Volume XLIV, Issue 1
September 24, 2014
D.H Conley High School
2006 worthington road greenville n.c 27837
taking over
green machine
trailer tantrums
replacing cable?
its a metaphor
unfinished trailers
Page 8
Page 4
Page 5
freshman quarterback leads varsity football By Olivia Dunn At only fourteen years old, freshman Holton Ahlers has earned the position of starting varsity quarterback. Although he is young, he is “not your typical athlete” said head coach Brian Paschal. At 6 feet 4 inches and 210 pounds, Ahlers is physically mature as well as “mentally far ahead of the curve,” said Paschal. “He’s steady, and no moment is too big.” Ahlers strengths far surpass his size. His talent lies in game management. “He ultimately has to control the play,” said Paschal. While according to his coach he needs to improve on reading defense and secondary coverages, Ahlers plays with the same qualities of former Conley quarterback Davis Kirkpatrick (‘13).
Holton Ahlers
“Davis managed the ball really well and was an excellent runner,” said Paschal. “ Holton is a bigger version of him.” Growth is the name of the game for Ahlers and the team as a whole this season. “We need to keep maturing,” said Paschal. “By the conference games, early mistakes have to be left behind, meaning little to no penalties and turnovers.” Because of his young age, his teammates “went easier” on him in the beginning, but the coaches treated him equally from the start, said Ahlers. Both teammates and coaches respected him because of his modesty. “He didn’t come in with an ego,” said Paschal. As the quarterback’s coach, Nathan Conner works specifically with the freshman; Conner “brought him along slower” due to his inexperience on the varsity level according to Paschal. As for earning the position of starting quarterback, Ahlers was surprised by the title. “I knew I was up for it, but I didn’t expect to actually be the starter,” he said. Ahlers began playing football in sixth grade for Chicod, and it quickly became a passion of his. The Vikings didn’t first spot Ahler’s talent at tryouts. Paschal and his coaches watched him play in the Viking bowl, a championship game for middle schools held at Conley.
Continued page 7
school suffocation: population keeps growing by Christian Reid It’s a new school year. New classes. New friends. New students… New problems. Typically, this only includes dealing with different people, a heavier workload, and that one class that you can’t stand. But over the past few years, D.H. Conley’s student population has grown tremendously, posing a litany of problems for not only the staff, but the students as well. Since 2011, the incoming freshman class has been increasing steadily, with this year standing at almost 475. In comparison, last year about 400 seniors graduated, and even before they left it was overcrowded. How much more can the school handle before it’s overtaken by the student body? “We’re doing all that we can with the little resources we have,¨ said underclassmen counselor Kelly Wynne about how the school is handling overcrowding. ¨Because DH Conley is such a
great school, we’ll be getting more freshman each year, so hopefully, the county office will realize that we need more supplies and more teachers.” A larger student body means that people will interact differently with more students. Junior Devin Lanon predicts that Conley’s student population will continue to increase. When asked about this year’s batch of freshmen and how they impact the halls, he says that “They’re so small. I don’t talk to them, and they don’t talk to me, but if they get in my way I just try to find a way around them.” Logically, studies have shown that overcrowding prevents learning from taking place. A University of London study
Continued page 2
2
news
The Shield Volume XLIV, Issue 1 Septermber 24, 2014
E-controversy by justin coleman
exhale. The claim of many e-cig companies is E-cigs have genthat the device is much erated a large appeal less harmful than regular because of their claim cigarettes. This poputo be virtually harmlar trend has resulted in less. The way they work many adults and teenagis the device uses liquid ers in general, dropping nicotine called juice. That regular cigarettes for juice is activated once e-cigs. you inhale from the e-cig, Another large apwhich in turn heats it up peal of e-cigs is the monin the flavor cartridge and ey it can save a former produces a vapor. cigarette user. According The juice is then to Daily Finance’s web arconverted to a vapor, ticle on cigarette spendwhich you inhale and ing; cigarettes generally
cost around $5 per pack. Frequent users have been cited as buying 4-6 packs per week, so someone who is addicted would pay anywhere from $30$40 per week. An e-cig generally costs around $40 with other components that go with it. These particular e-cigs last anywhere from 4-7 weeks depending on the quantity of use. This relative information supports the idea or conclusion that e-cigs are causing significant disruptions for the tobacco industry. However Time magazine reports that the e-cig industry is beginning to disrupt the pharmaceutical industry. Out of all adults that have used a product to help them quit smoking in the past 12 months;
isis crisis
What does this mean for the future of e-cigs? The Shield spoke with 18 year old, Harrison Overby about e-cigs as a whole. “If everyone used these, no one would die of second hand smoke.” Harrison is voicing the concern for the tobacco industry with e-cigs becoming more popular. Harrison also went further to express his opinion about the claims of e-cigs. “I am 100% convinced that these aren’t “harmless” products, something is entering the lungs through the mouth and down the throat while carrying nicotine and other flavors. I know they’re probably not the safest thing, or safest alternative, but regardless they are safer than an actual cigarette.”
Contiued from cover
by christian reid On August 19, 2014, a terrorist group used shock value to make a statement to the world. The beheading of the journalist James Foley caught the attention of nations, especially that of the United States government. As a terrorist group, ISIS actively ignores international rules and legislation, only following Sharia or Islamic law. Controlling hundreds of miles of land between Syria’s Mediterranean coast and Baghdad, the organization obtains resources from seizing various territories. In the past few months, ISIS has taken control of much of Syria and Iraq, making many nations
57% chose e-cigarettes, 39% chose the prescription drug chantix, and 4% chose another over the counter method. All of these relative benefits offer a safer alternative for adults as well as teenagers. The American Heart Association Journal offers the idea that e-cigs still carry a substantial risk. Based on clinical tests on mice, these particular scientists are saying that e-cigs pose a risk to cardiovascular health,. If these turn out to be facts rather than mere suspicions, what position does that put the consumer in? The huge marketing drive behind e-cigs is that they significantly reduce associated health risks as compared to regular cigarettes.
worry about what may occur in the near future. After the beheading of a second journalist, Steven Sotloff, the nation is beginning to desire a more forceful approach to handling the organization. In order to combat the terrorists, Obama seeks to implement additional airstrikes and direct training of the local security forces. Thousands of refugees have left Syria and Iraq to escape the ISIScontrolled areas, and many more are stuck. Hopefully, ISIS can be neutralized through efficient measures to minimize the loss of life and begin the reconstruction of the countries.
pitt pirates robotics
study shows that because teachers lack the time and supplies to allow creative learning techniques or interactive group activities, they end up just giving out information that’s dull and disconnected. Also, student behavior has a direct correlation with overcrowding; the larger the class size, the more likely they will misbehave, ignore the teacher, and sleep in class. The student body of Conley is disproportionately spread throughout the classrooms. ¨We need bigger classrooms,” stated junior Dillon Avery. ¨There’s not enough space. In my first period, there’s no extra space, but my fourth period barely has any people in there.” In the morning, the car line gets so backed up that traffic slows down to basically a walking pace. Senior Luke Pesci sums the situation up perfectly, saying ¨If you want to get to school on time, you need to be there by
by Matt Williamson Have an interest in robotics or engineering? Take a look at the Pitt County Schools Robotics Team. The Pitt Pirates Robotics Team is comprised of students from all high schools in Pitt County. “The Robotics team builds a robot and raise funds to build said robot as Pitt Pirates Robotics team competiting in St. Louis, MO well as going to combuild period. Saturday, robots in a selected game petition twice a year January 3 will mark kick- for that year. and occasionally three “I joined the times when we get to go off, the release of the new game and the beginning team initially because a to championship,” said of the build season. friend asked me to and Robotics Scouting Cap During the build I’ve stayed on the team tain Kennedy Hughes. period, the team works for these past three years The team meets once together to build a robot because I really liked it. I or twice a week during to compete in a compeliked going to competipre-season and meets tition. The competition tion and seeing all the every day for at least two hours during the six week consists of the robot go- other people and seeing against other teams’ ing what teenagers can
7:40 in the morning. Past that, you’re just barely going to have time to just chill out, and if you get there at 8:00, you can forget about getting to class on time.¨ Not only that, but the cafeteria lines get so packed with people, many have just decided to wait up to 10 minutes for the lines to get smaller. Cafeteria worker Connie Howard says that the staff accommodates the massive student body “pretty well, and even though it’s overcrowded, we can handle them.” But when asked about the cafeteria lines, she sighs and says “Its overwhelming. Everyone is running over each other and the lines move slowly.” There’s no doubt that the student population will only increase in the future. But how the school will handle that will determine how problematic it will be. With new teachers, supplies, and larger spaces needed, who knows what Conley will look like in 4 years.
about technology and computer systems.” “Go for it,” Hughes said to anyone who is considering joining the team. Robotics Build Team Captain Matt Gates said “Do it. It’s a great experience.” “It’s a great organization. It’s a great thing to do. Do it if you have the chance. do with $4,000,” said Hughes. “My favorite part is meeting new people and learning things
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news
The Shield Volume XLIV, Issue 1 Septermber 24, 2014
out with the old, in with the new
principal. McDuffie believes that people should be challenged academically. D.H. Conley has Gerri Brewington was added two new assistant a seventh grade science principals. Meet Mrs. Ashley teacher at Ayden Middle Wheeler and Mr. Norman School before she was asMcDuffie. signed to be the assistant Ashley Wheeler is a principal at D.H. Conley Conley graduate that taught high school in the fall of sixth grade social studies, 2003. Brewington constantmath and reading to exceply enforced the rules of tional children for five and a Pitt County Schools, “I am half years. Wheeler was an a natural born disciplinarassistant principal at South ian, so that part of the job Johnston school for one year came easily for me.” said and at West Smithfield school Assistant Principals McDuffie and Wheeler Brewington. Brewington does for a year and a half. “In my role high school for four rewarding but also a lot of have one dislike about being and we have the power to make a years. McDuffie was the assispressure to have students and assistant principal. “ Actually, I difference in a child’s life.” said tant principal at South Brunsteachers that look up to her. She dislike having students arrested Wheeler. wick high school for three and a believes that the decisions that (surprise). Having students ar Wheeler hopes that half years and was the principal she makes could have a huge rested is necessary for the safety students, teachers, and staff at Green County middle schools impact on the lives of others, so of all students, but I would members have a good experifor one year. The former princishe takes her job very seriously. prefer that all students abide ence at Conley. “My experience pal at the school where McDuffie Norman McDuffie is a by the rules.” said Brewington. was good here and I hope to give taught math at convinced former math teacher that grew Brewington now is the assistant that to others.” said Wheeler. McDuffie that he could make a up in Duplin County. He taught principal at Ayden-Grifton High Wheeler feels that it’s bigger difference as an assistant sixth grade for two years and School. by katlyn payton
all the world’s a stage by miranda alexander For the first time in 3 years, Ms. Poorman will be taking D.H. Conley students to The North Carolina Theatre Competition (NCTC). The competition will take place over two days, with DHC students attending on November 8th. This year Ms. Poorman has decided to open the fall play only to her 3rd and 4th period theatre classes, rather than the whole school. Ms. Poorman’s 3rd period will be doing all the acting, set design, and prop building. “Do I think this was a smart decision? Yes.” said Mrs. Poorman “It is working out amazingly well because everything you do for the production aligns with the curriculum guide.” This also gives the students that have sports after school a chance to be apart of the production because majority of the rehearsal will be in class. At the actual competi-
Ebola on the rise by quiana jones
tion, Ms. Poorman and the theatre students will have one hour to get the set in place, perform, and take the set down. At the end of the show piece, judges will critique on every element of their performance. “It is very much and educational experience.” said Ms. Poorman. “Also the competition is exactly aligned with at least 3 of the NC common core standards.” In addition to performing “A Christmas Carol” at NCTC, the students will also be performing the same play at D.H. Conley on November 20th and 21st. The performance will also showcase two plays by West Williams and Tariq Sharpe. Mrs. Poorman expressed how she thinks it would be a great idea to do every year and gives students a chance to learn so much from other schools. “The students will learn more in this one weekend then they will this entire semester.”
Ebola cases are currently on the rise, spiking in countries like Liberia where not enough people can receive treatment. It’s predicted over 20,000 people will be infected when the outbreak is over. Four health care workers from the U.S that went to help Ebola patients have been infected and are being treated back in the states. Two of the health care workers are stable and the others are expected to be okay. According to WebMD, ebola is a group of viruses that causes hemorrhagic fever. It causes bleeding from inside and outside of the body, and the skin starts to weaken, tearing with every move the victim makes. It is highly infectious, and currently there is no available vaccine or cure. “Ebola is very preventable...we’ve had over 20 previous outbreaks and we managed to contain all of them,” Lawrence Gostin, Health law professor stated. Lack of health awareness, improper DON’T MISS THE 37TH ANNUAL burials, and human resource shortages LOBSTER FAIR! contributed to how serious the epidemic has become. Saturday, October 18th, 2014 10am-3pm (Bazaar opens at 9am) A hot source for transmission in St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church Liberia is public transportation. Families (14th & Firetower, Greenville, NC) crisscross all over the country for treatment, and taxis aren’t disinfected before other people get in. It’s time again to pre-order your fresh Maine lobsters brought in The World Health Organization has just for this event! Fun for entire family (hay rides, crafts & more). confirmed there aren’t anymore free Plan your own lobster party or enjoy a treatment beds for Ebola anywhere in cooked meal at the Fair. Liberia. Families looking for treatment All proceeds go to community ministries. will be turned away, eventually infecting For more information or to order your lobsters call 355-2125 others in their communities. or visit www.st-tim.org. Currently more than 2,000 people have died, and 3,000 have been infected. Live or Cooked $16 Meal $20 Recently in a study, monkeys have been (cooked lobster + corn, slaw, fries) given a vaccine for the virus, but after 10 months only half of the subjects have been protected from Ebola. Human triLOBSTER SALES END FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10TH als began this month, and results of their Turn in this ad for a FREE drink on day of event! efficiency and safety will be expected by early November.
4
Entertainment
The Shield Volume XLIV, Issue 1 Septermber 24, 2014
making other authos green in the face by brice jackson John Green was born on August 4th, 1977 in Indianapolis, Indiana. After his family was born, they moved 3 states until they finally settled down in Orlando, Florida. Orlando became the setting for one of his future pieces: ‘Looking for Alaska’. After graduating from Kenyon College in 2000, he moved to Chicago, and became a student chaplain at a children’s hospital. He intended to become an Episcopal Priest, with his major in religious studies but was inspired to become an author due to his experiences at the childrens hospital. While there, he got his ideas for his famous book; ‘The Fault in Our Stars’. TFOS sold more than 10.7 million copies and was sold in 46 different languages. It was eventually made into a movie that was number one on the charts for a good while. This wasn’t his first call to fame, however, because his
earlier book ‘Looking for Alaska’ put him on the spot. These books are very popular among teenagers and young adults. They often display themes relatable to this age group, and usually feature emotional endings. The books also have very well thought out story lines, so they are easy to flip into a movie. John Green is also very well known in the world of video blogging with his show ‘Mental Floss’. Episodes are meant to teach you things that you might not have known otherwise. All the episodes are composed of the same topic, like ‘50 Common Misconceptions’ which informs us that we actually do use way more than 10% of our brain, and busts other common beliefs among society.
There are dozens of other episodes, ranging from Presidential facts to banned TV shows. All of which are geared to keep you well informed and
mentally healthy. Green has a bright future, as he is only a few books into his career with a plethora of new ideas on the way.
75 years later, wixard of oz is as charming as ever by kyler ross Seventy five years ago a classic was born in the magical land of Oz. In 1931 a heartwarming musical debuted starring the always charming Judy Garland. In the midst of the Great Depression, a colorful movie and enthusiastic acting provided an escape from everyday dismal life. The Wizard of Oz is revered as one of the greatest films of all time and is played every year on TBS. The Wizard of Oz’s shining moment was when the film switched from black and white to color, this is perhaps one of the more famous moments in American movie history. This switch to color is not only a fancy camera trick, but also a powerful symbol.
The black and white portion of the movie is set in the dull Kansas flatlands. When a common Kansas tornado sweeps up Dorothy and plops her down in Oz it seems as if Dorothy has been able to escape the realities of life in the Great Depression and life on a farm in Kansas. This magical land of Oz provides an alternate world that is stress free. Dorothy’s journey through the strange land of Oz presses values of family strength and the power of friendship upon the audience. Dorothy’s desire to return home despite Kansas’s negative portrayal shows the strength of her family bonds. The Lion, Tin Man, Scarecrow and Dorothy
are a ragatag team of unexpected friends that show the strength of friendship with their ability to overcome any problems. In the end Dorothy’s burning desire to return to Kansas is answered as she wakes from a dream, realizing she had simply been knocked out by the tornado. The dream also puts forth the importance of family as a theme, showing that no matter how colorful the land is, it is not worth it if you can’t be with your loved ones. The Wizard of Oz is superficially great but also has implied deep moral values that connected with the people of the time and the people of today.
The vividly colorful scenes impress the person looking for a beautiful display while symbolizing something deeper for the intellectual. Overall, The Wizard of Oz is regarded as a classic and always will be.
Summer movies go bust by reid williams leaving all parties involved satisfied. That was not the case for this summer’s films. One film’s opening weekend scarcely passed the 100 million mark: “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” but received a poor 18% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was “inflated, interminable and incoherent,” said one critic. This summer was littered with box office flops, such as “A Million Ways to Die in the West,” “Blended,” “Hercules,” and “The Expendables 3.” These films collectively received poor reviews out of the gate, which drove viewers away and led to disappointing totals. However, the largest flop of the summer was the sequel to the hit 2005 film “Sin City,” which was titled “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.” The ambitious film was estimated to have a budget between 60 and 70 million dollars, excluding costs for marketing and distribution, yet only made a little over $6 million on it’s opening weekend, finishing in eighth for that In a perfect world, Hollywood spends week. money on movies that thoroughly entertain The latest of these Marvel films, and enthrall, drawing large crowds to the “Guardians of the Galaxy” was one of few theaters and creating a successful business,
films of the summer to gain critical acclaim. Marvel’s newest film brought out many fans, and did not disappoint. It was hailed as original and clever, and was propelled to become the highest grossing film of the 2014 summer. Despite a dismal total revenue, this summer was not without a few pleasant surprises. “22 Jump Street” obtained success, landing in the top ten movies of the year. Teen romance “The Fault in Our Stars” brought out many fans of the popular book to create a decent total. Another box office opportunity for the popular monster “Godzilla” made some waves at the box office, raking in a total of over 200 million dollars. “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” the second outing of the reboot franchise, was one of very few well-reviewed summer movies of the year. The film surprised many in its opening weeks, but died out quickly. Overall, after all of the surprising highs and lows were counted, the summer movie season was a disappointment. The revenue brought in by all of the big-budget Hollywood films was far less than what anyone had hoped for.
5
editorial
traffic terror
frustration. I set my cheap Wal-Mart By Brice Jackson alarm clock to 6:30 every night before I go to sleep. After a shot or two of Z-Quil, it’s lights out. At 6:30 my alarm clock sends a blaring shriek echoing throughout my room. Just like any other teenager on the planet, I roll over and attack the snooze button. This process repeats every nine minutes until 7 am. The next Imagine waking up at thirty minutes is the standard your normal time, the same morning routine; shower, dog time you’ve been waking up at walking, brushing teeth, fixfor three years. Only a handful ing hair, etc… I leave the house of times have you been late, be- around 7:50 every morning. cause you are aware and com From there I go to Hardfortable with the time you have ee’s to get breakfast, and then allotted for yourself. school. The median time for I’ll tell you my experience arriving at the line is 8:04. Ususo you can try and fathom my ally, the line is still congested,
STAFF
h2no
Staff Advisor Casey Charles
Water, a crucial part of life, is strictly limited at Conley. Out of all the things the administration could’ve banned, they picked water. While the restrictions on cell phone use get looser with each semester, the one thing that actually makes sense to have at school is banned. As far as Conley’s concerned, the only acceptable time to have water is at lunch or between classes in one of the viral petri dishes that dispense water throughout the building (aka water fountains). We’re in school for seven hours and ten minutes, and we only get a realistic 25 minute window to drink water. If I’m supposed to be drinking 8 cups of water a day, and I’m asleep for a third of that day, when am I supposed drink all of that? Are students supposed to be doing fountain stands in the cafeteria to meet our daily requirements? That much water in a period of time that small will surely lead to water intoxication, where water literally poisons your body. You can see how this all might seem an absurd, and yet this is the rule they pushed on us. I’m not saying snacks and Gatorade should be allowed in class, but surely water should be. It doesn’t attract bugs or rodents, it doesn’t distract students, and
Editor-in-Chief Melissa Alexander Section Co-Editors Gray Taylor Kyler Ross Logan Bagley Matt Williamson Olivia Dunn Reid Williams Zack Matis Wed Coordinator Kayla Moye Photographer/Editor Grace Bell Shane Watson Copy Editors Haley Bronzino Hailey Garrett Julia Todd Staff Writers Brice Jackson Christian Reid Justin Coleman Katlyn Payton Maddie Theus Miranda Alexander Quiana Jones Yazmin Villanueva
By gray taylor
The Shield Volume XLIV, Issue 1 Septermber 24, 2014
Trailer park
but never in three years has it been halfway down Edwards Farm Road. I shrug it off, as it is By gray taylor the first day of school. Maybe they’re just having some opening day troubles. That whole week I was late, each day by about ten minutes. It is now the fourth week of school and most days I am still late. Now I suppose I could get up earlier every morning, like 3am, to be on time but the Cramped classes, point is I shouldn’t have to adjust safety concerns, hygienic my schedule to account for the problems, cheap materials, lack of organization among the and all together unfinished higher powers at Conley. look - Welcome to the Con Eventually, they have to ley trailer park. do something to fix it. Maybe Should a person be add a direct pathway from able to open a locked door Worthington Road to the Gold by pulling the handle? How lot, or multiple entrances directabout if I put it into conly from Conley Road to the Blue text and said the door was lot. an entrance to a school. When you have over one Would it concern you then? thousand students being funWell the doors to the trailneled into the same two lines every morning, there is bound to ers lock but they don’t stay be a problem. I hope people take shut, so anybody with any number of bad intentions this seriously, as the number of could pull the handle and students here at D.H. Conley is walk in. only climbing. Faulty locks are not Having twenty plus stuthe only problem with dents late every morning bethe new trailers, infact, cause of the same problem isn’t they are largely unfinhelping anything. Some people tell me I should take more blame ished. They lack projector screens, feminine care for this whole conundrum but boxes, and some of the that’s simply not true. power outlets do not work. The storage closets do not it certainly doesn’t impair your have locks, so a computer ability to function properly. On the cart is out of the quescontrary, it enhances performance tion. A lot of the desks and allows basic mental cognition were kept outside so they to ensue. So why is it banned? are dirty and rusted. They When disgruntled students actuditched industrial and got ally question teachers about this cheap granny toilets, and rule they almost always reply with the wall panels look like a defensive and slightly abrasive, they came from Eric Fore“It just is, I’m just following the man’s basement. rules.” Out of the whole The only way you can be laundry list of problems exempted from this rule is if you the second worst is probhave a doctor’s note saying you ably the room sizes. The need water. How does that even classrooms are comically work? Do you ask your physician, disproportional to the at the end of amount of students. This your appointbegs the question, how ment, to write come the history departyou a note ment, with class sizes gojustifying the ing into the high 30s, was use of a water moved into the trailers? bottle, like The teacher’s bigwater is some gest complaint was that special medithey didn’t have time to cation that you move in. They were not have to get even put in the trailers till permission to a week and a half into the use. What’s he school year, and when they going to put finally got out there they on the note anyway? “Mary Sue had to spend two days of needs to be able to drink water class time to get everyduring the day, because she’s HU- thing set up. To top all MAN.” of this off multiple class After scouring through rooms have leaky roofs. Pitt County School’s handbook and Student Code of Conduct, I haven’t been able to find a single statement referring to the use of water at school. Already you can see how this rule can’t be enforced without some documentation for students and teachers to refer to. The audacity of someone trying to restrict something like water is shocking. Have you ever heard of a thing called basic human rights? The School Board just simply does not possess the right or power to limit such things.
6
Sports
The Shield Volume XLIV, Issue 1 Septermber 24, 2014
athletes putting lives on the line by Yazmin Villanueva Athletics are an important part of DH Conley High School. Many students have been involved in sports since a young age and many have experienced different types of injuries. Although not all injuries can be prevented, athletes can reduce the chances by conditioning and being technically proficient. Sports injuries may vary from a torn ACL to a critical concussion, but no matter how big or small the injury may be, it still affects the everyday life of a student. Junior Cara Pittman played volleyball here at Conley. Last year, she had a stress fracture in her back. Her trainer came in during random times to make sure she wasn’t playing or furthering her back injury. My doctor didn’t give a note to the school until ¾ of the season, clearing me to play”. This is an example of how to prevent from injuring yourself even more. Sophomore, Rachel
Bewick tore her ACL while playing soccer. It happened the day before school and she wasn’t sure on what had caused her injury. The orthopedist told her that she had a strong knee, but when she was cutting, her knee gave out. Holton Ahlers shows his battle wounds One of her orthopetrainers from East Carolina helps dists informed her that is was in any case of a sports injury. He all about timing, thats when the said that safety always comes buckling occurs. first when dealing with an ath She is still not doing well lete. with the idea of not getting to “Conley is lucky to have a go out on the field and play. “I great sports medicine program”, like to distract myself by taking he said. Maloney also said that pictures or stats during a game.” first and foremost, conditioning had said Bewick. is an important part in prevent Athletic director, Rob Ma- ing an injury. loney finds that having certified Lifting weights not only
olympic aftermath: brazil now by gray taylor
Credited to TheTelegraph
What would you do if your country spent more than $270 million on a stadium that would only be used four times? Brazil spent over thirteen billion dollars funding the World Cup, and one of their biggest expenditures was the stadium in Manaus. The city of Manaus is in such a remote and inaccessible location that all the materials for building the stadium had to be brought in through the Amazon River. Brazil is expected to spend even more for the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and this is something that has not gone unnoticed by its citizens. The people of Brazil were rioting throughout and even after the games. Most did not want Brazil to host the World Cup for various economic. “More than a million Brazilians poured onto the streets of over 100 cities in this week’s largest anti-government demonstrations yet, protests that saw vio-
lent clashes break out in several cities as people demanding improved public services, the spiraling cost of the 2014 World Cup and an end to corruption faced tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets,” reported The Telegraph in mid-June. This protest turned into one of the most violent demonstrations of the summer. Police brutality and public frustration ran rampant. The result was countless injuring and the death of an eighteen year old. One of the main concerns Brazilian citizens had about hosting the World Cup was the nonexistent profit they would receive. The World Cup differs from the Olympics in a way that the country holding the games does not get the profit. All revenue goes to FIFA, (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). FIFA controls the World Cup, and to an extent, the country holding it. FIFA is known notoriously throughout the rest of the world as
a thug. They often intimidate countries into bending to their will. Since 2003, Brazil had a law in place saying alcohol was prohibited in football/soccer stadiums. The law existed because of high death rates. The only problem with the ban was that Budweiser is one of FIFA’s key sponsors, so naturally they bullied Brazil into amending the law. “I’m sorry to say, and maybe I look a bit arrogant, but there must be as part of the law the fact that we have the right to sell beer,” said FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke. The Brazilian government created a Budweiser bill, effectively succumbing to the first of FIFA’s demands. One of the biggest concessions Brazil made was letting FIFA forgo over 250 million dollars worth of taxes. FIFA claims they are a nonprofit company, but they have over a billion dollars in reserves, they do not have to pay taxes, and they get all the profit. The games are now over, FIFA is gone, the riots have subsided, Brazil’s facing crippling debt, and they will do it all again in two years.
helps with your body’s strength, but also helps prevent from having any type of injury. ”Nutrition and proper hydration also plays a big role in injury prevention” said Maloney. Athletics may play a big role at Conley, but it is also important to remember that injury prevention plays an important role as well.
2014 spring wrap-up by olivia dunn
Varsity Baseball
After a winning 17-8 season, the team was knocked out by Richmond County in the second round of the state playoffs. The Vikes were led by Ryan Maness (‘14) and junior Bryant Packard, who threw two of the team’s four no-hitters. Coach Jason Mills hopes to finish the upcoming season with a conference championship with their main opponents being Aycock, New Bern, South Central and Rose.
Varsity Women’s Soccer
The Lady Vikes finished their season with a 17-2 record and a conference championship. Team leaders were keeper Jaisa Loch (‘14) who currently plays for the Meredith College Angels and now Chowan University Hawks defender Leslie Maloney (‘14).
Softball
With an overall record of 15-5 and a first place tie for the conference title, the Lady Vikes achieved a winning season. Although they lost to Pinehurst in the first round of state playoffs, the team managed to defeat their biggest opponents, South Central and CB Aycock. As for the upcoming season, “we will be a young team, but by no means is it a rebuilding season. Going for a third state championship is our goal,” said coach Wayne Deans.
7
Sports
The Shield Volume XLIV, Issue 1 Septermber 24, 2014
CFP is here to stay
cover continued
By brice jackson Up until this year, college football has deviated from the rest of the American sports in the sense that they do not have playoffs each year to determine a champion. Starting in 1998, the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) was used to determine our nation’s champion. There would only be one game having anything to do with a national championship, and the rest were just the top 30 or so teams playing against one another for a title of lesser value. From regular fans to Barack Obama, everyone was begging for a fairer system, and here it is. No more relying on polls and various computer algorithms. There will now be a selection committee of 13 members, who will decide on four teams to go to two national semi-finals, where the winners will advance to the National Championship. There are some notable figures on the selection committee are former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Wisconsin University Athletic Director, Barry Alvarez. Each member will serve 3 year term, and then new members will be brought in. The winners of The Big Five conferences (SEC, ACC, Pac-12, Big 12 and Big Ten) will automatically have a bid in either the semifinals or a glitzy bowl game. The winner of the other FBS conferences (AAC, C-USA, Mountain West, Sun Belt and Mid- American) will also have a bid in those games. The teams who don’t make the semifinal cut will be dropped into various bowl
games such as the Rose Bowl, The Fiesta Bowl, The Orange Bowl, etc… This new system gives more teams the opportunity to make themselves known, and everyone will have to earn their spot. Second year Purdue coach Darell Hazel said the new system is going to “be neat, even though it will be challenging to find the four teams out of a cluster of six or seven.” There will be triple headers playing on December 31st and January 1st. The championship game will be played a week after the semi-finals. If it lands on a Sunday, they’ll change the date as not to conflict with the NFL. “We’re looking to bring a sports holiday, and put it on an actual holiday.” CFP’s Chief Operating Officer Michael Kelly said when asked about the dates of the games. Ohio State coach Urban Meyer also had something to add when asked about about the two day- six game routine, he said he was “worried about fan fatigue, athlete fatigue and athlete family fatigue”. This change has fans divided into those who like the idea, and those who don’t, and most universities are excited about the new system.The Big Five conferences will rake in 85% of the revenue, and the other 5 FBS conferences will split the remains. Don’t feel too bad for them though, as they will still be making more than 6 times what they have been in the past. All games will be shown on ESPN, as they have reportedly paid 7.9 billion dollars for that right.
radio in, radio out
by kayla moye
Conley football has found a new radio broadcast partner. For 2 years, every Friday night Conley Varsity football had a slot on WNCT 1070 AM, during the regular season games. Late in the summer, the time slot that involved the games WNCT 1070 AM, was dropped. “The ratings from the AM radio station were hurting the FM radio station, [WNCT 107.9 FM],” said Athletic Director Rob Maloney. WNCT 107.9 FM owned by Beasley Broadcast Group, had decided to use the Arbitron Rating System. Because of the rating system, the FM station dropped the AM station due to the fact that the ratings were not as high as the FM station had hoped.
The Arbitron Rating System is a system that helps find out what programs people are tuned into. Since the rating on the AM station was not as big as the FM station wanted them to be, the FM station dropped the time slot that the Varsity football players had played. Maloney along with others, tried to find a way to have the football games back on the radio. Word had spread and eventually the WECU 1570 AM radio station in New Bern wanted to have Conley games on their radio station every friday. “We worked hard to get it,” said Maloney. Now, every Friday night from kickoff to the very last seconds of the games, you can listen to it as it happens.
Holton Ahlers
“We had heard a lot about him, so his talent didn’t surprise us,” he said. Throwing a football is only one of Ahlers’s many talents. As a three sport athlete, he also plays baseball and basketball. “I’m the best at baseball, but football is my favorite,” he said. East Carolina University has talked to Ahlers abouting playing at the collegiate level, but because of his youth recruiting has been minimal. “He needs to develop as a good high school player before college,” said Paschal. “Recruiting will come. While from a physical standpoint Ahlers is not your average freshman, he did have the same worries about high school that many students do. “I was afraid of getting lost,” said Ahlers, “but I didn’t.” The Vikings will take on cross town rivals, the Rose Rampants, in their next game on September 26th. Kickoff is at 7:00 at Rose. The next home game will be October 10th against Southern Wayne.
soccer vies for conference title By julia todd
Conley soccer hopes to continue their winning ways. With eight starters conley soccer hopes to achieve their conference title aspiration. With their record last year being 11-5-2. The boys’ Conley soccer team has been successful for many years. “We have a lot of quality players on our team that bring the same amount of “star quality” on the field,” head coach Kurt Garner said. “It will really come down to heart and desire, who wants the championship more and who is willing to work the hardest for it,” head coach Kurt Garner said. Senior Nate Evans
and Senior Trevor Reed have both been playing since kindergarten. “Nate Evans is someone who I can place anywhere on the field and Trevor is the goalie,” head coach Kurt Garner said. The boys’ soccer team has a strong work ethic and work well together as a team. At practice, they always work as hard as they can in order to achieve the goals they will utilize while playing in games. Whenever they play on the field, they all communicate very well together. Communication is the biggest thing to have in a team.
In order to win games and be successful, you have to talk to know one another on the field. The soccer teams main rivalry is without a doubt, JH Rose. Rose is competitive with Conley in mainly every sport and the teams go head to head every year. Coach Garner says that it is very important that the team has chemistry. If the boys do not work together, it will be every man for himself and the outcome is almost never good. Coach says that they have the potential to be conference champions this year but each individual player must come together and give 110%.
8
Technology
The Shield Volume XLIV, Issue 1 Septermber 24, 2014
Cutting the Cord: The Birth of a New TV Era being able to link your account to your Facebook account and share what you’re watching with No signal loss, no commercials, your friends and family, to being no overpriced monthly bill. I’m able to take it on the go with the not talking about an utopian TV mobile app. experience, I am simply describNetflix is making history everying Netflix. day. Their most recent groundNetflix, an on demand Interbreaking achievement being net streaming media website their success in winning three has taken the United States Emmy awards. House of Cards, by storm. With 50 million subis now the only web-only sescribers, 36 million being in the ries to win a primetime Emmy. United States alone, they are Netflix has over 40 million customers House of Cards, received the quickly gaining success. Emmy for Outstanding Directing create profiles under one accable and only recieved internet for a Drama. At the low price of $7.99 for in 2013, according to the compa- The company doesn’t plan to existing users and a mere $8.99 count. Each family member or friend can enter their preferencnies CEO, Tom Rutledge. Exfor those who sign up Septemstop here. Netflix’s will expand es and tailor their profile to meet perian reported that, “almost a into Europe in the near future ber 8th or later it puts harsh quarter of young adults between and according to the Wall Street cable prices to shame. An aver- their specific tastes. Parental 18 and 34 who subscribe to Netf- Journal it will be the, “biggest age cable bill is projected to soar controls are also available with the admin of the account. lix don’t pay for TV.” to $200 in 6 short years, while international expansion in hisNetflix subscribers on average Netflix has only increased by one With 50 million streaming custory.” tomers more people are cancel- spend over two hours on the dollar. Netflix has quickly become a site everyday. The company has force to be reckoned with and Netflix offers services that cable ling their cable service. 24% of made their site available in a providers can’t, personalization. Charter communication’s 5.5 has no intentions of slowing plethora of different ways from down anytime soon. The site offers multiple users to million users cancelled their BY LOGAN Bagley
The death of internet “Without Net Neutrality, ISPs like AT&T, Comcast, Time Warner Net Neutrality is Cable and Verizon will be being threatened, along able to block content and with equal internet costs. speech they don’t like, Net Neutrality makes big reject apps that compete companies like Comcast, with their own offerings, Verizon, and Time Warner and prioritize Web traftreat all similar content fic (reserving the fastest equally. loading speeds for the Without Net neuhighest bidders and sticktrality these companies ing everyone else with could charge whatever the slowest), “ reported they wanted for anySave The Internet. thing on the internet. For Service providers example if Comcast loved have adamantly refuted cats and hated dogs the accusations that they they could charge extra would slow down loadto stream videos about ing speeds so customers dogs. So, it seems like a would have to pay higher no brainer that Net Neupremiums. However, as trality is important and you often see during nenecessary, right? Well gotiations, they already a United States appeals do. court is deciding that Multiple online right now. forums and companies BY GRAYSON Taylor
like Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Youtube have banded together to try and stop “open internet” from happening. Streaming companies like Netflix use a lot of broadband and could be charged extra for normal streaming rates. If they’re getting charged more, then your monthly subscription bill could go from $8.99, to $15.99, or $28.99, (whatever Comcast and Verizon deem fit). The FCC is currently taking comments on their homepage in regards to turning over the Net Neutrality bill, but with Comcast being the second largest lobbyist in Washington it seems unlikely they’ll ever get read.
amazon vs. google: battle for twitch
world domination BY zack matis Picture a world where robots and machines control society, manual labor is becoming obsolete due to automation. When people think of automation, they think of simple enhancements in their everyday life, that make day-to-day operations easier and easier. However, not all automation is universally accepted. Automation affects us most when it is focused on a larger scale such as factories. Replacing factory workers with machines saves the company time and is more costeffective than using people. While this is good for these compa-
nies, factory workers are slowly but surely being replaced with robots and machines. This all means that jobs are now becoming more of a competition due to the need for a higher level of education and all of the lower-level jobs disappearing. The need for jobs such as secretaries has gradually decreased thanks to computer programs that only require the press of a button to plan your entire day. With the amount of people focused on automating our society each day, the “future” that we always imagine in movies is already here.
BY SHANe watson The corporate giant Google was beat to the punch in its latest attempted corporate take over. Amazon bought the live streaming service Twitch for $970 million on August 25th 2014. In one fell swoop, Amazon snatched the company as Twitch and Google were finalizing their deal. Twitch is a service centered around live streaming. Many compare it to YouTube, a service that is taking a huge roll in modern culture. Being called the ESPN of the videogame world by GeekWare.com, Twitch has been taken over mostly by gamers. From huge game companies streaming coverage of major events, to the self made gamer who streams a two hour gameplay video once a week, Twitch has users of all kinds. Whether you are into RPGs, first person shooters, or horror genres, Twitch has every type of user in its diverse community. This service has been heavily sought after for a number of reasons by several different big companies. Amazon (a company not affiliated with any gaming culture) buying Twitch might put some people in uneasy stand-
couple of months to see how people are going to react before making any big changes. Google has been in negotiations with Twitch since March. Though the deal fell apart because of some distrust on Twitch’s side. Google is the same company that now owns YouTube, another platform centered around videos and a major source of gaming culture. In the time that Google has owned YouTube they have changed the way the site looks multiple times, how the comment system works and the funds that are actually going to popular channels to produce content. Although, there have also Image created by Shane Watson been drawbacks in user opinion because of changes such as the new copyright system ings. As we’ve seen in the fall out of Youor integrating Google+ into the user’s YouTube’s copyright fiasco, and the response to the original ideas of the next generation Tube profile. Microsoft was also after Twitch but console, the Xbox One, gamers are very the competition became too steep and resistant to change. If Amazon decides to abandoned the deal. Microsoft owns Xbox, change the core setups of Twitch or add which this would have meant that a gamthings the site has never been involved in, ing company had the control of a gaming the traffic and revenue of Twitch might decrease drastically and cease to be the com- centered platform. Which some might think munity it has become. This might mean that would be a better plan than a non-gaming company taking over a gaming centered Amazon needs to tread lightly these first media.