All the prom info you’ve ever needed, 4 January-February 2016
Learn about the left-handed life, 8
the
Get the rundown on the Zika Virus, 14 Volume 50, Issue 4
Commodore Cruiser
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE LAFAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER @DORESCRUISER _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
#ONESHOT
Big Hopes, Higher Ambitions by: Audrey Tapp
Photo by Marlie Robinson
Pictured above, senior soccer player, Nikkie Kesler during her final game as a Lady Commodore. Kesler has always been an empact on the team and encouraged her fellow teammates to perform their best. Kesler achieved many goals and continued to impress many people through the hardest opponents.
Friday, Febuary 5, 2016 excitement lined the hallways of Lafayette School District as Lady Commodore soccer team raced through with hopes of another Championship ring. Students and soccer players prepared for another intense game with a strong desire to aquire a second championship ring. Making their way through the enthusiastic travels, the girls showed up and showed out at Madison Central High School, Saturday, Febuary 6, 2016. Many emotions existed throughout the stands and on the field, but a hope to fulfill the dream of a consecutive back-to-back championship could not be depleted. Even after all the hardships, and anticipation they finished an outstanding season being 18-3 and continued to be a leader through it all.
STUDENT NEWS The Commodore Cruiser
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Lafayette’s Cutest Couple by La’Keirra Owens
Lafayette High School 160 Commodore Dr. Oxford, MS 38655 (662) 234-3614 Staff Natalie Boone Brock Burge Barrett Childress Hailey Edwards Thomas Hinton Olivia Howie Javieus Lyons Destiny Mooneyham Mary Kate Newman La’Keirra Owens Brook Savage Katie Sicks Audrey Tapp Editorial Policy The views and opinions expressed in this paper are of an editorial nature and do not necessarily represent the views of the Cruiser staff, advisors, school faculty, or administrators of the Lafayette County School District. Guest editorials may be submitted to the Cruiser and will be published according to available space and relevance. Annonymous submissions will not be considered.
VS.
John Tate Roberts & Sarah Beth Tidwell Neither John Tate nor Sarah Beth ever thought they would have found each other in their 6th grade English class. Tidwell found out that Roberts had a crush on her when a few friends told her he liked her. The 15 and 16 year old never thought that their middle school crush would have ever blossmed into a four and a half year relationship with their best friend. Sarah Beth & John Tate received 280 votes
Creek Robertson & Emma Roberts Life as a football player and cheerleader can be hard sometimes, but not with love on your side. If they aren’t making kissy faces in the hallway of the Lafayette Middle School, their walking each other to class. With love on their side they can survive any obstacles through out their relationship.
Creek & Emma received 173 votes
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STUDENT NEWS
Cyber Bullying by Mary Kate Newman
Ask.fm and Brighten allow people to make accounts and leave anonymous comments/ questions on other people’s accounts. There are a few differences between the two. Ask.fm allows the user to be asked and post questions from anonymous users online. It also allows users to record videos and post an answer to the question. Brighten was made in
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early 2013 to encourage people to send/receive compliments without any awkwardness. Other people may comment and like on the compliments anonymously with an emoji animal showing up by the comment they leave. Both these apps are a little different from each other but they both have cyber bullying happen on them. Due to several complaints of cyber bullying, Ask.fm updated its privacy settings and it now allows the
ability to disable anonymous questions. Multiple times there have been bullying on both these apps consisting of foul language to threats. People do not understand that this affects people in real life. There have been multiple suicides, 2 people in Florida, that have been thought to be caused by cyber bullying on ask.fm. Brighten has turned dark. Similar to ask.fm the comments are hateful and just plain mean.
Though no reports of suicides have been linked to Brighten, the same things seen on ask.fm happen on Brighten. Cyber bullying can happen on any social media, but people have the power to stand up for someone being bullied and not just join in on it. Bullying someone online anonymously doesn’t make the bully cool it just hurts the person receiving the hate.
mer prisoners hands, but also people who have mental illnesses or anyone whose background check gives them reasoning not to allow them to purchase a gun. Thousands of citizens a year are killed, whether it is an accident or a planned murder. Schools massacres happen around the United States, for example the Sandy Hook shooting that place in Connecticut back in 2012. The shooting during the new batman movie back in 2012 was a well known event that happened, as well. The guns shouldn’t have been placed in these citizens hands,
and hopefully this law will prevent that from not happening as much. History teachers teach us about the laws, what they do, why they’re so important, but they never say their opinions of the laws. Nikki Williams teaches about the history of Mississippi and U.S geography. Williams stated “ It makes sense for a background check to be done before a person can buy a gun because a gun can be very dangerous. I don’t think that this order changes anything. If a person obeys the laws, then he/she will not have any trouble buying a gun,” The gun law
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pictured are brighten above and ask.fm below
New Year, New Laws by Katie Sicks
Family and friends gripped pictures in the air of loved ones who were killed by the pull of a trigger. The new year has begun, which means more laws have and will be passed. Obama was emotional while speaking at the white house last month on January 5, 2016 about the violence that guns can and have caused. The government is expecting that the violence will go down by passing this law. The law states that when a gun is purchased, that there must be a background check. This allows the seller to know they aren’t selling a gun to a
person who has perhaps been in jail for a crime dealing with a firearm. This will allow towns,
cities, communities, or just America in general to be safer. This law will not only allow firearms to not be placed in for-
also is meant to make you feel safe, but some citizens felt safe before. “It suppose to stop or reduce the number of guns that get in the wrong hand. “The plan affects the number of law enforcement officials out there, but if that does not happen, nothing will change. There is a black market out for for everything and guns is no exception,” Williams stated. As the years pass by the laws are passed along with them.
STUDENT NEWS
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Love is in the Air by Hailey Edwards
Every year on February 14th, a very special day occurs, and it is called Valentine’s Day. On Valentine’s Day gifts, candy, and flowers are exchanged between loved ones.
The month of February is celebrated as the month of romance and consists mainly of Christian and old Roman tradition. The 14th of February is known as St. Valentine’s Day, but who is this St. Valentine’s? There are many different legends, but most stories say that Valentine was killed trying to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were tortured. Some also say that he was imprisoned sent his first greeting -valentine- greeting after he fell in love with a girl who visited him during his confinement. The origin of Valentine’s day dates back to 270 A.D. The day came about from a fight be-
tween a priest and a very powerful ruler. At the end of the 5th century, the Pope declared February 14th as Valentine’s Day. It wasn’t until much later that it was associated with love. By the middle of the 18th century friends and lovers would send handwritten notes to each other. Later on, people sent printed letters in replacement of the handwritten ones due to improvements of technology. Though Valentine’s Day is not a public holiday it is very special. Most restaurants will be packed full of people and reservations would be hard to get. The 14th is also very popular for wedding dates. Spending the day with the people they love is the best way to spend Valentine’s Day.
Be the first to find the Commodore in this issue and turn it into to Mrs. Atkinson after 3rd period to receive a prize.
Prom Preps by: Audrey Tapp
Attendance In order to attend Prom this year the owner of the ticket or their guest must not receive any school suspensions, five or more unexcused absences from January 5-April 15, four or more office referrals, or any unpaid fees. Formal Attire and Behavior Any attire worn to Prom must abide by the fingertip rule for appropriate length guidelines, no skin cutouts, the scoop on dresses cannot fall below the waistline and formal attire is required for any male. The use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco or any other prohibited substance before, during, or after the Prom is not tolerated. Anyone found in violation of this rule will be referred the authorities and school discipline on the first day of return to the school.
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STUDENT NEWS
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The Pavilion by Hailey Edwards
Ole Miss basketball players have dribbled into a new court to finish the last couple of games for this season. The men’s and women’s basketball teams have played at the Tad Smith Coliseum since 1966. Originally, being known as Rebel Coliseum in 1966, it was renamed C.M. “Tad” Smith Coliseum in 1972. The years have sadly come to an end for the “Tad Pad,” but a new state of the art facility is open and new and exciting possibilities for the Ole Miss Rebels. The new facility, The Pavilion at Ole Miss, opened January 7, 2016. The new basketball arena hosted the Alabama vs. Ole Miss game for the first
men’s basketball game. The Pavilion will hold 9,500 fans and include many high end luxuries for the basketball fans and players, and the biggest LED video display in college sports in the nation. The Pavilion will hold many exciting events such as, athletic events, graduations, and concerts. One of the most recent exciting events happened to be a free Brad Paisley concert on January 24th.. Admission was free to the public and seating was first come-first serve. Since the Pavilion has been open, Ole Miss fans are hoping to help the Rebels become better than they already are and become the best in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
Pictured above: The Pavillion, the new home of Ole Miss basketball.
HINTON & HINTON 1/2 PAGE B&W
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STUDENT NEWS
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A 366 Day Year by Barrett Childress Think about having a birthday every four years. If someone is born on February 29, their birthday only comes around every four years. A leap year happens every four years. On the fourth year, another day is added to the end of February. If there wasn’t another day added every four years, you would not have the correct time. The Earth does not orbit the sun in precise-
ly 365 days so the extra day corrects the calendar. The leap year was introduced by Julius Caesar over 2000 years ago in the Roman Empire. The first leap year was in 45 B.C. What are the odds of having a birthday on February 29? The odds are 1-in-1,461. That means that about four million
by Brock Burge Needles and blood are everywhere in the bus.The needles made even LHS seniors worried about the blood that had been drawn. People lying on
cots moan and whine about not wanting to get their blood taken and wanting to get off the bus. The prize of snacks and a drink at the end were way to tempting
Blood for Benefits for the common student. They eventually went along with it being led by the great promise. In the end they felt like they had helped the community a ton.
people around the world have a birthday on a leap day. On a leap day, it is okay for women to propose to their male companion. In the 5th century, women were tired of waiting for a man to propose, they took the initiative and proposed to their significant other. In 1288, if men declined a proposal from a woman, they were fined. They had to pay in the form of a kiss, a dress made of silk, a pair of
gloves, or one pound. A leap day also recognizes Rare Disease day. Increased research and funding for diseases that have no known cure are studied on February 29. A leap day holds many interesting events. With this day only coming around once every four years, everyone needs to recognize the significance of this day.
A blood drive is where people donate blood to other people who are in need of it. The Beta Club in LHS did one, you must be 16 or older to donate blood and you get a cool t-shirt in the process. Your blood will be given to the matching blood or closely related blood type to certain people. O Type
“Anyone who donates blood will get a few hours of Beta time if you are in Beta, I can only spread the word around because I’m not, 16 yet.” said August Andre a Beta member.
blood is the rarest because they fit for all the types of blood. AB type of blood can only donate to AB blood types. A type of blood can donate blood to A and AB blood types. B type of blood can donate to B and AB type blood types. Donating blood is a big part in our society because some people just have “Bad Blood”.
When you go to the blood drive this is probably a way it will go. • Sign up • Health History is completed • 1 pint of blood and several test tubes are filled out • D o n a t i o n s are stored • Testing of Blood • Sent to Hospitals everywhere. Blood donating is big today because not everyone is healthy blood wise and need that little extra plasma or A blood cells.
OPINION
Cheaters
THE COMMODORE CRUISER
by Thomas Hinton
Nothing ruins a relationship like cheating. More than a few LHS students know this for a fact. The most interesting thing? Some of them have experienced it both ways.
Heartbreaker
“I’ve done both,” she said, “The worst part is that I was cheated on by the person I cheated with.” Her story starts in middle school, eighth grade to be exact. One week into a blossoming romance, Heartbreaker began to receive texts from an older boy from the high school. “I felt so horrible when I cheated on him,” she said. Heartbreaker could not recall the name of the boy she cheated on, but she remembers the face he made when she told him what she did. The two broke up,
and Heartbreaker hopped on to her new older boyfriend. One day, Heartbreaker heard rumors that her new boyfriend had charges pressed against him for committing sexual acts with minor-- that weren’t her. “He was fooling around with people younger than me,” she said, “and I was in eighth grade!” Heartbreaker’s self esteem was broken down after this, finally understanding how her previous boyfriend felt. She hasn’t experienced cheating since.
Serial Cheater
“I’ve cheated and been cheated on,” she said, “But either way, both people feel bad.” The addiction started after she was cheated on in middle school. She retaliated against
her cheating boyfriend by cheating on him. That ended the relationship. “I started dating a bunch of people,” she said, “and I would just look for reasons to cheat on them. I was addicted.” She lived this way for the next two years, and was somehow able to stay on friendly terms with the people she cheated on. “We’re really close,” she said, “I’m glad for that.” It was the beginning of ninth grade that she finally realized what she was doing. She mellowed out and finally stopped looked for reasons to cheat. “I’ve come a long way since those days,” she said, “If you ever think about cheating, you need to have enough respect for the person you’re with to break up with them before you do it.”
Dear Felicia...
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by: Thomas Hinton Dear Felicia,
All of my friends have been making fun of me because about a month ago, my girlfriend broke up with me because I wasn’t ready to loose
very conservative household and I can’t bring myself to have sex before marriage. Besides, condoms are only 98% effective. With my luck, I would be a baby daddy after my first time. I’m not ready to be a dad, so I’m not ready to have sex. Is that so hard to understand? To make things worse, my ex has been spreading rumors about me that aren’t true at all. It makes me sick because I really liked her and I never thought things would turn out like this. What should I do? --Broken Continued on page 13....
my virginity. We’d only been dating for a month and she took it as an insult. I grew up in a
OPINION
THE COMMODORE CRUISER
Life as a Leftie by Olivia Howie
What do Albert Einstein, Osama Bin Laden, and Caitlyn Jenner have in common? Here is a hint: All three have a dominant left hand, along with 10 percent of the world’s population. And now, if you are right-handed, you are more than likely rolling your eyes and proceeding to flip the page. But, wait a minute. You should know that the lefties of the world are extremely envious of you. After all, most of the tools you use every day were designed for YOU. The rest of us are not that fortunate.
Sure, it’s not a dire situation. But, our existence can feel almost doomed at times. Let me share in some of our silent struggles. Ink pens are every leftie’s sworn enemy. The evil creatures leave ink smudges from sliding your hand over the pa-
per as you write. Right-handed scissors are basically dangerous for us to use. No, you cannot just turn right-handed scissors around. Scissors are built so a natural (right-handed) grip will cause the blades to push slightly together, making for a straightedged cut, which is not possible for lefties. You have to become a contortionist just to be able to write in a 3-ring binder or spiral notebook. When you finally get to the back of the page you cry of happiness. Desks. Right-handers have a nifty little place to rest their elbows when they get tired; left-handers do not. It was always such a let down when the P.E. teacher said the class was playing baseball be-
cause it meant digging through a huge box of gloves to find that one stinky, 100 year old left-handed glove. “OH MY GOD, I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE LEFT-HANDED!!!” Shall I elaborate? Arm Wrestling: It took the entirety of elementary school to accept the fact that the chances of winning were slim. Sitting next to a righty at the dinner table equals The World War III of the elbows. And last but not least, picking up your hand to realize you have silver led marks from the tip of your pinky to your wrist. Sure, lefties have to constantly adapt to the way righthanders do things, but, overall, being a leftie rocks! After all, We are in good company. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are both
left-handed. (Now, that is relationship goals.) “It’s cool because it makes me feel different. It’s also like you’re part of an exclusive club because only ten percent give or take some are left handed.” raved fellow leftie, Julianna Mikell. Have you ever heard that lefties have a knack for creativity? Well, it is true. Experts say that people with a dominant
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left hand are better at divergent thinking, a method of idea generation that explores many possible solutions. Additionally, lefties have an advantage in sports in which two opponents face each other. (Such as tennis, boxing and baseball) This is because right-handed players do not usually compete with left-handed opponents, while lefties are almost always playing against right-handers. Another little know fact about left-handedness is that we’re all scaredy cats! This is because people whose left hands are dominant tend to be more affected by fear than people who use their right hands. There’s more. Left-handers also get angry or embarrassed easier than right-handers. We are more prone to having negative emotions because of an imbalance between the left and right hemispheres of the brain when trying to process their moodiness. There has been a myth floating around that claimed left-handed people died on average ten years earlier than their right-handed counterparts. Although it was proven false, lefties everywhere should adopt the mantra Y.O.L.L.O. or “You Only Live Left-handed Once.” All in all, being left-handed is pretty amazing. Humans are the only species in which the majority favors a particular hand. And lefties are the odd ones out. The misfits. The square pegs in round holes. The freaks of nature. But, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
OPINION
THE COMMODORE CRUISER
The Struggle is Real
by Lakeirra Owens
Have you ever walked somewhere and noticed that their weave is just out of this world? Well I’m here to tell you that the struggle isn’t really real if you have the right person doing your hair. People come to school saying their weave is on “fleek” but it really isn’t. I see people walking around like their hair isn’t messed up. Have you ever had that one person that is like “You bald-headed.”, but they are the main ones without edges ( baby hair for you all who don’t know). We all know that when you wear weave it’s suppose to look good, and if it doesn’t you need to go back and try again. People have the nerve to walk around this school and say “This my real hair”, however, I see your tracks honey boo boo. Dominique Herron,9th grade stated, “I feel that weave is a substitution so we don’t have to do our hair.” If you have weave, you need to come to school looking presentable. What are you going to do when you need to look your best in a interview, and you know your hair weave isn’t presentable. Exactly. “ I rod it at night with flexi rods and
put oil on it to make it shine in the morning and when it gets rough looking and tangled, I deep condition it to define the curls and to keep it maintained.” Gabrielle Dunn, 11th grade stated. I’m not a weave person but from what I see in my school, weave is not for everybody. Herron stated, “ I go to the best in Oxford, and I keep it washed and I take care of it.” What’s the best way to keep your weave looking good? “ Keep your weave braided and moisturized at night. Do not have your hair showing, get a closure like me.” Dunn stated. I’m not hating on people who have weave, but I feel like if you have weave you should at least be try to do something to it. Herron said, “ I feel like it’s bad to keep weave up for so long, like baby your hair needs to breathe.” So here’s a life lesson for everybody in Lafayette High School, if you wear weave it needs to look decent. Thanks.
211 South Lamar Blvd Oxford, MS 38655 662-236-0050
the good and the bad
These are all examples of what people would call bad weave.(tracks showing, edges showing,etc)
These are what good weave looks like.(looks natural,well maintained,tracks unnoticeable,etc.
#GoDores
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SPORTS
THE COMMODORE CRUISER
Powerlifting With Potential by Audrey Tapp A new year calls for stronger girls and higher motivation. Powerlifters barge into the boisterous yet intriguing weight room to conquer another year. As teammates motivate each other to lift more, Coach Sandra Smith prepares her girls for another season. She has faith that her lifters will succeed in meets if they continue to work at it.
“The girls have plenty of potential this year. They have improved in many different areas even with the loss of
several stronger teammates,” Smith said. “Most of the m o r e experienced lifters are injured a n d cannot c o m -
Dribbling Their Way to Success
by Olivia Howie
The bright yellow-orange bus sits in front of Lafayette High School at precisely 3 p.m. For a millisecond, everything is serene. The b o y s basketball team strolls out of the double glass d o o r s with their b a c k packs, duffle bags, and headphones in hand. Seemingly in
no rush to load the bus, they joke with one another like longlost brothers. They know they have a diffi-
cult game in Ripley, Mississippi, but they embrace the chal-
lenge that lies ahead. Senior teammate Chris Long rolls down the school bus window and jokingly yells at fellow classmates in the parking lot. At this, Coach Jordan shakes his head and tells him to behave. Chris argues, “But those are our fans, Coach!” First order of business: Stopping by Little Caesar’s Pizza. This team needs their fuel. Known for winning on home court, the boys put in earbuds, settle down, and doze off for the hour and a half ride to the Ripley Tiger’s court. Unfortunately, the team came home defeated with a loss of 61-44. So far, the Commodores
pete this season. It will hurt the team overall, but the girls continue to work their hardest even on bad days with even stronger motivation to succeed,” said Smith. “Unlike boys, girls are especially strong in their upper body. We work on upper body strength, but focus more on building up their leg muscles because girls win meets with their leg strength,” said Smith. “The girls practice 3 days a have obtained four wins, three being on home court against Vardaman, Water Valley, South Pontotoc, and Ingomar. Currently, the Commodores rank 37 in Region 4A. The season will come to an end on February 12, 2016 with their game against Nanih Waiya. Senior guard Rashun Rockette shared, “In my opinion, this season has been up and down. It was inconsistent at the beginning but we’re starting to get on a good path though and we’re progressing at the moment.” The team collectively feels that they have improved from last year’s winless season. Be-
10 week and grow stronger each day. They have made many improvements since they started practice in August and continue to grow each practice,” Smith said. The first powerlifting meet was Wednesday, January 20, 2016 against Benton County at LHS. The first official away meet was Monday, January 25, 2016 and took place Calhoun City.
cause of the long-known feeling of defeat, the team is just that much more motivated. Seniors Chris Long, Mack Bishop, Juwan Kinds, Rashun Rockette, and Quin Jones are determined to lead this team to success in the 2015-2016 season.
The Commodores played a close game against the Ripley Tigers.
SPORTS
THE COMMODORE CRUISER
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Sweet Sixteen Softball Season by Mary Kate Newman
Hey batter, batter SWING! Yes, softball season at Lafayette High School will soon begin with the first game being on February 20th. The Lady Dores are excited for the season especially the upcoming freshman new to the high school team this year.
“I can not wait to see how much fun this is gonna be and I can’t wait for it to start.” Layne Sharp, a freshman who has been playing softball for Lafayette since 7th grade. The first game will actually be a 4-inning, half and second half, scrimmage at Senatobia.
by: Barrett Childress Whether you are eight or sixty-eight, tennis is sport for everyone of all ages. Tennis is a great sport for competitive people and those who are looking for a fun game to play. Lafayette High School has a tennis team. Consisting of over twenty varsity and junior varsity players total. Coach Debbie
Swindoll has taken the Lafayette High School tennis team to new heights. Three of the Lafayette High School tennis team players went to the state tournament last year. Hopefully, this year, the team will make it even farther than they did last year. Playing tennis is a great pass-
Racket Rockers
After that a classic tournament will follow at Oxford on February 27th. There are many new comers which brings new skills and experience to the team. “We’re working hard on the fundamentals of the game so that we don’t beat ourselves
time for people who want to go out and exercise. While playing tennis you are able to have better balance, agility, and helps with your flexibility. There are many health benefits that come with playing tennis. There are also many emotional and physical benefits with tennis. Getting better at tennis takes
lots of time and lots of effort. Taking lessons and going out to the courts to play with a friend can increase your chances of getting better at tennis. Tennis may be a hard sport for some in the beginning, but perseverance and dedication can lead one to a fun and great sport for people to play.
with physical and mental errors that happen so often in the game. I have 5 returning senior starters who I expect big things from as leaders on and off the field. I expect them to step up and be the backbone of the team and keep the intensity and momentum in our favor. I’m look ing forward to a fun and exciting season!” Coach Katie Jenkins said.
SPORTS
Archery Achievers
THE COMMODORE CRUISER
by: Javieus Lyons
The gym was filled with the heat and determination of the athletes, the gym is packed with spectators, who cheer them on. At the blow of a whistle the archers grab their arrows and place their bows, aim, then fire! Lafayette archers allow their arrows to fly toward their targets with great accuracy and speed. There was a loud thud as the arrows hit the target.
They shoot three to six times and then the judges look at the targets closely and score depending on where the arrows landed, their are only six rings on one target the inner most rings are equal to five points and anything outside of this is less than five.
Creed Brown, 10th grader, takes aim during the archery match on February 5, 2016.
Upcoming Matches February: 11: @ Dorsey - Just Middle School 13: Fairview Tournament @ Fairview 19: @ Mantachie 22: Lafayette - Just High School 25: @ Tupelo
March: 1: @ Center Hill - Just High School 3: Lafayette - Just High School 7: Lafayette 10: Lafayette 21-23: North Half QualifierCoffeeville, MS 28: @ Amory - Just High School 29: @ Fairview 31: Lafayette
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Battle of the Books ners chosen from each group, the individual and the group. The following are 1st to 3rd in the individual: Kody Hunter, Foster Westbrook, and Grace White. Now for the group project: Aerial McCollins/Brenda Hawkins, and Tracardo Boyd/ Aaliyah Cook. One should shine the spotlight on the 1st place winners Hunter, and McCollins/Hawkins. For all of the Maze Runner fans, Hunter did a great job of presenting his view point on
the book (picture on the side.) All of the words are perfectly in place on how he describes the story line. A variety of different books were entered into the Reading Fair. From the Maze Runner to The Fault In Our Stars, the game is changed completely. McCollins and Hawkins put together a poster board full of details about Augustus and Hazel’s love that will never be fulfilled. Of course, this is not the end to these winners. They will move on into the next round of the Reading Fair, the regionals.
comes out a lot harsher than I mean for it to. “No point. Keep your notes.” “Well they’re just questions about your astronomical sign and stuff,” He says, leaning back in his seat with his hands held up in a mock surrender. “By the way, didn’t Sabrina and Andrew broke up?” “I don’t know, and I honestly don’t care.” “I thought you and Andrew had a thing?” “That’s none of your business.” “Okay, okay. Just curious.” “Curiosity killed the cat, Ben,” I bite out as the dismissal bell
rings. Pull myself out of my desk, slinging my bag over my shoulder and snatching up my binder. I don’t care to slow down and actually put it into my bag. “A year ago you were all over him,” Ben says, rolling his eyes and following after me. “A year is a long time. Shouldn’t you be worrying about your own relationship problems?” “Byron and I are doing fine.” “Liar.” “This is high school. High school love is a myth and it doesn’t last. There’s no use crying about it.”
by Brook Savage
The reading fair started off with seven participants. Taking place at Lafayette High School on January 26th, seven students went head to head to compete in the reading fair. Rules and regulations were followed strictly in this competition, watched over by three judges. These three judges were not from our school (so no favorites) but they were from other schools scattered around Mississippi. Three must be a lucky number because there were three win-
Love is Dangerous by Javieus Lyons
“Amber Rose Valentine,” Mr. Mikael stated, forcefully slamming his book on my desk. But a moment later, I was dozing back off. Or at least I thought I was. As soon as my eyes began to slide shut, Ben Sawyer was violently tapping on my shoulder, effectively keeping me away from my wanted and needed sleep. “Mr. Mikael told me to give you the notes from yesterday,” Ben whispered, hot breath fanning across my neck. “He doesn’t check notes and it’s not like I’m ever going to look at them again,” My voice
MATT JOHNSON BUS CARD B&W
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Dear Felicia Continued, Dear Broken,
“Okay, okay,” My voice is mocking and I know it irritates him. “Just curious.” “God, you’re so annoying sometimes.” “Right back at you,” I reply with a smile. “Amber you hear that ?” “Yeah it’s coming from the girls bathroom. I’m going to see, you go on to class.” “Alright be careful Amber,” Ben says walking towards his second period. As Amber enters the girls bathroom a creepy chill rolls up her back. To be continued....
I have always said that one should do what makes them happy. If these so-called “friends” of yours are treating you so horribly, find some new friends that won’t judge you for having self control. As for this girlfriend of yours, she sounds like a horrible person. She tried to pressure you into something you weren’t comfortable with and she has been spreading rumors about you. That’s a horrible combination. Let me tell you one thing: this is her way of getting back. I know for a fact she felt insulted that you wouldn’t have relations with her. Her confidence was shattered, and she’s building it back up by lowering yours. Don’t give in to her petty game. Just be yourself, surround yourself with good people, and everything will work out. If it doesn’t, send me the identity of this girl and Felicia will take care of it. --Felicia
MISCELLANEOUS
THE COMMODORE CRUISER
All About Zika by Thomas Hinton
In the wake of the mosquito-borne Zika virus spreading across South America, thousands of babies have been born with a condition called microcephaly, a birth defect in which infants are born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains. Infants born with microcephaly can have low brain functionality and short lifespans. The rise of this birth defect has travelling agencies urging woman that are pregnant or may become pregnant to take extra precaution in the coming months. Despite the link Zika has to microcephaly, the virus itself doesn’t cause extreme harm to humans, with symptoms including mild fever, rash, joint
pain, and itchy eyes. These symptoms typically last only a week, but the host is still infected long enough to infect another mosquito. This is especially true for the moist environment of South America in which mosquitos thrive. Only one in five infected people even show any symptoms at all, making the virus virtually undetectable. This common lack of symptoms explains why it spreads so quickly. Those that do show symptoms are usually fine within a week, but infection can last for up to a month. The illness can be passed on from infected humans through sexual contact and blood transfusions. The American Red Cross warns against blood donation
for 28 days if you have recently travelled to an infected area. Cases Outside South America Florida govorner Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in four counties after the diagnosis of 12 individuals. Although it has been confirmed that they were infected outside of the U.S., there is a strong fear that the virus will spread. There is one confirmed case of zika in Texas that was the result of sexual contact. The first case in Europe was confirmed in Spain. While zika is nowhere near as dangerous as the now-curable ebola virus was, it is still something to approach with caution.
14 Infected Countries: Barbados Bolivia Brazil Cape Verde Caribbean Islands Colombia Costa Rica Curacao Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador French Guiana Guadeloupe Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Martinique Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Puerto Rico Suriname Virgin Islands
MISCELLANEOUS
THE COMMODORE CRUISER
15
Orientation Orientation by Natalie Boone
When a person reaches their teenage years, they should know their sexual orientation. If a person identifies as ‘straight’ and has absolutely no clue as to what heterosexual means, despite ‘straight’ being an umbrella term for heterosexual, it makes them look extremely uneducated. This guide was created to prevent this awkward confrontation. The Difference Between Gender and Sexuality: Protections against discrimination of sexual orientation and gender identity tend to go hand-in-hand, and because of this they are oftentimes mixed together or confused for
one another. A person’s gender is what they identify as (ex. transgender, cisgender, etc.). A person’s sexual orientation is what they are attracted to (ex. homosexual, heterosexual, etc.). Please note that these are not all of the sexual orientations, these are simply the most common.
~Heterosexual: A person who is sexually attracted to someone of the ‘opposite’ gender is
heterosexual. This term is oftentimes shadowed by the term ‘straight.’ ~Homosexual: A person who is sexually attracted to someone
of the same gender is homosexual. This term is oftentimes shadowed by the terms ‘gay’ and ‘queer.’ ~Bisexual: A person who is sexually attracted to two genders is bisexual. ~Pansexual: A person who is sexually attracted to all genders is pansexual. Pansexuals, to put it simply, do not have a preference. ~Asexual: A person who is asexual is not sexually attract-
ed to anyone. That being said, asexuals can pursue relationships and do many other things in terms of those relationships, they simply are not sexually attracted to other people. ~Demisexual: A person who is attracted to people based on an emotional connection is demisexual. ~Akiosexual: A person who is akiosexual experiences attraction, but does not want it to be reciprocated. ~Apothisexual: A person who is apothisexual is sex-repulsed.
Comic Source: http://goldsalts.tumblr. com/
THE ANCHOR
THE COMMODORE CRUISER
The Anchor
Teacher
Mr. & Mrs. Quong
Freshman
Kat Moss & Chase Freeman
Sophomore
Taylor Skelton & Jackson Delaune
Junior
Tori Huckaby & Morgan Burk
What did you first think What did you first What did you first What did you first think when you met when you met your bf/ think when you met think when you met gf? your bf/gf? your bf/gf? your bf/gf? Mr. Quong- Ha ha- she jammed the copier! Mrs. Quong- He would be so cute if I helped him with that outfit!
What was the worst date you guys have been on together?
Mr. Quong- We went out to eat crawfish, and I ate too many and pulled a hammy. Then I had to get on the floor and stretch it out. Mrs. Quong- We went out to eat one night and Mr. Quong ate too much and we had to pull over so he could throw up.
Where do you picture yourselves in ten years?
Mr. Quong- The Looney Bin. Mrs. Quong- The Queen of England.
Who’s funnier? Both- Tie!
Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Both- Yes! That is our answer.
Kat- I thought he was the sweetest ever. Chase- I found myself not being able to look away from her beautiful eyes.
What was the worst date you guys have been on together? Kat- I think our worst date was probably when Chase came and saw me after my surgery. Chase- We really haven’t had our worst date(yet).
Where do you picture yourselves in ten years?
Kat- I picture us sitting at High Point, drinking coffee. Chase- I picture ourselves graduating college together.
Who’s funnier?
Kat- Definitely Chase without a doubt. Chase- I am.
Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?
Kat- A tomato is certainly a fruit. Chase- A vegetable, just to mess with her.
Taylor- I was surprised he talked to me, because boys don’t really talk to me. Jackson- Wow, she’s beautiful I hope I don’t say something weird and look stupid.
What was the worst date you guys have been on together?
Tori- I thought he was the most handsome thing I’d ever seen! Morgan- I thought she was beautiful and so sweet!
What was the worst date you guys have been on together?
Both- None what so ever.
Both- When we went on family vacation and got sunburn!
Where do you picture yourselves in ten years?
Where do you picture yourselves in ten years?
Both- In College arguing over which dog park to go to.
Who’s funnier? Both- Jackson
Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Both- Fruit
Both- Hopefully started our careers and engaged.
Who’s funnier?
Tori- Morgan he keeps me laughing all the time. Morgan- Me
Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Both- Fruit
16
Senior
Gaddie Johnson & Drew Mulkey
What did you first think when you met your bf/gf? Gaddie- He was really cute, but I wasn’t sure what nationality he was.
What was the worst date you guys have been on together? Gaddie- In a way, when he asked me to prom, the whole time he had me on the edge of my seat, and when he finally asked, it was with candles...yeah he lit my yard on fire.
Where do you picture yourselves in ten years?
Gaddie- Married, out of college, not sure if we’d have kids by then. Maybe a puppy...
Who’s funnier?
Gaddie- All of our friends think we’re equally funny.
Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Gaddie- IT IS A FRUIT!