Oct2016fullissue by The Commodore Cruiser

OCTOBER 2016

Volume 51, Issue 2

THE

Commodore CRUISER @COMMODOREMEDIAGROUP @DORESCRUISER

Who won the coins for a cure competiton? find out on page 3

for more homecoming pictures go to page 6

Who is the attendence clerk? find out on page 7

Commodores freak out for Pink Out by La’Keirra Owens

Commodores throw pink powder into the air just as the football players run out onto the field in celebration of breast cancer awareness month

Dores claim District Title

The Lafayette Commodores held their annual Pink Out game against the Senatobia Warriors which began with Senior Night on October 21, 2016 at William L. Buford Stadium. Senior Night is where seniors are recognized in the following activities :band, JROTC, football, or cheerleading. The Commodores started off with a rocky start against the Warriors. Neither team scored at all throughout the first half. During the third quarter, Senatobia scored, putting the score at 7-0. At the end of the game the score was 17-14 putting

the Commodores on top as district champions. They will close out the regular season Friday the 28 of October at Byhalia High School. For the Pink Out game the Commodore Cruiser staff collected money from first periods and even sold a shirt which was created by the local chapter of the sorority Zeta Tau Alpha. With all of the different fund raisers the Commodores raised $600 which was matched by local cellular provider CSpire.

FFA takes it to Nationals

by Destiny Mooneyham

Meredith McCurdy Rhodes and her student officers of FFA took a road trip to Indianapolis, Indiana from October 18th to the 21st. This trip consisted of fun moments as well as serious moments. The fun things including the trip there and back, while the serious things were the competition that they were currently there for. “It was only going to take us eight hours to get there, but it ended up taking us thirteen hours due to two blow outs. We got to see Chris Young and Cole Swindell. And we stayed up all night laugh-

ing over dumb stuff,” Gracie Tidwell, a sophomore at Lafayette High School, said. Mccurdy’s students had placed first in State when competing in Job Interview and Chapter Display, which qualified them to compete in Nationals. “Chapter Display is an award application that chapters can fill out based on the programs that they do throughout the year. In that, there are several specifics that they have to have. They have to have a healthy program, community service projects, pro-

grams where students are learning about life skills, such as record keeping and work experience. Job Interview is when students are interviewed and have to submit an application and a resume. They have to do a handwritten follow-up, a phone interview, an email follow-up, and multiple interviews with multiple people,” McCurdy said. At Nationals, Abbigail Johnson, a sophomore at LHS, ranked top 15 in the nation of talent performers. Tidwell says that there were people from all around the United States

at Nationals for them to meet. In Chapter Display, their score was a 93 out of 100. LHS alumna, Edi Kent placed top 30 in Job Interview. “It is one experience that I will never forget and I encourage everyone to join FFA,” Tidwell said.

Pictured above top row from left to right: Alyssa Camfield, Treyton Odom, Walker Westbrook, JonVictor Arbuckle, Destiny Wilson. Bottom Row left to right: Gracie Tidwell and Brook Savage. Not Pictured: Abby Johnson

Student News The Commodore Cruiser 2

Goolsby gears up by Samantha Rayburn

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

Staff

Natalie Boone Elaina Dickerson Javieus Lyons Destiny Mooneyham Madeline Mulkey Mary Kate Newman La’Keirra Owens Samantha Rayburn Brook Savage Ella Rose Scott Katie Shoffner Katie Sicks Hannah Vanderwall Dontavius Webb Adviser: Marisa Atkinson Principal: Dr. Glenn Kitchens

Editorial Policy

The views and opinions expressed in this paper are of an editorial narture 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 publishned to according to available space and relevnce. Annonymous submissions will not be considered.

New students come in and out Lafayette High School every year for many reasons, and Sarah Rae Goolsby is one of those students. She has accomplished many great things according to her coaches. Goolsby is a new student this year as she moved into 10th grade. She came from Pottscamp, Mississippi where she attended Bethlehem Christian School. Goolsby says that it was not an easy transition to Lafayette High School due to the fact that her last school had just 30 students. “I love Lafayette,” Goolsby said. At her last school, the

this before, according to her, but now she is 2nd in the state for a 4A school. She did do a little running for a competition at the end of the school year where Christian schools came together to compete in several different events. “There is running events but our school didn’t have a team so we ran individually,” Goolsby said. This athlete also plays softball and runs track. Though, those seasons have not started yet. only sport offered to girls was volleyball. With no other choice, Goolsby took up the sport. Her LHS volleyball coach, Clint Jordan, had quite a lot of

good things say about his new athlete. He explained how she is a great defensive player because she is a good passer and consistent hitter.

“She looks like she enjoys playing,” Jordan said. Goolsby even took up cross country which turned out very well for her. She has never run like

Who will lead our Country? by MaryKate Newman

With the election of a new president coming up in only two weeks many issues have been brought about and the final live debate has already happen. Democrats and Republicans are the two main parties. The Republican Party tends to be more conservative while Democrats are more liberal. Both are widely known for their positions on social issues. Donald Trump is running in the Republican party and Hillary Clinton is known to be running in the Democratic party. On issues such as gun control both Trump and Clinton would like to ban several types of assault weapons. Clinton says to close loopholes and check backgrounds when buying guns while Trump says to extend waiting period for purchasing. With social issues Trump and Clinton don’t agree at all. Clinton believes abortion should legal while Trump be-

lieves it should be limited. Trump also says Marriage between man and woman should be defined state to state. Clinton believes same sex marriage should be legal everywhere though. With the final live debate on October 19th in Las Vegas, Trump and Clinton were both able to slander each other’s reputations. This debate was more personal than others. Trump tried to bring up the past by asking Clinton about her private email server she had when she was secretary of state. Clinton dodged this and brought up that Trump needed to take responsibilities for his own actions. Clinton later brought up sexual assault accounts against Trump and Trump interjected with “I didn’t even apologize to my wife, who’s sitting right here, because I didn’t do anything.” The topic of refugee policy came up

Lunch followup by Brook Savage

Lafayette High School’s lunch team are getting ready behind the scenes to present a salad bar. Mark Davis has been calculating the cost of having a salad bar, with toppings. He wants everyone to know that Lafayette has to make money off of the salad bar, or money will just be lost. “It’s not that I don’t want to do it, we’ll try but I have to make money. If we are going to do it and lose money, I’m not going to do it,” Davis said. The salad bar will more than likely be outside because there will not be enough room in the commons with two lunch lines. To go along with the salad bar outside, will be two new employees. If the salad bar was kept at Lafayette for year, then that means the team would have to feed 100 people every day. An extra $242 a day, which includes half days. There are many different costs that go along with the salad bar, including: salaries, point of sale, computer, cash register, salad

bar, and ingredients. These costs all put together can be up to $46,000, which can be opinionated as a lot. $46,000 is how much the salad bar would cost without a grant, which is the reason why Davis is bringing in a student from the Food Corporation to see if Lafayette is eligible for a grant. Davis wanted to know the opinions from Lafayette students, so a poll was sent through e-mail about the topic. From 102 responses, six people said no towards a salad bar at school. Students showed their excitement through their comments in the poll. “I would love a salad bar!! I always try to eat healthy, but packing salads in my lunch makes the spinach get soggy. I would use a salad bar every day,” said an anonymous student. The salad movement is still in motion, and is slowly moving forward.

for student responses visit our instagram @commodoresmediagroup and Trump believed that sia, Vladimir Putin has With so many things if Clinton were voted into also put in an opinion on to come and the election office then there would the Presidential election. on the 8th who will be the be security crisis. Clinton He has been known to say president and what will replied saying she wasn’t “If it’s Clinton, it’s war” they bring to office? going to “slam the door on warning that a nuclear war women and children.” will be started by Russia if President of Rus- she is voted into office.

German students exceed expectations by Katie Shoffner

Last school year around 20 students decided to take the National German Exam. These German I students were not required to take the it, but were encouraged to anyway by their teacher, Paul Austin. As it was the first year that Austin gave the exam, no one thought students who chose to participate would do all that well. It seems those who took the exam are interested in exceeding expectations, as their scores were far better than most, even Austin, expected. The scores were on a regular 100 point scale, with six out of 20 scoring higher than a 70. This

greatly impressed both Austin and LHS administrators. The highest score belonged to sophomore Gracie Gowen with an 83. This school year, students are allowed to take the exam at a small fee of $7. Austin pushes every German I student to take the exam, and is hoping for even better scores this year. This is a positive thing for the class, as it encourages the students to be better and work harder. Another positive the class had was the recent visit from the Croft Institute at Ole Miss. The

Institute focuses on international studies and understanding life in other countries. Three individuals, two professors and one student, spoke in front of several classes about what the Institute is about, college options, and studying abroad. According to Austin, it was a very good opportunity for the students who were exposed to what the Croft Institute is. Many students are now exploring the options within the Institute and wouldn’t be otherwise if not for the visit.

Ole Miss Croft Institute students and professor speak to Austin’s German classes

SStudent News

The Commodore Cruiser

Pink out awareness

by Hanah Vanderwall

As many people know, October is the month to raise awareness for women in the community that suffer from the BRCA1 (BReast CAncer 1) gene or just breast cancer, as many women don’t have the gene for breast cancer. “Breast cancer should be thought of and noticed almost every day,” said Amanda Baker, a LHS freshmen. Any women can receive breast cancer, as for Gail Caldwell, Lafayette High School’s student council advisor, that was her. “Well, at first it was very scary because we did not know the extent of what was going to happen,” said Caldwell. Breast cancer can often go unnoticed and never thought about on a daily basis, as one and eight women develop breast cancer in their lifetime. The American Cancer Society helps fund and prevent breast cancer in women by influencing women to get a yearly checkup. “Always go for your yearly checkups and get the tests you need just to make sure, it can be scary but you still just need to go and take care of yourself,” said Caldwell. LHS held a Pink Out football and pep rally to celebrate and acknowledge October and Breast Cancer Awareness month. Miss Warren County, Em-

from left to right: Emily Tingle and Tracy Hannaford ily Tingle, and 11-month Breast Cancer Survivor, Tracy Hannaford, did the coin flip at the LHS varsity football game on October 21, 2016. The American Cancer Society also held a fundraiser called “Coins for a Cure.” The first period class that raises the most amount of money wins a donut party. Ms. Sandra Smith’s first period class was the winner of that fundraiser, raising $103.18. Mr. Pollard’s class was second with $38.59 and Major Rice third with $26.18. “I’m very excited that my first period won. Everyday I took the cup around to each student like passing the offer plate at

church,” said Mrs. Smith. Many people should not only notice Breast cancer, but any cancer at that. Many students wanted to win for the glorious donut party, but Mrs. Smith’s reason was different. “My dad was diagnosed with cancer over the summer and of course it’s not breast cancer, but nonetheless it’s still cancer. So I was very passionate about doing everything I can to find a cure,” said Mrs. Smith. “I would like to thank my first period students for being so willing to give every single day and I think that’s great.”

Overheating in the LHS gym

by Destiny Mooneyham

Practicing in the heat of the gym, not many of the girls complain for Clint Jordan will tell them what he always does, “The other team is playing in the same gym, they’re hot too.” Cara-Anne Sallis, a senior at Lafayette High School, addressed the problem to the school board. She presented to them the fact that there are days when the heat index is up to 115 degrees and the girls can’t practice in the gym, because it is too hot. “When I presented this information to them I was shaking like a leaf, and I was probably as red as a tomato. Once I got started I knew that this was something that needed to

be brought to the board and needed to be brought to their attention. So I just pushed through it and did what I had to do,” Sallis said. Jordan tells that the girls get used to the heat, considering that the gym is something they always practice in and always play in. “One of the things I have to do, as a coach, is give a lot more water breaks. Just to make sure our core temperature is not getting too high.” Jordan said. During summer practices Jordan gave them about seven to ten water breaks, but since it’s cooling down he gives them about three to four. Sallis said that Superintendent Dr. Adam Pugh

did stated that they were looking at getting two portable units put into the gym. The last she heard on those were that the portable units leaked water, which would warp the floor, and that would make a lot of people unhappy. Sallis explains that there were a few rumors about what might be happening, but she doesn’t know the situation yet. “It doesn’t matter, we still have to play. I’m not one to dwell on, ‘I wish we had things’ or ‘I wish we didn’t’,” Jordan said.

Volleyball girls are just one of the groups of people who suffer from no air conditioning in the gym/

This week on the ship Dores begin a broadcast station

by MaryKate Newman

Morning announcements have an added feature this year. That addition is the occasional weather report by junior, Dustin Staples. Dustin Staples came from Martinsville, Va., where in just 7th grade he knew he wanted to go into Meteorology. Later on Staples started toward making a broadcast station. “By the end of 8th grade year my friends and I came up WHMS8 and then that’s when I started going into it and at the high school we started building our own broadcasting station.” Staples said Before school started

for his 11th grade year Staples found out he was moving down to Mississippi. When he got to LHS he went into yearbook class because administration said it was the closest thing to broadcast. Staples felt broadcast would be a cool feature to Lafayette so he pursued to ask fellow students what they would think about a broadcast channel and students seemed to like the idea. “I was doing research before I was moving down here at the other school , Oxford High school, had a broadcasting system similar to this and

I wanted to start something her at Lafayette,” Staples said. WLHS11 later became as a broadcast channel on youtube. A promo was first uploaded and followed by weekly episodes that come out on Fridays. So far there are a few reporters and a sportscaster along with camera people and a producer. Staples happens to be the weather reporter with weekend reports. One person has the job to put together all the interviews and coverage of the news and weather report for the final produc-

tion to be released on Friday. Georgia Kergosion, a sophomore at LHS, is the producer for WLHS11 whose job is exactly this. Kergosion has been interested in graphic design since 7th grade but when asked by Mrs. Bautista about possibly doing video graphics for WLHS11 it was a going to be a learning experience for all. “What I do is I receive all the videos and information everyone has reported over the week and I use imovie to put it all together. I will come wend. Afternoon and get my usb, go home, and downlaod it all, look at the material

and then come to school on thursday and work on putting it together during 4th period.” Kergosion said. So far Kergosion said she is really enjoying it and learning many new things and wouldn’t mind pursuing a career in the entertainment production. Laurie Branch, sportscaster for WLHS11, is a sophomore and simply volunteered to cover sports thinking Bautista was just joking around in class. Soon after, Branch took on the job that included doing interviews with players and coaches, attending games, and also

getting video coverage of the games. “Overall it has gone really well,” Branch said. Sadly over fall break Staples moved back to Virginia unexpectedly. Staples was saddened at this but will miss Lafayette. “I am going to Miss LHS very very much and thank you everyone for the support from the school, especially Mrs. Bautista. Hopefully, the WLHS11 team will continue to grow and the best to everyone,” Staples said.

STUDENT NEWS

The Commodore Cruiser

Tuttle returns to Lafayette by Dontavious Webb

Frank Tuttle LHS class of 1981 Alumni and famous author came to visit the LHS Book club on October 14, 2016. Tuttle is the author of eighteen books and builds his book’s structure of of what he has learned here at Lafayette. During the meeting Tuttle spoke about his writing and the process of how to write a book. He also gave students insight on how to write books and get in the book writing

field. Students at the event were given the ability to ask questions about the whole process of editing books, writing books, and even about how to get in the field of writing books. One student asked Tuttle how he starts writing his books. He spoke and gave them words of advice and how he does it. “It’s sorta like daydreaming. I have to think about what the theme is going to be, what the set-

tings going to be and what the books going to be about.” Tuttle spoke how long it takes him to write books and the process after sending the book to the editor.

Words from the heart Poetry soothes the soul by Hannah Vanderwall

Author Frank Tuttle explains how he began book writing

OPINION

Poetry are words that have a deeper meaning to the writer than the reader. Poetry and writing are used in many ways such as English, books and more, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be used for coping skills for anxiety, depression, and even self harm. Poetry is considered to be a therapeutic skill, that many people use in therapy as said by journals. lww.com. More times than often, I use poetry as a coping skill for my anxiety and

depression. My poetry isn’t for show, it’s more for me. Most people will read my poems and think that they are too sad and depressing, but they don’t know what poetry has done for me and my life. Poetry makes me believe that there is hope for me in the future and also makes me believe I will have a future myself. Many of my friends say that poetry has helped them with their problems because it states a deeper meaning on how to see their problems from a positive view.

Many therapists say that poetry helps people who suffer from depression and anxiety. Poetry from a depressed person’s view helps them see and plan a future for themselves. Reading poetry that is happy, for a person who suffers from anxiety helps them calm down and breathe from an anxiety/ panic attack. Poetry shouldn’t be taken for granted, especially someone else’s because you may never know how much it means to them.

OPINION

The Commodore Cruiser

An open letter to the child of an addict

by Elaina Dickerson

When it comes to having a parent that is addicted to drugs, there are two types of children: the one who wants to follow in their addicted parents’ footsteps and the one who absolutely despises their addicted parent. The sad part, though, is the way that each child is affected in all of the same ways. But what is addiction like through the eyes of the addict? The addiction is an ongoing battle. An addict will constantly feel like he or she is at war with themselves. The thoughts that come with seeing how they have affected the ones that they love can make them feel like less of a person. As the child of an addict, you can love or hate the parent all you want but it will make no difference because they hate themselves just as much. Because of this, the will to drop the addiction is increased but it is not at all simple and it is never enough. The addiction has no sympathy for the well-being of your loved ones and much less yours. Therefore, when these thoughts take a toll on the addicts emotions, the addiction kicks in and convinces the addict that the solution is to take more of their drug of choice. As one that has seen addiction my whole life, I can tell you that your childhood doesn’t last long. Being born into a life with an addicted relative will cause one to see more chaos by the time they are in middle school than the normal individual ranging from the middle school age to even adulthood. The addiction is not saving the parent from darkness, it is creating darkness for the child. “When he’s in his worse times, it keeps you in a state of worry until you

get the good news,” Hyde White, younger relative of an addict said. Client A and Client B at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center have much to say regarding the topic of addiction. Client A is a male with a young brother that he loves more than anything, while Client B is a female and loving mother of a son. Both clients have regrets as they have become a victim of drug addiction and each of them have words of wisdom worth sharing.

“It’s taken so much from me and it has absolutely destroyed my family,” Client A said.

As the child of an addict, one will think differently than a normal individual. One can be triggered by simply hearing the word “drug”. Instantly, one will be overwhelmed with the harsh flashbacks of the times that said parent was so messed up that death was only a close second. And if you think that is the worst, you’re wrong. The worst is when the child witnesses the parent hit rock bottom, which is death. It is honestly the worst feeling in the world because the only thing that you can do is watch the addict kill themselves right in front of your eyes as there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. The worst day of my life was when I woke up and found my father dead one morning. As a thirteen year old, I didn’t quite understand why my dad wouldn’t wake up until my brother told me that dad overdosed and then he called for help. The thing I regret the most was that the night before, I allowed myself to watch my father drink one drink after another after the usual popping of pills. I regret it be-

cause that is the only thing that was on my mind as I was performing CPR on my lifeless father through the direction of the operators over the phone.

“It makes me feel very guilty and very ashamed,” Client B said.

One will care differently than a normal individual, as well. For example, if a young girl's father is an addict, that girl will spend the rest of her life trying to keep any brothers or boyfriends from harm. The reason for that is because a father is the first guy to enter her life and a father is her first love. So when a young girl loses her father to such destruction, she becomes so focused on saving every other male figure that she often loses herself. My older brother and I have always been so close, at least until he decided to be the child that wants to follow in the addicted parents footsteps. The two of us would always joke about how he just might be the one to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day because dad might not be able to. Unfortunately, the joke became reality. As we got older, the two of us realized that overtime, dad is only going to get worse. I was always the one that would beg my brother to help me try to think of ways to make dad want to change. The thing is, there is no way. There is absolutely no way to make an addict want to change and my brother understood that long before I ever did. And this is where the confusion kicks in. I stayed confused for a long time as to why my brother would even consider lifting a drink after seeing everything that I have and more.

I always thought that maybe if I could convince him to refrain from it before he really gets started then maybe I won’t have to go through this all over again. Unfortunately, this is addiction and it will not be controlled regardless of how far the addict is into it.

“I don’t want to live like that no more, I want him to have a normal balance in life,” Client B said.

When it comes to being the child of an addict and a high school student, you will find yourself getting so frustrated with your classmates as they think addiction is a joke. Typically, high school students look forward to those typical high school parties because of the drugs and alcohol that they will be exposed to.

it’s not cool and I’m not happy with my life all due to drugs,” Client A said.

So when a young girl in high school makes someone that she cares about promise not to drink when said person is at a party, it’s not because she is overreacting. The reason is because after losing her father to substance abuse, her mind automatically assumes that if someone else that she cares about uses then she will lose them the same way.

“Once you start drugs, it’s out of your control to stop it,” Client A said.

The normal for a child of an addict is seeing the pain in the addict’s eyes and wanting to fix it. The child will grow up seeing the addict's problems as his or her own. “We’ve been through Hell and back together but that is what makes us so close,” White said.

“It seems cool at first and I understand that but I’m here to say as one that’s spent four and “Once I started, it a half years of my life really didn’t matter in jail or rehab that how I felt, I couldn’t

stop,” Client B said. When it comes to friends, a child of an addict is never oblivious to their feelings. After all, the child has witnessed every emotion imaginable in their parent. The child will be the friend that all of the others vent to all while keeping his or her own problems locked away in fear of coming off as trying to make someone feel sorry for them. In some instances, the child will lose friends because the friends will believe there is a lack of trust. The truth is, the child does not vent to others because of the fear that it will change said friends’ opinions of that person. Because, in all honesty, who wants to be friends with the child who is just as messed up as his or her parent?

For the rest of the article, go to out instagram page @ commodoremediagroup

Feminism taken to an extreme by LHS students by Dontavius Webb Recently I have noticed that quite a great amount of our student body are feminists, peolpe who belive in womens right and equality between the genders, which is no problem for me, but where I draw the line is the over excessive arguments about women’s rights. Self-proclaimed feminist Amy Sullivan spoke on this topic. “I think that some feminists take it too far. “Feminism to me is about women being equal in every way to men,” Sullivan said. I, myself, do agree that women should be equal to any other person, but some people take these

things to an extreme; they are doing things that are unnecessary. For example, when people say mankind, and feminists start to freak out and correct someone saying humankind. Partaking in these different arguments is just idiotic in my view and not just for the feminist but for anyone else who is arguing the subject. Feminism is sought to have first break out in 570 BC. The feminist theory is the extension of feminism into theoretical or philosophical discourse. It aims to understand the nature of gender inequality, and examines women’s social roles, experiences, and in-

terests. Women do deserve equality like anyone else but breaking out in rants during class or during school periods can be a little irritating. Many teachers in my classes have had to calm down classes because of issues like that. I believe that people should have enough class and self pride to not let someone’s comments about their beliefs how females should be treated shouldn’t allow them to lose their cool over a silly argument. “Using words like feminazi take it too far and can be offensive to Jewish people,” Sullivan said.

I agree completely with Sullivan on the fact that the use of the word feminazi can be very offensive since it references the Nazi Germans. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not bashing feminism at all, in fact I find feminism to be a necessary factor for women. Women need to express their feelings, yes, but some people go too far and make many students uncomfortable.

Sports

The Commodore Cruiser

Shoutout to Shaw

Volleyball makes Playoffs

by Katie Sicks

by Elaina Dickerson

The Lady Dores volleyball team has made it to playoffs. From their first game in August against Oxford to their last game in October against New Albany, the girls have gone through much preparation. “We worked really hard at practice and we worked together as a team and we hustled,” junior Cylie Robertson said. Everyday after school, the girls practice in the high school gym. Except for on game days, in which the girls show how the practice has paid off. Although the gym does not have air conditioning, the girls still put in hard work. “We prepared for the playoffs in our lovely gym

that doesn’t have air conditioning but it’s okay, we still work hard in there,” Robertson said. “Our coach helps us out and teaches us new things everyday,” Alivia Noonan, sophomore volleyball player, said. With so much dedication to the sport, the Lady Dores dominate behind the net at each and every game. In fact, the Lady Dores volleyball team went undefeated for the month of September. “I think we all led the team to such a success by working together,” Noonan said. Altogether, the hardwork and dedication makes the team eligible for playoffs.

“We made it to the playoffs because we worked hard and we worked together,” Robertson said, “We knew we were going to make it to playoffs.” “I was excited because we have three really good seniors and I feel like it’s important to them and they showed that it was important,” Noonan said. When playoffs arrive during the third week of October, the Lady Dores will compete for a win a few last times. The girls played their first play-off game against the Oxford Chargers on October 18th. Unfortunately the girls returned home with a loss.

Jamie Shaw, sophomore running-back and line-backer, on the Lafayette High football team let Sam Lock wear his jersey Friday, October 21, 2016. During the Pink Out pep rally Shaw showed Commodore pride when he allowed him to wear his jersey. Lock’s face lit up as Jamie walked with him to stand up at the bottom of the bleachers,

so Lock could show off the jersey. Lock wore the jersey throughout the day. Lafayette Student, Madison Sharp, snapped a picture and posted it to twitter with the caption, “@ Jshawjr_4 he was so excited you let him wear your jersey! You’re awesome!” Shaw retweeted the photo with the caption, “This is what it’s all about”.

Soccer schedule 2016-17

Homecoming 2016 Senior Ayana Johnson escorted by Cortez Herod football players warm up just before the game Sophomore Madison Daniels escorted by Michael Merchant

Senior Gabby Dunn won Homecoming Queen and was escorted by Kedrian Buford

Junior Jada Ross being escorted by Hogan Linzy

Senior Chelsea McCullough escorted by Jake Reyes

Just a few of the colorguard girls. from left to right: Katie Hays, Tori Daniels, Olivia Howie, and Sydney Johnson

Junior La’Kyjah Shaw escorted by Xxavier Hill freshman Amanda Fortner being escorted by Jarred Burk

Freshman Makiah Harris escorted by Levi Lott

Junior Lauren Jean Rives escorted by Barrett Childress

Senior Tori Huckaby escorted by Morgan Burk

FEATURES FEATURES

Th TheeCommodore CommodoreCruiser Cruiser

Matlock hoops into his junior year by Sam Rayburn

Being a basketball player and a runner on the track team for Lafayette High School, Jonah Matlock has soared greatly through the basketball and track aspect of his life. Having been a junior at the start of this school year, according to Matlock, his sports never interfere with his school work nor his social life. He has been playing

a little different for track. This year is Matlock’s second year of track and he’s already so successful. “I started playing basketball when I was in ninth grade and ran track when I was in tenth grade. Then I became good at both of them so I continued,” Matlock said. Basketball is what Matlock does almost every-

Jonah Matlock shooting a free throw in his 7th period basketball practice.

basketball since he was young but decided to join the school team his freshman year. Though, things looked

day because he feels that to be a successful athlete, you need to work hard everyday. Not to mention weight lifting, eating right,

and staying focused. He is the point guard for the varsity basketball team at Lafayette High School. His basketball coach, John Sherman, says that he is fiery, competitive, and an energy player. Matlock’s teammate, Hogan Linzy, even went on to explain how great of a teammate he is. “He’s a great guy, he’s a leader, and he know’s what to do with the ball. He’s the point guard so he’s kinda gotta be the quarterback of our basketball team. What he says, goes,” Linzy said. His track career seems to be going amazing according to his track coach, Bennie Mikell. Mikell says he has natural stamina and that is something really hard to find. Running the 800 relay and also planning to run the individual 800, Matlock is thought by his coach to go

as far in track as he wants to. Mikell also went on to say that he is a leader and the other runners like to have him around. “He has talent. People who run aren’t always blessed with talent. He is. He simply needs to continue to develop his talent,” Mikell said. Matlock even went on to talk about his advice for young athletes aspiring to be as successful as he is. His advice was to work hard everyday, fill your body with the right foods, and to workout. As coach Sherman said it, Matlock always asks him to open the gym so he can practice. He does this because he plans on going as far as he possibly can with basketball. “He’s always looking to workout in the gym. I think he’ll see a much better player,” Sherman said.

Arriving on Angel’s time by Katie Shoffner

Angel Rhea, attendance clerk at Lafayette High School, is at work everyday making sure substitute teachers are in their place and students are all accounted for. She’s responsible for checking students in and out, dealing with tardiness, and appointing teachers as subs for those who couldn’t make it to school. This job can be overlooked easily, even though it is vi-

tal to the school system. Without Rhea, students would be able to walk into class after 8 a.m., without consequences such as the tardy showing up on their record, or even being written up if they’re tardy four times. Students also have to endure some repercussions if they have five or more unexcused absences, when the district attendance officer, Allison Crain, has to get involved.

However, before any of this has a chance to occur at school, Rhea is already busy at home. “There’s been lots of mornings when I put my phone on speaker and I’m trying to arrange subs, get dressed, and get the kids ready,” Rhea said. Rhea’s favorite part of the day is in the mornings because she “usually gets more background history on the students.” Their explanations provide Rhea with interesting information about their lives. She enjoys getting to know the students throughout the year, especially the ones that are often late. She is also responsible for getting the faculty and staff’s kids on the bus in the morning, and gets to know them just as well. After the tardies are taken care of and the kids are gone, Rhea begins her work on absences, whether it’s excuse notes or checking the online roll. She fills the rest of her day by doing check ins and checkouts. This may seem as if this job could get repetitive, but Rhea says it’s never boring. “I do the same thing everyday, but it’s differ-

ent situations,” Rhea said, “Everyday is different for me.” After work, Rhea can usually be found at practice for any of the sports her three children play. She loves spending time with them and her husband of 14 years. One thing she does on a certain day of the year, her anniversary, is put on her wedding dress. “I make the kids take pictures with me and I just

wear it around the house,” Rhea said. “I love it.” Rhea is close to many of her coworkers, but Renee Jackson inspires her the most. Jackson can be found in the counselor’s office and works to keep a positive attitude everyday. Though they are not particularly close, the positivity is evidently infectious. “I started writing inspiring messages on a whiteboard on the door to my office because of Ms.

Jackson,” Rhea said. “Her positive attitude everyday made me want to do something positive as well.” Jackson said Rhea is “very relatable, and students feel safe with her.” She herself is inspired by Rhea. “We need people like her who are welcoming and make the students and parents feel welcome,” Jackson said. “She represents the spirit of Lafayette High School.”

Angel Rhea posing in her wedding dress with her children.

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The guide to your sexuality by Natalie Boone

The month of October is LGBT History Month and includes National Coming Out Day on October 11. In lieu of LGBT History Month, a sexuality and gender guide has been crafted, as protections against discrimination of sexual orientation and gender identity tend to go hand-in-hand. It’s because of this that they are oftentimes mixed together and/ 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.). Sexuality Guide Please keep in mind that these are not all of the sexual orientations. • Heterosexual: A person who is sexually attracted to someone of the ‘opposite’ gender is heterosexual. This term is oftentimes shadowed by the term ‘straight.’

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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 attracted 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. Gender Guide Please keep in mind that these are not all of the genders. • Cisgender: If a person identifies as cisgender, their self-identity conforms with the gender that corresponds to their biological sex. In this case, they are either male or female. • Agender: A person who is agender does not identify as any gender. They have no gender identity. Agender people tend to use they/them pronouns, but using masculine and feminine pronouns does not make them any less agender. • Non-Binary: A person who is non-binary identifies as a gender that is, simply, not limited to male or female. • Genderfluid: A genderfluid person chang-

Supporters march in the Halifax Pride Parade in Canada.

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es the gender they identify as throughout the gender spectrum. Their gender identity at any time can be a binary or non-binary gender. A person who identifies as genderfluid may change their pronouns as they go about the gender spectrum. Bigender: A person who is bigender al-

•

ternates between two distinct points of the gender spectrum. These could be boy or girl, or could include a non-binary gender. Demigender: A person who feels a partial, emotional connection to a gender.

X’s and O’s in the hallway PDA in the hallways by Katie Sicks It’s the same thing you see in movies, high school sweethearts holding hands, hugging, and kissing, unless you happen to go to Lafayette High School. The new PDA, Public display of Affection, rule put an end to it all. In the previous years students were allowed to hold hands and hug, but of course kissing was prohibited. At the end of the previous school year Lafayette decided to ban not only kissing, but holding hands and hugging as well. Page 40 of The Lafayette Handbook states, “Holding Hands, hugging, kissing, and other displays of affection are considered inappropriate at school. These behaviors create an environment that is not conducive to concentration and learning, therefore students should refrain from all

such behaviors during school hours. Failure to do so may result in a parent meeting and possible suspension if inappropriate

the halls is understandable for some students, but no holding hands or hugging is harder for the students to understand. As long as

fic or holding hands then what is the harm? A senior couple, Ayo Williams and Ransom Whitehorn, have been

behavior continues after being warned. Now the “no kissing” in

it is not the “hold on to me forever” type of hug that would stop hallway traf-

dating for about 9 months now and they work their way around the rules. “Well since the rule like

last year we did it like every time we met each other in the hallway, but now what we do is just kinda work around it, like we hold each others wrist or something or like we lock arms but even then I still see people holding hands everyday,” said Whitehorn with Williams agreeing. “I didn’t think it was necessary, like I understood the kissing and stuff but I didn’t understand the holding hands because it didn’t really do anything or like cause any harm or inappropriate,” said Williams. “Hugging if you were just standing in the middle of the hall because that is kinda in the way,” said Whitehorn. The new rule could put an affect on some relationships. “We’re both seniors, we can both drive we don’t only see each other in school, but say the kids

that only see each other in school that is probably a big effect on them,” said Whitehorn. Every individual has their say on the new rule. Some may understand it and others may not, but if The Lafayette Handbook states it then it must be followed or actions will be taken.

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Pop culture changes by Katie Shoffner Dances like the “dab” are currently on the rise in popular culture, although many people might argue that it is falling from popularity. There have been many dances that have come and gone during just

at Lafayette High School, said that “it’s all about the internet.” It’s no secret that students are constantly on social media, so they are exposed to the things others are doing all the time.

Pictured above from left to right: Destiny Slate and Omega Shaw the past year. The dab is a dance in which the person lifts both their arms and puts their face into their elbow, almost as if they are sneezing. These dances take over for a few months at a time, then dwindle down until it becomes almost taboo to talk about them. So why do students change their minds and hop onto the next fad so quickly? The only people who may have a true answer are the students themselves. Omega Shaw, freshman

“We move from things like that so quickly because we’re always seeing something new,” Shaw said. Shaw also thinks that dabbing is “fun to do and watch others do.” It seems like nearly everyone has taken a part in the fad, from students to teachers. Age doesn’t seem to matter as long as the person is having fun. Once one person does it, then everyone is suddenly doing it. “Our generation takes

everything and recreates it or copies it,” Shaw said. There are plenty of other dances that have been made popular through apps like Instagram and Snapchat, such as “#jujuonthatbeat” in which there is an entire routine to do that consists of other dances. However, at this point in time it seems that the dab is dominating the scene, at least at LHS. Another student who partakes in dances like these is LHS freshman Matthew Gillentine. He is known amongst his classmates for dabbing profusely, so much so that teachers have reprimanded him for doing it during class. When asked about his thoughts about dabbing, he responded by simply saying, “Well, it’s dabbing,” and proceeded to dab. Gillentine is most likely one of many students that would react in this way. “It’s great,” he said. “It’s really lit.” Students like Shaw and Gillentine who enjoy jumping on trends and having fun with them while they last are the reason that they are so much fun. It is also the reason they are always popular in some way.

Women’s Historical Spotlight By Natalie Boone Nancy Wake, also known as the White Mouse, was the most decorated woman of World War II and was at one point the most wanted individual by the Gestapo— the official secret police of Nazi Germany and German-occupied Europe— with a 5 million franc-price on her head, roughly the equivalent of 5 million USD. She was a New Zealander brought up in Australia, who became: a nurse, a journalist who interviewed Adolf Hitler, a wealthy French socialite, a British agent, and a French resistance leader. She ran away from home at the age of 16 and found work as a nurse, but a windfall enabled her to leave Australia for Europe in 1932. Wake settled in Paris, working for the Hearst group of newspapers as a journalist. In 1935, she visited Vienna and Berlin where the overt and violent anti-Semitism— hostility or prejudice against Jews— formed in her a desire to oppose Nazism. She married Henri Fiocca in the month of November in the year of 1939. Six months later

Germany invaded France. Wake and Fiocca joined the fledgling Resistance after France’s surrender in 1940. She led a group of 7,000 guerrilla fighters in battles against the Nazis in the northern Auvergne, just before the D-Day landings in 1944 until the liberation of France, causing over 1,400 casualties while only suffering 100 themselves. On one occasion, she strangled an SS sentry— a soldier stationed at a location to stand guard— with her bare hands. On another, she cycled 500 miles to replace lost codes. During one of Nancy Wake’s missions in World War II, her parachute became tangled in a tree. While rescuing her, a French agent commented that he wished that all trees would bear ‘such beautiful fruit,’ to which she immediately replied, “Don’t give me any of that French shit.” Wake died on August 7, 2011, at the age of 98, at Kingston Hospital in London shortly after being admitted with a chest infection.

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TheAnchor Teacher

Gloria Smith

Freshman

Hannah Grace Melton

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

Daniel Walton

What will you be wearing for halloween this year?

Dylan Yancy What will you be wearing for halloween this year?

One of God’s angel’s becuase I am trying daily to instill in all of my students the sense of goodness and positive responsibillity of obtaining a sucessful education.

I don’t know

Camoflauge

What would you do if a clown came to your house?

What would you do if a What would you do if a What would you do if a clown came to your house? clown came to your house? clown came to your house?

Scream

What would you do if a What do you think about clown came to your house? people “getting that neck”? 1st call the police ,2nd set my dog Cece on him/her, I don’t care and 3rd watch him/her run What’s your favorite What do you think about scary movie? people “getting that neck”? I don’t have one That action is very childish and I disapprove Did you vote for homecoming queen? What’s your favorite scary movie? Nightmare on Elm Street Did you vote for homecoming queen? No I was unaware that I could.

I don’t remember

Let my german shepard eat him What do you think about people “getting that neck”? It’s stupid

What will you be wearing for halloween this year?

Emerie Cathey What will you be wearing for halloween this year?

Probally what I have on

A nerd

Probally gone get shot

Taze it

What do you think about people “getting that neck”?

It’s just funny when I hear it

It is stupid

What’s your favorite scary What’s your favorite scary What’s your favorite scary movie? movie? movie? Orphan Candyman Ouiji Did you vote for homeDid you vote for homeDid you vote for homecoming queen? coming queen? coming queen? Yes, Gabby Dunn No No