The Flame

Mountainburg Public Schools

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Holding the World Together For some, it’s difficult to take in the disasters that keep amassing each day. We see them on the news, in newspapers, on the covers of magazines. These incidents aren’t so close to home, so it’s harder to realize what these people from foreign lands, living in the affected areas are going through. But for others, seeing these tragedies on screen and on paper tugs at their hearts, and immediately they are figuring out a way to help repair the damage that was done.

Japan was hit with two massive earthquakes and a tsunami which resulted in, according to HAARETZ.com (a breaking news website), more than 13,000 casualties and more than 15,000 still missing along the Northeastern coast of Japan. Organizations such as the Red Cross, UNICEF, Save the Children, the Salvation Army and the International Medical Corps are already on the move to help return peace and balance back to Japan. But what can you do to help?

Making donations to these organizations at work in Japan is always welcome and a positive way to help the relief effort. You can donate through Twitter, Facebook, or text to

donate through the Red Cross. Also, promoting donation to others helps spread the awareness for this cause. You can promote donation through your Facebook status or Twitter to let others see how important this cause really is and consider donating.

Helping Japan can also be fun if you enjoy playing Farmville, YoVille, or other Zynga games, which encourage donation from their online gamers as well.

Libya was ruled under the iron fist of ruthless leader Muammar Gadhafi for forty-two years. But now the people of Libya have decided enough is enough and started a rebellion, and Gadhafi has chosen to stay in power at all costs necessary even though he has been warned that he and his followers have been violating the human rights of the people of Libya for years. With so much war and chaos, the light at the end of the tunnel seems nearly impossible. So how can you promote peace to a country in so much turmoil?

Islamic Relief USA, a website devoted to alleviating poverty worldwide, reported,

By Hannah Clots

“The most immediate needs are food, water, shelter, medicine and sanitation facilities.” As of now, Islamic Relief has provided food, baby milk, and other necessities needed to refugees at Libyan borders but say that refugees are still in desperate need of medical care and aid. You can help the efforts of Islamic Relief by donating through their website. The money will go toward providing more food, medical care, shelter, blankets, and communal toilets to the people of Libya.

Christchurch in New Zealand suffered a devastating 6.3 earthquake, taking the lives of at least sixty-five people according to news blog guardian.co.uk. People were trapped in collapsing buildings and under falling debris. Citizens of the city were forced to live without water or electricity and told to evacuate the city. Even as rescue crews went to work trying to save these people, anywhere from 100 to 200 more were thought to still be trapped under the aftermath.

To help out survivors and injured alike in New Zealand ((continued on page 2)

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Just months away from the end of the school year, many students are beginning to plan out where they will be and what they will be doing when fall rolls back around. For those who will return to Mountainburg High School again to complete another year toward college, there is still time to plan and get prepared for what’s next. But for this year’s seniors, college is just right around the corner, and it’s time to start applying for grants and scholarships.

If you are one of the many seniors who aren’t sure what scholarships are within reach or where you’ll come up with the money for college, this article is here to help. It contains everything you need to know about the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship with answers straight from the high school counselor, Mrs. Sarah Higgins, to common questions graduating students might have about what it is and how to apply.

First, students need to have completed the Smart Core Curriculum during high school.

These classes are 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade English and Mathematics, three units of Natural Science, three units of Social Studies, and of course, the electives such as art, P.E., etc… “[The Academic Challenge Scholarship] is basically state grant money funded by the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery and offered by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education to seniors with at least a 2.5 GPA and a score of 19 on the ACT,” explained Higgins. “The higher your score, the better chance you have of getting a scholarship. It lets colleges see if you are ‘college ready’ and eligible for a scholarship. It goes toward any state college but not to those that are out of state.”

“Students first need to fill out a FAFSA,” clarified the counselor. This is a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. “They

should fill this out after taxes are done, around May at least. If you are eligible for the scholarship, the money will be sent to the college you decide to attend. There, it goes into your classes, books, etc. Anything that is left over will be given to you in a refund check.”

Students returning to high school in the fall should keep this in mind when the time comes to prepare for college.

Seniors, don’t let this chance to help with the cost of your college education slip away.

For more information on the Academic Challenge Scholarship, hopefuls can log on to www.ADHE.edu or find the link to the web site on Higgins’ wiki which may be found on the Mountainburg Schools homepage.

“I encourage any senior to do this as soon as possible,” Higgins said about the importance of applying. For information on other scholarships within reach, students can view the compilation of information in the high school library.

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) To help out survivors and injured alike in New Zealand you can donate online to the Salvation Army’s Canterbury Earthquake Appeal which offers food and psychological help to those affected. You can also donate to the New Zealand branch of the Red Cross, who are in need of donations to provide supplies and necessities for the earthquake

victims.

and a desire to help your fellow human beings, whether they be in Japan, Libya, New Zealand, or some other foreign country, you can do your part to contribute to the efforts of the organizations already at work there. You have the ability to hold the world together even when it seems it may be falling apart. All you have to do is act.

Though crime and war still inhabit certain areas of the world, when a country and its people fall into the hands of disaster, the world seems to stop and come to their aid. Although, these countries afflicted by tragedy may lie all around the world, it still tugs at the hearts of other human beings. If you are one of these people who feel sympathy

By Hannah Clots

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Growing up, people are faced with obstacles that range from small and deserving no more worry than being worked out and forgotten to making a lasting impact on your life and way of thinking in a positive or sometimes negative way. Some people are scarred, hurt, even confused by past traumatic experiences. Perhaps it was moving away from a previous home, changing schools and leaving your friends behind, the passing of a dear family member, suffering an injury, splitting of a family or something even more

serious.

These experiences can leave people changed and looking for answers. But you don’t have to be one of those people. You have the power to handle a situation however you want. If you truly believe in yourself, you can take a predicament that seems like such a huge deal and shrink it down to nothing and brush it off your shoulder. Overcoming obstacles in your life is something you and you alone can do.

Take it from junior, Dustin Houston, who really knows about overcoming obstacles with confidence and determination-even

about it. It was hard to get through.”

But his strong will and passion of the game wouldn’t let him give up. And the most important and biggest factors that pushed him to get back out on the field were his friends and teammates and his coach.

“I had my mind set that as soon as I could I’d get back to work and get back out there. My buddies, Oakes, junior, and all of them, kept me going, saying there’s always next year. Coach kept giving me compliments saying he sure could use me and missed me being on the field,” he said.

Houston has begun therapy and is waiting to be cleared by his doctor for next season. And, this won’t be just another ordinary football season, but his senior year and his last season to play high school football. He overcame one of the most difficult obstacles for a high school football player. Not just as a football player, but more so as a person kept from doing something they are so passionate about and from missing an experience with his closest friends. But he overcame his obstacle and believes anyone else with the same hard work and determination can overcome their own personal obstacles as well. no small thing. It’s his passion.

“Just keep at it, and when “All I could think about when I broke it was ‘the whole sea- it goes the way you want it to, it’s son just went down the drain, and the best feeling in the world. If you all that hard work was for nothing’,” believe in it, go for it by far,” he advised. “I had people giving me said Houston. He had to wear a cast for three months which he de- negative comments, telling me I scribed as miserable after doctors probably won’t ever get to play again, or there’s no way I could be labeled the injury as “as a pretty back on the field by next season. good break” and expressed surBut what they did was make me prise to see him want to get back want to get back out there even out there.

“It was by far the worst experience more just so I could prove them wrong,” he said with a boyish grin. of my life,” said Houston. “The hardest part was seeing them [his “Don’t let anything stop you because when you overcome it, it’s teammates] play. All I could do the best feeling you can ever was sit and focus on recovering have.” and resting up. I was really low when it seems the worst of the worst has happened.

Houston broke his leg twice before football season of his junior year and had to sit out the whole season. The first time he broke his leg, he was playing catch while running down the sidewalk, stepped wrong, leading to his foot going off the sidewalk and breaking his leg. “The second time I broke it was when I was running the ball on the outside when (senior) Troi Winters, landed on me,” Houston said.

This was a heavy blow considering that Houston’s love of the game is

By Hannah Clots

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April 15th

Zac Brown Band at the Mulberry Mountain, Ozark

April 17th

Corey Smith at the Revolution Room, Little Rock

April 21st

Uncle Kracker at Georges Majestic Lounge, Fayetteville

April 23rd

Avenged Sevenfold at Barton Coliseum, Little Rock

April 26th

Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band at Verizon Arena, Little Rock

May 3rd

Puddle of Mudd at Georges Majestic Lounge, Fayetteville

May 7th

Trout Fishing in America at Bentonville Square, Bentonville

May 18th

Foo Fighters at Verizon Arena, Little Rock

May 21st

Willin-n-Able at IMA Jerk BBQ, Cedarville

May 26th

The Band Perry at The Amp, Fayetteville

June 2nd-5th

Ben Harper and RELENTLESS 7, Bassnectar, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Mumford and Sons, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Buckethead, Lotus, Perpetual Groove, Hugo, Lucero, and MANY more at The Wakarusa Music Festival at the Mulberry Mountain, Ozark.

By Matt Kimes

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Summer season is fast approaching, and though it’s hard Lake Fort Smith at times, it State Park has has its fun mom many job open ents. Yes, it’s ings. you get Seasonal jobs hot, dirty, and it may include mainteno t be nance, lifeguard the most comfortabl , and marina.

Marina positions e job, but it’s a all occur gr eat environmen Maintenance jo on the boat do t to ck and in the m bs w ha or k ve in one task; keep th at cl is arina. os Applicants mus e to home. Th the park clean. ere will be two t have a boater The job openin duties are to ca ’s lic ense to be able gs for maintenan re for the park to work at the ce grounds by mow po tio si ns m th arina. Job dutie is year. ing, weed eatin s include rentin g, leaf blowing, pi out boats, runn g Lifeguard jobs cking up trash, in g the register, ba re qu ire cleaning bathro ce fic rti at si io c ns la in wn care around oms, etc. I wor CPR and as a the marina, lifeguard. clea ked In additio in maintenance ni n ng to guarding the last year, and al the marina bath safety of and rooms, swimmers, lifeg caring for the bo uards must also at s (c leaning, clean pool show fueling, etc.). ers and bathro oms as well as runn Lake Fort Smith ing State Park ter. Last year th the cash regisis now acceptin ere were six lifeg applications guards hired, so for an y job openings. me these lifeApplications guards will retu m ay be picked up at rn, leaving few the park or the spots open. school and mus t be turned it in at the visitors’ cent er.

By Matt Kimes

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In

HAWAII all residents

may be fined as a result of not owning a boat.

In

NEW JERSEY you

cannot pump your own gas.

In

TEXAS it is illegal to milk

another person’s cow.

In

FLORIDA you

may not fart in a public place after 6 P.M.

By Emily Torbitt