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News

Sam on a

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By Joey Meadors

s ’ t a h W Mission

acation, probably one of the most soothing word to a student or a workaholic. When people think of going on a vacation they often plan on going somewhere way far away from home.

Junior Sam Richardson plans on doing this on July 7 - August 2, but he is going to the other side of the world.

Richardson will head toward remote Africa on a mission trip.

“Originally, I was signed up to go to Uganda, but I went on a trip with yearbook for five days, and it cut down my time to get the money. I had to get $4,292, and I only had $2,200,” he explained. “So when I got back, I had to switch countries. Now, I am now going to Ethiopia.”

Mission trips can be fun, religious experiences, but Richardson will travel as part of a mission organization rather than his home church.

“This is an independent thing that I have chosen to do,” he said. “I felt like God was calling me and telling me that I need to go to Africa.”

Finding a place to go to can be a difficult task because there are so many places to go.

“I found out where I wanted to go by Global Expedition, which are teens traveling all over the world to different countries,” Richardson said. “I have a friend whose dad is a missionary in Africa, and he is the one that introduced me to the Africa mission trip.”

With there being so many different countries to go to, one

cried out louder than the others to him.

“I have been interested in Africa for a long time, and I am interested in the (RED) Campaign,” Richardson explained. “I have a heart for the people that live there. I think that the people there are beautiful, and I feel like they need help because of AIDs and Civil War has been going on in their country. I just feel like I might be able to make a difference.”

Richardson was not allowed to raise money inside school, so he took his fundraising efforts to his place of work, Chick-fil-A. “Not many people at Greenwood have been very supportive,” Richardson explained.

“I have a friend who collected $42 for my by just walking around with a jar. They would not let me walk around at lunch with a jar or put an announcement on the announcements because it has nothing to do with our school. Principal Mr. Kaylor did come in and eat at my fundraiser, and I was thankful for that.”

Going on this trip has a price, involving money.

“There are about 18-20 kids going, and I do not know one of them,” Richardson said. “This is my first time off the continent and my first big mission trip. Since this country has been in a Civil War for the past few years and it is just now safe, it is really scary going into a war zone.”

Of course, influencing someone else’s life is always a first-class feeling.

“I am looking forward to going over there and working with the children,” Richardson explained. “Seeing the children’s lives change after showing them that people do care about them and showing them love for the first time will be the most important thing for me.”

ew n Woodshed in the

Study for the SAT; donate food

Www.Freerice.com/ is a website which helps students study for the SAT. For every correct answer a student gives, this site, which is run by the UN World Food Program, donates 20 grains of rice to help end world hunger. This website is a sister-site of www.poverty. com, a website which has no religious or corporate affiliation, and a broader goal of helping to end poverty altogether.

Graduation Ceremony

The graduation ceremony will take place on May 30 at 7 p.m. in the GHS Gymnasium. Seniors will need to be at the high school at 8 a.m. for commencement practice. Everyone has to be at this practice or else they will not walk during the commencement ceremony later that night.

Summer school sign up date

All students who are taking summer school classes must come to the summer school sign up on June 4 from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. The cost for registration is $10 for each class and any student who misses this registration date will not be eligible to take any summer school classes.

Students plan

for Spanish

Spring Break ‘09

By Casey Despain

S

A pain in the

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By Arden Gervase

GAS

groan of agony escapes the lips of drivers across the of transportation. country as the ever-rising price of gasoline eats through “I just recently bought a bike so I can ride that rather than their pockets. drive during the summer,” Strother said. “ If Senior Matt Paquette feels the burn as he I’m going a short distance, I always try to ride fills up his Ford Ranger. my bike or walk. If I can’t, I try and carpool.” “ I usually have to fill up around once a Paquette and his cousin, junior Shawn week,” Paquette said. “With a 15-gallon tank, Buckalew, carpool. it usually costs around $50 for a fill. Back “Young Buck (Shawn Buckalew) and I ride when gas was $2.50, it only cost about $38 together in order to save gas,” Paquette said. for a fill.”

“It’s a good way to save money and we get to In order to pay for the raising price of rock out to loud music.” gas, students are often forced to find ways to Although the negative effect of gas prices finance gas consumption. prevails across the nation, positive changes have “I won’t be able to get my license until occurred towards reducing dependency on forth the 28 , but when I start driving, I’m going eign oil and reducing carbon emissions. to have to get a car in order to pay for gas,” “I think that the rise of gas prices is pushsophomore Ali Salman said, “ I wanted to ing people to buy more fuel efficient vehicles have extra money to spend on other things, and look for other sources of fuel,” Strother but I’ll be having to pay for gas and everysaid. “I don’t think it’s the best way to get peothing that comes with having a car; it’ll defiple to care about fuel efficiency. I think people nitely limit what I’ll be able to do.” can make the choice on their own without the Others choose to find alternative sources economic push.”

tudents taking Spanish classes have the opportunity to travel out of the country next March.

Mrs. Melinda Neiswanger, Spanish II teacher, decided to give her students the chance of a lifetime to go to Mexico for one week over Spring Break next year. Trying to keep the cost low so everyone has a chance to go, she joined forces with ACIS, a premier educational travel company sponsoring student trips worldwide.

The program fee is $1,979 with additional cost for airplane taxes and fuel.

“I came up with the idea of planning this trip because I wanted to do something to make the student curriculum come alive,” Mrs. Neiswanger said. “The travel program has a great reputation and is available 24 hours a day, so if there were a problem they would be able to contact me, or I could contact them.”

This trip is planned to start for March 27 - April 3 and include visits to famous cities such as Puebla, where Cinco de Mayo originated, villages of Mawawi and the Ancient Aztec ruins to experience everyday life in Mexico.

“I think this trip is going to be a lot of fun because we can see and do things we can’t do here in Greenwood. We are also going to learn a lot from the people there and about their culture and history, sophomore Eli Orrvar said.

To be eligible for this trip, students must be enrolled in or have completed a Spanish course. Incoming freshmen may also come along if they have signed up to take a Spanish class.

“As of right now, we have five students going on this trip,” Mrs. Neiswanger said. “If we get 12 or more students to go, Mr. Garcia will be coming along with us as well.”

Going out of the country for Spring Break is a big deal to most parents, especially when they are not going to be with their child. Many parents feel a sense of relief knowing this is a educational trip.

“My parents were actually really excited and thought it would be a good opportunity for me since I’m involved in a Spanish class,” sophomore Sydney Taylor said. “They are making me work for it. I’m paying for all of it myself.”

Students who are taking a Spanish class have a huge advantage on this journey. Understanding the life of others with different backgrounds and beliefs and history can be difficult. Spanish II classes have been studying some historical events.

“I’m not the greatest Spanish student, but I still feel I can pick up on the words I know and know what’s going on for the most part because of what we have been doing in class,” Orrvar said. “We have gotten packets in class about Mexico and their background events.”

Students who still want to go to Mexico, but are not certain they will be able to go because of extra curricular activities or sports have extra time to sign up. Students have until June 30 to pay the $95 registration fee and submit the registration form before the cost rises.

Students and parents who sign up can access their accounts and make payments for this trip online. Anyone who is interested can see Mrs. Neiswanger for more information.