Inside 15000 February Final Edition

Battlefield High School Student News Magazine

Volume 2, Issue 5 February 2015

Inside

OMG...

GMOs

From fast food to school lunch trays, do we really know what we're eating? pages 8-9

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Junior Reeya Rebena performs at an Open Mic Night at Contemporary Music Center's @4410 Club.

Photo by Zoe Voettiner

p.8-9 cover story

OMG... GMOs Is the food we eat really what we think it is?

p.6 IS NETFLIX A VALENTINE? For many Bobcats, it certainly comes close enough.

p.10 NOT THE BIG KIDS ON CAMPUS A peek at Battlefield's tiniest students: the Head Start kids

p.11 A HARD BARGAIN For students trying to sell fundraising items at lunch, the view from their table isn't too pretty

p.12 TUNING IN AND JAMMING OUT

Bobcats share their talents at the local @4410 Club 2 Inside 15000 Battlefield High School News Magazine

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p.12 CASUAL COWBOYS

Battlefield's self-proclaimed rednecks call out “faux” followers

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p.5

GROUNDHOG DAY

PRESIDENTS' DAY QUIZ

Fun facts on the holiday and the classic movie it inspired

Test your knowledge of our nation's leaders

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SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PATRONS Maureen Castellano - Kirsten DeZeeuw - Ms. Dumm Flashpoint Internet Solutions - Jennifer Guyton Sydney Guyton - Linda Hadgikinitas - Susan Mephatter - Mr. Metts - Simon Moon - Janet Richards - Paula Scalo - The Scotts - Sabrina Thistle - Amy Voettiner Otto Voettiner III - 7-Eleven - Jill and Greg Michna

STAFF

HOW-TO: GROUNDHOG CUPCAKES A sweet addition to any festive February gathering

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PRESIDENTIAL FAVORITES As Presidents' Day draws near, Bobcats reveal their favorite Commanders-in-Chief

p.7 REAL-LIFE FAIRYTALES

2014-2015

p.5 MARDI GRAS PARTY French classes make the New Orleans traditions their own

p.10 SO YOU APPLIED TO COLLEGE Seniors have mixed feelings after hitting “submit”

Battlefield's most magical couples

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Jayne Ross, McKenna Roper DESIGN EDITOR Justin Michna BUSINESS MANAGER Lauren Ainslie SECTION EDITORS Kelsey Ainslie, Shelby Cesario, Kirsten DeZeeuw, Thomas Kelly, Lily Korpella, Jessica Kronzer, Alie Paoli, Catie Villavicencio STAFF WRITERS Marissa Alessi, Claudia Almeda, Inez Asiama, Emily Balog, Lily Bartone, Lauren Bennett, Sidney Brooks IV, Allison Brown, Regan Buckley, Kayla Coleman, Becca Davis, Jake Dedekind, Grant Donaldson, Alyssa Estrellado, Jordan Fleming, Kiwi Franklin, Megan Guthrie, Sydney Guyton, Charis Hadgikinitas, Danielle Harrington, Brandon Hoagland, Emma Hummer, Theo Key, Gyu Ri Kim, Cassidy Lee, Emily McCauley, Kyleigh McGinnis, Lauren Milloy, Simon Moon, Ashley Osuna, Zach Plaster, Bryan Plonk, Alexis Radun, Jordan Richardson, Mary Riley, Maggie Ryan, Sam Scott, Cheyenne Shifflett, Madison Southwick, Heather Trobridge, Zoe Voettiner, Megan Wagoner

STAFF ADVISOR Charlotte Peyton Publisher: Haymarket UPS Store Software: eDesign Paper type: 80# matte

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Groundhog Day

By Regan Buckley and Alyssa Estrellado Groundhogs are among the few animals that are true hibernators. During hibernation, they go 150

days without eating but lose no more than a fourth of their body weight due to energy saved by lower metabolism.

During warm seasons, groundhogs gain a lot of weight. They can eat more than a pound of vegetation at one sitting. That would be comparable to a 150 pound man eating a 15 pound steak.

Groundhogs do not actually predict the weather, but they do come out to mate in early February.

Groundhog's Day originated from a similar holiday early

Christians called Candlemas Day. If it was bright on Candlemas Day, there would be a more bitter winter; however if it was cloudy and rainy winter would disappear.

Punxsutawney Phil--the famed groundhog--is the modern day reincarnation of Candlemas. Phil did not become mainstream until the movie Groundhog Day was released in 1993. Now Groundhogs Day is commonly celebrated.

photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

DIY:

Groundhog Cupcakes

Step 5.

Step 1.

Follow instructions on the cake mix to create the cupcakes.

Step 2.

After allowing cupcakes to cool, frost them with white icing to act as the “snow” of your cupcake.

Step 3.

Using frosting, stick the candy eyes to the “face” of your chocolate bar “groundhog”.

By Alie Paoli

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Step 6.

With a butter knife cut vertically into the top of the cupcake, going in about half an inch. Now insert the decorated candy bar into this at a slight backward angle.

Step 7.

Enjoy!

Step 4.

What you need: -box cake mix (flavor of choice) -white icing -snack size candy bar (Twix or Almond Joy work best) -chocolate chips -marshmallows -hard candy eye balls (can be replaced with mini m&ms) Optional additions: -shredded coconut -butterscotch chips -Oreos

With scissors cut two small, rectangular pieces of marshmallow.

Adhere these beneath the nose to create the groundhog's “teeth”.

Using a knife or scissors, cut the pointy tip off 3 chocolate chips. Then, using icing stick 2 chips on top of the candy bar as “ears” and one beneath the eyes for its “nose”.

Optional Extra:

Sprinkle coconut on the icing to increase your snow simulation or chopped up butterscotch/ oreo to create “dirt”.

photos by Alie Paoli

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Electing presidential

President's Day

favorites

February 16, 2015 is the forty-fourth anniversary of President’s Day. President’s Day was first dedicated in 1971, after being revised from George Washington’s birthday--a holiday created in 1879. Today, President’s Day requires the federal government and all state and local government organizations to close for the day in observance of all presidents.

Students at Battlefield have developed their own ideas of who their favorite president is. Senior Stephanie Judd weighed in on this topic, stating, “Franklin Roosevelt is my favorite president,” says Judd, “he saved the United States after the stock market

crashed.” She considers Roosevelt her favorite president because “he is the only president to serve four terms and help resolve two national crises.” Franklin Roosevelt served during the Great Depression and World War II conflicts (19331945).

Senior Amber Rogers also gave her opinion on who her favorite president is.

“Abraham Lincoln is my favorite because he approved one of the first deaf colleges.” She finds him an influential president because, “he helped expand education in the deaf community.”

Abraham Lincoln served from 1861-1865.

Senior Camilo Arango explained that,“Teddy

Roosevelt is my favorite,” says Arango, “because they named a teddy bear after him.” Arango chooses not to follow political background when choosing his favorite president. Rather, the reputation that president has left in the hearts and minds of American families.

Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt served from 1901-1909.

President’s Day has become the one day a year when every president in United States history is honored. The forty-three presidents have all left a different mark in the minds of Battlefield High School students, and the future presidents of the nation will surely leave an impact on the soon-to-be adults at BHS.

1. How many United States presidents have there been?

A. 44 B. 25 C. 100 D. 43

2. When was the year of the first presidential election?

A. 1812 B. 1941 C. 1788 D. 1607

Mardi Gras Party

By Sam Scott and Emily McCauley

3. Which president served a

justice), green( for faith), and gold (for power). King’s Cake is another famous Mardi Gras custom, in which a large cake is cut into small slices, and, within one of the slices, is a small figurine. If you pull the slice with the figurine, you buy the next cake!

Freshman Carlos Salas takes part in the wondrous festivities. “[I have celebrated] since eighth grade, just last year. I celebrate with my French Class.” Salas also pointed out that Mardi Gras is known as Fat Tuesday in English. Salas likes to take part in what everyone does on Mardi Gras, “I eat a whole lot of food.”

Freshman Jaylin Kimble says, “Eating King’s Cake and having a party!” is how she celebrates. The majority of French students started

celebrating Mardi Gras in eighth grade, when they had their first celebration with the middle school French teachers.

Freshman Valentina Rincon is the exception to these commonalities amongst young French students. Rincon started celebrating in seventh grade, and is one of the only students at Battlefield who takes the party home. The Rincon family celebrates by making the King’s Cake, decorating their home, and wearing colorful beaded necklaces.

Madame Clemence explained, “In our French classes, we celebrate some of the practices found in Francophone countries such as France, The French Caribbean, and New Orleans, USA.”

term of 30 days before dying of pneumonia?

A. George Washington B. William Henry Harrison C. John Tyler D. Grover Cleveland

4. Who becomes president if the current president is incapable of serving?

A. Secretary of State B. President’s Spouse C. Vice President D. None, there is another election to find a replacement

5. Which president served

two nonconsecutive terms?

A. Grover Cleveland B. John Adams C. Ronald Reagan D. John F. Kennedy

photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

French classes at Battlefield are going to be celebrating Mardi Gras soon, and it promises to be a major event. On Februsry 17, all of the French students here will be celebrating Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) this year, the French way. Mardi Gras is most famously celebrated in New Orleans, Louisiana, but French students all over the country celebrate the holiday annually. Mardi Gras was first celebrated in the 1730’s when the people of New Orleans celebrated openly for the first time. When it was celebrated in 1870, the first account of “Throws” was recorded. Throws are now used in parades all over the world, when people on floats throw small objects, typically candies, to the audience. The colors that are attributed to Mardi Gras are purple (for

Quiz

Answers: D, C, B, C, A

By Thomas Kelly

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Is

a Valentine?

By Cassidy Lee “You’re my end and my beginning, even when I lose I’m winning,” John Legend sings in his hit song, “All of Me”. Of course, for Valentine’s Day, most people probably will not write a beautiful song for their date; most high schoolers cannot afford to eat at a five-star restaurant or take a day to go on a trip with their dates, either. But they can still have a great time watching movies, eating dinner together, and even just hanging out. Since Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday this year, there is even time for more than just a basic date. Lots of students have plans to get creative.

Junior Emma Curley says, “I might go out to dinner with a group of friends.” Some affordable and delicious restaurants in the Haymarket and Gainesville areas are El Vaquero West, Brooklyn Bros Pizzeria, Bad to the Bone Smokehouse, and Osaka Japanese Steakhouse.

If a simple date is what you are looking for, movies are a must. Freshman Carlos Salas says, “I might have a date. I’ll probably get her a present, and we will watch a movie.”

It can be hard to pick one to watch, though.

Freshman Marissa Willis already has one in mind.“I’m going to watch The Notebook”, she says. Other

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movies along the lines of ‘The Notebook’ are ‘Sleepless in Seattle’, ‘Mamma Mia’, and ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’. If chick flicks are not your thing, other romantic comedies are a good pick, too. Some classic rom-coms are ‘Clueless’, ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’, ‘50 First Dates’, and ‘The Holiday’.

Those celebrating “Singles’ Awareness Day” instead of Valentine's Day, do not have to just spend the day alone. Some will enjoy the company of a pet or in junior Callee Laskodi's case,“a type of cookie dough.”

Curley says “I’ll probably watch some Netflix [and] just chill.”

In order to get out of the house and have fun on one's own, they could get a mani-pedi or go ice-skating.

Other good options are a date night or cooking dinner for your parents; they will appreciate it.

If you're spending the

day with a group of friends, then you could have a Valentine’s Day themed “Minute to Win It” party, or a video game tournament with throwback games, such as Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution, or Mario Kart.

Exchanging Valentines is always a great way to get others to buy candy for you, with witty notes attached to them. Its like Halloween twice a year.

No matter what one does, Valentine’s Day is a day to appreciate and spend time with the ones we love, and anyone can have a

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memorable time on February 14.

Netflix background: photo courtesy of Netflix via Creative Commons

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Real life fairytales....

By Heather Trobridge Jay Z and Beyonce, Brad and Angelina, and Ashton and Mila are allBy Hollywood couples. Similarly, Battlefield has its own set of line goes power right here power couples, and with Valentine's Day around the corner, they are showing the school what true love is all about.

If one wants to see such a true love relationship, look no further than freshmen Sam Scott and Elie Whitaker. When asked about what his favorite thing about Whitaker is, Scott smiles and says, “that's kind of hard. There are a lot of things.” On their first date, he says, “it was pretty funny. I had to go to her house and meet her dad, but I made her watch Harry Potter movies with me.” Although the two love birds started dating in eighth grade, “We really met in first grade; then she moved schools, and when we met again in eighth grade, I remembered her as the girl who would stab her cinnamon apple sauce just to watch it explode,” Scott says with a laugh.

Juniors Lexie Redding and Kody Budovec have been dating for two and a half years. The real life “Beauty and the Beast” couple, as Redding lovingly puts it, met in their eighth grade orchestra class.

Their fairytale began on their first date. “It was kind of awkward; we went to Asian Garden and I was trying to eat sushi with chopsticks, but that wasn't working too well,” Redding laughs.

Another power duo that seem to have it all is the pair of sophomores Max Brown and Daniela Cisneros. Brown recalls the story of how they first met and when they began to date. “It was seventh grade, and I was dropping my lunch off in my lunch block classroom [in the morning], and I saw her. I kept going back to talk to her, and in eighth grade she went to Reagan, so I was all sad,” he says. “We were talking and I was like, 'I guess we can date when we get into high school.' So we talked until high school ,and then we started dating.” Now the couple can always be found together; he escorted her during her Quinceañera, and she became his biggest band groupie. “I usually think of how weird he is. How much of a child he is. He's odd, and crazy, and fun,” says Cisneros. “I never want that to change. The thought of him makes me giddy, because I know how much he loves me and know that that won't change, ever.”

Seniors Teresa Wagner and Josh Newman are like a couple taken straight out of a novel. Staying together is easy for them, Wagner simply states. “We’re best friends, I can tell him everything.”They are each other's largest supporters both in their sports, softball and baseball, on and off the field, “In the future, I hope for both of us to be happy, even if we aren't together,” says Wagner.

One does not have to read cheesy romance novel written by John Green nor Nicholas Sparks to find a romance taken straight out of a book. They can be found all through the school; couples love to show their feelings for each other in their own real life fairytale.

How well do YOU know your significant other?

By Regan Buckley and Alyssa Estrellado

Your favorite couples are put to the ultimate test with what would seem to be easy questions.

Q: Teresa Wagner, what is Newman's favorite movie?

Her answer: “Um, I'll have to think about it”

Correct answer: “I'll have to think about it...”

Q: Max Brown, what is Cisneros's favorite animal?

His answer: “A bunny, or rabbit.”

Correct answer: “Some kind of large cat or a rabbit.”

Q: Kody Budovec, what is Redding's favorite food?

His answer:“Sour pouch kids?”

Correct answer: “Salmon”

From left to right: Sam Scott and Ellie Whitaker: photo by Sam Scott Teresa Wagner and Josh Newman: photo by Josh Newman Daniella Cisneros and Max Brown: photo by Daniella Cisneros Bottom picture: Lexi Redding and Kody Budovec: photo by Lexi Redding

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GMO OMG IDK

By Kelsey Ainslie, Jessica Kronzer, and Lauren Ainslie

Do you really know what is in that salad on your cafeteria tray? That burger?

Hamburgers, fries, buns, and potato chips are all great American foods ... or are they really?

Most students have had the pleasure of watching the documentary “Super Size Me,” about the effect McDonald's has on people’s bodies. Most health teachers show the documentary every year, because “[it’s a] good video for students about fast food. [It’s the] easiest video for kids to relate to,” says Coach White. This documentary is shocking to many because it unveils the unknown and, frankly, scary, back story on fast foods.

Now there is a new revolution in the food industry the Gene Revolution. And it is all about GMOs, which stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. And yet, this new revolution in food production is keeping many consumers in the dark regarding the health effects of these modified foods.

According to the Non GMO Project, a non-profit organization started in Berkeley, California in 2005 for consumers concerned about genetically modified soy in their food, more than 60 countries have bans and restrictions on GMOs. The United States, however, is not participating in this movement and approves the of production and

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Harmful food trend goes unknown

distribution of GMOs in the food market.

What are GMO foods exactly? In order to make food more appealing and taste better and easier to manufacture, foods are genetically engineered to be bigger, juicer, tastier or more “nutritious”.

Some

for the human body. For example, genetically altered plants can have an antibiotic resistance gene, which is potentially dangerous for people relying on antibiotics for medical needs. Changing a plant’s genes can also change the nutritional value of that

er ronz ca K essi J y to b Pho

consumers see past the larger, juicier fruits and vegetables and realize what they are actually eating. Freshman Ally Williams says, “I don't want [GMO foods]. It is weird and gross.” Not only do some find them “gross”, but modified foods have been suggested to be harmful and are suspected to be unhealthy

plant/crop.

Normally, this change is not for the better as seen in genetically modified grains that produce more phytate.

According to Precision Nutritions, phytates are considered to be an “antinutrition” and should be consumed with caution.

According to the Huffington Post and USDA,

the most modified food in the U.S. was corn. Nearly 88 percent of all corn grown in the United States is genetically modified. So much corn is modified that according to researchgate.net, when an isotope of human hair was taken, it matched the isotope of corn, meaning that some people's hair is made of the isotope derived from all of the corn-based foods they are eating.

Taking the number two spot for modified foods was soy; 93 percent of soy is genetically modified although it is usually listed in foods as hydrogenated oils, lecithin, emulsifiers and proteins. Number three was GMO cottonseed; 94 perfect of it is genetically modified and is used for vegetable oil, margarine, and for frying foods.

Health coach and expert on GMOs Zach Franke, who received training from Institute for Integrative Nutrition, says, “Nothing good comes in my experience from tinkering with nature in a way that is unproven and is clearly in my mind, more about profit and power than actually ‘feeding the world’ a common claim by those in favor of GMOs.” By genetically modifying foods, scientists are often altering the nature of foods in a way that is not yet proven to be either safe or harmful.

More and more scientists are conducting studies on

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What are we eating?

GMOs, yet there is always a ‘flaw’ in their experiments, making the outcome hard to rely upon. “As soon as one of these studies comes out, the corporations and their hired scientists come out discrediting the findings,” says Franke.

Longtime GMO-free entrepreneur Darla Wainscott added that although purchasing GMOfree foods is expensive, “I feel like paying a higher price now, so I do not have to pay a higher price later in life.”

Many people in favor of GMO-free foods argue that the real life expense is too high to pay in the long run.

Wainscott argues that the higher priced GMO-free food is worth it in the long run, in quality of life and longevity.

Battlefield sophomore and avid non-GMO enthusiast Natalie Graser agrees with Wainscott’s points and says “Most kids are unaware of GMOs and their [potential] dangers.”

The school curriculum, however, seems to lack in informing students about the impacts of GMOs. One of the only classes that studies GMOs and their environmental and economic influence is AP Environmental Science, or APES. APES teacher Ross Bair says “[The issue of GMOs is far] more complicated than good or bad, [there is] no question that GMOs have enabled us to increase

production of food globally.”

By genetically modifying foods farmers can often increase how much food they yield (in other words, more bang for your buck). “It has also enabled us to develop new techniques in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing, which is pretty exciting,” says Bair.

Genetically modifying organisms can open new doors for growing and producing crops. For example, plants are modified to resist frost or diseases through genetic modification, which in turn eliminates the need for pesticides and other growth-enhancing chemicals.

In order to learn what Bobcats know about GMOs, a survey was conducted, surveying over 1000 students. Results show that more than 60 percent of the students do not know what a GMO is. The survey also showed that kids do not know what they are eating; more than 15 percent of students surveyed said they do not eat corn, yet said they drink soda, which contains corn sweetners and are derived from corn. However, 100 pecent of those students said they knew what they were eating, showing that in reality, they do not know what they are consuming.

Since the understanding of the long term effects of GMOs is still limited, it can be considered a precautionary principle to be careful when consuming

Nothing good comes in my experience from tinkering with nature...

Stacked on the left are an organic tomato and apple.

Stacked on the right are the genetically modified tomato and apple.

The infographic reflects surveys taken of 1000 students grades 9-12 at Battlefield High School.

GMO foods. The odds are high that the majority of the food consumed now does have some sort of GMO in it.

To find out more information on GMO foods,

students can watch 'GMO OMG,' a movie that can be found on Netflix. Even better, they can start looking more closely at the foods they eat daily.

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By Allison Brown and Inez Asiama Just because there are freshmen here does not mean that they are the smallest kids in school. Have you ever noticed the group of four and five year-olds playing on the playground out back or walking in the hallways? If you have, don't worry; they are not just a figment of your imagination.

The Head Start program at Battlefield, taught by Janelle Sciarrino and assistant Carrie Brune, is just like preschool for kids who would not necessarily get a head start in a regular preschool. “Head start is to provide students with the foundation to go to kindergarten so they work on [things like] their letters, their names,” Sciarrino explained.

The group of four and five year-olds spend their days singing, dancing and learning new things. “I want to be an astronaut and get cheese from the moon,” says

four year-old Darius. He continues by saying, “I want to go to Pluto, because it is a big ball of chocolate.”

Four year-old Skylynn wants to be a “cooker,” or rather a chef. “I want to make fruit,” she says.

Some of the children want to do things out of this world, like four year-old Ariel who wants to be, “a mermaid, like my favorite princess.”

Five year-old Jayden is the big kid in the class. “I don’t even know,” he says in reference to his future plans.

Lots of the Head Start kids also love to discuss their pets. Jayden mentions his three dogs--Chanel, Misty, and Jasmine--who live at his Nana’s house. Ariel also has a dog who is white and named Puppy Paws. Another one of the girls has a black and white dog named Snickers.

All of the kids agree that they really enjoy their pets.

Sciarrino joined the

program for the first time this year. “The kids come in to school off the bus [at about 8:10]. Then we have breakfast and brush their teeth, and we have a large group activity with them that involves stretching and dancing,” she says, describing a typical day in the Head Start program. “We read a book and then we have a small group activity

and then free play for another hour, then another small group activity after that they go play outside for recess depending on the temperature, or they get to play in the gym.”

It's a busy day, for sure.

But after all that “we have lunch,” says Sciarrino, “and they take a nap and go home.”

Photo by Inez Asiama

So you applied for college...

Mixed feelings after hitting “submit”

By Zach Plaster

College applications for many schools were due last month. After months, if not years, of preparing and stressing, the decision to go to college has finally left the hands of students and been transferred to the higher powers of college admissions counselors. What does this mean for hundreds of potential college students?

The answer often isn’t pretty.

After finally hitting the “submit” button at the end of a college application, the student may be left with a

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feeling of confusion. “What now?”the student might ask himself. Chances are he’ll stand up from the computer, grab some Chex-Mix, and sit numbly on the couch while the feeling of sweet relief washes over him. He might turn on the TV and watch South Park, laughing for the first time in months without constantly thinking of class scores and test grades. He will feel free.

Unfortunately, this phase only lasts a couple of hours. By the time he has

brushed his teeth and gotten comfortable in bed, he will start to second-guess himself.

He will start to recall every single academic and extracurricular activity that he has ever done in his life. That time when he volunteered for a charity 5k run by his aunt in the second grade will suddenly seem really important, and he will be really upset with himself that he didn’t put it on his app. He will wrestle with these thoughts for hours before finally collapsing into a

dreamless sleep.

This respite, however, is short-lived. He will spend weeks, even months being plagued by memories of homework-past, scrutinizing his every academic decision and wishing that he could go back to fix all of his mistakes.

There will be moments of confidence, like when he shares his application details with his friends, but these instances will be fleeting. All in all, college has only served to turn his life into more of an emotional rollercoaster.

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A hard bargain

From ignorance to poor sales, the woes of working a lunchtime table

By Jayne Ross One of the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts year after year is a bouquet of flowers, or at least a rose or two. It is a little cliché, to be sure, but a classic nonetheless. Perhaps this is why the Battlefield Key Club has such a success each February when they sell personalized carnations, which are then delivered room-to-room during the week of Valentine’s Day, at a table outside of the enclosed cafeteria.

Their success, unfortunately, seems to be among only a few.

Even though the hallway adjacent to the enclosed cafeteria has proven to be the school’s most popular outlet for clubs and organizations to raise both funds and awareness for their causes, the outcomes for those groups are often anything but. As most anyone who has found themselves behind one of those tables can report, the general feedback from their peers is casual indifference— or worse, outright rudeness.

And sadly, few people seem to acknowledge the problem.

Samikshaya Adhikari is a Battlefield senior and one of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)’s officers. In October, she and fellow FBLA members sold votes to select teachers to compete in the tricycle race, an annual pep rally event, during lunch shifts. Getting people to actually buy the votes, Adhikari says, was difficult.

“It was so hard,” she says. “We mostly tried to get votes as people were leaving

lunch, but that made things harder because [there were] so many.”

The National French Honor Society is another club that sells its wares at lunchtime. In fact, the society, which is run by French teacher Marilyn Clemence, has been selling Mardi Gras bead necklaces since the beginning of this school year.

So far, they have raised a grand total of five dollars. “[It’s] not much,” says Clemence. It is certainly a marked difference from last

society reluctant to even try.

“Last year, more kids who signed up to sell showed up,” Clemence says. “We’ll see what happens in the coming weeks.”

Many passing students, though, often do not even mean to come across as so ignorant to those behind the tables. In fact, some make a conscious effort to instead pay attention to those tables, even if they are among the minority.

“I pay very close attention to what is being

Starkey, English teacher and Key Club’s sponsor. “I believe that our Key Clubbers work hard to promote any of the items we sell,” she says. Of course, their product may have something to do with it as well.

“I think that many students like the idea of having flowers delivered to their friends or significant others,” says Starkey, “and that helps us… It also saves many students a trip and/or phone call to the local flower shops, as they would be purchasing flowers for Valentine's Day anyway.”

Senior Huda Abdulkadir, Key Club’s treasurer, agrees.

“I feel like people like what we have to sell, especially if they can give it to their friends,” the senior says. “We [also] usually inform our students on where their money is going to, like different charity organizations, and they usually like to hear things like that.”

Still, even Key Club is not immune to the struggles of making lunchtime sales. year, when the club made sold at lunch because the Along with being an FBLA about 40 dollars off of the funds almost always go to a officer, Adhikari is also a bead sales. good cause,” says junior member of Key Club, and she “Most of the time, we Cody Kennedy, “Whether it's participated in last year’s ask people we know because to fund a club or to give back. carnation fundraiser. “It was they are more likely to give us It feels good to give back, I kind of hard to get people to money,” says Karli Wilhelm, think.” buy them at first,” she says. senior society member who But paying attention is “People would just glance at sold the beads earlier this not always the same as the sign and then leave.” year. “But [the] majority of paying money. “I don't usually Indeed, Adhikari’s the time, we are ignored… I [have any],” admits Kennedy. words seem to sum up the will see students talking to “But I'll bring some in if plight of most students’ each other, and then they there's something going on.” attempts to sell items during shut up and pretend like we So what, then, is Key lunch. “Trying to get people’s are not there.”

Club’s secret? attention when they’re not This attitude has left It seems simple enough, even paying attention,” she many members of the honor according to Mary Beth says, “is so awkward.”

Trying to get people's attention when they're not even paying attention is so awkward.

-Samikshaya Adhikari, senior

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Tuning in and

jamming out

Emily Balog and Zoe Voettiner

Students create good vibes at CMC

provides a comfortable who wants to perform,” says Contemporary Music is open mic called @4410. environment for those willing singer Riley Hannah. The Center (CMC) is located in “@4410 is the students' to get up and perform in performers seem to love Haymarket, next to Fosters home. It is their place to call front of a crowd. The people @4410 and the crowd and across the street from their own. It is their place to who performed for the first seemed to enjoy it too.

Giuseppe's. It is a store for bond with the music they time were often encouraged “My voice teacher [at those interested and inspired make- It is their venue,” says by their peers and/or those CMC] is a fabulous teacher by music or that are Menzie Pittman, the owner of with more experience and a wonderful person,” musically gifted. “Founded in CMC and creator of the performing in front of others. says Kimble. Clearly, the 1989, Contemporary Music space. Sophomore Lexi “Everyone is so friendly. You education you get at CMC is Center was good. established on @4410 is the simple run by principle that professional everyone sound deserves the technicians chance to learn and a musical musicians. instrument,” Pittman according to says the store's owning website .

CMC is a CMC challenge offers open mic he enjoys, nights, music “I would Photo by Zoe Voettiner clinics, master equate Three middle school girls perform “Present Face” at CMC's Open Mic Night on December 19, 2014. classes, myself to songwriting being a classes and a fireman, so variety of whatever is lessons. burning is Lessons are where my offered for attention many is… basically instruments: trying to guitar (acoustic address and electric), whatever bass, the needs piano,keyboard, are of the singing, drum day.” This set, being said, percussion, Photo by Kalle Wardlow Photo by Kalle Wardlow one can tell violin, viola, Devon Thistle plays “Angle” by Jack Johnson at Reeya Rabena plays “Riptide” and “Thinking Out those cello, double the Journalism Open Mic Night on January 23.

Loud“ at the Journalism Open Mic Night. working at bass, mallet CMC strive percussion, timpani, trumpet, to achieve the success of Frilles agrees as she states get to meet a lot of new all saxophones, french horn, that “It's got like a good people, and I feel like I am in their students. One staff trombone, baritone horn, member, Michael Harrington, feeling.

I performed there at a whole new world” says tuba, clarinet, flute, banjo, comments on the youth open mic [night].

The people Jaylin Kimble, a freshman at and mandolin. All lessons are coming to CMC, saying “The are really friendly and you Battlefield. thirty minutes in length. With can have an ongoing “I started out here doing kids keep me young. I thrive this variety students are off their energy and they conversation with someone the rock camp. It's a pretty bound to find the instrument seem to thrive off of mine.” you don’t even know.” familiar place, it's a chill of interest.

After going to an open environment, and everyone is Another activity at CMC mic it is clear that @4410 really welcoming to anyone

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Calling out the casual cowboys Battlefield's 'rednecks' share their side of the story

By Emily Balog, Theo Key, and Heather Trobridge Most people have been told all their lives to be themselves. But once they enter the high school environment, many try to be something they are not. That being said, there are many different cliques in high school, and the “camo squad” seems to be a clique that has caught many students' attention.

Freshmen Drew Powell, believes that, “People should be who they want to be, and not fall to the peer pressure of society.” Another freshman, Ryan Britton, passionately states that “My opinion on 'fednecks', which are fake rednecks, [is that they] should at least try to be

real.” Both boys seem to have the same opinionpeople should pursue their own interests and not try to change themselves for others.

Freshman Colby Siegismund believes that, “the term ‘redneck’ has changed a lot over the past couple years; you could just wear camo and consider yourself a redneck. I don't consider myself a redneck: I like to think I'm more country, because redneck is kind of a bold statement.”

Sophomore Mackenzie Hoffman is not offended by the term fedneck. “It’s pretty cool!” she said. Jackie Potter, who is from a family known

for hunting, said that, “I don’t consider myself a redneck.”

The “Merriam-Webster” dictionary describes the term redneck as, “A white person who lives in a small town or in the country especially in the southern U.S., who typically has a working-class job, and who is seen by others as being uneducated and having opinions and attitudes that are offensive.”

Just because a person is a hunter, it does not make them a redneck.

Like any high school, Battlefield is home to many cliques, some of which have people who believe dressing in camo is considered being “country” or a “hunter”.

Q and A with Southerner

John Crocker

By Kirsten DeZeeuw

Q:

How would you sum up a “redneck”?

A: … Basically he’s a good

old southern boy who stands firm behind his beliefs, treats his friends like family, and would drop anything to help them out.. [They] are hardworking and lazy at the same time… [and] are quick to come up with creative solutions to problems usually involving duct tape… Their famous last words are usually ‘Hey y’all check this out,’ or ‘Lemme show you how it’s done boys…’

Q: As you are from the Background courtesy of openclipart.org via Creative Commons

south, what do you think of the “country” kids at school?

A: I think they are a bunch

of casual cowboys who… put on some camo and use a … southern accent... However, some of them are genuinely country and could last… in the woods.

Q: Any advice to the “fednecks” at school?

A: Instead of [just] wearing

-Photo courtney of Ryan Feehan

the clothes, they should learn to skin and track a buck… so [that] instead of being a “casual cowboy” they can be a genuine article. All they have to do is dirty up those polished boots of theirs and learn to get down and dirty.

2014 graduate Connor Feehan and his brothers, Brendan, junior, and Ryan, freshman, proudly display their bounty after a day of goose hunting in the fall. The brothers are self-proclaimed “true rednecks.”

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How to rock the

By Sydney Guyton and Marissa Alessi High school is the time when many people get their first job. At Battlefield High School, sophomores are required to participate in a mock interview for the job of their choice. This will prepare them for future job interviews as an adult. Many students work during the school year and over the summer. They learn the skills needed for a successful interview.

Many students at Battlefield have been through the interview process. Junior Rebecca DeVore has had experience with interviews through her involvement Key Club and Swim Team. Her first interview experience was for Key Club and she learned it was good to come prepared. “They asked me a lot of questions about operations and how I would run things. So there was a lot of earlier preparation that went into doing research,” DeVore explains, “I looked up some stuff about the position and I did some general research on the club because it’s a very big club. I kind of just got myself used to the organization.” Coming prepared shows how invested a person is in the job they are applying for. DeVore shares one tip for future interviews, “make sure that you make eye contact. If you need to take a pause before you answer, it’s always better to take a short break rather than spurt out the first thing that comes to your head.” Interviewees really want to make sure they think about their answers before saying them, that they way communicate effectively.

At Battlefield, sophomores go through a mock interview to prepare for a real job interview. Mrs. Graves, tenth and eleventh grade English teacher, says, “I wish my classes in high

school had gone over job skills.” For the mock interview, students must complete a resume, dress appropriately and learn to make a good first impression.

“You want to show them that you care about the job enough to know about the company,” Graves explains.

Going into the interview knowing about the company helps you prepare and makes you look like a good applicant. “An interview is an opportunity for people to sell themselves, and it is often the only time you will be able to make an impression, so you need to make sure to make a good one,” Graves added.

interview

Junior Annie Patterson talks about her first interview experience and the importance of being yourself during an interview. “Be confident and do not try to portray someone you are not,” she says. Companies are looking for someone who is approachable and knowledgeable. They are also looking for someone who has a personality that fits in with the company. By portraying someone else they may think you are not right for the job. Patterson also explained that she became less nervous over the course of the interview.

At the beginning of the

interview it is okay to be nervous. However, being calm and collected throughout helps the interview run more smoothly.

Also, with a clear mind you will be able to think through your answers easily. Going into an interview for the first time can be stressful.

Practicing interview questions with a family member or friend a few nights before is a great way to prepare. If you are preparing for an interview and are nervous and feel as if you are forgetting something, remember these helpful tips:

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