May 2010 by Lassiter High School

the

laureate

Volume XXVII: Issue VII

Lassiter High School

May 2010

A Fabulous Year!

cory shaw/staff Lassiter seniors had many things to cheer about. From Homecoming pep rallies, football victories, and Fox 5 appearances, Lassiter was in the spotlight.

Cory Shaw & Skye Rubel Copy & 411 Editor As summer looms around the corner, there is much to look back upon from the 2009-2010 school year. Lassiter was buzzing with students fretting over exams, teachers looking forward to 3:30, athletes spending their afternoons training, and band practices from 9 to 9 on weekends. The senior class can leave with a sense of pride for the memories created will never be forgotten. It was a school year of wacky weather. The student body had the luxury of staying home for four days. In September, Georgia experienced flooding like it has never seen before. Many Lassiter communities like Waterford and Loch Highland were heavily affected. “The road in my neighborhood collapsed because of the flood,” said ju-

nior Katlyn Krzyzewski, “I had to stay at my grandparent’s house over the weekend!” The damages are still prevalent. Along with the flood days, Lassiter was also off two full days for icy conditions. And in a season of strange circumstances, students had shortened days on two other occasions. Water wasn’t the only thing doing the flooding – The Frank was swamped with rushing students after the successful football team won the region championship against Roswell High School. Under former head coach Chip Lindsey, the football team had an astounding 12-1 record, losing only once in the state quarterfinals. The football team wasn’t the only one making headlines. The girls swim team won the state championship for a shocking third consecutive year. Junior Shannon O’Malley exclaimed “We all did our best and that led to success!”

The debate on

healthcare reform

Students took the summer changes – the new parking system, ASE, a sixth period lunch – in stride. First-year Lassiter administrator Mrs. Ashlynn Campbell oversaw the ASE program. She comments “it connects well with our school motto: ‘Reaching Excellence and Climbing Higher.’” Seniors especially enjoyed sixth period lunch because it gave them the opportunity to leave school two hours earlier than those without minimum day. Though Lassiter is known for stellar academics, our school also knows how to have a good time. There were many memorable pep rallies – including the early morning ones in which Lassiter appeared on Fox 5 – though quite possibly the most enjoyable was the Academic Pep Rally. Lassiter showed its true spirit with many student and teacher acts. Besides the pep rally, the fashion marketing class with

The Wizarding World of

Staying

Stressfree Harry Potter

The Avenue sponsorship transformed two deserving teachers with $1000 shopping sprees. And of course, who could forget the prom at the ‘fabulous’ Fox Theatre? “The ‘Sands of Time’ theme was almost as gorgeous as the girls’ dresses,” said one excited senior. It’s events like these that Lassiter students will forever remember. The 2009-2010 school year was chock-full of surprises. Whether it was the morning students were in lockdown for several hours or the brave resuscitation of a lone runner on the track, many crazy occurrences took place. Principle Chris Shaw says “I look forward to each day with enthusiasm as Lassiter strives to be the best high school in the state. We excelled this year in almost all areas.” Good luck at college graduating seniors and for everyone else let’s hope next year is up to par with this one.

Coach Jep Irwin new head football coach featured

index THE 411 TROJAN TALK A&E FEATURES CENTERSPREAD COMEDY CENTRAL JFF SPORTS

2-3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14-15 16-19

2 amrita banerjee staff writer At this time of year, most students are preoccupied with studying for AP exams and finals. While it is definitely important to spend time preparing for these challenging tests, Lassiter students, especially seniors, should keep in mind the gradual increase in tuition for all thirty-five Georgia colleges and universities. Due to Georgia’s $300 million shortfall, the University System of Georgia has decided to help by increasing the tuition of almost all Georgia colleges. During a recent conference, University System Chancellor Erroll Davis announced the probability of increasing tuition by exactly 35 percent, 42 percent less than what some credible websites listed. For some research institutions, like the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia, students are likely to pay a whopping $2,000 more in tuition than previous years, while at smaller schools such as Columbus State, tuition rates will increase by more than $1,300 per year. It is estimated that this tuition increase will help pay for at least $175 million of the projected shortfall amount. While this increase in tuition was one way of raising the projected money deficit, other options the state could have implemented include a decrease in student enrollment

The 411 Increase in GA college tuition

wordpress.com The University of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium may have a few less bulldogs next year thanks to the rising tuitions cost.

and the elimination of jobs in various colleges, including the University of Georgia. If this had occurred, the university would have had to decrease student enrollment by not taking 500 new freshmen at the start of the next school year (2010-2011). Another idea was to eliminate the 4-H programs offered at this school, a program that lets young citizens “develop citizenship, leadership, and life skills.” It is likely true that this tuition hike will take out a large amount of money from the HOPE reserves. Thus, students will probably receive less money from the HOPE scholarship than they were counting on. Lassiter High School senior Kelsey Jonnson had much to say about this issue. “I understand that the state

is in great debt right now, but why does the state legislature have to take money from schools in order to pay off the money? There are other ways that the state can raise the money instead of taking money from our colleges. Our economy is not in the best shape right now, and I don’t think asking people to pay more money for college will help the situation at all.” While the tuition hysteria is right around the corner for seniors, underclassmen should be left with a word of advice: tuition will keep increasing for the next couple of years, so save as much as possible into your bank account. The Georgia colleges will be more expensive for you than they have been for any other Georgia resident.

By the Numbers...

$300

million shortfall

35%

Increase in tuition

0 Tuition 0 0 increase

, for research 2 $ universities

$13,000 tuition increase for

local universities

Harry Potter flies to Universal Studios emily weissert features editor Universal has created something the entire world has been waiting to experience – Harry Potter. This spring the magical world of Harry Potter will open to the public! Everything from choosing your own wand to traveling through the Hogwarts castle is now possible. Harry Potter fans, prepare to be amazed. The world of Harry Potter has become a reality in a few short years. Universal has planned the park in a way that somewhat mimics Harry’s own journey to the school of witchcraft and wizardry. Beginning with a walk through Hogsmeade, fans will be amazed by its acute likeness to the book. Here Universal has duplicated the infamous Honey Dukes and Ollivanders. Honey Dukes houses the well-known Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans and the Chocolate Frogs with their collectable wizard trading cards. However, the soon-to-be most

popular store in state is Ollivanders. This is the store where Harry chooses his wand, and with the help of Universal, you can now choose your own! With a new interactive experience, the wands can also choose you just as they did in the movies and books. Replicas of the actual characters’

wands are also for sale. The numerous choices make it clear that Hogsmeade provides the shopping for the park. After successful shopping, it is on to several choices. There is the Hogwarts castle where visitors are taken through a magical journey to all the classic spots, such as the Room

jaunted.com Plans for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter have already been set in motion.

of Requirement, the Defense Against the Dark Arts Room, as well as many more. Once through the studio, visitors are taken on a flying tour of the grounds where they will meet a variety of magical creatures. Along with this ride at the park, two other attractions are on the grounds; the Flight of the Hippogriff and the Dragon Challenge. The famous scene with Harry riding the Hippogriff around the grounds has been replicated for visitors. The Dragon Challenge is a series of coasters that resemble that of a dragon “fight” or “chase.” These sites at the park provide the thrill. Whether it is for a true fan or simply an adrenaline junky, this park has it all. With its numerous dining facilities and activities there is never a dull moment. This park has a very famous and greatly desired theme that makes it a popular vacation destination. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is an adventure that Universal is willing to bet on. And they recommend that you do as well.

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This past weekend, an Oregon highway state patrolman had pulled up to a fellow deputy’s patrol car only to find that instead of his colleague, there was a teenage boy passed out at the wheel. The patrolman was oblivious to the act of grand theft auto until the sheriff’s office had received a phone call notifying the patrolman of his stolen car. . .

The healthcare reform package is now law cory shaw copy editor

Democrats in the House of Representatives passed sweeping healthcare reform legislation formally known as “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” on Sunday, March 21st by a 219-to-212 margin and without Republican support. A lot of Lassiter students tuned in to watch the events unfold, including junior Chaz Curlee who said “I’ve always been interested in politics and when they showed live video from the house floor it was actually very interesting to hear both sides bickering.” Just two days later on March 23rd, President Obama signed into law this comprehensive, 2000+ page legislation. Another two days later, on March 25th, Congress passed the House Reconciliation Act, which ‘fixed’ the healthcare reform package passed in the House just a few days prior. The package is said to cost nearly $90 billion a year over the next ten years. President Obama’s key points and those highly debated in the House on that Sunday included the fact that under the legislation those with employer-provided coverage wouldn’t be required to change what they currently have, a consumer health insurance exchange that is said to lower competition would take

take effect in four years, nobody can be denied coverage because of preexisting medical conditions, insurers must cover preventative checkups such as physicals, everyone would be required to have some form of insurance, and under an executive order no abortions would be publicly funded. In Georgia, the nearly 2 million residents who do not have affordable insurance would be given an option in the exchange, nearly 1 million residents would qualify for tax reductions to help purchase health coverage, 1.1 million seniors would be given free preventive service, and over 100,000 small businesses could have a tax credit on insurance premiums, according to statistics from healthreform. gov. Senior Brandi Donaldson says, “A lot of people are thinking it’s negative because all the money it’s going to cost, but I think it’s positive because hospitals may not be in so much debt. Everyone thought social security and Medicaid were bad and look at how positive it is now. You have to do a paradigm shift. Sometimes change is good.” With no support in the House, the Republicans warn that the reform will increase spending by nearly $2 trillion, create multiple government bureaucracies that will increase the governments roll on the private sector, and produce an unavoidable

tax burden for future generations, according to associatedcontent. com. For this, Lassiter junior Spencer Hanson is outspokenly against the bill’s passing. She says, “Everyone’s families will be affected when we have to pay for Obama’s insurance or pay a fine if we choose not to.” In what is being hailed as the most sweeping piece of legislation

under Obama thus far, the healthcare reform package is and will be a debatable topic in the upcoming midterm and next presidential election. Highly divided among party lines, a clear consensus on healthcare is improbable. To hear the opinions of the Lassiter student body, check out Lassiter’s take on healthcare reform, located in Trojan Talk.

foxnews.com President Obama was intent on putting this revolutionary bill into action.

Trojan Talk

Jobless for the summer? Not for long. cate cash jff editor

So the school year has ended and all you can think about is how much you want to relax, run around with your friends, and hang out by the pool. However, when the ice cream man pulls up and all your friends get ice cream, you find yourself reaching into your wallet to find nothing but cobwebs. Well, if you have a job during the school year this is a no brainer. You just keep that same job. However, if you are one of those people who doesn’t work and lives off mommy and daddy’s money, maybe this summer you should change that. Having a job gives you all kinds of freedom that you never knew you could have. It is great to have your parents buy everything you need. Even so, it is better to not have every purchase you make monitored by a parental unit. Summer is always a great time to find a job because many places are slow and hiring before the new school

year is their priority. If you are a junior your best bet would be to search at the end of the summer. Most places hire during this time because they lose so many seniors to college and need to replace all of them. During the summer you can prepare yourself for this just by knowing at what places you do and do not want to work. Trust me, if you get a job at a place during this time you will be much better off. You will not get caught in your senior year scrambling to try and find ways to make money. You can let your savings build gradually while enjoying the new responsibility you have. Plus, your parents will be so impressed by your initiative you might find them lending you more money than they did before. If you are a senior though, I would advise you to find something that pays well and pays fast. As a senior

you will be gone next year and honestly no one works their freshman year at a major university. Your best option is camps. I know you cannot just become a camp counselor at any old camp and get paid, but it will not hurt to apply. Try your local gym even. Some of these camps will be hiring right now, and they will pay you in bulk when the whole thing is over. Another option you have is to try and get paid for daily services such as yard work companies, nanny jobs, and life guarding. Overall having a summer job is not only beneficial to you, but to your whole life. It would be wise for each and every one of you to find something you can do this summer to make it worthwhile. Otherwise, you will find yourself next year broke with no one hiring.

eee.uci.edu

Tanning bed users create a new race julia regeski 411 editor Given the rise in the Oompa Loompa population at Lassiter, the Laureate feels it is entirely necessary to address the rising dangers of sitting in a bright blue oven at blistering temperatures all for the sole purpose of changing your skin to a brilliant orange color. It’s understandable. Bathing suit season is basically here, and everyone wants to look beachy beautiful while lounging by the pool. However, the price of being bronze may be a bit too high. Get past Oompa Loompas and move on to another characteristic of too much tanning; lizards, complete with wrinkles and scales. If you want to resemble these cute little reptiles then, by all means, fry your skin off. But if you’d like to retain that healthy, youthful skin look you should reconsider before you tan. All studies show that too much tanning on a regular basis can lead to premature skin aging. That means if you

hit the tanning booth too much in treatable if detected early enough. your teens, you could look like you’re Melanoma’s risk increases by 300%. Another lie put up by tanning in your 30s in your 20s, your 50s in your 30s, and your 60s in your 40s. salons is that the process of tanning Of course we’ve all heard the helps scars heal and acne diminish. constant dangers of UVA and UVB rays. Because the tanning beds dry out The tanskin, they ning salons actually insist that make skin the UVA inflammarays they’re tions worse using are by taking safer than any moisthe UVB ture that rays emitirritations ted from would be the sun. using to However heal. Your both rays body’s lack can cause of water e x t e n s i ve causes it to damage to produce an your skin, oil called courtesy of www.suntips.ca s e b u m premature aging of Tanning beds can cause immense damage to the body. w h i c h the skin, c a u s e s eye injuries, rashes and inflamma- you to break out even more. tions, as well as a highly increased All of these risks should be chance of skin cancer. All 3 types enough to make any teenage girl flee of skin cancer become more like- from the tanning beds with rapid vigly due to tanning beds. Basal cell or. Yet millions of Americans become and squamous cell skin cancer are more susceptible to all these risks ev-

ery day. So here’s a ground-breaking idea for all men, women, and children considering ruining their skin for looking good one day at the pool; don’t do it. Really, no one cares whether or not your skin is bright orange or as pale as Edward Cullen. You’re putting your body at so much risk that it’s truly not worth it. Sunscreen really isn’t that bad of an idea. Skin is so much safer with just a little bit of that sweet smelling white lotion at the pool.

DID YOU KNOW?

ing o use tann Those wh a than once e r o m s d be e e 55% mor month ar likely to ancer. develop c

The Laureate Staff 2009-2010

Graduation held at church?

Editors-in-Chief Emily Kehner Katie Zion Trojan Talk Editor Lindsay Hopkins A&E Editor Taylor Hayes Sports Editor Kevin Ankerholz Comedy Central Editor Courtney Ciesielski JFF Editor Cate Cash Features EditorStaff The Laureate Emily Weissert 2009-2010 Editors-in-Chief The 411 Editor Emily Skye Kehner Rubel Katie Zion Centerspread Editor Trojan Talk Staak Editor Mary Ann Lindsay Hopkins Copy Editors A&EMolinaro Editor Tyler Taylor Hayes Cory Shaw Sports Editor Staff Writers Amrita Banerjee Alex Medders Kevin Ankerholz Frank Coutinho Julia Regeski Katie Hayes Central Natalie Kieta Comedy Editor Jack Herman Courtney Ciesielski Advisor JFF Editor Mr.Cate ToddCash Henry The Laureate is a student Features Editorpublication of Lassiter Emily High Weissert School; a member of the Georgia Scholastic Press Association. TheEditorials 411 Editorreflect the opinions of individual writers and do Skye Rubel not necessarily represent the opinions of Lassiter High School,Editor Cobb County Centerspread Schools, or their administrators. Mary Ann Staak Financial support for The Laureate is obtainedCopy through Editors advertising and generous patron contributions. Tyler Molinaro Contact through school address Corythe Shaw or by emailing lhspress@gmail.com.

Want to tell LHS how you feel? We welcome guest submissions to The Laureate. [cartoons, editorials, pictures, and more]

LHSPRESS@GMAIL.COM

courtney cieselski comedy central editor

host all 400-something people in our graduating class plus 5 of our loved ones. Personally, I wish we were holding it at a bigger place so we could get more tickets. I know many other students with family members not able to attend wish this as well. I guarantee that if we wanted a facility where we could get more tickets, we would HAVE to use a church. What other building

In the fall of students’ senior years, there is always lots of speculation about where graduation will be. This year, there was discussion about it being on the Lassiter field or in one of the many churches in the Lassiter area. Eventually Roswell Street Baptist was selected to host the class of 2010’s graduation ceremony. I, for one, had no problem with this. Why abcnews.com should anyone have a problem with this, you ask? Well, Is it okay for graduation to take place in a church? some people do. People complain would be big enough? There isn’t one. that it turns the graduation ceremony Honestly, the people who complain into a religious ceremony. Um, hel- about this are the people who just look lo? That is what baccalaureate is for. to cause trouble. There are no priests, Churches are big facilities that can pastors, altar servers, or anything of

the sort at a graduation ceremony. How can a ceremony be categorized as “religious” if there are no religion-affiliated employees at the event? Some people think that having graduation at a church isn’t “politically correct.” I think being politically correct is overrated and sometimes unnecessary. It isn’t like people who aren’t Christian are discriminated against because it’s at a church. If there was a synagogue where we could host graduation and get more than 5 tickets, I would be all for that! I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable or discriminated against because that isn’t my religious affiliation. The more tickets we get, the better. I don’t care about what religion practices there; I just want a big enough building! I’m not sure why graduation at a church is even a problem. The world is becoming too politically correct, and we need to stop it before it gets out of hand. Personally, I think it already is out of hand. Bottom line is, graduation is at a church. Not for any religious reason, just because the building is the biggest one we can get our hands on.

The buzz on your healthcare In general, was the reform package a good idea?

n the an opinion o e av h ’t n o d “I cess of , but the pro lf se it rm fo re seems underway. It t n e w it h ic wh we need veryone says e at th e m to e need to form, but w re re ca h lt a he taking ken without ro b ’s at h w fix What’s eady works. lr a at h w rt a ap about r-democratic e te n u co f o d kin at th tuation is th the whole si to start d te n a erica w m A f o ty ri jo ma med to ongress see C d n a sh e fr a completely.” ignore that vada, 9 –Renee Puv

rm packalthcare refo “Obama’s he irection in the right d age is a step man, or No man, wo for America. d from obbe prevente child should on they edical attenti taining the m long and healthy ea require to liv t be an re should no ca th al life. He se who vilege to tho exclusive pri ly high e pay extrem can afford to uld be a o miums, it sh insurance pre cans.” ri d to all Ame right grante s, 11 –Ryan Rone from quality of “It takes away If I I’m able to get. healthcare that y et ci so in a socialist wanted to live I would.” t, 11 –Regan Everet

Definitely Yes 12% Indifferent 42%

Definitely No 30%

Probably No Probably Yes 9% 7%

compiled by Cory Shaw

“I oppose the government running healthcare because I think further down the road taxes will be raised and the government will run more than intended. But I do like how insurance companies can no longer deny coverage because of preexisting conditions.” –Scott St. Lifer, 11

“Well, I’m not super involved in politics, so I would say I’m a maybe. From one view, it’s a great new innovation that could be great for the nation. On the other hand, I don’t know how we are going to pay for it and it might be a government controlled program that we really don’t need.” –Taylor Bradley, 11

“I’m aga in a sociali st it. My mom grew up zed hea lt in none o f her fam hcare Canada and ily was the hea hap lthcare. Urgent py with care wa non-e s –Jaclyn xistent.” Prestwic h, 11

“Even as a dem ocrat, I believe he should have pu t healthcare on the back-burner. O ur unemploym ent rate is still hove ring around 10 % and that shou ld have taken top priority.” –Olivia Harris, 11

“To be oppose d to public he alth care reform un der the preten se that it is ‘social ism’ is ignorant . Our military, ed ucation, Medic are, social security, and transporta tion systems are al l “socialist” prog rams in which we ar e all taxed and all benefit. How do es public educ ation differ from publ ic health care? It wasn’t that long ago that educ ation was only availa ble to the wea lthy. I would happily pay taxes to en sure a healthy, well-e ducated, and sa fe America.” –Anonymous

Entertainment year in review skye rubel 411 editor

In January of 2010, Lady Gaga’s “The Fame” was nominated for six Grammy awards. “Pokerface” won for best dance recording. Giorgio Armani designed Lady Gaga’s notoriously insane dress with the clear tubing.

Zac Brown Band wins “Best New Artist” at 2010 Grammy’s -His most widely known song is “Chicken Fried.”

Music for summer

wordpress.com

skillware.blogspot.com

At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West took the microphone from Taylor Swift as she was thanking everyone for her Best Female Video Award. -She was given this award for her song, “You Belong with Me.” Kanye claimed that Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” should have won the award.

Lil Wayne goes to jail for a one year term on March 9. -He was arrested for gun possession. Because of extensive dental work he needed, Lil Wayne was able to delay his jail time.

friendsofcannabis.com

stevekokx.wordpress.com The first episode of Jersey Shore aired on December 13. This revolutionizes the terms “Guido” and “Guidette.” The cast of Jersey Shore will set the next season in Miami.

katie hayes staff writer

fash-eccentric.com Justin Bieber released his first album, My World, on November 17. He originally lived in Canada but moved to Atlanta after being discovered on YouTube. He has been mentored by hip-hop artist, Usher.

disneydreaming.com

What to look for this summer!

Aug. July June May

compiled by taylor hayes

May 21st- Shrek Forever After is the final installment in the Shrek series, where the world’s favorite ogre couple faces an alternate reality where they have never met all in Shrek’s quest to regain his true ogre qualities. May 21st- MacGruber is a film based off of a recurring Saturday Night Live skit where MacGruber is supposed to be a secret agent and is known for having to defuse explosives, but imminently fails each and every time. In the movie, MacGruber has to equalize Dieter Von Cunth, who wishes to send a nuclear explosive to Washington D.C. Cobra Starship Backstreet Boys June 11th- The A-Team includes June 7th June 3rd stars Liam Neeson from Taken and The Tabernacle Chastain Park Amphitheater Bradley Cooper from The Hangover as two of four Iraq war veterans Daughtry Rascal Flatts who attempt to clear their names June 5th June 27th with the U.S. military after getting The Arena at Gwinnett Center Aaron’s Amphitheater at Lakewood framed for a crime. Vans Warped Tour Dave Matthews Band July 2nd- The July 26th July 27th Twilight Saga: Aaron’s Amphitheater at Aaron’s Amphitheater at Lakewood Eclipse Lakewood Rihanna with special guest Ke$ha Corey Smith July 28th July 17th collider.com Philips Arena Verizon Amphitheater Justin Bieber August 9th The Arena at Gwinnett Center

O.A.R. August 16th Verizon Amphitheater 13wham.com

A&E

cranial.com

nydailynews.com

Green Day with special guest AFI August 9th Verizon Amphitheater

New Albums:

- The Jack Johnson album comes out in early June. Hawaii-born singer and song writer Jack Johnson’s acoustic-based fanpop.com music is sure to be a hit since it is already ranked number two on i-Tunes top albums and it hasn’t even come out. - The new MGMT Album came out on April 13th and hopefully will live up to their past hits, Electric Feel and Kids. - You will be hearing a lot of Justin Bieber this summer. Bieber recently released his new album, My World 2.0. - Expect to hear a lot from Lady A n t e b e l l u m ’s new album Need You Now. New artist Ke$ha still palddl.com has more music that has to be discovered on her album, Animal. - Lady Gaga’s new album The Fame Monster will definitely be a hit this summer. -Ludacris released a new album in March. rap-up.com - Madonna also released an album in March. - Lil Wayne’s album Rebirth, released in February, is expected to be a hit. - The Jason Deruelo CD contains more popumywarezblog.com lar songs of the summer. - The new Eminem album, Relapse 2, is expected in June.

In movie theaters now: The Last Song katie hayes staff writer

Piece of advice number one: do not make any male being see this movie (unless they want to of course). I admit that I was really excited to see “the Miley Cyrus Movie”, despite the fact that I am not a fan of Miley Cyrus. But I am in fact a fan of sappy, romantic movies, no matter how unrealistic they may be. Unlike many people I did not read the book (written by Nicholas Sparks) before enduring this one hour and forty minute long ultimately predictable movie. In this movie, Miley Cyrus’s character, Ronnie, goes to stay with her dad in Tybee Island, Georgia. Ronnie is the typical “everything- annoysme” teenager, who is said to have been in trouble with the law a few times. Due to her parent’s recent divorce and the whole being a teenage girl thing, she does a lot of storming around at

the beginning of the movie. After being dropped off at her dad’s, Ronnie soon heads to the beach, where she catches the eye of a dreamy local boy, Will. But of course he spills a drink all over her - because I mean isn’t that just dreamy? So moral of the story is that the two end up falling in love. Shocker. The part of this movie that did make it a little different than the usual love story was the situation of Ronnie’s father, played by Greg Kinnear. Throughout the town it is thought by many that it was Ronnie’s father who burned

down one of the historical churches, but Ronnie knows it wasn’t him and she strives to prove him innocent. This sparks an argument with Will. You will have to see the movie to find out why. Ronnie and her brother, played by Bobby Coleman, have no idea that their father has cancer and is fighting for his life, until he collapses one night on the beach and the story comes out. This really brings out the reason impawards.com for the naming of the movie, “The Last Song.” Ronnie’s father, a professional

Lassiter drama puts on a show

piano player, taught her from a very young age to play the piano and she became very good at it. But as she grew older she lost interest for it and began to feel like she was being forced to play, so she stopped. Throughout the movie she finds herself being drawn back to the piano and eventually she finds her love for it again. This movie is definitely worth seeing. It’s no “Notebook” or “Titanic” but it could potentially make you tear up. Rumor has it that the book is very different from the movie, but personally I don’t think that makes the movie necessarily bad, just different. This movie isn’t really an “oh my gosh stop what you’re doing right now and see this or you might just die” kind of movie, you could probably wait until it comes out on DVD to see it and save yourself some money (unless you plan on buying it to watch it three times a week).

hearsals. Among those in the cast are the people chosen to play Sandy and Danny. Belle Adams, a new freshman, was chosen as Sandy because of her sweet personality. Austin LaufersWhat are your weiler, a soon-to-be graduating senior, with his big voice was chosen to favorite songs? play Danny. These talented students’ hard work was rewarded at the open”Telephone” Lady Gaga ft. ing night. Our very own Clark Fran- Beyonce zman was cast as Kenickie and Keonnie Betts was cast as the laid-back “Say yeah” Wiz Khalifah Rizzo. “I auditioned for the cast as a final senior thing and to finish the year out with. It has been fun playing a “Ain’t Back Yet” by different character than myself. Rizzo Kenny Chesney didn’t have a care about her last year of high school while it is completely stressing me out!” explained Keonnie. These students have dedi- “Follow me Down” by 3oh!3 cated a large amount of time to this play. They have sacrificed hanging “Rude Boy” by Rihanna with friends, and even some homework, to make this the best play they possibly could. All their hard “Uprising” by Muse work paid off by having packed compiled by Julia Regeski houses at every performance.

Pop:

Rap:

Country:

katie hayes/ staff Austing Laufersweiler, 12 and Melinda Adams, 9 were on the cast of Grease

emily weissert features editor The songs and dances from Grease are well known classics. From “Summer Nights” to the famous carnival scene, kids have been singing and dancing to Grease for decades. It is Lassiter’s Drama Club’s turn to take the stage with the famous musical. It took a few long months of hard work until the opening night but the end production was worth it. As a student-run production, Becca Clements and Rachel Wetherhead are the brains behind the operation. Clements is the student director and Wetherhead is the stage manager. They are teamed with Mrs. Winarksi and a talented cast of Lassiter students to make this play possible. Lauren Tuma was among

those cast members who stepped up to be choreographer when someone was needed for the job. The play was in the works for a total of two and a half months. This was a very short amount of time to prepare for a play but the cast was up for the challenge. Every day after school they could be found in the theater rehearsing every scene again, and again, and again. Several nights a week they went past 7:00 practicing the more difficult scenes. Although drama club and this play have the tendency to be time consuming, many of the major cast members are presidents of other clubs and many others are active in other clubs as well. For the two and a half months leading up to April 22nd, the Grease cast committed all their time to re-

Dance/Electronic: R&B:

Rock:

8 How to avoid end of the year stress lindsay hopkins features editor The end of the year is approaching and everyone is pushing to bring their grades up. Between AP testing, EOCT’s, and end of the year projects our teachers are throwing at us, it’s hard to avoid stress. However, there are a few sure -fire ways to ditch the stress and raise the grades. Colin Mills, 11, crams for The first thing to remember when coming up to the end of the year is to be prepared. Students should be sure to begin studying for tests far in advance. Be sure to really study; sometimes it takes more than merely reading over your notes. If you’re not sure exactly how to study, try asking a friend. New tricks such as flash cards and review games can make a huge difference! Also, if you have multiple tests coming up, write up a schedule outlining times to study for each (set aside extra time for the tests that will be the hardest). Another option is to invite a friend to Starbucks for a study session. Coffee shops are definitely more fun than the library and there aren’t any ‘no talking’ rules. Best of

all- they have coffee! Bottom line: the more you study, the better you will do on the tests and the less you will stress. Another important hint to remember is to keep calm. If you are feeling overwhelmed with work, take a step back and relax. The more stressed you allow yourself to become, the harder it will be to concentrate. Remember that you have learned all of the material before the end of the year tests are only reviews! Another way to avoid stress is to upcoming finals week. get rid of distractions. We hear it all the time but procrastinating will only make things worse. Waiting to get work done will lead to assignments piling up-- and that leads to poor studying and poor results. Considering about 85% of the Lassiter student body spends more time on Facebook than studying, it is best not to have a computer nearby. If you just can’t fight the urge, have a friend change your Facebook password and not give it to you until after all your tests. This way, there is no chance to waste time! The end of the year can be super stressful, but as long as you concentrate and follow these tips you will be stress free! Remember: the end is near. Don’t ease up until May 21st!

What did you do this spring break? Go to the beach- 20 Visit family- 17 Go on a mission trip- 13 Stay home- 7 Go out of the country- 3

compiled by lindsay hopkins/ staff

Features

mary ann staak/ editor

LHS royalty: 2010 prom king & queen mary ann staak centerspread editor

Prom Queen Aseala Abousaud

Prom King Will Fortanbary

Were you surprised when they called your name for queen? Yes very surprised! I honestly still can’t believe it.

Were you surprised when they called your name for prom king? Oh yeah! I thought for sure it would be Leland or Andre!

Who was your escort/date and did you have fun with him? My little freshman brother. He always knows how to make me smile! We had a lot of fun memories!

Who was your escort? I’m not sure; it was some girl I picked up outside the Fox right before I went inside.

If you had to sum up your senior year in one word what would it be? Exciting! What was your reaction to Will Fortanbary being crowned prom king? I wasn’t surprised! He is the ultimate CHAMPION! Basically he is awesome! What advice do you have to the underclassmen? Enjoy every moment. Whether it’s good or bad, try to make the most of every situation and always have a smile! What advice do you have to your fellow seniors? Do what you can with what you have anywhere you are! Which university are you planning on going to and what are you looking forward to? UGA! I can’t wait to live with Chesa Trevino as my roommate.

What was your reaction to Aseala Abousaud being crowned prom queen? Not surprised at all! She is such a great girl and a great friend! What advice do you have to underclassmen? Don’t worry about what people think about you. What advice do you have to fellow seniors? Be safe, have fun, get a hot spouse! Where are you going to college and what do you want to study? I’m going to be a Gamecock and majoring in media arts! If you had to sum up your senior year in one word what would it be? Headmaster Shaw What is your favorite memory from Lassiter? The Dirty Birds and my crazy friends.

LHS club accomplishments in review natalie kieta editorials editor The students at Lassiter High School are kept constantly busy with their packed schedules. Between keeping up with all academics and clubs, it seems that most students are involved in some sort of club that pertains to an interest or hobby of theirs. There are so many clubs available that it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t difficult to find one that you are interested in, just as many students have done. Each of these c l u b s has done some really neat things this year and accomplished new feats. With the school year coming to a close, The Laureate thought now would be the time to recognize some of the major accomplishments made by some of these outstanding clubs. Run by Ms.

Neighbors, FBLA, or Future Business Leaders of America, has held a guitar hero tournament and picked up trash around the school to maintain its curb appeal. Carley Pizza, 10, placed in both region and state at a competition for public speaking. Interact Club provided Christmas gifts for underprivileged children. They also held a walk for cancer support. Most recently, Interact Club sponsored the blood drive at Lassiter. They are currently in the process of planning a carnival for one of the local elementary schools. NHS, the National Honor Society, provided families with meals for Thanksgiving, held a Rescue Run, and held various fundraisers for the Haiti relief project. SHS, the Spanish Honor Society, has gone to several elementary schools and read to the students. The Humane Society has also been active with the Parade they recently threw. Beta Club

has been working on several community service projects. In addition, the members of the club made Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day cards for people at the local nursing homes. All Deca members have been selling coupon books and a few select students have even competed at national level competitions. Green Club has been hard at work making the env i ro n m e n t a better place, a n d even threw a benefit concert. They are now in the process of putting together a movie night. Model UN, sponsored by Mr. Minich, has been hard at work practicing speeches, writing position papers, and delegating away. They have attended two conferences thus far, one at Georgia State University and the other at Kennesaw University. Each delegation represented Lassiter well, especially China at the Kenne-

saw conference, which won the Best Delegation award. The Equestrian team has also been shooting higher and higher with one of the members, Rachel Womack, making it all the way to finals. Rugby, which many are surprised to know is a club, is in the process of a wonderful season. They are currently 5-1 and training hard to secure more victories in the future. It is clear that m a n y Lassiter s t u dents have been hard at work helping to make their club even better. Each and every club at Lassiter has made a difference in the community and is not stopping now -- planning is in full speed and more accomplishments are on the way. photos: alex medders/ staff

Trojan Pride

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to be a

Go trojans

a Lassiter Trojan!

We are the champions

Comedy Central Montana Eyes: Don’t be foooled-- See step 1 Correct flying form-see step 5 Spikes-- See step 4

Fire comes out of here-- See step 3

How

cinemovie.com

actually train your dragon

tyler molinaro copy editor As each of us well knows, dragons can be temperamental, moody, and, at times, even tri-polar. These personality issues can make training your dragon difficult, especially in cases of the winged beasts that do not conform to the stereotype of having friendly smiles, natural dog-like obedience, and eyes the size of Montana. However, even if your dragon is one such non-conformist, all hope is not lost. Though not entirely probable, you too can experience the warm, fuzzy feeling of owning a dragon that will playfully spit fire at your face. Step 1: Ridding yourself of illusions that have been pounded into your head since birth by books, movies, films, shows, pictures, stories, newspapers (other than this

one) magazines, periodicals, newsletters, emails, postage stamps, tall tales, short tales, medium-sized tales, and pint-sized tales (giant tales are, in most cases, acceptable). Don’t believe everything you’ve heard about dragons. If you are going to be successful in the training of your pet, you must first understand that not every dragon is friendly, considerate, or chivalrous. Every year, deaths and serious injuries occur as a direct result of people being too reckless around newly-purchased dragons because of commercials which feature nice-looking dragons starting campfires or roasting marshmallows for their humans. Be careful around dragons. Always remember that they are intelligent and capable of holding grudges. Be especially aware of dragons that DO have eyes the size of Montana. Don’t be fooled, though

trainable, dragons are dangerous. Step 2: Naming your dragon. NEVER name your animal “Dragon” or anything else that unimaginative. They often get angry when called something unoriginal. “Spot” is acceptable. Step 3: The Fire Problem. Don’t get directly hit with a jet of hot flame but be prepared to have hair singed off. Try not to be daunted by the evil cackling that may follow your dragon successfully administering a flame-cut. If your trainee does manage a direct hit, remember to stop, drop, and scream. Step 4: Avoiding Spikes. When climbing up on the dragon for flights, try to avoid being skewered by spikes on the back of the dragon. Step 5: Flying. Hold on for your life. DO NOT attempt to fly from the tail or to touch the wings. When in doubt of whether to do something

that the dragon may not like, repeat the words “evil and vindictive” to yourself. Step 6: Landing. Avoid trees; steer by GUIDING the ears of your dragon one way or the other. Avoid jerking the ears. Step 7: Getting your dragon to actually do these things. Use Mike and Ikes as treats whenever the dragon does something good. Do not, under any circumstances, give him or her Fireballs or Tabasco sauce. Step 8: Hiding. Get a fireproof safe for times when your dragon is angry or has gotten hold of a pepper. Pad the safe. Nail it down. Step 9: What to do when your dragon turns on you. Run. Pull cell phone out of pocket. Call 912 for Unbelievably Hasty Outside Help. (UH-OH). Then submit your personal story to the Laureate. If, that is, you survive trying to train your dragon.

Flibertigibbet From the Gonzo -- (Look it Up) The following is an excercise in vocabulary. The Laureate staff will pick a single word and then ask sudents of Lassiter what they think the word means. Good luck everyone, good luck. The Word of the month is:

Lardlet

Top Responses: 1. Chin or throat fat 2. A small child under four feet tall weighing over 200 hundred pounds 3. A baby llama Actual Definition: A small piece of bacon put into meat to enrich with fat

WIN

AP exams: Kanye West would be proud cory shaw copy editor

The following is a subliminal message but I shouldn’t really have to tell you that. Lassiter is nationally regarded as an AP school of excellence, offering and excelling in a wide variety of college level courses. These everso-stressful AP Tests are right around the corner and that means late nights and extra caffeine. Who’s ready for summer vacation? So to ease the tension of wanting a perfect score, have a little fun on your testing day. I feel like summer is shrinking. While writing any one of the multiple required essays for your test, simply insert a phrase and cross it out with a single line. The AP Exam readers, who spend a week or more of their precious summer grading the test, can’t count anything crossed out against you. I mean how much can you really do

e . d s e . . r o e . a . n l 2 . l u . tyler molinaro

sourhippo.com

in eight weeks? The summer reading takes up half that time anyways. This tradition of ‘messing with the AP graders’ is three years old this year. The 2008 AP Exams saw the phrase “This is Sparta” and the subsequent year “Why so Serious?” written randomly in an essay and then crossed out with a single line. Do you remember in the good old days when summer encompassed the full three months of June, July, and August? These short phrases serve two purposes: they fill up much needed space in order to make your essay seem longer than it actually is and they lighten the tension that many of us face when we’re told to write three essays in ninety minutes. Senior Chelsea Whittle comments “I wrote ‘Why so Serious?’ in my AP Lang

exam last year and will do the Kanye West one this year. Of course, at that time they were probably thinking about how great the upcoming summer would be. As in real summer. N o t this joke. It is really funny to go from being completely serious and focused to writing such random things. I cracked up midway through.” What student out there actually likes yeararound school? AP Statistics teacher Mrs. Linner says it “Seems like a waste of valuable free response time and defies logic. The philosophy of AP grading is to score students’ responses for evidence of mastery to raise scores. Why take a chance on irritating someone who is looking for every opportunity to give you credit? I asked a friend who is also a reader and a local AP Statistics teacher and

syrairport.com

she said answer the question that was asked and then make me smile.” Thank goodness for May 21st. With almost 32,000 Facebook members having joined the group, the official AP prank of 2010 is here. I would like to personally thank Kanye West and his VMA mishap for the inspiration behind it. Yo AP Grader, I’mma let you finish, but this is one of the best AP essays of all time! *Note* Let it be known that at one point in this article there was a mention of using the Kanye line to fill up the necessary space. Ironically, the very same problem that you will probably have on your AP exams has popped up in the article about it. Yes, this is a time that calls for such filling up of necessary space... Mission accomplished.

ripoffreport.com

People skirt the line of unacceptable Gender: Female Distinguishing Feature: The ability, inclination, and tendency to change Since the beginning of time, phone covers in order to match the humor has come from a variety of outfit of the day. sources and what one finds funny Likely Cause: Overdeveloped sense has been an identifying characteristic of fashion. of that individual. In the same time frame, an international sport to sat- Person #2 isfy the comedic needs of individuals Observed: 5/1/10 has developed. Perhaps not so much Period: N/A, Weekend a sport as a world-pastime, the activ- Location: Airport ity in question is people-watching. Gender: Male? People-watching is, by definition, Distinguishing Feature: Wearing a the act of wandering around aim- dangerously short pink tennis skirt lessly and looking at people around and yellow blouse. you and watching for … interest- Likely Cause: Lost a bet…??????????? ing… things about those people. In an attempt to better understand Person #3: the nature of people-watching, re- Observed: 5/1/10 cently I have embarked on a quest Period: N/A,Weekend to people-watch around Lassiter Location: Strip Mall and during the weekends. Enjoy: Gender: Couple—male and female Distinguishing Feature: Shared outfit of oversized white stretchy-shirt and Person #1: gray sweat pants. Sheer amount of Observed: 4/26/10 -- 4/29/10 mass. Period: Between 2 and 3 Likely Cause: Either serious neglect of Location: Lassiter High School

copy editor

planning or serious planning. Person #4 Observed: 5/2/10 Period: N/A, Outside of school Location: Zaxby’s, Marietta GA Gender: Female Distinguishing Feature: Ability to lose money from customers in between rolls of fat. *Note* She eventually found the money lodged between rolls 4 and 5. A ketchup packet that exploded from the same space when she attempted to bend over to retrieve a dropped cookie sped up the process. Likely Cause: Free food for workers? Person #5 Observed: 5/2/10 Period: N/A, Outside of school Location: Blimpie Gender: Male Distinguishing Feature: Pink-tipped mohawk foiling the man’s attempt to wear a baseball hat. Likely Cause: Lack of a mirror, window, water, spoon, or reflective

surface of any kind combined with overdeveloped sense of persistence. Person #6 Observed: 5/3/10 Period: N/A, Outside of School Location: LA Fitness Gender: Male Distinguishing Feature: Biceps the size of most people’s heads. Neck the size of most people’s torsos. The man had the same dimensions as a small condo. Likely Cause: LA fitness Person #7 Observed 5/3/10 Period: N/A, Outside of School Location: Waffle House Gender: Female Distinguishing Feature: Released from the “hospital” the day before and working at Waffle House. The first clue was the syrup-coated hospital wrist band. The second was the shifty eyes. Likely Cause: Overintake of syrup/ overtime at place of employment.

JFF compiled by Cory Shaw

Heard in the Halls

Students say the darndest things!

If only that teacher was my mom... she makes the best banana bread! Just because I wear skirts doesn’t mean I need to shave my legs. Somebody call the police! It’s illegal for him to be that good looking. Harry Potter smells like cotton candy.

Lemonade

the perfect drink for summer

Ingredients 1 cup sugar (can reduce to 3/4 cup) 1 cup water (for the simple syrup) 1 cup lemon juice 3 to 4 cups cold water (to dilute) Method 1 Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely. 2 While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice. 3 Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water, more or less to the desired strength. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes. If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice to it. Serve with ice, sliced lemons. Serves 6.

Joke of the month If fruit comes from a fruit tree, what kind of tree does a chicken come from?

A poul-tree!

Superphysics sounds like an amusement park. Let’s ride the roller coaster at Superphysics World! If I wasn’t a boy, I’d probably be Tina Fey. I’ve been told I look like her. My beard puts yours to shame. Can you think of a worse way to die than death by bouncy ball? After i go to the gym, I’m going to Taco Bell for a quesadilla. It cancels out, right?

15 What are you planning on doing this summer? Going to camp (16.7%) Going on vacation (35.7%) Working (15.5%) Relaxing at home (32.1%) julia regeski/staff

Need advice? Just ask!

Dear Jack and Natalie, As graduation nears, I can’t escape the fact that while my friends will be jetting off to their dream schools next fall, I’ll be stuck within a ten mile radius of East Cobb. With all my friends scattered around the country, how are we supposed to stay close? Sincerely, East Cobbin’ for life Dear East Cobbin’ for Life, So I’m guessing you didn’t get into UGA or any big school for that matter. You’re probably stuck somewhere you don’t want to go while all of your friends are having the time of their lives at some big university. Don’t worry, there are advantages to this. There are some doors that can be opened with this newfound opportunity. First off, you can meet new people. This is a great chance to break away from your shyness and meet people you’ve never met before. Next, you can be the person you want to be. If high school was not exactly what you wanted, you can use college as a way to make up for a bad high school experience with new friends you have made. Another way to look at this is that you can now avoid all possible distractions your friends gave you. Maybe you could not deal with all that was going on? Here is a great chance to separate yourself and focus on a good education. These are just some of the many positives that come from you setting out on your own. Sometimes you just have to overlook the seeming disadvantages and look at the silver lining. -Jack

Dear East Cobbin’ for Life, If you are that student who’s decided to take a year off before starting college, or maybe decided to go close by, you are probably having to deal with saying goodbye to many of your friends as they go off to college. It will be difficult to maintain some of those relationships, but you have to know that you will always stay in touch with your closest friends. With technology like cell phones and email, as well as social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Skype, a person is just a click away. Consider college a time when you find out who your real friends are, the ones that make an effort to stay in touch with you. In addition to communicating through technology, there are many breaks or vacations when you may be able to visit one another. Your friends will most likely be returning home for major holidays like Christmas, so you will be able to meet up then. So don’t be too down on staying around town for college, you will meet plenty of people in the same boat and still be able to maintain friendships with your high school friends. -Natalie

Top 10 ways to make summer break fun at home Learn a reall cool mag y ic trick

Take your dog to the dog park

Turn on the sprinklers and run ro th ugh them on a hot day

Play games like hopscoth, manhunt, and four square that you used to play

Throw a themed party and invit e everyon e you know

Stay up until it’s really late and stargaze

o how t Learn t kni

ur sum Do yo ing asead ust mer r nts! (J e m n d sig g... fin kiddin ook to b a good ough) h t read

Learn th e “Single L adies” da nce and reco rd it. Then, pu t it on YouT ube

a spa Have ur ith yo day w (Boys, . family e too b t ’ don !) assed r embar

Athlete of the month: golfer Michael Toler alex medders staff writer

natalie kieta/ staff Like many high schools in the state of Georgia, Lassiter offers many different team sports on which students can participate. Out of all seasons for high school sports, Lassiter’s spring programs have, historically and still to this day, proven to be the most well known. One of the lesser talked about spring programs is Lassiter’s fine golf team.

The

Sixteen year old tenth grader, Michael Toler has proven to be a real crucial part of Lassiter’s own golf team. Toler has been playing the sport for about five years now. Although he has officially been a part of the Lassiter Golf team since freshman year, Toler started his golf career early. It all started when he received a golf set one Christmas morning. And as the saying goes, the rest is history. Statistically, Toler has proven to be one of the best ever on the Trojan golf team, having shot 71 in a single round of golf. “Perhaps my greatest inspiration, while playing golf, is the people I practice with and play against. They give me that extra drive to better myself,” stated Toler. When questioned about his favorite part of golf, Toler said, “just playing a good round and having the feeling that practice paid off after all.” After talking about what his future aspirations were for golf, Toler answered “one of my goals is to possilby receive offers from college for a scholarship.” When Toler isn’t competing for Lassiter, he is doing the things he loves. At home, Toler lives with his family and his two cats, Karma and Tricky. “In my spare time I like to hang out with my friends; play a

year

kevin ankerholz sports editor After a bizarre and exciting 2010 men’s NCAA basketball tournament, one thing is certain: parity has arrived in college basketball. Whereas two years ago all four number one seeds reached the final four, this year’s tournament featured some of the most stunning upsets and underdog performances in recent memory. Before the tournament began, basketball fans around the country eagerly filled out their brackets, choosing traditional powerhouse teams such as Kansas and Kentucky to cut down the nets in Indianapolis; with numerous NBA prospects, these teams rightfully deserved to be the favorites to win it all. However, almost as quickly as the tournament gave hope to “bracketeers” around the country, the reality of the tournament busted brackets at a record pace. In the first round a record eight double-digit seeded teams ad-

the

vanced. With upsets such as Ohio over Georgetown and Murray State over Vanderbilt, a perfect bracket after the first 32 games was nearly impossible. In fact, out of the 4.7 million brackets that were entered in the ESPN bracket challenge, not one bracket was perfect after the first round. The madness continued in the second round, as Northern Iowa defeated the almighty Kansas and Cornell advanced over Wisconsin. Simply put, at the outset of the sweet sixteen, few brackets still had their final four intact. In the sweet sixteen and elite eight, two other top seeds lost, as Syracuse and Kentucky fell to Butler and West Virginia, respectively. With these stunning upsets, the Fi-

Sports

courtesy of: michael toler

Mikey finishing his follow through after a drive last summer. round of golf, on my favorite course ‘Settin Down’; or just chill at home,” stated Toler. When asked about the Tiger Woods ordeal, Toler stated “after hearing about Tiger, I was kind of shocked because not only was he a role model to me but several other people. Something that I found weird was how after he had apologized, Nike released a commercial featuring Woods’ father speaking and something few people know is that Woods’ dad also had cheated on his

busted nal Four resembled nothing like many had envisioned it. A gritty Michigan State team, an experienced West Virginia team, a miracle Butler team, and a Duke team which many believed to be “overrated” all advanced to Indianapolis, ready to battle for a championship ring for 2010. The championship game featured two teams that were polar opposites. The Butler Bulldogs, and underdog team from a small conference, coached by thirtythree year old Brad Stevens, faced off against the Duke Blue Devils, a traditional contender from a power conference, coached by veteran Mike Krzyzewski. Despite these vast differences, the game turned out to

wife. I think all in all people just need to stay out of Tiger’s business and let him deal with it. It has nothing to do with how he performs on the fairway so people shouldn’t care.” Check out the Woods article on page 19. Having all this said, next time you attend a golf match and see Toler destroying his opposition, just remember that this rising golf star is an ordinary guy with an extraordinary talent. And being only a sophomore, we can look forward to two more years here.

brackets

be an instant classic, with Duke narrowly defeating Butler 61-59 to claim their fourth title in school history. So what can we take away from this year’s tournament? In the era of “one-and-done” players (who leave for the NBA after one year), experience plays a major role. Teams with upperclassman leadership such as Duke, Butler, Michigan State, West Virginia, Cornell and Northern Iowa all exceeded expectations, while teams with inexperienced “freshman phenoms” such as Kentucky faltered under pressure. All in all, this year’s tournament certainly exceeded expectations, and 2010 will forever be remembered as the “year of the busted bracket.” If your predicting skills were not exactly up to par this year, do not worry: nobody could have predicted this tournament. So no matter how discouraged you are after a failure of a bracket, just relax. You will always have next year to bet on a bad bracket once again.

World Cup takes spotlight in South Africa kevin ankerholz sports editor

Americans have never quite understood the world’s fascination with soccer. As opposed to the high scoring sports of football, basketball, and baseball, the relatively low scoring sport of soccer has never appealed to the fast-paced, instant gratification society that we Americans live in. However, every four years, one grand month of soccer captivates audiences around the world: the FIFA World Cup. The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be held in South Africa from June 11th to July 11th. This world cup will be the first to be held in an African nation, making it an unprecedented tournament. Games will be played in nine differ ent venues all throughout South Africa, ranging from Johannesburg to Cape Town to Pretoria. This year’s field features 32 teams from all across the world, from

the small country of Ghana to traditional powerhouse Brazil. The teams are subdivided into eight groups of four teams each. Each team will play the other teams in its group one time, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the single-elimination, sixteen-team tournament. The United States is in Group C with England, Algeria, and Slovenia. Although the US has not found great success in this tournament, expect the red, white, and blue to advance out of group play. With star players such as Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, the US should be able to defeat Algeria and Slovenia with relative ease. The England versus US game will prove to be one of the more intriguing match play games, but with the loss of David Beckham, the English team will need to find a new on-field leader, so the US will have a great chance to defeat their archrivals. However, in the grand scheme of the tournament, do not expect

about.com Host team South Africa has the potential to win the World Cup this summer.

the US to make a run at the championship. With more experience and superior talent, teams such as Brazil, Spain, Italy, Argentina, and Germany will surely be the teams to beat. As the 2010 FIFA World Cup quickly approaches, many students around Lassiter appear anxious to witness the action. Senior Aseala Abousaud remarked, “I believe that an African team has a chance to make a run in this World Cup. I’m excited to see how teams such as Ghana, Algeria, and South Af-

rica perform in their home continent.” No other event can unite the world like the World Cup, so whether you are a soccer fan or not, be sure to tune in and watch this spectacle of sport. There is no better feeling in the world than winning a game wearing your country on the uniform, and for the 32 teams around the globe, this summer provides that chance. This summer marks the start at a new beginning for countries across the globe and united people young and old.

Lassiter welcomes Coach Jeptha Irwin jack herman staff After Coach Chip Lindsay’s brief, yet very successful two year tenure, Coach Jep Irwin will be grabbing the reins as the newest head coach in Lassiter Football history. Coming from Pelham High School in Birmingham, Alabama, Coach Irwin brings his proven track record of winning and success. He was the one who, in fact, taught Coach Lindsay the very lethal and potent spread offense. At Pelham High School, Coach Irwin was an offensive guru as he led his team to great success on the offensive side of the ball. When asked what some of his goals were for this upcoming season Coach Irwin replied with this, “We want our players to work hard along with the coaches each day. We want to improve daily to be the ultimate champion. There is no win/loss set goal; we are here

to build character.” This character building is evident as Coach Irwin has implemented an intense training and conditioning program that has weeded out the weak and left only the strong. From his experiences with Coach Lindsay and teaching him the highly successful spread offense, it is easy to see that Coach Irwin is an offensive mad scientist. With that being New football head said, his knowledge of the game does not stop there. He has had some experience as being the defensive coordinator, too. Coach Jep has a very strong and proven track record. He has been coaching for 16 years, four of those being as a head coach at South Laurl

Sports High School from 2002 to 2005. Still, Coach Irwin brings different things to the field than Coach Lindsay did. Coach Irwin brings a sternness about him that demands the respect of others while he also understands that showing respect towards others is pivotal for the team’s success. When asked about what he brings that maybe Coach Lindsay did not, this is what he said, “Coach Lindsay did an amazing job with this program. I wouldn’t say I bring anything better than he brought but I do have some different things. cory shaw/staff I have experiCoach Jep Irwin. ence as a coach and as an offensive coordinator, but I also have prior experience as a head coach. I also feel I work really well with students and the players.” Just like Coach Lindsay, Coach Irwin is a very family oriented man with a full house along with his own personal hobbies.

He has two children, Caleb who is nine and Eliza who is five. Coach Irwin has been married for 16 years to his wife Rebecca who is a guidance counselor, so working with children runs in the family’s blood. Just like any other person, Coach Irwin enjoys simple things. He likes to golf, he enjoys going to the lake, and loves to go fishing with his father and son. Also Coach Irwin watches and reads a lot about history, he added that he only watches “good” movies. Coach Irwin definitely brings his own style. It is different than many coaches and it involves a lot of conditioning, sweat, and hard work, something not easily obtained. But before I finished up the interview Coach Irwin wanted to send a public message to the Lassiter Community, “Thank you everyone for the warm welcome for my family and I. Also, I appreciate how easy everyone made the transition. My family is grateful for all you have done as a community.” As one can tell, Coach Irwin is a respected man and with that being said, from the Lassiter student body and staff, good luck Coach Irwin.

2010 French Open is a toss up amrita banarjee staff

Men Rafael Nadal: The King of Clay court, It’s that time of year again: Nadal has already won four consecuwhen we begin the countdown to the tive French Open titles, from 2005 to 2010 French Open. The French Open 2008, with last year’s retirement from is the second major of the season and the finals. He won his first Austrawill take place from May 24th to June lian Open title in the ’09 season and 4th in the Roland Garros venue in Par- hopes to improve this season’s by winis, France. During these two weeks, ning another French Open title. He is tennis players from around the world the main contender to win this title. Roger Federer: The will come to comking of modern pete and at the tennis, Federer end, one male began the ’09 and one female season with an will be crowned unfortunate loss this year’s chamin the Australian pions. Although Open to Nadal. this is easy to He then recovsay, the French ered, winning his Open, however, first French Open poses more chalblogspot.com lenges to most Serena Williams will not play. title and his sixth Wimbledon title. athletes because of it’s foreign court of clay. Clay court For this year’s French Open, Federer is the hardest ground to compete on, is a favorite if Nadal does not win. as opposed to grass which covers the Can he win a second French Open Wimbledon courts. However, for the title? We’ll have to wait and see. past several years, clay has been the Novak Djokovic: The new world numperfect ground for one major athlete- ber two, Serbian Novak Djokovic had Spain’s Rafael Nadal. Here’s a brief pre- a restless start, losing in the Ausview of this year’s top men and women tralian Open to Tsonga because of grand slam winners and contenders: health problems. Nevertheless, he

Redemption? jack herman staff Tiger Woods’ much anticipated return was made during the last weekend of spring break at the Masters in Augusta, Georgia. The mayhem began during Thanksgiving break when Tiger Woods crashed his vehicle a couple of blocks down from his Florida home. This event occurred around 2 a.m. and was first published saying that Tiger’s wife, Elin, had ‘saved’ and ‘rescued’ him from the car. One report from CNN was stated as saying “There was Tiger Woods laying on the ground in front of the vehicle with his wife over him rendering first aid”. As investigations went on people soon learned that Woods actually had been involved in promiscuous behavior, he had been cheating on his wife with a tallied total of 11 women. As the months passed, Tiger and his family became more and more secluded. It was not until ESPN came out with an article on January 20th that told the public where Tiger was: Tiger was actually in sex rehabilitation in the state of Mississippi. Days, weeks passed and the media yearned for

Tiger

worked hard on getting fit and doing better the next two to three months. Andy Murray: The 2010 Australian Open runner-up is looking to secure the French Open 2010 title. Women: Serena Williams: The 2010 Australian Open champion, Serena Williams, has been experiencing pain in her left knee and thus, retired out of the Charleston tournament (Family Circle Cup). As of now, she is unlikely to compete at the French Open and try for a second title. Justine Henin: This legendary tennis player was runner-up at the 2010 Australian Open and hopes to capture another French Open title against Serena Williams, her opponent at the Australian Open. Kim Clijsters: Kim Clijsters came back from retirement in the 2009 season with a win over Caroline Wozniacki to win the 2009 U.S. Open title. Our high school tennis team had a lot to say about the upcoming French Open. When asked who she’d like to see win, Katelyn Corbin, 11, said, “I hope that Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Justine Henin of Belgium win the titles. They’re both great players and Djokovic’s impressions of the other tennis players are

Woods

some type of acknowledgement exactly ‘Tiger esc’ as he finished 4th, from Woods and his party. Finally, (impressive none the less) 5 strokes after a long wait, Tiger came out and behind the victor, Phil Mickelson. apologized in what was a mournful All in all, Tiger played well. At times and heartfelt statement. It was not he showed some rust but he hung until a later public address that in there. As one may say, he showed Tiger announced he would indeed his stripes, and they are powerful. be returning to golf. He also was He is back in full swing with many planning on participating in the more tournaments on the docket. Masters tournament. On a warm spring day, the Masters began along with Woods’ conquest for redemption. Many were confused though on how they should react to him. Should we boo? Should we cheer? Let us remember, the man did commit adultery. And not to mention the headlines, what would they say? Redemption? For what exactly? Being unfaithful? Well, people did not really blogspot.com have to worry about that as Tiger was not Woods was welcomed back with mixed emotions.

lhsgymnastics.org

Congrats to the

LHS gymnastics team for winning state!

really quite funny!” Freshman tennis player Jane Early hopes that Rafael Nadal wins and supports Kim Clijsters to win the title. “After watching Kim Clijsters come back at the U.S. Open last year, I really hope she wins again this year at the French Open.” The French Open is certainly going to be one of the best grand slams of the 2010 season. You should look forward to some of the best tennis players giving it their all. Some favorites will win while upsets will occur throughout the tournament’s grueling play. We will have to wait to see who will prevail this year and call themselves champion.

back

You decide! Should we forgive Tiger Woods?

52%

Forgive him

“The guy means everything to the game of golf. This is just a bump in the road for the best golfer to ever play the game.” Connor Voglewede,11

31%

Don’t Forgive him

“Tiger had everything going for him. He threw it all away for me though. You can’t cheat on your wife and then ignore criticism.” Leland Gross,12

17%

Don’t Care

“It’s his own life. I can’t get caught up in his marriage with Elin because it is their private life. I’ve got better things to worry about.” Catherine Agati,10

50 students polled

Creativity.

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Lassiter students express

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Liquid and Solid

Writing.

April Davis exemplifies the use of writing as a creative outlet. Lassiterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s literary magazine, Arete, is full of original poems, short stories, and other pieces.

Liquid and solid. Everything is right. Time is solid. Everything is wrong. Time is liquid. What is time, slipping through your fingers, Grasping at what you cannot hold. Stable time no longer lingers. Liquid. What are memories? A foundation of your long-lived life. Try and shake them out. Erase your vivid accounts. Yet they stay solid, trapped in your mind.