Vacation Get Away

the

tribal tribune

WANDO HIGH SCHOOL

volume 38, issue 1

MT PLEASANT, SC

sept. 20, 2012

vacation getaway special section pages 11-18

new policies // 04

top 8 movies // 19

olympic trials // 22

band photostory // 28

02 tribal people

sept. 20, 2012 »

22

14

24

28

11

25

what’s inside » 11 endless

summer

22 olympic

14 mission

work

24 on

Warriors became globetrotters in the summer of 2012. Take a look at the adventures that teachers and students embarked on over the summer.

Some students spent their vacations lending a helping hand to those in need, both at home and abroad.

Read about their new experiences on page14.

21 22 Homecoming vs. Fort Dorchester

Blood drive

Senior portraits in cafeteria

hopefuls

Junior Megan Kingsley and senior Zach Lierly had the opportunity of a lifetime when they attended the Olympic trials June 25-July 2.

a winning streak

The varsity football team is off to its best start since 1990. Take a closer look at the excitement of Warrior football in this photo package.

5

Varsity football @ West Ashley

24

25 the

voice of wando

Wando lost one of its most beloved teachers in July.

The Tribal Tribune pays tribute to the “Voice of Wando.”

28 band

camp

Get a glimpse of marching band’s extensive training July 30-Aug. 3 -- through rain and heat -- to shape a new award winning program.

Senior night at 7 p.m.

Lowcountry Invitational Band Competition

25

Lifetouch picture makeups

tribal people 03

« sept. 20, 2012

jack rogers

They’re practically the only shoes I wear, I love them to death.

bunny

My grandpa gave her to me when I was born, and I have had her ever since. I will even be taking her to college with me.

makeup

Makeup is my daily necessity. It’s just every girl’s best friend. I wear it everyday. I definitely couldn’t live without it.

taylor johnson

Taylor is my 20-year-old sister who goes to College of Charleston. I couldn’t live without her wisdom and advice, she is just always there for me.

choir

I am in chorus at Wando and it is probably 30 percent of my life, as is music.

jessie

Jessie is my dog. We adopted him in 2006 from the pound. He is a mix of black lab, border collie and chow. He is like a little brother to me.

ALL PHOTOS BY LIZ BENSON // associate editor

things I can’t live without

getting to know sophomore jen johnson

straightener

My straightener is another daily necessity for me. If I wasn’t to use it, then my hair would be a fuzzy, frizzy mess.

cheer bow

I am on a cheer team, and orange and black are the colors of my team. I wear my cheer bow two days a week.

quote i live by...

“Life isn’t measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

—Gabrielle Zevin

04 tribal news

new policies What other policies are new at Wando?

Here are some of the other new policies that are new this year.

Nursing policy: Q: What is it?

A: Over-the-counter medications will no longer be stocked and/or administered at school without a doctor’s order.

Q: Why? A: This new policy was enacted to comply with S.C. law and model policies. Nurses do not have complete knowledge of students’ medical histories and what they do not know could result in harm to a student, according to school nurse.

Q: What if a student is sick?

A: The school nurses have the skills to identify emergent, urgent and non-urgent situations.

Nurses can educate students about their bodies and teach interventions. Nurses can use mild soap and water, cool or warm compresses, ice packs and provide a place to rest.

Q: How do I get OTC medication at school?

A: Students need to pick up a Doctor’s Order form from the Clinic that needs to be completed and signed by a parent and a doctor. The medication must then be provided by the parents in the original, sealed, properly labeled container. Any medical procedure to be performed at school also requires a Doctor’s Order form.

Get the form online at: http://www.ccsdschools. com/Departments_Staff_Directory/Academic Division/HealthServices

Parking policy

All students with early outs are to be placed in the East Parking Lot and all other students will be placed in the West Parking Lot. This policy has always been in effect, but it is being enforced more strictly this year, according to Assistant Principal Bryan Hearn.

Cafeteria policy Q: What has changed with the lunch policy this year?

A: ”The students as far as the reduced which are the discounted meals they need to have certain components...Our policy has changed to offer versus serve,so we’re offering these five components so the kids can serve themselves three out of those,” Assistant Principal Bryan Hearn.

sept. 20, 2012 «

policies: new Pilot cell phone policy working, according to administrators sarah russell staff writer Six months in, Wando’s new cell phone policy continues to be positive, according to administrators and students.

Administrators first considered the change after “putting ourselves in students’ shoes” Assistant Principal Bryan Hearn said. “If we’re in a professional meeting all day with district staff or our bosses, we’re expecting them to give us a few minutes an hour to check our voice mail, check our emails, check our text messages and so forth.”

After obtaining permission from Charleston County to pilot the program, which allows students to use cell phones during class exchange and lunch, Beckham said students will help determine if the policy will stay -- and perhaps even become a district-wide policy.

“Once I broke through that wall, it was just a matter of hoping that students would be responsible with it,” she said.

Beckham said she and other administrators believe students are up to the challenge of following the policy, which requires students to have phones turned off and put away during class time. Violators have increased penalties, including having their phone taken away.

“I think [students] understand that they’re getting extra privileges, and with privileges come responsibility,” she said.

Some, including senior Shannon McDaniel, see the consequences as too harsh.

“When people use it all the time it is kind of disrespectful, but I think when people do get caught, the punishment is a little too severe,” she said.

However, administrators and teachers believe consequences are in place so the program can be a success.

“Just remember, as with all things, there are rules for reasons.” Teacher Gerald Rice said.

Most agree that the program has been a positive change.

“It makes a lot of sense – you can’t keep high schoolers from texting,” junior Lindsey Burriss said. “I think it’s really cool that we’re the first to do something like this.”

Junior Caylan Sankitts said he believes the policy is “simple and pretty fair. If you’re not in class, you can use your cell phone.”

“Everybody wants to use them, but now they have a place and time for it,” English teach Erin Lowry said. “It takes away from students wanting to look at their phone every five minutes during class.”

Although the majority of students are aware of the simple policy – no phones during class – administrators have a few clarifications.

“Students need to understand that ‘during an instructional period’ means that if they’re allowed to go to the rest room or if they’re walking the halls during a class period for any reason, they don’t need to be on their phones or listening to their iPods,” Hearn said.

“The biggest concern I have with phone use in class is cheating.”

Beckham said. There will be severe consequences for cheating with phones.

“There is no excuse, unless the teacher tells you to pull out your cell phone,” Hearn added.

Beckham said she is pleased overall with the program.

“My perception, six months into it, is it’s working better than the other one,” she said. “We’re seeing less students that are frustrated by teachers trying to say put your phone up between classes. But I cannot and I will not tolerate students pulling out phones while teachers are trying to instruct.”

Hearn agreed.

“We felt like [the policy] was the best thing for our students and that they could handle it. So far, overwhelmingly, they have,” he said. “There have been some small hiccups, but overwhelmingly, the students have done well with it.”

A perk of being a pilot school is that Wando has the possibility of changing the district, she added.

“At the end of a period of time, they’ll see what kind of data we get, and the district may look at us and consider changing the district-wide policy.” Beckham said. “And I think other high schools in Charleston County will appreciate us if that can happen.”

Students and teachers said Wando is a good choice to serve as a pilot program.

“We do a lot of things first because we’re a very strong school. I think that’s reflected in us being a pilot school,” Lowry said.

“Wando’s a good test,” junior Grace Glenn said. “If it works at Wando, it’s going to work anywhere else.”

“We do a lot of things first

because we’re a very strong school. I think that’s reflected in us being a pilot school,”

Erin Lowry

tribal news 05

» sept. 20, 2012

and improved

LIZ BENSON // associate editor

Strictly enforcing dress code brings change to teens’ clothing sarah yergin

staff writer Booty shorts, thin straps and low-cut shirts are no longer going to have a place at Wando.

Unlike previous years where these clothing items might skate by unnoticed or unpunished, the administration is making dress code a priority. Increases in yellow shirts and ISS have shown this year.

And it means business.

“There have not been any official changes to the dress code,” Assistant Principal Bryan Hearn said.

Principal Lucy Beckham agreed the dress code is not the true change -- the enforcement is.

“The biggest thing that kids will notice is that we’re enforcing it more consistently,” she said.

Beckham said adults visiting the school in the past were not impressed with the students’ attire. They even went as far as to inquire if there was a dress code in place at all.

“I would turn around to see what they were seeing and I was truly embarrassed,” Beckham said.

“We apparently had reached a point where people just didn’t quite understand what was expected, and it was hard to quantify what was or wasn’t acceptable.”

According to fashion and merchandising teacher Betsy Allen-Holmes, it wasn’t just upholding Wando’s image that caused the changes.

“I think it was developed basically for safety reasons; protecting the kids from disrespecting themselves, and when you go to school and there isn’t a dress code, you seem to wear almost anything,” Allen-Holmes said.

“Students have a tendency to dress like celebrities and they gotta remember that celebrities are making money.

They’re dressing to entertain us and they [students] have to know when to dress appropriately for their age and to cover their body parts.”

Allen-Holmes also pointed out other pros to the changes.

“I appreciate the fact that they require students to cover their posterior area with the leggings because some kids were selecting leggings that were too light and you could actually see their skin,” she said.

Another important change this year is the consequences for violators.

“The consequences have teeth, and before they probably didn’t have enough teeth and I just kind of hoped everybody would do what they should do and it wasn’t working very well,” Beckham said.

“You mess with this dress code issue enough times, you’re gonna get some real consequences.”

Despite being aware of publicized changes, though, Beckham said some students continue to break the rules.

“What I found last week is that some of the ones who had inappropriate clothes had other clothes in their book bags,” she said.

“Well, what does that tell you? They knew they were inappropriate, they were prepared.”

She also mentioned the difference between boys and girls on dress code violations.

“I think the boys have complied a little bit easier. The

Above from left: Shorts must be at least finger-tip length, while shirts must touch a person’s hand placed under the collarbone. Any violation of the dress code result in a giant yellow shirt from the administration and ISS for a block.

hats have been a challenge but again the consequences now is we’re just going to take your hat,” Beckham said.

Overall, Beckham and Hearn agree the changes have been effective.

“I think we’ve had extremely positive results so far and from what I can tell the students are taking it seriously,” Hearn said.

“They’re more aware of what they’re wearing. They’re more aware [that] they’re in a professional, educational setting and that’s what we expect them to convey. If they think about that as they get dressed in the morning then we’re going to be a much more professional looking educational institution.”

Now that the changes have been made it is the students jobs to follow them, but should Wando continue to -- as a majority -- violate the dress code, the school has a backup plan: uniforms, Beckham said.

“I see this as our last hoorah. We’re either going to get this right or we’ll be, by spring, looking for some really good black plaid, black and red pants and skirts and some white shirts,” Beckham said, “and we’ll just all look like Bishop England of Mt. Pleasant.”

Allen-Holmes said it’s time for students to get with the dress code.

“Let it go,” she said. “Stop worrying about what ‘I cannot wear’ and find the things you can wear and pull it together. There are going to be rules and regulations throughout life whether they like it or not.”

sept. 20, 2012 Âť

06 tribal news

news briefs { awards / honors raising the flag -

middle college -

homecoming

-

tribal news 07

» sept. 20, 2012

notable achievements

Senior Aaron Brown attended Boys’ State in Columbia June 10-16.

“My favorite part of the experience was getting to know a bunch of athletes from all over the state. I got a scholarship to go so I just decided to go.”

Senior Matthew Chalfant attended Boys’ State at Anderson University.

“To be in that room and know that everybody there is feeling that intense brotherhoodyou get chills down your spine,” he said.

Senior Georgia Compton attended Girls’ State June 10-16 . “It was a great experience meeting so many incredible girls.

It shaped the way I speak in public and react with others. It was just a great week all in all.”

Senior Nicole Piaskowski attended Girls’ State at Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C. “I really enjoyed just working together and getting to know the girls from all our cities. They were all really awesome.”

Junior Hunter Sturgill won the student summer reading contest after reading over 57,000 pages this summer. “When I found out that I won, the first thing that came into my head was that I beat my friend,” she said. “I just like to read….that’s what I do.”

Teacher Misty LeClerc won the teacher summer reading contest after reading over 9,000 pages “I decided that this summer I was going to read and I was going to decompress for the next year. I was very surprised when I found out that I won,” she said.

BRIA GRAHAM // CO-PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Seniors Mariah Logan, Brian Lavallee, Keil Lycke and Jack Meagher were announced as National Meit Semifinalists Sept. 12.

four named national merit semifinalists Four students from Wando have been named National Merit semifinalists, announced on Sept. 12.

Honorees include seniors Brian Lavallee, Mariah Logan, Keil Lycke and Jack Meagher.

In order to be among the semi-finalists, the four needed to be in the top percentile of scorers on the 2011 PSAT in the nation.

“Being a national merit scholar was a big goal of mine,” Lavallee said. “I used my preparation from the SAT as a dual purpose preparation for the PSAT.” For Logan, the announcement was unexpected and the actual test was a much anticipated event.

“I didn’t really prepare for the PSAT, but I remember not getting a lot of sleep the night before it,” Logan said.

Lycke and Logan shared the news together.

“I was with Mariah on the day they announced the semifinalists,” Lycke said, “so we both got to share in our mutual excitement.”

For Meagher, representing Wando is the most rewarding part of the national merit experience.

“It feels very encouraging to receive the right before applying to colleges, and I’m both happy and proud to represent Wando academically,” he said.

--compiled by georgia barfield

three attend drum major leadership training Seniors Ryan Berberian, Claire Bogdan and Haley Byers attended a 10-day leadership program for band at the end of June at the Summer Symposium in Indianapolis.

While there, the three drum majors had to conduct and compete with a squad.

Over 600 drum members attended this camp. This was Berberian’s and Bogdan’s third year in attendance, and Byers’ first year attending.

08 tribal features

sept. 20, 2012 » Former student and teacher Jason Drayton sits in his new office as newly appointed assistant principal. Drayton attended, taught, coached and now serves as assistant principal.

He is married to English teacher Shandra Drayton and has a three-year-old daughter, Laila.

BRIA GRAHAM // co-photography editor

the road from student to administrator Dedication to alma mater leads to administrative post elizabeth levi co-editor-in-chief Jason Drayton did not expect to return to Wando High School after he graduated in 1997. He wasn’t really sure what he wanted to do beyond college and a business degree. But 15 years later, Drayton is back in school -- as Wando’s newest assistant principal.

Since he attended high school, Drayton said Wando has grown – not just in numbers, but also in dynamic.

“When I was in Wando, I believe our enrollment might have been around 11 or 1200 kids,” said Drayton, who has taught at Wando for 10 years. “To have 3500 plus here now, it’s a huge difference because you have different types of kids -kids from different cultures, who look at things differently. When I was in school,

it was from a small-knit community, everyone knew each other – you knew what to expect, pretty much. But here, it’s just the volume of kids [that] just adds a whole new dynamic to the school.”

After Drayton graduated, he kept in touch with one specific teacher.

“I have to give a lot of credit to Mrs. Betsy Wilson – she still teaches here,” Drayton said. “She continued to follow me through college, just to keep up with me, and when I graduated from college, I got a phone call from her. She wanted to give me a graduation gift.”

When Drayton came to visit her, Wilson asked him if he would like to coach football.

“I’ve been playing football all of my life, so to have the ability to coach it, that just takes it to a different level and I was anxious to do that. That’s how she roped me in,” Drayton said. “She used football to rope me in, and once I found out that I had to start teaching, I was fine with that…here I am, 11 years later.”

But he was ready to step it up a notch

after teaching, so Drayton went back to school to become an assistant principal.

“Being a teacher for so long, you’re able to see things in one scope – you’re only really concerned with your four walls and the kids that you see on a daily basis,” he said.

“It got to a point where that wasn’t enough for me – I wanted to contribute more and help children on a wider scale, and being an assistant principal gives me that opportunity.”

But being an assistant principal is not an easy task. Drayton is in charge of textbooks and lockers, the clinic and cafeteria, after school detentions and Saturday school, along with tardy passes, the United Way initiative and the PE Department.

“As an assistant principal, you have a list of priorities set for what you need to do,” Drayton said. “The challenge is being able to accomplish that list on a daily basis because you get pulled in so many different directions because so many different things can happen – you can have an emergency, you could have a parent that came that has a concern about their child and you’re

meeting with them. You can’t really set a time limit on these things, so you just work the priority list as you’re taking care of your day-to-day responsibilities.”

At school, Drayton is not only known under the title of assistant principal. For English teacher Shandra Drayton, he is also “husband.”

“It’s great to be able to work together [with my wife] like that, and Wando is so big, it’s not like we’re always seeing each other anyway, I mean, especially since I became an AP (assistant principal),” Drayton said. “I see her when we’re walking in, and then when we’re walking out, so I don’t really see her that much throughout the day, so that’s fine.”

Between becoming an assistant principal and working with his wife at his own high school, Drayton said he is content.

“I’m happy where I am, truly, and I think this is good enough for me,” he said. “Everybody has to be a life-long learner. You have to continue learning to make yourself better, and I’ll do that and continue to make students and teachers do that here.”

tribal health 09

health & wellness { how to / column « september 20, 2012

healthy living

1

2

3

4 1. Don’t consume too much sodium Over time, a diet high in sodium can lead to hypertension (high blood pressure). Sodium is used to give foods flavor as well with other preservatives to make foods last. Vending machine foods are often high in sodium, so stay aware of how many milligrams are in your snacks. Daily recommended values are 2400mg.

2. Stay away from foods high in saturated fat Saturated fats are what clog your arteries and can lead to cardiovascular disease. Saturated fats are found in prepared foods and dairy products. Vending machine snacks are prepared foods and are often packed full of saturated fats. Daily recommended values are 20g.

3. Watch for amount of servings per container

4. Look for the healthy choices

Some foods have more than one serving in each container. There are 2.5 servings of Gatorade in a 20oz bottle. This means if you consume the entire bottle then you are having 2.5 times the sugars printed on the bottle.

There are 14 grams of sugar in one serving and 34 grams in the whole bottle. Be cautious when there is more than one serving in a container.

The healthier snacks in the vending machines are marked with green dots that are labeled “healthy choice.” Next time you are picking out a snack between classes pick one marked with a green dot.

These are the snacks that are recommended to the students based on their nutrition values.

how to: pick a snack

I’m not some weirdo health nut. I’m not a robot running on whole grain and water. I eat hamburgers. I drink soda. I’m a couch potato some days. But I choose to live a healthy lifestyle. I run. I swim. I compare food labels. I eat vegetarian meals. I have a reason.

In December 2008, my 41-year-old dad had triple bypass surgery. He was a healthy guy by American standards. Yes, a little overweight, but not big. He exercised.

He rode mountain bikes. He occasionally ran.

A sharp pain started in his chest whenever he exercised. He went to countless doctors to give him answers.

Diagnosed with mild asthma and acid reflux, he was not satisfied – something else was causing this pain.

A final test, a heart catheterization, was performed to quiet his dissatisfaction. None of the doctors believed his heart was the problem. Why would they? He was relatively healthy. But my dad had three blocked coronary arteries. They needed to unblock the blood flow to fix the problem. He was scheduled for surgery immediately.

I was an eighth grader caught up in the whirlwind. I didn’t know what to think, or what to do. One morning he had driven himself to the cardiologists for some tests, and the next he was under the knife. My callous eighth grade shell hid my scared, confused emotions. I was comforted by my mom and the fact that one year earlier my paternal grandfather fully recovered from quadruple bypass surgery.

My dad’s surgery was successful. They said he was “as good as new,” but seeing my dad, my role model, glued to a hospital bed both helpless and weak was discouraging.

Surgery was only the beginning. My dad says that the surgery was the best thing that ever happened to him. It put him in touch with his body and completely altered his lifestyle. He started a rigorous diet and exercise regimen to take care of himself.

His pre-surgery lifestyle was not that of a professional athlete, but it should not have led to this. And with two family members with bypass surgery in one year a connection was found – genetics.

I’m at a disadvantage. Coronary artery disease runs in my family. Where would I be in 40 years? I have to do everything that I can to avoid the path my dad and his dad traveled. No, it hasn’t been easy. Things that I can hardly pronounce aren’t always appetizing. Early Saturday morning runs are hard. But I know these are things I can do to improve my life long-term.

I’m not telling you to pass up beef for tofu, but simply to live in moderation; it is not important for only yourself but also for your future family.

In helping to create the health and wellness section, I have combined two of my passions – journalism and health.

I hope to get my message out, to make an impact, to prevent anyone that I can from ending up like my dad.

-- jonathan rice

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ÂŤ sept. 20, 2012

bon voyage

special section 11

The Tribal Tribune reports on students’ summer breaks. From visting South Africa to working summer jobs, students have been around the world.

top five of summer

12 special section

sept. 20, 2012 »

top 5 summer stories 1. civil war in syria

Perhaps the biggest news story of the summer is the one that most people have been paying least attention to.

Back in March of 2011, citizens began protesting the Syrian government’s detainment of political prisoners. The protests turned disastrous when government forces fired on the crowd. The attacks sparked violent rioting that quickly spread across the Middle Eastern nation, which President Bashar al-Assad responded to by sending tanks to quell the protests, but this only caused the anti-government protesters to band together into a small army. More than a year after the unrest started, Syria has descended into a horrific civil war, with both government forces and rebel fighters torturing, shooting and bombing their opponents in search of victory. At least 20,000 people have died and over 200,000 have fled the country, and those numbers will surely grow higher as the war continues with no sign of dying down.

Barely two weeks after the Aurora shooting, America was again hit with a shocking act of violence. This time the shooting was at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisc. Seven people, including the shooter, a military veteran with ties to white supremacist groups, died. While the focus of most media coverage was on the crime itself, the true story is how the Sikh community handled the tragedy: with quiet grace, a notable lack of anger and forgiveness for the shooter.

top songs some nights // fun. wild ones // flo rida ft. sia call me maybe // carly rae jepson everyone talk // neon trees

gravity falls breaking bad walking dead shark week pretty little liars

6% 13% 22% 30% 29% --168 polled

A July 20 midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colo. turned deadly when a gunman entered the theater and opened fire, killing 12 and wounding 58.

The alleged shooter is currently on trial for first-degree murder. The shooting brought gun control issues to the forefront of American political discussion.

controversy

When Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathey said he was “guilty as charged” of opposing gay marriage, a chicken sandwich became a lot more than a chicken sandwich.

Eating at the fast food chain, which is extremely popular with students, became a political statement about marriage equality, freedom of speech and religion. With some people boycotting the restaurant, some people making an effort to support it more and some fed up with the debate all together, few events caused more discussion during the summer.

With November rapidly approaching, the presidential nominees are kicking their campaigns into high gear.

The constant debates about the Middle East, gay marriage, education and numerous other issues, the campaigns are a perfect way to find out what issues Americans are concerned about here and now.

-- compiled by sabian mignone

18% 27% 34% 21%

--168 polled

top tv shows

3. aurora shooting

The Tribal Tribune entertainment.

top movies ted the campaign the dark knight rises that’s my boy the avengers braveheart --162 polled

32% 14% 30% 3% 19% 2%

special section 13

« sept. 20, 2012

PROVIDED BY EVERETT ENGSTROM

Dangerously thin and never happy with their bodies, a common view of models today. This summer, junior Lauren Ellis set out to break this stereotype.

Ellis spent her summer in New York City discovering a new business. “I modeled in New York. Well, I was in a competition called The Arts. It’s like for acting and modeling and singing and dancing. And there I got a callback from this lady that is the icon for plus-sized modeling. She invited me to New York to do photo shoots and build my portfolio and expose me to a bunch of different agencies,” Ellis said.

While there, Ellis took pictures with a photographer who has shot for prominent designers like Michael Kors and Vera Wang.

This high profile experience was not just for fun, it was work. Ellis spent some time shooting for a popular magazine from across the pond. “Well I did a shoot in New York for this magazine in the UK called Just as Beautiful and it’s going to be introduced to the US, so I got an editorial page in that,” Ellis said.

The most powerful part of Ellis’ experience, however, is the new view she can cast on a highly criticized industry. “Everyone knows models as a size 0 or a size 2, and be super skinny, but everyone’s starting to realize most of the world, especially America, is plus sized. There are 35 million people in the world who are plus sized, not including teenagers,” Ellis said. “I love it because you embrace your beauty, you don’t have to worry about being skinny.”

Ellis plans on continuing to model and build her already budding career. “My agency, Millie Lewis in Charleston, is sending my pictures to other agencies, so hopefully within the next month I will be traveling and doing stuff all over the country,” Ellis said.

IAN HURLOCK // co-photography editor

a+ model

Junior Lauren Ellis has a photo shoot downtown on Church Street.

She traveled to New York over the summer to pursue her career.

Senior Everett Engstrom reenacts a Revolutionary War scene during Carolina Day. Though the outfit looks cool, Engstrom said “it was very, very warm that day.”

living history

Senior Everett Engstrom’s first job did not consist of busing tables or sitting at a cash register for eight hours. Rather, Engstrom spent his summer vacation reenacting Revolutionary War scenes, answering questions from tourists and boating to Fort Sumter -- all part of working in Youth Conservation Corp through a National Park Service eight-week program.

“I just heard [about] it on the news one day and gave it a shot,” Engstrom said. “...I like [history] in the real world. I don’t like studying it that much, but I enjoy it.”

With five other teenagers, Engstrom worked on many significant historical sites throughout the Charleston-area.

“We usually did work at the Charles Pinckney historical site,” Engstrom said.

“Between there and Fort Moultrie and Liberty Square downtown -- we did most of our work there -- but we went to Fort Sumter [a few times].”

For the job, Engstrom had to participate in training.

“We took a boat out to Fort Sumter,” Engstrom said. “We had to be boat certified, I guess, and do something called manoverboard training, which reenacted a moving craft and how to retrieve a person.”

The group also was able to reenact a Revolutionary War scene for Carolina Day. “I was just a cadet that day and I would have a drill with a musket,” Engstrom said, “and then we dressed out in all the period clothing. [It was for] the America militia during the Revolutionary War. It was very, very warm that day.”

Though his job is over, Engstrom still sports a full beard indicative of the period.

“That was actually voluntary -- on my own accord,” he said.

--elizabeth levi

--madison ivey

hitting the road New Jersey, New York, Washington, Pennsylvania and Delaware the five state, three-month trip junior Victoria Rudolph’s family took this summer. Rudolph’s travels started Delaware in June, in Pennsylvania and Washington by July and New York and New Jersey by August.

“When I went to New York I got to tour the Statue of Liberty and go to [the] GMA outside place,” Rudolph

said, “[and] I went to see the Liberty Bell in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.”

Although a trip as massive as Rudolph’s would take months of preparation, according to Rudolph her family simply decided to pick up and go.

“It’s spontaneous. We just decide that we want to go places, we just up and decide where we want to go in each state and what we want to see in each state and we move onto the next one,” Rudolph says.

--ashleigh horowitz

traveling journalist

Tribe Talk adviser Amanda Brzostowski attended a traveling journalism camp this summer that passed through Missouri and Tennessee for four days. “I learned how to be empathetic towards my students because I had to be in the same position, where I had to work on a deadline, go out in a foreign city that I’ve never to before, find a story, get all my footage together, and put together a package, and then I had to be critiqued and that was humbling to see what it was like for the kids to have their pieces critiqued by me,” Brzostowski said.

--madison ivey

14 special section

sept. 20, 2012 « 15

expeditions of hope Student missionaries visit South Africa to help the community of Badplaas amanda sharpley

emily hillman

Junior Sean Barnett traveled to South Africa with his church group.

There, he and the other participants worked hard to instill hope and faith into the community.

honduras with mt. pleasant presbyterian // july 22-31

“The biggest surprise was how loving the kids were and how excited they were that we were there and how impressed they were with us.”

“Definitely the kids made the trip worthwhile because we built them a soccer field and now we have bonds with these kids and some of us plan to go back next year…we made meaningful friendships with them.”

“I’ll take back how thankful they are for everything.”

savannah leigh nicaragua with seacoast // june 10-19

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF SEAN BARNETT

co-writing editor The South African sun beats down defiantly -- a challenge against the chilly breeze -- the silent trespasser attempting to settle down in a territory of domineering heat.

Diligently weaving mats of grass to enable her friends and family to sleep in comfort, an elderly woman clutches her shoulder, trying to contain the agony that never seems to cease. She is referred to as Gogo: grandmother in Swahili.

As she works, a group of young missionaries begin to approach her, carrying in their arms a blanket and open hearts -- and unbeknownst to all of them -- the makings of a miracle.

As the group congregated around her, eyes closed, they reached out their hands and their faith, praying for the alleviation of the elderly woman’s pain and sorrows.

Junior Yasmin Buarque was a firsthand witness of the scene that took place that day in Badplaas, South Africa.

“After the second time praying for a long period of time, she just stopped and broke out with this huge smile on her face,” Buarque said. “She got up and said that her shoulder felt fine. It was crazy. It was God’s miracle right in front of us.”

In two short weeks -- June 10th through 25th -- the 10 youthful missionaries of Seacoast Church procured a life-affirming effect that would last long after their departure -- they proved that if one believes strongly enough in something, one can make it true.

“No matter what you’re doing or where you are, there’s no time or place to just not pray, and have faith,” Buarque said. “No matter where you are or what you’re doing, there’s definitely always that time to just put aside for other people, and stop thinking about yourself.”

The missionaries’ dedication to upholding and sharing their beliefs managed to make a difference -- and not just on one end of the spectrum.

Having been in the midst of famine and poverty, junior Daniel Williams spoke of the lessons he learned in not taking anything for granted.

“There were people there begging for food and constantly hungry, and here we throw food away,” Williams

said. “Here we were staying in missionary housing with plenty of room for all of us, and the town’s main pastor and his family were basically split up because they didn’t have a house big enough to fit all of them. So we worked to change that, and built rooms for him and his kids.”

Williams wasn’t the only one to gain a perspective from it all.

“It just weird for me to think about the fact that when I would be at an orphanage with kids around me crying and so hungry, if I were to be back in the U.S. I would be in class,” Buarque said. “Surrounded by air conditioning and joking with my friends.”

While there was much tragedy witnessed, there was beauty in it all -- beauty in the reestablished hope.

“There was one family that you could just tell were miserable. They really didn’t want to have anything to do with us,” Williams said. “A lot of the kids there, at least appeared to be a little bit happy, but this family was just really depressing. But on the last day before we left, they just seemed really happy, and I was a part of that transformation.”

While it is said that laughter is contagious -- apparently so is faith.

Buarque told of the unhindered joy, still present in the hearts and souls of the children of Badplaas, no matter their age or circumstance.

“They would arrive at school and the first thing they would be doing is singing, and just happy and full of joy -- which is not what you would think would be going on,” Buarque said. “And I think to me that was a memory that I’ll definitely carry with me; that they shared their love with us even when they were the ones who initially appeared to need the love.”

For a group of people whose main objective was to help others and instigate a change for the better, the results exceeded their expectations.

“I always knew that mission trips were suppose to be a very big deal, and a time where God reveals things to you.

And the more time you spend in prayer and the more you kind of focus on that, the more he reveals,” Buarque said.

“Just knowing that Jesus was definitely in the middle of it all, and that he just showed himself in so many different ways,” she added, “-- whether it was through us, or through even one of the kids --he was just smack dab in the middle of it and that was just awesome.”

“With family, they’re so close. They never argue and they’re always talking together and hanging out, everybody lives together -- cousins and everything. So that was surprising.”

“I know we just moved so much in those people’s lives, and every time the children smiled and we saw how much it meant to them. It just made it worth everything because I know we made a difference.”

“We stay in host homes so I was so close to them. So I’ll take back the fact that you can have family in so mnay different places and family doesn’t mean just that you’re blood related, but what’s in your heart.”

michael basha

puerto rico with east cooper baptist church // june “We went in June and the biggest surprise was how hot it was over there. It was very, very hot. ” “Definitely seeing how we progressed in building the houses. It was very difficult and we had a contractor with us so you know how to do everything. I was actually part of the roof ” “The biggest memory probably would have been just seeing their faces, when we showed up to build their houses for the third week in a row. It was life-changing to see them smile at you. When we started they didn’t have much, just a concrete slab and that was it. When we finished, they had a roof over their heads. “

savannah asbill

columbia, sc with lifepark // june

“The biggest surprise on my trip was, seeing everyone grow closer to God and the kids that we ministered to. What made it worth while was getting to know the kids and ministering to them. It made me realize there are kids that don’t know about God. When we brought the gospel to them, their spirits brightened. They were reading the Bible and they were singing along when we sang to them. They got into the songs. The biggest memory was getting to go with my church and getting together with the mid-town church; and how it changed me as a person.”

--compiled by lauren hutto

16 special section

sept. 20, 2012 »

across the pond british born student gets unique view of olympics from hyde park megan parks co-writing editor Walking through Hyde Park in London is no new experience for junior Bryn Turner. However, on this occasion, its significance is quite different.

London has changed a bit since Turner’s last visit. The city has been invaded by a little get together of nations called the Summer Olympics.

Set up in the tourist-crammed London Park is a massive screen showing the London 2012 Games to thousands of people. And Turner is there to watch the action.

“It was just lovely to go back and experience the culture again and feel immersed back in,” Turner said.

“The atmosphere was just so amazing and the feeling

of national pride was so strong. I remember Andy Murray won gold for tennis, and we were in a department store, and there was a massive group of English people watching him on one of those TV’s they have for sale there. And then he won and everyone was just cheering.”

Turner, who has moved back and forth from London to America five times because of his Dad’s government job, first moved to the United States when he was four.

“I love it here, but it’s so different from England in every single way, just everything about it. The U.S. is just completely different,” Turner said. “In London, everything is small, the houses, the cars, the food. Everything’s smaller.”

Being back in his home town of London after two years was a monumental experience for Turner, especially in the setting of the Olympic Games.

“There were so many people from different parts of the world there,” Turner said.

“BMW was sponsoring it and they had hundreds and hundreds of BMWs fairing around the athletes, so it was pretty cool to know they were in these cars going by.”

maid in scotland

student returns to native country and spends time as barmaid megan parks co-writing editor

Stepping out of the plane onto Scotland ground, the air is tinged with salt. It’s the familiar aquatic scent Junior Hayley Cassidy has come to love and recognize as her homeland.

Five years ago, at age 10, Cassidy made the life altering move across the sea -- from Glasgow to Mount Pleasant.

Glasgow, being one of the two major capitals of Scotland, is home to a much faster-paced, animated life style than our comparably small, slow southern town.

“It’s pretty different. Here, you can leave your door unlocked and nothing’s going to happen,” Cassidy said.

“But in Glasgow, if you left your door unlocked, everything in your house would be gone. It’s more dangerous, but it’s more exciting and fast-paced.”

Every summer, Cassidy ventures home to Scotland to live with friends and family where her stays range anywhere from a week to a month.

While visiting Glasgow, where the drinking age is 18, Cassidy is able to work at as a bar maid at the popular Railway Inn. “It’s not an easy job. When someone walks in you have to be able to get the beer in their hand. Most people think it’s just like, you pull a pint, but it’s actually a skill you have to have to get a good head on it,” Cassidy said.

“There’s always the regular crowd, and then there’s the tourists. And there’s always a joke in the pub that you make fun of the tourists. If they ask where the bus goes, you send them on the wrong bus.”

Cassidy said though she visits Scotland nearly every summer, she experiences frequent bouts of homesickness.

“I miss hearing the accent all the time and being able to talk to someone and they understand what I’m saying,” Cassidy said.

“I enjoy the food, the people, and it just feels like home. Here it just kind of feels foreign, even after being here for a while.”

student in the

spotlight the tribal tribune highlights students’ summer vacations. babysitting for gold medalist

Senior Mikaela Conley had a brush with fame when she babysat Olympic gold medalist Keri Walsh’s kids. Walsh was doing a coaching session for Conley’s team and the day before the session, Walsh needed a babysitter. She spent the day watching the kids at Walsh’s rented beach house.

german school experience

Senior Michael Blanton went to Germany for two weeks this summer where he attended a German school.

“It was so much different than American schools. They only go to school for a few hours instead of our seven hours, they leave at 1:30 and then go home and eat lunch and that’s the end of their day,” Blanton said.

« sept. 20, 2012

equator excursions English teacher experience in Galapagos Islands adds to globe-trotting adventures megan parks co-writing editor For a teacher -- whose three out of four seasons are dominated by classrooms and curriculum -- summer is the time to travel.

English teacher Giselle Cheeseman made an excursion of her own to Peru and the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador for 16 days – a trip guided by a National Geographic’s program.

“We had been up to the Arctic Circle and we had been up above the 80th parallel so it was like the next step to go down and cross the equator,” she said. “And the Galápagos are just one of a kind.”

For Cheeseman, the biggest shocker of this particular expedition was seeing the poverty.

“Poor people in America are poor – don’t get me wrong -- but it’s nothing like what we saw in parts of Ecuador and Peru, with people living in mud houses,” she said.

Cheeseman said while visiting the Galápagos, nature was the main attraction – her time dominated by snorkeling, hiking and observing the friendly wildlife. Spotting sea lions, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies and hoards of marine animals, she said.

“We did a lot of hiking while we were there, but they’re very fierce about their dedication to keeping the Galápagos unspoiled,” she said.

“The percentage of land that you’re actually allowed

to traverse in any way is like one percent of the total area of Galápagos for tourists.”

Snorkeling was a unique exhibition -- exploring the ocean, marine animals and hidden gems of the Islands.

“I went snorkeling a lot so I saw a lot of marine animals -- I saw a huge manta ray and a shark,” she said. “That was really cool. I saw schools and schools of coral reef fish.

I saw a heard of star fish – just a stampede of star fish across the bottom of the ocean floor.”

And when she journeyed to Peru, the historical feats were the focus.

“Then we went to Machu Picchu in Peru, which was a little more urban and historical. We went to old monasteries and Machu Picchu which was amazing,” she said. “So the trip’s focus had to depend on where we were.”

Cheeseman, and many other tourists of the Galápagos Islands, uphold a firm agreement with the Islands that the wildlife should be strictly preserved and respected.

“I think the tourist money helps protective efforts. The trip that we went on was full of people that were pretty committed to conservation,” she said.

“You wouldn’t go on a National Geographic trip unless you share some of the National Geographic‘s ideals, which are keeping wild spaces wild. It was neat. We had a lot in common.”

Though Cheeseman has traveled all over the globe, a new destination always brings a unique experience – the unknown and exciting.

“I don’t think I really know what to expect,” she said.

“It’s just like going anywhere for the first time -- people can always tell you about it, but it’s not the same as being there and feeling the air on your own skin.”

extreme cave-diving

Senior’s family vacation turns into once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

but we weren’t able to do it until all of us were old enough to get our diving certifications and EMTs and all that,” Purvis said.

All of the extensive training and certification is necessary because of the copious amounts of risks associated madison ivey with cave diving. associate editor “There are several risks: you can run out of air, there’s Exploring a new world. Spending time with your fam- not that much visible light, get lost, die, cave collapsing, bleeding,” Purvis said. ily. Experiencing risk and incredible patience. This The wait was worth it, according to Purvis. is the world of cave diving and senior Cole Purvis When he and his brothers went up to a spot in got to experience it firsthand.

North Carolina near the Appalachian Moun“[Cave diving is] when you go and explore a tains, they gained unforgettable moments. cave that’s been certified and stuff and it has like “When me and brothers looked up and we either an underwater system that you can go swimcould see the sunlight and we were all underming in or you just go explore it and it’s pretty fun,” water that was pretty chill. That was a good bonding moPurvis said.

The road to this summer was a long one though. “It ment,” Purvis said. “It’s something I want to keep up. I’d was something we thought about when I was a freshman, like to go twice a year.”

special section 17

student in the

spotlight

the tribal tribune highlights students’ summers vacations the duke experience

Junior Victor Harper went to Duke University for three weeks over the summer. Harper went to Duke for the Duke Tip Summer Studies Program. “It was a really good experience,” he said. “I kind of was able to experience college and meet some of the greatest friends of my life.”

big city intern

Senior Mariah Logan spent her summer in Boston taking a psychology lab at Boston University. “The most memorable part for me [was] working with the two undergrad students in my lab and the graduate student that I was with, and I met friends from all over the world,” she said.

Senior Marshall Warren travelled to Alaska over the summer. Warren’s favorite experience from visiting Alaska, he said, was Salmon dipping in the Copper River. Warren traveled to the cold state to visit his aunt and uncle who live there.

--megan parks and madison ivey

18 special section

european adventure

sept. 20, 2012 »

PROVIDED BY SARAH RUSSELL

Junior Sarah Russell traveled to three different historic cities in Europe during the summer, visiting historic cities and museums with her family. Russell said the best part of her trip was having the opportunity to bond with her family during their travels.

Family bonds during trip to historic sites in European cities COLUMN BY

sarah russell, staff writer

London, Prague and Rome: three of the most beautiful, historic cities in Europe. And all three, my parents told my brother and me last April, we would be visiting this summer.

It was clearly going to be the trip of a life time. I bought two extra SD cards for my camera, excited to fill them up with scenic landscapes and artistic shots of Big Ben, the Prague Castle, the Coliseum and all of the other historical sites we would see.

We arrived in London after a hellish 27-hour journey thanks to delayed flights and the considerable time change. The sky was blue, contrary to the usual murky gray, and it was 70 degrees and breezy in the middle of summer -- paradise compared to Charleston.

We stayed in my aunt’s flat on Elizabeth Street and

enjoyed walking and taking London’s signature red double-decker buses to all the must-see sites. Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park and the Natural History Museum -- as well as local London attractions like the pubs, parks and open air markets.

After a short flight from rainy Luton, we were greeted by breathtaking blue skies and the vast red-roofed city of Prague. We spent a week visiting countless baroque churches, art museums, historical sites like the castle and climbing endless amounts of stairs up towers to see the city from above. We enjoyed the friendly Czechs and their traditional foods of goulash and hêlusky -- mashed potatoes with pork and cabbage.

Our Italian cousins met us in our final destination, Rome. It was 90 degrees for most of our visit, not much different from Charleston. We ate dinner at local restaurants that my aunt knew and enjoyed the typical tourist attraction sites like the Coliseum, the Panthenon, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museum.

Fortunately, my aunt, a Getty art conservator, was able to get us into sites not available to the public. One day we ate lunch in a 17th century hunting lodge after viewing wall paintings that were currently being restored. Another

day we visited the labs where important works of art were cleaned and restored.

The trip was an amazing experience and I am so grateful that we were able to see such beautiful places.

But the best part of the trip was something I had not anticipated -- the closeness I felt to my family.

My 12 year-old brother Nathan and I had fun in London running around nearby Chester Square and counting the ridiculous number of Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Ferraris, Aston Martins, and his favorite -- MacLarens. We fell in love with our adorable new cousin, Leo, who is a year and a half old.

In Prague, my family figured out the extensive public transit system of trams and enjoyed missing stops and riding -- accidentally -- all over the city. We laughed and talked together almost nonstop, which is something that my busy family rarely gets to enjoy at home.

Although we walked nearly ten miles a day in Rome, it hardly seemed like work when we were laughing and playing with my Italian cousins. We had picnics for lunch nearly every day and had fun exploring the sites together – but the time I spent with my family and relatives is what I will remember most.

tribal entertainment 19

» sept.20, 2012

entertainment { reviews / music / etc.

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8 movies everyone should watch The writing editors of the Tribal Tribune talk about the top eight movies they think everyone should watch Lost In Translation (2003)

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A story of growth and self discovery, Lost In Translation is a delicately beautiful film of self realization and life in its most raw, tender state. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson take you on a journey – with the always flashing lights and animation of Tokyo as a back drop – into the minds of emotionally exhausted beings and what they must do to both escape and find themselves.

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2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Mind-boggling; subject to interpretations as vast as the universe itself. Perpetual motion through space, the ever fluctuating cycle of life and evolution – all transfigured into surreal art; poetry in the abstract. This is the genius of Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Admittedly, this film must be viewed more than once to be truly appreciated, or to even be fully comprehended – only then to be debated further. But it’s well worth the effort. And if you do just so happen to grow lost amongst the peculiar hum of a suspended black monolith, just remember not to expect Hal to help you find your way back.

-- compiled by megan parks and amanda sharpley

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Harold and Maude (1971)

Dark comedies. As oxymoronic as they may sound, they’re one of my most beloved genres of film. And the cult classic Harold and Maude would have to be my favorite of the genre. The movie, also a tale of implausible love, centers on the melancholic protagonist named Harold. A ghostly, dejected young lad, Harold holds existential nihilistic views on society -- until he meets Maude. Everyone needs a Maude in their life, the flower among gravestones. Warning: May contain surrealist elements of fake suicide, tear-inducing moments (of both delight and sorrow) and lots of dreamy cinematography.

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Donnie Darko (2001)

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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Ridden with hallucinatory, dreamlike components and ideas, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is unlike any movie I’ve seen in that the viewer is invited, quite literally, into the mind and subconscious of the main character. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet star as unlikely versions of themselves, taking you back and forth from broken, disappearing memoires to an uncertain reality.

Watch this movie. Have your mind broken into – filled with ideas and quiet emotions.

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Casablanca (1939)

Not everyone has a flair for romance – nor does everyone possess the desire to spend their time wistfully getting lost in two hours centered around it up on the big screen. However, Casablanca isn’t your ideal, banal love story. It’s a story of life and circumstances, hardships and choices. Aside from being a classic, its merit lies in its display of iconic dialogue and lovable characters – all following a theme of sacrificing self-interest for the greater good. Every guy will wish he was as cool as Humphrey Bogart, and every girl will end the evening in love with him. By the time the credits roll, you’ll find yourself asking to “play it once [more] Sam, for old times sake.”

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The Shining (1980)

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Psycho (1960)

Oh, Stanley Kubrick. You genius, you.

This movie, from the musical score, to the dialogue, to the breathtaking cinematography, is purely art. The awe-inspiring scenery creates a sort of calmness in the viewer, only to, scene by scene, take them on a psychological thriller that ultimately ends with madness on both ends of the screen. There are so many bone rattling, mind bending aspects of this film that it effortlessly surpasses everything you can hope for in a horror movie. So, if you’re going to watch horror, watch The Shining.

Forever. And ever. And ever.

You don’t have to be a horror buff to appreciate Hitchcock’s groundbreaking film, Before it’s time to face the end, somePsycho. Touching on taboo – with its over times you just have to set the world exposed sense of sexuality and hinted elon fire – watch it burn and expose the ements of severe violence – one of the rawness beneath, just long enough for worlds’ first psychoanalytical thrillers is it to hopefully instigate change. In this nothing short of scandalous for the era quirky sci-fi, time is of the essence. Those of which it emerged. From its dense foreelements kept dormant in all of us, for shadowing, to its underlying Freudian layfear of the truth, are peeled back – as ers – Psycho hold more than meets the eye. consciousness and unconsciousness It is the most terrifying type of horror film overlap. Wrinkles in time crease over one of all – a depiction of human nature. And another – like the rings on a tree stump while its characters are stretched to some – spiraling into a portal we all must enter of its most extreme spectrums, it touches at some point. on the innermost vices in all of us, and our most forlorn desires.

Honorable mentions- Howl’s Moving Castle, The Dreamers, Amores Perros, Breathless, Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, Stand By Me, A Box Of Moonlight, Beginners, Some Like It Hot

20 tribal entertainment

sept. 20, 2012 »

R ef urbishe d from when it used to be “Mama Brown’s BBQ,” Santi’s is a quaint Mexican restaurant located in Davis Haithcock the Old Village of Mount PleasSanti’s ant. The outside may not look like much, but the inside is chock-full of atmosphere and great food and service. After gorging ourselves on the best chips and salsa in the tri-state area, we were promptly served our tacos. These tacos cannot be described in this small space. The excellent service combined with an authentic atmosphere and food that is muy buena makes Santi’s the premier taco outlet in the Charleston area.

A+

Tu r n i n g down Huger Road downtown, Taco Boy appears to be a diamond in the rough. The Latin rhythms suggest a Amanda Sharpley change of location – while mouth waTaco Boy tering smells do their best to appeal to your senses. When we had finished devouring our own samples of an authentic Taqueria, we decided the unique atmosphere and satisfying food had combined to form an overall enjoyable meal – with promise of a repeat.

While the tortillas left something to be desired in the area of an authentic taste, the quality and freshness of ingredients was enough to pardon it. With a combination of fair prices and friendly servers, Taco boy is definitely worth the drive downtown to get a little taste of the other side of the border.

picks &

peeves PICK: The Music Farm I’ve been going to the Music Farm since the summer after my sophomore year, and I think it’s safe to say that it’s one of my favorite concert venues ever. Instead of sitting in the back of a stadium in a designated seat, every ticket is general admission, so you’re free to be right in front of the stage or above it in one of the balconies. Tickets and parking are always cheap, which makes seeing some awesome musicians affordable for most high school students.

PEEVE: Bad grammar Nothing makes a smart person look stupid faster than bad grammar. It doesn’t matter how great your argument is; if you confuse “your” and “you’re,” any validity your point may have is lost. The worst part about this is that if everyone paid any attention in any English class they’ve ever taken, we all would have a more than basic grasp on the mechanics of our language. And, because this is the root of this entire peeve, “it’s” is not indicative of possession. Ever.

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best of: tacos

One of the busiest spots on Sullivan’s Island is Taco Mamacita.

This restaurant on station 22 had a crowd enjoying the Sunday afterEmily Lor noon breeze with Taco Mamacita its front porch patio feel. The inside was dimly lit and full of hungry folks watching football or ending their beach day with a laid back atmosphere. I ordered the Shrimp Po’ Boy BLT taco with a side of sweet potato fries. Although the taco wasn’t an authentic Mexican taco, it was still delicious. A bite into this taco was a bite into many textures and flavors. The tortilla was soft and the crispy shrimp paired well with the crunchy bacon.

I took a bite of my sweet potato fries, which were only okay. I wasn’t wowed at its texture but the flavor wasn’t bad. If you’re ever hanging out on Sullivan’s Island and don’t want to sit elbow to elbow at Poe’s Tavern, go to Taco Mamacita.

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kelsey vories associate editor PICK: Birchbox In addition to being a grammar-Nazi, I’m also a bit of a product junkie. I love every aspect of the beauty world, from makeup to nail polish to moisturizer. Birchbox is my favorite way to indulge myself in a way that doesn’t feel like a ridiculous splurge. At its most basic, Birchbox is a service that sends you 4-5 deluxe beauty samples (and sometimes full-sized products) for $10 a month. Is it impractical and completely unnecessary? Yes. But is it fun to get a cute pink package full of goodies in the mail once a month? Definitely.

PEEVE: Bashing politicians

In my opinion, it doesn’t matter which side the mudslinging comes from; it’s plain stupid. I don’t want to hear about the dubious nature of Barack Obama’s birth certificate or the fact that Mitt Romney is an automaton that hasn’t aged in 40+ years. I’m a registered voter, and the only thing I care about is what these people plan on doing once they’re in the White House.

mitch winkler Every issue a Tribal Tribune staffer will share thier taste in music, selecting the top four songs they think everyone should have on their playlist.

“Roses” Kanye West

Late Registration This song is classic Kanye. Everything about it -- the sample, the backing vocals, the hook -- is oh so soulful. The lyrics, so heartfelt, are a perfect example of why I love Kanye so much.

He might be a jerk but his music is fantastic.

“Bullfigther Jacket” Miniature Tiger

Fortress

Any song that starts out with a catchy, energetic, nonsensical, chant is a keeper in my book. It doesn’t hurt that “Bullfighter Jacket” follows it up with an exuberant display of intergalactic rhythm on piano and drums before gently landing you home with nothing but satisfaction on your mind.

“Ruin” Cat Power

Sun I feel like a bonafide globetrotter when I listen to this song. It’s probably just the stellar way the singer rattles off international destinations in an inconceivably catchy manner that will stick in your head for the rest of the day and you won’t care at all, because its such a succulent type of catchy.

“Five Seconds” Twin Shadow

Confess

If I had to live in another decade, it would definitely be the ‘80s. This is relevant because this song sounds like it was pulled from a lost classics vault, which is a good thing. It’s a modern day song but it just feels so retro. If you’re making an epic music montage and you need the perfect song, “Five Seconds” is your song

tribal entertainment 21

« sept. 20, 2012

reviews

TOP TWOS Ever wonder what the top songs,

resident evil is back, and better

movies and TV shows are for the month of September?

compiled by wes maszk

SELLING SONGS

movie delivers fresh take on an old idea to re-vamp series

MAROON 5// ONE MORE NIGHT

FUN.//SOME NIGHTS

SELLING BOOKS

staff writer

In a post-apocalyptic America, all remaining humans fight to stay alive as computer AI tries to kill them with what seems like a never ending onslaught of zombie hordes. It is actually a unique take on an idea that almost seems overdone lately.

Resident Evil: Retribution, written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, is about a female heroine who is plagued by the fact that she is the only one who bonded with the T virus (the virus which causes the people to become zombies). She in essence is immune to the virus, which sets her above her fellow survivors. This leads to her being constantly sought after by the Umbrella Corporation -- the creator of the virus. They wish to study and use her as a weapon to combat the zombie onslaught.

The movie is nonstop action but has the look of a thirdperson shooter video game.

Though unlikely a huge blockbuster with packed

theaters, it succeeds in being the most successful film series to be based on a video game. Resident Evil film series has a very devoted fan base, allowing it to continue to reap profits.

No prior experience is necessary to enjoy this film, since the movie itself has a synopsis of the other films in the beginning. The experience will certainly be enhanced if you have seen the others because you will understand ongoing jokes or laugh at characters that have miraculously come back to life from previous films.

This film is not perfect by a long shot. Anderson leaves many things unexplained such as a spider mind control device or the seemingly endless ammo count. Obviously, to truly appreciate the film, you will have to temporarily jettison reality. It’s not about taking in a great story. It’s about reveling in mountains of carnage or form-fitting leather unitards or endless explosions, each one bigger than the last.

are encouraged not to fear death but live as best we can. Next, “Live and Die” is a happier, catchy tune of how we all live and die just like everybody else. It’s not all sadness on “The Carpenter.” On “A Father’s First Spring,” Scott Avett details the first brushes of fatherhood and how painful it is leave his newborn daughter. They end this album with a simple song -- nothing edgy called “Life.” It is filled with beautiful cello, courtesy of Joe Kwon.

This album may not get the press of I and Love and You or the acclaim of Second Gleam, but it will always have a special place in my iPod.

suspends the listener in a trance. Welch’s sophomore album is filled with a mix of upbeat, carefree songs like “Lover to Lover” and evocative ballads like “Never Let Me Go.” This diverse mix of songs can hold their own, but when they are put together they effortlessly combine to form something that can only be described as Florence Welch. Although, Welch’s lyrics are often characterized by their nonsensical quality, they force the listener to create a story from the songs. Whenever I need to escape, I turn on Ceremonials and let myself get lost in the mystery that is Florence Welch.

“The Carpenter” wesley maszk There will not come a day when I am disappointed by the Avett Brothers or their new CD. This album begins with the song “The Once and Future Carpenter.”

The song starts with some simple melodic guitar.

The lyrics begin to tell a story and become an anecdote for the chorus “If I live the life I’m given, I won’t be afraid to die.” We

“Ceremonials” madison ivey Florence Welch’s voice is clearly unique. It possesses an ethereal quality that is achieved through pure, natural talent. Her records are characterized by her haunting and sonorous melodies that constantly leave me wanting more.

Unlike the auto-tuned crap of today, Florence and the Machine’s album Ceremonials produces both lyrics and music that

WINTER OF THE WORLD//FOLLETT MARK OF ATHENA //RIORDAN

GROSSING MOVIE RESIDENT EVIL//ANDERSON FINDING NEMO//STANTON

TV RATINGS NFL PRE-SEASON//NBC AMERICA’S GOT TALENT//NBC

SELLING ALBUMS NORTH//MATCHBOX TWENTY GRAVITY//LECRAE

SELLING VIDEO GAMES SUPER MARIO BROS. 2 GUILD WARS 2

app

wesley maszk

of the

MONTH

tetris

Who would have thought this oldschool game could be so addicting? For an eight-hour long car ride, I was content fitting the blocks together trying to beat my high score. A game can take anywhere between five to 25 minutes, providing a much needed break from reality. Forget Angry Birds, Tetris is the only game I need on my iPhone.

-- compiled by elizabeth levi

tribal sports 22

sept. 20, 2012 »

sports { talk of the tribe / lance armstrong / etc.

ALL PHOTOS BY LIZ BENSON/associate editor

seconds from Lierley and Kingsley compete in the Olympic Trials in July jonathan rice

fame

co-editor in chief Sixteen hours a week in the pool.

Twelve years of swimming. And it all comes down to just a matter of seconds.

Junior Megan Kingsley and senior Zach Lierley competed in the USA Swimming Olympic Trials June 25 to July 2 in Omaha, Neb. -- a different experience than anything the two swimmers had ever seen before.

“I am used to going to meets with 200 people max, and then there’s this -- a pool in an arena with 20,000 plus spectators,” Lierley said. “Swimming isn’t that big of a sport, so anytime you have that kind of atmosphere it is really cool.”

Kingsley agreed the atmosphere surrounding the meet was almost unreal, but at the same time intimidating.

“All of the Olympians are there and you don’t think you are as good as them,

and then you remember that you belong here,” she said. “I lot more comfortable as the meet went on and I relaxed.”

Both athletes swam three events – Kingsley swam the 200 butterfly, 100 Butterfly and 400 Individual Medley while Lierley swam the 200 IM, 200 Backstroke and 400 IM. “[Going into the meet] my teammates kept telling me that this was a huge opportunity. I knew I had been training really hard, but if I add time it’s not the end of the world,” Kingsley said.

Her hard training paid off as she swam three personal bests and finished 11th overall in the 200-meter Butterfly. The top two in each event qualify for the Olympics.

16-year-old Kingsley was only five seconds away.

The success continued for swimmers as Lierley posted personal bests in the 200 IM and 200 Backstroke despite having mononucleosis less than a month before the meet.

“I had to take a break because of the mono, and I had only been in the water for about three and a half weeks before actu-

(Left) Junior Megan Kingsley and senior Zach Lierley were both only seconds away from competing to qualify for the Olympics. Kingsley was five seconds away in the 200 meter Butterfly. For Lierley, a bout with mono did not allow him to perform fully, but he was still able to swim two personal bests.

ally competing,” he said. “[Before the meet] I told my coach I didn’t want to embarrass myself, but given the situation I was really happy with how I did.”

While at the meet, both Kingsley and Lierley both were surrounded by swimming’s celebrities. Kingsley was able to warm-up with Ryan Lochte and the “big shots” and watched her “role models swim at night,” while Lierley swam only seconds before Michael Phelps.

“The heat right after me in the 400 IM, in the same lane, Michael Phelps was there.

In the ready room before my heat he was in there with me,” Lierley said. “I didn’t talk to

him. It’s kind of against protocol.”

Since returning from the meet, both swimmers are looking at colleges that will allow them to compete at the highest level.

“I got a lot of college coaches that noticed my times,” Kingsley said. “And I’m excited about what college has to offer.”

But looking beyond that, Kingsley and Lierley are excited to compete in the 2016 Olympic Trials.

“I think in the next four years that can be a possibility,” Lierley said. “If I can get that than hopefully that will motivate me to stick around after college and compete in 2020.”

tribal sports 23

madison ivey associate editor For the second time in the school’s history, Wando has been awarded the Athletic Administrators Association Directors Cup, capturing the title for the 2011-2012 school year.

“It is [an award] South Carolina Administrator’s Association, SCAAA, presents each year to each classification, A, AA, AAA and we’re AAAA. They present the Athletic Director’s Cup to the school, they look at the overall athletic program, where each of our teams finished in the state playoffs,” Athletic Director Bob Hayes said. “You get a certain amount of points...it’s not a ranking,” The title is calculated by awarding a certain number of points to each finishing position in the playoffs. State titles are worth 100 points apiece. Wando won the AAAA award with 1,130 points. Lexington High was second with 950 points.

Wando’s athletic teams won three state championships, three Lowerstate championships and 15 regional titles. All 22 varsity teams qualified for playoffs.

The Athletic Director’s Cup sends out a message about the quality of program a school has, Hayes said. ”It gives a real clear picture of the best overall athletic program in the state,” he said. “It just validates all the good things we’re doing, all

the good things the student athletes are doing, all the good things the coaches are doing and everything we’ve worked towards.”

Winning the Cup is the school’s goal every year, according to Hayes, but the program advocates effort just as much as results.

“Our goal is to put the very best product out on the field and hopefully that translates to wins,” he said. “[This award is] something all of our coaches, student athletes and our school in general is proud of.

We want to be the very best in everything we do here. And we want to do it the right way, which I think we are.”

Wando had plenty of recognition before receiving this honor, according to Hayes. “We had about 25 kids sign scholarships last year. I think the people out there already knew what a good job our coaches and student athletes are doing,” he said.

“This kind of tells all the other high schools in the state that Wando knows what to do when it comes to athletics.”

This award provides a source of unity among the various teams. “I think anytime a team wins a State Championship it’s huge and that’s an exciting time for the program, but really real exciting for those kids on that particular team. This should be the same feeling for the entire athletic program,” Hayes said.

Hayes said he appreciates the effort put in by everyone in the program.

“It takes a ton of work by a lot of people to achieve this,” he added. “It’s the total package: our athletic training staff, our strength program, our administration, bus drivers, everything.”

IAN HURLOCK/ co-photography editor

Wando wins AAAA athletics director cup

LIZ BENSON/associate editor

something to be proud of

IAN HURLOCK/ co-photography editor

» sept. 20, 2012

(Top) Coach Alexis Glover coaches members of the varsity volleyball team during a time out. (Bottom left) Senior Alex Casale celebrates with her teammates after the longest volley of the game, while senior Brenna Lauer returns a serve against Porter-Gaud on Sept.

12. The team’s overall record is 16-4-1 with a 2-0 Region 7-AAAA record.

speaking of sports: what was your favorite olympic moment?

“The girls’ gymnastics was my favorite part because they all are so young.”

“When Michael Phelps won his last medal and finished with a gold medal.”

“When the girls won the floor and balance competion....they made history and I’m proud of them.”

“Jamaica when they broke the world record in the 4X1 relay.”

“When Gabby won the all arounds....she is so young!”

sophomore ben forcier

sophomore ross cary

student concerns yatesha williams

senior stevie wilson

senior rachel lesieur

24 tribal entertainment

aces

Football team continues on

5-0

on the

“She is exceptional in hitting and passing,” Volleyball Coach Alexis Glover said.

Vallez was picked for all-tournament in the Porter Gaud tournament.

senior ansley vaughan

Ansley Vaughan is Golf Coach Jennifer Houston’s number one golfer. She shoots an average of 80 on 18 holes. Vaughan has verbally committed to play golf at Converse College next year.

senior tommi nagumo

Nagumo is ranked fifth with a team record of 1-2. “She’s done a great job being a leader and a role model as a Senior at Wando,” Head Coach Leah Jakious said.

senior blaine thompson A linebacker, Thompson was the Post and Courier defensive football player of the week. He had 21 tackles against Beaufort, Aug. 24.

senior christian hart A quarterback, Hart completed 19 of 31 passes in the game against Ashley Ridge.

Also, he passed 232 yards and two touchdowns.

Bottom left, junior Dylan Thorp smiles at a play by the Warriors.

(Right) Coach Michael Donnalley draws out a play for the offense. Coach Jimmy Noonan talks to senior Andrew Roberts as he runs off the field. The Wando Warriors are starting off the season with a 5-0 record for the first time in 22 years. “The one thing our team does well is we have great team chemistry,” senior Ryan Marraccini said. “We play hard until the final whistle blows.”

ANGELICA COLLINS/photographer

BRIA GRAHAM/editor

junior brittany vallez

LUCI WALL/photographer

field

sept. 20, 2012 »

relying on faith Despite ruling by USDA, Armstrong still innocent in columnist’s eyes COLUMN BY

jonathan rice, co-chief in editor What ever happened to the presumption of innocence? What happened to being innocent till proven guilty?

Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from cycling for life for being accused of doping. The accusations stemmed from Armstrong’s former teammates, Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton -- who both have been punished for doping themselves.

No evidence was provided that showed that Armstrong cheated.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accused Armstrong of doping on their crusade to clean up cycling. This

organization had good intentions for the sport, but not for its biggest athlete. They pushed Armstrong around until he finally said enough was enough. He was exhausted from fighting the stalemated war with his accusers so he surrendered.

Everyone knows Armstrong’s story.

Diagnosed with testicular cancer, he was given a 40 percent chance of survival. No one expected him to recover, much less to win one of the most physically taxing competitions seven consecutive times. But he did.

Armstrong never backed down. He never gave up. Why did he simply quit fighting the USADA? Could he have been hiding his use of performance enhancing drugs? Or was he truly fed up with fighting a never ending battle? Is his image anymore tarnished now that he stopped fighting the war with the USADA than if he was known to have used PEDs?

Every athlete knows the damaging effects of being tied to doping. PEDs are the reason that a whole generation of baseball greats will likely never find themselves in the Hall of Fame. Armstrong knew the consequences and he still chose to tie himself to doping. Did he indirectly admit to doping by giving up on the fight?

Americans became interested in the sport of cycling because of Armstrong and his success. He was a true American Icon. With his charitable work through the Livestrong Foundation Armstrong has contributed millions of dollars to cancer research. He gave cancer patients hope. It’s emotionally damaging to have a hero tied to lying and cheating. It’s hard to equate how many of his achievements were done truthfully, and his whole character is put into questioning.

Armstrong fans, including me, are left with only faith that he did not cheat.

tribal columns 25

« sept. 20, 2012

wando’s voice » Basketball Coach David Eaton “Mr. Kutcher is always willing to help out other teachers with any problems. Kids really respected him. He was our announcer for my basketball games and besides being excited, he was always well prepared, and he always wanted to take the program to the next level. Whatever we needed, he was always on top of it, always prepared.

He made my job easier just by how prepared he was to do his job. That’s what I remember about him -- how willing to help he was, that’s what he did.”

“I just remember him most for his fight, being an inspiration for me. When I was sidelined with an injury, seeing him fight through what he was going through was an inspiration -- being able to always have a smile on his face. It just made me want to work harder, and he was just an inspiration for everyone on the basketball team.”

» Math teacher Judith Newton “One of my favorite memories was one day when I came in for observations, and I walked into his class and he was standing at the top of his desk. I think he was teaching the Pythagorean theorem. Afterwards I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ and he said, ‘Oh, I was teaching the Pythagorean theorem standing on top of my desk because it’s just so important and I want them to realize it.’ So I thought, that’s a good way of teaching the Pythagorean theorem. When I think of Joe, I just think of him standing on his desk teaching his kids.”

» Chemistry teacher Jason Sox “Joe was a great person to be around, and wherever he was, he always brought many smiles and laughs. I’ve had the pleasure of spending many nights working basketball, football, powderpuff and Student Council events with him and will always remember the fun times we’ve shared. My favorite memory of Joe was at a Wando football game when he spotted the ball on the 52 yard line. He had been adding yardage as Wando was moving the football, and when they crossed the 50 yard line, he forgot that it went back down!

In his memory, we put the 52 yard line on the scoreboard whenever we can.”

» Senior Richie Alston “What I remember about Mr. Kutcher is seeing him in the hallways at school. No matter where we were, he would always call me by my nickname ‘Mr. Float.’ So that’s what I remember him for. He was definitely a good man that should be remembered.”

COURTESY OF JORDAN TOOLEY

» Senior Eric Wagenlander

Math teacher Joe Kutcher showed strength and grace during his illness. He sits in October 2011 with his wife ReBecca and daughters Trista and Samantha. His daughter Suzanna is attending college.

the voice of wando Memories of Kutcher will grace halls for generations to come

COLUMN BY

jenny cassell, math teacher “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” -Soren Kierkegaard Joe Kutcher came to school for two and a half years while fighting pancreatic cancer. He fought a long and hard battle that was filled with many highs and many lows. During this time most of us wondered how he could remain so determined to face his obstacles head on without slowing. No matter how hard things became for him, he did not give up.

Even just a week before he passed, he told me he was still hoping for a miracle. We all were. He, along with his wife ReBecca, fought this disease harder than I would have the strength to. He did not complain, he did not ask for sympathy but instead he told jokes. He taught with passion and he cared for his friends and students.

Joe was a good friend to all of us. Even through these past few years he was approachable and honest and always had an endearing sense of humor. Joe showed us exactly how hard life can get, but at the same time he proved to us all that it is a gift worth fighting for. I hope we can make it through life’s challenges with the kind of purpose and tenacity that he showed. Joe told me several times he

was not comfortable with the term “Hero.” What he could never understand about himself is so obvious to all of us.

His fighting spirit encouraged so many and will continue to serve as inspiration to this community.

And yes, that makes him a hero.

I’ve learned so much from Joe and his incredible wife, ReBecca, and his daughters Trista, Suzanna and Samantha.

I learned how to be more optimistic, positive and grateful in my daily life and I can never thank the Kutchers enough for that.

And now for the students reading this: What can you do to honor and remember Mr. Kutcher? Here are a few ideas.

For Mr. Kutcher you should: 1. Always show your school spirit like he did. Be proud of your connection to Wando. Attend sporting events and art performances. Be the loudest member of the Chop House. Mr. Kutcher practically lived at Wando and was always supporting student events.

2. Let his family know how he touched you with a letter, poem or drawing in celebration of him. Turn it into C-213.

3. Wear a silly tie!

4. Take care of each other and as ReBecca Kutcher always says “make special memories” with your friends and family.

Of everyone that has come through the halls of Wando, no one has truly embodied the definition of a warrior like Mr. Kutcher. I don’t think anyone ever will, but I think we should all try.

26 tribal columns ALL PHOTOS BY LIZ BENSON // associate editor

sept. 20, 2012 »

(Above) Susan Smith and Julie Allen carry one of the six trash cans that were hauled out of a path, full with trash. Members of Lighthouse Church worked together to help clean up a local woman’s home. Other church groups participated in local missions as well. (Bottom Right) Erin Wattie, Katherine Fraliegh and Susan Smith play in the sandbox with Mrs. Mary’s granddaughter.

here to give By helping local resident, church gives to community

COLUMN BY

liz benson, associate editor

Warm sunlight creeps through the top of an old oak.

A creaking play set stands tired with sun-stained wood.

Mrs. Mary’s front yard is peaceful, but empty on days like these. Days when the children are away.

Dirt paths fan out like a roosters tail in the early morning.

Littered with trash, broken bottles, these paths lead to broken homes, broken smiles, but none of that seems to matter when the children are at play.

Caution froze their faces when they first saw us. They whispered timidly.

We looked around but saw no one. We only saw work that needed to be done, we saw a place that needed love.

And we were here to give it.

With Mrs. Mary’s permission, members of the Lighthouse Church followed these paths and started picking up trash. Another group raked and cleared the space under the oak so that we could introduce new toys to a clean playing ground.

Mrs. Mary stood on her porch looking out across her front yard with her sun-kissed face -- as if she was amazed she was really recieving outside help from total strangers.

Her freckled skin glistened in the light as sweat layered on

her face as she stood with her hands on her hips in the late morning sun. Her lips began to part like blooming petals when she smiled as she saw three, four, five whole trash cans full of trash being hauled away in a black Ford.

Women from the church slowly started gaining the trust of the little girls who gathered around a make-shift sandbox. At first they nodded at questions. 10 minutes later they would say yes or no. Another 20 passed and you could hear them mumble about their drawing in the sand.

Soon after the first broad smile, there was constant giggling from that corner of the yard.

In another corner, men from my church mowed the never-ending lanes of yard on the other side of the house.

They trimmed untamed bushes that grew into the side of the robin-egg blue house. The paint on Mrs. Mary’s house was chipped and showed its wear from cruel hurricanes, rainless summers and frozen-breath winters. The color matches the sun-stained tint of the swing set.

Yet none of these “antique” qualities seemed uninviting. Instead, they seemed homey and well-used. The house stood with a purpose, and although a little rough around the edges, the house served its purpose well.

During a mid-afternoon break, Mrs. Mary’s granddaughter came up to me and we started talking. Her favorite color is purple, her favorite animals are dolphins and turtles. Her smile radiated from her soft face of maybe 14.

She was built like a rail but could run as fast as any of the boys. She always held the hand of her mother, Mrs. Mary’s daughter, when she was around. This innocence was refreshing, and I quickly remembered a glass turtle necklace that my dad had bought me in Boston.

The necklace was still in my camera case, conveniently in the back of the car. I pulled out the glass green turtle necklace and showed it to her. When she smiled, small tears appeared in her eyes. When I locked the clasp and she turned around, she ran to her mom and bounced up and down as she pointed to her chest. Her mother looked at me and simply smiled. But that smile was more than I needed. Their eyes showed their true emotions.

After that moment I realized what my purpose for being there was. It was to give a young girl a simple gift that, I would never doubt, gave her the change in heart and mind that people can bring joy to others in small amounts.

That exact same message was conveyed to Mrs. Mary as she walked down her wooden steps into her newly relifted front yard. All she could say was, “It’s a blessin’ from God. It truly is.”

Tears welled up in her eyes and she was speechless. It was a hard two days work, but at that moment when Mrs. Mary stood in the late day’s sun with nothing but a crooked smile and trickling tears, I knew that we had brought joy to her heart.

27 tribal editorials

« sept. 20, 2012

THE

TRIBAL TRIBUNE Elizabeth Levi Co-Editor-in-chief Jonathan Rice Co-Editor-in-chief Liz Benson Associate Editor Madison Ivey Associate Editor Kelsey Vories Associate Editor Megan Parks Co-Writing Editor Amanda Sharpley Co-Writing Editor Emily Lor Design Editor Davis Haithcock Asst. Design Editor Shannon Doyle Sports Editor Bria Graham Co-Photography Editor Ian Hurlock Co-Photography Editor Georgia Barfield Features Editor Kristen Popovich Pollmaster Sabian Mignone Copy Editor Chief Ashleigh Horowitz Webmaster Liz Ward Business Manager Mitch Winkler Page 2&3 Editor

Staffers

Taylor Foxworth Sarah Russell Alli Antley Amelia Beilke Allison Cherry Anna Ewing Virginia Gilliam Molly Long Wesley Maszk Nick McDonald Laurel McKay Austin Nutt Katherine Poulnot Caroline Rothkopf Andrew Taylor Samuel Walker David Grant Jack Drennan Madison Bailey Emily Cappelmann Sarah Yergin Jade Young Tamela Watkins

Grace Barry Deirdre Borland Madison Brandli Angelica Collins Kacie Compton Anna Crawford Kate Frain Kacey Gouge Sarah Heywood Waring Hills Amber Kallaur Caroline Kornegay Albert Lee Jodi Lee Jimmy Masalin Ellie McDermott Rachael Nusum Kishan Patel Tommy Sanders Gabriella Tilley Lucile Wall Anneliese Waters Adviser

The Tribal Tribune is published by the newspaper staff at Wando High School, 1000 Warrior Way, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466.

Advertising rates are available upon request by calling 843-849-2830, ext. 23903 or emailing tribaltribune@gmail.com.

The Tribal Tribune has been established as an open forum for student expressions as outlined by the Student Press Law Center. The Tribal Tribune accepts only signed letters to the editor. We reserve the right to edit for space and style as well as to select which to run. The Tribal publishes 10 times a year. The Tribal Tribune maintains memberships in South Carolina Scholastic Press Association, Southern Interscholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and National Scholastic Press Association.

Wando High School 1000 Warrior Way Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 (843) 849-2830

-- cartoon by albert lee

ignorance is not bliss Politics matters. For many, this is the most obvious statement in the world. But some people, particularly young people, need to pull their heads out of the sand and realize that politics isn’t just some silly thing that rich people are involved in.

No matter whom you are in the United States, politics affects you.

Politics affects who controls anything and everything – whether that’s a single, powerful person, massive corporations or nobody at all. Everybody has an opinion on that, however slight. Deep down, everybody cares.

That’s why it’s positively mind-numbing when somebody says something along the lines of “I don’t really care about politics.” Because what being ignorant is doing is surrendering all of your say in who gets to run parts of your life.

Yes, some people hate politics. But burying your head in the sand and refusing to take part in it does not make it go away.

In fact, it’s sacrificing your one power as a citizen. Politicians will never listen to your immature cries of “unfair!” What they will listen to, however, is your vote and your activism.

Your can scream and scream all you want, cry out with every rebellious teenage bone in your body, but in the end, it means

nothing if you’re not organized about it.

Know what’s going on, though, joining protests and movements – that can actually get you heard.

And ultimately, it’s only group actions that matter. No, your vote will not change the election, so why should your congressman or woman care? But a thousand votes? Ten thousand? That can actually matter. And there’s never been more proof of it.

Do you remember the SOPA and ACTA bills that almost passed in Congress less than a year ago? Probably not. But some people do, and those people also remember the firestorm of letterwriting grass-roots campaigns that were launched as a result.

And guess what? It all worked. Government did something the public deemed “corrupt” and because the public didn’t give up with their protest, it was stopped.

These two bills serve as the shining example of what a million combined voices

can do. But every voice counted. If too many people hadn’t been paying attention, nothing would have been done at all. And it would have been their fault. That, ultimately, is the job of every US citizen.

Everybody must watch for policies they care about, everybody must protest when they see something awful happen, and then -- and only then -- can gov. ernment start truly responding to the will of the populace.

Political ignorance is nurturing the trend of growing political corruption, nursing it into a cancer eating our country from the inside out. Being politically aware has never been easier than with the internet, and you’ve got no excuse.

Get your head out of the sand, and make what you want known. Maybe then you’ll finally get it.

“Political ignorance is nurturing the trend of growing political corruption, nursing it into a cancer eating our country from the inside out ”

28

sept. 20, 2012 »

soaked and still playing Rain did not deter the Wando 2012 summer band camp. “This summer’s band camp was especially challenging because of the constant rain,” percussion instructor Jeff Handel said. “But it was a very productive week of team building despite all the rain.”

The 2012 marching band show, Immortal, is a four-movement production with music arranged by Furman professor Jay Bocook.

The show centers around a single queen, Nefertari, danced by senior Mary Lewis (below right).

The story begins with the life of the queen slowly transitioning to her death. The third movement is centered around her judgment, where her fate will be decided by the chaotic underworld. The band moves into the fourth movement, portraying her immortal life.

This year’s band has approximately 230 band members on the field. This includes marching band, color guard along with marching and pit percussion.

(Below left) Junior Chance Cochran marches at the front of the sousaphone line in the show. (Large Picture) Senior John Newton stands at the end of the woodwind circle.

IAN HURLOCK/co photography editor

-- liz benson