Winter 2012 pgpost.org in this issue: Colors Day 2012
Young LOVE:
They Say It Never Lasts
The End of the Internet Book Reviews: The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Redeeming Love
on the cover features
contents Water Conservation
6
16
8
SOPA
10
Small Town Fairytales
12
Concert Lineup
18
FCCLA goes to State
20
Colors Day
21
19 23 20 15 6
COME HANG OUT WITH US COOL ELDERS! PRAIRIE GROVE SENIOR CENTER 479-846-2794 prairiegrovearkansas.org
STAFF Editors:
Co-Editors:
Reporters:
Cover Art:
Emily Cole
Megan Gerwig
McKenzie Evans
Hayley Mitchell
Philip Shepherd
Sidney Jaro
Rachel Hays
Nikki Fant
Bayli Bradley
Photographers:
Eli Rose
Becca Cole
Da-Eun Jung
Jade Nixon
Mary Jameson
Assistant Editor: Jackson Lafargue
Layout Designer: Business Manager: Casey Wilken
Makayla Terry
Payton Sapp
YOUNG LOVE
they say it never lasts By Casey Wilken As the saying goes, young love never lasts, but Philip Shepherd and Hannah Neyens have proven the saying wrong. Q: How did you first meet each other? -We had known each other a little bit from grade school, but we first showed interest in each other when we went on the high school band trip to Florida during Spring break 2009. Q: Who asked who out, and how? -Philip asked me out at Prairie Grove Battlefield Park on May 25th, 2009. We were with a group of friends. We were all standing together then Philip said, “Oh Hannah, I’ve been meaning to ask you, will you be my girlfriend?” Q: What first caught your eye about each other? -Hannah: His hairy legs, they really stood out to me…that was a joke. -Philip: Her looks? Q: What was your first date like? What happened and where was your first date? -Philip: I don’t really remember our first date, but most of our ear-
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F E A T U R E
ly dates involved being driven to places by Hannah’s grandmother. Q: ite
What thing
is to
your favordo together?
-Hannah: Personally, my favorite thing is just talking to him about anything and everything. We can just sit down and talk for hours. -Philip: In the summer, my favorite thing to do with her is spend the day at my house swimming and eating together and just enjoying each other’s company.
Q: How long have you dated?
Q: Have your dates changed? If they have changed, how?
-Since May 25, 2009. It has been 2 years and 8 months.
-Yes, definitely. At first we had to be driven around. We both can drive now, so being able to go places and do things alone has really let us learn more about each other. Its been nice.
Q: Do you plan on staying together after high school?
Q: How has ship changed
your relationover time?
-Hannah: We have definitely become a lot more ourselves around each other. At first everything was awkward, now nothing is. -Philip- It’s changed dramatically. We’re so much closer then we use to be, naturally. It’s to the point where I can’t imagine life without her.
-We hope… but we’ll see where life takes us. We are not going to stop each other from doing anything we each would want to do with our lives. Only support each other. Q: Hannah, what is your favorite thing about Philip?
-The way I can talk to him about everything and he understands. We also don’t argue to often, we just tell each other our own views on something. Oh, and his hair.
Agape Love: A Love That Never Fails By Makayla Terry “Hey. I just wanted to tell you you look really pretty!” A simple text started a relationship that has lasted over a year. Sophomores Rachel Hays and Logan Bartholomew, together since November of 2010, tell us about their relationship. Q: How and when did you two meet?
Q: of
What’s the your
best part relationship?
Logan: The best part of our relationship I would say is that God is involved in it. It’s not just the two of us; God is involved in our relationship every day as our love grows stronger. It’s pretty much like a triangle; she and I are the
It was a fun go out experience, I guess, but I am the type of guy that loves to stick to mama’s home cooked meals! Q: What is your favorite thing to do together now? Rachel: Usually when we spend time together, it includes a package of tollhouse cookie dough and a stack
Rachel: Well we’ve both gone to PG our whole lives, but I guess we “met” in my dad’s class; we both sat in the back. I thought he was pretty good lookin’ ;) Logan: Rachel sent me a text asking to use my Junior High Letterman Jacket for a half-time performance vs. Pea Ridge last year. Of course, being kind, I said yes. After a few weeks or so we kept talking and texting each other throughout the days to get to know each other. Q: What did tice about
Q: How long have you been together? Rachel: We have been together since November 20, 2010. One year and three months. Logan: We have been together for 1 year, 2 months, 3 days, and 48 seconds to the dot! Just kidding, that would be too impressive for me to know. But probably around 1 year and 2 ½ to 3 months. Q: What in your would be the perfect
you first noeach other?
Rachel: What really caught my attention was how quiet he was. (I love that-it shows some humility; also I’m really curious and he was mysterious because he didn’t talk much-I never knew just what he was thinking) Whenever he did talk, it was gentlemanly, rather than most guys our age whose conversations are usually offensive; he really impressed me! Logan: The first thing I noticed about her was that she was a kind, genuine girl that loved God. On the physical appearance, I first noticed her eyes, gleaming and glistening in the sunlight.
We love to sit around and joke with each other, talk about how were doing, and talk about God and what he has done and is doing for us. It makes our relationship a lot easier as well as better having God in it. It’s not just any ordinary relationship.
two points at the bottom and the two points connect at the top where God is at in our relationship. We’re just getting closer and closer. Q: What was your first date? Rachel: Our first “date” was actually before we were “dating.” November 12. We went with Nick and Lacey to Hunan’s and then to see U n s t o p p a b l e . Logan: The very first date was one evening when her mom dropped us off at Olive Garden. It was funny, because I was asked twice that night if I would like some wine with my meal.
of movies. We mostly talk-we talk about everything. Sometimes I watch Logan and Jon (my little brother) play video games or toss a football around, which I think is really cool that Logan doesn’t mind my little brother. We just enjoy any time we have together and being around each other’s families. Both our moms are great cooks too, so that’s a plus. Logan: I would say our favorite thing doing together now is just seeing each other and talking; we love to see each other. We tell each other everything which I think is very healthy for any relationship.
mind date?
Rachel: I just enjoy being with him! We like to play around, and laugh a lot. We like to have fun. I think any time we have together that we get to spend with each other is “perfect”. We can be cleaning the kitchen or going bowling; it’s all the same to me as long as we are together and with people we love. Logan: The perfect date would be like any other one I think. It would be quiet and peaceful and full of laughter. It would be a well cooked meal, hopefully some smoked ribs or brisket, but like any other time we’re together, just enjoying each other’s presence and thanking God every moment we’re together.
F E A T U R E
7
School Convserves Water, Saves Money water, only to be met with a high pitched voice asking her ever so politely to turn the water back on… embarrassment ensues.
By Philip Shepherd As a newcomer to Prairie Grove High School, sophomore English teacher Andrea Parnell was puzzled when she took her first trip into the high school’s ladies’ room. Parnell entered the restroom to find that someone had left the water running at one of the sinks. Naturally, she turned off the
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After the PG Post learned of the numerous cases of girls unnecessarily using water on a regular basis, it’s no wonder why Prairie Grove school officials made the decision to cut down on the school’s water usage. New spouts have been installed on the faucets in all of the bathrooms at the high school, which we learned, after speaking with Assistant Superintendent Mr. Vol Woods, are referred to as “aerators”. According to Mr. Woods, the natural gas company did its part in helping Prairie Grove achieve this goal of
water conservation. “The natural gas company came in and did it for free,” says Woods. “They put aerators on all the sinks, and they even put them on the sprayer in the cafeteria kitchen.” So why exactly did the school have these aerators installed? “We’re wanting to cut down on the use of hot water in order to save energy,” explains Woods. “It also cuts down on the use of water in general, which also saves on the water bill.” By using less water, the school saves money while at the same time, saving energy. However efficient they may be, these new “energy savers” aren’t favored by all. After the recent
installation of the aerators, complaints that the sinks don’t let out enough water have been voiced by students and faculty alike. “Every time I wash my hands, I feel like I’m not getting enough water,” says high school daytime custodian Wayne Whitmire, who is all too familiar with the high school bathrooms. From a girl’s stand-point, an interesting view was expressed by sophomore student Rebecca Cole. “I hate them,” Cole said very blatantly. “Instead of only turning one of the sinks on, girls turn all of them on.” Could this mean that the school’s efforts to save and conserve are being foiled? Only time will tell.
Prairie Grove Puppies to Possibly Perish in Pound By Rachel Hays Photos by Emily Cole It was love at first sight. Those big, green eyes were what got me. I knew we belonged together. She was shy at first, but after I had been standing there a while, she gathered up all her courage and approached me. Cautiously, not wanting to startle her, I put my hand through the cage wire.
She pushed her soft nose against it and licked my fingers carefully,
almost as if to ask if I were going to take her with me, or if I would just be looking and leaving, choosing another animal instead. At that moment, I knew she was the one. I adopted her from the Fayetteville Animal Shelter a few days before Christmas 2007, and she has been my best friend since. My kitten was fortunate. According to the Humane Society, 6-8 million dogs and cats enter shelters each year, and of those, 3-4 million are euthanized. These numbers don’t even include animals that are in small facilities not ran by the Humane Society, such as the Prairie Grove Animal Shelter operated by the Prairie Grove Police Department, located by the waste water treatment facility on Ditmars Road. In 2011, the state of Arkansas enacted a law requiring that all animals be spayed or neutered prior to adoption, which dramatically decreased
the adoption rate and caused an increase in the euthanization rate at the shelter. According to Officer Jeff O’Brien, 64 dogs and 60 cats were euthanized at Prairie Grove’s facility last year. “With the new adoption law, our adoption average has lowered to about one to two per month,” states O’Brien. He goes on to say that there are typically around five animals at the kennel on average at any given time, though the pound can comfortably house 12 adult cats and 12-18 average-sized dogs. The animals are held a minimum of five days, but typically each unclaimed animal is housed at the shelter for about a month in an effort to give them the best opportunity to be adopted. Officers, such as Sergeant Chris Workman, come to the kennel every day to clean it and feed and water the animals. Workman says that he and many other officers have adopted animals themselves because they get attached to them after seeing them every day. At the shelter, these animals are well taken care of and provided for, but they can’t stay in the kennel forever. When asked how much it costs to adopt a pet, O’Brien replied, “The adoption fee for an animal that has
already been spayed or neutered is $10. If the animal you wish to adopt has not yet been spayed or neutered, the cost is $15. The additional $5 covers transportation of the animal to a local veterinarian of the person’s choice where it can be spayed or neutered. The person adopting the animal is then responsible to pay the veterinarian whatever fees are associated with the spaying or neutering of the animal.” If you are in need of a furry friend, or have lost yours, contact the Prairie Grove Police Department at 479-846-3270 during normal business hours, 8am to 5pm, to set up an appointment with an officer who can assist you in veiwing the animals. You can also view the animals currently being held at the kennel online. They are listed for adoption on PetFinder, Craigslist, and the Prairie Grove Police Department Facebook page.
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9
by Jackson Lafargue For a while, the Internet was in grave danger of being unreasonably censored by the U.S. government. However, thanks to a few big websites, the Internet community, and a strong will to keep the 1st amendment alive, the threat is no more (for now). A dangerous pair of bills, SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) were being considered in congress until January 20th, when author of the two bills, Lamar Smith (R-TX), dropped the bill saying that he would put off the issue of piracy “until there is a wider agreement on a solution.” SOPA and PIPA were introduced to congress on October 26, 2011 by Smith and a committee of 12 co-sponsors, including Arkansas’s own republican representative Tim Griffin. Unlike the DMCA copyright act of 1998, which adopted a “notice and take down” approach, SOPA would have put content on the internet at the discretion of the U.S. Department of Justice and the entertainment industry in an attempt to stop piracy. Any site that even only linked to copyrighted material would be censored without question, which includes the bulk of sites on the web, including YouTube, Twitter, Wikipedia, 4Chan,
and many more. Basically, these bills would have turned Internet in the United States into a clone of “The Great Firewall of China”. The free sharing of files and information that we take for granted would have been taken away, and for all intents and purposes, would’ve “ended the Internet”. The bill was met with great resistance and strong opposition from the general Internet community. “SOPA is a direct violation of people’s freedom of knowledge and information as guaranteed under the first amendment” Internet group Anonymous says in one of their response videos. In addition to the majority of the users of the Internet, large websites and corporations, such as Google, Yahoo!, Facebook, Twitter, AOL, the Mozilla C o r poration, Reddit, The Wikimedia Foundation, and many more spoke out against the bill. The ACLU, Human Rights Watch, and Reporters Without Borders also voiced their concerns over SOPA and PIPA. January 18th marked a large victory for the opposition when around 115,000 websites participated in “Internet Blackout Day”, in which numerous websites completely locked their websites, making them inaccessible. Wikipedia was a notable participant, displaying
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a black screen on their site reading “Imagine a world without free knowledge” followed by a message from Wikipedia about the two bills. Google, although their site was still accessible, placed a black bar over their logo to raise awareness of the cons of censorship. Smaller sites and blogs were also able to “black out”, using a code that users could paste into their source code provided by the website sopastrike.com. The blackout was successful in that it made people aware of exactly how dangerous legislation like SOPA and PIPA are.
the popular music and movies that we know today. Other sites like the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI were temporarily shut down by Anonymous, among others.
On January 19th, the federal government shut down the file sharing sites MegaUpload and MegaVideo, claiming that the websites caused copyright holders $5 million in damages. T h i s came at a very turbulent time in the SOPA and PIPA legislation process, as more and more people were joining the opposition against the bill and the phones of congressmen were ringing off their hooks.
Although the battle against SOPA and PIPA has been won with overwhelming support, the war is unfortunately not over. Legislators have tried to pass laws similar to SOPA in the past, and they will most likely keep trying to pass this kind of legislation. These legislators, we have now learned, are not elected to represent us, but to represent the best interests of the film and recording industries. Come 2012 elections, please keep in mind the bills these legislators have supported and/or opposed. Please consider your choices carefully; who will represent US, the people of the United States of America, and not the highest bidder to their campaign.
In retaliation to this rash act, the Internet hacker group Anonymous successfully hacked and temporarily shut down the websites of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and Universal Music, all of which are responsible for a large majority of
Says one of the Anonymous twitter accounts, “For SOPA supporters, today was their blackout”. Finally after months of opposition and heartache, Lamar Smith withdrew the bills from congress on January 20th. The fight against unfair censorship was won, creating lots of buzz both on the web and around the world.
By Jackson Lafargue For years, Prairie Grove students have unsuccessfully attempted to access their favorite sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube on the school network. Each time an attempt was made to access a blocked site, students were greeted with a generic gray screen with huge, blocky red letters reading “ACCESS DENIED.” Although most sites are still blocked, the network administrators have changed up the block screen, adding an animated picture file of Gandalf from the popular movie series Lord of the Rings with the message “YOU SHALL NOT PASS” darting across the screen. Although the new block screen offers up a little comic relief, students continue to question the school’s policy on blocking websites. According to network administrator Shawn Witt, one of the reasons why the network continues to be so restricted and monitored is because of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) signed into law by congress 12 years ago.
The law states that in order for schools to receive federal funding for computer networks and other technology, they must adopt an internet safety policy to block obscene content on the web. Schools that fall under CIPA’s umbrella must also adopt and enforce a policy to monitor the online activities of minors, which is an explanation for the disclaimer message students must agree to before logging in to Prairie Grove’s network. “I believe website blocking is commonly misunderstood by many students and staff members” Witt says. “Sites are sometimes unintentionally blocked by the filter, as more than 3.4 million websites were reported as inappropriate in 2011 by the filter.” Witt also remarks that teachers will ask to block sites that students are paying more attention to than their lessons. “If students happen to find a website that they feel should be unblocked, they should contact a teacher and ask to have it reviewed,” Witt recommends. Prairie Grove High School students have mixed feelings on the is-
sue. “I don’t like it,” freshman Baleigh Bell says. “They should at least allow Facebook during the lunches, if anything.” Junior Brian Gadberry feels strongly about the issue saying “Prairie Grove tends to take the site blocking a little too far in some cases. Other people I know from outside of PGHS say that very few sites are blocked on their network”. Sophomore Becca Cole hates how she is not able to access sites for news or research. “Blocking sites like Facebook and Twitter is clearly necessary, but sites like The Huffington Post and other news and information pages should not be blocked”, she says. “This is a public school. They should not be able to filter what goes into our minds”. Freshman Drew Spencer thinks that the firewall is “easily an annoyance”, but he sees the necessity in it. “The blocked search words are a little ridiculous though,” he says. “I was trying to search how to unlock layers in Photoshop, and “unlock” turned out to be a blocked search word. It was very frustrating”. Junior Will Pohlman also sees
the necessity in the firewall, but also believes that it is restricting. “I understand why the school blocks game sites and other distracters to keep school time learning oriented,” Pohlman remarks. “But I think that perhaps the school has gone overboard on the blocking. Google anything about a subject you are learning at school and half the sites are blocked”. Senior Paige Blakemore is also concerned about the blocks. “There should be more websites available to students. YouTube has lots of educational content.” This is only one of the many changes that the network administrators have made to the school computer system in recent years. “For starters, we upgraded the hardware and purchased more bandwidth from PGTelco,” Witt says. “We have also installed a campus-wide wireless network to allow users to access the internet more easily.” In recent years, other major improvements have been made to the school computer network, including the school email’s migration to the current system powered by Gmail. A disclaimer was also added to the login screen, notifying whoever logs on to the network that their activity will be monitored using remote management.
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Small Town Fairy Tales mr. and mrs. carneu By Rachel Hays “Hi, my name is Sean Carney, and I love my wife!” were the first words I heard my freshman English teacher speak; a most intriguing statement. I learned her name was Laura when she came to school to help her husband one morning. They would look at each other as if the whole world hung only on the existence of one another. He spoke dreamily about her often, and as freshmen this year can attest, he still does. He proclaimed unashamedly his love for her. The girls in our class marveled at this; it seemed surprising to us that one day it might be possible to find someone who would be as proud of us as Mr. Carney is of his wife. Over the course of our freshman year in English, I thought, “I wonder what their story is?” So, given the opportunity, I asked. Sean and Laura were both in their early 20s when they met at a weekend church conference in St. Louis in January of 2007 during a seminar on evangelism. Mutual friends introduced them (and may or may not have strategically positioned them next to each other). She caught his attention immediately. He spent the rest of the weekend trying to find every opportunity to be near her; he took note of her genuine
care for others, her individual sense of fun, and her intriguing beauty. When the weekend was over, Sean convinced their mutual friends to invite Laura down to Fayetteville to “help with the church plant” in which they were both participating. They spent time getting to know each other with friends. Sean decided it was time to take the next step in pursuing Laura. Being a little old-fashioned and wanting to honor her family, he called Laura’s father and asked to have coffee. The day finally came, and he drove to Joplin from Fayetteville to meet her parents. Laura says that her father told a friend later that day that he’d met his future son-in-law. Their first date was exploring a cave at Devil’s Den, which is something they still enjoy doing together. When I asked Mr. Carney how long he
knew his wife before he knew he loved her, and if it was ‘love at first sight’, he wisely replied, “Love is not an all-or-nothing thing. It doesn’t happen all at once. Love grows over time. It is something we acted out as we became more certain of our compatibility and God’s will.” He was quick to add that he was head over heels for her. Mrs. Carney says that she knew he was the kind of man she wanted to marry because he met her list of qualifications for a good husband, which were 1) a leader 2) a man she could respect and 3) a man who was pursuing God. She even confessed that she spent so much time thinking about him, she typed his name endlessly into her computer at w o r k . Mr. Carney recounts the day he asked
Laura to marry him, saying, “I went up to Joplin one Friday, Laura’s ring shining on my little finger as I drove.” They had a picnic lunch next to a creek in the woods. Having exchanged many letters throughout their courtship, Sean had one more letter to present. When they had finished their meal, he opened the letter and read it aloud. In it he declared his love and need for her, and asked Laura if she would be his “partner, friend, and lover for the rest of his life”, to which she replied, “Okay”-something they still laugh about. They have been married for four and a half years. Their family has recently gone from two to three with the addition of their son, Alistar. Mr. Carney says that their perfect evening consists of having dinner together and then taking a walk with their baby, talking over their days and dreams. When asked what causes their relationship to be so amazing, Mr. Carney stated, “We learned early on the value of saying ‘yes’ to each other; being ready and willing to serve each other and to look out for one another’s best interests.” In a word, selflessness. He also said that they make sure to take time to encourage each other on a regular basis. Mr. and Mrs. Carney give this advice to young love: “Be cautious. Be wise. Enjoy being friends. Get advice frompeople older than you. Save everything you can for the right one; you will appreciate it when the time comes. Be honest with yourself: have high expectations and goals and stick to t h e m . ”
By Megan Gerwig The young Michael Toney first met Jonathan Warren in an education class at the University of Arkansas fourteen years ago. “We were actually dating other people at the time! I even helped him plan a date with another girl,” Warren says. “When it got close to graduation and the end of carpooling, it made me sad to think that I would not hear his laugh every day,” Mrs. Warren sadly explained. But near the end of their time at college on April 24th, 1998, Jonathan Warren took Michael Toney out on their first date. “It was a great first date,” Mrs. Warren exclaimed, “He went to get a haircut and then we went to see a James
Bond
date, chae gan loveb mont for m
laugh expla than dress to a and i ing lo While surpr store tragic
Mt. plann her h passe was o licem to tak
d
they didn’t think I was being kidnapped by some guy in a suit!” Mrs. Warren exclaims. When the two finally arrived at Mt. Sequoyah there was a group of drunken kids hanging around so it completely ruined his romantic plan.
movie
together.”
After that first , Jonathan and Miel immediately beto connect. The two birds dated for nine ths and were engaged much of that time.
Mrs. Warren hed as she began to ain the night Jonaproposed to her. “We sed up and he took me very nice restaurant in the restaurant parkot, he blindfolded me.” e driving to the big rise Mr. Warren had in e, the two came upon a c but hilarious conflict.
On the way to Sequoyah where he ned on asking her for hand in marriage, they ed a McDonalds that on fire. There were poman everywhere. “I had ke off the blindfold so
Having to think fast, Jonathan kept her blindfolded and took her to one of the houses for sale that the two had been looking at. He led her up to the front porch, blindfold still intact, and stopped. “I could hear him get down on one knee so I took off the blindfold,” Mrs. Warren explains, “when he asked ‘will you marry me?’, my answer was, ‘are you serious?’” She said yes though and the two still laugh about her initial response to the question. Two kids and 13 years later, the two are still happily in love. The Warrens still regularly go out on dates. “They usually consist of dinner and a movie; for dinner, we usually try to go places we have never been to.” “We miss just getting to go places whenever we feel like it, but I guess the kids are worth the sacrifice!” Mrs. Warren jokingly adds.
Keene automatically By Kenzie Evans knew her last name would eventually be McClelTo many people, Disney’s mov- land. Even in plays they ie Cinderella is simply just a would be paired together, fairytale—something that like in the play Tom Thumb could never happen. The WeddingEddie escort“perfect” guy and the ed her down the aisle. “perfect” girl some- They were both happy, how finding each other both careless, and both, and falling madly in love unknowingly starting and staying together for a hap- their own fairytale together. pily ever after is “crazy” and Years went by, and by “obnoxious”. But to oth- age 15—Eddie and Diers—the movie Cinder- anne had their first car date ella is something they rely to see North to Alaska. on to push them to keep try- That was only anothing to find the “right” person. er spark to their already Young people everywhere extravagant relationship. Eddie search for a person that carved their initials into every tree can make them happy; he saw, and was with Disomeone that shares com- anne every second of evmon hopes and dreams. ery day. And eventually, Few people follow their Eddie escorted her as the search due to heartbreak and the football homecoming queen. fear that things won’t be like the way it was for CinderUnlike others, Eddie and ella. Or maybe even be- Dianne ate apricots together cause they get tired of instead of going to a fancy reshearing “there are other fish in taurant. And he carried her on his the sea.” But those who do follow shoulders a whole four blocks their search—like Di- when she got tired instead of just anne and Eddie McClel- making her walk the rest land—prove that love, can of the way. And from sevtruly last forever. en to seventeen, both still loved each othThey were busy being er just the same. young—living right next to each Life went on, and time other, riding bikes together all went by. Eddie was signed the way to Mineral Springs, and to play professional painting their names all baseball with the St. Louis Cardiover the concrete. At nals, and the first thing he said to age seven, both in the Dianne—after asking her second grade, Dianne dad—was “we need to
go get a ring.” Even while playing baseball, he came by to see her as much as he could. And on December 8, 1964, he left for baseball camp— and not too long after, someone came to the door of her home with a huge beautiful package, and when she opened it she realized it was the gorgeous red coat with the fur collar that she had been wanting for a long time, with a note showing that it was from Eddie. Once he got back—and both were settled—they eventually had two beautiful baby boys and one gorgeous baby girl. They are now 65, and still in love—47 years of marriage; and she’s still glad to see him when he comes home from a long day of work at Jack’s Barber Shop. So the shy, athletic guy and the outgoing entertainer made a life together that could never be mistaken with anything less than perfect. So for those who still believe that love is nothing but a mess- and anything but real—look at Eddie and Dianne. They made the seemingly impossible, possible; and haven’t given up yet. Their vows mean as much to them today as they did 47 years ago. And when they say “I love you” they say it full heartedly and with as much enthusiasm as they did the first time. Maybe they didn’t have glass slippers or carriages made from pumpkins like Cinderella did, but they had each other, and that’s all they needed.
The End
Mrs. Gaulin Q: What is the worst excuse you’ve ever gotten from a student? A: A student said she couldn’t write about her assigned book, but since her life was so interesting, she wrote about that instead. She expected me to give her credit for it! Q: What made you decide to be a teacher? A: I love literature and teenagers. Q: Would you quit your job if you won ten million dollars? Why or why not? A: I might quit for a year or two, but I’d be back, I love teaching, and it fills my life with a sense of purpose that money never could. Q: What is the worst fashion trend you’ve seen on students? A: I think saggy butt pants are the DUMBEST looking thing I’ve seen anyone wear. Watching someone actually have to hold up his pants makes me laugh out loud. Q: What were you like as a kid in school? A: I was a terrible student, but I was always a closet bookworm. I liked school… Just not the class part. Q: Was your dream job teaching? If so why? If not, why? A: Teaching would definitely be my dream job if only they would hire a secretary just for me who was also a professional essay grader.
What You Don't Know About Your Teachers
Ms. Montgomery Q: What is your favorite reality TV show? Why? A: Dog the Bounty Hunter, because I am planning for my next career. Q: Did you like or dislike high school? Why or why not? A: I loved it, because sports, dance, cattle showing, friends, boys and some of my classes were okay. Q: What is your favorite snack in class? A: Diet Coke and smarties. Q: What was the most embarrassing moment in front of a class? A: I was reading a list of powder puff T-shirt names and I was reading two words on a shirt that made a “bad word.” I said it over and over! I never could hear it. The kids thought it was funny but one nice guy had to say, “Ms. Montgomery, stop speaking!” “Think!”…”Sofa king.” Q: What is the best class failure story? A: The last time I made seating chart a boy’s momma called because he had to sit by a bully! She wanted me to move the girl away from her son. Q: What is your favorite car? Why? A: My favorite car is a Honda Element because it’s cool and fast!
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Book
By Becca Cole In Stephen Chbosky’s coming of age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower, we join the main character, a freshman under the alias of Charlie, as he ventures into high school for the first time. A quiet, lonely teen, Charlie is unlike the others; he has no friends, no plans, and not an idea of what high school is going to be like. It seems it’s going to be another four years of misery, but then he meets Patrick. With Patrick comes the illustrious, beautiful Sam. And as Charlie dives deeper and deeper into high school, Patrick and Sam lead him deeper and deeper into the world of sex, drugs, and music. Told through letters written by Charlie to an anonymous recipient you view the world as Charlie sees it. You see the world through the eyes of a wallflower.
Perks may be one of the best novels I’ve ever read. This is not because it tells you the meaning of life, or teaches you moral lessons, but because it helps people get through a time in their lives that seems impossible. We all read for different reasons, sometimes it’s because it’s required, or maybe it’s because our friend told us about the book. But I always find that the best reads are the ones that you read not to get finished, but to escape from reality. The Perks of Being a Wallflower takes such a seemingly common child and makes him real. Charlie is the one on the sidelines, he is the one that no one ever notices, and in a way he is all of us. There will be times in all of our lives when we are pushed to the edge of the dance floor. Reading and understanding this book won’t prevent this from happening. What Perks does is it helps us deal with the situations we have at hand without breaking down. We see Charlie progress and grow throughout the book, his letters becoming more descriptive, mature, and more personal as time passes.
Love he works to break open her imprisoned heart, Angel learns what it means to love, be loved, and to rise to the greater power that calls.
By Nikki Fant Francine Rivers’, pageturning love story Redeeming Love, is a novel centered around real, heart-breaking, honest emotion. Raised without a childhood and left motherless at age eight, Angel grows into adulthood as a beautiful yet broken harlot. The only thing she has to look forward to is the walk she is allowed to take three times a week. As always, the men stare. One man in particular took one glance at her and knew, as a sign from God, that she was to be his bride. After the hardships of getting her out of the prison she called work, Michael Hosea finally put the ring on her finger, but also a stone-cold heart guarded more fiercely than anything. As
Based off the Book of Hosea from the Old Testament, Rivers recreates a tragic love story with a fairytale happy ending. Michael and Angel both show surprising strength and courage. “It is a heart-grabbing book that just pulls you inside until the very last page,” says senior Abby Addicks who has read the book three times now. This book is definitely recommended to people of all ages who have a need to read.
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Youth Abandons Books is watched first, the book only enhancing what you’ve just seen.
By Emily Cole People just don’t like to read anymore. It’s a sad epidemic plaguing most of the young people of our generation. The movie industry seems to have taken over the eyes and ears of our young people. “A movie is a whole lot more entertaining and faster to get through,” says freshmen Andrew Plauger. Senior, and avid reader, Allysa Swearingen disagrees. “I usually like books better because you can imagine each person and detail just the way you want.” In a recent survey of 100 students and faculty, 54% answered that they prefer movies over books. “Movies can bring out emotions while also filling in the visual blanks your imagination can’t picture,” says senior Abby Addicks. What so many movie-goers don’t realize is that most movies produced over the last few decades are based on books. In 2010, 50% of the top grossing movies were based on books, including The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One, and The So-
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cial Network. 2012 has several book-based movies lined up including first of the highly anticipated Hunger Games trilogy, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, and the cult classic The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The long time argument against books being turned into movies is
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that it somehow ruins the book. “When I read the book first and the movie isn’t up to par, it’s usually because they change a scene too drastically or cut out an important one altogether,” says Addicks. The trend seems to be that if the movie trails off from the original plot in the book, those who have read it will dislike the movie. It seems to be the opposite when the movie
Several authors have had the opportunity to write their own screenplays or direct their movies. Stephen Chbosky, author of Perks of Being a Wallflower, directed and wrote the screenplay for the movie version of his book which is set to come out later this year. “When the author writes the screenplays, he/ she knows how to best present the scene since it was a picture in their minds first,” Addicks comments. Some think that it would be best for authors to supervise while screenwriters write the screenplays, which is how most movies are made. “The author knows everything about the characters and how things look and play out, but the screenwriters help change the book into a movie,” says Swearingen.
2011
Vs.
2012
o u t w i t h t h e o l d , in with the new Tosh.O Walking Dead Modern Family Two and a Half Men House
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II Transformers: Dark of the Moon The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I The Hangover Part 2 Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides Adele- Rolling In The Deep Lady Gaga- Born This Way Foo Fighters- Walk Linkin Park- Waiting for the End Jake Owen- Barefoot Blue Jean Night Lady Antebellum- Just a Kiss Waka Flocka Flame- No Hands Nelly- Just A Dream
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Alcatraz House of Lies The Firm Touch Smash The Hunger Games: Release date: March 23 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II: Release date: November 16 The Hobbit: Release date: December 13 Men in Black 3: Release date: May 25 The Three Stooges: Release date: April 13
Van Halen- A Different Kind of Truth The Fray- Scars and Stories Nicki Minaj- Pink Friday Adam Lambert- Trespassing Andrew Bird- Break It Yourself
Spring Concert & Event Calendar for Northwest Arkansas & surrounding areas
2.16: Loretta Lynn Walton Arts Center Fayetteville, AR
2.26: Jeff Dunham BOK Center Tulsa, OK
3.11: Radiohead Sprint Center Kansas City, MO
4.17-4.22:Mary Poppins Walton Arts Center F’ville, AR
4.28: The Black Keys BOK Center Tulsa, OK
3.10: Zac Brown Band Verizon Arena Little Rock, AR
3.18: Edward Sharpe Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa, OK
5.1: Van Halen BOK Center Tulsa, OK
3.10: The Avett Brothers 3.1: Jimmy Buffett 5.31-6.3: Wakarusa Music Festival Verizon Arena Drury University Springfield, MO
Little Rock, AR
Ozark, AR
3.12: Fun. Juanita’s Little Rock, AR
Talent Show First Place Winner Kyle Hunter. That’s pretty much it about him, he wasn’t much of a talker.
Third Place Winner Stephen Silva. Plays his original song “Broken Earth” with his acoustic named Rosyln.
Second Place Winner Kyle Ates. Swept the crowd away with his very own song “Standing in the Rain.”
Gary Stout--The whole crowd thought Gary was a superstar when they gave him a standing ovation.
2012
Cat Scratch Fever: Cheer Wins State By Bayli Bradley
After months of rigorous practice, dozens of much needed late night practices, and a few arguments on Twitter, the Prairie Grove High School Competitive Cheer Squad made their biggest dream come true: becoming state champions.
Senior squad captain, Gely Vafakos, expressed her thoughts on the team’s success, “It feels great!” she says. “It’s amazing to know we won our very first competitions. Considering the obstacles we overcame, it’s a miracle.”
This journey, making it all the way to the State Champion The girls competed in ship in Hot Springs, AR, involved three preliminary competi- a large amount of practice in ortions before going to the state der to become a reality. The first championship. They traveled practice began in the summer to Rogers High School, Pea of 2011 and in just the first two Ridge High School, and Gen- days, over 14 hours of practice try High School, placing first in time had been put in by the girls. all three competitions. In ad- “I’m so proud of them, it’s been dition to placing first, the girls a great experience.” says head also received the over-all cham- cheer coach Vanessa Orr. “The pion award for the all-girl divi- girls have amazed me, with this sion at the Gentry competition. being their first year to compete. I’m so honored to be work-
ing with such a talented group of girls.” Orr has been the high school cheer coach for a number of years. “I just wish we would’ve done it sooner!” she says. When school began, competitive cheer practice was held every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday night, adding up to four hours of practice a week. “Some nights we practiced even longer if we thought we needed it,” explains sophomore cheerleader Valarie Shepherd. These girls were in it, to win it.
On Thursday, January 26th, the Senior High Competitive Cheer squad was presented to the school board in the form of a group luncheon. This allowed the girls a chance to describe to the school board their positive experience competing as well as a change to express their thanks for the opportunity to compete. Now that the school board knows the girls can excel at competitions, the Prairie Grove cheer squad will continue to compete in the future.
FCCLA headed to STATE Four Prairie Grove High School FCCLA students will be attending the state convention March 1st in Conway, Arkansas. These students participated at the district one FCCLA STAR events competition on December 7th and won first place. Patrick Jordan and Olivia Disney will compete in the applied technology category for their cyber bullying presentation. Kendra Happy’s competeing in career investigation. Hannah Neyens competing with her completley handmade dress in the fashion construction competition. Pictured from left to right: Patrick Jordon, Hannah Neyens, Kendra Happy, and Olivia Disney.
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Colors Day in a Nutshell more maids Sarah Gauldin and Emily Coore, continuing with junior maids Megan Gerwig, and Neysa Martin, and ending with senior maids Brooke Barnett, Jade Nixon, and Savannah Black. As always, the girls were dressed formally for the occasion and were escorted by members of the senior high boys basketball team. By Sidney Jaro On Friday, January 20th, Prairie Grove High School celebrated yet another successful Colors Day Celebration. This year’s festivities went off without a hitch and were just as exciting as ever. As usual, the ritual started off bright and early with a practice pep rally for the intermediate students at 9:00 a.m. giving Colors Day maids and escorts a chance to rehearse the ceremony before the final coronation in the afternoon. After a second, pep rally, and two high school basketball games, a combined 5 hours of Colors Day festivities had been celebrated. The senior high cheer and pom squads made sure to get the crowd going for the introduction of the Colors Day maids at both of the pep rallies. Our 2012 Color’s Day maids were freshmen, Valarie Baguio, and Taylor Spinks, followed by sopho-
The three senior maids, all of whom had previously been on either Homecoming or Colors Day court in previous years, agreed that it was “an honor” to be chosen again by their senior class. “I was super excited and
thankful that my senior class voted for me,” said senior maid Brooke Barnett. “It’s a great memory and it really means a lot!” Little did Brooke know that she would soon be crowned queen of Colors Day by her peers. All the girls were extremely excited to have been a part of the court, and the crowd seemed to share the excitement. “This is what I’ve dreamt of since I was a little kid in the stands at the pep rallies,” said junior maid Megan Gerwig. “I was so excited to be on the court, and having my boyfriend as an escort was definitely a bonus!” As is Prairie Grove tradition, encouraging speeches were given by senior boys basketball players Delton Rhodes and Chad Battles. The boys were joined by senior girls basketball player Yazmine Drissi, who represented her homeland by beginning her speech to the students in French, a language not familiar to most Prairie Grove High School students. High school girls basketball coach, Kevin Froud, along with the
boys’ coach, Steve Edminston, also stood up before the crowd and said
a positive word about the players and asked for the crowd’s support. The evening ceremony for Colors Day began at 6:00 p.m. Once again the maids put on their best and were once again introduced, and escorted for the full house audience that had arrived for the event. “I felt like there was a smile permanently stuck on my face the whole time because of all the pictures I took,” joked Gerwig. “But it was well worth it!”. The night ended with great wins for both the Senior High girls and boys basketball team, making colors day a success for all.
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Jazz Band Dance to be Certain Success style of music,” tells Moss. “This is a style of music that a lot of people in Prairie Grove are familiar with.”
By Philip Shepherd To the surprise of most, it is now possible to hear live jazz music right here at our high school in the form of an exciting social event simply referred to as, “The Jazz Band Dance”. On Saturday, February 25th at 7:00 pm in the Prairie Grove High School cafeteria, the Prairie Grove High School Jazz Band will be hosting a spectacular all ages live music event complete with delicious food and drinks, familiar faces, and of course, live music. “There’s not a lot of live music in Prairie Grove,” says High School Jazz Band Director, Neal Moss, who is proud to be splashing Prai-
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rie Grove with a hint of musical culture. “It’s a chance for us to show off the Jazz Band in an environment that Prairie Grove doesn’t see a whole lot of,” explains Moss. “I think it’s going to help bring about a sense of community and expose a lot more people to the jazz style.” Last year was the first year that this jazz event was offered to the public and it proved to be a well worthy endeavor. “Last year at The Jazz Band Dance, we had everybody from age seven to age 70,” says Moss. “It’s good to expose everybody to it.” According to Moss, last year’s dance drew a crowd of over 160 people, a number expected to be greatly exceeded this year. “We had a lot of people show up last year that grew up with this
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Moss also stresses, “A lot of people have concerns that it’s just a high school event; [however] it is open to the public.” Don’t know how to dance? That’s quite alright. For the first 30 minutes of the dance, 7:00 to 7:30, a Mr. Quincy Grigson, will be present, joined by his equally talented girlfriend, offering free basic ballroom dance lessons to anyone that is willing to learn. “Quincy did an excellent job at the dance last year and he’s on board again this year,” ensures Moss. “It’s good to be able to draw in former students of Prairie Grove.” It’s true that the city of Prairie Grove lacks a live music scene, especially when compared to its neighboring city of Fayetteville, AR, but the question remains: why jaz
music? “When we first started the Jazz Band, I saw how much talent we had and I tried to think of different ways to showcase the talent,” Moss explains; “When I was at school at UCA*, the Jazz Band there put on a Jazz Band Dance; so I thought, ‘Why don’t we try it here?’” Last year was the first year that Jazz Band was offered to Prairie Grove students as a high school class elective. “We were able to put together enough music to put on—what I consider to be—a very successful Jazz Band Dance.” Tickets for the Jazz Band Dance are $5.00 per person and $8.00 per couple, that is, if you buy your tickets in advance. Tickets sold the night of the dance will be raised to $7.00 per person and $10.00 per couple, so get your tickets soon. Tickets can be purchased by Mr. Neal Moss himself. For more information, or to purchase tickets, email Neal Moss at neal.moss@pgtigers.org.
Substitute John Wyatt on the Not-so Glory Days
By Stephen Silva World War II was a dark age in world history. The Nazis were invading most of Europe’s cities and pillaging homes that were under any influence of Judaism. Hitler’s forces were invading to the near brink of total control and domination, and later realizing this, America stepped in; flooding Germany’s borders with its strongest military unit. Although it seemed that it would’ve been an easy fight, the U.S. was pushed back in shock at the strength of Germany’s fleet, their minds swept with Hitler’s voice and orders ringing in the creases of their bloodlust. America and the Jewish community were at war with the world, and the quarrel would only continue in the infamous Holocaust. Despite how often elders say “the good old days,” it was practically a nightmare. PGHS substitute teacher John Wyatt agreed to a brief interview to discuss the matter of events that had occurred in the early 40’s of the Second World War. With eyes lit up, he gladly told the tales of his brilliant and valiant father. “He was a soldier for the American military unit, and a brave one, most
prominently,” John Wyatt told delightfully of his father and his efforts held in the American war against Hitler’s forces. “It was dark, or at least that was the way he told me it was. There was never a light that shined in his eye when he told me his stories.” Wyatt pauses for a moment, taking in a breath to, what seemed like, prepare himself for his father’s shoes. It seemed now was the best time to see if they fit; and I could see in his eyes the ominous past he was about to tell, and more horridly, relive. “He always admitted to being so scared,” another breath entered and flew from his countenance with tired words,” Admitting to that was the most courageous thing a man could do at the time.” One could only imagine how the fields of flickering fire savagely brushed against the night’s sky, warming the air in some form of bitter mockery. “It was cold,” Wyatt laughs,” I remember that word well from my father. He was never one for chilling weather.” The stars screamed for day’s awakening to shed the lonely silence of night from the men that shot so carefully in the dark. They would be so cautious, so careful not to shoot at the wrong prey. “My father told me a story of a friend of his,” John lowered his face, trying to remember, yet repressing in sync of his fluidity of tone. “I believe his name was Scott. ‘Scott killed a man, once’ my father would say.” I stopped Wyatt, confused, knowing that certainly Scott was in the military and that he had to have killed count-
less amounts of men. To this, he replied in a drowned voice, “The Nazis weren’t men at the time, they were monsters. Scott did kill numerous Nazis. However, he accidentally killed an elderly Jewish man in his line of fire.” I looked up at his expression, awkward and not knowing what to say. Thankfully, he relieved the silence. “That, as my father would tell me, was worse than death.” The bitter winds would halt whatever cheer the Americans had during any amount of rescue. Glory was short lived, and even then did the sounds of gunfire riddle the air with smoke and bullet tails to race the wind ever higher. Military units would saunter beside death as if waiting to be met later in their haunting future. Death would greet the Nazis, but it seemed as though the maggots would only throw them back out, with guns ready to face an immortal war. “My dad would always tell me how endless [Germany’s] military was. It didn’t really seem like they were being wiped out at any rate at all, really.” They were infinite, just as the evil was that ran in their frozen logic. The Nazis would push relentless tactics, and although easily defeated, they would keep coming back. Their eyes would lust for death, and that was very much alive in the East’s stale air. John Wyatt went on to tell me countless details of his father’s campaign in the war against Nazi Germany. His words seemed to make the conver-
sation seem more alive than most would ever tell such legends. I didn’t want it to end, and the clock only struck further to bend time forward. Glancing at the clock, I readied myself to bid him farewell until the next chance I would ever see him again. Before shaking his hand, though, he stopped me with a countenance that seemed stuck in readied presentation. I halted my motives, and sat back down, to which he told me, “My father, he would always tell me about his days in the war. But one thing he put out the most was his fear of being forgotten. He had fought so hard for all those people, and countered many biased conversations he would overhear once returning to America.” And to this, I left with those words bound to the walls of my thoughts, like portraits bleeding paint on glass. So careful to keep what was said, I left with a continuing thought, forever trapped in infinity. Although the war was over, the war itself would never be forgotten. It’s the people like John Wyatt’s father who make it so memorable. The air would forever carry the sound of gunfire and shouts of content from rescues prior. The universe gladly traps the salvations in jars to control glory in binding light, forever keeping what grace was held in such bitter calamity; and the earth beneath your feet, will rattle with the sounds of their decay.
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