KEEPI N G THE S TUDE NTS OF RHEA COU NTY HIGH SCH O OL I NFORMED SI N CE 1996
HOLIDAY EDITION
The Eagle's Nest
HOLIDAY PUZZLES! PAGE 12
HOLIDAY GIFTS REVIEW EXTRAVAGANZA PAGE 8
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 4
THINK BEFORE YOU SHOOT: POACHING IS A SERIOUS CRIME
PAGE 6
‘Tis the season for charity By KAITY KOPESKI
Rhea County High School students have been in the spirit of giving. Over the last month, there have been a few different charitable projects going on inside the high school. Leadership class held its 13th annual canned food drive from November 13 through November 20. The goal this year was 5,000 cans, and they ended up with a total of 3,346. As promised, the class period with the most cans, Mr. Toliver’s third period, will receive a pizza party later in the school year. On November 21st, the class delivered the cans to Our Daily Bread in Spring City and to We Care in Dayton. Although the goal was not reached, the organizations were thrilled to receive the cans, and the class is optimistic about next year’s drive. Right after the food drive ended, the Leadership class was busy again, this time setting up for the Angel Tree. The tree was decorated with over one hundred angel ornaments. [Gone already? That’s good, right??] The “angels” are children from either the Graysville or Spring City preschool and most of them have financial needs. Each child had five ornaments, with each ornament specifying a special gift such as shoes, clothes, or toys. The gifts will be collected by December 12, and on the morning of December 14, the Leadership class will host a Christmas party for the children. At the party they will open their gifts, and receive a special visit by Mr. and Mrs. Claus. “I love to see their faces when they open their gifts” says returning member Sarah Jones, “they are so appreciative of things that they normally wouldn’t receive.” Along with Leadership, Key club was working on a special holiday project. From November 27 to December 1, teachers had
PHOTO BY KELLI FRENCH
KAITY@RHEACOUNTYEAGLESNEST.ORG
ABOVE: The leadership class drops off about 2,000 cans at We Care in Dayton. Front row (l to r): Billy Whisman, Leann Patton, Coach Holder, Sarah Jones, Kaity Kopeski, Colby Smith, Will Hooper, Bryan Boling, Olivia Carver, Lauren Harris, Kelly Reed, Leayn Carter. Second row: Danielle Catlett, Kaitlynn Reed, Dusty Paschal, Kelli French. Third row: Justin Smith, Kelli Alexander, Tyler Cheek, Andrew Zimmerman. RIGHT: Kelly Reed, Dusty Paschal, and Justin Smith hang angels on the Angel Tree in the Library.
the opportunity to set up baby bottles on their desks, and students were asked to put their spare change in the bottles. All the funds that were raised went to the Women’s Care Center, so they could purchase needed items, especially baby formula. “We
raised a total of $300” says Key Club President, Heather Roberts, “which I think is a record!” If you didn’t get an opportunity to give or participate in one of the above activities, here are a couple projects worthy of donat-
ing to: While you are out and doing your last-minute holiday shopping, stop by the see CHARITY page 4
Team explores new lunch schedule possibilities If the proposed lunch changes go as planned, the days of spending a half-hour every day planted on a plastic disk may be a thing of the past. By COURTNEY JORDAN COURTNEY@RHEACOUNTYEAGLESNEST.ORG
PHOTO BY BRYAN BOLING
The administration hopes that changes to the lunch schedule will ease crowding in the cafeteria, in addition to providing opportunities for extracurricular activities during the school day.
“Hey, where are you headed?” “Oh, I’m just going to the library to finish my paper. I’ll be in lunch when I finish.” “Okay, take your time. We’ve got an hour.” That will be a conversation heard in the new semester at Rhea County High School. Mr. Levengood, accompanied by other leaders, teachers, and one student from each grade, traveled to Hillsboro High School in Nashville on December 6. What they saw there was an amazing accomplishment involving the way students behave and how they manage to get several things accomplished in as little as an hour. The upshot for our school is that where there used to be four lunch periods, there will only be one, and
the student body as a whole will all eat their lunch at roughly the same time. Of course, many are skeptical about how this will work out for us, but the students and staff at Hillsboro High are convinced the system is the best thing to have ever happened. Their principal Bob Lawson says, “It may sound crazy, but in my three years of working here, the one-hour lunch deal has been the best decision I’ve ever made.” So how, exactly, does everyone eat at the same time? Easy. People who would rather eat in the cafeteria are allowed to do so; people who wouldn’t don’t have to. It is basically one hour for the students and teachers to have all to themselves. They are not restricted to one area at a rotation of twenty to thirty minutes at a time. They have the freedom to eat in the cafeteria, the hallways, outside, in the gym, and in classrooms. However, they are not all getting their food from see LUNCHTIME page 4
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The Eagle’s Nest • Holiday Edition • December 2006
Vocational students collect blood, solve crimes, look fabulous By RILEY BREWER RILEY@RHEACOUNTYEAGLESNEST.ORG
Rhea County High School’s vocational department has started the winter off right, forming ambitious plans and helping the community. Mr. Nichol’s criminal justice classes were given the chance to stage a crime scene to help students deal with the realities of investigative work. A crime was staged with a fake corpse and evidence for students to analyze. In addition to answering the traditional “whodunit” question, the participants had to also maintain crowd control, deal with reporters, question witnesses, and listen to testimonies. Mr. Nichols said that the crime scene allows a “microscopic view of what a police officer does” and seems to give students a more realistic view of what an investigator must be able to handle. Aiding the criminal justice students in the crime scene were theater arts students who helped set up the crime and participated in various roles. In addition to the insightful work done in criminal justice, Ms. Hankins and her
health science students are overseeing the annual school blood drive. Students and teachers are eligible to donate, and two of the most important conditions for donation are that donors are at least seventeen years old and cannot have gotten a tattoo within the past year. The blood will go to Blood Assurance in Chattanooga, an organization that provides blood to hospitals mostly in the East Tennessee area. Ms. Hankins urges students to donate blood, and she would like to encourage teachers especially to volunteer since the faculty turn-out has been low in past years. The vocational department as a whole has been gearing up for the Skills USA competition coming this spring. Ms. Stewart’s cosmetology students in particular have practiced rigorously in hopes of attending the competition. Since the beginning of the school year, Cosmetology III students have gone through a three-level in-class contest to determine the competitior representing RCHS. The first level of competition involved creating updos selected by younger cosmetology students, and the second level was a
ABOVE: Kayla Mae Butcher, Janet Lopez, and Shauntelle Hunter (left to right) show their style. RIGHT: Debbie Cox of Unique Hair Salon demonstrates a cutting technique for Cosmetology class.
comprehensive written exam. The final test required the students to model the cut and style presented in a photograph. This final competition was judged by Debbie Cox, a stylist with Unique Hair Salon, who also demonstrated a haircut for the students. The winner—and now representative for RCHS’s cosmetology classes—was Kayla see VOCATIONAL page 4 photos by craig williamson
A successful run of Murder
photo SUBMITTED
The cast of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown hangs out on Snoopy’s doghouse. Bottom row, from left: Christian Horton (Sally), Rebecca Patterson (Peppermint Patty), Carrie Lounsberry (Snoopy), Andrea Kendall (Lucy); Top row: Xavier Smith (Linus), Cory Smith (Charlie Brown), Marita Martin (Marcy), and Dusty Paschal (Schroeder).
RCHS students work for Peanuts By RILEY BREWER RILEY@RHEACOUNTYEAGLESNEST.ORG
While it is likely that none of us have ever been scorned by a little red-haired girl while eating a peanut butter sandwich or rejected by our dogs, most people are able to sympathize with that perpetually pessimistic young man by the name of Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown has been a part of America’s pop culture for decades now, but for most RCHS students he has not gone beyond a comic strip or the occasional holiday television special. However, Spring City’s Tennesse Valley Theater brought good ol’ Chuck and the entire Peanuts gang to life in an endearing and entertaining musical production entitled You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. The cast was made up entirely of Rhea County High School students, and everyone’s favorite mythology teacher, Mr. Rodgers, provided live music for the play.
The play featured a series of moments from the life of Charlie Brown and his schoolmates, ranging from Charlie’s losing the championship baseball game to Lucy’s explanation of how bugs make the grass grow. While at first it may seem a bit uncharacteristic for the usually mellow Charlie Brown to be breaking into song about his everyday woes, the production was successful largely because of its ability to never lose sight of the humor and hopeless optimism that has made Charlie Brown the classic character that he is. Such an ability was highlighted particularly when, while seeking advice from Lucy (senior Andrea Kendall), Charlie Brown (junior Cory Smith) realized that despite all of his faults, he was still...well...him—and that was okay! The songs were performed live by the cast, a group of brave students who did not hesitate to croon a tune for the love of theater. The play ran from December 1 through December 10. Prior to the first performance,
photo by beth fore
Verna Mae (Laura Stockton) insures that her sister, Precious Dewitt (Adrienne Lawson) will keep Sheriff Legghorn (Dustin Edwards) safely out of the way until she can clear her name and expose the true murderer. To see more pictures from the play, visit the Eagle’s Nest pictures page at http://www.rchseaglesnest.org
the actors clocked in at least ten hours a week practicing for the show, sacrificing quite a few Saturdays and school evenings to perfect the action. Despite the long work hours, the actors agreed that the effort was worth it. “All the hard work and dedication really paid off in the end, and I really enjoyed being a part of it,” said junior Dusty Paschal, Schroeder in the play. Directed by Brenda Schwab, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown was the last major production shown at the TVT in 2006, though students should keep an eye out for other plays in the new year. TVT plays feature community members, not professionally trained actors, in the lead and minor roles, and any person interested in being a part of future productions can contact the theater at 423365-PLAY.
The Eagle’s Nest • Holiday Edition • December 2006
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JROTC participates in several area parades By COURTNEY DODSON JROTC PRESS LIASON
The Rhea County JROTC Program has been keeping very busy this year, but also having fun at the same time. The Christmas season is here and we would like to wish everybody a very Merry Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, the Battalion has also been collecting money for the needy children of Rhea County. The cadets donated money during their class periods, as well as in the lunchroom, and also set up outside of local stores, and together, we were able to raise well over $2,300. All of this money will go towards children who would normally not be able to receive presents for Christmas, or decent clothes to protect them from the cold winter weather. Thank you to everyone who contributed. The Battalion just recently traveled to Sweetwater to participate in the Veterans Day parade. Afterwards, the cadets were treated to lunch at the local VFW. They were also given a tour of the building and the opportunity to talk with veterans from
numerous wars. The cadets appeared in the Dayton Christmas parade on December 2 as well, and will also be in the Spring City Christmas parade on December 16. Within the past month, the cadets were treated to a climbing wall provided by the local National Guard in which they were able to climb during their class period. Special teams are still continuing to do well. The Rifle Team, led by the their commander Cadet Captain Stacy McClendon, plans on starting their competitions on Thursday, December 7. They are looking forward to another undefeated season. Drill team is expected to start practicing the Wednesday that we return from our Christmas break for their upcoming competitions. Raiders, although fall competitions are over, continue to practice at least once a week to prepare for a possible competition in the spring. We are still looking for new faces and would love for everybody to join this wonderful program. Give it a thought! Merry Christmas!
photoS submitted
ABOVE: The Rhea County Eagle Batallion leads the Veterans Day parade in Sweetwater. LEFT: Thomas Burton sets the pace, rappelling from the top of a rock wall provided by the National Guard.
Local attractions and activities add a glow to the holidays By KAITY KOPESKI KAITY@RHEACOUNTYEAGLESNEST.ORG
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, and Holiday Festivities are underway. Besides the Spring City Parade, taking place on Saturday December 16, the festivities around the county are limited—randomly driving around looking for houses with outstanding light displays can get boring after a while, and burn a lot of precious gas. No need to fret though, because the surrounding areas have some extra holiday cheer to share:
are $14.95. The tours begin at eight in the morning and last till eight at night. If you’re feeling extra festive, tickets are available for Rock City and Ruby Falls. Tickets for the combined attractions are $28. http://www.rubyfalls.com
TENNESSEE AQUARIUM
For those who the cold weather does not suit, warm up with the Tennessee Aquarium’s holiday attraction of “Ho Ho H20—A see ATTRACTIONS page 4
ROCK CITY
Go “See Rock City” in a different light as they put on their twelfth annual “Enchanted Garden of Lights”. This attraction features more than twenty-five holiday scenes, and each night has a different musical performance. Tickets are $14.95 per person and can be purchased online. The attraction is open until January 6. http://www.seerockcity.com RUBY FALLS
Also available at Lookout Mountain is “Deck the Falls” at Ruby Falls. The Cavern Castle has been adorned in Holiday decorations which can be viewed from the interstate. The real enjoyment though is down in the caverns where holiday music will be playing and a special light show will wrap the 145-foot waterfall. This attraction is also open until January 6, and tickets
ROCK CITY PUBLICITY PHOTO
Rows of brightly colored toy soldiers flank the entrance to the Fairyland Caverns at Rock City’s “Enchanted Garden of Lights,” running through January 6.
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The Eagle’s Nest • Holiday Edition • December 2006
Class elections: the results are in Sophomores President: Preston Harris Secretary: Danielle Doolittle Treasurer: Tripp Graham Juniors President: Dusty Paschal Vice President: Calista Lawson Secretary: Alex Green Treasurer: Julie Gillette
2007
Another November is over and done with, and along with it, another election season. In the U.S. Congress races this past fall, Democrats took over control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in a nation-wide sweep that involved many upsets of imcumbent Republicans, including the Govenator himself. In another election, not so hotly contested and a lot closer to home, student-candidates ran for positions of leadership in their respective classes. On that heralded day in November, students gathered in homeroom to cast their votes for those candidates whom were deemed most capable of leading their class in the right direction. Many able candidates were listed on the ballot, but as everyone knows, only four students from each class recieve the honor of becoming an elected official. So ballots were cast, the votes were counted, and the candidates waited for the crucial fifth period announcments. Mrs. Roddy finally came over the PA system and announced the winners. For some, there was heart-break. For others, there was an overwhelming sense of pride. But for all, the satisfaction of the competition and the hope for election or re-election in years to come.
Freshman President: Jordan Carter Secretary: Amanda Skinner Treasurer: Chelsea Watson
OFFIC ERS
By ALEX GREEN ALEXG@RHEACOUNTYEAGLESNEST.ORG
Seniors President: Nate Pippin Vice President: Lauren Harris Secretary: Chelsea Wright Treasurer: Leayn Carter
CHARITY from Page 1 gift wrapping center at Hamilton Place Mall. All the gift wrappers are volunteers and the funds raised will go to Kids on The Blocka group that uses puppetry to encourage acceptance of physical, social, and cultural differences throughout eleven counties in Tennessee. For more information check out http://www.kidsontheblock.net. If you like, you can also send some goodies to members of the military in foreign countries. Just pick up a box of Little Debbie’s, for a little gift that will go a long way, literally. There are five drop-off points around the county. In Dayton: The Clyde W. Roddy Library, The Herald News office, The American Legion Hall, or the First United Methodist Church. In Spring City you can take them to the Piggly-Wiggly. Happy Giving!
VOCATIONAL from Page 2
LUNCHTIME from Page 1 the cafeteria. The food service at Hillsboro has placed different kiosks in locations throughout the school building. For our school, administrators and cafeteria staff have already planned to put one stand with hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and fries in an area in the Vocational Hall. Our taco line will be changed into a salad and sub sandwich bar, and the à la carte line will also be relocated elsewhere. Picnic tables will be set up outside, offering students even more freedom in choosing where they will eat. Because there is an hour of “free time,” students must choose how to use that extra time. One of our students asked a junior that attends Hillsboro why they like the one-hour lunch so much. Her reply was, “Well, you can eat if you’re hungry, and if you’re not you don’t have to. I like it a lot because I can finish my homework—I hardly ever have much to take home.” She was not the only one taking advantage of that homework time. In fact, about half of the students there had the same thing in mind. If the time is there, you should use it, which is exactly what they are doing. While walking down the hallways of Hillsboro High you could also see people participating in a variety of activities. One of their most famous clubs is the Knit Wit
Club—Principal Lawson refers to them as the “Knit Wits.” You would not believe how many people actually enjoy knitting. This lunch time is also available for students in need of tutoring or extra homework help from their teachers. Other happenings during this lunch period include: club meetings, chess tournaments, makeup tests, Homecoming activities, “Hillsboro Idol”—which is karaoke between students and faculty, similar to “American Idol”— parent conferences, faculty meetings, Playstation tournaments, officer elections, and fundraising for the school. Hillsboro High School is a wonderful example of how any and every high school should function. Amazingly, whether you are able to see it happening or not, there are more positive relationships being built between teachers and students. Also, because no one has to struggle to get to a club meeting early in the morning, or can’t stay after school because they ride the bus home, transportation is no longer a conflict in students being able to participate in anything they want to. Lastly, the level of behavior of the students always exceeds its expectation. Principal Lawson confidently declared, “This freedom makes the students feel empowered, as if they have a responsibility to behave like civil adults. And the funny thing is that they do. They do have a responsibility. If we are kind enough to let them have
their social time or whatever they want to do for an hour, they should respect that privilege and do anything to prevent it being taken from them. They know here that I can easily just go back to four lunches, and they would be absolutely devastated.” Never heard anything like it, right? No one has, but we as students must prove that just because it’s something different doesn’t mean it must end in disaster. Frankly, such a change shouldn’t end at all. Those who visited Hillsboro High school believe students and teachers at RCHS will love this new adjustment. However, it is important that each student and teacher alike pulls their own weight in this. We must behave as if we are adults because our administrators think we can handle the change. Show them that we can, and this one lunch will be carried out for as long as Rhea County High School stands on these grounds. It is a team effort, and we must unify ourselves as any team would. According to Mr. Levengood, the new lunch schedule will begin on February 16 of this year. We’ll receive more detailed information as the time for the switch approaches.
Mae Butcher. Butcher will compete on February 19 at the Skills USA regiongal competition, and if she places there, she will go on to the state competition. With such talented young men and women, none of the vocational classes will have any problem finding suitable students to send to Skills USA, so keep a watch for our next edition, which will hopefully feature even more ambitious vocational competitiors.
ATTRACTIONS from Page 3 Tropical Holiday.” Now through January 7 the Aquarium is open for exploration of exotic island wildlife. Shark feeding, butterfly releases, and special costumed “Santa Divers” are all there to enjoy. After that, you can dance your way over to the IMAX to watch Happy Feet, beginning December 22 through January 4. Also available at IMAX is the Polar Express in 3D, showing now until December 21. The cost of the Aquarium is $17.95 per ticket and the IMAX movies $9.95 per ticket. Schedule of events for the Aquarium and show times are available online. http://www.tnaqua.org
Sports
The Eagle’s Nest • Holiday Edition • December 2006
Eagle basketball launches By BETH FORE BETH@RHEACOUNTYEAGLESNEST.ORG
Another basketball season has started up here at Rhea County, and so far it’s on the right track. Both teams have played eight games, not to mention pre-season games. The boys started their season traveling to play against the Bledsoe County Warriors on Friday, November 17. The game was won by the Eagles 71-51. On Monday, November 20, the team played on our home court against the Oakland Raiders. The Eagles came out with another victory of 81-37. The very next day, the team faced off with Tellico Plains and gained yet another win with a 64-57 score. Monday, November 27, the Eagles were handed their first loss of the season. The Lincoln County Falcons walked away with the win of 56-51. The next day, they suffered another loss from Chattanooga Central. The final score was 62-52. Friday, December 1, the Bradley Bears handed the Eagles their third loss of the season. The score was 73-45. So far in the season, the top scorers are: James Capps and Adam Pelfrey are tied with 52 points each. Bobby Lee Riley has 31 points, Jeremy Haley with 23 points, followed by Chris Roberts and Gabriel McKenzie are tied with 21 points. There’s plenty of basketball still to come in the new year—check the schedules, and come out and support our Eagle basketball teams!
By KELLI FRENCH
On Wednesday November 29, the student body gathered in the gym to watch the Golden Eagle wrestling team match up against Greenback School. “I’m appreciative of the student body supporting their wrestlers the way they did. It was a fun environment to be in,” said Coach Brown. The match began with first year, 140 lbs wrestler Patrick Ezell who was pinned in the first period of the match. Golden Eagle senior Erik Woody, however, controlled the 145 lbs, pinning his opponent in about one
Maryville: the football stops here By RYAN SMITH RYAN@RHEACOUNTYEAGLESNEST.ORG
photo by cathy chapman/the herald-news
Junior Eagle Chris Roberts flies in for a free throw during Friday, Nov. 24 game against Lincoln County at the Cleveland High School Thanksgiving Classic.
Wrestlers open season with a win KELLI@RHEACOUNTYEAGLESNEST.ORG
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minute. The next few matches were neck and neck, leaving the Golden Eagles and Greenback tied. Cody Graves completely dominated his opponent in the 215 lbs match up, with a pin in the second period. Following Graves was rookie 275 lbs Brandon MacLeroy who showed his talent with a pin in just one minute and two seconds. Greenback wrestlers took the next two matches, but Robert Schutt and Jacob Henley took over the 119 lbs and 125 lbs and put Rhea County back into the lead. At 130, Cody Wampler was pinned and the two teams were tied once again. The 135 lbs match would determine the winner of
this competition. Hunter Daniel led Rhea County to victory with a pin in the third period of his match. Gabe Cantrell wrestled a J.V. match and pinned Greenback’s 275 lbs wrestler in the second period. The Eagle wrestlers slid past Greenback 42-36 and opened up their season with a win. Coach Brown also said, “Its great to start the season off with a win, but it’s only the first match. We are nowhere near we need to be.” There will be at least five more home wrestling matches for the Eagles, so fans come support the team! Congratulations, wrestlers on a great season opener and good luck throughout the rest of the year!
photos by BRYAN BOLING
ABOVE: Eric Woody gains control of a Greenback wrestler. LEFT: Hunter Daniel pins his Greenback opponent, winning the match for the Eagles.
For the third time in the past four years, the Rhea County Golden Eagle Football season ended in Maryville, Tennessee. The Eagles fought valiantly, and even led the game during the first quarter. The RCHS offense moved the football against the Rebels like no other team all year, but numerous offensive turnovers prevented the Eagles from sustaining this momentum throughout all four quarters. The game finished with a 42-21 defeat for the Golden Eagles, giving the team a 8-4 record on the season. Maryville went on to destroy the rest of their opponents on the way to a third consecutive 4A State Championship. Throughout the year the Eagles had two main goals: to win Region 4-4A and to go undefeated at home. A loss to Red Bank late in the season prevented the first from happening, but the Eagles did remain undefeated under the lights of Bill Horton Field for the first time in many years of Rhea County Football. It was also the first time RCHS had won 8 games since the 1999 season. One amazing stat is that three out of the Eagle’s four losses came to teams that won their regions and ventured deep into the playoffs. Caleb Wilson, Brandon McLeroy, and Casey McKinnon all received Player of the Year awards in their respective categories. They were joined by teammates Justin Pritchett, Jacob Moffet, Chris Roberts, Josh “Jash” Davis, and James Capps as All-Region 4-4A award winners. This gave the Eagles a total of 8 all region players, which tied with Red Bank for the most in the region. The leadership of seniors Justin Pritchett, Luke Edwards, James Capps, Cole Thurman, Caleb Wilson, Nate Pippin, Kyle Gould, Seth Zimmerman, Brian Godsey, David Corvin, Casey McKinnon, Jimmy Keltch, and Daniel Weyeler will be deeply missed next year, but the 2007 Eagles will be ready to compete for a region title. Eight out of eleven starters will return on the offensive side of the ball. In contrast, the coaching staff will look to replace eight seniors on the defensive side of the ball. Though there is much work to be accomplished before then, the Eagles will kick off the 2007 season with a home game against the Cumberland County Jets on August 31, 2007.
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Fish & Field The Eagle’s Nest • Holiday Edition • December 2006
TWRA offers up to $1000 for poachers By JIMMY KELTCH JIMMY@RHEACOUNTYEAGLESNEST.ORG
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of wildlife poachers. Many activities, such as shooting from public roads, taking more than the limit of the game, hunting baited ares (which include corn, peanut butter, and any other alien food) and spotlighting deer (also including the use of your headlights) are considered poaching. You are required to follow hunting and fishing guidelines when you take part in such. These guidelines are meant to protect as well as conserve the population of the game. Road hunting, for instance, is illegal because of the safety hazard it creates—you could easily injure yourself as well as someone else. It also takes
away from the hunt. Anyone can shoot a massive buck from his truck after dark when he’s spotlighting, but it takes a special hunter to battle through the cold to conquer the deer’s keen senses and come away with the harvest. You have to be insane to road hunt anyway; if caught, a hunter will lose his license for the rest of the season, as well as possibily for next season. You lose your weapon and possibly even your vehicle. You can receive up to $3,000 worth of fines and court sessions, depending on the situation, and months of putting up with all the trouble that you have caused. Tennessee’s membership in the Wildlife Violator Compact gives the state a new tool to use in the battle against poachers and other violators of Tennessee’s hunting and fishing laws. “Membership in the compact means
How big was that buck? During this year’s hunting seasons there are expected to be more than 170,000 deer harvested across the state, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Since most of these deer will be field dressed before being checked out and weighed, many hunters are curious as to how much their deer would have weighed whole. The following chart can be used to estimate the whole (live) weight of whitetail deer from dressed weight: Dressed Weight
Whole Weight
Dressed Weight
Whole Weight
Dressed Weight
Whole Weight
50 lbs.
64 lbs.
110 lbs.
140 lbs.
170 lbs.
216 lbs.
60 lbs.
76 lbs.
120 lbs.
153 lbs.
180 lbs.
229 lbs.
70 lbs.
89 lbs.
130 lbs.
165 lbs.
190 lbs.
242 lbs.
80 lbs.
102 lbs.
140 lbs.
178 lbs.
200 lbs.
254 lbs.
90 lbs.
114 lbs.
150 lbs.
191 lbs.
210 lbs.
266 lbs.
100 lbs.
127 lbs.
160 lbs.
203 lbs.
220 lbs.
280 lbs.
2006-07 Deer Seasons & Bag Limits Season Type
Season Dates
Antlered Bag Limits
Antlerless Bag Limit
Archery (includes crossbows)
Dec. 11–Dec. 15, 2006
2
4
Muzzleloader and Archery
Dec. 4–Dec. 10, 2006
1
4
Gun, Muzzleloader, and Archery
Dec. 16, 2006–Jan. 7, 2007
2
see note*
Young Sportsman
Jan. 13–Jan. 14, 2007
1
2
*complete information can be found on pages 15–16 of the 2006 Tennessee Hunting & Trapping Guide. You can download a copy in PDF format here: http://www.state. tn.us/twra/06huntguide.pdf
Statewide buck bag limit: 3 antlered deer SOURCE: TENNESSEE WILDLIFE RESOURCES AGENCY
Think before you shoot: poaching in Tennessee is a serious crime, with serious penalties.
that for the first time, TWRA can reach out-of-state violators of Tennessee’s wildlife laws,” TWRA Attorney Sheryl Holtam said. “Under terms of the compact, a wildlife violator from another state may lose his hunting and fishing privileges in their home state as well as in Tennessee for a violation of Tennessee law.” The Wildlife Violators Compact is similar to the long-existing Driver’s License Compact, which allows states to prosecute traffic violations involving out-of-state residents. If a traffic violator fails to appear for court cases or pay a citation, he is subject to the loss of his license in his home state. The Wildlife Violator Compact is part of a nation-wide effort to cut down on the problem of poaching and to make hunters and anglers accountable for their actions wherever they may be. Any convictions are sent to a national database of wildlife violators and violations. This database contains information on the violator’s offense as well as his name, social security number, and citation number.
This list is used by all government jobs involving any law enforcement, conservation, or related areas. A poaching conviction will keep you from acquiring any such job. To be a wise and moral hunter, stay away from poaching. You’re not much of a hunter if you poach anyway. I don’t care if you have not killed anything this year; there is always next year. I have experienced first-hand the drama that takes place when someone is busted for poaching. Game wardens are not the nicest people when they get called out in the freezing cold to confront somebody for doing something foolish. If you get a chance to sit and talk with me about this, please do so. A moment’s easy kill really isn’t worth the potential hassle and long-reaching future consequences. On the other hand, if you witness violations, or know about violations in your area, you can call 1-800-241-0767 between 7 a.m. and Midnight any day of the week to report them.
The Eagle’s Nest • Holiday Edition • December 2006
an
Daniel Weyler
Sportsm
^
T H G I L SPOT
Daniel Killed this nice 8 point behind Rhea Medical on some land by Stevan Day’s house. It was killed around 6:30 p.m. during the second week of bow season. It was killed with a High Country bow armed with Muzzy broadheads. “It wasn’t the biggest, but it was right on me. I shot it about four yards away.”
Mack Morgan
Charlie Wooden
^
Charlie nailed this 7pt. out by the river with her trusty 30.06 Remington bolt action rifle. She recalls the event: “I was setting there freezing about 20 minutes after dark. I had just let a doe and spike pass when another doe came storming in. I focused my attention on this doe. I knew something was up. Before I knew it this bad boy came homing in chasing that doe. I steadied myself and popped it. It was funny because when I was pulling it down this ridge the thing started chasing me and it just about ran me over.”
GEAR REVIEW
Shoots, kills, seasons? Season Shot is so crazy-sounding, we had to write it up, even though the Internet is in turmoil over whether this is a real product or just an elaborate gag. Inventor Brett Holm says he watc hed a friend prepare a game bird for cooking, and was stunned by the amount of trouble it took to remove the BBs, as well as the amount of meat that went to waste in the process. He went looking for a solution. The company’s web site (http:// www.seasonshot.com) says that Season Shot “is made of tightly packed seasoning bound by a fully biodegradable food product. The seasoning is actually injected into the bird on impact, seasoning the meat from the inside out. “When the bird is cooked, the seasoning pellets melt into the meat spreading the flavor to the entire bird. Forget worrying about shot breaking
your teeth and start wondering about which flavor shot to use!” According to the site, Season Shot will be available in Cajun, Lemon Pepper, Garlic, Teriyaki, and Honey Mustard flavors. The key, of course, is “will be available”—as far as we can tell, no one has seen the product. The site’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page is suspiciously empty, and although they claim to have exhibited at the 2007 Game Fair in Minnesota, there’s no mention (on the Web at least) of anyone reporting about it. An email to the company’s posted address has so far gone unanswered. If you’re a game bird hunter, you might want to keep your eye on this one. Who knows, it might prevent a chipped tooth, and be tasty, to boot! —Mr. Ferrell
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This is a different situation: one of our own, Daniel Morgan, set his father Mack up on this beautiful 8 pt, 17 1/2 spread, 165 lb monster buck. Daniel didn’t kill this buck, but he did play a major role in harvesting it. Daniel set him up on a ridge overlooking a food plot. (“There was a hunter who previously missed this buck at 250 yards,” he says.) Mac killed it with a Thomson Center Encore 50 cal. muzzleloader at 8:30 in the morning.
Tips from the pros Mr. Hudson
Mr. Derlak
Since fishing season is past and I am not any kind of expert on hunting, I thought I would share a fishing joke or two with you to warm up your wintry days: One time a Baptist preacher, a Church of God preacher, and a Methodist preacher went on a fishing trip together. They’d been fishing about an hour and the Baptist preacher stands up in the boat and stretches really big then says, “I’m thirsty, I forgot to bring my cokes out here. I think I’ll go back and get them while the fish aren’t biting.” He steps out of the boat and walks across the top of the water to the bank, walks up to the car and gets his cokes, then walks back across the water and gets back in the boat. After about thirty minutes the Church of God preacher stands up in the boat, stretches really big then says, “I need to call my wife but I left my cell phone in the car, I’ll be right back.” He steps out of the boat, walks across the water to the bank, walks up to the car, makes his phone call, then walks back across the water to the boat and gets in. Not to be outdone with his lack of faith, the Methodist preacher decides he can do it too. He stands up in the boat, stretches really big then says, “I’m getting hungry, and I left a sandwich in the car, I think I’ll go get it,” and he steps out of the boat and immediately sinks. The other two preachers pull him out but neither says a word to him. A few minutes later, the frustrated Methodist preacher decides to test his faith again. He stands up and stretches, repeats his story about the sandwich, steps out of the boat and sinks again. He tries this four times and finally after the fourth try, the Baptist preacher turns to the Church of God preacher and says, “I guess we need to show him where those stumps are before he drowns.”
Leave your fishing or hunting area the way you found it, if not better. Take all your garbage with you when you leave. Fishing monofilament will not rot— make sure it finds its way to a garbage can. When you’re fishing in cold weather, fish slow and use very light-weight lures.
Mr. Carder Trout time is here! All those eskimos out there who love the cold, well, it’s perfect out there for you at the crack of dawn. The trout are starting to rise just a little—it’s almost prime time. On Friday, November 3, I caught five trout, with the biggest being a nice 16” rainbow; it was a real fatty. I caught all of them on my Hiwassee brown gnat. Well, I’ve got to go, it’s time to hit the water—I mean go to class. Hope to have better news for you next month. Until then remember: “tight lines.”
Have a knack for the outdoors? We’d like to hear from you! If you’ve got a favorite piece of gear, some tips for outdoorsmen, or make a notable catch or kill, we’d like to feature you. To be considered, send an email to jimmy@rchseaglesnest.org
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Student Life The Eagle’s Nest • Holiday Edition • December 2006
The Festival of Trees is our tradition—what’s yours? The Christmas tree contest in the library always marks the beginning of the Christmas season for me. I see the trees go up from start to finish, and enjoy watching the entire process. As classes come to the library each period and hang their handmade ornaments, the theme of each tree becomes apparent. It is great fun to see the creativity of the trees and the uniqueness of each ornament, as well. By the time all the trees are ready for the judges, I am in the Christmas spirit. My own family has always had tradi-
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LIBRARY CORNER by Mrs. Austin tions at Christmas. My favorite tradition was when my dad would read the Biblical account of the birth of the Christ child from the second chapter of Luke’s gospel. My daughter has continued that tradition by giving each family member a beautifully hand-crafted card. Each card has a portion of the Christmas story written on it. We each read part of the Christmas story from various passages and then hang our keepsake paper ornament on the tree. She first conceived that idea when she had more time than money, but we enjoyed it so much we requested it again and again. I have decided that is the way traditions begin; good ideas are repeated until they are part of what we always do. Maybe you would like to start a new tradition at your house. We
have many good sources in the library to get you started. Holiday cookbooks and magazines are great places to look for ideas. Southern Living’s beautiful new Christmas Cookbook is available in our library. If you like to make things with your hands, we also have great holiday decorating ideas in magazines and books. Who knows? Maybe you will be famous in your family for a must-have dessert! Use your imagination to start a new fun tradition. Reading is my personal tradition for the holiday season. It’s cold outside, so nothing is better than cuddling up on the couch with cocoa and Santa—or a good book, if Santa is busy. I remember fondly the Christmas when all three generations of girls in my family read the Anne of Green Gables series simultaneously. Of course, Dickens is always fun to read and re-read. One of my fondest memories was hearing my mom read the short story The Gift of the Magi. If you are looking for a Christmas book to read over the break, we have many good ones. I can think of Starry, Starry Night by Lurlene McDaniel and Silent Night by Mary Higgins Clark, for starters. Miracle on I-40 by Curtiss Matlock looks really good, and is on my reading list. We have Mr. Fisher’s favorite, A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote. Jan Karon weaves Christmas into many of her fun Mitford books. Merry Christmas from the Library staff, and we hope you have a blessed New Year! We would love to hear about any great new tradition you begin this year.
They’ll thank you later Shane Walker and Bryan Boling present a round-up of incredibly impractical gifts that your best friends and relations don’t even know they want...
MEGA Swiss Army Knife ($899) Shane: $899!?!? Bryan: It’s only nine inches wide. Shane: Yeah, I know—and it has 85 tools, 80 of which you don’t need. Bryan: MacGuyver could use every one of those tools. Shane: Yeah? So what?
USB Beverage Chiller ($40) Bryan: The title says it all. Shane: So, it plugs into your computer’s USB port and chills your drink? What a fire hazard. Bryan: Yeah, it screams, “RUIN MY RESEARCH PAPER, PLEASE!” Shane: Or, “I want to be electrocuted severely!”
iPod Jeans (No Suggested price) Shane: So, let me get this straight. I plug my iPod into my pants and I play music? Bryan: What if it rains? Shane: They should sell water-resistant spray with these pants, you know, the stuff you spray on suede. Bryan: These are just plain terrible.
Fruitcake (Free, because Grandma makes it) Shane: Every time you see one, or are in the room with one, it seems like you always hear,” What’s that yellow chunk?”, or “Cardboard makes me sick!” Bryan: That’s pretty much all you need to say. It’s the only way you can mail fruit without it going bad, or worse I guess. Shane: My great-grandmother gave one to me once and I think it literally weighed 4 pounds—it was like a bread brick.
Gasoline-Powered Audi Two-Seater ... for Kids ($12,980) Bryan: It’s fully loaded!! Shane: What kind of gas mileage do you think it gets? Do I have to have full coverage? Bryan: IT’S A CAR FOR LITTLE PEOPLE!!!! Shane: Whoa, Bryan—easy. It might just be for the children of the fabulously rich. Bryan: Don’t be absurd!
Playstation 3 ($600) Shane: What’s so cool? I don’t get to stand there and swing at things like I would with the Nintendo Wii. All it has are good graphics, if it works half the time. Bryan: Is that something you hippidy-hop kids use to text message people? Shane: If I wanted something that you can break really easily and then rebuild, I would buy some Lego life-sized Batman. Bryan: Funny thing about that...
Life-Sized Lego Batman ($27,000) Bryan: ...we actually have one of those on our little list. He’s friggin’ 6´6˝ and made of Legos! Shane: Yeah man, that’s awesome, let’s just hope whoever buys that doesn’t have a baby, because that’s a lot of legos...eerrrr... Bryan: I wonder if it comes with some sort of restraining device for the baby? Shane: Like an electric fence for babies, yeah.....babies.
The Eagle’s Nest • Holiday Edition • December 2006
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Go into The Superman returns, mostly fails to impress Woods with Sleater-Kinney Sleater-Kinney’s seventh album is passionate, loud, eccentric, and sometimes just a bit philosophical. The Riot Grrrl trio have managed to create an album that, while seeming to take notes from each of their previous efforts, is really quite unlike any-
MUSIC REVIEW by Rachel Thurman thing they have produced up to this point. The Woods is a rock’n roll gem. Its opener, “The Fox” showcases Corin Tucker’s soaring vocals like never before. A fair warning for those who are unfamiliar with Sleater-Kinney’s vocal styles—this girl can wail with the best of the boys. The next track, “Wilderness” is a tame, modernized take on Wuthering Heights. From there the album progresses on to “What’s Mine is Yours” and “Jumpers” with catchy hooks and some excellent harmonizing of Carrie and Corin’s vocals. “Modern Girl” is a quiet little song with an interesting take on happiness. “Entertain” brings the band back to their punk rock roots. Corin’s scorn for acts that can’t manage to do anything more than mimic previous artists roars through the listener’s head like a hurricane. “Rollercoaster” and “Steep Air” are nice tracks, but not anything groundbreaking. The live, 11-minute bombshell “Let’s Call It Love” shows off Carrie Brownstein’s guitar prowess. The album closes with “Night Light” a smooth piece that one could easily fall asleep by or stay awake and enjoy. There is a DVD that comes along as a bonus. It’s of three separate shows that Sleater-Kinney played before recording The Woods. Their aim was to try out their new songs on the fans before commiting to them. The production is excellent, and for those of us that weren’t foruntate enough to see Sleater-Kinney play live, it’s a nice peek at what appears to have been a smashing show. Although The Woods is set to be SleaterKinney’s last album (the band announced they were going on hiatus shortly after the album was released) it is by no means their best work. It rocks hard, shows the band in a more mature place lyrically than on some of their previous works, and of course there’s the crowning glory of Corin’s vocals, but if you’re new to Sleater-Kinney, you’d do better to start with “Dig Me Out” or “All Hands on the Bad One.”
After a five year absence, Superman returns from Krypton to find the world that he left behind to be much different than the world he left. Lois Lane has moved on, having a child and a fiancee. Lex Luther’s sentence was overturned, and Luther has now swindled an old lady out of her fortune to finance his latest sinister scheme. Superman has his hands full.
DVD REVIEW by Cory Smith Luther has gained access to crystals from Krypton that create land whenever they are placed in water. Luther plans his scheme so that the new land mass that threatens to kill billions by devouring the continent of North America, contains kryptonite so Superman can supposedly do nothing to stop him. However, Superman prevails as always. This movie is action packed and has a good plot. However, the first thirty
PHOTO BY DAVID JAMES
Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) menaces Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) and her son Jason (Tristan Lake Lebau) in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure Superman Returns.
minutes or so are a bit hard to follow if you are not familiar with the Superman back story. After that though, the movie sails along smoothly with all of the normal super hero lore; villain, hero, sinister plan, lady that holds the hero’s heart, and the foiling of the plot by the hero. The special edition of the DVD has a
three hour documentary on the making of the movie, deleted scenes ,and theatrical and game trailers. So, if you have around two and a half hours to watch Superman and like hero type movies then this DVD is probably for you. However, the strange plot twists and less than satisfactory beginning, left me with a less than savory taste in my mouth.
At long last, it’s The End! It seems to be the season for endings. The Republican Revolution has puttered out, Bush has finally fired Rummy, and Britney Spears and What’s-HisName are also calling it quits. (Oh, the
BOOK REVIEW by Kelly O’Rourke shock!) And last month saw the coming of The End. No, not of days, but of Lemony Snicket’s dreary chronicles A Series of Unfortunate Events. The End, the thirteenth and final book of the series (which coincidentally has thirteen chapters, and was released on Friday, October 13) tells of the last adventure of the depressingly unlucky
Baudelaire orphans. To date, the Baudelaires have endured a ghastly list of unfortunate and often gruesome events which include the murders of almost all their guardians and vile plans by the villainous Count Olaf to kidnap them and take their large fortunes. And the last installment is no different. Taking place immediately after the twelfth book, The Penultimate Peril, the three orphans have been forced onto a boat at sea with their ever-scheming nemesis, Count Olaf, the four are shipwrecked onto an island whose whole population is made up of castaways. After being accepted by the people (and Olaf, for once, being recognized and locked up), the Baudelaires begin to adjust to their new life. But soon enough the Baudelaires find out something see THE END page 10
Lemony Snicket’s The End, Harper-Collins hardcover edition, released October 2006. $12.99.
Bad Santa? Oh, yes—very bad, indeed. Dean Koontz brings us a tale of Kris Kringle’s evil twin. No, it’s not daytime television—at least not any daytime programs being aired these days—it’s novelist Dean Koontz’s take
BOOK REVIEW by Rachel Thurman on the classic children’s story of Santa Claus. However, the cover of Koontz’s rather clever little book would most likely scare any sane small child out of her wits. The cover art features two little girls peeking through a doorway, their eyes wide with terror. The rest of the scene is dominated by a close-up of a deranged looking Santa Claus. Crazy Old St. Nick is squeezing a white rabbit, which if it could speak would probably
Sleater-Kinney’s The Woods, Sub Pop records, released May 2005. $14.98.
see SANTA page 10
Dean Koontz’s Santa’s Twin, William Morrow publishers, released November 1996. Also keep an eye out for the sequel, Robot Santa: The Further Adventures of Santa’s Twin!
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The Eagle’s Nest • Holiday Edition • December 2006
Post-holiday film fare With the obligatory schmaltzy Christmas film season safely wrapped and put away by the end of November, it’s time for some of the good stuff again. Craig Williamson takes a look at what Hollywood has on the way for the next month or so. We Are Marshall (Dec 22)
Charlotte’s Web (Dec 15) A live action adaptation of the book by E.B. White, this movie features voice acting by a huge cast of stars from Julia Roberts to Oprah Winfrey. People attending advance screenings of the movie are giving rave reviews. Even if you dislike the book, the movie looks very promising.
The Pursuit of Happyness (Dec 15) Starring Will Smith, this movie could go two ways. It could be an incredibly endearing tale of family, love, and determination. On the other hand, it could be overly sappy, awkwardly funny, and too serious in a way that makes you uncomfortable. I still think it’s worth a shot.
A plane crashes, killing members of the Marshall football team. Matthew McConaughey plays a coach trying to revive the football program afterwards. If the name Matthew McConaughey isn’t enough to keep you from seeing this movie, I’ll let you in on something. This movie looks awful.
The Flying Scotsman (Dec 29) The true story of Graeme Obree, a Scottish cyclist who broke the world one-hour record on a bike made from old washing machine parts. No, seriously. If that doesn’t make you want to see this movie, nothing will.
The Good Shepherd (Dec 22)
The Freedom Writers (Jan 12)
A movie about the early history of the CIA through the eyes of its founder. Stars Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Robert de Niro, and Joe Pesci. Based on the trailer, it looks like a winner to me. Bonus points for starring Matt Damon, the best actor ever.
A very emotional movie in which a teacher inspires her class of failures to be motivated and pursue higher education. The book is called The Freedom Writer’s Diaries: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them, and it’s by Erin Gruwell. Read it.
Night at the Museum (Dec 22)
Pathfinder (Jan 12)
Another movie that could really go either way. An ancient curse is released and a museum’s exhibits come to life. The trailer makes the movie look brilliant, but what trailer doesn’t? Ben Stiller and Robin Williams pretty much guarantee you’ll at least get a laugh out of it, though.
A Viking child left behind after a shipwreck is raised by the Indians that the Vikings were trying to kill so that he can kill the Vikings that are trying to kill them. Yeah, it’s kind of complicated, but it looks really cool. Plus, Vikings are awesome.
Poll: Are you on Santa’s Naughty or Nice list? I’m on the naughty list because I made my first C in Mr. Wilkey’s class.
I’m on the naughty list because I laid the smack down on Ethan Nichols—DX style!
Jessica Nixon (Freshman)
Chuck Ann McCuiston (Junior)
Nice! Mr. Capps
I’m on the nice list because I haven’t been bad—yet.
I’m on Santa’s Undecided List.
Jacob Rogers (Freshman)
Will “Wizzle Gizzle” Garrison (Junior)
Alex is on the naughty list, but of course I’m on the nice list!
I’m on the naughty list. But don’t tell Nathan!
Rachel Harwood (Sophomore)
Beast Campbell (Senior)
Obviously I’m on the nice list, but Rachel is on the naughty list!
I’m on the naughty list because I doubted Santa’s existence and it hurt Santa’s biggest fan, Courtney Jo.
Alex Ellison (Sophomore)
R. T. Fullam (Senior)
Naughty—because I’ve been grumpy and grouchy and speeding way too much! Mrs. Eastman COMPILED by kelli french
SANTA from Page 9 scream, “Run away! Run away!” The book itself is written in the form of a poem. That’s a rather original way to go about writing a Christmas book, isn’t it? Honestly, though, it’s done very well. There are even instances of wit being shown. The story centers around the abduction of Santa Claus by his evil (and insane) twin brother. It looks as though Christmas simply won’t be happening that year, or at least it won’t be happening the way anyone with of their marbles wants it to happen. However, just when it seems like all is lost, the two little girls from the cover appear on the scene. Armed with a ray gun and a bit of bravado, sisters and Emily and Charlotte manage to save the real Santa Claus just in time. Although it might not be the best thing to read to your five-year-old sibling this year, for those of us who have reached the point where we can watch Dr. Who without hiding behind the sofa, it’s a pleasant way to pass a few minutes.
THE END from Page 9 is dreadfully wrong with the island’s leader, which is then complicated by the discovery of a library of knowledge unbeknownst to the islanders, the arrival of the very-pregnant Kit Snicket, and the release of the deadly fungus, the Medusoid Mycelium. In the end, the orphans are once again faced with more uncertain moral choices and even more uncertainty in their world as the fates of both their friends and enemies remain ambiguous. The book retains all of the unfortunate occurrences, mysteries, and literary references (look for Fall of Man and Odyssey allusions) of the series, as even on an unknown island in the middle of the ocean, the orphans are not safe from the treachery of the world. Anyone looking for closure in this book will be disappointed as the fates of almost all the characters are left unresolved, including the ultimate fates of the Baudelaires, the thought of which often prompts the author to beg you to stop reading and spare yourself. However, many of the meanings of the companion books, such as The Beatrice Letters, do come to light. In the end of The End, the theme of A Series of Unfortunate Events ultimately comes down to Knowledge versus Protection, as one cannot have both, and the choice between braving a morethan-often cruel world versus staying safe in ignorance. The Baudelaires make their choice, and as Lemony Snicket puts it, “It all depends on how you look at it.”
Editorial From the Principal’s pen:
Perspective:
Merry Christmas! Christmas conspiracy? Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. I know that each one of you look forward to having two weeks off from school. Our teachers also enjoy that time to spend with family and friends. I hope you have a very restful and enjoyable vacation. I want to encourage you to spend some quality time with your family these next two weeks. It will mean a lot to your parents if you will plan some time just to spend with them at home. If your grandparents are still living, make sure you take time to spend time with them and let them know how much they mean to you. You could nev-
er imagine how much that will mean to them. When we return to school in January it will be time to begin another semester of school. For our Seniors, it will be a very crucial time for you as you plan for your graduation. I want to encourage you to be prepared for a good start to a new semester. Our Junior class will be taking their writing assessment test on February 6. This test is a state-mandated test that will be part of our school grade card. I encourage you to plan to do your very best on that test. I truly wish for each one of our students, faculty, and staff a very Merry Christmas. To me, the greatest part of Christmas is being thankful for the birth of Christ. I hope you have a great vacation.
Fa la la la la! Visit the Eagle’s Nest video page, http://www.rchseaglesnest.org/video for a special Christmas greeting from the Eagle’s Nest staff!
By RILEY BREWER
out of the year, does it really matter if the reason for change was something Usually, I am a cool-headed (even as superficial as a particularly touching moderately apathetic) person, but dur- Hallmark movie? I’m always amazed ing the time from Thanksgiving to New that people can claim to be aware of the Year’s, I can’t help but feel like a four- “Christmas conspiracy” during the holiyear-old. I am the first one to break out days but cannot see the positives of the the candy canes, and I am the person to holiday season. I can’t help but wonder if ask if you want to know what was re- these people don’t stop and think about ceived on the third day of Christmas (for those who benefit from charity drives those who are interested, it was three whose earnings increase at this time beFrench hens). Because of my incurable cause people “get in the Christmas spirit” love for the holiday season, I am more and donate more than they normally than a little bit bothered would. I agree wholeby the trend of writing heartedly that people If people end up treat- should remain charithe holidays off as nothing more than capitalist ing each other a little more table year-round, and I propaganda perpetu- kindly for a few months encourage everyone to ated by card companies out of the year, does it re- share their wealth whenand low-life marketing ally matter if the reason ever possible, but we all executives hoping to for change was something know that such a drastic as superficial as a particu- change in outlook won’t make a buck. I would assume that larly touching Hallmark happen any time soon. right about now many movie? In addition to the naysayers will be pointincreased charitable ing out how sales skycontributions, the holirocket during the Christmas season and days offer the chance to indulge in childthat a red-nosed reindeer has nothing ish excitement and to refresh the morals to do with the birth of Jesus Christ, that many religions and ethic systems are but I am not trying to deny that the based on. I think that people should try core meaning of the season doesn’t to embrace the festivity of the holidaysalways match up with what it has no matter how commercialized they may become for many people—an excuse have become- and take the opportunity to get that new iPod they’ve been to rethink the pessimistic, self-seeking checking out. Despite these conflict- approach that so many adopt throughout ing motives, however, I do not doubt for the year. In short, I simply cannot fatha second that the holidays do more good om how a season of celebration translates than harm. into the undoing of Western civilization. To be honest, if people end up treating Maybe I’m naïve, but what’s wrong with each other a little more kindly and giving a little extra happiness? a little more generously for a few months RILEY@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG
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The Eagle's Nest R H E A C O U N T Y H I G H S C H O O L’ S S T U D E N T N E W S P A P E R
Riley Brewer and Andrea Kendall Editors Courtney Jordan and Cory Smith Layout Jeff Ferrell George Hudson Adviser Adviser Emeritus
Riley Brewer Courtney Jordan Andrea Kendall Senior Staff
Kelli French Jimmy Keltch Shane Walker
Bryan Boling Alex Green Kaity Kopeski Cory Smith Rachel Thurman Junior Staff
Beth Fore Alex Janow Ryan Smith Craig Williamson
The Eagle’s Nest 405 Pierce Rd. Evensville, TN 37332 Phone: (423) 775-7821 Fax: (423) 775-7889 Email: info@rchseaglesnest.org Web site: http://www.rchseaglesnest.org
Just for Fun DOWN 1 Flashy-nosed quadriped By ALEX GREEN
ACROSS 3 Famous gifts: _____, frankincense, and myrrh 7 Festive bush with berries 8 In the song, a little boy plays one of these for baby Jesus 11 Roast these beauties over a fire 13 Santa might leave you these 16 Make one of these for the new year 18 The angels we heard on high were sweetly singing o’er this 21 He tried to steal Christmas 22 They pull the jolly man around 25 Rudolph and his pals visit an island filled with these kinds of toys 27 Treats often found hanging on trees 30 In a famous poem, Santa’s belly jiggles like a bowl full of this 32 Don’t stand under this, unless you’re lookin’ for some action! 34 Package decoration 35 The girl in the song wants two front teeth for Christmas so she can do this
2 Smoke goes up it, Santa comes down it 4 Herbie the elf ’s dream job 5 Snow guy or chocolate ice cream dessert? 6 Number of kings from the Orient 9 Hark! These angels are singing! 10 Wrote “A Christmas Carol” 11 Later on, we’ll do this by the fire 12 We really wish you one of these 14 These were hung by the chimney with care 15 Gooky egg-drink 17 Will Ferrell played one in a movie 19 Santa’s favorite pole 20 Gets us out of school in the winter 21 Beloved family member run over by reindeer 23 Dangerous gift from “The Christmas Story” 24 He comes nipping at your nose 25 No crib for a bed, so this will have to do 26 Jolly fat guy 28 “Bah, Humbug!”
36 Santa’s ultimate driving machine
29 See the New Year’s Ball here
37 Tchaivosky wrote this “suite” ballet
31 Yukon Cornelius finds gold this way
38 Round or corny, hang one of these on the tree
33 “God bless us, everyone!”
Needlessly Complicated
ChristmasSongs
Here’s the perennial favorite, the Christmas song titles with the enhanced vocabulary for the more erudite among you. See if you can figure out these common songs:
1. Quadruped with crimson proboscis 2. 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. without noise 3. Miniscule hamlet in the far east 4. Ancient benevolent despot 5. Adorn the vestibule 6. Exuberance directed to the planet 7. Listen, aerial spirits harmonizing 8. Monarchial trio 9. Yonder in the haystack 10. Assemble, everyone who believes 11. Hallowed post meridian 12. Fantasies of a colorless December 25th 13. Tin tintinnabulums 14. A dozen 24-hour Yule periods 15. Befell during the transparent bewitching hour 16. Homo sapien of crystallized vapor 17. I merely desire a pair of incisors 18. I spied my maternal parent osculating a fat man in red 19. Perambulating through a December solstice fantasy 20. Aloft on the acme of the abode