael B. Jordan, did exist, whether or not this occurred due to systemic racism within the Academy is doubtful, especially since the Academy’s current president, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, is herself African American. Regardless of what resolutions may exist for this year’s Academy Awards controversy, there was no doubt a negative light cast on the event this year.
Of note, unlike in many previous years, no single film dominated the night, as academy voters spread their love around to a wide range of contenders. Senior, Colby Spires, says, “the racial overtones were very strong, but the comedic relief from Chris Rock made the show interesting. Also, those who should've won an award, won an award.”
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By Emanuel McKenley mckenley186@lex2.org When the word "black history" comes to mind, I think of struggle, pain, greed, power, and most of all patience. There are many spiritually powerful African-American leaders who contributed to black history, who inspire me to this day to be humble, wise, loving, patient, stand on principles, be mentally awake and morally straight, and also keep the legacy of black excellence alive. To name a few, Martin Luther King, as we all know, was a man of integrity who stood for righteousness, peace, love, and humility. Martin Luther King was a man who faced segregation and knew in his heart it was wrong, he also had a dream; his dream began at an early age when he was told he could not play with his friend because of his skin color. His dream was for all children to have the right to be one with each other regardless of their skin color. His dream was for all black and white children to have the right he didn’t have as a child, to love, and be one with an opposite race. Martin Luther King really inspires me to keep hope alive, because if a man could have hope in that time period about something that seemed like it would be impossible, I can have hope for anything. He also inspires, and motivates me to dream big, because anything can be achieved, if you put in time, and effort and work diligently toward that goal, all you have to do is be patient, and dedicated and you can achieve it. I plan to become a brain surgeon, and even though I don't know Martin Black History Luther King personally, Month knowing what he stood for motivates me, and encourages me to believe in myself. Now we can look back at the past and smile, because he, along with other brave Essay Contest leaders, paved
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the way for our future and present. It is our job as youth to learn from their trials and turn them into wisdom, and our lives will be easier. That's the importance of elders, to teach the youth history, and build them up mentally, so that they go can forth in the future. I could talk about many civil rights activists and explain from the heart why they and their works inspire me, but this essay is about "Hallowed Grounds", and the place that stands out to me the most when I think of black history, the most important place, is Africa. As science tells us, mankind originated from Africa, so already it qualifies as hallowed grounds, as the mother land. However if it were not for Africa, we wouldn't have African-Americans, and if it weren’t for African-Americans we wouldn't have Black History. The significance of Africa to black history is simple: black people were brought to America on a slave ship, forced to be slaves, and over time made history. I strive to be a wise man, who has enough inner-peace to find the positive in the negative, because once you can do that, nothing can bother you. The way I look at the entire slavery era, it was a blessing, not to the slaves, but for me, because if my ancestors never came as slaves, I would not be where I am today, and today I am in South Carolina, living the dream of my ancestors. Africa is the most significant place to black history, because if it wasn't for Africa we wouldn't have black history. Africa also has spiritual connections to a lot of black people. For example, there is a religion, Rastafari, that looks at Africa as the foundation of mankind. The objective of all true Rastas is to “go back to Africa,” not physically, but mentally, basically just keep the natural mind, blocking out all modern day social influences, and just live life consciously, peacefully, and simple. In conclusion I say, Africa, deserves the crown for being “Hallowed Grounds” not just to black history, but mankind. The last idea I want to explore is this modern time. I want to compare the mind of the black man in this time to the mind of the black man
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in the past. With me being a youth, 15 years old, in the 21st century, I have to say I am disappointed. I am disappointed in how corrupted the black man has become. Black men used to be powerful, united, strong, wise, loving, and civilized role models, now the only way I can describe the modern day black man is, foolish, uncivilized, and embarrassing. With the saying “One bad tomato doesn’t spoil the entire box,” I can use that analogy to better explain my idea. I'm not saying all black men have gone astray; there are many brilliant, strong black men in this modern day, but the only black men that are talked about, are those that are opposite of how our elders have set the role to be, which is wise, strong, loving, kind, honest, and excellent. There is no excuse to not be that way because all men have a mind of their own, with common sense, and a conscience as their guide. However, I have understanding because life has to be balanced; like chemistry, there are negative and positive forces that balance life. The modern day black man has come from a long road of struggle, to equality with the white man, which is positive, however the negative in that is the mindset and character some of us have. The youth do not understand how important black history really is. I can consciously assume that because their actions show it. If the youth understood the significance of the role their ancestors played, they would strive to keep the legacy of excellence alive. So my message is for the black man: be the man you know to be, not the man you show to be. In conclusion, I stand proud, as a black man. My reason for my pride is difference. I strive to show my elders, my peers, the world, and most importantly myself, that the legacy of the wise black man still lives on. I also say Africa, “Momma Africa,” is the land that deserves the crown for being “Hallowed Grounds” to black history and man-kind, for it giving the world beautiful black people to make history.
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Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards teaches us that anyone can be an Olympian By Nick McGee McGee4190@lex2.org
Eddie Edwards was born on December 5, 1963, and ever since then he dreamed of becoming an Olympian. As a child and young adult, Eddie Edwards was always marked out of the crowd as a “nerd” and was never given the chance to prove his athletic abilities. Qualifying as a speed skier in the 1988 Olympics, Eddie's dream was becoming a reality, or so he thought. Even thought he made the team, the British Olympic Committee kicked him off the squad simply because they thought he was an embarrassment and would represent Britain poorly throughout the competition. Eddie’s dreams were shattered because he realized he had a small chance of qualifying again. Against his dads will, Eddie avoided employment and sought out options that would still let him compete in the Olympics. Eddie realized that the only way he would compete in the Olympics was to become a ski jumper. Britain had not had an athlete compete in this sport since the 1920’s and Eddie believed he could not only qualify but compete if he trained hard enough.
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Eddie borrowed his parents van and went to Germany to train. Eddie was greeted harshly and yet again thought of as a joke, but he never forgot his lifelong dream. After many attempts at the jumps, Eddie started to improve and eventually it was time to qualify for the Olympics. Eddie had only one chance to qualify. If he landed at least one jump on the 70m ski jump he qualified and if he failed, his dreams would utterly end. Eddie successfully landed one jump that day and qualified for the Olympics. Until another curve ball was thrown his way. The British Olympic committee changed the distance a ski jumper had to get in order to qualify. Eddie now had to jump 61m in distance to qualify. His best jump distance up until then was only a mere 28m. Naturally Eddie seeked help from an unlikely ally, a former United States ski jumper named Bronson Peary. Bronson was an Olympic ski jumper who was kicked off his ski team for breaking pretty much every rule in the book. His coach said he had never had a skier as good as Bronson, but that he was disobedient and was selling himself short. Bronson trained
with Eddie and eventually he got the 61 meters at the last qualifying event of the 1988 winter games. Eddie went to the games only preparing to do the 70m jump and having no chance to receive a medal. Then, after making it to the games, he realized he wanted to be a serious contender and not just a mediocre side show. Eddie did the 90m jump for the first time at the 1988 Olympics and broke every British record there was. Eddie “:The Eagle” Edwards proved to everyone that no matter how you appear on the outside, if you never give up on your dreams, then you will always succeed. Recently there was a movie made about Eddie. I watched this movie for the first time this weekend and was really inspired behind the true story. The inspiring film is one of my own personal favorites and I recommend it to all. This story truly teaches us that if we work at something in life, there will be plentiful reward. Eddie the Eagle is currently in theaters nationwide.
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Month X, 2016
By Hannah Hallman Hallman653@lex2.org From horror movie reviews to famous webseries finally explained, Nick Nocturn has you covered. Welcome to Night Mind.
ICON; Night Mind Icon/Logo As simple as the icon and name seem, they hide a lot of information. Nick Nocturn is a youtuber, Night Mind being his channel, that covers most things horror-related. I only say most things because he puts so much time and effort into making good videos that he doesn’t have a ton of content. He really appreciates his fans, which definitely shows in his work. He understands how to get a message across to his viewers in a way that lets them know that he respects them, while keeping it easy to understand. Some popular videos I would highly recommend are his Marble Hornets explained series, EverymanHYBRID explained series, and his Halloween Candy Bowl special. A lot of people I know have heard of Marble Hornets and either A) Don’t really get what's happening or B) Can’t get into because they
can’t understand what is going on. This is the same case with EverymanHYBRID, and that is super understandable! It’s really difficult to keep up with not only the original channels, but also all the other channels, blogs, and tweets that go along with it. All the videos are very real-time based, everything is happening as you live your life. If they said, “We’re going to a place on Saturday, July 17th 2015,” then they will have done things on Saturday, July 17th 2015. It’s been a LONG time since then though, and having to backtrack is extremely difficult. That is what is fantastic about Night Mind. In Nick’s videos he takes you through all the e v e n t s , every last one of them. He makes sure the viewer understands everything that is going on. What’s even better is that the viewer don’t need to have seen the original series. While I highly recommend doing so, as they definitely deserve the credit and views, it isn’t necessary to do before watching the explained videos. Nick also helps support smaller, lesser known channels and stories get out there and spread to more people. Through
his Halloween Candy Bowl episodes, I’ve re-heard stories I’ve loved that chilled me to the bone like, “The Thing that Stalks the Fields”, but I also got to see stories and channels I never heard of that I’m definitely keeping up with now such as, ‘Twigs’ (which can be found on the ‘shamlife’ YouTube channel). Nick does a wonderful job of showing off the true meat of these things and accurately helps the viewer see what they need so they aren’t either lost, or spoiled. Overall, Nick Nocturn is and always has been a fantastic and talented creature of the night. His voice is easy to listen to, calming, and makes me want to l i s t e n more. Inspiring creative thought p r o c esses,and nudging the listening towards a more indepth curiosity. When asked what made him start his channel he responded, “Seeing the lack of content covering webseries and other underrated online creations really made me want to bring a light to them.” He continued, “There was a noticeable absence of videos on Marble Hor ne ts , [Every m an HYBR ID ] , T r i b e T w e l v e t h e m
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and other works like them, and any videos that did exist didn't try to match their efforts in covering the work and honoring what they made and achieved.” And I definitely agree; his videos have been so thorough and really dig into the meat that others hadn’t even so much as looked at. He also said that he continues to work on videos to help his channel grow the channel to “be an umbrella that can cover all dark, mysterious, and horror media so it can be a lightning rod to bring attention to new creators and underrated work that deserves an audience and praise.” Asking him which video was his favorite and the most fun to make he replied,
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SCREENSHOT; Reply from Nick Nocturn of Night Mind
success in his eyes. Questioning a more technical part of his work, I asked about how long it takes for him to create his very well put together videos. Nick explained that a single video about the length of an Explained series episode can at least 16 hours to about 20 hours. “The more animation and effects, the longer the video,” he added. “I really just want to see the channel earn enough so I can do this full time SCREENSHOT; Alantutorial’s ‘How to Pick up a Blue Chair’ and provide all “Alantutorial is an all-time famy efforts to the goals I've outvorite. Making the intro for that lined.” Nick said when I asked and the blue paint drip backabout his future goals, “The ground was very exciting to more time I have to work on do… [and the] sheer amount of Night Mind, the more content I viewers who commented that can cover and, through that, the they'd never even heard of more new creators and creations Alantutorial, but had become I can provide exposure and atfans of Alan Resnick because of tention for.” it.” Alantutorial was a major
Not only is Nick Nocturn a talented creature of the night, but he is also an extremely wonderful, appreciative person. Honestly, it was a huge honor to get to talk to someone as awesome as he. Follow him on: Facebook (Night Mind) Twitter (@NM_NickNocturne) Tumblr (nick-nocturn) and obviously YouTube (Night Mind)! Thank you so much, Nick, for your time and I truly hope this article will help bring people into the new age of the horror genre.
Also don’t forget to send me suggestions on what to review next at Hallman653@lex2.org Or 77fatherstilllovesus77@gmail.com