A LOOK INTO ADVANCED PLACEMENT CLASSES
ODYSSEY
Volume 10 Issue 5 March 2013 $3.00
-ZONE K
Featured stories: Jump into fitness The Netbook dilemma
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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March 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
VIEWPOINTS Let’s get physical 12Students in Georgia are only re-
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quired to take one personal fitness and ealth class to graduate. BY ETHAN CRANE
NEWS Seeking acceptance 16College advisor Lawrence Harris assists students in achieving college goals. BY GENEVA HINKLE
day in detention 20TheA security team enforces a new
Photo by Porter McLeod
detention program as a punishment for student tardiness.
Cover Story
BY ROBERT WALKER
FOCUS
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Becoming Bonds
Counseling office secretary Jamie Bonds describes her personal journey from an unstable childhood. BY LOUISE PLATTER
REVIEWS Walker’s 30TheHerschel famous ex-University of Geor-
Junior and varsity pitcher Patrick Matthews uses a combination of physical proficiency and mental strength during baseball games. Matthews, who recieved a tryout offer from the University of Georgia baseball team, aims to improve further in the coming season. Right: HELPING HAND: College advisor Lawrence Harris helps a student prepare for the SAT. Harris, who joined the Clarke Central High School staff in 2012, makes it his goal to help students achieve acceptance from the best college they can.
Photo by Maria Velasquez
Photo by Porter McLeod
gia running back Herschel Walker’s new downtown pub disappoints. BY TIERNAN O’NEILL
VARIETY Unconventionally fit 32Aerofit, a new trampoline-fitness
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gym located on Coile Dr., provides alternative excercise methods. BY ALICIA THOMAS
SPORTS report 40A Halftime look into spring sports, including key players and senior losses. BY GABE EVANS Cover photo by Porter McLeod Cover design by Chloe Hargrave
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March 2013
Left: CELEBRATE WITH PASSION: Junior Myron Watkins performs a step routine with other members of the Clarke Central High School Alpha Phi Alpha student chapter at the CCHS Black History Program, which took place on March 8 in E. B. Mell Auditorium. “The Black History Program here emphasizes black history and all American history,” Black Student Union co-sponsor Sgt. Lorenda Harris said.
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’m bad at school. I’m not strong in math. Science doesn’t appeal to me. I have little to no artistic ability. And, quite frankly, I don’t have the self-motivation strong students typically have. Clarke Central High School has dozens of course offerings that run the gamut of difficulty. Among those classes are Advanced Placement courses. These classes are introductory college-level classes offered in high school and most often the most challenging courses in high schools across the country. Not surprising to students enrolled in these courses, the Clarke County School District’s two traditional high schools have been recognized for excellent AP offerings. CCHS has recently been recognized as an AP Honor School, meaning there is high achievement amongst AP programs. Ninety-seven students between Cedar Shoals High School and CCHS have been given AP Scholar awards. But no matter how rewarding or beneficial taking AP classes may be, let’s face it-- the idea of taking a college level class as a high school student is daunting. Personally, I didn’t take an AP class until my junior year. No matter how “out of the loop” I felt during my sophomore and freshman year, I felt I wasn’t fit for the challenge. I knew I couldn’t handle it. But eventually, I told myself I had to take these classes. I thought if I wanted to succeed in college, or for that matter, life, I have to take those classes. However, looking back, the only reason I took any AP classes was because I knew “good” colleges expect them and teachers promoted the value of the courses. I didn’t want to take them to impress anyone. I simply knew I had to.
Tell it like it is. Advanced Placement courses can be misleading and ultimately detrimental for students new to the rigorous program. To be perfectly honest, as I look back, I still wasn’t mentally ready to take these classes. Throughout any AP class I’ve taken, the stress became overwhelming. These classes are hard. No one ever said to me, “Really think about what you’re doing. Can you handle it?” More so, the voice was saying, “Take AP courses! They’re great for you!” Wrong. In an ideal world, I would never take an AP course. I would do well in classes I could handle. But in reality, that’s not the expectation among students, advisers, school administration or college admissions counselors. Yes, I have attended the AP meetings held at the beginning of each semester. Heck, I even spoke at one this past February! Still, the information given to the parents and students is more or less an advertisement for AP classes. “We want you to take AP classes. They’re so good for you,” we’re told. As AP students, we are expected to push ourselves to the very edge, all leading up a test that majority of students might not even sign up for. But, is taking four AP classes at once really worth the stress, and subsequent downfall in grades? No matter how far I pushed myself, my best wasn’t good enough in several AP classes. Having to say that to myself was a brutal hit to my self esteem, especially while I saw my friends celebrating their high A’s. Don’t get me wrong: AP courses aren’t the ultimate academic suicide. If you can handle the college rigor, then by all means take the opportunity. But the possible downfall and inevitable stress in handling the courses is never truly shown. These courses provide a look into the future workload of a college student and in many ways into adult life. They require more critical thinking and for that, I am grateful for the experience. The AP courses at CCHS are no doubt worthy of accolades. Our teachers work hard and should forever be commended for such work. But advisers and teachers should also take a second to be transparent about the workload, course expectations and high level of stress involved in taking an AP course in order to show students what exactly we are getting ourselves into.
Left: FALSE ADVERTISING: While the Advanced Placement classes are beneficial for those confident in their work ethic, the rigor can have a negative impact for student who aren’t aware of the potential consequences.
Cartoon by John Hubbard
March 2013
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VIEWPOINTS
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Proud faces of CCSD The readers felt that “Proud to be CCSD” accurately described the Clarke County School District. While there are some acknowledged problems within the school system, readers believe that CCSD has many positive aspects that should be celebrated and recognized both by students and the community.
Feeling the pride
Values for Valentine’s
I feel the “Proud to be CCSD” article by Louise Platter was a very well-written, wholesome piece. I believe that it is very important to embrace your school district, and Clarke County does a great job compared to other school districts. I feel that you need to celebrate all the good aspects of Clarke County, but also realize and fix the problems and mistakes. In this sense, I am proud to be a CCSD student. -- Luke Slaboda, freshman
I read the article “Valentine’s Day on the Cheap” by Isabella Zaccaria-Jeffers. I thought that it was very informative on things you can buy for your Valentines locally, or just to buy presents for friends and family any time of the year. -- Viviana Lopez, sophomore
Secure on safety I read “Campus Control” by Loran Posey. I like that the article is written so as to make it clear that security is stepping up -- something I think is very good. -- Emily Hall, freshman
Appreciating the administration I read “Breaking bread with Robbie” by Radford Brosius. This article was very interesting and I learned a lot about the Lunch with the Principal program. I think it is very nice of Dr. Hooker to take time out of his day to have lunch with students. It’s a great experience to express how you feel and to let the principal know what’s up from your perspective. -- Dana Jones, sophomore
Praise for the policy perspectives
“I
think that the Proud to be CCSD initiative is great. Pride is a great way for our county to be recognized.
”
-- Gedia Powell, sophomore
Learning about the lab I enjoyed reading “Lessons from the lab.” I thought it was a very informative and helpful piece for anyone interested in the field. Overall, I also enjoyed the positivity of the writer. -- Reynaldo Herrera, junior
A true tribute Kudos to Brittney Butler for her well-written profile on Gary Stevens, “The basketball team’s big brother.” Gary is the kind of student-athlete who deserves more recognition: hard-working, goaloriented and a fine citizen of the school. Brittney did a masterful job capturing all of these traits, and both she and Gary should be commended for making our school a better place! -- Jacob Reuse, English department teacher
Contact
ODYSSEY Newsmagazine
Corrections/Omissions February 2013
On pg. 5, the picture was taken by Gabrielle Saupe. On pg. 5, “accessibility” is misspelled. On pg. 8, “Newtown” is misspelled. On pg. 9, “contibuting” is misspelled. On pg. 9, “college” should be capitalized. On pgs. 10 and 14, Denny Mannakulathil’s last name is misspelled. On pg. 10, Michael Jurado’s first name is misspelled. On pg. 14, Cristina Rosa Vega’s first name is misspelled. On pg. 21, Austin Clark’s last name is misspelled amd Markous Martin’s first name is misspelled. On pg. 22, “released” is misspelled. On pg. 22, “involved” is misspelled. On pg, 32, Conor Blankenship’s first name is misspelled. On pg. 33, “varsity” is misspelled.
I have always known that security has been an issue at our school, one that is being fought with new rules and regulations. This was covered in the most recent edition of the ODYSSEY. I felt that “Open door policy?” and “Campus control” were fantastic, eye-opening stories that covered major issues at our school. They could, however, have been condensed into one major article, saving space and allowing room for a different story. -- Max Germain, senior
Pleased with the principal I think it is very special and good that Dr. Hooker is a finalist for Georgia Principal of the Year. It shows us what a good principal we have. He has come a long way to be where he is. We also have dedicated teachers, which is one of the reasons Dr. Hooker is a finalist. I really enjoyed reading this article. -- Gerardo Soto, junior
Letters: E-mail us at odyssey@clarke.k12.ga.us, or drop off in the main office, in care of the ODYSSEY. We ask that all letters be under 250 words and signed and we reserve the right to omit or edit any letters received. Insulting, unsigned or libelous statements will not be considered for publication. All letters may be edited for clarity and space. Advertising: For ad rates e-mail us at business@odysseynewsmagazine. net. Online: Comment online at our website, odysseynewsmagazine.net
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VIEWPOINTS
The ODYSSEY is published monthly. Published opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone other than the staff. The ODYSSEY is a student produced newsmagazine, published with the intent to inform, entertain and give voice to the Clarke Central High School community, as well as to educate student journalists. Each issue is an open public forum for student expression under the guidance of a faculty adviser. Student journalists are provided with opportunities to investigate, inform, interpret and to evaluate: all traditionally accepted functions of the press in America. The ODYSSEY staff is committed to reflect the mission statement set forth by Clarke Central High School. The goals of the staff are to provide fair, accurate news and commentaries, as well as to serve the interests of the school and Athens’ community. Advertising must conform to the guidelines set forth for editorials. Publication of advertisements does not indicate an endorsement by CCHS or by the ODYSSEY. Students pictured in advertisements are not given monetary compensation. All advertising rates are available upon request from any ODYSSEY staff member. The ODYSSEY is a member of the Quill and Scroll Honor Society, Georgia Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Southern Interscholastic Press Association. Corrections of errors and omissions will appear in the next issue. Editor-in-Chief: Chloe Hargrave Digital Managing Editor: Hannah Dunn-Grandpré Print Managing Editor: Jenny Alpaugh Junior Copy Editor: Aaron Holmes Viewpoints Editor: Dory MacMillan News Editor: Loran Posey Variety Editor: Chloe Alexander Sports Editor: Gabrielle Saupe Photography Editor: Porter McLeod Business and Public Relations Manager: Haley Hunt Sarah Hoyt
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Our Take
e all crave support. We need acceptance, we pray for consideration. We desperately hope for acknowledgement and recognition in ways that are both small and large. And, in the absence of those emotions, we look for other things to fill the gap-- online interactions, illicit substances, harmful relationships -- things that will distract from the holes. These desires are human; it is natural to want to be loved and cared for. The desire to be somebody, to mean something to someone, could not come easier. It is far harder, however, to admit when, in trying to fill the gaps, mistakes have been made and difficult positions have been created. Sometimes, we all want to give up. It is for this reason that counseling dept. secretary Jamie Bonds’ story is so inspirational. Bonds, faced with circumstances much more difficult than what many of us face, persevered. As a foster child, Bonds faced depression, substance abuse and attempted suicide. As a teenage mother, she made things work, though without a steady home or familial support. She told herself that things would get better, that her situation was only temporary. And, even in the face of adversity, she was determined to find a better life for herself and her daughter. Though Bonds lived in a world of instability, she remained certain that her life could be turned around for the better. Bonds, despite her struggles, was able to appreciate the small joys-- specifically the song “Imagine” by Kurt Franklin. And when she heard this song, she maintained her determination to change her life. And she did it. She provided a safe, loving home for her daughter. She began working in the counseling dept. and found a place to providing comfort to teenage girls. She knew that she had conquered her obstacles and was determined to give back, to support students who were not always supported otherwise. We all have stories. And while our stories might not all be so riddled with obstacles, we face barriers every day and we crave redemption as we grow. In those moments where times seem bleak, it is easy to admit defeat. The reward, however, comes with the struggle-- with the fight for success. Gladiators, it is time to unleash your potential.
Graphics Editor: Radford Brosius Staff Writers: Brittney Butler, Susanna Conine-Nakano, Fear Churchwell, Ethan Crane, Gabe Evans, Gabe Harper, Hanna Harper, Geneva Hinkle, John Hubbard, Whitney Letman, James Lumpkin, Tiernan O’Neill, Louise Platter, Chad Rhym, Makayla Richards, Henry Scott, Sam Thompson, Maria Velasquez, Robert Walker, Isabella Zaccaria-Jeffers
Cartoon by William Kissane
Web Master: Austin Defoor
Adviser: David A. Ragsdale ODYSSEY NEWSMAGAZINE Clarke Central High School 350 S. Milledge Avenue Athens, Georgia 30605 Phone: (706) 357-5200, Ext. 17370 Fax: (706) 357-5269 www.odysseynewsmagazine.net
March 2013
Above: BREAKING FREE: Counseling dept. secretary Jamie Bonds has made it through extreme hardships in her life and has broken away from the negative bonds in order continue to inspire Clarke Central High School students.
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VIEWPOINTS
Thumbs Photos by Maria Velasquez
The ODYSSEY staff’s opinions on this month’s issues.
Reptar rampage What could make a concert by local band Reptar even better? A concert whose profits fund the Songs For Kids Foundation, a national music education charity.
Field traps Due to budget cuts and a lack of transportation options, the number of school-sponsored field trips has decreased. We miss the museum visits and nature walks of grade school.
Cruising towards college College advisor Lawrence Harris does everything he can to make sure CCHS students get “that letter” from the college of their dreams.
Exercise devolution One in five Georgia children is obese. Why, then, is only one physical education classes required for Georgia students in their entire high school career? ?
Bonding with students Counseling office secretary Jamie Bonds connects her turbulent past to her present position in order to mentor students and help them through similar struggles. Up in the air Aerofit, a new fitness center in Athens, provides a trampoline-themed workout regimen for those who prefer bouncing to benching. The new-age facility boasts everything from punching bags to a trampoline wall.
Don’t mention detention Though the new detention disciplinary program may instill the repercussions of tardiness in students, is sitting in the cafeteria for 30 minutes the most effective use of time? AP stress For students enrolled in Advanced Placement classes, especially those that fell in the fall semester, the amount of stress leading up to AP Exams is enough to make us reconsider attempting them.
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hen I was four years old, I began taking trapeze class at Canopy Studios, located at 160 Tracy St. Trapeze is a very unique and is also known as aerial dance. I fell in love with it right away. Ten years later, I’m still taking classes at Canopy. I have stuck with it for so long for many reasons. First, I just have fun doing it. I can be myself, be weird and still completely fit in. The sense of community at Canopy is remarkable. Everyone there acts as my second family, and I feel so close to the girls in my class and all of the various adults that have made themselves a part of my life. Trapeze is different from many other sports. There is much more room to be free and to be yourself. It is completely individualized; with trapeze, you can have fun and be cheesy -- it’s all you. Everyone has a different sense of style when doing trapeze. In many other sports, if everyone is not doing something in the exact same fashion, there is something wrong. However, in trapeze, you are applauded for doing things differently, which makes it much more interesting. One of my teachers, Melissa Roberts, is an amazing person. She exemplifies why I love trapeze and is one of my biggest role models. Although my class has gone through many teachers, Melissa has stayed with us since I began training at Canopy. She is fully devoted to helping us improve our trapeze, but she also wants to be a part of our outside lives. I love knowing that I can talk to her about anything and everything, and that she will be glad to listen. Melissa and our class have a special bond, she knows each and every one of us on a very personal level and makes us feel comfortable being ourselves around her. If I come in to class and I am having a bad day, she knows immediately, and knows exactly what to do about it. If I just can’t “get” a move and I am getting more and more frustrated with myself, she knows when I should take a break, or when I should push through my frustration and keep trying. There are lots of girls in our class, and she knows and can relate to each of our personal styles and all of our strengths and weaknesses. I plan on continuing trapeze in the future, specifically at Canopy. I want to be able to teach kids to be themselves like all of the adults at Canopy have taught Below: SWELL SWINGme. Trapeze is a beautiful art, I want to ING: Freshman Claire make sure that more and more people Elliott-Gower has called participate in it. Canopy Studios her Without trapeze, I would be a comsecond home for the last decade, and she has pletely different person. Canopy and all learned much more than of the people involved with it have played just acrobatic tricks. a part in raising me. Trapeze is my way Cartoon by William Kissane to express myself, relieve stress and stay strong, both emotionally and physically. BY CLAIRE ELLIOTT-GOWER Guest Writer
-- Compiled by Viewpoints staff
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VIEWPOINTS
Technology tussle
With the implementation of netbooks in the Clarke County School District, students debate whether or not the hardware has been a positive technological addition.
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s education advances, so does technology. Clarke Central High School’s response to the growing integration of technology and learning is the implementation of the Netbook. Netbooks are significantly smaller than traditional laptops and are less expensive. The Clarke County School District chose the Asus Eee PC Seashell Netbook to replace the aging BY JOHN HUBBARD Viewpoints Writer Dell laptops. The older machines took an exceedingly long time to boot, and were difficult to connect to the Internet. These new netbooks, which cost roughly $300 a piece, are CCHS’ next step to integrate technology with education. “You won’t see a textbook in the next three to five years, because by the time something’s printed, it’s obsolete,” Principal Dr. Robbie P. Hooker said. CCHS students are fortunate to have technology handed to them. Students should take advantage of new technology while the CCSD is able to fund it, especially since the Netbooks are an improvement to the older, slower Dell laptops. According to Hooker, in the future, students may be able to take a school netbook home with them. Students who do not have consistent computer access will be able to function more effectively in the technology-based classrooms that are becoming the norm. “I know my son, who’s in fourth grade, tells me he walks in (to school) and picks up a Netbook, and that’s how they start their assignments. That’s at Whitehead Elementary,” Hooker said. While classes are not centered around technology now, teachers are using class sets of Netbooks to complete assignments and to do research. As a school with fairly dated technology, the decision to implement these Netbooks among our learning environments could not be a more positive decision.
Right: SHINING ABOVE THE REST: The new netbooks offered to the Clarke County School District, while not perfect, outshine previous technology available in the district.
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hen thinking about the new Asus Eee PC Seashell Netbooks that were rolled out last semester, it is best to consider the laptops we had before. The old Dell computers, phased out in October, took what seemed like years to start up and barely worked properly once they did. After dealing with such unreliable equipment, one would assume the next computers that were BY ROBERT WALKER News Writer purchased would have a long, useful life. The Netbooks do not perform well in that area. . They do not feature Microsoft Office, and require an administrator password to install anything or to print documents. Another issue with the new Netbooks is their size. While the new netbooks are very mobile, a disadvantage that comes with this mobility is that the keyboard is too small for teenage hands. The asus.com description of the “extremely-large touch pad” is therefore incorrect, and the touch pad’s sensitivity only STUCK IN A BUBBLE: The new adds to the problems Above: netbooks fall short in that they lack programs caused by the small to which students are accustomed and the difficulties presented by their small size. size. The Netbooks were designed for mobility, but there is no policy in place for students to check them out. The feature of mobility is therefore pointless, since they are used only in classrooms and the library. Because there is no system of checkout available, more powerful, larger computers would be preferable. Additionally, consumer trends may end the Netbook before the machines stop working. “The market has been shifting towards tablets since the release of the original iPad,” Clarke County School District instructional technical advisor James Castle said. “With an array of tablets available in the $200-$500 range, the n\ Netbook market could not survive.” Equally disheartening is the fact that according to news. yahoo.com, ASUS is taking all “Eee PC” netbooks out of production, bringing an end to the Netbooks CCHS just received. This news does not bode well for the quality or effectiveness of the netbooks. While the old laptops certainly needed to be replaced, the Netbooks are not the answer.
Cartoons by Gabe Harper
March 2013
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VIEWPOINTS
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, what is your luckiest moment?
QUESTION OF THE MONTH
“When I got to meet the Falcons players at training camp.” -- Quintavius Evans, junior
“When I won a scratch off and went on a trip with Coach Posey and Ms. Dowd.” -- Ashlee Wegmann, Special Education Department Teacher
“When I found a 20 dollar bill on the floor.” -- Kayla Bernal, sophomore
It runs in the family Senior Haley Hunt reflects on her relationship with her mother, who is also a cafeteria worker at Clarke Central High School.
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f you ever wonder about the name of the lunch lady at Clarke Central High School who tends to call students “baby”, “sweetheart” and “honey,” and treat them like her own children, it is my mom, Nancy Hunt. My mom has worked at CCHS in the food department for the last nine years. At times it is frustrating, as she works with 12 women on a daily basis, but it is the students that keep her going. BY HALEY HUNT Most of the time I love that my mom works at Business Manager CCHS because I can always go to her when I need the smallest things. My mom always makes sure that I am staying focused. She makes sure that she keeps in contact with my teachers, which helps me maintain my focus in school. While having her around is great, at times it can be a little overwhelming. Sometimes my mom seems to have a little too much fun working close by and tends to know the big scoop about what goes on at CCHS. My friends absolutely love my mother. Whenever they are in need of something or even just need someone to talk to, my mom is always the one to count on. I would consider her not only my mom, but a mother to other students around CCHS considering how accepting she is to everyone. She goes beyond her duty at school and always makes sure that her ‘babies’ are doing well. She does the simplest things from making desserts for them at home, to buying diapers for pregnant students-- she does it all. She truly loves her students. When I think of my mom, I think about how lucky I truly am. My mom and I stick together like peanut butter and jelly. While she may be a little too much at times, she is the only one who knows the way to my heart. She is by far one of the strongest people that I have ever met in my life. My mom is my hero, and I can count on her for anything. She is always there to catch me when I fall.
“When we were in a really bad car accident but nobody was badly injured.” -- Anthony Zuniga, freshman
“I was really lucky when my foot was run over by a car, but I wasn’t injured at all.” -- Maddi Lewis, senior
Above: STUCK LIKE GLUE: From a young age, senior Haley Hunt and her mother, Nancy Hunt, have been extremely close.
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VIEWPOINTS
Still learning from Eve. Though my relationship with Eve Carson was limited, I have been consistently inspired by her since the last time we met.
I
was 13 years old and at a Christmas party when I saw 2004 Clarke Central High School graduate Eve Carson for the last time. My parents moved to speak with her, and though I had talked to her before—her parents and mine had friends in the same circle—I reverted into adolescent timidity and hid behind my parents, watching in wonder at how pretty and adult she looked. It didn’t work, though. Eve turned to face me and asked me how middle school was. I don’t remember what I said, but I remember her laughing and this huge, genuine smile spreading across her face. I remember thinking that I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. I didn’t know Eve or her family well. And though I have gotten to know them better in recent years, I always will be sad that I missed out on truly knowing her. After her death, I was angry about my shyness. Had I opened up, maybe she could have been my friend or my mentor—a big sister of sorts that I, an only child, desperately wished for. In these past five years since her incredibly premature and tragic death, I have realized that, while I never got to be her friend, she has mentored me since that first Christmas party when I watched her speak so eloquently and kindly with everyone and wondered if I would ever be that poised. Eve Carson is an inspiration to me, a guiding post and a role model. I have learned about the “Eve Carson Way,” I have heard stories about who she was—the silliness, the joy, the compassion—and at age 18, I still feel the same way I did five years ago. Though her legacy has affected many more than just me, I will always remember the kindness that she radiated and bestowed to me, that gawky, metal-mouthed thirteen-year-old in the midst of adolescence. My relationship to Eve was extremely limited and yet, when I am angry or frustrated or in need of answers, I ask myself, “What Would Eve Carson Do?” I think about the stories of her clinking Coke bottles underwater, and I work to marvel at the small wonders around me. I think about her wearing a blue prom dress to a UNCDuke game, and I try to maintain that spirit and pride in the things of which I am a part. I think about her determination to give and to serve, and I strive to have her same compassion and authenticity in supporting those less fortunate than myself. Cartoon by Emily Silva And, on a smaller scale, when I search for the next word, for guidance and for sensitivity, I wonder how Eve would Above: INSPIRATIONAL EVE: Though 2004 CCHS graduate Eve Carson was tragically killed five years ago, her compassion, intelligence and optimism continues to inspire many on a daily basis. have handled it. The answer, at least to begin with, is usually to smile.
March 2013
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VIEWPOINTS
Activating change A lack of required physical education classes after freshman year condones inactivity among students.
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nactive is one of the most dangerous things one can be. Unfortunately, over half of Georgia high school students can be placed in this category. America has a dire health crisis. Obesity among both adults and adolescents is a trend that has dramatically increased throughout all states in America in the past decades. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 65 percent of adults in Georgia are overweight or obese. BY ETHAN CRANE Among children and adolescents, the number is Viewpoints Writer 40 percent. If change is not instilled, this problem is doomed to get worse. In regard to overall health, nutrition and physical activity are two of the most important factors. Despite the well-known information and increasingly crucial situation regarding public health, high school students in Georgia are only required to have one physical education credit to graduate. This “one and done” attitude does not stress the importance of being active. Students should be required to take any kind of PE course every year throughout their high school career. If this kind of initiative was taken, all students would have a greater chance to be physically active. Emphasis is often solely placed on nutrition reform. The revised wellness policy adopted by the Clarke County School District for the 2012-13 school year makes strides in regard to the foods served by school cafeterias. The CCSD wellness policy also states that students need to provided with ample opportunities for physical activity to complement good eating habits. Yet, despite the obvious awareness of the problem and the efforts to create change, the statewide requirement of only one PE credit throughout the four years of high school still stands. The Georgia Department of Public Health’s 2011 Data Summary states that only two out of five Georgia high school students meet CDC recommendations for daily physi-
cal activity. These disheartening statistics make their point: children and adolescents are not active enough, and this all too common fact is detrimental to the overall health of their generation. Multiple efforts both at the state and national level have been initiated in recent years to combat childhood and adolescent obesity. Notable political figures such as First Lady Michelle Obama and Georgia Governor Nathan Deal have spoken out and taken action on this pressing health issue, respectively starting Let’s Move! and Georgia’s SHAPE initiative. Despite the wide variety of programs that are now operating in efforts to stop this deadly trend, obesity and the detrimental health effects that are coupled with it are still on the rise. Telling high school students that they only need one PE class over four years is certainly not helping. “High school is a place where (students) should learn, and one of the things they should learn is to be healthy,” Clarke Central High School nurse Megan Cole said. “Being physically active is part of that, and if you set bad habits in your teenage years that could definitely carry over into your adult life.” CCHS students already have the opportunities to take additional PE courses of nearly any type. Seven PE electives, ranging from Weight Training to Aerobic Dance, are offered in addition to the standard health/personal fitness class all students are required to take as freshmen. Regardless of this wide selection, only 245 of CCHS’ 1,500 students are currently enrolled in a PE elective. While the public school system may not be able to completely eradicate inactivity or poor nutrition, it can certainly take all steps to ensure that students are as healthy as possible. A decision has to be made. Will the health of the current generation to continue on its deadly track, or will there be a radical change? Students need to be healthy: there’s no other option. While the improvements to school nutrition are commendable, there is much more that can be done. Activity is crucial to our lives, and for our own sake a change must be made, and fast.
Right: GET MOVIN’: With growing obesity among teens, it is imperative that a physical education course is taken every year to ensure students consistenly exercise throughout their high school career. Cartoon by John Hubbard
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February 2013
VIEWPOINTS
Too good to be true. Parent trigger laws aim to improve failing schools, but they may have unintended consequences.
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ore than half of the students are failing to Parent trigger laws fail to reach the root of the What happens to the 49 percent who did not meet the state standards in reading and education problem. Oftentimes the schools that want to sign the petition? math. Less than half of them will walk are failing are in impoverished communities. Fewer The proposed bill would allow parents to enroll across the graduation stage. The textbooks haven’t resources are available and parents may not have their child in another local school. But what if there been updated in 12 years, teachers are starting to as much free time to become involved in their is only one middle school or one high school in lose hope. And that’s when parents decide to pull student’s learning journey. their community? the trigger. Simply converting a school to a charter school In theory, parent trigger laws can have a positive The concept of a parent trigger law gained naor hiring new teachers may be a temporary fix. But impact on public school systems. Ideally, parents tional attention in 2010 when California passed the what happens when the parents decide that they want what’s best for their children’s education first one. Parent Revolution, a California-based orneed a better solution? journey, but these petitions could be very divisive, ganization founded in January 2009, publicized and In most states that have parent trigger laws, creating a negative community and learning envifought to pass the parent trigger law in California. parents are able to once again pull the trigger and ronment for students. According to parentrevolution.org, “the make major changes after only two years. Parents can have a voice by talking to their board California parent trigger is a historic new law that This could lead to the creation of a tumultuous members, advocating for school improvements and gives parents in California the right to organize and and chaotic community. Parents are pitted against fighting against further budget cuts to education. demand a real change at their child’s failing school. teachers and against each other. They don’t need a trigger to pull. Under the Parent Trigger, parents at persistently low-performing schools can organize and transform their school based on what’s good for Below: POWER FOR THE PARENTS: Though a teacher empowerment law seems appealing, Georgia House Bill 123 would take power away from parents and students and let a small group speak for the majority. children, not adults.” Georgia almost became the eighth state in the nation to pass a parent trigger law. HB 123, also know as the Parent and Teacher Empowerment Act, was passed by the Georgia House of Representatives on March 5. But before it could gain approval from the senate, House majority whip Edward Lindsay pulled the bill from the session. Although not every single school has a graduation rate less than 50 percent, not all textbooks are out of date and there are teachers who still have faith in their work, there are still problems with our education system. Schools across the nation are not meeting their main goal: educating students. These schools are failing. But a parent trigger law is not the way to fix our broken education system. Most parent trigger laws follow a model similar to this: a petition must be drafted and signed by 51 percent of parents, if the signatures are legitimized, parents may choose from a number of “turnaround” options that are specified in their state’s respective law. They have the option to fire the principal. They could simply enroll their children in an alternate local school and transportation would have to be provided by the district. They may choose to convert the school to a charter school. Cartoon by Gabe Harper
March 2013
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Photo by Porter McLeod
NEWS
News briefs
Above: PASSIONATE POETRY: Motivational speaker Marcel Mincey presents a poem at the Black Student Union’s annual Black History Program on March 8 in E.B. Mell Auditorium.
Celebrating history
The Black Student Union performed its third annual Black History Program on March 8. Hosted by junior Deneraious Barnes, the program featured students and teachers in step team performances, poetry readings and drama skits. The Black History chorus, led by fine arts department teacher Dr. Anthony Rucker, also performed several songs, including “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” “The Black History Program here at Clarke Central has been going on for three years now and it emphasizes black history and all American history, because we have many students from a lot of different backgrounds who take part in it,” Black Student Union co-sponsor Sgt. Lorenda Harris said. E.B. Mell Auditorium was filled to capacity for the event. Students like junior step team member Christopher Laguines participated in the program because of the importance of black history. “Performing in the Black History Program wasn’t because I wanted to show my face, it was because black history means a lot to me,” Laguines said. “It shows where I came from, it shows how I’ve grown up and it shows how I’ve have done throughout my life.”
Made up of memories I
n recognition of the 25th anniversary of AIDS Athens, the Health/Personal Fitness course visited the AIDS Memorial Quilt Exhibit held from Feb. 18-20 at the Classic Center, located in downtown Athens . AIDS Athens strives to provide assistance to those affected by AIDS. The organization educates people about the prevention of the disease, as well as assists those who have already been infected. “The quilt was started in 1987 as a memorial for those who had died of AIDS, and to thereby help people understand the devastating impact of the disease,” health and physical education department head Dinah Posey said. The quilt, composed of approximately 48,000 panels, is one of the largest folk art exhibits in the world and recognizes the severity of the AIDS epidemic. The panels are constructed by those who have been affected by the AIDS epidemic. Of the 48,000 panels, only 600 were displayed. “The tour guide said it would take about 30 days to view the entire quilt if you read over (all 48,000) panels, but I had to skip a few because some of them were so sad,” freshman Sage O’Reilly said. “It was a lot to take in.” The quilt weighs more than 54 tons and honors over 91,000 AIDS victims by name. It also displays the array of differing cultures and backgrounds of the contributing countries. “(The field trip) was definitely beneficial to the people who used their time wisely and walked around to view some of the panels and learn what the family had created in remembrance of their loved ones,” O’Reilly said. “However, it wasn’t as much of an educational experience but more of a wake-up call to a few people that didn’t realize how much AIDS can affect you and your loved ones.”
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-- Geneva Hinkle, News Writer
Excellent ensemble
On March 5, the concert band attended the Large Group Performance Evaluation at the Jefferson High School Performing Arts Center in Jefferson, Ga. The band earned an excellent rating at the evaluation, which is the second-best rating a group can receive. Last year, the band earned a superior rating, the top rating, for the first time since 1978. “We ended up getting an overall (excellent) rating. Dr. Lawrence is proud of us and we should all be proud of ourselves because we did our best,” sophomore Zachary Wright said. The way that the bands are scored depend on the difficulty level of the music they play and how well the music is performed. This year’s band elected to undertake a five to six difficulty level, the second highest. “We’ve reached the point where it’s time for us to do a hard set of songs and when we get to festival, it’s out of my hands and it’s up to them,” Director of Bands Dr. Robert Lawrence said.
Exploring Europe
Social studies department teacher Harry Cooper, along with his wife Mary Ann Cooper and 13 students departed for Europe for an 11 day educational trip on March 8. “We learned to appreciate our veterans and the recent history of our country more than ever before. We truly stand on the shoulders of giants here in the United States,” Cooper said. “Our Europe tour was truly an unforgettable experience.” Students who attended the trip were seniors Matthew Dellaria, Antanay Goode and Morgan Maxwell, juniors Lauren Covington, Katherine Griffin, Margaret Henderson, Allie Martin and Maggie Sproston, and sophomores Adam Baker, Nicholas Byrne, Nick Dawe, Ben Foutz and Burke Walker. The students visited the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Germany. Although the tour mainly focused on the movements of the American army during World War II, the trip featured elements from other parts of European history “It was very educational. I learned a lot about Europe and also a lot about America,” Martin said. “Being there really made me appreciate America, as well as Europe.” March 2013
NEWS
I heard that!
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It touched me in many different ways. I’d never heard nothing like it before and it made me realize that people can do anything they want to if they put their mind to it.
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ANTHONY SMITH, freshman, on the poetry read at the annual Black History Program on March 8.
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Photos by Maria Velasquez
People think that other nations hate America, but all the countries we visited loved us.
Above: REFLECTING TOGETHER: Athens resident Alicia Coughlan and her children remember those lost while viewing the AIDS Memorial Quilt exhibit at the Classic Center on Feb. 20. “I think that (the quilt) was a different approach to getting the message across about those affected by HIV and AIDS,” health and physical education department head Dinah Posey said.
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Some new drama
he Clarke Central Players performed their newest drama production, The Crucible, from March 21-23 at 7:30 p.m. in E.B. Mell Auditorium. English department teacher Jacob Reuse was the director of the production. “The whole reason we (performed) The Crucible is because the students wanted to do it,” Reuse said. “A lot of our seniors were pretty adamant about it. Since it is an 11th grade text, most of them read about it last year and they really liked it.” The major roles in the production were played by seniors Eben Elrod, Katie Googe, Joshua Jones and Nathan Welch, sophomore Gemma English and freshmen Cameron Loyal and Noah Barfield. English believes that The Crucible is a representation of the political status of the mid-20th century. “I think it’s is a really emotional show, as it is about the Salem witch trials,” English said. “There is a lot of drama but it is a social commentary on how people react to accusations. It was written as a parallel to McCarthyism when people were shouting ‘communist’ at each other.” The Crucible was not the only drama department production this season. The Musical Theatre class is conducting a showcase of various Broadway songs on April 4 and 5. Sophomore Lareina Bawayan is looking forward to participating in the showcase. “I think it is an entertaining show,” Bawayan said. “We get to do songs that we normally wouldn’t be able to do, because they’re from big musicals that cost a lot of money.”
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ALLIE MARTIN, junior, on her interactions with Europeans during the educational field trip to Europe.
Mr. Harris is one of those people who will go above and beyond. He’s always there for advice and if I need anything, he’s always there. I just love Mr. Harris so much.
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KEYANA BROWNING, senior, on her experience with college adviser Lawrence Harris.
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I definitely think that (field trips) are very enriching. Not many students go beyond Athens, so it gives students the ability to do something that otherwise, they would never be able to do.
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DR. LYNN JOHNS, Clarke County School District Director of Applied Learning, on the importance of field trips within the district. Below: STAGING A CLASSIC: Members of the Clarke Central Players drama troupe (from left) sophomore Claire Dunn-Grandpre, freshman Noah Barfield, senior Katie Deloach and sophomore Gemma English perform a scene from Arthur Miller’s The Crucible during a dress rehearsal on March 19. The play premiered on March 21 at 7:30 p.m.
-- Tiernan O’Neill, News Writer March 2013
-- Compiled by News Staff odysseynewsmagazine.net | ODYSSEY NEWSMAGAZINE | 15
NEWS Featured: PAVING A PATH: College adviser Lawrence Harris primarily assists juniors and seniors with college preparation. “(Harris) helped me with college preparation,” senior DeAnna Johnson said. “He showed me my options and where I can go after high school, things I probably would have never looked at if it weren’t for him.”
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March 2013
NEWS
Advising excellence College adviser Lawrence Harris provides guidance for upperclassmen as they prepare for life after graduation. Photos by Maria Velasquez
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lthough college adviser Lawrence News Writer Harris’ office is located within the Counseling Department, he can be seen throughout the hallways introducing himself to teachers and students alike on a daily basis. “I’ve really been trying to build my connection with teachers and it’s a little difficult seeing as I’m down here in what I call the ‘dungeon,’” Harris said. “I say ‘Hi’ to everybody as they walk past, that way teachers feel comfortable with me coming to their classrooms to talk to students about college preparation.” Harris was hired by the University of Georgia’s College Advising Corp. and added to the Clarke Central High School staff for the 2012-13 school year. His goal is to assist as many juniors and seniors as possible. When guiding these students, he helps students complete tasks related to completing mandatory aspects of college acceptance, such as SAT and ACT preparation, through new methods that were not used in previous years. “What really makes my day is when I have a student who came in (my office) in the past thinking they weren’t going to get into (a certain college),” Harris said. “And then after we work hard to apply and I help them with preparation for (testing), it makes my day for them to come weeks later and show me an acceptance letter.” Besides SAT and ACT preparation, Harris also schedules dates for colleges to visit CCHS and campus tours to many colleges in Georgia, based on student requests. “My goal was that students would have the opportunity to see whatever school they wanted to see. I called every school in the state of Georgia, and I arranged college visits,” Harris said. “Some students just get set on one school, but they don’t realize that there are over 56 public schools and 80 technical private schools in Georgia.” Graduation Coach Antwawn Sheats has worked with Harris as his supervisor, approving Harris’ ideas before they are initiated. Sheats believes that actions like these contribute to Harris’ success as a college adviser. “(Harris) has so many great ideas that sometimes it’s hard to do all of the things he wants to do,” Sheats said. “He has a student-mentoring program that he initiated, he got local communities and businesses to pay for student field trips and certain projects and initiatives that we’ve done, he’s been on the radio talking about the program and he’s a swim coach. He seeks opportunities outside of school.” One of Harris’ long term goals is to extend his influence outside of CCHS and college advising. “My dream is to build a model school that counties can model after and that the state can look at and say ‘Wow, this school’s doing really well, these students are so successful, maybe we should do what he’s doing,’” Harris said. “That’s my long term goal.” Harris feels that his age and recent college experience allow him to more efficiently assist students with these initiatives, as he is a recent graduate from the University of Georgia class of 2012. After changing his college major eight times, including pre-Med, pre-Law and business, Harris settled on the education field because of the desire to aid students partaking in the college acceptance process. “My desire to be a college adviser stemmed from the idea that I could help students who were in similar situations as mine,” Harris said. “I did not have a BY: GENEVA HINKLE
Above: INTERACTION IS KEY: As a college adviser, Lawrence Harris is expected to interact daily with both students and staff. “I have a box (outside of my office) full of about 82 cards of people that I’ve gotten in just this year alone where I have to call and email them,” Harris said.
college adviser when I was in high school, and so I knew how hard and stressing it could be to go through the college admissions process on your own.” Senior DeAnna Johnson feels that another defining characteristic that makes Harris a valuable asset to the staff is his continuous positive attitude. “(Harris) is supportive and very optimistic about all of his students,” Johnson said. “He really helps our seniors and tries to push them towards something after high school.” Senior Emmanuel Reyes-Garcia also believes that Harris manages to be both professional and engaging, and that those qualities are displayed when helping students. “(Harris) has a great personality; he always makes me laugh,” Reyes-Garcia said. “He is helping me with college applications while being very professional and respectful.” Although Harris did not view himself entering the education profession initially, his experience with working at CCHS has influenced him to continue being a college adviser. “I think that working this job has really fueled a passion that I didn’t really know I had, an unknown passion for education,” Harris said. “I don’t want to be a teacher, but working in education administration is my goal.”
March 2013
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NEWS
Learning to be physically fit Georgia Department of Education students are required to have passed at least one Physical Education course throughout their high school career.
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hen students transition from middle school to high school, they are no longer required to take part in a physical education class on a yearly basis. Students are required to complete a physical education course each year of school until they finish eighth grade, but once they reach high school, the standards change. “There are two required courses from the state department, one is called personal fitness, and the second course is health,” Associate Principal Mary Theilman said. “The state department only requires a half unit in each, (so) the school district teaches (students) those courses together, back-to-back.” In order to meet Georgia graduation requirements, a student must Photo by Chad Rhym attain at least .5 credit of personal wellness and health and .5 credit of Above: PLAYING AROUND: Clarke Central High School students are required to physical education in high school. For most students, these credits are participate in a health and personal fitness course before they graduate. One aspect of this earned their freshman year. course is learning the importance of daily physical fitness through participating in team sports such as basketball. Similarly to academic classes, these physical education classes must follow a set of Georgia Performance standards. According to georgiastandards.org, “A sequential, developmentally cardiovascular, flexibility, muscular endurance,” Posey said “Knowing that childappropriate curriculum should be designed and implemented to help students hood obesity is a national crisis, it’s hopefully making the change happen and acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and confidence needed to adopt and we hope we can help make a difference.” maintain a physically active and healthy lifestyle.” Students are assessed in each physical education class they decide to take, These standards provide guidelines for how a physical education class whether that is the required course, a weight training class or an aerobic dance should be taught. The main goal of these classes is to teach students how to class. If a student decides to only participate in the required class, they will only remain physically fit beyond high school. be assessed that year. Thielman believes that the current high school physical “The personal fitness is really designed to introduce kids to the concept of education requirements are sufficient. living a physically fit life,” Theilman “Moving towards our seven course The personal fitness is really designed to introsaid.”In the olden days kids used to go offering, kids will have 28 chances and outside and play and have recess and do duce kids to the concept of living a physically fit you need 24 credits, so when you do all of those things, but now with video the math do you really want four credits games and electronics, they tend to be life.” required in terms of personal fitness?” rather sedentary.” Thielman said. “If we’ve done a good Beginning in the 2011-12 school -- MARY THIELMAN, enough job in our ninth grade kids will year, as a part of the Georgia Student Associate Principal see value in (personal fitness.)” Health and Physical Education initiative, Some students, such as freshman each student enrolled in a physical Timia Bryant, who is currently enrolled in the health and personal fitness class, education class must complete a fitness assessment. agree with Thielman. “Through the Georgia Fitness Assessment, they test all PE classes. They’re all “They should be required to take it for one year because everyone needs health-related components and there’s feedback given to the students and the their physical education and if you take it for one year you should know some parent from that,” physical education and health department head Dinah Posey stuff (about health and personal fitness),” Bryant said. said. However, others believe it would be beneficial to have a physical education Students are tested at the beginning of the physical fitness course as well as course required all four years of high school. at the end. These tests are collectively called the Fitnessgram and measure vari“I think it would be better if there was a general PE and you could take that ous aspects of student’s physical fitness, such as endurance and flexibility. at least every year, that way you can have time where you’re physically active “What we actually give them is an assessment and some feedback in the every day because I think that’s important,” freshman Luke Slaboda said. areas of how they could improve in those health-related components, like BY JENNY ALPAUGH Print Managing Editor
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March 2013
NEWS
CCHS grows STEMs Clarke Central High School has received a grant from the College Board to add two additional Advanced Placement courses.
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he College Board, “It is going to be a computer class that will be focused the organization on programming, how to run algorithms and also running responsible for the Java applets and things of that nature,” Ward said. SAT and Advanced Placement tests, awarded a Science, An algorithm is defined as a process or set of rules Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) grant to add to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving two classes to Clarke Central High School’s Program of operations by a computer. Study next semester. “Algorithms are used everywhere, and Dr. Ward is putCCHS was allocated money from the AP STEM grant ting together a flyer that will attract interest because of its to add AP Computer Science and AP Physics, both of which will be made available during spring registration for the 2013-14 school year. “(CCHS) was given the AP STEM grant because of the (high) amount of female and minority students enrolled in Courtesy of the College Board AP courses,” Principal Dr. Robbie P. Hooker said. practical uses, such as by defensive coordinators in According to the College Board’s AP Computer Science football,” Associate Principal Mary Thielman said. course description, the focus of the course is “the design Sophomore Jordan Bonner, who plays football, is and implementation of computer programs to solve intrigued by the idea of a class to analyze football film. problems involve skills that are fundamental to the study “We learn a little already from watching the coaches, of computer science, a large part of the course is built but if you were interested in it and wanted to learn how to around the development of computer programs that cordo it, yeah I think it would be good,” Bonner said. rectly solve a given problem.” After AP Computer Science is added, its curriculum will Athletic Director Dr. Jon Ward, who will be teaching continue to transition, according to Ward. the course next year, says AP Computer Science is an “This will be a very dynamic class, which is good as algorithm heavy course. opposed to a math AP, which does not change much. BY ROBERT WALKER News Writer
Computers can always change and evolve,” Ward said. While offered in the past, AP Physics will return in the fall under the direction of science department teacher Scott Swain. The course is undergoing a change to combine both Physics B and C. “Rather than teaching just physics B, a trigonomicsbased course, they are going to restructure it to include physics A as well, the calculus-based course,” Thielman said. Some students, such as junior Edgar Rebollar-Suarez, are interested in taking a combined AP Physics course. “Physics is the fundamental science to all science and is very interesting to figure out how other stuff works due to physics, and I would be really interested to take it,” Suarez said. Although there are no prerequisites to enroll in the new course offerings, Thielman offers a word of caution to would-be enrollees. “Although prerequisites were eliminated, my recommendation would to be to have a background in science and math for both courses, also an introductory course for physics,” Thielman said.
Photo by Porter McLeod
Left: SCIENCE TIME: Senior Max Germain participates in a lab during his Advanced Placement physics class. “It’s a chellenging class and we do a lot of challengin labs -- it keeps me on my toes,” Germain said.
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Cartoon by Gabe Harper
Tardy control Clarke Central High School’s newly implemented detention policy aims to decrease the number of tardies accumulated by students.
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fter acquiring ten tardies, students sit in the empty Miller Jordan Food Court, heads down, listening to the security officer read the tardy policy and counting the minutes until they are released. The security team instituted an after school detention program at the beginning of the 2012-13 school year in order to reduce the amount of students given In-School Suspension for tardiness. “It is a better option opposed to ISS because a lot of students don’t know the tardy policy, so it gives us time to talk about it before we have to put them in In-School,” security officer Rodney Robinson said. Last year’s tardy policy stated that when students accumulate 10 tardies, they would be sent to ISS. With after school detention, when students accumulate five tardies, they are sent to detention on the following Wednesday in the cafeteria for a half an hour after school to ensure students are not missing class time as punishment for tardiness. BY ROBERT WALKER News Writer
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“When students that drive to school get (detention) they still lose their parking permit, mainly because we want to make students who drive more responsible,” Robinson said. Since the policy’s alteration, security staff and administrators have seen a change in the amount of students punished for tardies. “For many students it has been obvious that they have not been getting into as much trouble for tardies because it is an inconvenience to their parents to have to come and pick them up from after school detention,” Principal Dr. Robbie P. Hooker said. Although administrators are pleased with the results coming from after school detention, students such as junior Rebecca Butler have a different view on the new changes. “We just sit there while he reads the tardy policy out loud for 30 minutes, after that we can do homework or just stare,” Butler said. The feeling of a lack of punishment in the program is also shared by sophoMarch 2013
NEWS more Sascha Smith, who feels for different reasons that detention is ineffective. “It was not much of a punishment,” Smith said. “It was pretty peaceful. We did not really do a whole lot when we were in there.” Some students may have gripes with detention, but the CCHS security team feels that it can be a helpful way to talk to students about their futures rather than having them be stationary. “We sit down with the students and talk to them about what their plans for college are to make the time productive. I’m happy with how it’s working,” Robinson said Because of the lack in activity students have faced, they do not feel there is a strong punishment received. “I really didn’t feel punished, so it didn’t really make it seem like a bad thing that I got punished for it, I got more punishment at home than at school,” Butler said. Despite these complaints, security staff are planning on keeping the policy in place through next year, because of the good results they have had. “I feel like detention has really done a good job cutting down on tardies, and it won’t be changing anytime soon,” Robinson said. Find updates at odysseynewsmagazine.net. Opposite page: DETENTION RETENTION: Students at Clarke Central High School believe the new tardy punishment is ineffective. “I really didn’t feel punished, so it didn’t really make it seem like a bad thing that I got punished for it,” junior Rebecca Butler said. Below: RECITING THE RULES: Security officer Rodney Robinson reads the tardy policy to students in after-school detention in the Miller Jordan Food Court.
Case closed The Mock Trial team was defeated at the State Finals Tournament on March 16 in Lawrenceville, Ga. After winning the Northeast Georgia Regional Championship on Feb. 2, the Mock Trial team advanced to the State Finals Tournament held at the Gwinnett Justice Center in Lawrenceville, Ga., on March 16. Clarke Central High School competed against Woodland High School and Jonesboro High School in the first round, then Christian Home Educators Encouragement & Resources and Eagle’s Landing High School in the second round. The team defeated Woodland High School, but was defeated in all other matches. Despite the loss, many members of the team felt that participation in the competition itself was rewarding. “We worked really hard and it feels really good to spend that much time working on something,” freshman Nicole Googe said. “I think that it paid off.” Many members of the team did not initially expect to win the Regional Championships, so many students were not present for the State Championships, due to conflicts. Because of this, new students were required to step in, according to District Attorney and Mock Trial coach Kenneth Mauldin. “The team did an amazing job of building upon our previous success and blending members new to Mock Trial with experienced members and creating an environment of achievement and professionalism,” Mauldin said. Of the 19 high schools competing in the State Championships, only one, Middle Georgia Christian Homeschool Association, will advance to the National Competition in Indianapolis, Ind. in May. For the 2013-14 school year, the team will lose five seniors to graduation: Keyana Browning, Lois Dunn-Grandpre, Katie Googe, Jada Haynes and Julia MacMillan. Though the team did not advance beyond state level, it recieved many awards at the March 16 competition. Macmillan and Googe were recognized as Best Attorneys, and freshman Hannah Rollins, sophomore Elliot Zapata and Haynes were awarded Best Witnesses. Additionally, freshman Shimobi Obijuru and freshmen Hugh O’Niell were awarded Outstanding Performance awards. BY ROBERT WALKER News Writer
Photo by Maria Velasquez
Cartoon by Gabe Harper
Above: COURT IS ADJOURNED: On March 16, the Mock Trial team returned to the State Championships for the first time since 2011 after winning the Northeast Georgia Regional Championship. After defeating Woodland High School, CCHS lost to Jonesboro High School, Eagle’s Landing High School and Christian Home Educators Encouragement & Resources.
March 2013
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NEWS
Off-campus learning Clarke County School District employees submit nearly 1,000 field trip requests each year, however for students at Clarke Central High School, field trips are not a regular part of their curriculum.
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emy, reviews 600 to 1,000 field trip requests each year and keeps in mind or years, field trips have been a fundamental specific criteria when reviewing the requests. element of education in the Clarke County School “More than 40 percent of your trip cannot be on the road, 60 percent or District, as they provide alternate means for more has to be at the venue. You can’t spend three quarters of the time on students to learn outside the typical classroom environment. the bus just to go to Atlanta. That is not instructionally sound,” Johns said. “I think field trips are an excellent way for students to get out of the school “So if you want to go to Atlanta, you have to take the extended day bus. We building and explore different parts of the state or the country,” social studies have a system where you can look on a calendar to reserve the extended department head Ashley Goodrich said. day bus for that day.” Field trips that require While the process for plan“What has kept me from taking students in the past CCSD transportation ning a field trip and gaining must be approved by is simply cost, but if I’m using UGA buses, I just approval itself may not be CCSD Director of Applied complex, teachers such as Learning Dr. Lynn Johns. need approval.” social studies department There is an application that teachers must -- ASHLEY GOODRICH, teacher Harry Cooper often complete in order to gain Social Studies Department Teacher face transportation-related issues when planning field approval. trips. Cooper believes these “It starts with the obstacles have caused a decrease in field trips in recent years. teacher,” Johns said. “They submit a request to the principal, then the principal “We don’t have as many buses as we used to have and those buses have looks over it and if all the paperwork is in order, it is put into an electronic field to be available to transport students to and from school,” Cooper said. “So trip system and that goes to me.” there is only one (extended day field trip) bus available. If the bus is not Johns, who also serves as the director of the Athens Community Career Acadavailable for your field trip on that day you cannot go.” Cooper cites funding as an additional obstacle to overcome when planHave you ever been on a field trip as a ning for field trips. “With budget crunches and those kind of things, it is very much less Clarke Central High School student? likely that you will get a field trip now than in the past,” Cooper said. Despite the challenges that teachers face when scheduling field trips, Goodrich has adapted her field trips plans to make them easier and more affordable. “I’ve made the decision on keeping field trips local. I utilize the in-town transportation and the (University of Georgia) buses, so it’s free,” Goodrich said. “What has kept me from taking students in the past is simply cost, but if I’m using UGA buses, I just need approval.” Besides the frequent challenges teachers face, students like sophomore Guillermo Zapata believe that field trips are vital to the education of high school students, as it exposes them to real world. “I think field trips are beneficial to a student’s learning because they can take what they learn and apply it to the real world,” Zapata said. “I think if kids got out of the class more often, they would have more concentration, because students get a little bored of class.” While transportation and financial issues present serious challenges to teachers while planning field trips, Johns maintains that she will approve any field trip that is well-planned and educationally solid. “I turn down very few trips. If you plan properly and you read the field trip manual, your trip will get approved,” Johns said. “Getting a field trip approved isn’t rocket science.” BY TIERNAN O’NEILL News Writer
YES 19%
81% NO
*320 students surveyed on Jan. 18 by Tiernan O’Neill and Sarah Hoyt Graphic by Radford Brosius
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Opposite Page, top: ATTENDING THE FAIR: On Oct. 11 2012, counselor Sam Hicks took a group of Hispanic CCHS seniors in Gwinett County to attend the annual National Hispanic College Fair. Opposite Page, bottom left: ART 101: On Nov. 1, social studies department teacher Ashley Goodrich took 70 students to the Georgia Museum of Art, utilizing the University of Georgia buses. Opposite Page, bottom right: SPRING BREAKERS: Social studies department teacher Harry Cooper and his wife Mary Ann Cooper took a group of 13 students on an 11 day trip to Europe.
March 2013
FOCUS
Photo courtesy of Sam Hicks Photo courtesy of Ashley Goodrich
“I feel that the learning environment is not just limited to the four walls of the classroom, so the more that students can be exposed to another arena, the more it makes their understanding for the material greater.�
-- LARISSA JEAN Foreign language department teacher
Photo courtesy of Lauren Covington
March 2013
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FEATURES
Testing the waters As second semester draws to a close, Advanced Placement students are conflicted about the college-level stress that comes with the AP Exams. BY AARON HOLMES Junior Copy Editor
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hen senior Rachel Morgan enrolled in an Advanced Placement Spanish class, it was to increase her knowledge of the language and
to learn at a college level. “I just wanted to improve my Spanish,” Morgan said. However, unlike some of her peers, Morgan opted not to take the end-ofsemester standardized AP exam for a number of reasons. “I was taking other AP (classes), and I didn’t feel I would have time to study for it,” Morgan said. “So, it would have been a waste to pay for it.” At the end of the school year, students who take College Board-listed AP classes are given the opportunity to take a standardized AP exam over the course’s material. According to the College Board website, AP Exams are scored on a five-point scale as followed: “5- Extremely well qualified, 4- Well qualified, 3- Qualified, 2- Possibly qualified, 1- No recommendation,” the website says. The fee to take an AP exam is $89. For students enrolled in AP classes, the Clarke County School District provides tuition for one AP exam per year. Despite this opportunity, many students still choose not to take the test. According to math department head and AP coordinator Joy Sapp, this choice is often made by students whose AP classes fell during only the first semester. “For (students who take) fall semester classes, because of the amount of 24 | ODYSSEY NEWSMAGAZINE | odysseynewsmagazine.net
studying it takes to remember (material) for the exam, you have to put a lot more time in,” Sapp said. “That’s the reason a lot of students don’t take the AP test.” For senior Jada Haynes, the gap between a fall semester AP class and the AP exam in the spring caused increased stress. “It happened to me with AP (United States) Government,” Haynes said. “I knew government so well and then, when I had to wait until the end of second semester, I failed the AP exam.” Haynes took two AP classes in the 2012-13 school year. Although Haynes plans on taking the AP exam for both classes, she worries that stress will affect her test preparation. “With all the books we had to read in (AP English Literature), it’s just going to be a lot to study for,” Haynes said. Sapp acknowledges the important role that the AP exam plays in the structure of the AP Calculus class. “Because the exam is the material that we’re learning, I would say all (of class time) is spent on it,” Sapp said. “We cover everything in the test standards. I also allow a couple of weeks to review for the test, but all the material’s been covered.” Though Morgan was not one of the students in her class who chose to take the AP Calculus exam, she recalls the devotion of a large portion of class time to March 2013
Photo by Porter McLeod
NEWS
Graphic by Aaron Holmes
Left: TEACHING TO THE TEST: Science department teacher Scott Swain reviews AP exam preparation. “We do a lot of listening activities in class, which is what we would have to be Advanced Placement Exam material with an AP Physics class. According to AP coordinator Joy Sapp, a significant portion of AP class time is devoted to preparadoing on the (AP) exam,” Morgan said. tion for the test. Above: FILLING IN: Within the Clarke County School District Science department teacher Dr. Michael Gatlin says that he also encourages during the 2012-13 school year, students were enrolled in a total of 762 AP course seats, and signed up to take 498 AP exams, as reported by the CCSD. According to as many of the students in his AP Biology class to take the AP exam as possible. Sapp, many students enrolled in more than one AP class find it strenuous to study “I want students to take the test, I want them to see where they stand,” for multiple AP exams. Gatlin said. “You have to take the test to gauge how well you actually know the material.” “Whether or not I would get to exempt the class in college and the amount Like Sapp, Gatlin spends a significant portion of time teaching AP Biology as of work I would have to put into that specific exam are factors (of my decision preparation for the AP exam. to take the test),” Santillan said. “I stop giving big tests toward the end of the semester to focus on preparaAdditionally, Santillan feels that the time commitment involved in studying tion for the AP exam. We normally have about three to four weeks of preparaoccasionally outweighs the reasons for tion,” Gatlin said. “I was taking other AP classes, and I didn’t taking an AP exam. Sapp also feels that sometimes “There’s some preparation in class, whether or not students take the feel I would have time to study for the but it feels like most of the preparaAP exam does not influence their tion for an AP exam is on your own Exam. It would have been a waste to pay decision to accept college credit for time,” Santillan said. the course. In Sapp’s experience, many priorifor it.” “Some students will get a four or tize the material learned in the class five on the AP Calculus test and earn more than a high AP exam score. a college credit but they still retake -- RACHEL MORGAN, “Most parents just want their stu(the class in college), which is totally senior dents to be challenged and enriched. fine,” Sapp said. “If they want to start If they receive college credit, that’s a of fresh in college, that’s fine, but it bonus,” Sapp said. “But I’ve talked to many parents who just want their child in should be an easy A.” the most advanced course offered.” Many students, including senior Ariel Santillan, take some AP exams while Haynes said that she benefitted from taking an AP class, no matter her score choosing not to take others. Santillan, who was enrolled in six AP classes in the on the AP exam. 2012-13 school year, signed up for only four AP exams in May. Santillan said “I liked taking the AP class. If it’s AP, I know I won’t have to deal with a that a number of reasons weighed into this decision. rowdy class. Everyone in there is going to be a good student and like to learn,” Haynes said.
March 2013
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FEATURES
Featured: SHOWING STRENGTH: Counseling Office Secretary Jamie Bonds’ desire to pursue counseling is fueled by her drive to help students. “I know that the passion that she has for the work she’s doing, for counseling, it comes from her upbringing and not the things that she had, but the things that she didn’t have,” Bonds’ close friend Kela Griffith said.
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Photo by Porter McLeod
March 2013
FOCUS
Breaking her bonds After moving from home to home for the majority of her childhood, Counseling Office Secretary Jamie Bonds chose to dedicate her career to helping students find the strength to overcome their struggles.
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ounseling Office Secretary Jamie Bonds was 14 when her mother shook her awake at 2 a.m. BY LOUISE PLATTER Variety Writer
14. It was a way to forget about what I was going through.” Because of her misbehavior, Bonds left her eighth grade teacher and moved for the fifth time to live with a foster family in Camden, N.J. After facing abandonment repeatedly she began searching for a way to gain a constant figure in her life. “When people come into your life and say, ‘I’m going to be here for you,’ and then they aren’t, it gets to the point where you don’t trust anyone. You don’t think that anyone’s going to be there for you, and so my 16-year-old mind thought, ‘Maybe I should have a baby; my baby’s not going to leave,’” Bonds said. Bonds had her first child when she was 17 years old and her foster mother allowed her to move into an apartment with the child’s father. The young couple worked multiple jobs and paid their own bills while struggling to graduate from Camden High School. “For him, it was a lot. He was completely responsible for me and we were struggling. He decided that he was going to join the military and I thought, ‘He’s gonna go to bootcamp and come back and we’re gonna have a wonderful life,’” Bonds said. “So, he went to boot camp and stayed in touch, but he finally felt a sense of freedom. He was finally able to breathe without this responsibility, so our relationship ended.” After the relationship ended, when Bonds was 18 years old, she and her child had nowhere to go. The child’s father no longer cared for them and she could not return to her foster home because she was no longer a child. Bonds and her daughter stayed in a hotel for three weeks using the money that Bonds had saved, however, as the funds dwindled she was forced to make a decision
“Where’s your key?” “It’s on the dresser!” “Get out.” After this, Bonds was alone on the frozen Philadelphia streets.
Below: A HELPING HAND: Counseling Office Secretary Jamie Bonds assists students in ways beyond her job description. “I’m so glad that I can share my experiences with others so that they know that they will be okay. It’s like offering a glimmer of hope,” Bonds said. Photo by Maria Velasquez
Bonds’ childhood was marked by uncertainty. She grew up in various foster homes until she was 18 years old and the only constant in her life was instability. “I was the product of an affair, so I was always a secret. My dad’s wife never knew anything about me,” Bonds said. “He’s an attorney with kids and they lived a great life while I was out here by myself, alone and struggling.” Bonds was born in Philadelphia, along with two other siblings. When she was two years old, she was sent to Athens, Ga., to live with her cousin. However, 10 years later Bonds’ cousin could no longer take care of her. “I went to stay with my younger sister’s adopted mom, but she wasn’t prepared because I was actually just going to visit,” Bonds said. “Then the day that I was supposed to go home (my cousin) called and said, ‘She can’t come back because I can’t take care of her no more.’” After briefly staying with her sister’s family, Bonds was sent to live with her biological mother for several years, despite their strained and difficult relationship. “My mom and I didn’t have a relationship because she was kind of hurt over some things that my dad had done. Since I was the product of an affair, when she looked at me, I reminded her of him,” Bonds said. Bonds left her mother and was placed in a foster care institution when she was 14. From there, her eighth grade teacher took her in. Bonds stayed with her for nearly a year and a half, but the living situation became unsustainable due to Bonds’ rebellious behavior. “I had a lot of issues. I was dealing with a lot of hurt. I don’t think that she was prepared for that. I was a good girl from what she saw in school, but behind the scenes there was a lot of pain,” Bonds said. “She did the best that she could, but I did a lot of rebelling because I thought that she was another person who would reject me.” Bonds’ behavior spiralled out of control. She was depressed and began drinking alcohol frequently with friends. “There were times when I tried to commit suicide and there were periods where I did a lot of drinking,” Bonds said. “I was pretty much an alcoholic at
March 2013
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FOCUS come in at 7:30 a.m, I’d clock out at 2 p.m. and then work until 4:30 p.m. for that was best for herself and her child. free. He ended up hiring me.” “I decided to move back to Athens. I got on a plane and I had a bottle, three Bonds worked at the nursing home for about a year, during which she was diapers, and $100, but I was determined that I was going to make it,” Bonds able to save enough money to buy a car. Because of this, she was able to look said. for jobs outside of her immediate area. She took a position at Pilgrim’s Pride, Bonds and her young daughter moved into public housing. Despite being a chicken plant, where she worked for 12 years. It was during this time Bonds without work, Bonds was determined that public housing would be temporary began to recover from her turbulent past. for her. “The turning point “I’ll never forget, for me was when I a lady was asking me was 26 years old. I some questions and I “It was like I had been carrying baggage, and that day went to a concert and was telling her, ‘This is it was as if I was dropping the bags and letting it go. I there was a performer only temporary for me, there called Kurt until I can do better,’ said, ‘I’ve been depressed for 26 years, but I refuse to Franklin. He had a and she just gave me live another day like that.’” song called Imagine this look like, ‘Yeah, Me and in the song right, that’s what they the lyrics were, all say,’” Bonds said. -- JAMIE BONDS, “Imagine me being Bonds realized that Counseling Office Secretary over what my momma she could not look for did, and being over a job without a place what my daddy did. for her daughter to go. Depression is gone, and low self esteem is gone,’” Bonds said, “What he was She was then living alone and didn’t know anyone in town or have any money. saying was all of the stuff in my life that I lived and I had experienced.” Bonds managed to work out a deal with a daycare provider that gave her free The song inspired Bonds to let go of her haunting past and begin to move childcare for two weeks while she searched for a job. After the two weeks were forward in her life. up, she would need to pay them back. “It was like I had been carrying baggage and that day it was as if I was drop“I went to every business on Hawthorne Avenue. Finally, I went into Athens ping the bags and letting it go. I said, ‘I’ve been depressed for 26 years, but Heritage Nursing Home and it turned out that they were hiring,” Bonds said. I refuse to live another day like that.’ So that’s my philosophy in life. I’m not “Their schedule was 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. so I told him that if he could allow me to going to let anything get me down,” Bonds said. “People say, ‘You’re always happy, you’re always smiling.’ Well, I’ve lived 26 years in my own hell and I Photo courtesy of Jamie Bonds refuse to go back there.” After her epiphany, Bonds decided to pursue counseling in order to help teenagers who are going through problems similar to her own. Bonds had always been interested in the field but she had not believed that it was an option for her. “I think it was meant to be for her. It goes back her whole life and I think she just wants to give back and make sure teenagers know that there’s other options, and things that happen to you in life that are bad don’t have to define the adult that you’re going to become,” Bond’s close friend Kela Griffith said. Bonds is successful in reaching out to teenagers, despite the fact that she is not one of the four counselors. “The counselors call her the fifth counselor because people always come in to see her throughout the day. People don’t even come in to see their counselor, they want to talk to her. She’s a very good resource for them,”
Left: FAMILY LEGACY: Counseling Office Secratary Jamie Bonds graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School when her daughter, Shaquira McGrath, was one year old. Bonds hopes to inspire her daughter to achieve higher education after high school. “My daughter just went off to college and I want her to say, ‘My mom’s not giving up, I’m not giving up either,’” Bonds said.
March 2013
FOCUS senior Jackie Gordon said. CCHS students are not the only ones who are 2012 iliad literary-art magazine appreciative of Bonds’ position in the counseling office. Monique Douglas, a close friend of Bonds whom she met when she worked at Pilgrim’s Pride, believes that Bonds has found the right place. “That’s what she wanted to do; she wanted to counsel young people and be in a place where she could talk to kids, encourage them and help them with some of the things that they face. She wanted to encourage them that they can do it,” Douglas said. According to Bonds, counseling is right for her because she can empathize with teenagers who are facing similar issues to the ones that she did. “I love being able to interact with teenagers. any of you know me as Ms. Bonds, or the lady from the Counseling Office. Those that know I like to work with kids and try to understand me know that most of the time I have a smile on my face. I love to laugh and have a good the struggles that they’re going through because time. What you don’t know about me is, like many of you, behind the smile, at one time, I’ve been through it. I feel like I can relate in that there was a lot of hurt and pain. If you really knew me, you would know you would know that I grew up in foster care and spent sense,” Bonds said. many nights crying, wondering why my mother didn’t want me and why my father denied me. Douglas also believes that students have a subIf you really knew me, you would know that for many years I suffered from low self-esteem. I never felt good enough. Never felt pretty enough. stantial amount that they can learn from Bonds. If you really knew me you would know that because I felt that no one loved me, I didn’t love my“You can learn from her that you can do anyself so at the age 14, I struggled with alcohol abuse with hopes that the alcohol would drown out the thing you want if you’re patient, that your dreams pain but when the effects of the alcohol wore off the hurt was still there so, at the age of 15 I tried to commit suicide thinking that’s the only way to completely end the pain. will come to you and that you should never give If you really knew me you would know, through my quest of looking for love in all the wrong up on your dreams because they’re all you’ve got,” places, I became pregnant at the age of 16, and spent some time homeless with my daughter at the age of 18. Douglas said. If you really knew me, you would know that I made a decision not to be a statistic; that I was going Gordon is grateful that she met Bonds due to fight to make a change. I had to fight for my life. My daughter needed me. I decided that I’d spent to the guidance and teaching that Bonds had too many years feeling sorry for myself. It was time for me to live. Time to be happy and I refused to live another day sad, stressed, or depressed. provided her. So, if you really know me now, you would know that as of today, I am a survivor, I am stronger, I “(Bonds) taught me that if I want it, I can do am wiser and my life has changed. it. Whatever it is that I need, I can get it as long as Jamie Bonds, I know that I have to work for it. If I know that, I Counseling Office Secretary can get past anything,” Gordon said. According to Griffith, Bonds helps students break out of the situations that they are born into. “She lets the kids know that there’s a whole world out there despite what’s going on in their personal lives. She tells them that there’s a whole world out there to explore and they can do anything that they want to do,” Griffith said. In the future, Bonds hopes to go into counseling and, ultimately, open a shelter for people who do not have a place to live or to learn basic life skills. “I want the shelter to teach things that they 14 birth don’t get, being raised in foster care, like how to cook, clean, wash clothes, how to dress for an interview or going to college. I would like to have a live-in facility so that they have the opportunity to learn those things, not just a Above: HONEST REFLECTIONS: Bonds shared her story in the 2012 volume of the iliad Literary Art Magazine. “I think she’s really passionate about kids, typical shelter where you just stay,” Bonds said. especially young adults... because when she was a young adult she endured a lot According to Douglas, Bonds’ fortitude and strength is exceptional. of things and I think it’s her way of giving back,” Bonds’ close friend Kela Griffith “Most people would have given up, most people would have had a pity party said. and said, ‘Nobody loves me, I’m not gonna make it, nobody cares.’ But she did Photo courtesy of ilad Literary Art Magazine it,” Douglas said. For now, Bonds wants to continue to share her story in hopes of inspiring teenagers who feel that their futures are uncertain. “I want to be living proof that you can come out of it and that you can be okay. It’s hard when you don’t have a parent at all but you can do it. That’s what I want to let people know,” Bonds said. “You can do it, you can make it, you don’t have to settle for less. I’m not ashamed of where I came from because it’s who I am. If I never went through anything I wouldn’t be able to help somebody else.”
strength
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VARIETY
Cultural Buzz Broad St. Cafe
Located at 1660 West Broad St., Broad Street Cafe is small, quaint and opened for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Owners Vanessa and Juan Molina opened for business on Nov. 3, 2012 with a slogan of “BSC, where we LOVE animals, we don’t eat them.” Broad Street Cafe offers 100 percent vegan and organic cuisine. Upon entry, the venue is noticeably small, but gives off an intimate feeling rather than a cramped one. The space is bright, clean and decorated in a simple manner with glass jars filled with water and wild flowers on each table. The staff is kind and greets customers immediately with a smile on their face, ready to seat them. The food is reasonably priced, with almost every item under $10. The menu is wide ranging, from the “grilled NO cheese” served with tomato soup, to the veggie pasta bowl, filled with various seasonal vegetables. Additionally, there are also different versions of the “burger,” such as the BBQ red bean burger, which vary daily. The quality of each dish is surprisingly high, especially given the low prices. Also in service is a drive-through for those on-the-go, where coffee and other drinks can be made with almond, soy, rice and hemp milk. With reasonably priced and healthy options for everyone, Broad St. Cafe is the perfect place to go any day or time of the week.
-- Sarah Hoyt, Public Relations Manager
Wanelo
A culinary fumble
Herschel’s Famous 34 Pub and Grill does not live up to its grandiose name. Herschel’s Famous 34 Pub and Grill opened on Feb. 3 at 320 E. Clayton St. NCAA Football Hall-of-Famer Herschel Walker, the restaurant’s owner and namesake, played at the University of Georgia from 1980 to 1982, winning the Heisman in 1982 and gaining national fame. Unfortunately, it seems as though Walker has rushed into a new field as a restaurant owner and the result is far from a touchdown. The initial impression upon entering Herschel’s Famous 34 is that the location is a modern, clean-looking space, but after a moment the smell of stale beer and grease comes over like a wave, reminding customers that they are standing in what is, essentially, a T.G.I. Friday’s. The menu itself spans from “Infamous” would be stereotypical Asian food to Southern classics with more fitting for the crimes a demented twist; it is against food that Walker disjointed, a strange mix of greasy bar food and calls chicken wings. attempts at fine cuisine. The wait staff is friendly, however they take the orders on tablets that they have not been taught how to use. The fried oysters are plated on a bed of wilted, undressed greens and when bitten into, the egregiously over-cooked oysters crumble into a salty flour like substance. The crab cakes, on the other hand, are plated nicely with a curry aioli, however when touched with a fork, the cake falls apart. In a general sense, the appetizers are reminiscent of a 1960s cookbook, attempts at classic dishes transformed into something new and exciting. As for the entrees, Herschel’s Famous 34 claims to be famous for it’s hot wings. The sweet jerk wings were overpoweringly floral and the teriyaki wings were drowned in sticky artificial tasting sauce. The so called “Hail Mary Wedge” is a dish consisting of old lettuce and cold fried chicken bits smothered with a thick brown sludge-like vinaigrette. Then came the greatest disappointment of the night, “The Pit Burger”, a rubbery burger patty filled with mounds of depressingly bland pulled pork. If one is craving sub-par, previously frozen food, then Kroger’s freezer aisle would be a more frugal, and much less disappointing option than Herschel’s Famous 34. -- Tiernan O’Neil, News Writer Left: SERVING UP VEGGIES: Broad St. Cafe opened on Nov. 3, 2012. The entirely vegan restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and has a drive-through for coffee and other drinks. Photo illustration by Maria Velasquez
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Wanelo, from Want, Need, Love, is a catalog of products organized by users who post items they believe are worth sharing. The website is similar to Pinterest, another item sharing site, in that it’s comprised of a grid of user supplied products. Searching for a product can become tedious because the variety displayed is lacking in originality. Products also come from users who post items from websites and stores, although most are unverified. Prices, inconveniently, can only be seen when an item is clicked. Generally speaking, scrolling through the endless repetitive products on Wanelo is not worth the time required. -- Maria Velasquez, Photography Staff
Where’d you go, Bernadette
Witty prose, multifaceted characters and startling emotional depth converge in Maria Semple’s novel, Where’d You Go, Bernadette. Released in Oct. 2012, Bernadette, a compilation of documents, such as emails, faxes and report cards, tells the story of Bernadette Fox, a Princeton-educated, introverted mother on the run from her strifeful past, and chronicles her self-enforced exile to the cold, judgmental city of Seattle. Only a character as well-crafted as Bernadette could sardonically compare seasickness to the Soviet revolutionary assassinations in a humourous, resonating way. The intelligent banter slung between characters throughout the story makes for a delightful read. -- Aaron Holmes, Junior Copy Editor
Photos by Louise Platter
March 2013
VARIETY
Cultural Buzz Safe Haven
Mackelmore
Begin with two strangers who fall in love. Add in a small town, some tragedy and a misunderstanding that almost ruins the relationship. And don’t forget about the rain-- there’s always rain. Safe Haven, released Feb. 14, fails to stray from the typical formula for the romantic tear jerker Nicholas Sparks has perfected. The movie begins with Katie ( Julianne Hough), a woman with a mysterious background finding her way to the town of Southport, N.C. She meets and then falls in love with widowed Alex ( Josh Duhamel). Although the specifics of the movie differ from those in the past, the plot follows the same predictable course.
On Oct. 9, 2012, Macklemore and producer Ryan Lewis released their debut album, The Heist. The album’s fifth single, “Thrift Shop,” has success that verges on the unprecedented for an independently released record. But while anyone who turns on the radio is likely to hear the song within five minutes of hitting the dial, relying on only radio play would not paint the whole picture. There is much more to Macklemore and The Heist than what is exemplified in catchy, whimsical songs such as “And We Danced” and the popular “Thrift Shop.” In other tracks, Macklemore shares his experiences, beliefs and compassion. In songs like “Same Love” and “Otherside,” the artist addresses serious issues that modern rap artists rarely touch on, such as marriage equality and the negative effects of drug abuse. Macklemore cites living around gay family members and his own battles with substance abuse as his basis for writing these songs. Macklemore’s biggest success is being able to remain authentic throughout The Heist. While he is able to rap about sensitive issues without coming off as sappy, he has also crafted songs that make listeners bob their heads, laugh and cringe. While lighthearted songs such as “Thrift Shop,” which now finds itself at the top of the charts, may seem a little gimmicky, there is actually a rapper with a social conscience behind the record that has devised a fun, yet thoughtful, album.
-- Jenny Alpaugh, Print Managing Editor
GoPro
Conveniently documenting life’s adventures has become easier with the GoPro camera that’s “smaller, lighter and 2X more powerful,” according to gopro.com With three different editions of the GoPro, HERO3 white, HERO3 silver and HERO3 black, the camera can be securely mounted to anything. Whether users are going skiing, surfing, horseback riding or simply on a road trip, the GoPro takes high quality, dynamic photos and videos. The GoPro has Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing users to preview pictures and remotely control their camera from a smartphone or compatible device. As the world’s most versatile camera, the GoPro will satisfy users’ desire for capturing life’s moments.
-- Gabrielle Saupe, Sports Editor
Raptured by Reptar Athens’ band Reptar blew audiences away in their first concert for charity.
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s the Athens-based band, Reptar, scampered on to the stage of the famous 40 Watt Club at 285 W. Washington St. on Feb. 22, the crowd roared with approval. The melodic indie rock-pop band gathered onto the stage with tight jeans, ‘80s rave moves and drum machine-based beats. Reptar, famous for their lively and vibrant live concerts, created a Between the modern, colorful performance that blew synth-drenched funk of audience members away. Prince and the party-pop of Reptar’s return to Athens after its successful national tour Matt and Kim, the crowd with big box names like Foster erupted into a playful riot. the People, Cults and Rubblebucket doubled as a fundraiser for Songs for Kids, an organization that brings musical performances to hospitalized children across the country. When Reptar opened with their song “Houseboat Babies,” a number consisting of the modern synth-drenched funk of Prince and the party-pop of Matt and Kim, the crowd erupted into a playful riot, screaming the chorus of the song with the band. The initial explosion of energy led directly into “Ghost Bike,” a ballad depicting the depression after witnessing a close friend’s death. The mood quickly went from spirited to saccharine. The show quickly became less sentimental as the quintet launched into their Afro-beat anthem “Blastoff.” It was not long until the audience began gleefully screaming “I won’t call you if you don’t call me,” over front-man Graham Ulicny’s splitting whine. Ulicny perpetuated a feel-good attitude throughout the show with his dance moves that made him seem as though his arms and legs were unattached. The rest of the band danced around the eccentric light show, made up of old table lamps and multicolored Christmas lights that flashed in unison along with the beat and rhythm of the music. Reptar is inevitably growing in the indie music scene because of their endeavors to bring back the past with their synth-pop and instantaneous reminder of the Nickelodeon show, “Rugrats.” But perhaps Reptar’s nostalgic trip isn’t nostalgia at all; maybe it is reincarnation of something that never left.
-- Henry Scott, Sports Writer
-- Porter McLeod, Photography Editor Right: DON’T LABEL ME: American rapper Mackelmore gained notoriety for having released two albums and three mixtapes without the support of a major record label. Photos by Louise Platter
Photo Illustration by Maria Velasquez
March 2013
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VARIETY
Jumping for fitness On 165 Coile Dr., Aerofit offers unconventional fitness classes using trampolines.
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erofit is a unique Athens gym that specializes in unusual workouts, including total body resistance exercise, kickboxing, circuit boxing and overall trampoline fitness. Owner Alexandru Muresan opened Aerofit on Oct. 15, 2012 with the help of his business partner Matti Griffin, . Located at 165 Coile Dr. in Athens, Ga., Aerofit offers cardio and muscular workouts that are effective as well as enjoyable for its participants. Muresan’s background as a trainer, as well as his experience with aerial and contemporary dance were instrumental in helping him develop creative workouts. He wanted to provide a unique type of fitness program that would prove to be not only challenging and original, but also fun for members. “I opened Aerofit to bring something different to Athens,” Muresan said. Muresan and Griffin’s interest piqued after visiting Skyzone, a gym in Atlanta that also specializes in trampoline fitness. “After attending this class, I was drained from the cardio but I realized that I had fun,” Muresan said. Upon returning to Athens, they were inspired to invest in their own creative version of a trampoline gym. Their first step was to search for a company that would help make their dream a reality. “It was difficult,” Muresan said. “But we finally found a company that built trampolines and decided to open Aerofit.” At first glance, Aerofit is overwhelming. The gym consists of 16 trampoline squares set up in a grid pattern with padded partitions in between. Adjacent to the flat trampolines is a 32 ft. long trampoline wall, on which two ropes hang. Aerofit creates an opportunity to participate in a trampoline fitness work out with little joint impact. A regular class is typically 45 minutes in length, and an additional 15 minutes is added to give customers BY ALICIA THOMAS Variety Writer
Left: FLYING TO FITNESS: Aerofit co-owner Matti Griffin leads his class through a series of exercises on the trampoline. While most classes consist of trampoline exercises, Aerofit also offers TRX Suspension Training.
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VARIETY Right: REACH FOR THE SKY: Participants in an Aerofit class use their arms to propel their bodies away from the trampoline as part of an exercise to build back muscle strength. Right below: IN MIDAIR: Aerofit trainer Matti Griffin looks on while a class participant jumps backwards into the trampoline wall.
a chance to jump freely. This hour-long session is priced at $13. The “Jupiter class” is designed to help build muscle strength and increase cardiovascular endurance. According to the class description, “trampolines aren’t the best place to build big bulky muscles, however we created a class that will increase your strength, top to bottom.” Muresan instructs his students to bounce at a regular pace for two or three minutes while using their arms to help them gain height. “Doing this workout helps you stretch as you prepare your minds and bodies for the more difficult tasks,” Muresan said. While the instructors bounce almost as high as the safety net, most of the students are tentative and try to maintain a safely low height. Next, students transition into warm-ups such as jumping from corner to corner of their individual trampoline squares, bouncing while sitting and bouncing while lying down. “All of these workouts engage the erector spinae all the way up to the spine and up your trapezius and your lower abdominals,” Muresan said. After warming up for 10 minutes, the students do exercises such as “Cannonballs.” “You should bounce at a regular pace then bring your legs up into a tuck position,” Muresan said. “Spidermans,” the first exercise, require participants to hop across four trampolines, jump on the slanted trampoline wall like a spider, and then bounce off the wall. This exercise helps strengthen upper abdominal muscles. “Supermans,” the next exercise, strengthen and target the lower abdominal muscles. In this exercise you leap across four trampolines and bounce off the slanted trampoline wall with feet out straight, like Superman flying. “Frog Jumps,” like “Supermans,” target the lower abdominal muscles. They involve jumps across four trampolines, a turn around and a repeat of the same process. On the last journey across the trampoline grid, students must do four summersaults across each trampoline, often times resulting in dizziness. “Class is over now, you may stay a couple of minutes after and jump freely or you can go home,” Muresan says. In the future, Muresan plans to expand to Atlanta in hopes that he can open a gym that also features pole dancing and silks classes. “The idea behind Aerofit is to get a cardio workout while having fun and not injuring any of your joints,” Muresan said.
“The idea behind Aerofit is to get a cardio workout while having fun and not injuring any of your joints.” -- ALEXANDRU MURESAN, Personal trainer and Aerofit owner Photos by Porter McLeod
March 2013
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VARIETY
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VARIETY
Blaming the victim. After the decision of the Steubenville rape case, news outlets chose to treat the accused as innocent, perpetuating a culture of victim blaming and rape forgiveness.
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n May 17, a judge announced that 17-yearold Trent Mays and 16-year-old Ma’lik Richmond were found guilty of rape in a case that spread like wildfire throughout social media. Justice was served. At least, that’s what everyone thought. At a party on the night of Aug. 11, 2012, both Mays and Richmond, football players from the Steubenville, Ohio, high school, raped an intoxicated 16-year-old girl. Almost as deplorable as the act itself was the documentation of their exploits. Pictures were taken of Mays and Richmond in the act of raping the girl. In addition, a photo of the girl being held up by the ankles and wrists, dangling between two males, seemingly unconscious, was posted on Instagram and Twitter. For a number of days, it seemed as though the incident would be swept under the rug, a cover-up to be blamed on the protective bubble surrounding the Steubenville football team. However, outrage in internet communities pushed the Steubenville justice system to take action. The two teenagers were charged with the crime 10 days after the incident, after evidence was splattered over social media outlets. When the verdict was released, it seemed as though the nation would react positively. Two malicious and careless teenage rapists were given the punishment they deserved. Justice was served. However, news outlets did quite the opposite.
Popular news stations, such as CNN, ABC and NBC exploded with various versions of “The Untold Story of the Steubenville Rapists” and “Was She Really Drunk Enough?” General Correspondent for CNN Poppy Harlow described the boys as “promising students” and attempted to qualify what Mays and Richmond did as less than rape. “What’s the lasting effect, though, on two young boys being found guilty in juvenile court of rape, essentially?” General Corrospondent for CNN Poppy Harlow said. NBC’s Ron Allen lamented the boys’ “promising football careers,” in his coverage of the verdict. But easily the most despicable coverage occurred on ABC 20/20’s special titled “The Steubenville Rape Case: The Story You Haven’t Heard.” “Trent Mays was a quarterback and honors student from a town 15 minutes outside of Steubenville... Ever since he could remember, he shared a dream that so many boys in this corner of the Ohio Valley do: to one day hear the roar of Big Red fans from the field,” an article published on March 17 on the ABC 20/20 site said. Obviously, the hopes and dreams of a rapist of are the utmost concern. It is so important that the public know that Mays, who took advantage of a defenseless girl without any regard to her dignity or the law, wanted to be a famous football player. Why didn’t you say so? “Ma’lik came from
the rougher side of Steubenville. His earliest memories involve dodging stray bullets in his living room and watching most of his male role models being killed or incarcerated. He had turned to sports early in life as an escape from the realities around him,” the same article reported. Despite what reporters are leading their viewership to believe, Richmond’s rough upbringing does not make his actions understandable. Richmond did know better. Regardless, neither of these anecdotes have anything to do with whether or not the rapists are guilty. They merely make the traumatic sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl seem less legitimate. Not only have news sources sympathized with the rapists, they have attacked the victim. Reporters have endlessly investigated whether or not the victim was intoxicated enough to consent to her assault. The fact that news outlets are even considering this aspect of the case proves that the news sources in question are perpetuating rape culture and victim blaming. What happened to this girl was not her fault, but the media is making it seem quite the opposite. If the media continues to cover rape cases in a way that questions and puts blame on the victim, future rape cases will be even harder to convict. And even more disturbing than that, rape victims will be less likely to come forward, afraid of the backlash and speculation that might occur. The post-verdict coverage of the Steubenville rape case should serve as a lesson about unfair handling of sensitive stories, especially those concerning sexual assault. The victim should never be blamed, especially by “unbiased” journalists. Mays and Richmond were found guilty and no journalistic bias should attempt to prove otherwise. Left: PUT ON A PEDESTAL: The press’ reaction to the Steubenville Rape Case verdict portrayed the perpetrators as innocent rather than guilty, perpetuating rape culture, especially for athletes.
Cartoon by William Kissane
March 2013
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SPORTS Everlasting Eve
The box score Above: DOWN TO BUSINESS: Senior Andrew Geigrich was recognized as the Champion of the 120 weight class for classification AAAAA State Championship in Macon, GA, which concluded on Feb. 18.
Cut it out
In previous years, in order to have a spot on the tennis team, players must have the skills. However, this year has proven otherwise. “If (students)were inexperienced, I couldn’t let them on the team because I had to work directly with varsity (team,)” head tennis coach Stephen Hinson said. This year Hinson decided to coach varsity players, as well as provide novice tennis players with a clinic focusing on the rules of the game. “I started thinking about it and every year I have so many kids come out who don’t know how to play tennis,” Hinson said. “I (thought that) it would be great if they could learn.” The tennis clinics teach the basic skills of tennis to beginners and are held every Friday. Freshman Kieffer Farber began playing tennis on the practice squad and discovered her interest in the sport. “I can already notice myself getting much better,” Farber said. “It’s great knowing that even if you’ve never played tennis there is now a chance to learn how.” While being a part of the clinic, students can improve their skills that will help them excel in the future. “It’s highly possible that any number of (beginners) could move over to varsity, which is exactly what I would hope would happen,” Hinson said.
Giegrich shines for Glads
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he wrestling season came to an end on Feb. 16, 17 and 18 with the Georgia High School Association AAAAA Individuals State Wrestling Tournament in Macon, Ga. At the event, senior Andrew Giegrich wrapped up an illustrious high school career by taking home the biggest prize of all. After fifth and third place finishes in three previous qualifications, Giegrich was glad to have finally come in first in the 120 lb category. “(It was an) instant relief. That the whole year I was looking forward to it but I didn’t wanna really think about it much. (After winning) I went over and gave (head wrestling coach Timothy Stoudenmire) a big hug. I was so happy,” Giegrich said. Giegrich finished the year with an undefeated 54-0 record and is the first Clarke Central athlete to claim a state ring in the new AAAAA classification. “We’ve achieved more in the last three or four years than we have in the eight years that I’ve been here so (Andrew) was kind of a constant factor in those successes. A lot of that has to do with him,” Stoudenmire said. “Winning a state title in any sport is extremely difficult.” Additionally, senior David Fisher came in third in the 126 lb weight class. Despite the team’s wins, Stoudenmire still feels like they could have achieved more. “I honestly felt like we underperformed at the state meet, I thought we would be in the top ten. We had a few guys not reach their potential and that hurt us from a team scoring standpoint,” Stoudenmire said. Disappointment in the team’s performance resonated throughout the squad. “We could’ve done a lot better,” junior wrestler Blake Mustard said. “It was completely unexpected. We were expected to go to state and place in the top five (but) it kinda blew up in our face.” Mustard now has sets his sights on next year. “Its gonna be a lot harder next year than it was this year. I think we’ll do good; there’s always a chance that we’ll do better than we did this year. But (with) everybody that we lost, its gonna be hard to come back from that,” Mustard said.
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-- Henry Scott, Sports Writer
On the evening of March 5, the soccer program commemorated the fifth year anniversary of former Clarke Central High School student Eve Carson’s passing. Famous for having been the 2004 CCHS valedictorian and becoming student body president at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carson was also a member of the soccer team at CCHS. “Eve had a tremendous impact on everyone and every group she encountered. Her commitment to helping others and striving for excellence serve as an example of the vast possibilities that exist in all of us,” Athletic Director Dr. Jon Ward said. In each of the last four years the CCHS soccer program has honored Carson by having a moment of silence and playing James Taylor’s “Carolina on My Mind” on the home game closest to March 5. This year, the Carolina Blue flag flew below the American Flag as the boys and girls took on Region 8-AAAAA rivals Gainesville High School. “I was completely moved by it again. The sky had a clearing and I just felt that she was with us,” Kathy Erickson, Eve’s soccer coach, said. “It was a special night.”
The girls of golf
The golf team began their season on Feb. 19 with the biggest turnout in recent years. “We have a large group. We have 22 out with 12 girls, which is the most girls we’ve ever had,” head golf coach Dinah Posey said. The 12 girls participating include freshmen Saudia Royal and Marci Woods, sophomores Lakiera Bailey, Masano Conine-Nakano, Jamie Coreas, Ashley Gloster, Adilene Padilla and Hannah Stubbs, junior Jane Fleming and seniors DeAnna Johnson and Sarabia Royal. Posey hopes each of this year’s golf players will work to improve their technique and ability both during practice and on their own to prepare them for competition. “Consistency and willingness to practice on the weekends is a huge thing for golf because we can’t get a course to play and practice on the weekends. So they really have to have a lot of self discipline to improve their game,” Posey said. March 2013
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SPORTS
Audibles
“ “ ” “ ” “ ”
We’re about to accomplish something big, it’s been a long time since we’ve been to state.
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PETER KONENKAMP, senior, on the Raiders Team’s performance during the 2013 season.
I’ve never seen a CCHS baseball game; it just isn’t interesting. JULIE RIOS, senior, on her opinion on the Clarke Central High School baseball games.
Photo by Chad Rhym
Black people play basketball and white people play ice hockey. NICK HOWARD, senior, on racial presumptions amongst American sports.
“The spring sports teams will probably have to get more people, recruit more, get more active and just overall do well.
Above: REMEMBERING EVE: A University of North Carolina flag was raised along with the United States flag prior to a boys varsity soccer game on March 5. The night’s game was played in commemoration of Eve Carson, former girls Varsity soccer team captain and Clarke Central High School 2004 graduate.
JEREMY SMITH, junior, on what spring sports teams will have to do to make the playoffs.
Stefan steps up
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-- Chad Rhym, Sports Writer March 2013
Below: GOLFER GIRLS: The 2013-14 school year’s Golf team has recieved it’s largest turnout in years including 12 girls, something the team has rarely seen in the past. Below are, from right, Juniors DeAnna Johnson and Jane Fleming and sophomore Hannah Stubbs of the girls Golf team. Photo by Porter McLeod
n Feb. 11, Clarke Central High School’s head football and track and field coach Leroy Ryals resigned to fulfill the head football coach and athletic director positions at Thomasville High School in Thomasville, Ga. With Ryals’ departure, emerged a new head track and field coach, CAPS department teacher Stefan Smith. Before being announced as the new track and field coach, Smith was the head JV basketball coach and an assistant coach for the varsity basketball team. “(Being a head coach) adds on a little bit more, you’re looking at the overall program compared to just focusing on the team,” Smith said. “But coaching is coaching. Track is something different and new to me. That’s the only difference I see right now.” Smith’s first year in his new position has already illustrated similarities between his positions as JV basketball head coach and track and field head coach. “With head coaching, the buck starts with (the head coach), so it’s the same concept. I tell my guys practice starts at four and if you’re not there then you’re going to be running after practice,” Smith said. Smith has already shown promising assets as a coach according to CCHS junior thrower Cedric Armstrong. “This is my first time ever working with Coach Smith. Right now I’m just seeing how everything is panning out. “ Armstrong said. “He’s real competitive just like all of the sports around the school are, so that’s good in a coach if he’s competitive because it will wear off on his kids.”
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SPORTS
Year of the
pitcher
Photos by Porter McLeod
Above: IF THE GLOVE FITS: Varsity pitcher and junior Patrick Matthews prepares to deliver a pitch during a home game versus Jefferson High School on Feb. 14. Matthews believes in the importance of mental strength, especially in competitive settings. “Having concentration while up there is something I try to do,” Matthews said.
Varsity pitcher and junior Patrick Matthews exemplifies quiet leadership and models consistency on and off the field for the varsity baseball team.
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s his teammates tell it, there has never been a time when varsity pitcher and junior Patrick Matthews wasn’t athletically talented. “He’s always been an athlete. He’s always been in a different class than the rest of the people in his age group,” varsity catcher and senior Jack ElliottGower said. Elliott-Gower, who has played alongside Matthews since little league, acknowledges his teammate’s wide range of skills. “As a pitcher, he’s really good at hitting his spots. He has a really good offspeed,” Elliott-Gower said. “And he really leads by example.” Baseball predates kindergarten for Matthews, who began playing T-ball at a young age. In the following years, his involvement in the sport only increased. “I started playing around the age of four or five, just playing T-ball,” Matthews said. “From there I played little league baseball, and I played junior league, and then high school ball, where I’m at now.” Throughout the development of Matthew’s baseball career, pitching continued to entice him, and he desired to improve his skill. “In little league, around the age of nine, is when I first started pitching,” Matthews said. “Ever since then, I’ve always been interested in pitching; it’s always the position I want to play.” BY AARON HOLMES Junior Copy Editor
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Nearly a decade later, prior to the 2013 baseball season, Matthews received an offer to play for the University of Georgia baseball team. However, he has not accepted the offer. Matthews states that, during his first years at CCHS, he worked towards significant improvements in these areas as a pitcher. “During the past few years, when I’m not playing games, I’ve been focusing on pitching mechanics, and getting stronger, physically and mentally,” Matthews said. But Elliott-Gower has noticed changes in Matthews since his start on the CCHS team that transcend athletic proficiency. “He’s become more of a leader because in little league, everybody just does their own thing. But when you get to high school, you have a little more of a team dynamic. I saw him step up and start helping younger guys out,” ElliottGower said. Baseball head coach Trey Henson has worked with Matthews since 2010. Henson has also observed Matthews’ strong leadership on the team. “He’s not really a vocal leader, but he’s a leader by example. He goes out and does things right,” Henson said. “I think he’s a really good teammate; he gets along with all the other players.” Matthews acknowledges this element of his participation on the team. In his March 2013
SPORTS experience, his role as a leader has led to the formation of deeper bonds with younger players on the team. “I consider myself a leader-- I always try to help younger kids. I’m not much of a vocal leader, but more of an instructional leader,” Matthews said. “We’re really close. We’re all messing around and having fun, but as a team, obviously we take it seriously at the same time.” This leadership role is observed by Matthews’ younger teammates, who hold him in high respect as an upper member of the team and as a motivator. “Patrick is a great teammate. He’s always there encouraging the rest of us. He’s a big factor in the team dynamic,” first baseman and sophomore Terry McHugh said. “We can always count on Patrick to pull us through in games.” Henson has said that he believes Matthews has matured since joining the CCHS team. According to Henson, this maturity is a result of a deeper understanding of the sport. “He’s always had talent, but he’s (gotten) stronger. And with physical maturity comes a better mental awareness of the game,” Henson said. Matthews’ strength has improved due to a specific pitcher’s workout regimen set forth by Henson. According to Matthews, much of the pitchers’ workout is preventative of injury. These exercises take place both individually and along with the rest of the team. “I lift weights with the team. Also, pitchers do bands workouts, because it helps strengthen the rotator cuff, and it’s important for pitchers to keep strong,” Matthews said. “It’s helped; I have good arm strength.” Matthews’ teammates rely on him as a successful pitcher, making the prevention of an in-game injury is imperative. “Patrick’s the pitcher that makes the big plays,” Above: CONTROL IN THE CLUTCH: During games, varsity pitcher and junior Patrick Matthews strives to outfielder and sophomore Isaiah Sims said. “He’s avoid distractions and maintain a consistent level of mental calmness, a trait that he believes is important for our person that, if we’re in the clutch, we go to a pitcher to possess. Below: POWER PITCHING: Matthews believes that one of his largest improvements him.” since joining the CCHS team is in his pitching accuracy. “During the off season, I’ve been focusing on pitching mechanics, and getting stronger,” Matthews said. In critical moments such as these, Matthews tries to maintain the same level of mental calm he sustains during practice. Photo illustration by Aaron Holmes “Mainly (I try to) stay relaxed; it’s the biggest thing,” Matthews said. “Also being focused is the real key. Just being able to focus on each pitch is really important. Keeping my concentration when I’m up there on the mound is something I try to do.” Today, Henson testifies to Matthews’ exceptional aim and control, qualities that are widely elusive within the high school league. “Patrick has a fastball in the range of 87 to 88 miles per hour. He has really good off-speed; good curveball, good slider. He also (has) a change-up. He controls all four of those pitches very well,” Henson said. Despite the offer Matthews received to play at a collegiate level, Matthews wishes to improve within the high school setting in the coming years. “From here until graduating I want to become a better pitcher: throw faster and harder, have more accurate pitches,” Matthews said. Additionally, Matthews says he is excited about his final seasons on the team, and the years of college-level playing that will follow. “I’m a junior so obviously I have more time to decide. The summer after your junior season is when it gets really hard,” Matthews said. “But I look forward to looking at colleges; to meeting the coaches at different universities. I think this will be a big summer for me.”
March 2013
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SPORTS Photos by Porter McLeod
Track and field
BOYS
Head coach Stephan Smith
SPRING HALFTIME REPORT
Assistant coaches David Sells, Bode Osigabre, Quincy Wilkins Key returning players Dreko Statham, Jamerez Parrish, Jaymel Isreal, Cedric Armstrong, Joe Aubry, Shaquille Alexander Key senior losses Quenshaun Watson, Dawan Billiups, Marquez Williams, Deandre Harper, Andre Robinson Pictured: Shaquille Alexander
Track and field
GIRLS
Head coach Reginald Thomas Assistant coaches Stacy Scott, Javonie Small, Quincy Wilkins, David Sells Key returning players Parissa Burton, Tyra Thomas, Amber Richardson Key senior losses Jasmine Norton, Katie Downs, Tamara Jones
Tennis
BOYS
Head coach Stephen Hinson Assistant coaches Nick Kinsley, Abby Suddreth Key returning players Jake Marrano, Henry Siebentritt, Chris Thomas Key senior losses Christian Saupe, Carlo Nasisse Pictured: Austin Clark
Tennis
GIRLS
Head coach Stephen Hinson Assistant coaches Nick Kinsley, Abby Suddreth Key returning players Addie Downs, Alexandra Martin Key senior losses: Eliza Rothstein
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March 2013
SPORTS
Soccer
BOYS
Head coach Chris Aiken Assistant coaches Adam Schraudenbach, Billy Noojin Key returning players Marquez Favors, Gabriel Scott, Tristen Trevino, Kevin Erickson, Shden Tseggai, Matthew Ward, Gabriel Arcos, Italo Pastor Key senior losses Jonathan Rogel, Hector Martinez, Joseph Hutto, Jonathan Striepen, Igli Mina Pictured: Jorge Delgado
Soccer
GIRLS
Head coach Pauly Shenton Assistant coaches Lat Bamba, Ali Contant Key returning players Samantha Eberhard Key senior losses Ashley Franklin, Mollie Sherman
Baseball Head coach Trey Henson Assistant coaches Eric Smith, Justin Harrington, Nick Wegmann, Jason Pinell Key returning players Jack Elliott-Gower, Luke Bennett, Tucker Crumpton, Luke Scobba, Patrick Matthews Key senior losses Phillip Trandel, Alex Harris, Jeremiah Warren Pictured: Luke Skobba
Golf Head coach Dinah Posey Assistant coach Matthew Snow, Bill Parrish Key returning players Alex Crain, Caleb Williams, Justin Redmond, Andrew Wolff, Jane Fleming, Masano ConineNakano, Hannah Stubbs Key senior losses: None Pictured: Charlie Harris
March 2013
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SPORTS
Clarke Central prevails Photos by Chad Rhym
The Gladiators faced off against Madison County at Death Valley.
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oing into the Madison County High School game, the girls varsity soccer team was off to a slow start with an 0-6 record. Clarke Central High School had allowed 41 goals and only scored one, by way of senior midfielder Sam Eberhard. The game began with the Red Raiders kicking off at center circle. After a turnover, sophomore forward Talle Parrish initiated a quick counter by dribbling the ball deep into the MCHS half. Upon entering the penalty box, Parrish had an opportunity for a shot. However, the shot missed wide. In the opening seconds of the first half, CCHS attained the first shot on goal of the game. Although the Gladiators missed their first chance to score, the team remained persistent. CCHS recovered the ball again from a MCHS turnover. After dribbling through the open offensive field, Eberhard weaved through numerous defenders and kicked it past the MCHS keeper. The score was 1-0, and CCHS took their first lead of the season. “After I scored that first goal I felt a little relieved, like okay, we can do this. We have a good chance to win,” Eberhard said. Fifteen minutes into the first half, CCHS seemed to be in control, thanks to their aggressive defense. The defenders hardly allowed shots on gial and if MCHS did get an opportunity, senior goalkeeper Sheniqua Allen would stand her ground, and reject all attempts that were kicked at her. Sophomore Mariah Elam scored the second goal of the game. At the end of the half, CCHS was on top, 2-0. The second half started slowly for both teams. CCHS and MCHS attempted a marginal amount of shots. However, Eberhard scored her second goal to make the score 3-0. CCHS maintained their lead and improved their record to 1-6. “It felt very good (to win our first game). It was just a really happy moment. The whole team afterwards was just in a really good mood, and it was just a great feeling after the win,” Eberhard said. BY CHAD RHYM Sports Writer
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Above: KICK TO WIN: Junior left midfielder Kimberly Shumaker dribbles down the field, outrunning the Madison County High School defense. Shumaker had one assist in Clarke Central High School’s win against MCHS. Below: DRIVING TO THE GOAL: Senior center midfielder Sam Eberhard drives the ball for an opportunity to score or dish it out against a MCHS defender. “I try to have as many people be able to touch the ball, I try not to take the ball for my self all of the time. And then I try to pass it around and get it up the field,” Eberhard said.
March 2013
SPORTS
The rule that changed it all
The “one and done” rule prevents high school seniors from entering the NBA straight out of high school, but is this rule fair?
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rior to the 2006 NBA draft, Commissioner David Stern issued the decree that all players must be at least 19 years of age during the year of the draft, and a player who completed basketball eligibility at an American high school must also be at least one year removed from the graduation of his high school class. This is known as the “one and done” rule. And BY CHAD RHYM Sports Writer it’s irrational. Why should a player with raw NBA talent have to wait a year wasting his time in college basketball? He faces a risk of getting injured, which would hurt his draft stock. A player should have the right to choose his fate. Let’s be honest, for players who are seriously considering going into the NBA, college is just a developmental league. As a result, college basketball becomes a business, not an education. It’s naive to think the reason elite players go to college is to receive an education for one year, and forcing them into one year of college is a waste of time and money. A player looking to reach the next level only attends college to improve his skill set, to develop his game and to gain national exposure. The “one and done” rule has made a mockery of the student-athlete. However, there are a select few of players who still go to school for the full college experience, such as Shelden Williams, Trevor Booker and Terrance Williams. They were drafted in the first round, and they now are sit on the bench. On the other side of the spectrum, players like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Kevin Garnett all came out of high school and are now the stars of the NBA. If the “one and done” rule was never created, there could have possibly been more LeBrons and Bryants playing in the league right now. High school stars are now forced to go play in college and waste away their talent. College basketball is a job, and not compensating players is unfair. College is a waste of time for talented high school stars, thus making the one and done rule a joke. Below: WAITING FOR NOTHING: High School basketball players are forced to spend one year in college prior to entering the NBA draft. While playing in college they are not using their talents to their full potential.
Cartoon by Gabe Harper
March 2013
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he “one and done” rule might be corroding college basketball, but it also provides benefits not found in the previous legislation by the NBA. Originally, there wasn’t an amateurity requirement for players to be drafted by the NBA. After the 2005 season, Commissioner David Stern made a change. A byproduct however, came along with this BY KEVIN MOBLEY new policy: the “one and done” rule. Web Writer Simply put, elite players go to college because they have to, and leave as soon as possible. Despite its infamy among professional and college basketball fans alike, it is an upgrade in the eyes of this fan. There are genuine assets that players can gain by staying in college, such as teamwork, leadership and perfecting the fundamentals. College coaches typically instill these lessons into their players. The little things like making the extra pass, giving a teammate a pat on the back or practicing extra free throws, can often make the difference in a tight game. If players opt to attend one year of college, they will at least get a taste of these values. As a selfish NCAA Above: HIDDEN BENEFITS: Even though high basketball fan myself, I school players are now forced to spend at least one love witnessing these year in college, there are benefits to attending a college such as school gear, talent development and an stars in the college education. setting. I can’t imagine Cartoon by John Hubbard how unbearable this season would’ve been as a Georgia follower without SEC Player of the Year Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. In the games I attended, I saw an NBA-caliber player up close and in person, an opportunity I never would have had if not for “one and done.” Even if their college careers are short, the memories of elite athletes live on through the fans. With that said, even if the main purpose of a year in college is to spend time improving their game, they are also there to get an education. There’s a reason why “student” comes before “athlete” in “student-athlete.” These athletes are getting free tuition at a topnotch school that the average high-schooler can only dream about. Though the system that’s in place is not ideal, can you think of anything better? If so, I’m sure David Stern and I would be all ears.
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THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THROWING
1. IT TAKES SKILL. “There is shot put and discus. I do discus. In discus, the objective is to throw the disk as far as you can. It takes some muscle, but it has a lot to do with form. The typical thrower is usually 205, 215, 245 lbs. They’re strong, but they’re agile. You’ve got to be able to move quick and be strong. That’s why we run 100’s all the time, so we have the explosion to move quickly. But the strength really takes the disk where it needs to go. Your body torques all of your energy and momentum that you have, so the bigger you are, and the more power you have built up, the further the disk will go.”
2. AVOID SCRATCHES. “You enter from the back of the ring and you can’t step over the ring at any time while you’re in it. If you step out the front, it’s a scratch. If you exit out the side, it’s a scratch. Mainly, don’t spin out of the ring, because if you do, it will be a scratch. You exit and enter from the back of the ring.” 3. EXPLOSIVNESS. “I just go through the motions as if I had the disk in my hand and I work on my releases. You have to roll the discus off your hand, and release it off your index finger. You can’t start the throw off slow. You have to have the explosion and quickness to keep your momentum going when you release (the discus). Without the momentum, it’s a power throw. A power throw is basically just throwing with your power, and not really any form.”
4. DON'T FORGET ABOUT US. “I’ve got a bad vibe about how people see us. I feel like they think that running is the biggest part of track, but it’s track and field. That field part is usually left out. I don’t want to say that we deserve more, but we do bring points on and add to the scoreboard, and they may help us win the meet or not, but in the end, they still count as points. I think we’re really underrated, because (I hear), ‘All you do is throw a disk.’ They don’t understand the hard work and dedication that comes behind being able to throw that disk as far as you can.”
5. INVISIONING SUCCESS. “You really BY TREY JACKSON (AS TOLD TO GABRIELLE SAUPE) PHOTOGRAPH BY GABRIELLE SAUPE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY RADFORD BROSIUS
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just have to believe in yourself and see yourself doing it. Everytime before I throw, I zone everything out and think about how I’m going to do it. And I see my motions before I do it, and then, when I open my eyes, I don’t think about anything but doing what I need to do.”
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Tackling homophobia Sports are known for a lot of things. One of them is homophobia. Tori Hart
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Grade: 9 Sport: JV soccer Years experience: 11 GPA: 3.7 Game day rituals: “I go change, listen to music and then listen to my coaches.” Favorite game memory: “After the games that we win, it’s celebrating with my teammates.” Role model: Abby Wambach What coaches say: “The most impressive thing about Tori isn’t her athletic abilitity, which she has plenty of; rather, it is her relentless effort always given for her team. Combine that with ability, and it’s obvious why she’s a special player.” -- Chris Hulse, Head Coach ODYSSEY Star Players are selected based on their academic standing and commitment to
teammates, their sports program and Clarke Central High School. Star Players are selected each month by the Sports staff based on interviews with players and coaches.
Martin Garin
Grade: 10 Sport: Varsity Tennis Years experience: 2 GPA: 3.7
n Jan. 5, Denver Nuggets power forward Kenneth Faried became the first NBA player in history to join the gay rights group, “Athlete Ally,” aimed at fighting homophobia in sports. This is the first step forward in revolutionizing the world of sports BY CHAD RHYM into a more friendly environment for Sports Writer openly gay athletes. Why aren’t sports a friendly environment for homosexuality? There are several different reasons for why sports are known for their homophobia. One of which is that many players, such as 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver, have extreme conservative views concerning homosexuality in sports. “We don’t need no gay people on the team, can’t be with that sweet stuff. In the locker room man, nah,” Culliver said to radio host Artie Lange. “Yeah, come out 10 years later after that.” Culliver later apologized for his remarks, but did anyone believe his apology? Of course not. This isn’t the first time a homophobic remark like this has occurred. On April 13, 2011, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant directed a homophobic slur at a referee out of frustration. We can’t have popular players such as Kobe Bryant not able to control their actions. How would these comments affect a young homosexual’s ourage to come out to his or her teammates? There has to be more role models in sports-- role models that stick up for what is right, players who know how to censor their comments and players who consider the effects of their stances. With all that said, kudos to Kenneth Faried and players who have had the courage to come out. The ignorance has to stop. Everyone deserves to play a sport, and at the same time be proud of who they are.
Game day rituals: “I just space out.” Favorite game memory: “At my old school after I won this match, my teammates grabbed me and poured a Gatorade bottle on me.” Role model: Novak Djokovic What coaches say: “He’s a solid tennis player. He really makes the team more competitive.. His presence is going to help our push for the playoffs. I’m hoping he doesn’t overwork. I wouldn’t trade him for anybody I’ve seen.”
-- Stephen Hinson, Head Coach 46 | ODYSSEY NEWSMAGAZINE | odysseynewsmagazine.net
Cartoon by William Kissane
Above: STEPPING FORWARD: Players throughout sports are often making homophobic slurs. These actions have led to several players not having the courage to come out to their teammates. Everyone should have the right to play sports, and at the same time be themselves.
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Worked March 23 - May 12, 2013 Lauren Adams (Baltimore, MD), Elizabeth Barton (Athens, GA), Laura Tanner Graham (Chicago, IL), David Ross Harper (Chicago, IL), Scott Ingram (Atlanta, GA), Ted Kuhn (Athens, GA),
supporters of EmpowerEDGeorgia.org Loft Art Supply City Salon Athens
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Athens Institute for Contemporary Art March 2013 160 Tracy St., Unit 4, Athens, GA 30601 706.208.1613 www.athica.org