The Eagle's Nest 12.5 by Jeff Ferrell

KEEPI N G THE S TUDE NTS OF RHEA COU NTY HIGH SCH O OL I NFORMED SI N CE 1996

SPRING EDITION

The Eagle's Nest STATE CHAMPS!

YOUR PHOTOS AS STICKERS!

SPORTS, PAGE 6

TECH REVIEW, PAGE 4

VOLUME 12, NUMBER 5

SERIOUS HORSEPLAY LIFE, PAGE 3

Plans complete for additional classrooms By CORY SMITH CORY@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG

Recently, construction began on the modular buildings that are supposed to temporarily alleviate the overcrowding problems at RCHS. The plans have been finalized and on-site construction will be seen as soon as the first of April. The buildings will hold ten classrooms and a Science lab. The buildings should be inhabitable by the first weeks of June and will be ready for use at the beginning of the 2008-09 school year. The new building will be located between the current building and the baseball field. There will be two ways to get to the building: the main entrance will be the doors where the coke machines on the Science hallway are currently housed, and the secondary entrance will be a covered walkway that rounds the corner of the building from the entrance between Mr. West’s and Mrs. Guffey’s rooms. According to Mr. Levengood, no decision has been made yet concerning which actual classes

Classroom

(23’ x 28‘)

Classroom (31’ x 26‘)

Science Lab (31’ x 44‘)

Classroom

(23’ x 28‘)

Classroom (31’ x 26‘)

Storage

from Science Hallway (the exit at the snack machines)

The final layout for the new modular buildings. In addition to a much-needed classroom space, the buildings will also house a new science lab. Construction should begin sometime in April, and teachers will be able to move in over the summer.

will be taught in the new classrooms. The idea of housing as many of the Freshman Academy classes as possible has been brought up, mostly for concerns of traffic flow

in and out of the building. However, Mr. Levengood says, nothing is set in stone and midyear relocations may be a possibility if the traffic is too much. The buildings are on a five

year lease. During these five years, the plans for permanent buildings will be discussed. Also, paying for a permanent building will be discussed. Recently, a sales tax referen-

RCHS Spring play is quite a change By JULIUS SMITH

Blood Drive Approaches By ALEX BROWN

JULIUS@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG

I have to do a double-take. Zack Travis is on stage letting out his feminine side, and he’s not holding back. His falsetto voice and absurd strut are amusing, but also mildly disturbing. I’ve come here to get some answers, but right now I’m more confused than enlightened. Fortunately, I was able to sit down with assistant director Dusty Paschal for a quick interview. The RCHS Theater Department is currently preparing for Switcheroo, a comedy about our favorite event of the year—prom. The story begins with a rather flustered group of girls, who are all dateless for the dance that evening, since none of the guys have bothered to ask anyone out. (Tip for you guys out there: waiting until the day of the prom is a very, very bad idea). Anyway, two budding scientists in the group, Beatrice and her friend Pokey, come up with a concoction that will force the guys to pitch a little woo. As in any story of this type, the love potion doesn’t quite work as expected. The end result is that all the guys now believe they are girls, and the girls think they are guys. It also makes for one hilarious play. Dusty is quick to tell me his fa-

dum to benefit school renovations and new buildings failed by a mere 82 votes. In hopes of passage, the County Commission has placed the referendum on the ballot again for August.

ALEXB@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG

photo by sarah heath

BACK ROW (from left): Autumn Dillard, Sara Goode, NeNe Raiteri Rachel Thurman, Zak Barnes, Carrie Lounsberry, Rachel Wilson, PJ Buckner. FRONT ROW (from left): Trent Snyder, Nathan Bates, Zack Travis.

vorite character. “[He] is played by Jordon Dodd and Zack Travis. His name is Harold. He is hilarious, and he is a dork.” Since there are two periods for Theater Arts class, some characters, like Harold, are double cast. That is to say, there are two actors for the same part. The two classes also have dif-

ferent directors. Morgan Price and Danielle McGhee are the two main directors. Morgan and Marita Martin are directing the third period class; Daniel and Dusty direct for fourth period. Switcheroo will be making its premiere on Thursday, April 3 for the local middle schools. There shows April 4 during school;

Freshman and Sophomore classes can attend during 2nd and 3rd periods and Juniors and Seniors during the 5th and 6th periods. If you prefer an evening show time or would just like to see it with your family, there will be a 7:00 performance on Friday and Saturday nights, April 4 and 5.

On April 8, RCHS students will again have the opportunity to vicariously save the lives of patients on the brink of death. Blood Assurance will be hosting the years’ second blood drive. Ms. Cotter, freshman science teacher, commented on the emotional effects of donating blood to those in need. “The blood drive is a great thing! When they did the blood drive, when I had heart surgery, people donated blood in my name and it took ten dollars for every pint off of my hospital bill,” she said with great appreciation. “It helped ten other people, also,” she adds. Mr. Knudston was positive about the help of students during the drive. “There was good participation from all students [in November] and numbers exceeded last year, so we are expecting even better numbers for April,” he said. Each blood donation is 500 milliliters, or about 1/4 of a 2-liter soft drink bottle. This amount of blood can be used to save up to three people’s lives. You must be at least 17 years old to donate.

The Eagle’s Nest • Spring Edition • March 2008

In addition to their normal activities around school, and their involvement with the RCHS Theatre program, Senior Dusty Paschal and Junior Morgan Price have been performing in the Cumberland County Playhouse’s production of High School Musical.

RCHS students land parts in Cumberland County Playhouse’s High School Musical By ERIC BAILEY ERIC@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG

Disney’s High School Musical opened on February 29 at the Cumberland County Playhouse in Crossville, Tennessee. Approximately 40 students from schools all around East and Middle Tennessee are performing in this production. Of these students, two are from RCHS, Senior Dusty Pascal

and Junior Morgan Price. Both auditioned for the parts in December and received call backs for parts in the show. Morgan is playing the part of Martha Cox, and Dusty plays Zeke Baylor. Dusty is also the understudy for the part of Ryan Evans. Practice began on February 3, and lasted for 3 weeks. Dusty and Morgan have had to be truly committed to the production, sacrificing a lot time to be part of a

performance like this. Rehearsals typically began soon after school and ran to around 10pm, which meant they didn’t get home most nights until around 11 pm. Dusty quit his job and gave up playing soccer in order to have time for the show. There are usually shows 5 nights a week. Although they have to sacrifice, they both think that it is worth it to be a part of this experience. Both Morgan and Dusty consider this performance to be very different then any they’ve ever been in—there are larger audiences, more intricate costumes, more elaborate sets, and they get their own dressing rooms. They both say they’re enjoying the production. They get to meet new people, and even sign an occasional autograph. They also get to challenge themselves more in this production. Morgan and Dusty are also assistant directors for the RCHS spring play, coming in April. Morgan is also planning on trying out for a part in Beauty and the Beast at the Cumberland County Playhouse in April. High School Musical runs until April 26. Tickets are $20 for adults and $11 for children and students. Tickets can be purchased from the Playhouse Box Office at (931) 484-5000.

Find your way to the prom Exit #1A

from Dayton

Highway 27 S

MLK Blvd. East

B Carter Street first right

Chattanooga Convention Center

The prom is at the Chattanooga Convention Center downtown, and getting there’s pretty much a straight shot—assuming you’re not making any stops along the way. To get there from Dayton, just hop on Highway 27 South and go straight. For a long time. Eventually, you’ll cross Highway 153 (where you’d get off to go to Northgate). Keep going straight on Highway 27. Finally, you’ll cross the Tennessee river on the P.R. Olgiati bridge. Pass the Lookouts ballpark, and keep going to Exit 1A, Martin Luther King Blvd. East. Loop around, and take a right at the first traffic light, on Carter Street. The Convention Center is the white building on the left; As you approach, look for the entrance to an underground parking garage on the left between the Mariott hotel and the Convention Center proper. Drive safely!

Thanks to the these businesses for sponsoring our prom directions!

SkillsUSA competition ends By SARAH HEATH SARAH@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG

On Monday, February 18, students were sent to compete in the regional SkillsUSA competition. Unfortunately, no one from RCHS will be headed for the state competition in Cosmetology and Carpentry. Cosmetology teacher Mrs. Stewart said, “There were only two returnees that competed; it was everybody else’s first time. But everyone had fun and they will try again next year.” Returnee Crystal Pilkey

has competed in two different areas of the SkillsUSA competition, the Job Skills Demo and the Prepared Speech. This year she competed in the Job Skills Demo competition. “It’s a great competition,” said Pilkey. “It’s definitely not something to miss out on.” Steven Patton went for Carpentry. Although he did not place in the competition, Mr. Heath said, “He represented RCHS in a honorable fashion and he built a good wall.” Graphic arts will be sending Zach Taylor to compete in the state competition near the end of March.

Key Club members to attend District Convention By NILAM PATEL NILAM@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG

Students in the RCHS Key Club will attend the K-T District Convention on Friday, March 15 and Saturday, March 16, 2008. Club sponsor Mrs. Faulkner and seven students will travel to Chattanooga, where they’ll meet with other high school students from all over Tennessee and Kentucky. In the course of the weekend, they’ll participate in many activities, including a talent show, an impromptu essay contest, and an event to raise money for Grassroots Soccer, and organization that is dedicated to fighting AIDS among the youth of Africa.

Clubs will also share ideas for projects geared toward helping their communities. Key Club has been able to attend convention for a couple of years and this year is a wonderful opportunity to attend in Chattanooga. This is the first time the club has been able to attend the convention in three years, due to a lack of funding. This year they are able to go thanks to the sponsorship of the local Kiwanis clubs in Dayton and Spring City. A student-led organization, Key Club strives to teach leadership through serving others.

GUIDANCE CORNER SENIORS RCHS Career Day is coming on Wednesday, April 9. It’s a great opportunity to gather information from area employers.

Take a T.I.G.E.R. Tour! During the week of March 12–20, RCHS

students are invited to take a “Take Initiative and Get Educationally Ready” tour of the Chattanooga State Dayton campus. Hours are from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. If possible, call 365-5010 to set up an appointment, or just drop by when it’s convenient.

If you’ve applied to colleges, start checking to make sure your paperwork and financial aid documents are complete.

JUNIORS

Corsages • Boutonnieres Bouquets

You’re invited to the career fair mentioned in the Senior notes, above, as well as the CTSCC tour. Take advantage of these opportunities!

EVERYONE Gateway Tests are scheduled for May 6–8: Algebra I, May 6; English II, May 7; Biology I, May 8.

22576 Rhea County Hwy Spring City 365-4020

End-of-Course Tests are scheduled for May 6–8: English I, May

9; U.S. History, May 9; Math Foundations II, May 12; Physical Science, May 12.

Student Life Confessions of a video game coward

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Bailey Messimer and her horse, Blue, compete in the National Barrel Horse Association’s Youth World competition, held in Jackson, Mississippi in July.

Not just horsing around

B 105’

105’

B 2

>= 45’

90’

Beside a horse trailer, a tall blonde wearing a blue, 20X name brand collared shirt is stretching an American Paint horse. The rider smells the damp Mississippi air as she warms up her wise and trained horse, which she refers to as simply, “Blue.” The 18-year-old American Paint is lopes lithely along, guided by the enthusiastic cowgirl at Jackson, Mississippi’s Youth World competition, a grand deal for barrel racers. “In a basketball game everybody shoots to warm up,” Bailey Messimer says, making a shooting motion with her right arm. “Stretching is really important to us.” Messimer, a junior at Rhea County High is a member of NBHA (National Barrel Horse Association), IBRA (International Barrel Racing Association), and the East Tennessee Barrel Racers Association, and started racing only last September. Her eyes focused downward, Messimer admits that the NBHA is a big accomplishment and great chance to meet the people from all over the world. “Oh yeah, I’ve seen riders from France, Canada, and Panama. They really do come from everywhere for the race,” Messimer notes. Seven hours away from Jackson, the exclamations of 150 horse buffs echo throughout the valleys of Roane County. A slender girl with chestnut hair brushes the

By ALEX BROWN ALEXB@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG

silky coat of “April,” the first horse she has ever trained. This NBHA competition doesn’t seem to play on Taylor Wopat’s nerves, or affect her calm, tranquil nature. “It’s very loud and there are many people,” Wopat says with a blithe expression. Taylor explained that folks in the NBHA may come from miles away to witness and compete in the Roane State area, and that attendance normally rounds out close to 200. Wopat waves her hands like Vanna White after explaining every meticulous step in the warm up process. Like any musician or athlete, rodeo riders must prepare and warm up. “Brush her down, Get her saddle. Then her bridal. Then I put her boots on. She has boots she has to wear to protect her

A pair of RCHS girls take horseback riding very seriously indeed

Start/Finish Line

A TYPICAL BARREL RACING COURSE consists of three barrels arranged in a triangle. Riders trace a clover-leaf pattern around them, trying to turn as tightly as possible without losing momentum or disturbing the barrels. A knocked-over barrel usually results in a 5-second penalty. The measurements in the diagram above are typical, but may vary. Riders may also begin with the left barrel first.

legs. Then... that’s about it. Then I stretch her out and we go!” For those of us who have not taken “Barrel Racing 101,” it goes basically like this: three barrels are placed in a designated area and a rider and horse must ride around them in a clover-leaf pattern, competing for the fastest times. Both girls have their fair share of stories collected during their time barrel racing. As might be expected, riders may encounter danger sometime during their career. Taylor Wopat’s voice becomes a little solemn at the mention of injury in the competitions. She glances down toward her shin. “I’ve hit the barrel before . . . cut my shin. I’ve, you know, cut it a couple times. My horse has never fallen with me, but I’ve seen people who go around the barrels and the horses slip and fall they hit the barrel. Knocks the person out. Yeah, it has happened. Usually doesn’t—but I’ve seen it a couple of times. It’s dangerous!” She laughs. She emphasizes the fact that extreme caution should be taken while riding. Bailey Messimer also proves basically fortunate when speaking of barrel racing accidents. “You have to sit at the middle of the horse and they can lose their footing. They will turn a little too close a lot of times. I’ve been pretty lucky! He’s only hit three barrels. If you do hit the barrels you add five seconds. You’re automatically out, like money-wise and everything. Sometimes, it just takes a little acrobatic skill.” Bailey recounts a recent misfortune with a young horse she see HORSES page 5

There we were, me and my was there. crew, in the middle of a heated When a man would fall, I battle with an alien horde. We would grab his ammo to comwere trying to break through pensate for my non-stop firing. their defenses, but they were I threw grenades as often as I mowing us down. could, sometimes sacrificing one “Keep going,” I screamed, of my men for two of theirs. “Show them what you’re Eventually the aliens were made of!” purged, and I hopped back in my My loyal vehicle and took the side route to crew ad- arrive in the base before my men. v a n c e d , I had done it. I stayed alive and r u n n i n g still managed to keep my reputaand gun- tion. n i n g I’ve got to wonder—should I t h r o u g h really be behaving in this despiTYLER the waves cable fashion in these imaginary HUMPHREY of en- universes? emies. You would think that when But then, just when the a person’s playing a game, the momentum started to go emotions that he feels would be our way, an explosion ripped similar to the emotions that he through my men. I was the would feel in reality. only one Howevwho surer, a recent vived. I study by redidn’t know The bullets of the approach- searchers at what to do. ing enemies whizzed by the the UniverI quickly sity of Helcrate and I could hear the slugs sinki (Niklas found the nearest veRavaja, et pounding the side. hicle and got al. “The psyAs I sat there cowering beout of there. chophysiolhind the box, I looked back and ogy of James Thinking quickly, I saw a battalion of my allies ad- Bond: Phasic abandoned emotional vancing toward me. I couldn’t responses to my ride and let them see me like this. ran to a violent video nearby crate game events.” and hid beEmotion. Feb hind it. 2008.) suggest I’ll never know why these that game players are actually rethings are so indestructible lieved and often find it humorous and never seem to move, but I when they die in a game, instead sure was glad at the time. of being disturbed or angry. The bullets of the apIt also notes that “instead of proaching enemies whizzed joy resulting from victory and by the crate and I could hear success, wounding and killing the slugs pounding the side. the opponent elicited anxiety, As I sat there cowering behind anger, or both.” that box, I looked back and Maybe we’re going about this saw a battalion of my allies video game violence all wrong. advancing to me. I couldn’t let Maybe it’s just a new form of them see me like this. stress relief and could actually I panicked. be beneficial in some way, rather But then, I noticed some- than harmful. thing that I hadn’t noticed That could explain why my before: a cloaking device. I above-mentioned victory didn’t grabbed it quick and, invis- leave the same impact on me as ible, ran behind my troops. my repeated deaths. Next time, As they charged, I moved maybe I’ll forget the mad dash forward behind them, taking to ignominy, and just take what’s cover without them noticing I coming to me, instead.

“

”

The Eagle’s Nest • Spring Edition • March 2008

Wait! Don’t jump! MOO prints nice things Jumper revolves around the story of David Rice, a man with the ability to “jump” to any place on earth he is familiar with.

MOVIE REVIEW by Tyler Humphrey

Rice spends his days doing frivilous things all over the world and having fun 24 hours a day. Eventually, though, his powers are found out and an anti-Jumper group called the Paladins comes after him. Sounds pretty cool, right? I thought that, too. We’re wrong. Jumper is one of the worst movies I’ve seen in a very long

time. The plot was lackluster at best and it did nothing to bring the sci-fi action flick forward. The dialogue was downright cheesy and the action scenes were so badly directed that the longer fight scenes actually gave me motion sickness from the constant use of the increasingly popular “shaky cam.” But none of these problems are the worst part. While I was watching the movie, I didn’t think that it was that bad. It was nothing special. But after leaving the theater and thinking back on the movie, I began to realize just how bad it was. The movie solves absolutely no conflict. It seems that the movie was just a 90-minute trailer for a new franchise. By the time you get to the end, the story just . . . ends. If I were you, I would jump away from this movie as far as possible unless you are looking to be sorely disappointed.

photo by michael gibson / Twentieth Century Fox and Regency Enterprises

Samuel Jackson, leader of the Paladins, a secret sect sworn to destroy the “Jumpers,” hunts Hayden Christensen.

At one time or another I’m sure we’ve all experienced the innate obsession with plastering stickers on every surface we could get our hands on.

TECH TOOLS by Matthew Price

Ok, so maybe that was just me and normal kids (read: boring) have no desire to wallpaper the kitchen cabinet with Power Rangers. Honestly, I feel sorry for you and anyone else who missed out on such an important stage of life. There is some good news, however: today happens to be your lucky day. By reading this article you can gain the power to regain part of your childhood. Well, something like that. Among other things, the (relatively) new Web service MOO.com lets users personalize and print their own professional-quality stickers with ease. No longer do you have to dream about what it would be like to stick miniature pictures of your adorable pet all over your locker or notebooks. For starters, MOO has almost perfected the art of uploading your own images, either from your computer or by importing images from some of the more popular social networks such as Facebook and Flickr. (Sorry MySpace users, no easy importing of pictures for you.)

photos courtesy of moo.com

ABOVE: MOO’s Web interface is clean and easy to use. You can upload photos from your computer, or import them from Facebook or Flickr albums. RIGHT: MOO.com’s sticker books are a relatively inexpensive way to turn your photos or artwork into highquality vinyl stickers.

Once you’ve uploaded some images, the options you have are rather slim. Personally, I welcome this change from the all too often busy and confusing web sites I’ve been unfortunate enough to visit. Because not all pictures are equal, MOO includes the ability to zoom and crop your images. A reset button is also provided if you feel that you’ve messed up beyond all belief, but I’m not sure if that’s really possible. Change your mind about which pictures to include? Don’t fret. There’s even the option to add more images or remove current ones. Crop settings will be saved, so you

don’t have to worry about readjusting all your precious images. The stickers are glossy vinyl, 22mm square (about 7/8 of an inch) and come in a smooth little booklet with tear-out pages. Each booklet has 90 stickers total—and you can use up to 90 individual pictures! If you have less, pictures will simply repeat. A sticker booklet costs $9.99, plus $2.99 for shipping (the company’s located in London, England); but at $12.98, that’s 14¢ per sticker! Not bad, if you’re looking for a flashy way to show off some pictures, or for a creative gift for a friend.

The Somnambulist no sleeper somnambulist (n.) [Origin:

1790–1800; < nl somnambulismus, equiv. to somn(us) sleep + ambul(âre) to walk + -ismus -ism] Ah, the dimly lit aisles of a book store swim before my eyes as I squint at many a title. For the past three hours I have been searching for one decent book

BOOK REVIEW by Starr Houston

to do a review on and have only come away with dozens of cliché captions. The standards for publicists have obviously reached an all time low. The standards for authors aren’t so hot either. Finally I came away with The Somnambulist. Edward Moon is a washed out magician who used to be famous for his ability to solve crimes, but now is past his prime. Boredom is starting to get to him when one day he gets a visit from Inspector Merryweather who needs help with a new case. “This one’s special,” the man insisted. “There’s something queer about it, something grisly and gothic and bizarre. So you can see why I thought of you.” Gothic and bizarre describes

most of the book. Moon is pulled deep into the twisted world of Victorian England as he searches for answers. Along the way he encounters a bearded woman, the human fly, a man who lives backwards in time, and his faithful sidekick The Somnambulist. What seems to be a straight up murder mystery in the beginning quickly changes into a humor-filled quest for answers as Moon and The Somnambulist uncover a cult whose goal is to take down London and rebuild it using the pantisocratic plans of the poet Coleridge. What I still don’t understand is why it was called The Somnambulist. The title character is in fact

only a minor character that shadows Moon around—a tall, bald, golem-like creature that communicates by writing on a slate and has a passion for milk. There are several vague references about him resembling Gog and Magog the last of England’s giants, but beyond that his origins aren’t elaborated on. The most remarkable thing about him is that he can be impaled, slashed, and sliced with nary a drop of blood being shed. Well, I didn’t say he wasn’t odd—he just isn’t featured enough to warrant the book being titled after him. The story can be somewhat confusing in places, but for the most part it’s funny enough that you won’t care. Never fear though, by the last three chapters everything is resolved quite nicely and all the odd pieces stitched together. If you like dark Victorian books with random bits of humor thrown in...this is a must. If you are easily grossed out by descriptions of gore and the occasional just plain gross, then it’s a must not. Jonathan Barnes’s The Somnambulist is available in Hardcover from HarperCollins publishers.

A weekend with vampires By KARISSA LINDAHL KARISSA@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG

Straight out of Columbia University, Vampire Weekend didn’t have to wait long for their music to reach the masses. Long before their album was even released, Internet bloggers had already sampled their music, they’d appeared on the cover of Spin, done Letterman, been interviewed on NPR, and had a scheduled appearance on SNL.

These guys are pretty much everywhere, and in my opinion they deserve to be. Their selftitled debut displays an indie guitar rock record with traces of Afro-pop influence. Songs like “Oxford Comma” and “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” are so delightful and catchy in all of the right ways. Overall, this is just a really fun and simple album, something that people have needed for quite some time.

The Eagle’s Nest • Spring Edition • March 2008

HORSES from Page 3

Jimmy Dean rides on, and this time you can heave a sigh of relief... this one’s much easier (and much ancient-er) than last time. Give it a try! Same as before, squint your eyes and try to identify the pixelated location shown in the photo above. Make your guess, then submit your answer to the drop box in the library, using one of the entry slips provided. (It’s on top of the card catalogue--you remember...that things with all the trays of little cards that have book titles on them? Yeah, that.) The deadline for entries is Friday, April 11th. One entry, drawn at random from all the correct entries received, will win a gift certificate for a FREE custom sticker book from MOO.com!

calls “Trucker.” “The other night at Cookeville, my four-year-old horse’s tie down broke. So he took off running and ran into a wall. It threw me off and left a big bruise on my hip. You look back on it now and kind of laugh about it, but it was scary at the time.” Overlooking the danger aspect is pretty easy when you factor in the rewards. Bailey seems rather happy to receive the extravagant cash prizes that she has earned in the past. So far in her short career, she has collected close to one thousand dollars in award money and a prize belt buckle, which she is proudly wearing. Messimer stands up and displays the shiny prize. “I

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Taylor Wopat prepares for competition on her practice course at home.

save the money for entry fees to compete more,” she says. Taylor has garnered 20 ribbons and a trophy. Keep an eye out for these two riders in the future. “I’d like to continue on and do professional

rodeo. Not just barrel racing, but the whole thing. I would love to train horses, too,” Bailey says. “I want to do it as long as I can,” exclaims Taylor gesturing emphatically, as if suggesting that this was her destiny. “I love it.”

Sports Henley and Daniel take championship titles By ROCHELLE NORDYKE ROCHELLE@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG

Congratulations to our new State champions, Jacob Henley(Senior , 125) and Hunter Daniel (Senior, 140), as well as to all the RCHS State qualifiers: Cody Graves (Senior, 215), Kevin Revis (Junior, 285), Quinton Carter (Sophomore, 119), Logan Henley (Freshman, 112), and Nic Fuller (Freshman, 103). This year’s State tournament was held at McKenzie arena on February 14–16. RCHS wrestling was proud to take 9th place overall, having taken seven out of fourteen varsity wrestlers to the competition. Coach Brown was proud and ecstatic to see two seniors he has grown to love work extremely hard throughout the year and achieve their goals. Brown has touched many of the wrestlers’ hearts with his examples of how hard work and dedication pay off. Our Seniors Jacob, Hunter, and Cody all truly admire and look up to Coach Brown and would like to give a special thanks for all the time and effort he has dedicated to the team and to their individual lives. The sad truth is that Jacob and Hunter’s wrestling careers ended with their State victory, since neither plans to wrestle in college. This isn’t the first State qualifi-

photo by julius smith

Katie Freels takes the mound against Chelsea Watson at a recent practice.

Lady Eagles softball team anticipates exciting season with new coach By VICTORIA DEWITT VICTORIA@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG

PHOTO by cathy barnes / the herald-news

Seniors Jacob Henley (left) and Hunter Daniel show off their medals after their victories at the State tournament in February.

cation for Jacob this year; he also helped the boys cross-country team achieve their goal of State earlier.

We’ve all seen the RCHS wrestling team excel over the years and look forward to the next year’s season.

PHOTO by cathy barnes / the herald-news

The 2008 Rhea County High School baseball team is made up of (front row from left) Head Coach Wes Caldwell, Josh Calbaugh, Dewayne Holloway, Chris Gonzalez, Devin Paschal, Aaron Palmer, Ryne Anderson, Tyler Latham, (middle row) Justin Freeman, C.J. Goss, Jamey Paul, Michael Swafford, Jacob Moffett, Jarrod Benton, Joe Zimmerman, Cody Massey, Assistant Coach Pete Webb, (back row) Tanner Leamon, Jacob Swafford, Tyler Miles, Charlie Hester, Ronnie Stracener, Cameron Goins, Kenzie Goins, Tyler Burton and Cameron Tallent. Not pictured are Tyler Jolley and Assistant Coach Mike Davis.

RCHS baseball team preps for challenging season By RYAN SMITH RYAN@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG

As the chill of winter begins to fade away into spring, the Rhea County 2008 Baseball team is hard at work in anticipation of a successful season. Seniors Ryne Anderson, Devin “Devo” Paschal, Jamey “Jimbo” Paul, Tyler Burton, and McMinn

County transfer Tanner Leamon will provide leadership for this years’ squad. Though the Eagles only have twenty-two players on their roster, senior outfielder Ryne Anderson still believes the baseball team can be successful. “We may not have the numbers that we have had in previous years, but I still think

that we will be fine,” he says. Fellow senior Devo Paschal’s analysis of the 2008 team is, “We have a lot of strengths in our defense and a lot of pitchers who can produce day after day. Most of all, we have the heart of warriors, and the will to win.” One major unanswered question is who will be taking the

Equipped with a new coach and eight returning varsity players, the RCHS softball team is ready to kick off another season. Coach Hayes is expecting a lot out of her girls during her first year coaching a RCHS, and a very competitive season to follow up from last year, where they placed second in the district. The eight returning varsity players include Myranda Hughes and Charlie McCuistion (Seniors); Charlie mound for the Golden Eagles in 2008. Fifteen out of the twenty two-players on the roster have been named as potential pitchers. Senior Tyler Burton and Junior Jacob Swafford have the most experience at the position, and will likely spend plenty of time on the mound. After his three-year career at McMinn County High School, transfer Tanner Leaman may be a major contributor at pitcher for the Eagles. “This is the hardest working team that I’ve ever played for. I’m looking forward to the season and hope that I can help out,” said Leaman. The Eagles will rely on “heart” and “will” to make up for what they may lack in depth. When asked about his thoughts on this years’ team and the upcoming season, Golden Eagle head coach Wes Caldwell stated, “We started with forty-eight guys. Only twenty-two of them were willing to pay the price. I’m excited to go to war with those twentytwo.”

Wooden, Jenny Keener, and Katie Freels (Juniors); and Haley Kidd, Cassidy Price, and Chelsea Watson (Sophomores). These returning players should make the team skillful and competitive, as well the teams’ other varsity players: Charity Sanders, Kaycee Davis, Keely Sullivan, Carrie Negron, Jessica Freels, Mary Hickey, Chelcse Morris, and Jessica Holloway. Hayes says the team is looking to match and improve last years’ performance. Check out the schedule and come support our Lady Eagle Softball team. It’s going to be an impressive season!

Eagle soccer team hopes hard training pays off By SARAH HEATH SARAH@RCHSEAGLESNEST.ORG

Earlier this year, the boys soccer team attended a special camp, hosted by Bryan College. It was a week long event full of drills and coaching from college players and Coach Zensen, Bryan’s soccer coach. Freshman Brandon Heath said, “It was a very productive week, I really feel like I learned a lot from Coach Zenson and Bryan College players.” Coach Heath has already seen much improvement since last year’s team. “I’m impressed with this years team,” said Coach Heath, “they have been practicing hard and some of last year’s voids have been filled.” Phat Le has the same outlook, “Compared to last year,” he said, “We have bonded more as a unit and our skill levels have improved and that will prove a challenge to our opposing teams.” The team’s first game is at press time, on March 11.

Opinion Perspective:

Still waiting to get an education? Like many of you out there, I am a student with a job. Also like many of you, I’ve never sat back and thought about how school is affecting my work. Now I know this is the reverse of what our teachers and parents think, because they always say, “Just don’t let this job affect ALEX your school GREEN work. Your education is more important.” And it is. What I’m saying, however, is that whether you realize it or not, skills that you acquire throughout your school career are already playing a part in whatever part-time job you may be maintaining, and they certainly will be important when you begin your “real” career. According to the College Board (at collegeboard.com), there are ten key qualities that employers look for in a job prospect, and all of these qualities should be obtained during your schooling. Keep in mind, as well, that these are skills, not just general knowledge. You don’t have to be a walking encyclopedia to have these qualities. First on the College Board’s list: writing skills. Don’t be mistaken, you don’t have to be able to write a “6” paper to get a job. What employers do look for, however, is communication. With almost any job imaginable, you will have to interact with other people. It helps to be able put a sentence together in these situations. You’ll also want to write a decent resumé, send intelligent

e-mails to your boss, and fill out weekly reports correctly. Communication skills are most important in all of these situations. The College Board also places emphasis on speaking skills. We’ve all had to give the age-old book presentation in front of the class, and we’ve all thought it was pointless. But it’s not. Every time you get up in front of the class and speak, you could be working on a skill that can help you in your work. Teamwork skills are third on the list. The ability to work (and work well) with others is important in just about any job. It’s imperative to employers that you can work with others without conflict. No one likes a drama queen (or king). High school can be a place to practice your teamwork skills, or at least discover what your strengths and weaknesses are in this area. Initiative is another important quality that can be practiced at school. Initiative is taking the first step, doing things under your own motivation. I admit that I have problems with this one. I am not the model student, and I certainly don’t always start things when I should. I recently had a conversation with a teacher who said that she hated it when people say they perform better under pressure. She believes that when you run out of time, you have no choice but to do the work, so you do it. I agree, because I’m a procrastinator. I don’t perform better under pressure, I just perform and get it done. In the work place, employers aren’t looking for someone who will stand around until a pile of work builds up to get started. Rather, they want someone who will

start on a task immediately, without a nudge or prod in the right direction. Attention to detail is another desirable trait in an employee. Nobody wants workers who slop around, and can’t be counted on to do a good job. School provides many opportunities to practice and display attention to detail (though it may not always be acknowledged or rewarded). Finally, the College Board names the love of learning as an important trait in an employee. And really, this is what it all boils down to. You have to want it.

You can’t just show up to school every day and expect to leave educated. You can take all the standardized tests the state has to offer, and not leave school ready to face the real world because learning is not memorizing something and reproducing answers on a test. It’s not filling in the right bubble. Learning is something you do, not something that happens to you. Even if you think a class is a waste of time, chances are you can find something to learn, or some way to stretch yourself. The next time you have an assignment where you have to write

a paper, speak in front of the class, work in a group, or get a head start on your own time, remember that you could be acquiring skills that may prove worthwhile someday. It’s not necessarily the content that’s crucial (though it’s certainly important), but the process, and what you learn about yourself through it that’s important. And make it a point to learn when you come to school. Don’t come and wait to be “educated.” Take initiative, pay attention, and walk away from each school day a smarter and wiser person than you were when you came started. Make the most of this time.

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Bethany Hamilton began surfing as a child and at age 11 participated in her first competition. Her plans of becoming a pro surfer were seemingly ended at age 13 when she was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark on October 31, 2003 while surfing near Tunnels Beach in Hawaii. She lost her left arm just below her shoulder and miraculously survived the attack. Within months, Bethany was back on her surfboard. She continues to pursue her dream of becoming a professional surfer and has entered numerous contests. She won 5th place at the 2004 National Scholastic Surfing Association Nationals Championships, has made the finals in several other events, and has won three contests. Her determination to rise above adversity continues to inspire the people around her.

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Timely advice by wiLl garrison and tyler humphrey, with special guest lauren collins