Commodore Cruiser September 2016 Issue by The Commodore Cruiser

September 2016

Volume 51, Issue 1

THE

Commodore CRUISER @DORESCRUISER

What’s it like being the mascot? Find out on page 9

Did Oxford High School ditch their dresscode? Find out on page 2

Did you hear about this story? Read more on page 5

Commodores tackle the Oxford Chargers at the Crosstown Classic Sept. 9, 2016

Commodores bring back the legacy by La’Keirra Owens

With a huge loss 17-26 to Horn Lake, Lafayette Commodores are stopping at nothing to end this year with a bang, going into this week with big plans on their mind. To beat Grenada, was all that’s was on their agenda, because they can’t afford to lose especially with their old time rivals hitting the scene next week. On Sept. 9, 2016, Lafayette Commodores played Oxford Chargers at Oxford High School.

With a week of planning and training Coach Michael Fair has stopped at nothing to make his team better, because it was time to bring back the legacy. “We’re working hard and putting people in positions they would be good in, last week we got real close but we’re ready to get back on the field,” Fair said. Coach Carter Norris, another new coach on the scene, had nothing but encouraging words to say.

“I think we have one of the best teams in the state and we just need to showcase our talent,” Norris said. With the game hours away, all the students, teachers and staff members gathered together in the gym to attend a pep rally. Even with the few technical problems that occurred, that didn’t stop most of the students from cheering and supporting their football team. Excitement filled the

crowd that night at the game, students and parents cheering on the Commodores. The Commodores gave it there everything because they knew this was their last chance to make it right, to take back what was theirs. Jamarcus Quarles, running back, scored two touchdowns to put the Commodores in the lead. “It felt wonderful, you know the team carried me on their backs and I just followed the hole and ex-

ecuted and when I saw a hole I just ran, I fed off of my offensive of line, ” Quarles said. With a blow out of 23-3, Lafayette finally achieved their goal. Not only did it take training and planning it took teamwork, because like the old legend says, “There’s no I in team”. “I thought we played well together, I don’t think there was like any individual performances that stood out because everybody executed as a team,”

Clown sightings across the nation by Samantha Rayburn & Natalie Boone

The first sighting of creepy clowns was reported in Greenville, South Carolina, on Aug. 21,where people saw a clown with white facepaint trying to lure children into the woods. Sightings like this have been appearing across the United States, but most have been reported in cities from South Carolina to Georgia. Despite this first report, in July of 2015, a person dressed as a clown was caught on camera climbing a fence surrounding a Chicago cemetery and waving at people. It was only recently that these sightings have become frequent. Another instance include an 11-year-old girl

was arrested at a school in Athens, Georgia, on September 16 for carrying a knife with her. She told police that she needed the weapon to protect herself and her family against the clowns. The closest sighting to LHS students took place in Water Valley on September 17, when a woman called the local police station, saying that she saw a clown lurking in her backyard. However, the clown was gone when the police arrived due to elder children chasing it into the woods. The most recent incident happened on September 21, four teenagers in Georgia have been charged with terrorist threats after allegedly posting Face-

book messages claiming to abduct children while dressed as clowns. These clowns have allegedly been seen carrying machetes, but others report simply seeing them standing in place and staring at people. Many of these sightings were revealed to be simple pranks. It is unsure what the motive of these clowns are, though rumors of kidnappings have been circulating. These reports bring on many worries due to the fast approach of Halloween, when people can openly dress as clowns without much suspicion and children are allowed to roam around neighborhoods in search of candy.

Clown spotted in Wisconsin on security footage.

Quarles said. On Friday Sept 16, 2016, the Commodores took on Louisville at LHS William L. Buford Stadium and ended that game with a win of 42-7. The Commodores are on a roll and they are stopping at nothing to succeed. Next up, the ‘Dores face Charleston on Friday, Sept. 23 at Lafayette High School at 7 pm.

Student News The Commodore Cruiser 2 The The news on what’s behind the counter Commodore by Brook Savage Plain hats, caps, cow- Salads are healthy, so the students. Davis is over menus through an all year Our sodium intake for the Cruiser boy hats and oh more hats. what’s stopping Lafayette four whole schools main- process, but last year the high school must be less

“He wears a lot of hats,” says the intern, Lauren Black. Not just the hats you wear on your head, metaphorically speaking of the different jobs he’s had Staff to do for 15 years. Mark Natalie Boone Davis, the food director Elaina Dickerson of Lafayette High School, Javieus Lyons is considering a salad bar. Destiny Mooneyham For all you lettuce lovers Madeline Mulkey out there, Davis is willMary Kate Newman ing to make a change to La’Keirra Owens LHS’s menu by adding a Samantha Rayburn salad bar. Brook Savage Lafayette’s rival, OxElla Rose Scott ford High School, has the Katie Shoffner option of a salad bar to Katie Sicks go along with their food. Hannah Vanderwall Ninth grader Emily HesDontavius Webb ter says, “Oxford’s food tastes fine, but the lunch Adviser: Marisa Atkinson Principal: Dr. Glenn Kitchens lines are bad because the lines are long. Which usually means people don’t Editorial Policy have enough time to eat,” The views and opinions expressed in this paper are Hester said. “You have options between what of an editorial narture and do not necessarily represent they’re serving versus the the views of the Cruiser staff, salad/potato bar,” she added. advisors, school faculty, or administrators of the Lafayette County School District. Guest editorials may be submitted to the Cruiser and will be publishned to according to available space and relevnce. Annonymous submissions will not be considered.

Lafayette High School 160 Commodore Dr. Oxford, MS 38655 (662) 234-3614

Monday

from getting one? Davis has to get all the participation of the students to be able to afford keeping the salad bar. If there is no assurance that kids will keep coming back for salad, then money will go to waste. “When anything is new everybody is going to come to it, but after a while it will start to die down,” Davis said. Oxford High gets way more income because they are a city school, while we are a county school. So, maybe Lafayette can’t afford our own personal panned pizza, or chicken egg rolls, but the schools do have five whole recipe books that tells what is allowed. All of Lafayette’s funds go towards the food at Lafayette, although we get no money from the district, we gain from the federal reimbursement and extra sales made by

taining menus, ordering, and making sure there is no problems involving the employees. Davis worked at the University of Mississippi previously, and worked the concessions at football stands. The word was spread around that there was an opening for food services at Lafayette High, and that’s how his job came to be. Many students complain about the foods that schools serve, but, “Mississippi is one of the states that is better in this category,” says Black. There are guidelines that Lafayette has to abide by, and if broken money can be lost from our schools. For each school (LES, LMS, LHS) there are certain requirements for what has to be contained in each lunch. If these requirements are not met in each meal, then Lafayette’s money could be taken away. Davis works on the

managers of Lafayette were taking care of that. This year all of the foods listed below need to be inputted into the menu, or else if there is a nutritional analysis on the computer the guidelines might not be met if the menu strays from the required foods. There are five types of vegetables that will need to be split among the week: dark green, red/orange, beans/peas, starchy, and other. Grains and bread in Lafayette must be offered in whole grain rich, and one cup of fruit every day. Milk is the only beverage offered other than water in 1%, fat free flavored, or unflavored. Meats or meat alternatives have to be served in the main dish, or as the main dish. Students also have problems with the sodium count. “Why are we not allowed to have salt on the side,” asks Calvin Oaks, a sophomore of Lafayette High.

than or equal to 1420mg, which is required by the United States Department of Agriculture. A lot of work goes into keeping the records of food services straight, and that is why Davis gets interns from Ole Miss every two weeks. Black was the lucky woman to get to wash her hands with Davis from Aug. 15th-24. “Mississippi as a state has some of the most cunning edge lunches through the United States. The recipe books “Mississippi Recipes for Success” is an exception, people in the rest of the United States don’t have these resources, or people that come in on their free time to cook from scratch,” said Black.

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Friday

photo by www.johnsoncontrols.com of Oxford High

Oxford ditches dresscode by Ella Rose Scott

At the beginning of the new school year, Oxford High School dropped most of their dress code due to inconsistencies. Due to popular controversy that Oxford High dropped the entirety of their dress code, that’s actually not the case at all, although they did drop a large portion. Bradley Roberson, OHS’ principal, says, “We do have statements in our dress code, the first and last sentence, that we really try to enforce,” those statements are “Clothing and general appearance are not to cause a disturbance or interfere with the instructional program, clothing and general appearance must not constitute a health or safety hazard. Students shall not dress in any manner reasonably deemed to be inappropriate and destructive to the learning process are determined by the school principal.” Both of these statements basically say the same things, do not be distractive. “We found that our dress code is really complex and we found that with the complexity it was difficult for our teachers and staff members to be consistent,” Roberson said. Teachers and staff members would send students to Roberson’s office and it would be two completely different levels of strictness, which Roberson felt should

be eliminated. Dr. Kitchens, the Lafayette High School principal, also a supporter of this dress code, said, “If we could just have one page in the handbook that said ‘act right’ that would be fine with me. If we just had that, then everything that comes up, somebody has to take time to make a decision anytime there’s a question.” Kitchens also explained the confusion that LHS’ campus would have with the policy. Roberson also states, “We’re here to teach kids and to do that, we need kids in class.” In Roberson’s opinion, taking kids out of class because of their dress is unnecessary. Many students at LHS believe the same as Roberson, but many oppose thinking that it is very distracting and should be stopped. Although LHS still has a dress code, Dr. Kitchens says, “Students show responsibility wearing appropriate clothes to school.”

The hands of a student that has witnessed peer pressure first hand Appropriate

Do this, do that Teens constantly pressure peers by Madeline Mulkey

Inappropriate

“Hey, let’s try smoking” is one of the many sentences that begins peer pressure. Peer Pressure is influence of an observer, who are encouraged to follow their attitudes,values, or behaviors. Peer Pressure includes. but is not limited to asking people to do drugs, alcohol, or even smaller things like letting them cheat off you during a test, the list is endless these days. Multiple students have been telling teachers and even the counselor about their situations. “Multiple times I have been asked to take drugs or even skip class” Kayla Burns reported. “They want you to do it but, at the same time you don’t want to do it which makes you feel like a bad person.” If someone approaches someone

else wanting them to do something wrong such as smoking or doing drugs. Always say no because peer pressure can ruin lives and put you on a bad path through life. “When I was in 6th grade this boy in the bathroom offered some weed and I’ve always been a good person so of course I said no”, Burns said,”I regret not telling anyone but I didn’t want anyone to get in trouble.” There are many ways to tell someone no or telling a teacher about these things. Tell them no or find some friends to associate with them. Always report the actions to a teacher or a parent so they know what is going on and they can put a stop to it. Never keep quiet about situations that can damage self esteem and reputations

with friends. If it gets serious report the actions to the principle to immediately put an end to the whole situation. Remember to never accept peer pressure, don’t take drugs, don’t skip class, and never keep quiet about it.

SStudent News

The Commodore Cruiser

Hallways filled to capacity

Do it for the Veterans by Destiny Mooneyham

by Natalie Boone

The hallways of LHS during transitioning from classes. The returning students of Lafayette High School have noticed that a surplus of new students have arrived at the school, not including the well-anticipated freshmen. There are currently more than 68 new students in the system. Complaints of cramped hallways have been exchanged amongst students and teachers alike since school resumed on August 5th, 2016. Rumors of overcrowding have been thrown about, but it would appear that they are not mere rumors. “As long as I’ve been here, I never remember registering this many students,” said Rebekah Babb, one of the school counselors. “So that is concerning because that is a new record. I hope that our school administrators are looking at building in the future, because it looks like we’ll be needing that.” “The addition of a new bell and a fourth lunch period has helped tremendously with overcrowding in the Commons in the mornings and throughout the day. At the moment, when everybody is here, every room is filled with students,” said Glenn Kitchens, the principal of LHS. “There is not an empty room anywhere unless a teacher happens to be in their planning period,

and we have at least one teacher who doesn’t have room and who moves from different classrooms when people aren’t teaching.” There are currently no plans for building a new building for Lafayette High School, but there is a focus on a new elementary building. Nothing has yet been confirmed. “It’s just been a great start, the student body has been incredibly kind. They’ve been gracious and understanding and patient,” said Kitchens. “They’ve just realized ‘Hey, this is where we are, I’m not going to get to Room 30 any faster, so I may as well not get all worked up about it. I think the student body has been very supportive. And you know, maybe everyone does really want to be a Commodore, so they’re all coming here. And we want that because all of those new students bring something. They bring a whole new perspective to us. We get to embrace them and embed them into our culture, and that changes our culture. It makes it better.”

The loss of a loved one can be very tragic, but losing them to suicide can be even worse. It can be very tough for family members all over the world who have lost a loved one to suicide for reasons like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, is when someone has seen or experienced something traumatic. A U.S. Army veteran from Wyoming, Michigan, Nate Koehn, launched a challenge for everybody to support those who risked their lives. The 22 Push-Ups for 22 Days challenge is to raise awareness for veterans that have been lost to suicide. “Twenty-two is the magic number and I say magic lightly, because it’s the number of veterans that commit suicide every day because of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Chris Gunter, a senior at LHS, said. Gunter posts videos on Facebook of the challenge every day that he can. He challenges at least one person each day. “I wish I could challenge my dog, because Beast would be amazing at it. But I can’t,” Gunter said. “A lot of the people in my family are veterans. My mom’s father has PTSD and he would talk to my uncle, which was his son, like he was his buddy from war. So, I guess part of me is doing it because I care about him very much. I just want to let him know that

I’m there for him.” Gunter said, with a lump in his throat. People all over the world have been doing this as a way to tell veterans that they have their backs. “I think the program is good because it raises awareness of the problem that many veterans face when they either come home from deployment or simply are released from duty. Many of them have no real support system,” Cam McLaughlin, a U.S. Navy veteran and history teacher at LHS, said. McLaughlin explains that he believes that raising awareness is always a good thing. “Raising awareness is certainly different than doing something actively to prevent from happening. I think that’s the line that can be drawn, I think awareness only goes so far,” McLaughlin said. He was a member of the U.S. Navy from 1995 to 1999 active duty, and then he was in the Reserves from 1999 until 2002. “What matters is that we are taking the time to reach out to our veterans and finding programs that will help them transition back into civilian life. I think that’s probably what is most important,” McLaughlin said.

Opinion The Commodore Cruiser 4

The real truth about self-harm by Samantha Rayburn

Having gone to Lafayette County Schools for a little over three years, I’ve noticed how some people have reacted to finding out that I used to engage in cutting myself. So, I decided it would be a good thing to raise awareness of self-harm in order to explain what it is and why you shouldn’t laugh or bully people who take part. The definition of selfharm is the act of deliberately harming the surface of your own body, such as cutting or burning yourself. It says nowhere in there about being “emo” so please, don’t automatically think that if someone cuts they are classified as that. It’s usually not meant as a suicide attempt though cutting too deep can lead to that. According to Healthy Place, 90% of people who engage in self-harm begin during their teen or pre-adolescent years.

People self-harm for many different reasons. They are hurting severely on the inside and feel as if they have no control over what they feel. Not being able to control your pain on the inside leads you to controlling it on the outside. In my personal experience, I would do it for control but I would also cut for the relief. For example, imagine yourself at the beach. You’re blindfolded and you have no clue where you are walking. Slowly, you make your way into the ocean going deeper and deeper. The depression you’re feeling is blinding you from everything that’s going on. Then suddenly, you’re underwater with no oxygen left to breathe. Struggling to find air you try to swim to the top but you’re being held under. That’s what self-harm is. It’s the air, the relief. So, with that said, never make fun of someone who hurts themselves.

You have no idea what happens in their personal life and that only makes the situation worse. They might start to self-harm as punishment because they feel they deserve it. I used to cut myself on the parts of my body I despised because I felt I deserved it. I thought that I was worthless and that I failed at everything. Many people who self-harm also feel this way and it’s why we need to stand up and show them that they are not. Feeling this way leads you into believing you have no purpose which could lead to suicide. If you or anyone you know is self-harming, please tell someone. In the beginning, I was terrified to tell anyone but now that I have, I feel as though a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. Talking about it really helps and if you need someone to talk to, you can talk to me. I’m so happy to answer any

questions or help anyone talk to someone about it. Recovery is an amazing thing that every suffering person deserves. I suggest getting a counselor for the start on the road to recovery. My counselor has shared many alternatives to selfharm that have helped me in so many different ways. One would be distracting yourself with things you enjoy which for me would be art, music, or exercise. Another is keeping track of how many days you have gone without self-harming. Being able to add a tally mark each day reminds of you of your goal. So please, take care of yourself.

OPINION

The Commodore Cruiser

Don’t touch me

Girls frequently disrespected by boys by Katie Sicks

“Dang girl, I’d hit that” says the boy in the hallway who is referring back to a young girl passing him. Young ladies all over America are being disrespected by immature young boys who think they are men. They get their identity replaced from the teenage girl they are to an object. I wonder how many teachers actually know there is a “National Grab Butt” day that happens at least twice every school year or even a “National Grab Boob” day. Usually the days will fall in the month of August and then again around April. It goes unnoticed to the surrounding adults, but not to the young men and women. Young females try to make their way to class, but a young man slides by and grabs her butt or in between her thighs. It’s okay though because if a boy smacks your butt or grabs you inappropriately it just means you have a killer body or that he likes you. Or at least that is what we were taught at young ages. Females hear phrases and sound effects as they walk past boys. For example here are a few: “Can I hit that,” or “Girrrlll the things that I would do to your body,” or “Hook me up sometime,” and so many more cringe-worthy phras-

es. The whistling and the purrs that slip through the mouths of boys as females ramble by them. The young men make thoughts go throughout the minds of girls wondering if she is about to be sexuallly harassed or followed by this boy perhaps. Since women are so used to it and it only means we have a rockin’ body, our mouths are glued shut while our insides yearn for the day we find a respectful man. The question might ring through your mind: “Why doesn’t she just tell somebody or put a stop to it?” Girls can speak up, but most choose not to because maybe by getting their butt grabbed, they feel as if that is what love is or that it meant you were worth something. However, that is not the case. There is a video on facebook of a speech that 14-year-old female, Kayley Dixon, wrote. In it she states the words, “And they rated our bodies on a scale from one to ten. And if you were a ten, you would learn to spend your days hearing whistles, purring, and dang girl, because if you were a dang girl then that meant you weren’t a dang girl at all you were just a toy la-

belled ‘Do whatever you want to me’ even though I don’t agree.’”. The powerful speech has about 1.6M views on facebook. She stood up in front of a crowd and spoke up about the disrespect to young females bringing it to the attention of many. “Students in the Lafayette County School District are protected from discrimination, including harassment,” states page 75 of the “Lafayette High School Parent/Student handbook 2016-2017”. Are girls really protected from it? Is it really taken seriously? The handbook states that any form of harassment should be filed within 14 days from the time the complaint becomes known. The complaint must state the respondent’s name, the nature of the alleged violation, the names of any witnesses to such alleged violation and requested action. “The complainant will be informed of procedures for processing formal complaints at this time” states page 75 about the actions that will be taken for harassment. Not only is this a form of harassment, but it is also verbal abuse. Having to hear the phrases listed previously, I would

Lady Midnight by Katie Shoffner

“Lady Midnight” by Cassandra Clare is the first book of the Dark Artifices series, a sequel series to The Mortal Instruments, which was wildly popular and a must-read for fans of fantasy novels. “Lady Midnight” was highly anticipated by fans of the award-winning first books. Though some elements are returning ones, it can be read without any knowledge of previous books. This book focuses on shadowhunter, a human born with angelic blood that protects the world from demons, Emma Carstairs, who readers of “City of Heavenly Fire” will remember. She is now five years older, and is learning to trust herself as she investigates a series of murders in LA. She is also caught up in the problems of her partner, called parabatai in the universe, Julian, to whom she is bound to for life. Julian’s brother Mark, who was captured by faeries five years ago, is returned as a bargain for the shadowhunters to help them find the murderer of their

kind, though it is illegal for them to help faeries. However, time works differently in the faerie world and Mark doesn’t remember Julian, so the question of whether or not he will return to them remains. Clare makes up for cliches like forbidden love triangles in this novel with beautifully cultivated characters and environments. Readers will feel as though they know Emma and Julian, and appreciate the uniqueness of them. Many characters in young adult literature are all extremely similar and predictable, but not those in “Lady Midnight”. Twists and turns await on every page, like the murderings of humans being linked to those of Emma’s parents or the return of Mark. A roller coaster of emotions, this novel will enrapture readers until the very last sentence. A number of other readers of this book are very fond of it, but freshman Elizabeth Hepler finds it to be mediocre. “I read it a while ago,” she said, “It wasn’t great, it was just decent.” Hepler

has read a few of the other books in The Mortal Instruments and holds the same opinion of them. However, she would still “give it four stars.” Another reader of “Lady Midnight” is freshman Joleigh Tubbs. She was a big fan of the initial Mortal Instruments series, and was excitedly anticipating this continuation of the universe. “I was recommended to the first series called the Mortal Instruments and I immediately loved it,” she said. “I really liked the book because it had the perfect combination of action, fantasy, mystery, and romance.” Unlike Hepler, Tubbs believes the book to be worthy of five stars and overall “a really good read.” The next book, “The Lord of Darkness”, is to come out in April 2017. Hopefully Clare will be able to live up to the expectations readers have placed on her for this installment, though if any of her previous novels are taken into account, she will undoubtedly exceed them.

personally consider that abuse. The Lafayette Handbook states “Violence and abuse of any kind, physical or verbal, will not be tolerated,”. Page 82 of the handbook directs you to page 38 to read the consequences which are, “1st off:3 to 5 days OSS and 15 days alt. School, 2nd: susp. +: 45 days alt. School, 3rd: recommend for expulsion, law enforcement,”. Lafayette does take the abuse seriously, but some girls are too afraid to speak up. Teachers should keep an ear out for abuse towards women and other students, because not every time somebody is getting abuse are they willing to speak up. That may sound stupid on the student’s part, but it really isn’t because in High School “tattle-telling” just make a situation ten times worst half the time. Also, the way a girl dresses will never give any man or boy the right to grab or verbally abuse the women. If a girl is comfortable with what she is wearing then it

should not be used in any way as an excuse to be sexually harassed or verbally abused. A man should be able to keep his hand and rude comments to himself no matter the circumstance. The young women should not be the one to blame for the behavior of the young man. A woman dresses as she pleases, she doesn’t dress to get disrespect. A young female student, Caitlin Williams, was a victim of getting disrespected by a young man earlier this school year. “I was just walking through the hall, and he just kinda grabbed my chest and said ‘Sup Girl’ and kept walking,” said Williams. Williams had PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, so when the young man grabbed her it sent her into shock causing her to spend her school day in the counseling center calming down. “I didn’t think he deserved alt. School, I didn’t expect him to go

get suspended and alt., I think he got 20 days out of school, and that seems a bit much to me that wasn’t my intentions, I didn’t snitch on him,” said Williams. She doesn’t think he’s a bad person at all, however she does think he crossed a line. Williams just thinks you shouldn’t do anything like that period, and especially not knowing their past. R-E-S-P-E-C-T is what every woman needs. No, in fact it is a word with much power behind it. A word everybody needs to know and understand the meaning of.

Sports

The Commodore Cruiser

Shaw shines as a student athlete by Samantha Rayburn

Juggling three sports and managing a 4.0 grade point average is what some would say is close to impossible to achieve yet Lafayette High School senior, Orianna Shaw, has successfully proven the skeptics wrong. Having formed a love for basketball at a young age, joining track in middle school, and starting volleyball as a sophomore, Shaw has become an extremely successful athlete that her coaches are proud to call one of their players. “If she needs to have the most points that night then she’ll do what she needs to do,” Shaw’s basketball coach, Shayne Linzy, said. ”She is the consummate team player.” Shaw started her high school basketball career at a young age merely by playing the sport in a gym near her community. Soon enough, she joined the school’s basketball team which unfolded into multiple excellent seasons and even making the All-Area team. Though she’s not sure that basketball is what she would like to play in college, Shaw still enjoys the happiness that comes with the sport. “I hope to run track,” Shaw said,”but any of my sport’s I’d love to play in college.” Shaw is not only successful in basketball but volleyball as well. Leading the state in blocks with a count of eight in the All Star game simply proved that she was built to play this sport. Though, she wasn’t very sure about playing volleyball in the beginning due to her lack of knowing how to play. However her coach, Clint Jordan, was very happy that she decided to play in the end. “Orianna is an effort player. Everything

she does is with a lot of effort and a lot of preparation,” Jordan said. As a freshman in 2014, Shaw was a member of the Lafayette High School track state championship team. She even went as far in track to win two individual races in a state meet as a sophomore and a junior. Having been so committed to track, Shaw couldn’t continue to work her job during her senior year because she really wanted to focus on running. Her coach, Bennie Mikell, says he believes that Shaw is very capable of running on a college level though after that, it’s up to her. “She is a very talented and hard-work-

ing runner who knows what it takes to win a state championship,” Mikell said. It’s very hard for Shaw to focus on all of her sports and school work at the same time but somehow she manages to do so. She also encourages young girls to be dedicated to their sport but also to their education. “If you have a mindset of giving up early when stuff gets hard, you just have to fight through it,” Shaw said.

FEATURES

The Commodore Cruiser

Picking up Kayla’s story

by Katie Shoffner

A woman heads down the hallway to help someone else, broom in hand. This woman is Kayla Potts, one of many custodians at Lafayette High School. She, along with her coworkers, are at the school every day working hard to keep it clean. Those at the school are more grateful, especially to the custodians, than one would normally expect from high school students. “I’m thankful that most of the kids here say thank you,” she said, “It’s a little surprising.” Being a custodian, her job is overlooked by some students. However, those many who do notice her work make up for those few and are greatly appreciated by Potts. Many would say that Potts has always been a helpful person, being that prior to her current job she worked at a kennel and cleaned up after dogs. Now, she cleans up after humans. “The bathrooms are the worst part,” she said, “Especially the boys.” Potts enjoys her job very much, saying that she “gets to know a lot of new people.” All the freshmen, new teachers, and new students provide plenty of opportunities yearly. She gets to see everyone in the school, seeing that she often helps others with their work in different areas of the school. “I wouldn’t change anything about it,” she said. “Except maybe if the kids picked up after

themselves more!” Though her work is hard, she remains enthusiastic all day. This is a difficult task for anyone, but much more so for someone who is constantly on their feet and moving. “I come in with a positive attitude,” she said, “and I leave with a positive attitude.” She also “loves getting to know all the students and teachers.” Potts has found many friends in students. Cora Lawrence, a Lafayette junior, in particular. “She’s always sweet and positive,” Lawrence said. “She’s a really good person.” She and Potts have been friends since Potts worked at the dog kennel her aunt and uncle own, and they talk every time they pass in the hallway. After Potts’ work ends, she goes home to her husband, Ben, and her labrador. She relaxes and spends quality time with them. Potts looks forward to this personal time every day. “My favorite part of the day is lunchtime,” she said, “Then I’m halfway to going home.” Potts loves her job and has since she began in early 2015. She has gained many close relationships in that time and doesn’t take that for granted. “I don’t consider the teachers here my friends,” she said. “I consider them my family.”

MISC

The Commodore Cruiser

The religious freedom of students by Natalie Boone and Javieus Lyons The First Amendment contains 45 very important words to the average US citizen: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Despite the importance of these words, many LHS students do not know what freedoms they are given as American citizens, as well as their limitations. According to a poll that was recently sent out via email by the Cruiser staff, the freedom that most students care about at LHS is the freedom of speech. While most students chose the freedom of speech, they talked about their freedom of religion. This was to be expected, given that Mississippi is located in the Bible Belt and has retained its place as the #1 most religious US State since 2008— with 61% of the state proudly stating that they actively display and celebrate their beliefs. The freedom of speech gives someone the right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint. The freedom of religion gives someone the right to practice whatever religion one chooses. These two freedoms are very differently, though they can go hand-in-hand at times. Many students asked questions regarding what the limits of their religious freedoms were in school, and many stated things that are not allowed in school. This article was written to answer those questions. What does religious freedom in public school mean? To put it simply, religious expression must not disrupt educational activity or result in harassment of other students who do not wish to listen to the message. Every person, including students, teachers, and administrators, is free to practice their personal religion and express themselves in a religious matter without government interference. At the same time, free speech and free exercise of religion rights cannot override the ban on government endorsement of religion. Can you say a prayer in school? A student can say a prayer in school. The First Amendment gives someone the right to pray individually or in

groups or to discuss religious views with their peers, as long as it does not disrupt an educational activity. You have the right to read a religious book or say a prayer before meals and before tests. In the classroom you have the right to pray quietly, except when you are expected to be engaged in a school activity. The school schedule may include a moment of silence where a student may choose to pray, meditate, read, or simply remain silent. Schools cannot force students to pray during these moments of silence. Can the school sponsor or endorse a religious activity? A school cannot sponsor or endorse a religious activity. The teachers and school officials are representatives of the state and, in that capacity, are prohibited from encouraging or soliciting student religious or anti-religious activity. However, teachers may engage in private religious activity in faculty lounges or alone in their classrooms. “The words that you need to remember are ‘captive audience.’ When I say the morning announcements over the intercom, what I cannot do is approach religion, because I have a captivated audience,” explained Glenn Kitchens, the principal of LHS. “Your teacher cannot approach that from a personal perspective to their classroom, because they’re the authority and you are the group of students. The expectation of when you go into that classroom is that you learn. You are a captivated audience to that teacher.” What do the students of LHS think? “I feel like everyone has the right to do what she/ he feels is right regarding religion and speech,” said Max Dyer, an LHS sophomore. “The freedom of religion is when she/he can believe whatever they want, and not ridicule others for not believing in the same thing.” Many students are very gracious that they have the freedom of religion to exercise their beliefs, as proven with quotes pulled from the poll below. “The freedom of religion is one of the most im-

Black Lives Matter movement affects LHS travel by Dontavious Webb

Black Lives Matter is a movement that started when unarmed African American teen, Trayvon Martin was shot by George Zimmerman, an American man who is known for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin an unarmed African American teen from Florida in February as self defense in February 26, 2012. Zimmerman was sued by the Martin family which had a ruling of not guilty. This stirred trouble throughout Washington D.C. and the United States. Slowly year after year more African American people were being killed which in terms by police officers made the Black Lives Matter movement as more strongly holding man rallies in different states demanding justice for African American people. Now in 2016, more gatherings have broken out because of the deaths of Alton Sterling and Antwun Shumpert African Ameri-

can men who were killed doing nonviolent activities. Alton Sterling was killed by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana while selling CD’s in front of a local audio store. Antwun Shumpert was shot in Tupelo, MS when he was pulled over by Tupelo police officers. These are two of the many killings of African American men here in the United States and caused many conflict to break out in Memphis, Baton Rouge, and many other places. Rallies have event escalated to including violence. On news networks the different interferences have been publicly displayed. In Dallas, Texas there was a huge battle between police officers and an ex-military man who took out his rage through a rampage that ended with his death. Some students even chimed in on the matter. One of the students being Cecile Roberts LHS

freshman,“I feel that our school district is safe and will make the right choice to send different clubs to their competitions.” “I have full faith that the leaders of the different cities where events are held will make the right choice depending on the safety of the city,” Roberts said. “I also feel that rallies do make cities unsafe and I worry about my safety in certain areas.” Dr. Kitchens even gave his opinion. He said that he believes the leaders within cities and states will make good decision. “I have no doubt in the city leaders and in our teachers to make decisions whether or not it is safe for their students to go to their competitions and meetings out of the city and state,” Kitchens said. Safety upon travel within school is still a question that is toiling around the school through students conversations.

portant freedoms to me. It allows anyone to worship any religion or no religion without legal discrimination. It creates a separation of church and state, which, looking back to England and the rest of Europe since before the American Revolution, is very good. Some people especially in the south are very Christian and like to look down on others if they’re not. Many of these people would suggest bringing Christianity into public schools which is not allowed because of the separation of church and state. That’s the good thing about the freedom of religion, it doesn’t use the government’s power as a means to indoctrinate and push a religion onto someone,” was one of the responses. “To me I feel like the first amendment means exactly what it say but things are so crazy that it has gotten biased and anybody can go around saying what they want but as soon as a Christian says something about The Lord we get persecuted and put on trial even though it’s our right as a citizen of the United States. Even this that I’m typing it shows my Christian views so it probably won’t be aloud on the paper due to the problems it would cause with some people yet every thing else can be said like the cross dressing or the sexual orientation thing. This is just an example. I think the first amendment has lost it’s power and doesn’t apply to everyone anymore,” was another response. The topics of sexuality and gender arguably have nothing to do with religion, though many students seem to connect them. Each major religion has developed moral codes covering issues regarding sexuality and gender. These moral codes oftentimes seek to regulate the situations that can give rise to sexual interest in ‘unethical’ ways. These moral codes have been changed several times over the course of history and they will most likely continue to change as time goes on. “The freedom of religion is important to me because it keeps others from forcing their religion onto me. It’s one thing to say that you can’t do something because of your religion, it’s another to say that I can’t do something because of your religion,” was one of the responses to the poll. LHS, though largely consisting of a Christian student body and staff, is still a public school and a place of education. The student body has the right to express themselves, though it cannot disrupt classtime or result in the harassment of other students who do not share your beliefs.

Pandas no longer endangered by Natalie Boone

It is official: giant panda bears are no longer part of the endangered species list. The panda is has been downgraded— or rather, upgraded in terms of population— to vulnerable on the global list of species at risk of extinction. This announcement was made by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on September 4, 2016. The number of panda reserves have jumped to 67, which now protect nearly two-thirds of all

wild pandas. They have also helped to safeguard large amounts of bamboo forests, which shelter countless other species and provide natural services to vast numbers of people, including tens of millions who live alongside rivers downstream of panda habitat. This development has brought forth hopes of downgrading other endangered species in China.

A&E The Commodore Cruiser

Instagram mirrors Snapchat by Hannah Vanderwall Instagram is an app where you can post pictures on your profile and other people can view it. Recently, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, the creators of Instagram hired a former product head of Twitter, Kevin Weil. Weil, who is now on the product team of the Instagram company, had some ideas to improve the well-used app. He had the idea to copy some features that are on the application Snapchat. Like Snapchat’s Stories, the Instagram version allows users to collect a number of individual photos and videos into a “story” that their followers can view.

The videos are limited to ten seconds and the story disappears after 24 hoursjust like Snapchat. This new feature was introduced in the beginning of August 2016 and when it was introduced social media users went crazy. Weil thought this idea would increase the popularity of Instagram and as a result it indeed increased the popularity of the app and also increased the money Instagram earned. “The ultimate goal of this new feature is to expand the limited use of Instagram. Instagram stories allows people to share more,” Weil said, in an interview with Matthew Ingram.

Although this newest update has skyrocketed for Instagram, many users of Instagram state Instagram Stories is an interesting attempt at getting rid of the “aesthetic” of posting pictures on their profile. Weil admitted to copying the idea of a story collection. He compared the idea of it to a Twitter hashtag, which is used on other social media platforms. “When people first started using a hashtag out of Twitter, it was a big deal,” Weil said from an interview with Senior Writer of Fortune, Matthew Ingram. “It became universal as a result. I think the story is a fantastic format for shar-

ing in the moment pictures and giving people a picture of your daily life, and I think a lot of apps are going to adapt to it.” Many students use Instagram to share posts with their friends, just like Amy Kwas, a Lafayette High School Junior. Kwas believes Instagram’s newest update is cool but it should stay separate from Snapchat. “I think Instagram would be fine without the update,” Kwas said, “I feel the need to click all the stories because I don’t like them sitting up there unlooked at.” Most users of Instagram feel this way about the new update but others seem

to disagree. LHS junior, Sydney Johnson, feels the update is not “necessary” and they copied snapchat to increase in their rates. “I think Instagram would be fine without the update, Johnson said. “Users were satisfied with the app before they created the stories.” Overall, Instagram has changed for the good and the bad.

Mascot dabs to victory by Elaina Dickerson Being a mascot is not something that anyone can do in that a mascot must be an enthusiastic student. Julianna Mikell, junior, is a perfect example of such. “A lot of being mascot is being able to make people laugh and I always like making people laugh,” Mikell said. The dabbing Dore, for one, can cause much laughter among students. Whether it is necessary or not, the Dore is always found dabbing. Don’t believe it? Watch the Dore for about ten minutes and it will happen. So, is dancing part of the requirements of being the mascot? Not necessarily, but it sure does show enthusiasm. “I’ve got some pretty nice dance moves, I like to think,” Mikell said. Mikell shows nothing but enthusiasm in her words, let alone the positivity. Aside from giving positive vibes, Mikell inspires. Because she is so high-spirited, Mikell is always setting goals which is very inspiring.

“I don’t want to miss out on a fun opportunity because I’ll never know what it would have been like unless I try it,” Mikell said. Try outs were only the start for this new journey, not only for Mikell, but for another Dore as well. Nathan Campbell, senior, is also a mascot. While Mikell is just trying new things, Campbell is trying to impress the ladies. When asked why he tried out, Campbell responded with, “because of the cheerleaders.”. Yet, Campbell made the right decision by trying out. A key quality to being the mascot is being hype. “He’s always dancing around and acting crazy,” Michael Smith, junior, said while speaking of Campbell. Altogether, Mikell and Campbell are ideal people to be the Commodore and great representations of Lafayette High School.

Cartoon graphic drawn by Sam Rayburn

The Anchor

Teacher

The Commodore Cruiser

TheAnchor

Mrs. Bullard

Freshman

Sophomore

Joseph Helmert

Mallorie House

What is your What is your thought on broke? thought on “It is caused by watch- broke?

ing too many episodes of Spongebob.”

No response given.

Dab or whip?

Rashod Sharp

Senior

Angel Isom

What is your What is your What is your thought on broke? thought on broke? thought on broke?

“It’s childish.”

“Should have stayed dead.”

“Go get a job, then you won’t be broke.”

Dab or whip?

How do you feel about ‘Grab butt day’?

“Easier to Dab.”

No response given.

How do you feel about ‘Grab butt day’?

How do you feel How do you feel about ‘Grab butt about ‘Grab butt day’? day’?

No response given. “It is inappropriate behavior and should be stamped out.”

Junior

“Dab.”

“I didn’t even know that “Fyee. I grab butt all the “If you grab my butt was a day.” time.” I’m going to jail.”

Trump or Hillary? Trump or Hillary? Trump or Hillary? Trump or Hillary?

Trump or Hillary?

No response given.

“Trump.”

“Hillary.”

No response given.

What do you binge watch on What do you binge Netflix? watch on Netflix? No response given.

“Stranger Things and Bloodlines.”

“Coach Jordan.”

What do you bingeWhat do you bingeWhat do you binge watch on Netflix? watch on Netflix? watch on Netflix?

“Grey’s Anatomy.”

“Last Chance U.”

“Fuller House.”