Redhawk Times January 2014

REDHAWK TIMES

WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL Blythewood, South Carolina

Blythewood Parade p.3

Westwood Serves p.4-5

Winter Sports p.7

RT INSIDE

RT January 2014 Vol. II, No. 2

2013 Year in Review While not a complete list of events, this Year in Review highlights some of important events that happened here and around the world in 2013.

JANUARY (1/21) At the second Inauguration, President Barack Obama is sworn in as President of the United States for another four years.

FEBRUARY (2/26) George Zimmerman shot and killed seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin, sparking a nationwide debate on race and justice. Using Florida’s Stand Your Ground law as his defense, Zimmerman was acquitted on July 13 of second degree murder in Martin’s death.

MARCH (3/13) White smoke was seen emanating from the Sistine Chapel chimney as the 2013 Papal Convention elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio, an Argentine cardinal and archbishop of Buenos Aires, as the 266th Pope. Bergoglio selected the papal name Frances.

APRIL (4/15) In the midst of the Boston Marathon, two pressure cooker bombs exploded, killing three people and injuring an estimated 264 others. Before the day was out, the FBI identified two Chechen brothers, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, as key suspects and, on April 19, began a city-wide manhunt that ended with one brother dead and Dzhokhar in custody.

Miss Westwood Pageant

The Second Annual Miss Westwood Pageant on Nov. 8 showcased the talents and style of the participants as they sang and danced their way across the stage. The winners are: Miss Westwood - Amanda Fitzgerald; Miss Senior - Aubria Myers; Miss Junior - Alandria Haynes; Miss Sophomore - Brianna Brooks; Miss Freshman - Brooke Bayne; and Miss Grand Talent - Porsha Shepard.

Demystifying computer coding with Hour of Code activities, panels

In conjunction with Computer Science Education Week, both the students and staff participated in Hour of Code activities Dec. 9. A self-guided activity for students of all ages, the programs as part of the Hour of Code required no previous coding experience. Designed in an effort to demystify computer coding, the Hour of Code features online tutorials, lectures from Bill Gates and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and artwork from games like Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies.

Hour of Code activities here included tutorials on writing a first coding program, creating a holiday card and building a game; a professional panel discussion with live-Tweeting; and 3D printing and mobile game development extension activities.News stations WLTX News and WACH Students lined the halls during the Hour of Code, usFox News also featured videos from ing code to creat games and pictures that they could then manipulate. photo by Jalen Tart the activities.

In UN agreement, Syria eliminating chemical weapons

MAY (5/20) This month saw large outbreaks of tornadoes in Texas, Oklahoma and across the Plains states. On May 20, a large EF5 tornado devastated parts of Moore, Oklahoma including a direct hit on an elementary school.

JUNE (6/ 4) First Senior Class of Westwood High School graduated! Congratulations Class of 2013!

JULY (7/15) Twinkies made available again!

Time to once again enjoy that spongy goodness.

AUGUST (8/21) A sarin chemical attack in Syria left more than 1,300 dead and lead to UN resolutions against Syria’s chemical weapons program.

SEPTEMBER (9/10) A magical day as Apple released its iOS 7 upgrade. Students at Westwood got very little done as they rushed to be the first to upgrade their phones. Apple also shared plans for its new iPhone 5C and 5S. OCTOBER (10/1-16) The US Government shut down after Congress failed to enact legislation appropriating funds for the fiscal year 2014. During the shutdown, approximately 800,000 federal employees were indefinitely furloughed, and another 1.3 million had to report to work without knowing when they would get paid.

NOVEMBER (11/23) It’s a boy! The world celebrated the birth of Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge to Prince William and Kate, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The little prince is third in line to the throne of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Great Britain

Ugly Sweater Day

Holiday Dress Up Days provide an opportunity to dig into your granny’s closet and find the ugliest Christmas sweater possible -- then wear it to school with pride. Ugly photo by Jasmine John sweater wearers unite!

DECEMBER (12/5) Nelson Mandela passed away at the age of 95. The South African politician, and philanthropist served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid.

By Ashli White

After a sarin gas attack in August 2013, Syrians agreed to abandon its chemical weapons by June 2014. This is the first major step in a UN Security Council-backed deal to eliminate all of Syria’s chemical weapons by mid-year.

While things had been simmering for a while, the spark was lit in March 2011, when citizens of Deraa took to the streets to protest the arrest of fifteen children. Allegedly, these children were held captive and tortured for writing anti-government graffiti on a wall. The protesters were peaceful but the government reacted violently.

This tragic event marked the beginning of the Syrian Civil War, influenced by a movement called the Arab Spring, which previously helped oust the long-reigning presidents of both Tunisia and Egypt.

In an attempt to counter the violence coming from the government, civilians began organizing rebel forces such as the Free Syrian Army and arming themselves to fight back. The military of the government retaliated, destroying neighborhoods and towns. This jihad (a war fought by Muslims to defend or spread their beliefs; a crusade or struggle) has been going on since 2011, and some experts believe it will not end anytime soon because neither side wants to compromise.

The anti-government forces want President Bashar al-Assad to resign, while pro-government forces want rebels to submit to the government.

RT VOICES

Old Fashioned Dating Habits We Should Make Cool Again Coming to the door to pick someone up Don’t text. Don’t honk (please don’t honk). Park, get out of your car and ring the doorbell. Why? It makes us feel special, and it’ll leave a good impression with the parents. Two birds, one stone.

Dressing up for a date It used to be that people would spend hours getting ready for a date — showering, styling hair, matching socks. Of course, some people still do this but wouldn’t it be great if everyone did? An old t-shirt and jeans is not my idea of a date outfit.

Bringing flowers or a token of affection to the first date My mom tells me that guys would bring her flowers when they picked her up for a date.

Now, this doesn’t need to be exclusively a guy thing but it’s a sweet thing to do, especially on a first date.

Influence doesn’t just involve making lots of money (that helps, of course). It means making an impact on your world, changing things and making a difference. Inspired by Time Magazine’s article, “The 16 Most Influential Teens of 2013”, we picked seven teens we believe are changing the face of our world. If you’ve never heard of them, you will.

Malala Yousafzai, 16

Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, Malala Yousafzai is a strong voice for education, particularly for girls who wouldn’t have a voice otherwise. “I speak for education of every child, in every corner of the world,” she said. In 2012, she was shot in the head in a Taliban assassination attempt while on the bus home from her school in Pakistan. They targeted her because of her activism for better education for girls under Taliban rule. For her work, she was awarded the Sakharv Prize for Freedom of Thought and a Clinton Global Malala Yousafzai’s book I Am Malala, published this Citizen Award.

Missy Franklin, 18

Actually going on a date rather than just “Talking” or “Hanging out” Are we dating or just hanging out? See, we can talk to our friends anytime. We’d like a little more commitment from our significant other.

Holding hands It gives an instant connection, a way to show affection without glomming all over each other. Come on, you know those couples that are attached at the lips? Don’t be that couple.

Unplugging and actually being present Yeah, this one’s hard.

But if we can’t unplug for an hour or two to just be with our honey, then maybe we’re just not that into that person and need to rethink how we’re spending our time.

Ditching the group once in a while We don’t really have to hang out in your parent’s FROG with your friends playing Call of Duty again, do we? *sigh* Romantic Gestures We don’t need diamonds, we don’t need pearls...but we would like you to hold the door for us or help us put on our coat or tell us if we have something caught in our teeth.

Asking permission Don’t assume. Ask first.

year. Image courtesy of Getty Images

As if winning six gold medals at the 2012 Olympics wasn’t enough, Missy Franklin also earned the title of winningest female swimmer ever at a world meet and became the fifth swimmer to capture six or more golds at Worlds or the Olympics. This year, she won the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Sportswoman of the Year award. She entered college this year and swims for her school’s team as an amature, turning down millions of dollars of endorsements to get a college degree.

Ionut Budisteanu, 19

This scientist from Romania designed a low-cost, self-driving car, which won him first place and $75k at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for high school students in May. As opposed to Google’s version, which could cost up to $80k to construct, Budisteanu’s version costs only about $4k to build. Budisteanu mounted a camera to the car and used artificial intelligence technology to identify lanes and road hazards.

Malia Obama, 15

Standing for hours on end with a smile on her face and greeting people, Malia puts the shine on her father’s image as a good parent. President Obama — or, as Malia calls him, Dad — says that his daughters have influenced him in several areas including his stance on gay marriage.

Nick D’Aloisio, 18 Malia Obama at her father’s second inaguration. Image courtesy of Getty Images

What do you do when you’ve created a news-reading and summarizing app like Summly? Well, if you’re Nick D’Aloisio, you sell it to the president and CEO of Yahoo! for a cool $30 million. Not too shabby.

Lorde, 17

After signing with a label at 13, seventeen-year-old Lorde (born Ella Yelich-O’Connor) just released her first album, Pure Heroine. Her song, “Royals”, leapt past Miley Cyrus in September to earn the top spot on iTunes. Just call her Queen Bee.

Dante de Blasio, 16

Sporting his iconic Afro, Dante de Blasio, son of New York’s 109th mayor, outshines his dad on the red carpet with his fashion and flair. President Obama’s even commented on his style. “Dante has the same hairdo as I had in 1978,” Obama said. “Although I have to confess my Afro was never that good. It was a little imbalanced.”

STAFF: Baili Byrd, Emily Correa, Varsha Devarapalli, Tory Ferguson, Abigail Goen, Monique Holland, Taylor Holloway, Katie McCarthy, Michaela Pinapfel, Tempest Polite, Anisah Reed, Alani Thompson, Ashli White, Rebekah Williams

REDHAWK TIMES STAFF 2013-2014

Seven most influential teens of 2013

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Savanna Badman, Destini Evans, Jasmine John, Whitney Johnson, Elizabeth Lara, Wendy Lara, Cozette Reschke, Jalen Tart, Kelvin Williams FACULTY ADVISOR: Mary Brebner Editorial Policy The purpose of the Redhawk Times is to inform the students, faculty and community of Westwood High School of events and issues which affect them. The paper also serves as a communication link between the students of WHS and the community at large. Editorials reflect the opinions of the staff and/or individual journalists and do not necessarily represent the views of the faculty or administration.

The Redhawk Times welcomes submissions, which may be edited for grammar, inappropriate language and length. Please email submissions to mbrebner@richland2.org. Subscriptions are also available. For more information, please contact Ms. Brebner or a member of the staff.

To send a letter to the editor: RedhawkTimesWHS@gmail.com To advertise: mbrebner@richland2.org or 803.691.4049 x36072

the most annoying word of 2013:

WHATEVER ...according to a poll conducted by Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, based in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. We would like to add to that list:

bruh

(or any other version of “bro”)

k

(especially in response to a long paragraph of text)

and, of course...

or nah (as part of a question)

twerk

(really, didn’t Miley kill it for everyone?)

By Michaela Pinapfel & Anisah Reed Why would someone chose to do drugs when it can ruin their life? But people — even those who are supposed to be role models or big influences in teens’ lives — still do it, despite the repercussions.

Drug usage pop up in songs, in tabloids and in everyday life. Celebrities like “partying” and that partying often involves drugs. Last year, singer Frank Ocean said on his Twitter, “hi guys, i smoke pot. ok guys, bye.” Actress Lindsay Lohan has been in and out of rehab since 2007, effectively ruining her career with her addictions. In a recent radio interview, Lady Gaga admitted to smoking 15-20 marijuana cigarettes a day, saying it is a form of self-medication and helps her cope with fame.

Social media also comes into play when it comes to talking about drugs. Visit any social site — there are videos and pictures of people of all ages and backgrounds “showing off” their illegal narcotics. Perhaps they are not thinking about fallout of their actions. Perhaps students do not realize in high school, just like in a workplace and the world beyond school, there can be serious consequences.

For example, say word gets back to the SROs at Westwood that a student posted a video of himself getting high. SROs review the tape and contact the police.

Deputy Rodney Bayne said, “What I do is I contact Narcotics [the Narcotics division of the Sheriff’s Department], let them know about it, give them a heads up what this person is posting and let them know to keep a close lookout on them.

Then I give [Narcotics] their address and any other information.”

Deputy David Long added, “It depends on how recent we can prove that it is.

If it is recent enough we can get a search warrant to search the house, especially

RT NEWS

Despite repercussions, People still choose to use

if they come to school smelling like weed. You forfeit your right and a search can happen anytime.”

Off-campus, however, the school cannot do anything. “Unless I catch them,” Bane added.

The school has a zero tolerance policy regarding possession. If a student is caught with drugs, they will automatically be recommended for expulsion. The circumstances determine how much trouble a student can get in as well. As for posting incriminating photos online, Principal Ralph Schmidt said, “We want to teach our students the proper use of social media. We want our students to be an all-around better people.”

The most popular drugs for students these days? Bane said, “Marijuana and pills: Ritalin, Hydrocodone, oxycodone.” He believes students choose to do drugs because, “I think they are just experimenting and when they get involved, they will keep experimenting. I had a friend of mine who actually told me he started up on marijuana, and built up an immunity to it. Then he tried out crack just to experiment and couldn’t stop. He had to have that high. Sometimes, if he didn’t have the money, he would steal or even sniff glue. Since it wouldn’t affect him any more, he could smoke marijuana like a cigarette.”

For some, hindsight is 20/20 and they would change ever making the choice of doing drugs. Bobby Smith* said, “If I could go back to when I first started smoking marijuana, I would have never done it because it is an addiction.” *Name changed

Marijuana: Rumor vs. Fact There are plenty of misconceptions and rumors floating around about drugs.

While researching and interviewing a wide variety of students for this article, one thing came to light -- there are a lot of wrong ideas about drugs, especially marijuana.

False Statement: Marijuana is the only “pure” drug.

Fact: There is no guarantee that the marijuana you buying off the streets is pure.

Dealers have been known to cut the drug with everything from oregano to PCP. False Statement: Other drugs damage your body, but not weed.

Fact: Marijuana has short term and long term effects. Weed can cause hallucinations, worsen or give anxiety and increase heart rate. It can also interfere with someone’s memory and learning ability. If you are a heavy pot smoker, you can develop similar health problems to that of a cigarette smoker.

False statement: Marijuana is not an addictive drug.

Fact: It is possible to become addicted to marijuana.

False statement: Driving “turned up” is safer than driving drunk.

Fact: Marijuana is a drug that calms and relaxes most people, therefore marijuana reduces someone’s reaction time while driving and dulls their reflexes.

False statement: Marijuana is a gateway drug.

Fact: Not necessarily. People might chose to try a “softer” drug like marijuana to experiment and then chose to experiment with harder drugs, because they are looking for a stronger high. On the other hand, there are many who either stick with marijuana or never pick up another drug in their lives after a one-time use.

Information from the National Institue of Drug Abuse (www.drugabuse.gov)

Don’t let food allergies get in way of good time

By Katie McCarthy

For millions of crazed football fans, a Superbowl party is a way to show their team spirit and eat a ton of yummy food. But for others, a party like that can be a daunting time. It’s not because they dislike football, instead it’s the fear that the food around them will make them deathly ill.

These days, it seems that nearly everything we do revolves around food, and for someone with food allergies, this can be nerve-wracking and embarrassing. So what can you do to help someone with allergies feel included?

When planning a party (or any other sort of social gathering), ask people you’ve invited if they have any allergies. If someone does, try to include food that they can eat. Stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have a wide variety of allergy-free food to choose from. When labeling food for a party, list if they contain any of the eight common allergens: eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.

But what do you do if you’re going to a party where there’s nothing you can eat? Try to eat

before, or pack your own snack to munch on while you’re there. Most hosts set out a small veggie tray, so it’s often your safest bet. If there’s nothing you can eat, just smile and have fun, and no one will notice that you haven’t eaten. No matter what, don’t eat something that will knowingly make you sick. A trip to the hospital is not the best way to end a party.

What can happen if someone accidentally eats something they shouldn’t? They risk having an allergic reaction, which can range from mild to severe. Someone having a mild reaction may become nauseous and develop hives. Keep a close eye on them, as this type of reaction can become serious at any moment. If the reaction becomes severe, symptoms such as difficulty breathing, wheezing, dizziness, slurred speech, and swelling of the face, eyes, or tongue may appear. This serious reaction, commonly referred to as anaphylaxis, can be life threatening. Call 911 immediately, and if the person has any emergency medication, such as an Epi-pen, give it to them.

Fall Harvest Festival

Holiday Chorus Concert

On Oct. 27, Westwood hosted its Second Annual Harvest Joy to the World, the chorus sings, entertaining conFestival for the local community. photo by Whitney Johnson cert-goers on Dec. 17 in the auditorium. photo by Destini Evans

AROUND THE ‘WOOD Veteran’s Day Assembly

The Nov. 8 Veteran’s Day Assembly, coordinated by the JROTC, honored soldiers of US wars as well as fallen solders. assembly photos by Destini Evans

Blythewood Christmas Parade

Despite cold, wet weather, Redhawks turned up for the annual Blythewood Christmas Parade Dec. 8. With ten entries, Westwood organizations showed parade goers what it means to get Redhawky. parade photos by Cozette Reschke

Wishes of Westwood

photo by Cozette Reschke

photo by Cozette Reschke

photo by Baili Byrd

“Since not everybody has money that they can give when asked, we are seeing what we can DO for our neighboring community with our time.”

-Senior Brianna Temple Student Body President

photo by Lizzie Lara

WES

SE

Kee loc sc comm effo

Cleaning Up Doku Meadows

photo by Cozette Reschke

Keeping things local is the name of the game for service projects this year. “Our biggest concern is the time we give and the impact we make on others,” said senior Ebony English, Student Body Vice President.

“Every contribution that comes from our school is going to be donated to businesses in the Blythewood community,” Student Body President Brianna Temple said.

“What we would like to see this year in the size of donations is for it to just grow this year and increase as each year goes by. The traditions of Westwood are still building up and I can’t wait to see how donations will increase in years to come.”

Despite the class competitions and promises of pizza for the most donations, giving isn’t just about getting. English said, “I would like to see people give, not for the incentives, but because they want someone besides themselves to be happy.”

In the first semester alone, Westwood has come together to fulfill the “Westwood Serves” slogan. “This year we have helped churches in our community by coming and cleaning, collecting clothes, and collecting non perishable items for 5 different food banks,” said English. “We’re trying to go to nursing homes, to sit and give our time to those who will greatly appreciate our efforts and may not have people who visit them. We talked to our local animal shelter, and we’re donating to them blankets and newspapers.”

Last year, Student Government did a lot of heavy lifting when it came to collecting items for donation. But this year, it’s an all-out drive to get the whole school involved in not only Wishes of Westwood but all Westwood Serves projects. “We are trying to get more clubs involved instead of just having Student Government doing everything and its working out great,” Temple said. “Since not everybody has money that they can give when asked, we are seeing what we can DO for our neighboring community with our time.”

English hopes to lead by example. She said, “My goal is simple. I want to make an impact on at least one person’s life so that I may ignite a spark in them, and they can pass the love along.”

-Senior Ebony English Student Body Vice President

RT FEATURES

“Let’s make Westwood a community school, not just a school in the community.” photo by Cozette Reschke

Keeping it local, Making a difference

photo by Baili Byrd

STWOOD

ERVES

eping things cal focus of chool-wide munity service orts this year

Donating

photo by Baili Byrd

photo by Baili Byrd

The school hosted its Second Annual Wishes of Westwood Holiday assembly on Dec. 13 to celebrate all that students and faculty do during the year. The We Believe - All aboard the Redhawk Express focused on community service and keeping giving local.

Students brought in 77,466 servings of non-perishable food for the Christian Assistance Bridge in Blythewood.

Muller Road Middle School brought in 4,589 servings, beating Longleaf Middle for the Second Annual Battle of the Cans award.

Redhawks also brought in over 1,000 clothing items for Tricia’s Trunk, a thrift shop located at Sandy Level Baptist Church.

Blythewood Animal Hospital recieved newspapers, blankets and towels for the animals at the hospital.

After earning the most money for the Carolina Sunshine for Children’s Make a Wish foundation, Coach Tyler Havird and Coach Keith West “earned” the priviledge of dancing in tutus during the assembly. The $516 was then donated in honor of Amelia, a student at Lake Carolina Elementary School with a terminal illness.

Students and faculty members also hosted a party for the 100 foster kids they sponsored this holiday season.

This school year, Redhawks are focused on keeping it local and making a difference in the surrounding community. Some other local projects include: Adopt-A-Highway clean-up Amazing Feats Bethel-Hanberry fire prevention week training Bow Ties and Blue Eyes Brett’s Rainbow Career and Fire Safety at Blythewood & Longleaf Cleaned up facilities for CAB in Blythewood Collected blankets & other items for animal shelters Doko Meadows cleanup Donated food to Westwood Food Pantry Fire Safety training at Westwood Harvest Festival

Volunteering

photo by Savannah Badman

Lunch and Food Collection Mentoring at Kelly Mill Middle School New to Two teacher orientation assistance Packed backpacks of food for homeless students Prepared & delivered 200 Thanksgiving meals Repaired science stools Rice Estates Nursing Home Christmas Cards Thanksgiving meal & food drive Town of Blythewood Christmas Tree Lighting Uni-Health Post-Acute Care Center United Way Vive Church 5K Wreaths Across America – Ft. Jackson National Cemetery

FALL SPORTS Football Volleyball Golf Tennis Cross Country

WRAP UP

Girls Golf

Football

By Abigail Goen

During the inagural season of the girls golf team, five athletes hit the links, led by Head Coach Michael Dobreski.

“I thought the worst part was going to be the walking, but you get to see so much, and you basically get to clear your mind,” Autumn Walters, senior, said. Walters said she would like to play golf for fun when she is in college as well.

“This is my first year playing for an actual golf team, but I have played before with my dad,” Sophomore Jordann Patton said. “I enjoy playing golf. I love playing the sport, and it also teaches me life lessons.”

“Yeah, I really did like it. You know, I was like ‘Oh, I don’t even know if I’m gonna like it’, because you know how you see it on tv and it looks so boring but once you start playing it, it’s so much fun. I really did enjoy it,” Walters said.

“I like it, it’s a really good sport, it’s really soothing,” Ashli White, sophomore, said.

In the off-season, most of them plan to get better. “I might practice a little bit. I don’t know if I’m going to play in college; I’m going to be running track, so I’m trying to focus on other things too, but I do plan on maybe pursuing it in college,” Walters said.

“I plan to get better and be the best out of my entire team.

That’s my goal,” White said.

Tennis

By Tory Ferguson and Emily Correa The tennis team made some changes this year including adding senior Jackie Carter as their new team captain and bringing on several new members. “We have a couple new players, new uniforms and our skill as a team has gotten better,” said sophomore Alexandria Mitchell.

Head Coach Ramona Gonzalez said they improved greatly since last season, and their techniques have improved also.

“My favorite moment was during my first game against Ridge View. It was my first game ever, and we won,” junior Emily Correa said.

“They were always well prepared and even though they didn’t always win, they had fun as a team,” said Gonzalez.

“During the off-season, I go to conditioning. We practice tennis, we go running, and we go to the weight room,” Correa said.

“The team has worked hard and I’m excited to see more improvements next year,” Gonzalez said.

Cross Country

By Alani Thompson & Taylor Holloway After a lot of miles, the cross country team made it to the State Finals for the second year. Junior Eric Lewis believes it has been a progressive season. “We worked really hard over the summer to get where we are now, and I’m proud of my team” said Lewis adding that, even though they placed ninth, the team worked hard and raced to the finish.

Freshman Emma Howe said that she improved tremendously.

She said from her first meet to her last there was a two minute time difference and that her coach really helped her do that along with some self motivation.

In her first meet, freshman Ciera Bradford said she did not do so well but, by her last meet and with the help of her coach, she improved, knocking five minutes off her time. Her personal record (PR) for the 5k was 24 minutes. She said that her coach would push them to just below their breaking point but not completely break them adding that he always encouraged them to keep pushing and, because of that, they finally got there.

Junior Trevon King was excited about making it to State during his first year with the team. “ I felt legit running in state finals,” said King. “Running with all of my friends makes the experience of my first year more enjoyable. We did a really good job and we tried our hardest.”

Last year, the team placed 12th in the State Finals. This year, ninth place. “If we work even harder, we could make it all the way and be first in the State,” said Marcus McNear, junior.

Head coach Brice Mann said, “I really enjoy working with my cross country team. We all got out there and worked really hard. We tried our hardest and we went above everyones expectations. I look forward to have a even better season next year.”

By Tempest Polite

“In every way, this season was better than our first season. This season was about winning, the team, and chemistry. The first season was about making Westwood a family,” said team captain Christian Brown, senior. After a 6-4 regular season, the team finished the post-season in the second round of the playoffs.

Coach Richard Bonneville said he was happy with this year’s team.

“I am proud of this year’s team because they learned that winning is as important as bonding. This year’s team became a family, and I am proud of them. I see my players being successful.” He added, “I will miss my seniors, but I hope they continue to play football, while I continue to build a new family here at Westwood.”

Though they didn’t win as many games as he’d hoped, Brown is still Senior Adonis Lee flies through the air to make a catch as the ball slips through the fingers of the opposing team’s defense. photo by Wendy Lara proud. “I think going up against Chapin was a challenge. We were going back and forth, and it felt like we were going up against ourselves.”

Happy with their winning season, senior Terrance Anderson thinks Fairfield gave his team the time of their life, forcing them to put up a big fight. “We are already a great team; we’ll just continue to get better and better every second, minute, hour, day, week, month, season and year.” He added his loyalty remains with Westwood because the school gave him chances not many other schools would.

“Seniors stepped up this year, and we wanted as many wins as everybody else. So, what’s left to do is graduate and kiss Westwood goodbye. But I will never forget about my family here,” Brown said.

By Rebekah Williams

Volleyball

Teamwork is important, especially if you participate in a sport. Three of the team’s players gave some “behind the scenes” information on how the season played out.

Amanda Stewart, senior and team captain, thought the season went well. “We all wish we could have made it farther in the playoffs.” Senior Victoria Houghton and junior Jordan Jones, team captain, and second MVP, agree.

Most of the players said that the Chapin game was their favorite. Jones said, “It was the best game we played all season. We almost beat them, and they are second in our region. They [Chapin] said that it was the hardest game they played all year. It was the toughest one but I really enjoyed it.”

JV player Sondre Taylor, junior, said, “The season was great and fun but very short.” According to Taylor, there were quite a few of challenges along the way as well.

“Volleyball isn’t for everyone. It takes hard work, dedication and perseverance.” There were also a lot of negative comments coming from the other schools. “I didn’t like that fact that they would do that and we were already nervous for the game.”

The seniors have some advice for their teammates: Be in sync with the team and cheer for each other.

Houghton said, “Cheering shows that you care about the game, you want to win, you are having fun, and that you support your teammates. It isn’t about playing for yourself, it’s for the benefit of the team.”

The off-season brings new challenges for the team and its individual players. Stewart, Houghton and Jones say they plan to get stronger and maybe play club volleyball to Sophomore Morgan Britt makes a flying leap to tip the ball over the net stay on their game. while teammates and seniors Jasmyne English and Victoria Houghton are poised to help. photo courtesy of Scott Houghton

Next year’s move from 3A to 4A means facing tougher region, working hard to keep momentum

By Baili Byrd

The football team’s “Revenge Tour” came to an end as the Redhawks finished regular season 6-4 and progressed to the second round of the playoffs.

Next year, Westwood will be bumped up from 3A to 4A, meaning the new region will consist of Blythewood, Ridge View, Spring Valley, Dutch Fork and Lugoff Elgin.

“There are classifications based on the number of kids in each school, 4A being the largest,” explained Athletic Director Jason Powell. “Usually the cut-off line for 4A is about 1,425 students and they’re predicting our school to be up there next year, which is why we’re moving up.”

The effects of this move doesn’t stop at Westwood — another school in the district is being affected.

“Basically we’re switching places with Richland Northeast. Their enrollment has dropped, so they’ll move into our spot at region four, 3A and we’ll move up to theirs,” Powell said.

All sports at Westwood are affected by this move but, for football specifically, 4A teams typically have more students participating. Powell said“We have a

lot of kids participating in football here. There are over 150 kids who dress out, including Varsity, JV, and B-Team. Numbers-wise, there’s more kids participating [in 4A] because the schools are larger and there’s more involvement.”

“It’ll be tougher. We’ll get some good teams in our region. But we’ve been doing pretty good so I think we’ll be able to compete with them next year, too,” said Powell. Head Football Coach Rodney Summers agreed. “Our non-region schedule this year was a 4A schedule, so we should be used to playing 4A teams. Our guys know they can compete with them.”

Not only is Westwood moving up to a 4A region, but are also losing many key players with the 2014 graduating class. “That’s the one thing that scares me — losing guys like Raymond Hall, Anthony Friday and Tyriek Bell on defense is gonna be hard. We’ve gotta fill those holes next season: Replacing Anthony Curry and starting tackles Marlon Reese and James Fannin for offense and, of course, Christian Brown, our run-

Athletic Director focuses on key values, teamwork for department

By Baili Byrd “I’ve always had it in the back of my mind… I just couldn’t pass it up. You never know when you’d be given something like it again.” Athletic Director Jason Powell said that he always thought he’d be a basketball coach for 20 to 30 years before even thinking about becoming an AD. But when Principal Ralph Schmidt offered him the opportunity, he just couldn’t pass it up.

Powell graduated from Lander University with a major in Physical Education. “I knew since high school that I wanted to coach basketball, but was disappointed that there wasn’t a major in coaching. I would’ve had to become a teacher in order to coach, and teaching was not what I wanted to do. I actually ended up loving it and enjoyed getting to interact with the kids. I didn’t realize that until I had to do student teaching.” He later earned his Masters in Sports Administration, which enabled him to become an AD. While studying at Lander, Powell met Leigh, his wife. They have two daughters, Callie, a recent Blythewood High School graduate, and Natalie, a student at Blythewood Middle School. “We love spending quality time together, being outdoors, and doing practical jokes.”

Before becoming the AD at Westwood, Powell worked various positions in the Physical Education department. “I taught PE my first ten years in education at Forest Lake Elementary, and my first seven years in coaching were spent as an Assistant Coach at Richland Northeast High School before I became Head Coach at Spring Valley for one year. I then returned to be Head Coach at RNE for 11 years before coming to Westwood. RNE has always been ‘home’ for me, but sometimes you just need a change.”

Being an Athletic Director is very different than being a coach. While both jobs are important, an AD has many more responsibilities that often go unmentioned. “As far as what my job is, I’m actually still learning.” Powell laughed. “The major things are making sure there’s opportunities for all students to participate in athletics and making sure all our players are eligible. We also have to hire good coaches that can not only coach but mentor our students. It’s different being over them, as a sort of ‘boss’-figure, but I see it as an opportunity to help grow others by sharing my experiences.”

During his first year here as AD, Coach Powell already established a key focus on the Athletic Department’s core values. They are: discipline, sacrifice, hard work, and accountability. “My main goal is for all of the coaches to work together to make sure that we help instill these values in our athletes and prepare them for life outside of sports.”

Powell has big plans for the future of Redhawk Athletics including a higher number of successes. “Of course, everyone wants to do well, and I want us to do well, but it’s going to be a challenge. I was really hoping we would stay 3A for our first couple years to establish our sports and get a chance to do well, but since we’ll be 4A next school year, its going to be a new adjustment. We’ll still be competitive, but it’ll be difficult.”

RT SPORTS

Movin’ on up...from 3A to 4A

ning back. If I had those guys moving with me I’d feel a lot better,” said Summers.

Senior Christian Brown disagreed. “It doesn’t mean anything. There are more juniors than there are seniors, and there is a lot of experience within the class of 2015. Some are already leaders such as Bradley Carter, Adonus Lee, Anthony Douglas and Stephen Timmons. Key players have to be replaced in every special program. Westwood will be fine.”

“I think next season is just gonna be another year of rebuilding our team,” said sophomore right guard Torrey Boone. “I think we’re still gonna have a good season.

We’re just gonna have to work harder and get stronger to prepare to face some tough opponents.”

Junior defensive end Bradley Carter agreed. “Next year, I believe we need to work on our fundamentals, getting back to the basics. We’re already stronger, faster and more disciplined than last year. If we work on our fundamentals, getting better at what we’re already good at, we’ll be a force to be reckoned with in 4A.” Brown added, “I’m not worried. Westwood will be ready to play.”

WINTER BOYS&GIRLS SPORTS BASKETBALL UPDATE WRESTLING Though the season just recently started, the wrestling team has already defeated the #2 and #9 ranked teams in 2A and 3A. On Dec. 17, the boys basketball team won again 60-29 over Chapin, going to 6-0 on the season. In the Coaches’ Poll taken right before winter break, they jumped up to #2 in the state after starting the season unranked.

In the Charelston Invitational Tournament, the girls basketball team topped North Myrtle Beach in the championship round with Kaylah Cohen leading all scorers with 20 points.

Sophomore Jordan Watson goes up for the rebound in the game against Spring Valley. photo by Kelvin Williams

Working hard for the take-down, sophomore Richard Hall gets a firm grip on his opponent during a match. photo by Wendy Lara

Resolutions 1 2 Get Organized

Lose Weight

4

3 Spend Less & Save

Enjoy Life

5

6

Stay Fit & Healthy

Learn Something New

8

7

Quit Smoking

Help Others

10

9 Fall In Love

More Family Time

How long do most resolutions last?

Resolutions Maintained: 75% Through First Week 71% Past Two Weeks 64% Past One Month 46% Past Six Months

45% 38% of of 17% Americans Americans of make Americans never make New Year’s infrequently New Year’s Resolutions Resolutions make New Year’s Resolutions Source: University of Scranton, Journal of Clinical Psychology

RT 2014

Top 10 New Year’s

2014 Redhawk Resolutions

Keep the money I make and not spend it all every time.

-Brianna Brooks, sophomore Not be as big a procrastinator as last year.

-Kevin Holloway, senior Create a stronger bond with my friends.

-Kayla Atkins, junior Try and improve in school, like, actually do my work and not wait until the last minute.

-Michaela Pinapfel, sophomore My goals for 2014 include bettering myself both educationally and socially. As I will be going to college in the fall this year, I will need to step up my efforts to get things done--which means no more procrastinating! I would also like to become more social and to stop relying on my computer and cell phone for communicating with others. Being a socially awkward person isn’t fun! I’d also like to try things that I would never usually try.

-Brittney Moore, senior To finish writing my book.

-Breanna Rivera, freshman To get a job and start making my own money. I probably want to make honor roll once this year, too.

-Tahja Boulware, senior To accomplish goals that would exceed the steps of my ancestors. Many times, we want to live up to the standards of our ancestors but, when the goals are met, you have nothing left to reach for. So, I would like to exceed the steps of my ancestors by studying, working hard, being positive, and never giving up.

-Rebekah Holliman, sophomore To be nicer to people.

-Ashli White, sophomore To learn to not care so much what people think about me and love who I am.

To be a leader, not a follower.

-Jada Ravenell, freshman Strive to be less basic. Get to school on time.

-Anisah Reed, sophomore I never make one because I can’t keep them but I guess I could be nicer.

-Wesley Randolph, senior To be a better person than I was last year and to try and make my life bettter and help people in my life make their lives better as well.

-Kristen Lincoln, sophomore To become a better cheerleader; to do better in school; to practice my flute more; to enjoy my freshman year.

-Calysta Manigo, freshman To become a better me. Never allow anyone to walk over me. To become more headstrong!

-Talaya McClain-Jennings, senior To wrestle Varsity for Westwood my sophomore or junior year and to also make all A’s in one of the nine weeks.

-Nick Hooks, sophomore Become a better person outside and inside the classroom.

-Bradley Carter, junior To work harder and get better grades.

-Kristle Rodgers, freshman I want to start making my own decisions for my own reasons. Very soon, I will have to make a lot of choices that will be life-changing and I want to make sure they’re the changes I want to happen.

-Aubria Myers, senior This year, in 2014, I just want to be a better person for myself. I want to be more motivated and determend towards my schoolwork and personal life as well. I want to spend more time investing in the things that I love to do...I will try to communicate with a more positive group of friends...I will volunteer ...I want to get more involved with my community this year. My most important resolution for 2014 is to bemore more improved than I was in 2013.

-Dasha Miller, sophomore Learn how to accept constructive criticism; work on my temper; give back more than less; encourage more.

-Tishawn Harrison, junior Get more exercise than I did in 2013; get accepted into the college I want (USC Columbia); make the best grades I can so a college will accept me; get good at math; make this year better than last year!

-Allen Burke, junior To graduate from Westwood; go to college; lose weight.

-Kayla Adams, senior Since I am an exchange student here at WHS, one of my important resolutions is experiencing more American culture, socitey using my own vision of the world and getting memorable, incredible and great experiences from my high school and learning new things/skills from my USA teachers and friends.

Kholida Khaldarova, junior To become a better wrestler and football player.

-Mason East, freshman Stop leaving my dirty clothes lying in the middle of the floor. I’ll leave them on the kitchen table, where they’re easier to reach.

-Alyssa Castelluccio, junior Be a better overall person and keep my GPA up for the second semester.

-Alicia Parson, freshman