The Cruiser 2019-20 Issue 2 by The Commodore Cruiser

OCT/NOV 2019

VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2

LAFAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL

Twitter - @LafCo_Cruiser

Moore gets her crowning moment By Meia Vaughn

Cheer has their first competition By Bella Trott

High school cheer at their first competetion.

Bayleigh and Jake Moore walking across the field. Photo by Asia Flemons

Bayleigh Moore is the 2019 Homecoming Queen. She was escorted by her twin brother Jake Moore. She is apart of the Lafayette High’s varsity soccer team.

Did you expect to be on the court?

“I never expected to be on the court. Lafayette has so many wonderful seniors who were eligible to be a maid. I’m just thankful that my class voted me to be one of the four.” How does it feel to win the title of LHS Homecoming Queen?

“Being Lafayette High’s Homecoming Queen is an honor. I’m happy that I was chosen to be the one to represent our school and the class of 2020.” How was the process of getting prepared?

“Getting prepared for homecoming was pretty easy and cheap. The morning of it I just slipped a dress on and went to the pep rally. And then that night my boyfriend’s sister did my hair and my makeup, which took maybe 2 hours at max.” What was going through your head the minute before they announced the winner?

“When they were getting ready to announce the name of the Homecoming Queen, I just kept telling my brother, my escort, that it wasn’t me. I had this mentality that it was someone else’s name that was going to be called, so if they didn’t say my name, I wouldn’t be surprised. When they did call my name, I was so happy and honestly quite surprised. I never went on the court having intention that I’d won. That’s just not right. Why did you choose to walk with your brother and describe how it felt to do something special with him?

“I chose my brother to walk me because I’m closest to him rather than all of the other boys who are seniors. Plus I know Jake would enjoy the experience just as much as I would’ve. Jake being my escort made me comfortable. He kept me laughing and kept talking to me to keep my mind off things.” What made you interested in running?

“Back in 8th I (somehow) got on the homecoming court and got queen. My sophomore year I ran and got on the court to be a maid. And honestly, I wasn’t going to run my senior year to be a maid. My mom encouraged me to do so. So when I first told people I was running I never expected to get on the ballot. And then when I did, I realized that I could actually represent my class pretty well. So I decided to go all in and run.” How does it feel knowing that you will crown the next winner?

“Next year will be so much fun. I can’t wait to see who will have the pleasure in being crowned the 2021 Queen! “

The varsity cheer team had their first competition of the season on October 26th in Southaven. The cheer team changed from the Performance Division to the Gameday Division this year. In the past, the competition team consisted of any 7th-12th grader that specifically tried out for the competition team. District Spirit Coordinator Alecia Russell says, “This got confusing at times and logistics for practices were complicated. We felt it only made sense to streamline the teams and make the sideline team the competition team. So, this year the team is made up of 9th-12th graders only and they all cheer Friday night sideline, too.” “I felt the Gameday division was a good fit for this year’s team and highlighted the strengths of the team such as stunting, use of signs, band dance and crowd appeal.” When freshman Nora Gafford was asked if she thinks this helped the team improve she said, “Yes, because I think we got more practice time together.” Junior Ally Bryan looks forward to competing in a new division this year. “We’ve been practicing since summer, so I think we’re ready.” Last year, the competition cheer team had the chance to go to Disney World and compete at Nationals. Freshman MaryMassey Perkins says, “I think we’ll go to Nationals again if we put the hard work in and work as a team.”

Hair and selfesteem

NEWS

By Asia Flemons

The Hair and Esteem expo hosted on October 15th by Vearongia Houston was a success. They gave away hair products and talked about how beauty does not define you. Some Lafayette students came and enjoyed it. The event was motivational and inspiring. One of the things I learned is that if you don’t love and respect yourself, other people won’t either. As someone that struggles with self-esteem, I grew a lot from this. We as people feel like we have something to prove, but the truth is that we need to be proving that we are all beautiful in our own way. My hair is what defines me. My hair is the first thing a person sees if it looks like I took time to do and wanted it to look cute, but if it’s in a puff I just want to get through the day. For school I do box braids because I don’t have to keep doing my hair, I can just get up and go. People think that self-esteem is normal, but for some people, self-esteem

affects them strongly. When my self-esteem is low I need to be told that I’m pretty or cute, and when it’s normal I know that I look cute and don’t need to be told. Self-esteem can affect boys and girls and is common in teens and young adults. The hair expo came as an idea from Kim Melton for young ladies in our school district. She reached out of some young ladies that work with her at Communicare. Tonya Woods, middle school counselor said, “I reached out to my girlfriend, Vearongia “VJ” Houston, who owns Unique Touch with two other hairstylists, who is not only a hairstylist and she does my hair. I told her what Kim’s idea was, and she greatly appreciated it. And came up with a title.” The topic of the expo was: Hair & Self Esteem. Woods said, “Beauty is how

Vearongia Houston talking about how to take care of your hair. Photo by Shotierra Young

you feel about yourself. That you need to look beautiful at all times. There are many stylists of beauty. A lot of

HOMECOMING

people are going natural and a lot of people are wearing frontals. Just be yourself. Your hair doesn’t make you.

Photos by Asia Flemons

You make you. There will be another Hair expo in the spring.”

NEWS

the

CRUISER staff Lafayette High School 160 Commodore Drive Oxford MS, 38655 662-234-3460

SEAN BONEY editor EMILY SMITH designer KYLE TRAYLOR writer ASIA FLEMONS writer GRACIE PEARSON writer CYMRIA WILLIAMS writer MEIA VAUGHN writer JAIDA SOUTHERN writer MIA DAWSON writer BELLA TROTT writer GAGE MARTIN writer

Blair uses homecoming to connect to her mother By Mia Dawson

Science teacher, Teresa Blair, has noticeable school spirit with a story behind it. Blair has a collection of wigs that she wears every year during homecoming to show her school spirit and love for her mom. “I’m doing this to kind of celebrate my mother, indirectly. My mom passed away five years ago… and these are her wigs. She’s from New Orleans, and she was always one that would be like ‘Hey you know what, it’s a party! Let’s put on the music, let’s put up decorations, let’s get dressed up! Let’s do it up; life’s too short, let’s do it up!” Her mother, Cindy Roux, was born in New Orleans and lived there for 21 years until she moved to Alabama, then eventually to Oxford. She was always a happy, smart, and energetic person who loved to entertain people and have a good time. In 2013, Cindy Roux passed away suddenly from a pulmonary embolism.

“When she had gatherings at her house she had music playing, bubbles floating through the air, and delicious food to eat. She would dress up and add that little something extra to every occasion. Her passing was a complete shock for the whole family,” said Blair. Some of her favorite memories with her mom include watching old movies together, picking up food from restaurants, and singing with her. The family refers to her as a “mix of Maria from the Sound of Music, Snow White, and Mary Poppins…” Blair believes that the description fits her very well because she loved to sing and play the guitar. When Blair and her siblings were younger, their mother taught herself to play the acoustic guitar, “And [that] was the main source of music at our church growing up.” Blair’s mother often got her wigs from a store in New Orleans called Fifi

Mahony’s. Some of her wigs are long, some are short, some are blonde, some are brunette, and all with different styles and texture. Blair’s favorite wig is the blonde bobbed wig. She likes it because it stands out on her head since she is normally a brunette. “I will never have blonde hair so it’s fun for me to put on the blonde wig,” Blair said. She still continues to collect wigs as time progresses;

some of her wigs are ten years old, but most of them are newer. Blair’s mother was a big part of her life, and she would like to carry her mother’s torch and continue her legacy by looking for the fun moments in life and taking time to enjoy them. Blair will continue to spread school spirit and happiness with her students, and in the words of Cindy Roux, “Life is too short, why not go ahead and celebrate.”

Teresa Blair shows her school spirit with wigs. Photo by Abby Bonds

VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.THEDEPOTOXFORD.COM OR STAY CONNECTED ON FACEBOOK AT FACEBOOK.COM/THEDEPOTOXFORD

SPORTS

4 Boys soccer preview By Kyle Traylor

The Lafayette men’s soccer team is coming off of a decent season where they went 13-10-0 and making it to the first round of the playoffs where they lost to Germantown 3-0. This year they will be looking to take that next step and get deep into the playoffs When asking Coach Anderson about what the Commodores can do to get past the first round of the playoffs this year he said playing more as a unit and focus less on being athletically gifted. “Just playing better soccer as a team. Last year we had very good athletes but, we acted like we were playing a different ball game sometimes.” Coach Anderson also had a few different ideas when it came to drills and what he could help his team within practice time. `“We are just tweaking a few things and doing the possession drills sometimes we will have a guy standing

on the side and if someone takes more than two touches or three touches we will work him in and rotate him out so we can encourage them to play the ball faster and like today when we played possession if you lose the ball go get it instantly right so if you make a mistake make up for it.” He also had a few players that we should watch out for this year a few of those names will be normal starters and others will be new players from the bench. “Anthony Jones, Jakyland Jones, Jake Moore, Hollis Gaines, and the [Leo and Lisandro] Escobedos most of those guys will be getting their first full year of starting throughout.” When asked if any new faces would be on varsity this year he was very confident with the depth the team has this year. “Yeah, I think we will end up playing probably 20 to 22 people pretty regularly.” Coach Anderson also said that

Osvaldo Arellano kicking the ball from midfield against Oxford. Photo by Aubrey Norris

the amount of people we lost last year there is mostly new faces, “Well we lost 9 players last year so, just about everybody is going to be new. We lost 9 guys 8 of them where starters so, there are really only 3 people really returning so, everyone is a fresh face. A lot of the guys that subbed last year where all recent from JV so everyone has an opportunity to step up and play some varsity.” According to the coach youth is the biggest advantage and disadvantage the team has at this time. “Youth. We are young so that will work in our advantage for the next couple of years but, also that leads to inexperience.” With some new faces on the coaching staff Coach Anderson seems very happy with how they will work with the players. “I think Gareth Carter is going to be good with everybody. Kind of interested to see how he will interact with the 7th and 8th graders.

He played for me from 7th grade throughout so he knows a lot of the drills so I can just tell him something and he knows what I want him to do and he helped out for a couple of years and is a real likeable guy and makes things fun so, I think everyone is going to enjoy him on the younger end.” The team will be having a different motto this year last years being Finish Coach Anderson decided it was time for a new one. “This year’s Motto is that’s our ball. We want to play real hard, real physical, and be as competitive as we can possibly can. They will be looking to take the next step as a team and make it deep into the playoffs. Make sure to keep an eye out for this team this year. They will be opening the year at Tupelo who they lost to 6-0 and will be hoping for a different outcome with the new lineup of new and improved players on November the 2nd.

The girls soccer team celebrating at state. Photo by Aubrey Norris

Girls soccer preview By Kyle Traylor

The Lafayette women’s soccer team will be looking to repeat this year after they went a combined 24-2. They won the championship 5-1 against Longbeach who wasn’t a team to mess with last year. Coach Scruggs said the team will need to stay focused on what is happening in the game they are playing and what is next and don’t need to think about winning the title last year. “Last year was a very successful season for us which was a lot of fun. A lot of these kids are returning players and they kind of always know that we about taking it game to game so, you focus on one game we are not going to let who we play next until we play them. We kind of have that same mindset that we obviously have the same goal in mind at the end of the season, but there is a lot of steps to take before we can get there.”

Coach Scruggs also said that their motto will be about how the second year will be tougher than the first when it comes being the champions. “Earned not given and that means to us that nothing will be easy in life we have to work for it we gotta earn it and going back I think the second year is going to be even harder than the year prior. Obviously, we want to get back to the state championship. That’s the goal, but we have to earn it.” Coach had a few players on her mind when asked about some players we should be looking out for this year. “Julia Perkins little sister Caroline Perkins. I see her doing some good stuff for us she is going to be a 7th grader we also have Grace Foster who’s transferred in from Senatobia who could do some things for us. Even

some of our younger ones returning are going to step up and do some great things.” When asked who those players that will step up this year Coach Scruggs pointed out a few of the older players on the team. “We have a lot of Juniors and Sophomores. You know we have Hudson Lindsay in the midfield, Kaitlyn Johnson has helped us a ton in the midfield and some in the back, Lucie Wilson who was our leading scorer last year and I would assume would step up and score goals, Julia Perkins same thing. Honestly I think I could name so many girls in different areas but, of course we will lean on our seniors to really lead us.” Coach Scruggs was keen on not being satisfied and getting the best she can get out of every single player on the team.

“It’s one of those things where we don’t want to be satisfied and we want to continue to learn the game. The coaching staff is challenging this group to learn new systems. Last year we played in a 4-4-2. We would like to play in different systems this year so its learning the game even more and just not to be satisfied with what we did last year and continue to grow.” Putting the championship in the background and moving forward seems to be the goal for this team this year and not being satisfied is the main focus for the Lady Commodores this year. New faces and young talent will drive new life into the team and give them an extra boost throughout the year. They will be looking for a repeat but, this time with a target on their backs as the top dogs.

SPORTS Commodore runners shine at the Ponotoc Invitational By Mia Dawson

MS Boys CXC 5A Championships Results Place

Name

Time

Gr.

19 27 38 47 52 54 85

Bralen Williams Watson Williamson Lisandro Escobedo Mason Bay Sean Boney James T. Browning Adrian Strong

18:28.00 19:30.20 20:20.00 21:07.50 21:37.00 21:39.90 23:34.50

So. 8th So. Sr. Jr. So. So.

Sean Boney strding to the finish at the 5 Star City Invitational. Photo by Mia Dawson

This past weekend on October 12, the Lafayette Commodores Cross Country Team participated in the 2019 Pontotoc Invitational at the Cherry Creek Orchards. The Lady Dores placed first for their class division (5A). The boys’ team placed second in their class division (5A). The individuals who got top ten in their division of their race for high school girls were freshman Mia Dawson, freshman Caroline Wilson, sophomore Ella Shelton, sophomore Valerie Smith, freshman Reid

Johnson, freshman Addison Johnston, and sophomore Gracie Guest. The boys who achieved top ten are sophomore Bralen Williams and junior Sean Boney. Mia Dawson won the varsity girls’ race for 4A through 6A with a new personal record of 20:08.27 for a 5k. 8th grader Watson Williamson won the boys middle school race with a time of 14:40.84 for a 4k. The next meet for the Lafayette Commodores Cross Country team is the Senatobia Invitational on October 19th.

MS Girls CXC 5A Championships Results Place 4 6 23 25 27 32 35

Name Mia Dawson Caroline Wilson Della Shackelford Olivia Ball Valerie Smith Ella Shelton Gracie Guest

Time 20:31.40 21:41.00 23:17.50 23:26.40 23:56.70 24:36.70 24:44.20

Gr. Fr. Fr. 8th 8th So. So. So.

Meet the Coaches

By Gracie Pearson

Interview with Melinda Scruggs

Lafayette schools have 18 sports available to students. There are two sports during the winter that are active, soccer and basketball. Along with the sport, they have great coaches to train and guide them along the path. This Meet The Coaches article goes out to Melinda Scruggs, head coach of the lady dores soccer team. Scruggs has been running the soccer program for roughly 11 years now. When Scruggs first came she only had a JV and varsity team but recently created a third team strictly for seventh and eighth graders. Born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, Scruggs moved to Oxford to attend Ole Miss, and after began coaching at Lafayette in 2003. Scruggs enjoys her players learning the process of the game and how the sport impacts them on a daily basis. Scruggs not only started her career in Oxford, Ms, but she started her own family. She is married to Chris Scruggs and they have 3 children, Caroline, Cohen, and Carder. She enjoys Lafayette as a whole, especially the culture that’s been built and how hard coaches and athletes work together to make Lafayette a better school.

SPORTS

Basketball boys ready for the season By Jaida Southern October 26th Lafayette high school boys varsity basketball team travelled to tupelo to play in the “Barnes Crossing Hyundai Tupelo jamboree”. Commodores won both of their two games. I asked a senior, Jalen Southern a few questions . “As the only senior on varsity right now (others still in football), did you expect it to be harder than usual not having all of your teammates?” “No I did not , I had faith in my teammates! I knew how hard we worked prior to the games so I

had no doubt that my teammates and I would step up and do what we had to do !” “What words did you give your team before y’all played? “I just told my brothers to give it their all! I reminded them of all the time we put in and all the hard work we put in and we couldn’t let that go to waste.” “Do you expect a better season with your teammates?”

“I expect a much better season with my teammates! Last year, only winning five games it’s really no where to go but up! We worked really hard over the summer and we’re still working hard because we know where we want to go and what we want to do this season.” says Southern As the season approaches the Commodores expect to go much further than last year’s team. The Basketball season officially starts November 5th against Hernando Tigers.

Lady Commodores named among top players in the state By Cmyria Williams There are 5 seniors on the Lafayette team and many of them have been playing at Lafayette since middle school. At Lafayette High School they have two starters, Kimaya Dixon and Azariah Buford, who are two of the top most recognized players in the entire state. They are both seniors who have been working very hard to reach the 1,000 point club. Buford has been playing basketball since she was 10 years old and now she’s a senior playing varsity. She recently scored her one thousandth point for the lady dores. Some basketball players have a background for success as a role model, but Buford says she doesn’t really have a role model and on the court she’s a vocal leader. However,

sometimes its hard to communicate. “It can also get very challenging when you’re on the court & when you’re tired. It’s very hard to think and make plays when you’re fatigued.” The other player is Kimaya Dixon. Dixon hasn’t quite reached her 1,000 point goal, but everyday she works harder and harder to reach the milestone. “I started playing basketball when I was 8 or 9,” Dixon said. She said she’s at this point in her life because of her mom. She would love to be as independent and strong as her, but her other role model is Kevin durant. “I love how humble & chill he plays, He’s Never in a rush.”

Azariah Buford (left) and Kimaya Dixon (right). Photos by Joy Tohmpson

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NEWS

Gadd-Ardrey pays it forward By Emily Smith

Mrs. Gadd Ardrey with her LMS and LHS choirs.

Once upon a time, there was a little girl. This little girl didn’t have many friends, and many kids did not want to be around her. And if they did, they would pick on her. She did not think she was smart or special. That all changed when she met her third grade teacher. That teacher convinced her that she was smart. She took that attitude with her and put it into everything she did. This past school year, that little girl was awarded Mississippi Teacher of the Year (MTOY) and proved just how smart and important she really was. The 2019 MTOY was our very own choir instructor, Mrs. Hannah Gadd Ardrey. She was just recently married to Thomas Ardrey, the Oxford High School choir instructor. After becoming District Teacher of the Year, Ardrey had to write a letter about what it means to be Teacher of the Year. She was then anonymously selected out of five letters from the district, then selected from every school district in Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District. Teaching at Lafayette for only five years, she described getting the MTOY as “kind of like one of those ‘Cinderella’ moments.” As a child, Ardrey hated school. She was bullied, would purposely skip, and it made her very nervous and stressed. It was not the place she wanted to be.

“I had a favorite teacher, Ms. Ridder, who put all of her effort into making me feel smart and capable and making me realize what I can do... If it had not been for her, I would have never convinced myself that I was smart.” After that, she realized a teacher can change your life and perception in so many different ways. Teachers have this responsibility to teach students not only school-related subjects, but things such as showing you your full potential, how to work together, or just being a better person in all. Ardrey says, “I thought I was “the stuff, and that was because of Ms. Ritter.” Her third grade teacher made her believe she was important, and that’s exactly what Ardrey does in her classroom. Although music was a huge part of Ardrey’s childhood, at first she did not want to become a music teacher. Her mother was a music teacher as well and she encouraged Ardrey to just do what made her happy. “I told her [Ardrey’s mother] that I wasn’t going to become her, it’s like every girl’s worst nightmare to become their mother.” She went to college to be a biology major, but quit three weeks in because she thought it was boring. She then switched to music education and decided that’s what she wanted to do.

With inspiration from Mrs. Virginia Cornelius, Ardrey also started the ‘More Than Music’ program with Mrs. Whitney Drewery. The program started because of the need for music at the upper elementary school. Every other Wednesday, for 25 to 30 minutes, several members of the LHS choir go to Drewery’s class to sing with and teach music to the special education children. “Those students do have a wide range of differences and are developmentally challenged in lots of different ways, but they still have that need to be accepted and loved, and to love what they’re learning.” The students in More than Music sang at last year’s choir Christmas concert, and will be at this year’s concert on December 3rd as well. Through events such as concerts, singing at ball games and pep-rallies, and caroling around the school, Ardrey gives various opportunities for her students to shine. You can always find her making everything fun and making everyone feel loved. In her class you make memories, friendships, and have fun while singing and being around people who enjoy music. She always leaves an impact on everyone she meets, especially each and every one of her students. Everyone is a “little kid” waiting for their opportunity to be awesome, smart, or just feel important, and Mrs. Gadd Ardrey embodies that.

Fisher integrates mediums to create new art By Mia Dawson ; Art by Hai Hai Fisher

In his art class, Hai Hai Fisher was assigned an art project where he had to make art in series. Fisher decided that he wanted to make movie posters based off of album covers. He has been doing art for as long as he could remember because he really enjoys it. For his digital work, he uses an app called ArtStudio. Fisher plans on continuing art after he graduates, but he will not use it as his career.

LIFE STYLE

the

ANCHOR Hastings Norris Freshman

Parker Livingston Sophmore

Bennett Pritchard Junior

Murphy Smith Senior

Molly Langford Teacher

Do Mrs Langford’s primary sources because they are due the next day.

Nothing. Literally nothing. Mr. Langford wants us to dress up as Jason Mendoza and Janet from The Good Place because he doesn’t think I could pull off Tahani. Probably Sully from Monsters Inc. because he’s best buddies with Mike Wazowski, and I would just get to say Mike Wazowski a lot. Oh and Boo is precious. She was very punny.

What are your plans for Halloween this year?

Roll some peoples’ houses. Roll houses.

I’m going to go party with my girlfiriend.

If you could be one movie monster, what would you be and why?

I think Michael Myers A gremlin. because he has a cool mask.

Jason Vorhees so I could The skeleton guy from never die and keep coming Halloweentown who back in the most insane always has funny jokes. circumstances to kill people.

My name. What would you like written on your grave stone?

Just “rest in peace”.

Well, he tried.

Just my name, the year I was born, and they year that I died. Plain and simple.

What’s your favorite trick or treating memory?

One time my brother stole three pounds of candy.

I was in like kindergarden or first grade, and I wore my Optimus Prime costume to school. It was nap time and I threw up all over myself because I ate a little too much candy and had a touch of the stomach bug. I cried all night because my parents weren’t going to let me go trick or treating since I threw up. I washed the costume and went anyways.

We all met at my mom’s friend’s house this one time in 12 Oaks and they had a little party and the kids went trick or treating.

When the old people used to give me full size candy bars.

CROSSWORD

FEATURED ART

Halloween Crossword Puzzle

By Matthew McCord

Every year growing up my mom would make chili and cornbread, and we would eat it before we went trick or treating. When I was a sophomore in college she shipped me chili on dry ice, so I could have some for Halloween.