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WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOLBlythewood, South Carolina

April 2015Vol. III, No. 3

by Katie McCarthy, staff writer

2015 Outstanding Seniors: Brittany Mixon, Bekah Williams, De’ja Davis, Baili Byrd, Jenelle Francis, Kyara Livingston, Ekklesia Hawkins, Vanessa Harris, Varsha Devarapalli, Taylor Bronson, Alyssa Castelluc-cio, Richard Finch, Ija Charles, Patricia Ploehn, Victoria Brown.

‘Wood Wins

Have you been missing the cinnamon rolls and can-dy bars that were once being sold throughout school? Rumor has it that your favorite junk foods may be making a comeback.

Last month, Department of Education Superinten-dent Molly Spearman lifted part of the food ban after several districts complained that school groups were struggling to make ends meet. According to Green-ville Online, South Carolina will grant waivers that will allow schools to sell foods that go against the Smart Snacks Act for up to 39 days for the remainder of this school year.

Next year, schools may apply for up to 30 waiv-ers which will last three days each, and during the 2016-2017 school year, schools may apply for up to 30 waivers that will last for two days each. Westwood will have fundraising windows from the last week of February to the last week of May, Tuesdays through Thursdays only. School groups must apply and be ap-proved in order to sell.

Despite the lift, Spearman is continuing to urge schools to seek alternatives to these kinds of fundrais-ers. In an interview last month, she stated that while, “Fundraisers provide vital income for extracurricu-lar activities that are also essential for our children’s development, such as band, sports, and field trips...we need a reasonable balance that does not prohib-it school districts from exercising their discretion to permit infrequent fundraisers that include foods that do not meet the ‘Smart Snacks’ requirements, such as bake sales or special treats sold by student organiza-tions.”

The prohibition of unhealthy food began last July, when the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 came fully into effect. The act, which hopes to help curb childhood obesity, prohibits schools from selling foods that contain high levels of calories, fat, sugar, and sodium.

Westwood took full advantage of the lift. The foot-ball team brought back Bojangles, offering biscuits and jugs of tea in the morning. French club, the wres-tling team, Tech B@r and FBLA filled up bags with $1 candy to fundraise for various projects and causes.

Here Ye! Hear Ye!On April 17, Westwood

hosts the Third Annual Re-naissance Faire. Filled with dragon jousting, musical and dramatic performances, crafts and face painting, knights, lords and ladies (and plenty of good food, of course), the Faire also educates students about the Renaissance era through games, displays and general revelry.

A win for schools, junk food

SC partially liftsfood ban, grants fundraising waivers

HOSATwenty students competed in the SC HOSA con-

ference and cleaned up. Seniors Vanessa Harris and Kyara Livingston won scholarships and Livingston was named the new SC HOSA secretary.

National History DayJuniors Marilyn Guy and William Ellis qualified

for state in the individual performance category for National History Day.

Theater at PDAWestwood Actors Theatre earned a Superior rat-

ing for their performance of the play, Booby Trap, and were named alternate for the national competi-tion. Juniors Will Ellis and Jake Schneider won Ex-cellent for Individual Acting Awards.

Globalize 13Junior London Allen won an honorable mention

for her video submission on human trafficking to the White House Student Film Festival.

DECAAt the DECA state competition, all members placed in the top ten in their respective events, with four placing in the top five including Faith Moss, senior Victoria Brown, Karleesto Dash and Grace Wallace.

Jason Powell Named Region 4 4-A Athletic Director of the Year

Ashley Powell NamedRegion 4 4-A Wrestling Coach of the Year

Art AwardsSeniors Ija Charles, Abrea Collins and Alyssa Cas-

telluccio all won Gold Keys for their submissions to the Southeast Scholastic Art Show.

Noah Ard, senior AP Art student, won third place in the 2015 Winthrop University Photography Com-petition.

SC High School WritingSenior Ashley Rudd was named a finalist in the

first annual High School Writing Contest, sponsored by the South Carolina Honors College and USC Press and judged by New York Times bestselling author Pat Conroy and SC Poet Laureate Marjory Wentworth.

Art CommissionSenior Ija Charles was commissioned by a town in

Louisiana, who requested a mural by the artist as a focus of their Black History celebration.

FBLAAt the 2015 District II Leadership Converence,

held at Westwood in Feb., the FBLA chapter compet-ed against 23 other chapters. First place winners for their projects include senior Ija Charles, sophomore Aubree Rubadeau, junior Ashli White, freshman Mad-ison Hancock, sophomore Alicia Parson, junior Jacob Schneider and junior Nathan Rosenberger.

Outstanding Seniors

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S Schools across the country close down when snow starts falling heavy. What about the southern states? In northern states like Minnesota, weather conditions have to be extreme to close school, according to MPR News. We rarely get snow that will close our schools, but we do feel the weath-er. For those of us who wait outside for buses or walk, we feel it the most. School districts have the power to close schools and say when cold becomes too cold. All of the schools have to agree on when to close, and sometimes that is a hard decision to make. School boards need to think of the students when deciding to close school.

Our district’s policy says, in case of extreme cold, bus drivers report to work early to prepare buses for students. Schools that have more car riders should close if the roads are in need of salt or if some routes have been shut down.

If schools can’t afford to be closed because of testing, then they should delay. This will give the weather a chance to slow down and the students a chance to prepare for outside conditions. Being out in the cold when not dressed properly increases injury from cold exposure, according to webmd.com. A delay would also be better for younger kids in the district. Delaying the start a couple hours would give the parents more time to decide if their kids should take their regular transportation to school or if they should carpool, since their mode of transportation is limited. More thought should be put into deciding if schools close or delay.

Over the past decade, educators and experts have claimed that uniforms are contributing positively to students’ behavior in the classroom. In the past, the high rate of violence and gangs in troubled urban areas have been started because of high-priced clothing. It isn’t a rare thing for students to become distracted by the latest fashion trends and status symbols. However, when all students are dressed in regulation uniforms, there is less focus on fashion choices and more on learning.

Schools that have yet to adopt to a uniform policy often have strict dress codes of what is and is not al-

lowed on campus. These policies usually focus on modesty is-sues, visible logos, offensive text on clothing, gang colors, sym-bols and more.

However, lately, dress codes have become absurd regarding to their strictness - even going as far to ban jackets being worn during class. Many students have been publicly humiliated or wrongly suspended due to these strict rules, thus causing law-suits against school boards. These issues, of course, are avoided when students are in uniform.

One of the more heated arguments is the claim that when stu-dents are dressed the same, there’s a decrease in bullying. In this decade of status brands and high-fashion trends, clothing is be-coming a definitive status symbol for students of all grades. By everyone looking alike, there is less opportunity for students to be bullied by their choice of clothing.

Many experts also believe that when the entire student body follows a uniform policy, they develop a stronger team mentality. This helps build a sense of community or belonging within the students. This can positively affect the attitude toward school, which can lead to better learning and improve attendance. In-stead of students having to fear of being judged by what they wear, they are free to concentrate on their school work instead.

Having to buy a few school uniforms instead of an entire new wardrobe every fall is much more economical. School uni-forms are designed to stand up to everyday wear and be repeated washed, so most parents find that they can get away with buying a few sets. With the money that parents save by not having to buy day to day clothes, they can (if they so choose to) let their children buy nicer pieces for weekends and evenings.

Wearing a uniform five days a week might make students ap-preciate their weekend fashions more.

There has been a lot of controversy going on all around the United States for the past few months. On Aug. 9, 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown Jr. was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson. Brown was an unarmed teenager who had recently robbed a convenience store. It is still unknown as to how exactly the shooting went down but this event has caused many protests in Ferguson, MO and across the rest of the country.

Thousands of protesters walked the streets, holding up signs in support of Michael Brown. There is also a slogan that these protestors are expressing, “Hands up, don’t shoot.” Many believe Michael Brown was killed as an act of racism. Officer Darren Wilson may even be racist, which might have led to his shooting of the unarmed black teenager. He denies it, but given the fact that, in 2011, he worked in a town rife with racial tensions says a lot.

There have also been other deaths involving officers and African Americans. For example, Eric Garner was also killed by a white police officer. He was choked to death after he refused to stop selling illegal cigarettes on the streets. Officer Pantaleo tried to handcuff Garner, but when Garner resisted, Pantaleo then grabbed Garner and started choking him to the ground. According to wit-nesses, Garner said the words “I can’t breathe” eleven times.

Officer Pantaleo, his requested backup, and EMS didn’t try to revive Garner at the scene and only did so once at the hospital. Garner was pronounced dead one hour later.

The officer could have handled the situation better than by choking him to death. There were also protests for Garner. Day and night these protesters demonstrated their anger by laying in the middle of the street chanting the final words of Eric Garner.

Both officers from the Brown and Garner cases were not convicted for the deaths, which only added fuel to the protests already in progress.

Obviously when you’re an officer, taking the life of someone you don’t know is easy.

Less focus on fashion, more on learning with regulation uniforms

What’s fair when deciding to close school?By Mya Singleton, Journalism I

By Arianna Wilson, Journalism I

Controversy continues to surround Ferguson, police in shooting death of Michael Brown

By Shara Gonzales, Journalism I

To send a letter to the editor: RedhawkTimesWHS@gmail.comTo advertise: mbrebner@richland2.org or 803.691.4049 x36072

Editorial Policy The purpose of the Redhawk Times is to inform the students, faculty and community of Westwood High School of events and issues which affect them. The paper also serves as a communication link between the students of WHS and the community at large. Editorials reflect the opinions of the staff and/or individual journalists and do not necessarily represent the views of the faculty or administration. The Redhawk Times welcomes submissions, which may be edited for grammar, inappropriate language and length. Please email submissions to mbrebner@richland2.org. Subscriptions are also available. For more infor-mation, please contact Ms. Brebner or a member of the staff.

STAFF: William Ayers, Eyon Brown, Channing Cross, Nathaniel Cruz, Ryann Felder, Shara Gonzales, Amaya Johnson, Katie McCarthy, Mequel McDaniels, Maysia Miles, Angel Salley, Jordyn Seibles, Mya Singleton, Markayla Walls, Carmen White, Rebekah Williams, Arianna Wilson, Delaney Woodham

FACULTY ADVISOR: Mary Brebner

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Looking for a big salary after college? Check out the CAT program. CAT is an acronym for Carolina Alliance for Technology. Students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) ca-reers might want to participate.

“CAT means a lot of things,” said freshman William Ploehn, En-gineering advisor. “Most importantly, it means my future success; it means my life; and it gives me a head start in pursuing the things I like the most like science, Engineering and Physics.”

Ploehn picked Engineering as his focus because it is a combination of all different types of sciences. When the program directors contacted him prior to his arrival at Westwood, they explained the program to him, and it grabbed his interest because it was about something he really enjoyed. He likes the classes that the program offers, though it is often challenging to com-plete all work that is required.

Engineering students use 3D printers, wind tunnels and a solar panel. Ploehn plans on getting scholarships using the program since scholarships are available to anyone in the program. To be eligible, students need to be diligent in their coursework and have good attitudes towards the work, classmates and teachers.

“CAT is a great program,” said freshman Hailey Zalewa, IT advisor. “It always keeps me busy with activities in and out of school. It’s a way to express my love for technology and everything of the sort.”

Zalewa loves the program, loves getting into activities that look good on college applications. Recently, the IT portion of CAT travelled to Intel, where they could physically see and touch some of the computer parts and projects in development. They also explored computer utilities used to make cable cords necessary to connect to the Internet. The CAT computer science teacher saw the lessons she taught incorporated into the things the workers were talking about at Intel and spark interest in her students.

Since the invention of the Internet and the development of technology, social media is used daily in human lives today. Some people can’t go a day without logging onto Facebook or retweeting something on Twitter.

Social networking can be a good or a bad thing; it all depends on how you use it and what you use it for.

Let’s take a moment to look at some statistics. According to Marketing Tech-Blog, 46 percent of web users turn to social media before making a purchase. The number one reason why people follow brands on social media is to grab promo-tions and discounts.

In an article from Social Times, an average of 500 million tweets are sent each day. About 70 percent of Snapchat users are female. Youtube mobile videos get about one billions views a day. These statistics show that social media is out there, and it is very well being used. But are those countless hours on social media good for you?

There are many pros and cons about social media. A huge pro of social media is the spread of information. Social media spreads information faster than any other media type. In an article by Procon.org, 50 percent of people these days get their information through some sort of social media outlet. Newspapers and magazines can’t get the information out as quickly as social media.

Another pro of social media is that it’s a great educational tool. According to Campus Technology, social media can be used academcially for research, to im-prove collaboration and can make it easier for students to express their ideas, with the information at their fingertips. The Internet is a great source when looking for facts with which to write a good research paper or get an opinion on something science-related.

However, there’s also the bad side to social media. According to NoBullying.com, social media has one of the top forms of bullying, cyberbullying. Many teens are cyberbullied daily on social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Twenty-two percent of college students have admitted to being bullied through a social networking site.

Another con of social media according to Campus Technology, is that it dis-courges face-to-face communication. Many teens and adults feel safer commu-nicating online than meeting up face-to- face. Kids who face bullying or have low self-esteem tend to stick with online communication because it gives them a different persona online than it does in person.

According to Desert News National, kids who spend more time in front of a screen instead of in front of people tend to lack positive communications skills and have a hard time creating strong relationships with people. This can explain that awkward silence you get when you spend time with a group of people due to the fact that texting has become their main communication skill. This is some-thing that will effect students in the long run, making it harder to get a job or interact with peers.

Social media is an awesome thing, but it all depemds on how you use. You can use it to your advantage in order to succeed, find a job and improve your repu-tation. You can abuse it by sharing personal information, sending inappropriate messages and relying on it more than old-fashioned communcation skills.

We’ve all had to deal with homework as it is the world-wide method to help students practice what we learned at school in order to succeed in life. Teachers may expect students to breeze through the amount of work given to students, but it is a heavy and stressful load for many. Homework should not be given because it is overwhelming, stressful, and irrelevant. I say it’s irrelevant because we go to school for the majority of the day, so it doesn’t make sense to do even more school work at home. Home is the place that you can spend time to regain your energy

and focus. A student nowadays has homework in every subject

from multiple class periods. Having so many tasks can be very time-consuming. This takes a lot of time, pre-venting students from being able to do anything else in their life, because they do not have enough time for it.

Students go to school for roughly eight hours then come home to do homework for three-plus hours. Stud-ies have shown that teenagers need nine hours sleep, yet they cannot get because homework gets in the way. According to the book, Child Psychology, “Regular so-

cial interaction is a critical role in brain development. Students who get plenty of opportunities to interact with friends and family can gain valuable social conflict management and impulse control skills.”

When homework reduces this time, children’s social development may suffer. Having a lot homework can cause health problems for students including stress,

anxiety, physical problems, a lack of mental balance and depression. “Having to do more schoolwork outside of school is thought to be too much for a single child, thus the reason of more stress on kids, but if this situation were handled problems like this would be fixed,” according to Child Psychology. Dealing with homework doesn’t help students do better in school. In fact, it can lower their test scores.

Having too much homework can lead to a tough life in the real world. Hopeful-ly, one day, there can be a reduction in the amount of homework children have to face. Until then, we will deal with these daily problems such as homework.

Westwood has a new addition to their campus, thanks to assistant principal Mike Young. This new addition is a branch of the Grow Financial banking in-stitution. This is the second Richland Two school to have its own bank branch. Richland Northeast opened its own branch back in 2013 and, since then, Young has been planning to get a Grow Financial branch here.

Principal Ralph Schmidt said, “All too often you hear that today’s students are not getting the financial training they need to manage their money wisely.” He added, “This is a real world experience that lets students become members of a real financial institution, using real money.”

Westwood has authorized four interns for the branch: two seniors, Victoria Brown and Javen Jackson, and two juniors, Kiara Holloway and Brianna Boles.

Brown decided to intern because, “Being a part of Grow Financial helps me to see what all I need to do to prepare myself as far as financing goes.”

Boles said she wanted to get experience for the future by interning. Jackson said, “Grow allows the students of Westwood to learn responsibil-

ity with their finances. They learn how to write checks, set budgets and save what they have earned. Grow also helps interns like me get a better understanding of what goes on inside banks and credit unions before we set out to start our careers.”

The interns said that they hoped to get a better under-standing of credit and loans and a step ahead in life through the internship.

Too much homework heavy, stressfulMaking the case for less homework, more downtimeBy Channing Cross, Journalism I

Is social networking good for you?Sometimes -- it all depends on how you use itBy Carmen White, Journalism I

Engineering or Computer Science?Carolina Alliance for Technology (CAT) program now avail-able to students, participation can help with future successBy Maysia Miles, Journalism I

Grow Financial opens Westwood branchFour interns gain financial know-how, experienceBy William Ayers, Journalism I

The new interns with Mike Young and the Grow Financial representative at the ribbon cutting in December.

Prom is right around the corner and students, especially the seniors, are getting ready for it. There are dresses to be bought and fitted. There are dinner reservations to be made. There are people who need dates. The most important question: how will they prepare for one of the most significant nights of their lives?

Raven Duckett, senior, said, on an excitement scale on 1-10, she is eight because “ there’s not enough hype about it.” As far as getting ready the week before she plans on getting her nails and toes done, a massage, and teeth whitened, all costing, on average, $315. With no limit in mind to find the perfect prom dress.

Senior, Breanna Surles is a 10 when it comes to dressing up and running for prom queen. Since the week before prom is Spring Break, Surles plans to get her accessories, her dress fitted, and “everything in order”.

For the boys, on preparing for one of the biggest nights of their senior year, Eryk Clark and Bradley Carter are both looking forward to their last prom. Carter plans on spending about $160 on his tux and $15 on his haircut, while Clark is prepared to shell out about $250 for his whole outfit. While getting ready for this increasingly important event, Carter decided that he would attend prom with a group, and Clark is going as part of a couple, stating that “[He] ain’t too much with friendliness.”

Duckett said that she will most likely stay until the winner of prom king and queen is an-nounced, and Carter said that he will probably stay for about two hours.

It seems that everyone has really high hopes for this special night on Saturday, April 11 at 8:00 pm.

The Color RunA special 5k run event called the Color Run gives people a chance to enjoy a good time with

their friends and family. On the run, powdered color is thrown at you, coloring you and your clothes as you go.

According to Alcatel One Touch, not only is the Color Run hitting big cities and towns again, this event is international. In addition to the Color Run, there is the 2015 Shine Tour, which encourages runners everywhere to stand out and be proud. Other activities include drinks along the 5k journey to help you out and before the run, a morning boost with exercises, yoga, and different types of stretches to warm a runners body and muscles.

The Color Run is mostly in the eastern regions of the U.S. including Columbia. The next Color Run and Shine Tour is on March 28.

Westwood Renaissance FaireThe best Renaissance in South Carolina comes to our very own school. This year, staff and

students will offer up dragon jousting, multiple bouncy attractions, crafts, exhibits and displays and plenty of delicious food (don’t forget to bring your dollars so you can feast like kings and queens!).

The WHS Renaissance Faire is April 17.

Sparkleberry FairLocated in at the Clemson University Sandhill Research and Education Center, Sparkleberry

Fair features a full country fair complete with rides, a parade, arts and crafts and, of course, food.

Sparkleberry Fair is April 24-25.

Rosewood Crawfish FestivalAnother event coming up soon is called The Crawfish Festival. This year marks the 10th

annual festival. Held along Rosewood Drive, this festival boasts over 10,000 pounds of fresh Louisiana-grown crawfish for visitors to enjoy. Other Cajun delights include crawfish pies, alligator tails and jambalaya. There are four stages with a variety of music to suit all tastes. For the younger people, there will be a “Li’l Crawdaddy Carnival” with plenty of rides, inflatables, and activities, including face painting.

The Rosewood Crawfish Festival is May 2.

What are TV’s most buzzed- about shows this season? From new hot drama Empire to fan fave Scandal, it seems everyone is making time out of their hectic schedules to hop on the couch and enjoy these drama-filled jaw-dropping shows.

Empire is a new family drama show that just finished up its season on Fox that has many people obsessed. It stars Oscar nominees Terrance Howard and Taraji P. Henson and is absolutely perfect for binging.

So, what is the show’s plot? “The founder of a successful hip hop music and entertainment company, Empire, is dying. He is struggling to decide which out of his three sons to leave his company to,” said senior Raven Duckett, a big fan of the series.

“Empire is my new favorite show. I’m addicted to this show,” said se-nior Alandria Haynes. The show’s ratings have gone up each week since it aired on Fox, suprising executives with its rabid fan base. The new hit drama has everyone buzzing about its exciting story plots.

Duckett highly recommends everyone watch the show. “Everyone should watch because it’s like a urban musical,” she said.

Another show that is still drawing attention is Scandal. The hit show, starring Kerry Washington, is back for it’s fourth season and is serving up major drama. “Scandal is definitely still the most- watched show that everyone is addicted to,” said senior Taylor Thompson.

“I think what keeps everyone watching the show is the simple fact big surprises keeps popping up in the show.” said senior Alandria Haynes.

Empire and Scandal are two hottest TV shows right now. To catch these shows, make time on Wednesday at 9 pm on Fox for Empire and Thursday at 10 pm on ABC for Scandal.

Spring is Here!

By Jordyn Seibles, Journalism I

With prom right around the corner,it’s time to pull together your look

I’d be in California and in

Disneyland with my family,

riding the most scariest

rides. -Maysia Miles,freshman

Spring break is so widely beloved because spring break is our time, a time of self rule and hedonism. A chaotic week of soda, loads of candy and seven days/nights with your best friend. Student’s can’t resist the urge of summoning an imaginary list of infinite ways to get in trouble during spring break. We all have a vision of a perfect spring break and whether due to money or the laws of sci-ence, most of our dream vacations are unob-tainable. What many people do over spring break isn’t what they dream about doing over spring break. Whatever the problem,it’s always fun to imagine.

My perfect spring break would be...

In Jamaica, surfing with friends.-Dasha Miller,junior

“I’d be in LA surrounded by the Dance Moms cast. I’d be dancing with them because I’d

learned a lot from them.”-Channing Cross,freshman“If I could go anywhere, it’d be fun to visit another planet with alien life sur-rounded by aliens doing the spock sign.”

-Christopher Miller,Strings Teacher

By Nathaniel Cruz, Journalism I

By Markayla Walls, Journalism I

Looking for something binge-worthy this spring?How ‘bout a little Scandal or maybe get addicted to Empire or even solve crimes with your friendly neighborhood zombie

Variety of events around town to satisfy anyone’s tastesBy Amaya Johnson, Journalism I

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Spring has sprung and it’s finally time to bring out that favorite pair of shorts. Sophomore Diamond Rush said her go-to spring outfit is usually “something com-

fortable, just to relax in.” Most would agree that being comfortable is an important part of all fashion.Looking for places to shop this spring? Check out Hot Topic or Rue 21 -- sopho-

more Jada Roddick already has! She described the clothes there as being “sassy or alternative”.

If you’re looking for something that’s a little different, be sure to check out For-ever21. This store offers a wide variety of clothes for both men and women that are perfect for the spring weather.

If you’re having trouble with fashionable inspiration, do not hesitate to go to Pin-terest, as a reliable source. The website, also an app for smartphones, has a wide variety of DIY outfits and even some that you can imitate. Pinterest also allows you to “pin” together your favorite posts, therefore you’ll always be able to look at them.

This year, we can be on the lookout for the return of shorts, skirts and sunglasses. Redhawks, get ready to make your fashion statement stand out! When thinking of what to wear, remem-ber the words of Harry Winston, an american jeweler: “People will stare. Make it worth their while.”

What trends will be set at the Westwood Castle this year, Redhawks?

With the new year, comes a new list of TV series and new movies! But do you really want to waste your time watching a show or movie if you don’t know what it’s about? Here are a few upcoming shows/movies to look out for this year:

New Shows:CSI: Cyber - Starring actors such as Shad Moss and Hayley Kiyoko, a

group of agents work together to solve multiple different types of illegal activity and expose anonymous criminals. This show premieres on March 4 at 10 on CBS.

iZombie - Another zombie based TV show you may ask?! But this one is different. A medical student who is a zombie has to eat brains constantly to keep her human features, with every bite she eats she gains bits and pieces of the deceased victim’s memories which help a detective solve their death. Watch out for this series on CW at 9 on March 17.

New Movies:The Wedding Ringer - Doug Harris is getting married, and he realizes

that he needs a best man but, because he is friendless, he has to call up a fake one. He then meets and hires Jimmy Callahan from Best Man, Inc. to be his fake best man. They both then realize as they’re trying to fake a friendship, they’re actually gaining one. This movie came out earlier this year, January 16.

Project Almanac - A few teenagers build a time machine and try to fix problems from the past and change things for their own personal amuse-ment. These changes then affect the future, causing the teens to disappear one at a time. They rush to try and uninvent the time machine in the past and hope things go back to normal. This came to theatres on January 30.

Pitch Perfect 2 - Coming to theaters on May 15, the famous movie, Pitch Perfect, is making a sequel! Pitch Perfect 2 carries on with the Bellas fighting their way to the top. They enter an international competition that no American team has ever won before—maybe this year, they can change that!

Spring is Here!

When dreaming about the future, most people envision themselves with successful career standing side by side with an attractive husband or wife. The assumption of an attractive spouse originates from the media.

So, do you think you’re ugly? Compared to the beautiful people on the big screen and in many advertisements, we’re all ugly. In many movies, not just romance films, the protagonists are usually good-looking actors. Because of this, some people turn to extreme remedies and diets in hopes to better their figure.

According to Tamara Anderson, a professor in Biola’s Rosemead School of Psychology, the beauty industry spends billions of dollars convincing people that they need to change they need appearance. The media sets nearly impossible standards that we perceive as reachable, but in reality, having a naturally fab body is serendipity.

Kristen Harrison conducted a study about how TV exposure influenced female’s body im-age. Its also showed that television exposure made large girls assume that their peers thought they were too large, and skinny girls assume that their peers thought they were too skinny.

The argument isn’t a cheesy, “everyone’s beautiful in their own way” argument. There are many people who can be argued as ugly in every way, such as Adolf Hitler. He was convicted of genocide and wasn’t physically attractive. The argument is that torturing yourself is unnec-essary in obtaining a better body image.

While people have their own standards on beauty, studies show that the main qualities that make a person attractive are clear skin and a symmetrical face. Wanting to become a better looking person isn’t the issue. The problems are the unnatural actions taken to achieve a better body image.

It’s unethical to dehydrate yourself with sweat suits to try and lose weight.It’s immoral to starve yourself because you think you’re too big.It’s wrong to take pills or other OTC medicines to restrict your appetite.It’s not only physically damaging, but a hit to your morality to have surgical implantations

or transformations because you want better curves. Before you consider changing your body, you should better your attitude because self-es-

teem makes a big difference in the end results. Having a good self-esteem is a big part of the dieting process because having a low-self esteem may cause unhealthy dieting habits. In an article of Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s Health Matters, it’s state that the best way to lose weight is to balance calorie intake with physical activity. Dr. Gupta is the associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Bethene Ervin said that she would “recommend that people follow dietary guidelines” because it limits fat intake and ups the consumption of a lot of fruits and vegetables. But all this may be unnecessary because physical beauty comes from the mind and what you perceive as pretty. To better your appearance, better your self-esteem.

“I’d be in LA surrounded by the Dance Moms cast. I’d be dancing with them because I’d

learned a lot from them.”-Channing Cross,freshman

“California, but mainly L.A. and San Francisco because my best friend lives there and I want to visit the college I want to go to, which is in San Francisco.”

-Hailey Zalewa,freshman

“I’d be in Ger-

many shopping

with my close

friends.”

-Ihyanna Cruz,freshman

“I’d be chilling in L.A., talking to females and building sandcastles on the beach surrounded by Victoria Secret models.” -Antonio Carr,sophomore

With Spring finally in the air,it’s time for spring fashionsBy Angel Salley, Journalism I

Opinion: Don’t let the media’s “beauti-ful people” influence your body imageBy Nathaniel Cruz, Journalism IBy Arianna Wilson, Journalism I

This year’s wrestling team had a successful season, taking the team title of Regional Champs for the first time in the school’s history. They also advanced past the second round of the state playoffs, making it into the State’s Elite 8.

Senior Bradley Carter said this season was his best ever. “I think I’ve grown to be a better player this year.”This season was extremely hectic because, to achieve the goals the players and coaches set, they had to work

hard to accomplish them. “We have had to condition more and work harder. It’s really hard handling it some-times,” said junior Dehundray Steele. But, being Iron Hawks, they push through.

“The coaches make sure I’m right [physically and mentally]. If not, I can’t play in some of the games or I have to sit out in practice,” said Carter. This sport is all about focus, which helps the players both on the mat and in other aspects of their lives.

Beyond the team’s regional title, many wrestlers went on to bring home more hardware. Juniors Evan Carri-gan and Octavius Davis qualified for the State Individual Championships and made it all the way to the semi-fi-nals before tapping out.

Fifteen Redhawks placed in the Region Strength Meet while five went on to bring home the bling from the State Strength Meet.

One of the most distracting headlines from this past Super Bowl is the discussion of the New En-gland Patriots using underinflated footballs in their 45-7 rout of the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship. The Patriots are under scrutiny because when Tom Brady threw an interception to a Colts linebacker in the AFC Championship, the linebacker felt that the ball was underinflated. After the ball was checked by officials, it was con-firmed that the ball was below the minimum infla-tion requirement of 12.5 PSI.

Since the game, an investigation has been in progress, and 11 out of the 12 balls used by the Patriots were underinflated. Head Coach Bill Beli-chick, after learning of the incident said in a press conference with various sports reporters from ESPN, NFL Network, Sports Illustrated, etc., that he was “shocked to learn of the news reports about the footballs,” and added that he had “no knowl-edge whatsoever of this situation whatsoever until Monday morning.” Expectedly, star quarterback Tom Brady said in a press conference with report-ers from the same groups that he feels that he has “always played within the rules,” and “would nev-er do anything to break the rules.”

Brady does have some preference on a foot-ball’s air pressure, as he said (when) “I pick those footballs out, at that point to me they’re perfect. I don’t want anyone touching the balls after that.”Patriots owner Robert Kraft said at the team’s first news conference for the Super Bowl that if the investigation doesn’t come up with anything that proves the Patriots deflated the footballs, then Patriots are owed an apology. In the past, the Pa-triots have been suspected of cheating twice. Un-der Head Coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots were caught cheating in the infamous “Spygate” scandal in 2007, in which they were caught videtaping the New York Jets’ defensive signals. Years prior, be-fore Super Bowl 36, they were suspected of video-taping the opposing St. Louis Rams’ walkthrough practice, but as mentioned previously, nothing came up that proved it.

On Feb. 1, the NFL released information saying that the intercepted ball was underinflated by two pounds, but also that other balls were inflated by “just a few ticks.”

Kayla Atkins, senior and center on the girls basketball team, has a passion for the game that makes her an outstanding athlete. Coach Gregory Bauldrick said Atkins has the drive and motivation to be a strong player. He said she “takes initiative, understands my expecta-tions, and holds herself and her teammates accountable.”

Atkins has been playing basketball since sixth grade, and definite-ly wants to continue playing in college, although she does not know where yet. Pressured her to play because of her natural God-given height (she is 6’1), she began playing and now basketball is her favor-ite sport. Atkins believes that you enjoy something more when you love it which is why basketball season is one of her favorite times of the year.

This season, Atkins set goals to have a high scoring game and be a posi-tive influence to her teammates. She followed through with these goals, and continues to wow her coach and peers both on and off the court. A

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Kayla Atkins, senior

Iron Hawks bring home serious hardwareWrestling: Region Champs

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Bradley Carter, senior

A name floating around the school is that of senior Bradley Carter. Whether playing football or wrestling, Carter works hard to find time to be a leader on and off the mat. Wrestling Coach Ashley Powell thinks he is an outstanding athlete because he “works really hard. He is very smart and this helps and is able to transfer his knowledge to the field or mat.”

Carter has been playing football for seven years; he is a defensive end and wrestling for three years. After he graduates, he plans to con-tinue playing football in college. During the wrestling season, drills for an hour and a half, matches, running for 30 minutes and hard prac-

tices pay off when he gets a win. Car-ter’s favorite thing about the season is winning.

One thing that makes Carter ex-ceptional is that he manages his time when playing two sports, although he has a lot of late nights to get his schoolwork done. This season, his wrestling record was 35-6.

By Channing Cross, Journalism I

By Eyon Brown, Journalism I

Wrestling’s Iron Hawks show their team pride after a hard-fought win at the Regional Championships. Hard work, plenty of pumping iron in the weight room and support for each other as wrestlers helped the team bring home the bling.

Deflategate raises eyebrows, questions

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This year, boys basketball finished out the season with a 13-11 regular season record, finishing in fourth place in Region IV 4A. While they didn’t surpass last year’s 15-9 record, they had a winning season in a tougher region and felt that, overall, they improved in a lot of areas.

Head basketball coach Terry Dozier said his goal for this year was to get his team to be mentally tough and play more like a team, adding that they improved in their overall record and position.

The team made it to the first round of the playoffs -- a first for the boys basketball team -- but were defeated.

Senior Richard Finch earned the title of most im-proved player because, though his hard work and dedicaiton, he got more athletic, became stronger and became a better player. Finch and fellow teammate, junior Jordan Watson, were named to the Re-gion IV 4A All-Region Boys Basketball team. Watson led the team in scorring 14.3 points per game while Finch averaged 9 points per game and led the team in rebounding.

Dozier said this year was a great season because his guys played well as a team and showed a lot of improvement. He added that he could not be happier with the way they played this season.

Players Xavier Davis and Jordan Watson, both juniors, said that next year, their goal is to win it all. If so, next year will be a great season to watch.

By Mequel McDaniels, Staff Writer

Under the leadership of new head coach Gregory Bauldrick, the girls basketball worked hard work and finished the season with a 9-12 record, enough to make a playoff run but not enough to propel them past Blythewood in a tie-breaker situation.

Bauldrick has a plan in mind to improve his team and was pleased that they played better this year as compared to last. He added that each player on the team had their role to play. His perspective was to be a defensive-minded team so they could disrupt the passing lanes. He also worked on offense, fundamentals and team effort.

Next year, Bauldrick plans for the girls to come out ready and strong.

A highlight of the season was senior Kayla Atkins’s selection to play in the North/South All-Star game. Atkins is a three-year letter winner for the varsity squad and finished the season with an aver-age of 8.4 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game. Atkins was also selected to the Region IV 4A All-Region team.

By Angel Salley, journalism I

Code Red, Westwood’s new step team, competed on Feb. 7 at Columbia High School. The team practiced hard leading up to the big day, practicing just about every day, including several four-hour practices on Saturdays and Sundays.

Freshman Nubia Miles said,“We didn’t win but we did very good. I wasn’t worried about us not doing well because we worked really hard up to that point.”

Even though they didn’t bring home a win, step team coach Brandon Ross was proud of his team. “We did not win but the stu-dents did an awesome job. I knew that they would perform well. I am very proud of their accomplishments to this point.”

Ross started stepping in college at the University of South Car-olina after joining Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He and his college team won six years in a row at their homecoming step show.

While learning to step doesn’t come easily or naturally for some, Ross said they went in “knowing the hard work and dedication that it takes to succeed at that level. “ He added, “Also, my students are very creative and bring their ideas to the table all the time.”

The step team hopes for more recruits next year and to keep competing.

Girls SoccerThe 2014-2015 Girls’ Soccer team is off to a pretty good start, according to junior Anna

Bramlett, who has been a part of the team since her freshman year. Newer members an im-portant focus for the team, at the moment, as far as making sure they are well prepared for upcoming games.

“Our coach is trying to help them more and focus on drills,” she said. Bramlette’s position on the team is right defense, and her job is to make sure the ball does not enter the goal. She has also played midfield.

Some of the strengths of the team this year are the forward and the offense.

Girls basketball shines under Bauldrick’s new leadership

Boys basketball makes it to first round of playoffs

Code Red Step Team steps upBy Kianna Henry, Journalism I

SoftballThe softball team is official and out there

playing. First year player Jamisha Taylor, sophomore, said, “We have some pretty good players this year.”

She is number 16 on the team and plays catcher and center outfield, making sure to catch the ball and throw it in. Taylor said pitcher Shelby Leis, sophomore, and pitcher Monisha Robin-son, senior, are key players on the team.

Good teamwork and working well with each other is important to any sports team, and they’ve got what it takes. “Whatever we don’t do, we try to back each other up, no matter what,” said Taylor.

Encouragement and family comes natural to these girls. And don’t mistake them as being weak, they may not be the stron-gest team yet but they are working on it. “We’ve been working hard at practice,” Taylor said, “and coach has been trying to kill us, but it’s okay we’ll get it!”

Track & FieldThe track season is looking great, according to sophomore Diamond Rush, first year track

runner. “I think teamwork, and the way you work with your teammates will foreshadow how the season will go,” said Rush.

The runners have already become a family, filling the track with encouragement and enthu-siasm. The new track members don’t have to worry about being left behind, since the experi-enced teammates are more than happy to help.

Practices often include working on high jumps and different events to prepare for the up-coming season. The team runs laps around the track, complete stretches, and other types of exercises to warm up their mus-cles. Rush hopes to take on the 100- and 200-meter dash.

Boys TennisWith a 2-2 start to their season, boys ten-

nis is working hard to keep their forward mo-mentum. March 17 saw them at home against Ridge View, where they defeated the Blazers quite handily 5-1.

Spring sports take the field

BaseballBaseball is

off to a great start with a 4-0 season after a 6-3 win against

Ridge View March 17. Sophomore Branden May went 2-3, singling in the second inning and doubling in the third.

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Boys SoccerBoys soccer fell to

Ridge View during their first game of re-gion play on March 17, going 1-3 for the season. Junior Gurbir Malhi had the goal for the Redhawks, assist-ed by Brandon How-ard, junior.

After a rainy start, the golf team fell to Ridge View in their season opener. Mid-dle school player Kendall Wallace led the team with a 49.

Mr. Westwood flashes back in styleContestants showcase style, talent during event

The Mr. Westwood show, held in the auditorium on Feb. 26, was filled with humor, talent and plenty of music.

Sophomore Xavier Vereen said, “Mr. Westwood was very nerve-wracking for me. I was afraid I was going to freeze up in front of everyone when I first walked out.”

Despite his initial nervousness, Vereen felt the pageant was an extremely fun experience. “Mr. Westwood helped me grow out of my shell a lot. The contestants helped me grow into someone better.”

Vereen took home several awards that night. “I didn’t think I was going to win anything. I really only did Mr. Westwood just to get over my stage fright. The awards were a plus, but I was in shock.”

Junior Nick Hooks took home the title of Mr. Westwood 2015; senior Eryk Clark was first runner-up. Vereen swept Mr. Grand Talent, Mr. Nice Guy and Mr. One-in-a-Million while senior Jamil Gibson took Mr. Money Bags.

Hosted by teacher Justin Kearse, Mr. Westwood showcased student and teacher talents (who knew Coach Rodney Summers had moves like that?) as well as contestants’ more fash-ionable sides. Kearse said, for him, the whole experience was stress-free and something to look forward to next year. “Mr. Westwood was easy and really calm.” He even claimed he’d host it again, if asked.

Sophomore Alyssa Moore, who attended the nighttime event, said, “My favorite part of the whole pageant was when Nick Hooks was crowned Mr.Westwood.” She added, “I would go again next year, and yes, I would recommend for people to go to it. It was a lot of fun to go to.”

By Ryann Felder, Staff Writer

Pictured: Runner-Up Eryk Clark; Mr. Westwood Nick Hooks; Mr. Grand Talent, Mr. Nice Guy and Mr. One-in-a-Million Xavier Vereen.

Junior Nick Hooks killed it with his Michael Jackson tribute. Channelling the 80’s, contestants danced their way into audience hearts. The “Back in the Day” faculty dancers stole the show with their smooth moves.

Relay for LifeWestwood High School

May 8See Amanda Ashley for more information

803-691-4049 ext. 36240 or Room 240