KEEPI N G THE S TUDE NTS OF RHEA COU NTY HIGH SCH O OL I NFORMED SI N CE 1996
CHRISTMAS EDITION
The Eagle's Nest HISTORY CLASSES GO BACK IN TIME PAGE 2
YEAR-END READING LIST PAGES 4–5
Carder catches his dream For many people, the breathtaking views of the Smoky Mountains provide the perfect getaway—and now Mr. Carder, RCHS Culinary Arts teacher, has been blessed with the opportunity to live a permanent vacation.
SPORTS UPDATES PAGE 6
Leadership class collects food, distributes angels Food drive participation sadly low compared to previous years By NILAM PATEL NILAM@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG
By SARAH HEATH SARAH@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG
After seventeen years at Rhea County High School, Mr. Carder is about to embark on a new journey as a fly-fishing instructor. Twenty years ago, Mr. Carder picked up a fishing rod and taught himself how to fly-fish and ever since then it has been his passion. “It was ugly to begin with,” Carder said, “and sometimes I wanted to give up and just throw the rod in the river. But I kept trying.” Now Blackberry Farm, one of America’s most celebrated luxury resorts, has offered him a position as a fly-fishing instructor. This is undeniably a once in a lifetime opportunity for him, and it was by chance that he even found the job. “I was checking out Blackberry Farm’s web site,” said Mr. Carder, “and just happened to see that they needed a fly-fishing instructor.” He won’t be returning to school after Christmas break, and instead will be moving to the foothills of the Smoky Mountains
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 3
photo SUBMITTED
After seventeen years as Rhea County High Schools Culinary Arts instructor, Mr. Carder is leaving to pursue another passion of his, fly fishing.
in February. Mr. Carder is very enthusiastic about this new job, but it is still going to be tough for him to leave Rhea County. “I am going to miss my friends and students here at the school and the great administration and staff,” said Mr. Carder. The staff and his students are disheartened about Mr. Carder’s departure. Vocational Department head Mr. Heath said, “Mr. Carder has been a good friend to me the past eight years that I
have known him, and he always looks after the best interest of his students and his peers. I will truly miss his insight not only as a teacher but as a good Christian man.” Culinary Arts student Robert Lawson said, “I’m happy for him because he is going to get to do something that he loves, but I am going to be sad to see him leave.” “It is always a good thing when a person can wake up and never have to go to work,” said Mr. Carder.
The Leadership Class collected canned food for their annual Food Drive from Friday, November 8 through Monday, November 19. Every year, cans collected in the Food Drive are delivered to Daily Bread in Spring City and We Care in Dayton, to help needy families around Thanksgiving. This year, over 2,900 cans were collected over the week. Leadership students Dusty Paschal and Kara Hollingsworth said, “We are grateful to those who brought cans. However, we had high expectations and campaigned more than any previous years, but sadly
came nowhere near our goal of 8,000 cans.” The number of cans raised is declining from year to year, and people seem less willing to give to the less fortunate. However, Leadership seems optimistic for next year. Leadership’s Angel Tree started on November 27. The Angel Tree holds names of local preschoolers from Graysville and Spring City, and aims to provide Christmas presents to these children. On the Angel Tree, there are individual names and items a child would like to receive. Anyone can sign up through December 10th to bring a gift for a child. Later, the preschoolers will come to the high school to receive their presents.
photo BY ryan smith
Leadership students Jacob Henley, Billy Whisman, and Kelly Alexander count cans in the library during Food Drive week.
Bob (Josh Davis), Brenda (Sarah Goode), Ella (Ne-Ne Raiteri), Norman (Charles Wolfe) and Tina (Rachel Wilson) anxiously wait to discover another clue at their ill-fated dinner party.
Theatre Arts class gets a clue By LAUREN COLLINS LAUREN@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG
photos BY ALEX GREEN
Carol and Edgar Robinson (Mareta Martin and Nathan Bates) plan an exciting 1920’s-themed murder-mystery dinner for their guests that gets well out of hand thanks to an international smuggling ring’s misplaced cash in Craig Sodaro’s I Don’t Have a Clue.
A murder mystery dinner party based in the 1920s turns Mrs. Robinson’s (Mareta Martin) night into a series of unfortunate events. It all begins on the night of a seemingly fabulous and well-planned dinner party; however, both the host and guests would soon be thrown into turmoil and confusion. How
would this party end? I Don’t Have A Clue! The play opens with Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, Corky (Carrie Lounsberry), and her two friends Diane (Danielle McGhee) and Kim (Kristian Sneed) finding $75,000 under a rock in an ordinary park. No one knows who or where the money came from but the girls are very determined to figure this mess out. Corky and her friends
try to keep the money a secret, but of course the selfish guests find out and want the money for themselves. As the party continues, Mrs. Finck (Rachel Thurman) decides to take a break from preparing the hors d’oeuvres when she discovers a fishy guest, Lester (Jordan Dodd), snooping around the house. After see CLUE page 2
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The Eagle’s Nest • Christmas Edition • December 2007
Mr. Hudson’s history students visit the 1750’s By ALEX BROWN ALEXB@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG
Students from Mr. Hudson’s World History and U.S. History classes traveled to Fort Loudon on Saturday, November 3rd. Twenty three dual-enrollment students and six adult chaperones drove over an hour from Evensville to Vonore, Tennessee to spend a day at the Revolutionary War-era fort. The visitors were instructed until sunset with actors recreating British history beside the beautiful bay. Recreational assets of Fort Loudon included miles of hiking trails, a gift shop located in the visitors center, and an outstretched bay to picnic beside. The students not only toured the grounds, but learned about British culture and life from reenactors. Smoke spread over the hill from the blasting of British rifles and fires kindled by women dressed in period clothing. Christian Mongomery, a student in Mr. Hudson’s History class, enjoyed the first-hand account of the 18th century as well as some impromptu recreational activities. “The trip was very informative about the lives of the soldiers during the 1750’s. Also, we learned Ms. Landreth is a fantastic wide receiver!” he said. Faith Hedrick, a student enrolled in both U.S. History and World History, was astounded by the fort’s population in the 1700’s. “It was a lot of fun, but I couldn’t stand to have lived in there, because there was more than 200 people in
CLUE
from Page 1 a brief interrogation Mrs. Finck discovers that he is from Alabama. After she goes back into the kitchen, Lester hears people entering the room and dives into a window seat. A few hours later, one of the guests, Brenda (Sara Goode), finds Lester and stabs him to death. Or does she? Guests shuffle around in confusion as they wonder if this was planned. Mrs. Robinson claims to know nothing about this twist in the script, which her secretary had written for her. Filled with greed and deceit, the play ends with the unearthing of a smuggling operation and the arrest of Queen Bea (Chelsie Beard). Along with the cast and the crew, directors P.J. Buckner and Whitney Nabors did an outstanding job. “It has been a rough journey, but I have faith in everyone.
ABOVE LEFT: British soldier reenactors fire a musket volley toward the bay. ABOVE RIGHT: Ashley Godoy and Cynthia Ayala pose with a member of the fort’s garrison. LEFT: Charlie Wooden adopting antique arrows for her next hunting outing.
that one little place. That’s insane!” History students weren’t the only ones who appreciated this historic landmark. Mr. Hudson liked Fort Loudon’s unique recap of British history. “It was a great opportunity for students to get the feel of what it was actually like living in the fort when the British were there.” Fort Loudon was built by the British colony of South Carolina in 1765, during the French and Indian War to help defend the frontier and maintain the Cherokee-British alliance, as a sort of diplomatic outpost. It was destroyed by the Cherokee in 1760, after their alliance with the British broke apart.
I know they will put on a good performance,” said Ms. Nabors in an earlier interview. And so they did. From dead bodies to a Stanley
Steemer rap, this murder mystery was packed with a thrilling plot, exhilarating chase scenes, and comedy that would hurt your stomach.
photoS BY ALEX GREEN
ABOVE: Corky (Carrie Lounsberry), Diane (Danielle McGhee), and Kim (Kristian Sneed) struggle to drag the unconscious Police Sergeant Thornbury out of the way. RIGHT: Hapless Mite-E-Clean Vacuum Cleaner Company representatives Mr. Winkle (Dusty Paschal) and Miss Draper (Ashley Evans) spend far too much time tied up to sell any vacuum cleaners.
The Eagle’s Nest • Christmas Edition • December 2007
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Real Encounter group revs up the RCHS gymnasium By WILL GARRISON WILL@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG
On Monday, Nov. 5, First Baptist brought to the school an assembly that was monumental. The group was called “Real Encounter.” I don’t quite get the name of the group except for it was a “real encounter” with sheer awesomeness. There was this one guy who was doing some manly stuff in a seemingly girly sport—gym-
photoS BY Will Garrison
The Gatekeeper
nastics. The guy stacked folding metal chairs about five or six high, did a hand stand on top of them, and then got on top of a huge unicycle. Brad Bennett, the main speaker, rode a trials dirt bike part of the time scaring various people into submission by doing an endo or wheelie right in front of them. Also, at one point in the assembly, Bennett decided to try a “little” jump over Mr. Levengood. After that went okay, he decided to take the challenge to a new level. He proceeded to add five teachers to the mix for a, dare I say again, “little,” jump over them followed with laughs and cheers from all the student audience. The whole thing was meant as a preview of a longer meeting, scheduled to take place at McMinn County High School that following Wednesday night. Later, Bennett presented the usual message of no drugs and a successful life, but all of that in dirt bike terms. I know, it sounds a little confusing, but the half of it actually made sense. All in all, the assembly, in my book, scored a five out of five.
GUIDANCE CORNER SENIORS
PHOTO BY TYLER HUMPHREY
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN? If you drive or ride to school, chances are he’s seen you! Doug Brady is the new full-time parking lot security guard, stationed in the guardhouse at the main gate.
ACT registration. You must register before January 4th to take the next ACT test, which will be given on February 9th. You can register online at actstudent.org, or pick up a packet in the Guidance office. If you haven’t used one yet, ask in Guidance about your free test voucher. Get your PIN. Request a PIN for applying for federal aid online for you and your parent by going to www.pin.ed.gov.
Start your FAFSA. Print the Free Application for Federal Stu-
dent Aid (FAFSA) Worksheet available at www.fafsa.ed.gov and begin working on it. You’ll want to submit this as soon after January 1st as possible!
On the Web. Take a look at the Early Financial Aid Estimator— www.act.org/fane/index.html
JUNIORS ACT registration. Don’t wait until your senior year—take the
ACT early and see how you’ll do. For registration information, see the Senior note, above.
PSAT scores are in. Stop by Guidance to see how you did! Writing assessment. The writing assessment test will be given to all Juniors on February 5th.
Student Life
Quirky Gift Guide n
While children tucked in their beds are dreaming of sugar-plums, Eric Bailey, Karissa Lindahl, and Tyler Humphrey are dreaming of, well, stuff...
Van Gogh Action Figure DIY Neon Sign Kit
Racing Grannies
$8.95: www.mcphee.com Having trouble selecting a gift for a younger recipient? Well here is a gift even your parental overlords would approve of. The Vincent Van Gogh action figure is not only educational, it’s fun as well. He comes with two interchangeable heads which give you the option of seeing him before or after his self-conducted surgery. Our action figure artist comes with all he needs to create a beautiful masterpiece.
$19.95: www.whatonearth.com This remote control set includes two little old lady in wheelchairs which you can put head to head against each other on the 10-piece track and race your friends!
Bluetooth Handset
s
$29.99: www.thinkgeek.com This “handset” works just like any other bluetooth device. It connects to your cell phone, and makes it look like you’re talking on an old-school telly-o-phone! The perfect gift for the not-so-practical friend. Plus people will think they’re crazy talking on it, which is great!
$6.99 - $29.99: www.thinkgeek.com It’s exactly what it sounds like—neon for the rest of us. Snap together letters ($6.99 each) to create your message. As soon as they are snapped together and the sign is plugged in, it instantly turns on your luminescent creation.
USB Missle Launcher
Bag o’ Zombies
$9.99: www.funagain.com They’re coming to get you Barbara! What’s better than a bag of zombies? A bag of glow-in-the-dark zombies of course! An army of these menacing creatures makes a great stocking stuffer!
$35.00: www.usbgeek.com Yes, it’s useless, but it has to be one of the most fun things ever invented for your computer. Just plug it into the USB port on your computer, input its trajectory and watch the styrofoam fury fly.
P
h The American Library Association has released its list of 2007’s Ten Best Books for Young Adults recently, and we’ve got them here for you. As you languish away from school over the Christmas break, yearning for something to fill your empty days, maybe you can track one of these down. Bust a cycle over the holidays!— Read a genre or subject you haven’t tried before! { Book synopses come from Barnes & Noble’s web site. }
The Astonishing Life Samurai Shortstop Anahita’s Woven Surrender Sold Sonya Hartnett Patricia McCormick of Octavian Nothing, Alan Gratz Riddle Traitor to the Nation Tokyo, 1890. Toyo is caught up in I am dying: it’s a beautiful word. Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old Meghan Whalen Sayres M.T. Anderson It sounds like a fairy tale. He is a boy dressed in silks and white wigs and given the finest of classical educations. Raised by a group of rational philosophers known only by numbers, the boy and his mother—a princess in exile from a faraway land—are the only persons in their household assigned names. As the boy’s regal mother, Cassiopeia, entertains the house scholars with her beauty and wit, young Octavian begins to question the purpose behind his guardians’ fanatical studies. Only after he dares to open a forbidden door does he learn the hideous nature of their experiments—and his own chilling role in them.
the competitive world of boarding school, and must prove himself to make the team in a new sport called besuboru. But he grieves for his uncle, a samurai who sacrificed himself for his beliefs, at a time when most of Japan is eager to shed ancient traditions. It’s only when his father decides to teach him the way of the samurai that Toyo grows to better understand his uncle and father. And to his surprise, the warrior training guides him to excel at baseball, a sport his father despises as yet another modern Western menace. Toyo searches desperately for a way to prove there is a place for his family’s samurai values in modern Japan. Baseball might just be the answer, but will his father ever accept a “Western” game that stands for everything he despises?
Like the long slow sigh of a cello: dying. But the sound of it is the only beautiful thing about it. As life slips away, Gabriel looks back over his brief twenty years, which have been clouded by frustration and humiliation. A small, unforgiving town and distant, punitive parents ensure that he is never allowed to forget the horrific mistake he made as a child. He has only two friends—his dog, Surrender, and the unruly wild boy, Finnigan. But when a series of arson attacks grips the town, Gabriel realizes how unpredictable and dangerous Finnigan is. As events begin to spiral violently out of control, it becomes devastatingly clear that only the most extreme measures will rid Gabriel of Finnigan for good.
girl who lives with her family in a small hut in a mountain village in Nepal. Her life is made up of simple pleasures like going to school and spending time with her loving ama and baby brother. But these happy times are undercut by the desperate poverty that threatens the lives of the villagers. Then one day, Lakshmi’s father brings her to a shopkeeper in town and tells Lakshmi that she is going to go work as a maid in India so that her wages can be sent home. Soon, though, Lakshmi’s life becomes a nightmare from which she cannot escape. Written in spare and evocative vignettes, this powerful novel chronicles the story of one girl’s struggle to maintain her sense of self against all odds.
In this enchanting historical novel, a nomad in nineteenthcentury Iran takes fate into her own hands when her father promises her in marriage to a man she dislikes. Anahita convinces her father to let her hold a contest in which potential suitors must correctly answer the riddle she has woven into her wedding carpet. A diplomat, a schoolteacher, a shepherd, and a prince compete in Anahita’s battle of wits for the heart of this extraordinary girl. Weaving a bit of fairy tale into her rich exploration of Persian life, Meghan Nuttall Sayres has written a debut novel that delights and fascinates.
The Eagle’s Nest • Christmas Edition • December 2007
Christmas Shoes provides tasty holiday schmaltz If you’re on a quest for a a book Robert is just throwing Barto get you in a selfless Christmas bie dolls and sweaters into his mood, then I strongly suggest Don- basket, having no clue what his na VanLiere’s The Christmas Shoes. family would like because he The story doesn’t know follows two them. main characters: As they Eight-year-old go through Nathan is part of the checksimple and lovout line, Naby ing family that than runs Starr Houston trusts in God to short of choose what’s right. money to buy the Even when Maggie, shoes and turns Nathan’s mother, falls to Robert, asking, ill with cancer, they “Sir, I want to buy know that it’s all a part these shoes for my of the greater plan. momma, please.” Robert is an atThis chance torney going through meeting of the two a midlife crisis and is makes Robert realquickly losing his famize how important ily. His wife has told his family is, and him that after the holidays their resolve that he will do anything marriage is over, and Robert is des- to keep them. perate for a solution to keep things The story is rife with cringetogether. worthy cheesy scenes, but what Christmas Eve finds Robert and Christmas story isn’t? Keep in Nathan both shopping at the same mind that if you want a book to place. Robert has put everything cheer you up, you should look off until the last minute, and Na- elsewhere—the mother in does than has just now gotten the chance have terminal cancer. to sneak away to buy a gift for his Even so, I think this is a must mother. read for any sentimental readers As Robert wanders through the out there. Even some of you acstore, he sees Nathan looking franti- tion lovers might enjoy some cally for something, until he finally down time with a book that settles on a pair of shoes. makes you feel warm and fuzzy.
BOOK REVIEW
A simpler celebration
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Time spent in Africa as a child gave Cristina Smith a different perspective on Christmas. By SARAH HEATH SARAH@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG
RCHS Sophomore Cristina Smith spent six years in Africa with her parents who worked in Ekuku, Equatorial Guinea as missionaries. Ekuku is a small, poverty-stricken town in a tiny country with a corrupt president. Needless to say, a Christmas celebration there is quite different from ours in the United States. “One thing I liked about Christmas in Africa was the simplicity,” said Cristina. “Christmas was not over-advertised and there were no big festivities.” Instead of hearing Christmas music on the radio, the townspeople hear the girls in the choir singing on the church steps, preparing for their Christmas performance. The recital that the choir presents is the only major event that marks the holiday, although young people in the town sometimes perform on Christmas day while singing. Occasionally, a few special lights were also set up around the small town. The people in Ekuku are not wealthy enough to afford extravagant gifts—a day off from work
PHOTO submitted
A young Cristina Smith (left) poses with some of the town children at her parents’ house in Ekuku, Equitorial Guinea.
and a party serve the majority of Ekuku’s citizens as Christmas presents—but the better-off families might indulge in a box of storebought cookies. Cristina and her family used to gather up some used items around the house and give them to the town’s “grandma,” who dispersed all of the items to the families, since she knew which ones were the most needy and could distribute the items fairly. “It really did me and my family good to see the kids wearing the clothes that we gave them,” said Cristina. “When I moved to America, the most interesting things to me
were the Christmas shows and movies on TV,” she says. “They definitely were not something that I was used to, because there was only one channel in Africa.” “I feel as if I gained a lot from Africa and its people,” said Cristina. Living in Africa really helped to show Cristina the true meaning of Christmas.
WIKIPEDIA
The Trap
The King of Attolia
The Rules of Survival
American Born Chinese
The Book Thief
John Smelcer
Megan Whalen Turner
Nancy Werlin
Gene Luen Yang
Markus Zusak
Seventeen-year-old Johnny Least-Weasel knows that his grandfather Albert is a stubborn old man and won’t stop checking his own traplines even though other men his age stopped doing so years ago. But Albert LeastWeasel has been running traplines in the Alaskan wilderness alone for the past sixty years. Nothing has ever gone wrong on the trail he knows so well. When Albert doesn’t come back from checking his traps, with the temperature steadily plummeting, Johnny must decide quickly whether to trust his grandfather or his own instincts. This novel poignantly addresses the hardships of life in the far north, suggesting that the most dangerous traps need not be made of steel.
By scheming and theft, the Thief of Eddis has become King of Attolia. Eugenides wanted the queen, not the crown, but he finds himself trapped in a web of his own making. A t t o l i a ’s barons seethe with resentment, the Mede emperor is returning to the attack, and the king is surrounded by the subtle and dangerous intrigue of the Attolian court. When a naive young guard expresses his contempt for the king in no uncertain terms, he is dragged by Eugenides into the center of the political maelstrom. Like the king, he cannot escape the difficulties he makes for himself. Poor Costis knows he is the victim of the king’s caprice, but he discovers a reluctant sympathy for Eugenides as he watches the newly crowned king struggle against his fate.
It all starts when Matthew observes a heroic scene in a convenience store: A man named Murdoch puts himself between an abusive father and his son. Matt is determined to get to know this man. And when, amazingly, Murdoch begins dating Matt’s mother, it seems as if life may become peaceful for the first time. Matt and his sisters have never before known a moment of peace in a household ruled by their unpredictable, vicious mother. And so, after Murdoch inevitably breaks up with her and the short period of family calm is over, Matt sees that he needs to take action. He refuses to let his family remain at risk. Can he call upon his hero, Murdoch? And if not, what might his desperation lead him to do?
When Jin Wang’s family moves to a new neighborhood, he suddenly finds that he’s the only Chinese-American student at his school. Jocks and bullies pick on him constantly. Then, to make matters worse, he falls in love with an all-American girl... Born to rule over all the monkeys in the world, the story of the Monkey King is one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables. Adored by his subjects, master of the arts of kung-fu, he is the most powerful monkey on earth. But the Monkey King doesn’t want to be a monkey. He wants to be hailed as a god... Chin-Kee is the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, and he’s ruining his cousin Danny’s life. This year, though, things quickly go from bad to worse... These three apparently unrelated tales come together with an unexpected twist, in a modern fable that is hilarious, poignant, and action-packed.
It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery.... Set during World War II in G e r m a ny, Markus Z u s a k’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist— books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
Sports LEFT: Chelsea Phillips, Jessica Nixon, Amy Newport, and Brittany Conley help send off the team. BELOW: Billy Whisman, Michael Cooper, Jacob Henley, Artemio Pascual, and Dusty Paschal (also Zac Barnes and Brandon Riggle, not visible) head off to the State meet in style. (They were later allowed to ride inside.)
photoS BY eric bailey
RCHS runners compete in state cross country meet By ROCHELLE NORDYKE ROCHELLE@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG
The Rhea County High School boys track team advanced to State for the first time in RCHS history this year. The team consisted of Jacob Henley, Tim Cook, Artemio Pasquel, Brandon Riggle, Billy Whisman, Zac Barnes, and Micheal Cooper. The State cross country meet was held in Nashville, at Equestrian Center. The road to qualifying for
Football season ends at Maryville By RYAN SMITH
State is a difficult one. A runner must qualify in the top ten, or your team must come in the top three at Regions, and only varsity runners are eligable to compete. During the Regions race, Jacob Henley came in fourth and Tim Cook came in eighth, with Artemio close behind. Most of the boys ran course PR’s (personal records) at Chickamauga where Regions were held. At State, they competed against twenty-four of the best teams in the state, as well as some of the best individuals whose entire teams didn’t qualify. RCHS took eighteenth place, which met and exceeded Coach Holder’s expectaitions of making the top twenty.
RYAN@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG
For the third time in the past four years, the Rhea County football team’s season ended at Jim Renfro Field in Maryville. Despite a strong effort and an electric performance by junior A.J. Brown, the Golden Eagles were unable to end the defending state champion’s fifty-four game winning streak. Though the dreams of going to Mufreesboro and taking home Rhea County Football’s first state championship did not come to pass, the team did accomplish a fifth straight trip to the 4A Tennessee State Playoffs. All Region 4-4A selection running back Julian Sharp amassed over 1500 yards, which put him incredibly close to breaking the school’s Single-Season Rushing record. This feat was made possible thanks to the Eagle’s most dominating offensive line in recent years. Anchored by MTSU-bound Brandon McLeroy, the 2007 offensive line helped generate much of the Golden Eagle offense. McLeroy received offers from several local colleges, and he also got attention from several SEC schools such as The University of Tennessee, The University of Kentucky, and Vanderbilt University.
Wrestling team poised for exciting season By ROCHELLE NORDYKE ROCHELLE@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG
photo BY VICTORIA DEWITT
Led by Coach Fitzgerald and surrounded by fans, the Eagles end the season with prayer before leaving Maryville’s Jim Renfro Field.
The three-year starter’s spectacular performance has earned him a position as a finalist for the 4A Mr. Football lineman of the year award along with Maryville’s Aaron Douglas and Mt. Juliet’s Slade Adams. Several other Eagles have also received recognition: senior running backs Chris Roberts and Julian Sharp, outside linebacker/
receiver Jacob Moffet, right tackle Kevin Revis, and punter Josh “Jash” Davis were all chosen to represent Rhea County as all region selections. Sharp, McLeroy, and Davis were selected by the coaches as players of the year in their respective categories. It will be a difficult task to replace the outgoing senior class of
2008. Out of the twenty two starting positions, the Eagles will have to replace over half next season; however, this task can and will be accomplished as the team works toward a school record six straight trips to the playoffs and a shot to bring that ever elusive golden state championship trophy home to Evensville.
Girls soccer closes season with awards By SARAH HEATH SARAH@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG
photo submitted
On Thursday November 8th, Coach Heath held an awards banquet for the 2007-08 Lady Eagle’s soccer team. Coach Heath had previously had the girls vote on whom they thought deserved each award. Katie Deichert and Lexi Cunningham were voted most improved; best offensive players were Amber Rhear and Sonya Bolton; best defensive players were Sarah Heath and Haley Zimmerman; Lexi Cunningham was voted most versatile; MVP was Sonya Bolton, and Sarah Spivey received the captain’s award.
It’s that time of year again—the heads have hit the mats. The six seniors will be the backbone of the fairly young wrestling team this year. Coach Zac Brown has high expectations, hoping to send five or six qualifers and three or four medalists to State this year. At the very least, he plans to place in regions and send the returning State medalists. Currently on the team, there are four returning State qualifiers and returning medalists: seniors Jacob Henley and Hunter Daniels. Coach Brown says, “With six seniors on the team I expect this year will be their finest year. I think the guys are motivated not only to do good at Regions but will do good at State as well.” The Knox Catholic tournament, the second biggest tournament after State, was held Friday, November 30th and Saturday, Decemeber 1st. Cody Graves was the first place champion in the 189 weight class. Five other wrestlers, including Hunter Daniels, Jacob Henley, Quinton Carter, Robert Schutt, and Nic Fuller, recieved medals as well.
photo by will garrison
State medallist Jacob Henley grapples with an opponent during last week’s in-school wrestling match.
Opinion “Holiday,” schmoliday!
What’s happened to Christmas spirit?
It seems that nowadays everybody wants to change everything. I’m all for change, but there are some things that aren’t meant to change...the observance of the Christmas season, for instance. Christmas’ meaning is in its name—a celebration of Christ. More specifically, a celebration of Christ’s birth. Originally, of course, Christmas was adapted to encourWILL age pagans GARRISON to switch to Christianity without having to lose their own winter traditions. Therefore, many of the traditions we consider “normal” come from earlier winter festivals. Now to my point—no one is trying to take away Chanukah, which is in essence just another holiday celebrating a tradition. Christmas is also a celebration of something very important that happened in history. The celebration doesn’t necessarily take place on the day of Christ’s birth, but that’s not important. It’s the fact that annually, every Christian, on December 25, observes Christ’s birth.
Christmas Spirit. What does an average teenager think of when remembering Christmas? Is it being with family, giving, being thankful, or remembering the actual purpose of Christmas? Also, is Christmas spirit regarded as the sound of familiar Christmas carols, niceness between strangers, a tree decorated with bright colors, or NILAM warmth PATEL received even though the weather is freezing? Wrong, unfortunately, most teens think of lavish presents such as cars, phones, clothes, money, or laptops that they can acquire from family members. What has caused the primary focus of Christmas to change? Instead of being grateful and giving, we focus on what we get. Let’s be honest: how many of us have thought of Christmas and thought “I’d better get this or that?” Or “I better be able to do this or that?” Sadly, society has made Christmas into a time of buying, buying, and what else? oh, yeah: buying. Television and malls have made Christmas the time to shop and spend money on
I understand that no one should force their religion, in any form or fashion, on someone else who doesn’t agree with it. I don’t think that’s even happening though. Sure, in Wal-Mart, there are signs that say, “Christmas decorations”, or something like that, but that doesn’t mean people have to steer those squeaking buggies of theirs into that Christmas isle and buy something or even study the religious tradition. If there was a sign in WalMart that said, “Chanukah items”, I wouldn’t be offended or feel that Jews were trying to force their beliefs on me. Who cares if there’s a sign that says “Christmas” on it in Wal-Mart? You don’t have to buy anything in that section or even visit it. Some people insist those signs should say “Holiday” instead of “Christmas.” What does that accomplish? Nothing! There’d still be the fact that most of America celebrates Christmas every year. In fact, most of America has been celebrating Christmas for many many years now. With that, everything has been fine all this time, so why change it? Leave Christmas alone, what has it done to offend you?
Oh, Christmas Tree! (Some seasonal tree facts) The first printed reference to Christmas trees appeared in Germany in 1531.
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Let’s be honest: how many of us have thought of Christmas and thought “I’d better get this or that?” Or “I better be able to do this or that?”
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lavish things. Nobody seems to remember the goodness of what Christmas stands for. Nobody stops and thinks about giving the less fortunate things such as food or money or just an afternoon of his or her time. Giving a family or friend a gift is not bad, but people should use some of their money and time by helping those less fortunate. Volunteering to help should not be done to look good on college applications or scholarships. However, volunteering should make a person feel good about him or herself and make a difference in a person’s life. It is rare to hear people talk about Jesus Christ or what value Christmas has. And the only time Jesus Christ is talked about is at Church, and then it is quickly overlooked. People should look forward to Christmas for what it represents and being together with family to appreciate it. The presents should just be a minor part of Christmas but have become a major focus. Instead, what would hap-
pen if we used some that money and donated to people in actual need? We complain if we do not get the latest model of a car when some people cannot even afford to take a bus. It makes me think, what has happened to the values instilled in us? It almost seems as if we have sold our souls to the materialistic aspect of Christmas. Sadly, I am also a victim of this buying frenzy. The true meaning of Christmas is to have Christmas spirit and carry it into a your daily life. Helping the world can only be accomplished one good deed at a time. And what other holiday emphasizes that better than Christmas? It seems to me that we should be in the Christmas spirit and spread holiday cheer. Christmas is a time of joy and being thankful while remembering the good things in life. I think putting a smile on a person’s face or kindness to a stranger can do wonders. So, the next time you see an unhappy face or lost Christmas spirit in someone, change that. When your family and friends ask you what you want for Christmas, tell them things that can help others. Also, the next time you think of Christmas, do not think of presents but remember the actual purpose and meaning of it. Remember your values and don’t get sucked into the buying frenzy.
The idea for using electric Christmas lights came from an American named Ralph E. Morris in 1895. Traditional candles often started fires in dry Christmas trees. Last year, Christmas tree farmers sold $512 million worth of trees, with North Carolina as the top producer. Tennessee is about 15th in the nation. Source: twinklebulbs.com & the u.s. census bureau
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