Oakwood High School 5870 U.S. Route. 150 Fithian, IL 61844 The Oakwood Times The Oakwood Times Oakwood High School 5870 U.S. Route. 150 Fithian, IL 61844 V V V olume 20 * Issue 8 * Mar olume 20 * Issue 8 * Mar olume 20 * Issue 8 * Mar olume 20 * Issue 8 * Mar olume 20 * Issue 8 * Mar c c c h 31, h 31, h 31, h 31, h 31, 2006 * V 2006 * V 2006 * V 2006 * V 2006 * V isit us online at www isit us online at www isit us online at www isit us online at www isit us online at www .oakw .oakw .oakw .oakw .oakw ood.k12.il.us ood.k12.il.us ood.k12.il.us ood.k12.il.us ood.k12.il.us ”Oakwood High School“ Oakwood is in your extended network Contacting OHS Oakwood’s Friend Space (292) Erin BoBearin’ Dixie Doodle Osh Kosh B’Josh Brookiepoo Aussi Jo Vinny Boy Cookie Marie Kengie Jo Oakwood’s Latest Blog Entry [Subscribe to this Blog] [View All Blog Entries] Oakwood’s Blurbs About me: See page 4 to get more on the MySpace controversy I edited my profile with Thomas’ Myspace Editor V3.6! MySpace URL: http://www.myspace.com/oakwoodhigh Oakwood’s Interests General OHS students travel to Mexico over Spring Break (see page 5 for details) View All of Oakwood ‘s Friends 90 years old OAKWOOD, Illinois United States View More Pics Last Login: 3/31/2006 Oakwood’s Friends Comments Displaying 50 of 317 comments (View/Edit All Comments) 3/31/2006 3:02 PM telee Check out a feature on our state qualifier in the IHSA 3-point contest (see page 10) Oakwood’s Details Hometown: Fithian, Il
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Oakwood High School 5870 U.S. Route. 150 Fithian, IL 61844The Oakwood TimesThe Oakwood Times
Oakwood High School 5870 U.S. Route. 150 Fithian, IL 61844
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”Oakwood High School“ Oakwood is in your extended network
Displaying 50 of 317 comments (View/Edit All Comments)
3/31/2006 3:02 PMtelee
Check out a feature on our statequalifier in the IHSA 3-pointcontest (see page 10)
Oakwood’s Details
Hometown: Fithian, Il
2The Oakwood Times March 31, 200622222
By Jena FoleyIt’s no surprise that March’s Stu-
dent of the Month is one of OHS’ mostactive students, senior Kacie Wilson.
Wilson’s efforts honored bybeing awarded March SOM
Wilson man-ages to handle herclasses and extra-curricular activities along with a job at thePossum Trot supper club.
As most high school students do,Wilson enjoys spending time with herfriends and sister Carly, shopping, run-ning, and reading.
She is happy to admit that through-
out her life she has stuck with her activi-ties and fulfilled them to the best of herabilities.
“Kacie is one of the nicest people Iknow,” said se-nior ChrisChesnut. “She isalways there forme when I needsomeone to talkto.”
W i l s o nhas a very sup-portive familyand one that isfull of role mod-els, one being hermother and sis-ters.
“I couldonly hope that Iwill possess thequalities theyhave and I don’twant to let themdown,” said Wil-son.
Along withfamily, Wilsonhas support from
teachers as well.“Mr. (Tim) Lee is one of my biggest
influences, because he expects a lot fromme, as do most of my teachers,” said Wil-son.
At this time Wilson is deciding be-tween four different colleges and will bedeciding soon.
“I was verysurprised, but it isan honor to havebeen named SOMbefore I gradu-ate,” said Wilson.
Wilson isinvolved inc h e e r l e a d i n g ,WYSE, NationalHonor Society,Student Council,where she is theVice-President, In-ternational Cluband journalism.
She has alsoran cross country,track and is a mem-ber of a competi-tive cheerleadingsquad outside ofschool.
Senior Kacie Wilson is March’s Studentof the Month. Wilson is involved in numerousactivities at OHS. (Photo courtesy of Wilson)
By Christina ZitelloThe schools of the Oakwood
district will be a little safer next yeardue to the purchase of three auto-mated external defibrillators (AED)for the coming school year. Theschool board made the decision topurchase these at the February 22meeting.
Defibrillators are potentially lifesaving devices that send and elec-tric shocks to a person‘s heart.
Most people have seen amovie or TV show in which the doc-tor yells, “Clear!” and places twopaddles on the patients chest. Theseare a knd of defibrillators used inhospitals.
The defibrillators at the schoolwill be different than the one’s usu-ally shown on TV because the are automated.They detect a person’s heart rhythm and elec-tronic voice tells a rescuer when to apply anelectric shock.
The Illinois state legislature passed alaw last year mandating that all schools withan indoor physical education facility have anAED by July 1, 2006.
The schools could chose to buy themover several years, buying one each year untilevery building in the district had one, or all atonce, as Unit 76 chose to do. Each defibrilla-tor cost $995.
The state did not give schools extramoney to cover the expense of thedefibrillators but rather suggested that theytake the money from the Education and SafetyGrant which every school receives. Mostschools, including Unit 76 had alreadyplanned spending this money in other areas,
Schools help safety bySchools help safety bySchools help safety bySchools help safety bySchools help safety bypurchasing AEDspurchasing AEDspurchasing AEDspurchasing AEDspurchasing AEDs
and had to make changes in the budget tomake room for the new expense.
Of area schools interviewed Bismarck-Henning, Jamaica, Catlin, Westville, and St.Joseph-Ogden already have AEDs.
Although, Westville principal GuyGoodlove jokingly said, “ We use them towake up the sleeping students,” none of theseschools reported using them in a life or deathsituation.
All other area schools were planningto get at least one by next year in accordancewith the law. In most schools either all or someof the staff is trained to use the AEDs.
At Oakwood, district nurse AmandaSperry, who is a certified trainer, will be train-ing key staff members such as coaches,teacher and administrators who will be attend-ing athletic events when the use of an AEDwould most likely be required.
By Ashley CookThe OHS student council held a co-ed volleyball tour-
nament on Friday March 24th. Senior Chris Chesnut was incharge of the tournament for his senior project.
The tournament was between the classes and each classwas able to have two teams. The senior class was the onlyclass that came up with two teams, while the other classesjust had one.
Each team consisted of four boys and four girls.“I think the tournament went well,” said Chesnut. “I
had fun playing as well as being in charge of the tourna-ment.”
As this was the first year for the tournament, Chesnut
hopes the underclassmen in student council will keep theproject going for next year.
“I really hope that someone does do the same projectnext year,” said Chesnut. “The money went for a good cause,and I think everyone had a good time.”
The money that was made from the tournament wenttowards Multiple Sclerosis.
Donation cans were set up at the doors on the day ofthe tournament, and area businesses sponsored each team tohelp pay for the shirts the players wore.
The cost to play was $8.
Student council sponsors co-edStudent council sponsors co-edStudent council sponsors co-edStudent council sponsors co-edStudent council sponsors co-edvolleyball tournament for MSvolleyball tournament for MSvolleyball tournament for MSvolleyball tournament for MSvolleyball tournament for MS
Senior Mike Palmer serves the ball in a game at theco-ed volleyball tournament. The tounament was sponsoredby Student Council. (Photo by Erin Pouilliard)
The school district has purchased three AEDsfor use in the buildings for next year. There will beone AED in each building. (Photo by Jena Foley)
The Oakwood TimesMarch 31, 2006 2222233333
By Brenden WatsonThe Oakwood WYSE team recently competed
at Eastern Illinois University for Sectionals.The WYSE teams placed second in Regionals
to advance to the Sectional competition as a team.They had a good showing at the Sectional but onlyone person advanced to the State competition
“Sectionals were tough,” said Mr. GeoffGriffiths. “The move up from Division 300 studentsto 700 students hurt.”
Last year the team was in the 300 student en-rollment division. This year the school had an enroll-ment of 311 causing the WYSE team to move up adivision.
“The larger schools have a larger pool to drawfrom,” said Griffiths.
The only individual to advance to the Statelevel was Erin Pouilliard. She received first place inBiology. Last year, she placed second in State inBiology.
“My goal is to at least place,” said Pouilliard.“It would be a great feeling to win State.”
Although she placed second in last year’s Statecompetition, she still gets a little nervous aroundawards time. The participants do not know who haswon until the end of the day.
“I was nervous that I didn’t place when no otherOakwood students were announced,” said Pouilliard.
The State WYSE competition will be held onApril 9. The University of Illinois will host the com-petition.
By Kacie WilsonDue to a $29,000 deficit in last year’s district lunch program, the school board has recently approved a 20 cent increase
in lunch prices for 7th-12th grade students as well as adults.The new lunch prices will go into effect at the beginning of next school year and is expected to bring in an extra $8,000-
$10,000.Superintendent Kevin Forney says that our school district was relatively low in the county average lunch price, and he
doesn’t expect the increase will affect the number of students eating hot lunch.Sophomore Britton Tanner, however, feels that the increase could affect whether she eats lunch or not.“I don’t have enough money already,” said Tanner. “I get my lunch money every two weeks, and I usually run out as
it is.”Lunch prices for next year’s 7th-8th graders will be $1.80 and $2.00 for 9th-12th grade students. Adult meal prices will also
increase to $2.40.The original proposal also included raising the price for 5th-6th graders to $1.80, but it was declined because it would set
two different prices at the grade school.Forney does not expect another increase in lunch prices for several years.
Erin Pouilliard holds a WYSE trophy shehelped win last year. She will be competing in theState Competition on April 9. (Photo by Jena Foley)
J.B. Owens purchases his lunch from principal Brenda Ludwig by using his lunch ticket. Next year, the lunch priceswill raise 20 cents to $2. (Photo by Jena Foley)
Pouilliardadvances toState WYSE
By Carley RedmanTomorrow the sophomore class will hold the annual
Sadies dance. This year the theme is “Hick town.” The gym will be completely covered with corrals, card-
board animals, hay, and to top it all off a large barn. Thisyear’s class has decided to go back to the more traditionaltheme rather than the unique themes that there has been inthe past.
“We wanted to return to the country theme, becausethat is what Sadie Hawkins is,” said sophomore class spon-sor Brenda Thornton.
Aside from tradition they did have more of a distinctivetwist to Sadies week. In the years past the week has mainlyconsist of classes competing by bringing in food and sup-plies for the local food pantry.
This year the week was full of dress up days and the
Lunch prices to increase next year
Sadies returns to traditional thememain event, a scavenger hunt. Each class had to work hard tofind the hidden sheriff’s badges all over the school to win fortheir class. The winning class’s candidates then had to dressup in a prison costume.
“We wanted to do some dress-up days and class ac-tivities to get the enthusiasm about the event going,” saidThorton.
The Sadies attendents have the potential to win DaisyMae and Lil Abner. The freshman candidates are Katie Leeand Brady Leeman. The sophomores are Shayla Vermillionand Mitch Cronk, while the junior attendents are CortneyKeagle and Tucker Knight. The senior candidates are MimiSmith and Justin Knoblauch.
The dance will be held tomorrow from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.Tickets will not be sold at the door and all regular dance rulesapply.
2The Oakwood Times March 31, 200644444C
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Compiled by Erin Pouilliard“Did you hear what happened to so-and-so this weekend?!”“Yeah! I saw something about it on her MySpace.”With the increasing popularity of MySpace, this type of a conversation can
commonly be overheard in the halls of OHS.But what exactly is MySpace? Wikipedia.com defines it as “a free social net-
working website offering an interactive network of photos, blogs [web log], userprofiles, groups, and an internal e-mail system.”
When a person becomes a member ofMySpace, they are given their ownwebpage that they are able to cus-tomize. There is space for informa-tion on a person’s hobbies, favoritemovies, books, and TV shows, theirheroes, and who they would like tomeet. There is also an area for gen-eral information about a person inthe “About Me” section. Surveys,music videos, backgrounds, andother graphics can also be added topersonalize a profile by using HTMLcoding.
“It’s basically an AOL profileon steroids,” said junior TravisDavis.
MySpace is especially popu-lar among teens and the collegecrowd as a form of social interaction.Once one is a member of MySpace,
they can request others members to be their‘friends.’ In MySpace language, a friend is amember whom you can communicate with invarious ways.
If a person is your friend, they can leavecomments on your profile, which are mes-sages that are displayed on your profile andcan be seen by anyone. Friends can also sendmessages through private e-mails that canonly be read by the person to whom it is sent.
Another way members can communi-cate is via the bulletin. A bulletin is posted ina special area on the log-in screen and can beviewed by all of a member’s friends; it is more or less a mass e-mail. Bulletins arequick ways to spread information to a large crowd. A member could easily let peopleknow about a party, concert, or other upcoming event.
“It’s a good way to keep in touch with all your friends, no matter where theylive, and also meet new ones from other schools whom you might have never hadthe chance to meet before,” said junior Meghan Hohn.
MySpace has become so popular that its number of users has grown to over64 million as of March 2006 and is the fifth most popular English language website.A short film made by an amateur filmmaker was even released over the internet inFebruary 2006.
The growing popularity of MySpace has also created some dangers.
To become a member, a person is supposed to be at least 14 years old; however, thisrule is impossible to enforce so many younger teens and preteens are on MySpace.
Internet predators also pose a threat because of the amount of information that canbe revealed through a person’s profile. Information on name, hometown, school, andwhere a person works can be posted. In addition to this information, pictures can also beposted on a profile, making it easy for a predator to identify their target.
“You have to be careful with what information you put out there. It can be read byanyone in the world, not just our little area; that 17-year-old boy you think you’re talking
to could really be a 345 pound 40-year-old man,”said OHS teacher David Calkins.
MySpace has also been a source of contro-versy in some high school. Many students postcomments or pictures concerning their less thanlegal escapades. Since anyone can view a user’sprofile, teachers or parents can look at this infor-mation that they otherwise may not have known.Most schools employ some form of an athletic codeor zero tolerance policy, and some students havegotten into trouble because of what is revealedthrough their profile.
This raises the question of whether or notinformation displayed on a student’s profile shouldbe able to be used against them and possibly getthem suspended from sports or other extracurricu-lar activities. Many students are against this be-cause they believe that teachers are intruding intotheir social lives.
“MySpace isn’t meant to be a way for adultsto spy on us,” said senior Chris Chestnut.
Another problem that has been encounteredwith MySpace is bullying. Many schools havebanned the website because it harbors “studentgossip and malicious comments.”
Additional problems that have been encoun-tered with MySpace include underage users, inap-propriate pictures, drug soliciting, spyware, andthe threat of worms.
Although MySpace’s popularity lies in itssocial aspect, it has other uses as well. Many mu-sicians have a profile for their band and utilizeMySpace as a way to communicate with their fanbase. They can post concert dates, music clips,
their band’s history, and may e-mail with fans. MySpace hasn’t always been the social networking tool that it is today. The
original MySpace.com web domain was an online storage and file sharing firm, but it wasunsuccessful and shut down in 2001. The MySpace as we know it today was founded inJuly 2003 by Tom Anderson, Chris DeWolfe, and a team of programmers.
Anderson recently started a side project named MySpace Records, which is amusic label that signs unsigned artists who have a profile for their bands. The labelreleased a compilation album in November 2005 of artists who had gained fame throughMySpace.(Ashley Sermak and Christina Zitello also contributed to this article.)
MySpace mania making mischief in schoolsMySpace mania making mischief in schoolsMySpace mania making mischief in schoolsMySpace mania making mischief in schoolsMySpace mania making mischief in schools
A student looks through her MySpace page. More and more studentsare using the web program. (Photo by Ashley Sermak)
“It’s basically an AOL profile on steroids.”
The Oakwood TimesMarch 31, 2006 2222255555
By Ashley SermakOHS Student Council hosted
their annual blood drive on March 22.On Wednesday 44 people attemptedto donate blood, 34 were successful.
Each person who donatedblood saved approximately three lives.The blood from the donors will go tothe blood bank and be used in 5,000hospitals nationwide for people whoneed blood transfusions.
“I like to give blood because Ilike to help save lives,” said juniorTabatha Costigan. Costigan plans togive blood next year.
Although there were 34 suc-cessful donors the goal of 60 donorswas not met this year, possibly be-cause of the snow day the day be-fore.
Senior Ashley Cook was incharge of this year’s blood drive asher senior project.
“I chose the blood drive as mysenior project because it is a goodcause and will help out a lot ofpeople,” said Cook.
Students experience Mexican culture
Eight OHS students enjoyed the spring break trip toMexico. The students are, front row, from left, Brittany Park,Megan Knoblauch, and Kendra Marsh. In the back row, areKimber Hawkins, Jenna Hazelbaker, Meghan Hohn, ErinPouilliard, and Brooke Stevens. (Photo courtesy of Marsh)
Sixth annual blood drive a success
Shayla Vermillion distracts Kayla Watson while the nurse beginsto take Watson’s blood. This year’s goal was not met as only 34 peoplegave blood. (Photo by Ashley Sermak)
Audiences thrilledby Aida
SeniorsBrittany Parkand JessicaWhitingtonperform a duetduring OHS’recentproduction ofAida. The castperformed twoshows. (Photoby AshleySermak)
By Kendra MarshAfter completing several
worksheets, watching numerousvideos, and taking exams, the eightstudents have returned home fromtheir trip to Mexico with OHSteacher Norma Anderson.
The trip included time spentin Chichen-Itza, Merida, and MayanRiviera. The group had the oppor-tunity to see the Spanish culturefirsthand as they traveled from cityto city. They also visited three dif-ferent Mayan ruin sites, enjoyed afull day excursion to Xcaret Park,and swam with dolphins in the Car-ibbean Sea.
Their first day brought the ex-perience of seeing a Mayan ruin siteand hearing about this ancient civi-lization.
The ancient Mayans inChichen-Itza constructed the mainpyramid for their rain god. The raingod was symbolized by a snake-likecreature covered in feathers. Thestudents heard a tale that during theequinox in March this rain god de-scends from the sky bringing withhim rain for the crops.
Even today, thousands ofpeople crowd this site to see thebody of the creature appear on the
side of the pyramid.Before leaving
Chichen-Itza the girlshad the experience ofseeing and swimmingin a cenote. The cen-ote was one of themany along theYucatan Peninsula thatwere believed to beformed as a product ofthe meteor that struck65 million years ago.
That eveningthe group arrived inMerida. Every Sundaynight is a special nightin Merida. The streetsare blocked off and fullof chairs and tablesfrom the restaurants.The town square be-comes crowded by vendedores,similar to street venders in America.
“Besides pesos, [another dif-ference in Mexico was that] youcould bargain,” said junior MeghanHohn.
After a short drive, the grouparrived in Uxmal. This was the sec-ond site for seeing ancient Mayanruins. As the trip continued toMayan Riviera, the group passed
through small villages with severalMayan descendants.
The meals that the studentsexperienced were not the stereotypi-cal Mexican dishes. The main fooditems were the tortilla chips andrefried beans. Many of their mealswere buffet style so the studentscould experience a wider variety offood.
“I tried Huevos Rancheros,”
said senior BrittanyPark. “It had refriedbeans under tortillachips with fried eggson top. It was coveredin a spicy tomato sauce(Ranchero sauce).”
After spendingthe night in MayanRiviera, the studentstraveled to see the ru-ins of Tulum. Theseruins were on theshoreline of the Carib-bean Sea as apposed tobeing inland like theprevious two sites. Af-ter hearing about thesetemples, the group gotto cool off in the waterof the Caribbean Sea.
The next morn-ing brought the excitement ofXcaret Park. Although it sustainedsome hurricane damage, the daylongvisit wasn’t a disappointment. Thestudents had the opportunity tosnorkel in an underground river andparticipate in the Sea Trek. Duringthe Sea Trek, the students modeleda heavy helmet to make the walk onthe seafloor possible going as deep
as 18 feet. Xcaret Park also offeredentertainment in the recreation ofthe ancient Mayan ball games anda folklore show that evening.
Saving the best for last, theday to swim with dolphins had ar-rived. This seemed to be the group’sfavorite activity of the eight-day trip.
Due to hurricane damage,they were unable to swim at XcaretPark as planned. Instead they tooka boat ride through the CaribbeanSea arriving on Isla Mujeres for theopportunity of a lifetime.
“Swimming with dolphins[was my favorite part]. I liked thefoot push. I went the highest in mygroup,” said Park.
Ending on such an excitingactivity made the journey home adifficult one. Luckily, there were noproblems that hindered the trip.
“It was definitely the mostproblem free trip I’ve ever taken dueto the group of students and adultsthat went with us,” said trip coordi-nator Anderson.
The inaugural trip worth asemester class credit in biology wasa success. Anderson is unsure offuture plans for a second trip, butclearly impressed by the first.
2The Oakwood Times March 31, 2006666665
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By Kayla Phillips & Nick Vinson
Megan Bartlow, Freshman“Thank God for my 2 true
friends.”
Minda Pichon, Sophomore“I <3 Mike.”
J.B. Owens, Junior“I only date redheads.”
Ricky Powell, Senior“I love Carly!”
Mr. David Calkins, Teacher“The Original C-Daddy.”
WHEN ANIMALS ATTACK IVThe Erin Davis Chronicles
Erin’s Space
By Erin Davis
When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a veterinar-ian. I loved everything about animals, and being a vet seemedto fit my life goals perfectly. I spent lots of time examining ourPersian cat, Jo, who didn’t like mevery much. I remember counting herteeth and examining her ears.
My dreams continued togrow and flourish with a visit to themovie theater. Grandma Ardythtook me to see the “HorseWhisperer,” and all I rememberabout the movie was that I was go-ing to be the next horse whisperer.Not only a horse whisperer, though,I began planning on having in-depth relationships with cats, dogs,penguins, and probably dolphinstoo. Any animal was going to bemy best friend, and it was going toshare all its secrets with me.
I began my medical practicein my bedroom with a Shamustuffed animal. Lucky for me, theShamu doll shared the same feel-ings as the real, swimming, breath-ing Shamu. I quickly learned allthere was to know about the sealife, what made Shamu sad and what his favorite meal was. Asmy fascination continued, I quickly realized that my dreamswould never come true.
While the fake Shamu and I hit it off, I was beginning tounderstand that living, breathing animals hate me with a pas-sion. My dreams of being a vet dissipated with the shockingrealization.
The first incidentsoccurred before memoryserves me. I was sevenmonths old when myGrandma Ardyth thoughtthat it would be a goodidea to expose me to thecows at the farm while shewas gardening. Shepushed my stroller up tothe gate so I could get acloser look. I was left alone for the most part, but one bravecow approached me. It walked up to me, and it stole the lav-ender sock right off of my foot. Grandma Ardyth searched formy sock, but it was never recovered. I darn near lost my toes.
I was one and a half years when my Grandma Thomas’dog, Lady, attacked me. I was walking along, minding my ownbusiness, when the dog was let outside. Lady made a beelinefrom the door to me, where she jumped up to meet my neck.She latched on and showed no signs of letting go. Followingthe traumatic experience, Lady was immediately taken to theanimal shelter. The incident was the first time Lady had shownany signs of violence.
A few years passed without further incidents. WhenI was four, I was at a Labor Day Picnic with my family. Travis
It walked up to me, and it stoleIt walked up to me, and it stoleIt walked up to me, and it stoleIt walked up to me, and it stoleIt walked up to me, and it stolethe lavender sock right off of mythe lavender sock right off of mythe lavender sock right off of mythe lavender sock right off of mythe lavender sock right off of myfoot. Grandma Ardyth searched forfoot. Grandma Ardyth searched forfoot. Grandma Ardyth searched forfoot. Grandma Ardyth searched forfoot. Grandma Ardyth searched formy sock, but it was never recovered.my sock, but it was never recovered.my sock, but it was never recovered.my sock, but it was never recovered.my sock, but it was never recovered.I darn near lost my toes.I darn near lost my toes.I darn near lost my toes.I darn near lost my toes.I darn near lost my toes.
was young, Eli wasn’t even thought of, and the rest of mycousins were generally uninterested in me. I wandered aroundthe picnic aimlessly, until I saw the dog of my dreams, named
Baxter. Baxter was chained upapart from the party, and I felt badfor the poor guy. I wasn’t having agood time at the party, but at leastI had the option to join people.
My sympathies overranme, and I walked over to see him,dog treat in hand. I approachedcarefully, with my arms open readyto embrace the boxer. As I nearedBaxter, he realized that he wantedme nowhere near him, and helashed out. I don’t remember awhole lot after he bit me. The entiretime, I contemplated what I did toBaxter that was so terrible.
Peculiar eventscontinued to happen. On a familytrip to Florida, I was the onlyperson on the whole beach to bestung by jellyfish, and I wasn’tstung just once, but multipletimes.
Once in high school, Ibegan dating someone whose family had multiple animals; itwas like a safari. While at his house, I was bit by a parrot, aturtle, and also a lizard. The parrot had bit people before, butthe turtle was mild-mannered previously. I was told he hadmistaken my finger for food, but I have my doubts.
To this day, animals still hate me. Every time I entermy friend Boo’s house, I’m greeted by snarled teeth and
scary barks. Honey Bear,the Boughs’ dog, hatesme no matter how much Ibribe her. Last month Iwent to Amanda Towell’shouse before our big tripto Indianapolis. While ather house for a total of 15minutes, her dog, Snoopy,barked continuously anddidn’t allow me within a
10-foot radius of him without growling.My most recent attack was over Spring Break. I was
viciously attacked by an elk, which is something not verymany people can say. I was helping Clinton feed the animals,when the elk was sidetracked from the food and became moreinterested in eating me. The elk glared at me with anger in hereyes and reared onto her back feet. Even though my eyeswere shut in terror, I’m fairly sure that she was pawing the airin disgust.
With all these incidents in mind, I’m glad that Irealized that the field of speech pathology was bettersuited for me. I always wanted to help animals, and in thiscase, at least I’ll be able to help people. Everyone has theirexpertise.
Are video games for ‘adults?’Are video games for ‘adults?’Are video games for ‘adults?’Are video games for ‘adults?’Are video games for ‘adults?’
Josh23: Did you hear about thenew online fad? And I’m not talkingabout Myspace.
Soprano1: What, Home star runner?Josh23: No, this new ‘mudding’
thing. It’s like playing a game onlinewith people from around the world.Kind of like a video game. LAME.
Soprano1: Lame? Mudding’s a lotbetter than some stuff out there. Whydo you say “lame?”
Josh23: Video games in general arelame. People in high school are play-ing these games. Even people that havegraduated from college!
Soprano1: What does that matter?Video games are just as sophisticatedas other forms of entertainment. Ihave games that are much more intel-lectually advanced than some movies Iown. You can’t make a judgment likethat on the medium as a whole.
Josh23: Are you kidding me? Videogames are made FOR KIDS. Playing videogames is one of the most juvenile formsof entertainment out there.
Soprano1: Not all video games aremade for kids, in fact, the majorityof them aren’t. What about “SilentHill” or “Grand Theft Auto?” Wouldyou want little kids playing thosegames?
Josh23: It doesn’t matter if Iwant kids to play them or not. They DOplay them. I remember being in juniorhigh and having friends that had “Si-lent Hill” parties. IN JUNIOR HIGH.
Soprano1: So what says that peopleour age can’t play them? What is itthat makes them immature? Just be-cause kids in Junior High do some-thing, it doesn’t make that activityjust for Junior High kids. Junior Highkids breathe too, that doesn’t meanwe shouldn’t.
Josh23: Video games are a replace-ment for friends. In junior high, kidsdon’t have cars, and their parents don’tlike driving them all over. So, theyplay video games to pass the time. Ifyou continue to play video games yourwhole life you won’t ever grow so-cially.
Soprano1: Again, you’re making toomuch of a generalization. True, if youdo nothing but stay in your room andplay video games you won’t have anyfriends. But that doesn’t mean that ifyou play them you automatically won’thave friends or grow socially. If youfocus your entire life around any onething you won’t have friends. And I’mnot arguing that locking yourself inyour room to game for hours at a timeis healthy.
Josh23: But once you have a car,why continue playing games when youcan go to a friend’s house or do some-thing active. Sitting in front of a TVor computer screen all day gets younowhere. And it’s been proven that ata young age video games can help chil-dren learn faster, or more, but NOT asadults or teens.
Soprano1: Didn’t I just state thatplaying them all day was not what I amarguing? I believe that I did. And youcan go over to a friend’s house if youplay video games. It’s not an all ornothing deal. I still go over to myfriends’ houses, or out to the mall.You could even play video games withyour friends. You’re looking at thisin an absolute manner, and it is notmeant to be looked at that way.
Josh23: Whatever. I stopped car-ing. I’m going out with my friends.
Soprano1: That’s fine, I shouldhave been doing Biology homeworkanyways.
By Brooke EickhoffHave you ever thought about taking a vaca-
tion, but never really knew what would make ev-eryone happy? Well, recently I went on a CarnivalCruise and I absolutely loved it! The best part wasthe huge variety of activities.
My favorite part was that the foodwas amazing and all-inclusive.
There were a couple of really fancyrestaurants where I didn’t even recog-nize what I ordered. It was so fancy thatyou got 10 pieces of silverware, and ofcourse, I had no idea which one I wassupposed to use. No one ever seemed tomind though, they would just try to helpyou by telling you that your drinks areon the right and breads on the left soyou don’t end up drinking or eating aftersomeone else.
Sometimes it turned out to be greatand I really liked what I got, but othertimes I would pick around and just makeit look like I ate it. Then I would go downand hit the buffet or the cheeseburgerstand for more my style dining.
“The best part was that you could even goget pizza at 3 a.m,” said senior Brenden Watson,who went on a Carnival Cruise two years ago.
There is always plenty to do when not eat-ing. They have everything from ping pong tour-naments and Fear Factor contests to art auctionsand champagne tasting. They have differentshows every night with dancers and singers thatI would never imagine took place on a boat. Otheroptions of things to do were play bingo, watchmovies in the theatre, visit the casino (if 18 orolder), lay out in the sun, or swim in one of thethree pools onboard.
The best part was every night when youwent to bed, the ship kept on moving. You wouldwake up and be in an entirely different place. Thecruise we took went to two ports; Cozumel, Mexicoand the Grand Cayman Islands. Before you evenleave the ship, the cruise line provides many dif-ferent tours or activities you can do. They alsogive you a shopping map so that you don’t getripped off and find the best deals possible.
Another fun thing about the trip is that somany nationalities are onboard. The crew on myship consisted of over 50 different cultures andpeople speaking 11 different languages.
For me, it was hard to believe that all of thiswas on a ship in the middle of the ocean, and acouple of times I even got lost trying to get fromon thing to another. I mean, how does this hugething float? I still don’t really know the answer,but I do know it was a very neat experience for meand I recommend it for anyone who wants to trysomething different.
Everyone shouldtry a cruise
2The Oakwood Times March 31, 200688888Ed
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When was the last time you felt important or that youwere actually needed? I recently discovered that through sing-ing I could open my heart to new people.
< Not a sound is heard. The silence seeps into my ears,and it’s all I can hear. A steady squeak is heard as the curtainglides open. I can hear people cough and fidget with their
I didn’t know it, but Imissed the music in my life
clothes. I know they’re grow-ing restless. All at once thespotlight hits me! There Istand, a lone figure illumi-nated in the darkness. Alleyes are on me. >
You see I am a senior,and the pure ecstasy thatcomes from standing in a spot-light should’ve worn off yearsago right? Wrong! My heartskips a beat when I throw my-self before a crowd.
I left the music depart-ment my sophomore year. Ihad successfully helpedwith three musicals. I was sat-isfied with ending my musi-cal career on a high note. (Pun intended.) Ihad come to the realization that my voicewould not improve, and I didn’t want to em-barrass myself any longer in high school.
Well this summer a friend of mine triedto convince me to join chorus, but I was notaccepting. I had turned in my schedule withthe classes I wanted, but sure enough like ev-ery year before, I couldn’t take them all due toconflicts. It just so happened I needed a classfor second hour. Second hour happens to bethe one and only chorus hour at OHS.
Before I knew what hit me, I was back inthe music department.
I told my friend, “I don’t want to do thisall year, but I know at the end of first semester I’llget wrapped into wanting to stay for the wintermusical second semester.”
I held true to my own prediction andfound myself notable to drop theclass. Itwasn’t be-cause ofschedul-ing, mygrades, ormy like/dislike ofanyone butrather becausefor the first timein my life I had earned asolo position.
I tried to stay open minded, but I still had the mind setthat I was a terrible singer.
It was all about me.One day at a rehearsal, I heard songs being played and
laughter coming from the band room. I opened the doors tosee many of my cheerleader friends dancing with my music
friends. The dancers took abreak and the musical’s leadssat down to grab a drink andtalk with the dancers.
This may not seem likea big step to you but previ-ously I talked with my musicfriends about music only andmy cheerleader friends aboutall other things. That maysound like I was blocking offone group or the other but Inever ran out of conversa-tion.
I went to journalismclass the following day andheard many of the dancerssinging the songs of the mu-
sical. Similarly, I had seen my
Whistling Dixie
By Dixie Sexton
music friends dancing that morning. My friends usuallydefined by cliques were melting into one an-
other right before my eyes.The dancers finished their dances
on closing night and were just as sadfor the finale as the musical perform-ers were. The stereotypical cliqueshad united to produce an awesomemusical, but even more they hadformed friends were once only en-emies could be found.
For me, I took a personalflight on the wings of music. I’m not
saying I’m ready to sing the national anthem, but I did gain anewfound confidence in my voice and myself.
My friend couldn’t realize the effect he had just bysuggesting a subject I had long blocked out. My senior yearwould not have been the same if I didn’t have a constantvoice pushing me to do what I never thought possible.
As for the rest of my friends, I never thought I wouldsee the day that so many different people could find a com-mon interest. I hope I could open your heart to the unity thatcomes through music. Unity, leadership, and friendships allplayed a hand in producing one of the best musicals OHS hasseen. Aida: In Concert – 2006
< I looked up. I welcomed the light. This was my time. Iwanted to prove who I was and what I could accomplish. Iapproached the microphone, opened my mouth, and allowedmy voice to take flight. >
I don’t know if it was the best sounding, but that voiceI heard through the speakers was mine. In that moment myheart, soul, and mind took that steady flight on the wings ofmusic.
I took apersonal flighton the wings of
music.
We, the staff of The OakwoodTimes, believe that earning classcredits in the non-typical classroom
setting is a good idea.Eight juniors and
seniors recently spent a weekin Mexico over Spring Breakand earned a semester’s creditin biology as a part of the trip.
In order to go, the tripparticipants had to learn aboutMexican history, culture, andwildlife in the area by watchingvideos, doing worksheets, andtaking exams.
Learning in morehands-on situations benefits studentsbecause it allows them to learn indifferent ways than they would in anormal classroom setting.
This type of learning may alsohelp certain students retaininformation because some studentslearn differently than others. It is alsoa nice change of pace from youraverage, everyday class.
Another way that OHSstudents may earn credits in additionto their normal high school curriculumis by dual enrollment. Students whoare enrolled in rhetoric at OHS arealso earning a college credit atDanville Area Community College.
Many students also earncollege credits by taking summerclasses at DACC. By taking classesat DACC, students can earn some oftheir college credits for cheaper thanthey would at the college they willeventually attend.
The Oakwood Timesencourages more of this type of non-traditional education in the future.
letters, comments, art, or columns fromits readers. The Oakwood Times reservesthe right to edit all submissions for lengthand clarity. No submissions will beprinted that are considered libelous, inpoor taste, or are intended solely as apersonal attack. Opinions expressed donot necessarily reflect the opinions ofthe entire staff or the district employ-ees.Editors In Chief Erin Davis
I used to think my world was theonly one out there. I didn’t think it wasperfect by any means, but it was simplythe only choice there was.
Growing up here in a little town, Irarely got out to see anything besidesballparks and cornfields. My travels toDisneyworld and the occasional trip toChicago or the beach fascinated me at ayoung age, but it wasn’t until I had thechance to travel outside of the countryduring this past year that I truly did learnabout life outside of Oakwood.
I knew that things were different inother countries and cultures, but I some-how had this idea that all the people wantedto be just like us, just like Americans. Ithink it came from social studies when theyteach us that the United States was formedbecause everyone wanted to escape thereown country. We must simply be the bestthere is out there. Everyone else must stilldream about becoming an American, and they all copy ourevery move. Well, I hate to admit it, but I was wrong.
When I traveled to Europe this past summer with myclassmates, we seemed to refer to everything that the Europe-ans did differently as “wrong.” They drove on the wrong sideof the road, they wore funny clothes and ate weird foods, andin some instances, they spoke in languages that seemed ri-diculous and made us wonder how they ever understood oneanother. I for one never thought, that they could possibly belooking at us in the same strange way.
It didn’t matter that I was in a different country; I stillthought that everyone should behave in the same ways thatI did. It didn’t take me long to figure out that we were quiteoutnumbered, and to my surprise, most people could careless about what we were doing. They didn’t want to be likeus; some even hated us. I was still, however, stuck on the factthat our fashions, music, language, and food was simply theonly option, and everything else was, well, just not right.
It wasn’t until earlier this month when I headed off to
Australia for spring break that I finallybegan to see things differently. As soonas we arrived, my sister began to com-plain about the Aussie’s driving on thewrong side of the road, and suddenly, Iwas annoyed. I had acted the same waywhen I entered Europe, but my viewpointwas different this time around. It wasn’tthe wrong side of the road; it was justthe left side. And without even noticingat first, I saw lots of things differently.
Instead of wondering why therewasn’t a ‘u’ after the ‘q’ in the name ofour airline, Qantas, I was asking myselfwhy in the world we found it necessaryto follow every ‘q’ with a ‘u.’ I had lotsof other questions too, like why we don’tuse fun words such as ‘bloody’ and‘mate,’ or why we don’t include the tax inthe price of goods like many other coun-tries do. (It makes shopping much easier!)
The more thought about it though,I began to be able to answer my own questions. Each coun-try has its own style and way of life just like every person hastheir own personality. It’s what makes travel interesting.
I sat through 30 hours of airports and planes rideseach way to see Australia’s rainforests, kangaroos, andbeaches -- not skyscrapers, cities, and amusement parks. Iwent there and was delighted to get a taste of their culture.
Sure, there are aspects of life that tie the whole worldtogether and sometimes you witness those while you arevacationing, but the real magic comes in the differences. It’samazing to think that they can all work together to form aworld that is, for the most part, at peace.
These differences, not wrongs, build the strongest tiesbetween people within a country, state, or even family. Theybuild loyalty and patriotism that is usually impossible to break.
So what I’ve learned is that not everyone is longing tobe an American, and that is a positive thing. It creates diver-sity, fun, and a sense of adventure that you can’t find in thenext cornfield.
Just InJust InJust InJust InJust InKaceKaceKaceKaceKace
By Kacie Wilson
Other cultures aren’t wrong,they’re just different
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By Nick Vinson
In the past few years, I have noticed a steadydecrease in student involvement in their highschool. In particular, student attendance at extra-curricular events has decreased drastically.
Two years ago, our varsity basketball team
Where hasthe Pit gone?
was winning many games and many fanscame to show their support. At the be-ginning of the season the student atten-dance wasnot veryhigh; how-ever, afterw i n n i n gmany games,s t u d e n t sseemed tobecome moreinterested.
Teamsthat arestruggling,especially if they are close but just can’tget that extra push at the end of games toclose them, need the student involvementand cheering section for extra motivationto finish the game with.
Many other area schools have cheeringsections where students from their school go andcheer on their team and argue with the opposingteams. That is one thing that I have noticed thatis lacking at OHS. As our team walks onto thecourt or field, the opposing teams’ fans start try-ing to get into our heads, while our fans just sitquiet and wait for the game to start.
Fan involvement is a huge aspect of anygame. Hearing your fans roaring and cheering foryour team can pump the players up and give aboost of adrenaline. However, is there is a lack offan involvement, it can get the teams morale downand be detrimental to the team’s success.
Another thing that you may see that I donot understand is students who cheer againsttheir school. I’m sure you think that this is not aproblem, but I have seen it happen. Why wouldsomeone cheer against their school, the place theygo everyday for four years?
Next time you have a couple of free nightsduring the week, try and go out and cheer onyour school’s athletic events. Not only will it giveyou something to do, but it will give a tremen-dous amount of support and extra motivation foryour team.
Knowing that your student body is behindyou and hearing them cheering you on can beone of the biggest motivation boosters that youwill receive while you are playing a sport.
By Laura LucasJunior Aaron Pratt has placed in the Illinois High School
Association’s 3-point contest held in Peoria for the secondyear in a row.
Last year, Pratt received third in state. Pratt shot sixother times this year before making it to the State contest.
“I never thought while playing basketball in secondgrade that I’d ever accomplish anything like this,” said Pratt.
Pratt first advanced in the Regional contest at WestvilleHigh School with 13 baskets. Pratt then easily advancedthrough Regionals and Sectionals which eventually led himto State.
While at State, he was one of the 64 best three-pointshooters in the state. They were then quickly narrowed downto four. After advancing to the final four, Pratt received sec-ond place this year with twelve shots the first round and 11shots in the second.
“I’m really glad that I made it farther this year than I didlast year,” said Pratt. “It’s a lot of fun, and I still hope to doeven better next year.”
Pratt shooting contributed to the team as well.“Since getting off shots during the games is tougher,”
said OHS coach, Jon Heath, “it probably helped prepare him.”
Pratt #2 for 3sPratt #2 for 3sPratt #2 for 3sPratt #2 for 3sPratt #2 for 3sJunior qualifiesfor State again
Junior Aaron Pratt took second place in State in theIHSA’s three-point competition. Pratt also qualified for theState finals last year. (Photo by staff)
Baseball team hopes to make anotherrun at Sectionals with veteran squad
By Kimber HawkinsThe OHS baseball season is underway with good
hopes for another Regional title. The past two years theteam has advanced to sectional finals.
“We have many experienced letterman returning thisyear,” said junior varsity coach Dave Markwell.
The team has eight out of nine starters returningthis year and promising talent showing from the fresh-men. Only second baseman Sean Ritter graduated fromlast year’s team.
According to head coach Bob Sermak, OHS hasn’tseen as much talent as the current team holds this year in15 years.
Although they are a veteran team, some of theyounger players are expected to step up and play somevarsity. The younger players are going to have to fill posi-tions in the field when the upperclassmen are pitching.
“There are decent pitchers returning and there is alot of experience at all the positions,” said Markwell.
With only losing one senior the baseball team has alot of leadership this year with seven returning seniors.The seniors are expecting to lead on and off the field.
The downfall for this season so far is that the teamhas not yet made it outside due to the conditions of thefield at Oakwood Park and weather.
They were not able to play their first game untilmost teams had been on the fields for about 10 days.
Senior Robert Hubbard warms up his arm in the OHSgym. Because of poor weather, the team hadn’t played a gameby March 27. (Photo by Nick Vinson)
The Oakwood TimesMarch 31, 2006 222221111111111
By Brooke StevensWith the track season underway, senior Corey Lomax has gotten off to a good start.Lomax participated in the indoor track meet in Charleston on Saturday, March 18. He
placed sixth in the high jump, jumping six feet. Starting at six feet, he surpassed his startingpoint of last year by one inch.
Coach Gary Denhart also has high expectations for junior J.B. Owens, who did very welllast year in shot put and discus.
Denhart also expects his team to do well as a whole once again this year. With a teamof 20 boys, they will be able to fill most events.
“I suspect that we will be in the top three in the county and conference again this year.If everyone sticks with it and stays eligible, we should have no problem,” said Denhart.
This year, the team has two returning seniors and one first year senior that will beexpected to step up as leaders. Lomax is the only senior to have run all four years. MikePalmer is returning for his third year, and Jesse Eaton is trying out the sport for his first time.
Lomax jumps to goodstart, others follow
By Brenden WatsonThis year the OHS softball team is relying on leader-
ship for success. The team is stacked with seniors who havea lot of varsity experience. They know what it takes to besuccessful at this level.
“The strength on our team is our experience,” said headcoach Rick Bough. “We have seven players in the lineupwho have started for three or more years.
The expectations for this year are much higher thanprevious years. The team had a 15-17 record last year. That isthe best record since 2003. They are hoping to surpass thewin record which is 18, set in 1992, 1995, and 2000.
“We want to play to the best of our ability all season,not just part of it,” said Amanda Towell.
A few members of the team have been working outsince December. These members are Kendra Marsh andAmanda Towell. Katie Lee and Megan Bartlow have also beendoing extra work this winter.
Towell, the team’s main pitcher, has been throwing tomarsh one or two days a week since December. During prac-tice Towell throws 100 pitches a day.
“I have been working on my placement,” said Towell.“My placement and my speed changes is what I base mypitching on.”
Marsh has also put in a lot of time over the winter sinceshe did not play basketball for the first time. Marsh has spentthe practice time learning how to hit lefthanded.
The seniors are also trying to show leadership for theincoming freshmen. It is important for seniors to be role mod-els for young players. That will help build a program that issuccessful year in and year out.
“The underclassmen watch us and learn from us,” saidTowell. “We do things as team and try not to leave anyoneout.”
Returningstarters earn high
expectations
Senior Corey Lomax practices his high jump skills indoors in the wrestling room.Lomax has already cleared six feet this season. (Photo by Brooke Stevens)
Girls track team seesincrease in numbers
Freshman Kayla Corzine puts the shot in a recentpractice at OHS. Corzine is one of many freshmen on thisyear’s squad who will be counted on for varsity events.(Photo by Brooke Stevens)
By Dixie SextonThe 16 OHS track girls gladly welcomed Armstrong
Potomac’s Liz Todd to round the girls out to a 17-runnerteam.
This season the girls have already faced strong com-petition. On March 11, sophomore Stephanie Deniusplaced fifth in the indoor triple jump at Eastern IllinoisUniversity.
“I want to get better, but I think it was pretty goodfor the first meet,” said Denius.
The girls team is being led by freshman KaylaCorzine, sophomore Denius, and junior Ashley Sermak.
“They will be the force of competition,” said CoachLynn Anderson. “The others will be complimented by theserunners.”
Sermak returned this season after suffering from astress fracture last season, missing the entire outdoor sea-son.
“I missed out on a chance to go to State, and I wantto break my own school records in the 1600 and 800,” saidSermak.
This year’s team has 10 more people than last year’steam. The team welcomed six freshmen, but will be losingfour seniors at the close of the season.
“I’m hoping for leadership and a good example fromthe seniors,”said Anderson.
Corzine and Denius also compete in the fieldcompetions in addition to running.
“It’s definately harder competing with the seniors,but that’s the drive that forces me to excel,”said Corzine.
On March 25, Sermak and Denius participated in ameet at Illinois State University.
The outdoor season started with the Tuscola Invi-tational on March 30. The girls next meet will be theGeorgetown-Ridge Farm Invitational on April 4.
Did yDid yDid yDid yDid you knoou knoou knoou knoou knowwwww...............
Pigs can run a milein 7 1/2 minutes.
There are morechickens in the
world thanpeople.
Until the 1960s menwith long hair were not
allowed to enterDisneyland.
More people inChina speak
English than inthe United
States.
Money isn’tmade out ofpaper. It ismade out of
cotton.
Barbie’smeasurements
if she werelifesize:
39-23-33.
Babiesare bornwithout
kneecaps.
Ingrowntoenails
arehereditary.
By Jenna Hazelbaker Facts taken from http://www.teentwist.com/Fun/randomfacts.html
